At dinner, Baroness Pompourri asked whether the trip to Lake Nifla had gone well.
“Did you two have fun together?”
She sounded as though she naturally assumed Vanessa and Eleanor had gone together.
“Ah, about the lake—”
“I suddenly had something to take care of, so I couldn’t go with her.”
Vanessa smoothly cut Eleanor off and put on a regretful expression.
Just earlier she had been using malicious words like playing around and coming here to have fun, yet now she neatly summarized everything with the magical phrase something to do.
“Oh my, really?”
“Yes. So I felt terribly sorry toward the young lady. Did you enjoy the lake?”
Vanessa turned toward Eleanor and spoke gently.
It was completely different from the attitude she had shown when refusing Eleanor’s invitation earlier. Clearly, it was because the Baroness was present.
“Yes, I had a good time. It was fun. Next time, if you’re free, let’s go together.”
Aware that her aunt was watching, Eleanor also replied kindly.
Even if a slight bitterness had settled in her heart, she had only just arrived in Oklama, and Vanessa was a child dearly cherished by her aunt.
It’s too soon to fight. There’s still room for conversation.
So Eleanor stepped back.
“I’d love that.”
Vanessa smiled as she said it in a flat, emotionless voice.
The corners of her lips lifted the same way whether she looked at the Baroness or at Eleanor.
But when she looked at Eleanor, her eyes did not smile.
The strange mismatch gave Eleanor an odd sense of discomfort.
A faint feeling of familiarity made her hesitate for a moment, but Eleanor soon smiled back at Vanessa.
“You two get along so well.”
The Baroness smiled warmly.
“I’m glad you had fun. Nothing unusual happened?”
The mention of “anything unusual” reminded Eleanor of the Hytar siblings she had met. She hesitated over whether or not to mention them.
But with her aunt and Vanessa both present, for some reason she did not want to bring it up.
“No, nothing happened.”
So Eleanor answered as though the day had passed without incident.
“Hytar?!”
Eleanor told Lisa about what had happened at the lakeside while preparing for bed that night.
Lisa had been listening casually at first, but the moment Eleanor mentioned where Yasmin and her brother were from, she nearly screamed in shock. Eleanor understood perfectly—she herself had been startled too.
Who would have expected people from Hytar to be in Oklama?
Hundreds of years ago, Hytar had been a fallen kingdom whose entire population was reduced to slavery across the continent.
The one responsible for that downfall was the Western Empire, Bernark.
Ever since then, Hytarians became slaves no matter where they went.
The only exception was Tritan, where slavery had officially been abolished.
“Shouldn’t we report them?”
Lisa’s expression turned grave as she gently brushed Eleanor’s hair. By imperial law, her reaction was completely natural.
But Eleanor shook her head.
“There’s no way Aunt doesn’t know there are Hytarians here.”
Under imperial law, people from Hytar were forbidden from entering Tritan. They could not receive identity guarantees or residency permits.
Because the people of the ruined nation could hold no status except that of slaves, they were barred from entry altogether.
There had only ever been one exception in history—when a former emperor desired a woman from Hytar.
That was why every Hytarian in Tritan was technically an illegal resident.
People who were supposed to be reported the moment they were discovered.
Yet the Hytarian siblings Eleanor met seemed to have settled down in Oklama.
A small territory like Oklama was the kind of place where the lord’s eyes reached everywhere. There was no way Baroness Pompourri would fail to notice siblings with such strikingly foreign appearances.
Most likely, she was deliberately turning a blind eye.
Realizing the Baroness was tacitly allowing it, Lisa fell silent.
Only the soft sound of the brush gliding through Eleanor’s hair filled the room.
“...Miss. Even so, just in case, please don’t approach them or speak to them again. Hytarians living in Tritan are criminals simply by existing here. Please don’t get involved with them.”
As Lisa smoothed Eleanor’s now silky hair, worry filled her voice.
A young girl and a strong adult man.
Unfortunately for the siblings, both of them possessed appearances that made them highly valuable as slaves. They were far too useful—and too beautiful—for a kind master to simply let go.
There was a high chance they were runaway slaves.
And if they had escaped from Bernark, the situation was even worse.
Bernark was one of the major nations that enslaved Hytarians, and punishments for runaway slaves there were severe.
There was nothing to gain for a mere count’s daughter like Eleanor from becoming involved with such people.
Understanding Lisa’s meaning, Eleanor nodded.
They probably would never meet again anyway.
Unless Eleanor became the next Baroness Pompourri.
“...”
“Miss? What’s wrong?”
