The Kind Older Sister Is No More

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After eating the porridge that the mercenaries had prepared, Irene wanted to head to the infirmary where Louiselle was. But she bumped into a big wall*.

*she was rebuffed

“It’s just fatigue, and I’m not hurt, so it’s okay. I also slept well and woke up refreshed.”

“The doctor’s order was to take absolute rest for the time being. Louiselle is indeed a patient who needs care, but don’t forget that you are also a patient.”

“But Louiselle was hurt trying to protect me. How can I just let it be when I know that?”

“Louiselle did her duty to protect you. It’s not anything special, it’s natural.”

“I don’t think there is anything that should be taken for granted in the world.”

Irene declared, looking straight at Noel’s eyes.

“It’s not natural for Louiselle to protect me, just like how you are special to me. Don’t you think so too, Noel?”

Irene’s words left Noel momentarily speechless. He had to refute, but he could not. Irene’s words about how she had always considered himself special struck his conscience. He felt strange.

I will never be able to win Irene in these kinds of debates.

His determination was broken in an instant, with just a few words of hers.

In the midst of this, it was amusing to see how happy he was hearing that she regarded him as special.

“...Alright. However, you cannot leave my side for even a single second.”

“Yes, I will not separate from you.”

Irene nodded firmly, sticking close to him. It was unimaginable for her usual self to do that, but the willingness to see Louiselle made her brave and adamant.

Thanks to this, Noel decided to take her to the infirmary.

Huh?

However, as they walked through the castle, Irene felt a strange sense of incongruity. She did not see anyone in sight. Except for her and Noel, they passed no one along the way. Irene tilted her head when she could not spot a single servant, but they reached the infirmary before she could ask about any of the disappeared servants.

Creak.

“...It’s the Duke and the Duchess!”

When Noel and Irene entered, Celt, a member of the mercenary sitting on the bed, jumped to his feet. After his mentioning of “The Duchess,” the beds shook, and the curtains were pulled up.

“Louiselle…”

Seeing a familiar face beyond the curtains, Irene quickly approached her. Louiselle’s eyes rounded.

“Madame? Why are you here…”

“I was worried, so I stopped by. How is your body, is your leg okay?”

‘Sure, it’s all fine, I will get better soon.”

“It’s not such a quick recovery. The physician said if you overdo it even a little more, you will never be able to walk again – keuk!”

Louiselle ceased Celt’s annoyingly sarcastic chatter right there and then, and Celt could no longer get his words out properly. It was because Louiselle had strangled him.

“Don’t spout nonsense in front of the young Madame.”

“Oh, I got it, so...! I’m dying!”

It was only when Celt repeatedly hit at Louiselle’s arm, did she throw him aside. Not even a minute later, she went back to being gentle as soon as she faced Irene.

“Are you hurt anywhere, Madame?”

When she heard that Irene had lost consciousness, no one told her how Irene was doing. They were afraid she would push herself too hard and immediately come rushing to the Madame.

“Yes, thanks to you, I’m fine. Thank you for protecting me, Louiselle.”

“No, it’s nothing, I can throw this humble life away for the sake of you, Madame.”

“Haha..., really. Please don’t do that.”

“Irene, why don’t you go back and rest now. Louiselle needs to rest, too.”

Noel, who had been listening to the conversation between the two, urged her. Since it would be unreasonable of her also to be stubborn this time round, Irene nodded and rose from her seat.

Subsequently, she suddenly remembered the irregular sight from earlier, so she turned to inquire about it.

“Umm, Noel…”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t think there are any Kreisen people in the castle. Where did everyone go?”

It was not Noel who answered her question.

“Oh, you did not know, Madame? All the people in this castle are imprisoned.”

Irene’s eyes widened at Dan’s unexpected remark. They were imprisoned. What on earth…

“What do you mean by imprisoned…”

“Dan, stop with the nonsense babbling. Don’t tell my wife useless things.”

Noel’s intervention was late, Irene had already heard it all. Her pupils wavered.

They are all locked away.

Irene looked back at Noel. He only received a dismayed look from her.

“Are you going to say I’m heartless?”

Irene shook her head. Sure enough, people who were suddenly imprisoned would consider this act as injustice...

“It was inevitable. Some remnants of the other side may still be blended amongst them.”

Noel, who had been anxious about whether Irene inwardly regarded him as cold-hearted, felt a sense of relief washed over him, and all of his tensed up facial muscles relaxed.

And Dan could not have been any more astonished to see what was going on between those two.

Oh my God! Under that mask as the Duke, there was nothing but a hypocrite and heartless man!

It was something he was intensely aware of for these past three days. In fact, it was his deepest impression of the Duke, but he would never dare to convert those thoughts into words.

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