THAT evening, I spoke to my parents and Claire about what happened. My parents looked absolutely stunned, but Claire quietly listened with a solemn face.
“So, I’d like to cancel this engagement,” I finished.
“I told you! I knew it!” Claire said angrily as she accused our parents. “I predicted that that woman would one day bring the greatest misfortune to our family!”
My parents exchanged troubled glances. It seemed my sister was protesting the danger of Lizzy behind my back.
“Lizzy has always been like that,” Claire added. “She’s only our cousin, but she acts haughtily like she’s your daughter and orders our people around!”
Our people weren’t the only victims of Lizzy’s antics; she was apparently always condescending toward Claire and often bullied her as well. I did my best to ignore my cousin and never noticed her do anything like that in front of me.
“I told you that she might try to take over our house one day!” Claire cried. “Father, Mother, you laughed me off before, but now we see the proof right before our eyes!”
Only Claire had noticed Lizzy’s ambitions, and I felt guilty that my sister had always been worried about our future. I hadn’t been there to comfort her.
“Father, Mother, may I ask why you spoil Lizzy?” I asked.
“Well… It’s because we felt bad for her,” Father replied.
When my uncle left with his mistress, my parents desperately tried to stop him. Unfortunately, their words fell on deaf ears, and my uncle deserted the Lawlife demesne.
“It’s partially our responsibility that Lizzy doesn’t have a father,” Father said.
“We wanted to help as much as we could so that she could live in comfort,” Mother added.
My parents continued to provide Lizzy with financial support, but my aunt was infuriated by that. She’d visit our manor time and again, accusing my parents of being kidnappers while exploiting them, asking for money, showering them with complaints, and overall doing as she pleased. My parents, burdened with the guilt of being unable to stop my uncle, blamed themselves and basically granted every single one of my aunt’s wishes. And Lizzy, of course, spent her younger years watching her mother and learning from that behavior. My cousin must’ve believed that she could take everything House Ritual had—there was no doubt in her mind.
“All right,” Father said. “Misha, your engagement with Rudolph shall be nullified—” He was interrupted by sharp banging on the window. When we turned to face the noise, we spotted Rudolph and Lizzy. “Rudolph, Lizzy,” Father said. “What are you doing here so late at night?”
“We weren’t allowed inside,” Rudolph said. “Lizzy said that there’s a path to sneak in at night.”
“A path?!”
Tall walls surrounded the house of Viscount Ritual, mostly to ensure that wild beasts and monsters wouldn’t enter our manor from the forest behind us. I hadn’t known there was a route to sneak in and out, and judging from Father’s expression, he didn’t know, either. His eyes widened while Lizzy, who likely wanted to keep this a secret, hit Rudolph and sharply asked why he gave it away.
“Lizzy,” Father said gently. “Could you tell us of this secret route?”
“It’s…not really a path, y’know?” Lizzy replied. “I just sneak into the carriages that travel between the village and this manor.”
A few times a week, a merchant brought food to our manor. Lizzy would sneak into the departing carriage to visit the village where her mother lived. This time, she snuck aboard a carriage coming to the manor to deliver supplies in the evening and ultimately made her way inside the walls.
“I understand,” Father said. “It’s cold outside, isn’t it? Come on in.”
“Father!” Claire protested. “Are you allowing that man into the house after everything he’s done to Misha?!”
“I’m not forgiving him by any means,” Father persuaded gently. “But Lizzy is pregnant, is she not?”
Her child wasn’t at fault, Father seemed to imply, and his calmness quelled my sister’s anger.
“It’s still autumn, but the nights are frosty,” Father said. “Come on in.”
“Th-Thank you!” Rudolph cried with relief.
He lowered his head solemnly, but Lizzy only nodded as though she deserved to be let inside. Our butler let them in, and the maid brought cups of warm tea. Lizzy eagerly gulped her drink down, in stark contrast to my family and me. We were too shocked to eat or drink. Is it because she’s pregnant? I wondered. She even reached out for the snacks and polished off the entire plate in a flash.
All the while, Claire crossed her arms and glared at Lizzy; I made sure to clutch my sister’s hands in support and to ensure that she wouldn’t pounce on the two visitors as I’d done earlier. Neither Rudolph nor Lizzy seemed keen to start talking, and Father gently tried to encourage them to speak.
“So? What brings you both here?” he asked.
“Er, well…” Rudolph started awkwardly.
“We’re here to talk about our future, of course,” Lizzy continued brazenly. “Have Rudolph work in our house from now on. Since he’s learned the duties of a viscount, that should be easy, no?”
“Please, I beg of you,” Rudolph pleaded.
Lizzy spoke with an air of importance while Rudolph lowered his head, practically groveling—the two were polar opposites. Both my father and mother seemed troubled by this request.
“I’m a frail person,” Rudolph said. “I don’t have the stamina to be a salesperson, and I’ve only ever worked in this manor. I ask that you please let me stay here, as I have been, and allow me to work like before.”
His situation was worthy of pity. However…
“Rudolph!” Claire said sharply. “Do you even know what you’re saying?!”
“Claire, you forget yourself,” Father admonished.
My sister looked vexed as she fell silent, and I nervously watched, wondering what Father would do.
“I shall be frank,” Father finally said. “I cannot accept your request. Truthfully, I want you out of my estate posthaste.” His tone was firm and resolute, unwavering.
“H-How could you be so cruel and stern to us?” Rudolph stammered.
“I’d like to ask you the same question, Rudolph,” Father replied. “You apparently asked Misha to be your second wife, did you not? How in the world did you come to that conclusion?”
“Well, because Lizzy said that would be best.”
He received another slap from Lizzy; she likely wanted to keep that part a secret, but it was her fault for not ensuring that he kept a tight lid on these claims.
“And have you not once considered it rather odd for you to love two women at once?” Father asked. Rudolph looked as confused as ever, and Father addressed him in an almost juvenile way, as though he was teaching a young child an important lesson. “Usually, a person can only deeply love one person at one time. Romantically.”
“No, I love both Lizzy and Misha very much,” Rudolph replied.
“And I find that to be a rather twisted and toxic romantic emotion. It cannot exist.” Father then recommended that Rudolph and Lizzy move to another land.