At Lisa’s question, Eleanor suddenly remembered the proposal her aunt had made that morning—a proposal pushed aside by everything else that had happened during the day.
How could she have forgotten something so important?
Between Vanessa’s cold attitude and meeting the Yasmin siblings at Lake Nifla, her mind had been too occupied.
Only late at night did Eleanor finally recall the most important issue of all, and her face became serious.
Lisa, who had been arranging the bedding, immediately grew serious as well. Why does Miss look like that?
In truth, Eleanor had seemed different ever since returning from meeting the Baroness that morning.
“Lisa.”
“Yes?”
“Aunt offered me the position of heir.”
“What?”
The pillow slipped from Lisa’s hands. Thankfully, it landed on the bed.
Still seated before the vanity, Eleanor turned to look at her.
“She asked how I’d feel about settling here and succeeding her.”
“...What did you say?”
“It was so sudden that I hesitated. She told me not to decide in a rush and to take time thinking it over. She said nothing’s finalized yet, so we should observe each other for now.”
Lisa strode quickly over to Eleanor. Seeing the frozen look on her maid’s face made Eleanor tense.
To Eleanor, it was an incredible opportunity—but she wondered what Lisa thought of it.
“Miss.”
Lisa knelt at Eleanor’s feet and carefully took her hand.
Unlike Eleanor’s smooth skin, Lisa’s hands were rough from constant labor.
“You should do it.”
“...What?”
“You should inherit the barony. I want you to.”
Lisa’s deep brown eyes were serious.
This was not simple obedience toward her mistress. The conviction in her voice came from deep within her heart.
“...Why? Why do you want that for me?”
Eleanor was the eldest daughter of Count Stikov and the first in line to inherit the title.
If she returned to Beyrn and continued living as she always had, she would naturally become the next Countess Stikov.
The Stikov family might not hold overwhelming power, but they were still considered a prestigious house, and it was obvious that becoming a countess ranked higher than becoming a baroness.
Unless Lydia wanted the title—which she did not. In the original story, she willingly yielded it to her older sister.
In practice, Eleanor was the only true heir to Stikov. Even in the original novel, she became Countess Stikov.
Even without knowing all those details, anyone could see Eleanor was the most likely successor.
Any ordinary maid would have told her to become a countess.
So why was Lisa saying otherwise?
“No matter what position you hold, I’ll always follow you. My loyalty will never change. So please go to the place you truly want.”
“...Do you think I want the barony?”
“I think you want to escape the count’s family. Of course, it’s only my presumptuous guess... but I’ve always felt that way.”
Lisa spoke carefully, watching Eleanor’s reaction.
Eleanor’s eyes widened.
She knew Lisa had always been on her side, but she had not realized the maid had noticed this much.
Only Stella knew Eleanor wanted to leave home even if she had to marry to do it. It was not because she looked down on Lisa—Lisa simply belonged to the Stikov household, so Eleanor had never dared reveal her true feelings.
Even though she wanted to take Lisa with her when she left, she had kept her thoughts hidden.
After all, Lisa was employed by the Stikov family. Eleanor assumed she would try to stop her.
But Lisa had already understood her feelings—and was even supporting her.
“Lisa, I didn’t know you felt that way.”
Eleanor clasped Lisa’s hand tightly.
Lisa lowered her head.
“I’m sorry, Miss, if my assumptions were disrespectful—”
“No. You’re right. I want to leave the Stikov family. I don’t want to become a countess.”
Because only then could she escape the role of the heroine’s older sister.
No matter how comfortable the position of “extra older sister” seemed, Eleanor was still a person.
She did not want to spend her whole life as a side character in a novel.
Especially not after possessing someone else’s body.
Realizing her guess had been correct, Lisa looked up.
A determination Eleanor had never seen before filled the face of her cute maid.
“Then become the Baroness’s heir. I’d rather see you do that than marry.”
Eleanor was stunned once more.
Just how much had Lisa noticed all this time?
She suddenly felt guilty for underestimating her maid so badly.
“Lisa, thank you. Really.”
But instead of apologizing, Eleanor chose gratitude.
She knew that would make Lisa happier.
“I’ll always be on your side, Miss.”
“Thank you.”
“So please, become the next baroness!”
“Pfft, alright. Though nothing’s decided yet. From now on, I’ll have to work hard too.”
Eleanor understood the life of a noble lady, but not the realities of governing land and people.
She had learned the theory, naturally.
But the Stikov family had never raised their daughters urgently for rulership, and Eleanor herself had lived focusing far more on marriage than on inheriting a title.
When it came to actual administration, she was practically ignorant.
Her aunt must have known that—that was probably why she told Eleanor to see things with her own eyes.
After all, one experience taught more than reading a hundred books.
It felt strange.
After hearing Lisa’s encouragement, certainty finally bloomed inside Eleanor.
She could not let this opportunity slip away.
If she lost the chance to inherit Baroness Pompourri’s title, there was only one path left for Eleanor to gain independence.
Finding a man willing to endure disgrace and marrying him.
Becoming Countess Stikov could hardly be called freedom.
Without the barony, marriage was her only escape.
Alright. I’ll become Aunt’s successor.
Eleanor clenched her fist tightly.
The confusion that had clouded her mind since hearing the proposal finally cleared. The two branching roads before her had become one.
The path she needed to walk now was the path to becoming a baroness.
Just as her aunt had said, Eleanor knew almost nothing about Oklama.
Coming only during vacation seasons as a visitor was not enough to truly understand the territory.
The Oklama Eleanor knew was merely its bright surface—pleasant weather ideal for recuperation and beautiful natural scenery.
That was all she had seen.
So Eleanor decided to inspect Oklama properly.
Aside from Lake Nifla and the Valois Plains near the castle, she barely knew the territory’s layout. She needed to understand how the land functioned as a whole.
“I’d like to tour Oklama first.”
At her words, the Baroness smiled.
Her niece’s determination to work toward inheriting the title had clearly reached her.
So, hoping to help, she casually offered a suggestion.
“Go with Vanessa. This child knows Oklama very well.”
Unfortunately, the suggestion helped neither Vanessa nor Eleanor.
Still, Eleanor deliberately accepted it.
“That would be wonderful. Vanessa, if you’re not too busy, could you come with me?”
The smile vanished from Vanessa’s face for a split second before quickly returning.
“Of course, Miss. I’d be happy to.”
“Thank you, Vanessa.”
“Not at all. Helping you brings me joy as well.”
Vanessa answered brightly.
Yet Eleanor caught the flicker of dissatisfaction that crossed Vanessa’s downcast face.
She also noticed Vanessa tightening her grip on her utensils.
After the meal, Eleanor stopped her on the way out.
Vanessa turned back with an utterly professional expression.
“Vanessa.”
“Yes, Miss?”
“Can you guide me around Oklama?”
This was Eleanor’s final attempt at leaving room for understanding.
If Vanessa still refused to cooperate, Eleanor intended to turn away from her completely.
Unfortunately—and somewhat predictably—
“I’m sorry, Miss. I’m terribly busy.”
Vanessa did not cooperate.
As though rehearsed beforehand, she delivered a quick, formal, polite answer. Only her mouth smiled.
Eleanor gave her one final chance.
“When are you not busy?”
“Well... I’ve been busy constantly lately. I don’t think I can really accompany you in your little outings.”
Even then, Vanessa refused with the smiling face of a doll.
“If you absolutely need company, I can recommend one of the castle maids to guide you around Oklama. So could you please understand how busy I am?”
Though phrased politely, it was little different from saying:
I’m busy, so stop bothering me.
And in truth, that was exactly what Vanessa meant. Like someone trying to shake off an annoying burden, she distanced herself while offering maid recommendations as a substitute.
As if fog were lifting, Eleanor’s thoughts slowly became clear.
She finally understood the source of the strange familiarity she felt from Vanessa.
This is... just like how I treat Lydia.
Smiling only with the lips while the eyes remained cold.
Speaking kindly while hiding sharp intentions beneath the words.
Even beyond Lydia specifically, it resembled the carefully measured attitude Eleanor herself often showed other people.
Of course, Eleanor had been raised with aristocratic etiquette, so she was far more skilled at hiding it than Vanessa. Smoother. More refined.
If Eleanor had been the one doing it, she would have chosen subtler words that revealed less.
But regardless, the foundation of their behavior was the same.
Hiding one’s true feelings and using polite words to push others away.
For Eleanor, the realization was shocking.
The very attitude she had shown as the heroine’s “extra older sister” was now being directed at her by another extra.
Eleanor stood there blankly, stunned.
Vanessa narrowed her eyes in a smile.
But even that smile—
“I’ll be going now.”
—resembled the false smiles Eleanor herself often wore.
What is this feeling...?
Even after Vanessa left, Eleanor remained standing there for a long while.
It was an incredibly strange sensation.
In the place she had chosen to escape the role of the heroine’s extra older sister, she had discovered a similar shadow.
For now, the realization did not grant Eleanor any deep enlightenment.
But there was one thing she knew for certain.
There’s no room left between Vanessa and me anymore.
In the end, Eleanor and Vanessa would never be able to coexist.
Just as she and Lydia never could.
