My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - Chapter 33

A woman’s high-pitched voice echoed in the quiet library.

Surprised, I turned my eyes toward the door, and there stood a girl—a young lady with bright silver hair tied into two ponytails.

She looked a few years younger than me. Maybe she just made her debut in society, or maybe she hasn’t yet.

She looked around, her eyes wandering, then started climbing the spiral staircase in the library, as if she had made up her mind.

This library has an open structure and the stairs go up to the third floor.

Just as she was about to keep climbing, a woman who seemed to be her maid stopped her.

“Please wait, my lady. There is a royal guard over there. He might be the witch’s knight. Why don’t you ask him?”

“…You’re right.”

The girl, who had been called “my lady,” turned around and, in contrast to before, walked down the stairs with graceful movements.

It seemed she hadn’t noticed there were people nearby.

Well, I have a talent for magic that hides my presence, but she didn’t even notice the three royal guards.

She must be really interested in the witch.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at the royal guard standing behind me.

“Oh no, a troublesome one showed up,”

Marcus said in a small voice, not even trying to hide how bothered he was.

I also spoke in a low voice, asking him:

“…Who is she?”

“Magnolia Everett. A young lady of the Everett Duke family.”

(Magnolia—)

Magnolia is the name of a flower.

It’s not strange for someone to be named after it.

It’s not strange, but… to me, Magnolia is…

(The flower that symbolizes… my sister and Lord Felix’s…)

…first love, the flower that represents their meeting.

She probably didn’t hear my voice.

Without noticing me, she walked straight ahead and stopped in front of Zachs.

“Where’s the witch? If you’re here, then the witch must be nearby, right?”

She spoke boldly.

(If you’re looking for the witch… I’m right here, though…)

Should I say “I’m here!” out loud?

But if I stay quiet now, it might give a bad impression.

Just as I thought to answer—

Zachs replied flatly, without changing his expression.

“I have no duty to answer you.”

“!?”

For some reason, Zachs refused to answer.

Surprised, I looked at him, but he wasn’t looking at me.

“Wha… What did you say!?”

As expected, Magnolia got very angry, her face turning red.

Her twin tails swayed as she moved.

But her spiral curls were quite impressive.

Her twin tails, tied beside her ears, curled neatly in loops.

My hair is super straight and hard to style. Back when I was in Tsobellar, I had a tough time with it.

I wonder if those curls are natural.

If they’re not, I’d love to learn how she did them.

With that quiet wish in my heart, I looked at her.

She’s a few centimeters shorter than me.

But since she’s wearing heeled shoes, she might actually be even shorter.

I glanced at Marcus, who sighed and shrugged, as if giving up.

The girl—apparently named Magnolia—started yelling at Zachs angrily.

“You!! Just how long are you going to pretend to be a knight!? You’re the son of the Valkyrie Duke family! I can’t believe His Excellency still allows it! Unbelievable! You have no shame!!”

(Whoa… She really says it…)

She looks small and lovely, but her words are pretty harsh.

Still, Zachs, who was being yelled at, stayed calm and expressionless.

“It has nothing to do with you.”

That one line made Magnolia go completely silent.

She had no words to reply.

“~~~~Fine!! You’re right, it has nothing to do with me!! I’m not involved!! So just hurry up and take me to the witch!! And you! You’re supposed to be the witch’s knight—why are you away from her!? Some knight you are! What a joke!!”

“Your voice is too loud. What happened to a lady’s modesty?”

“…Shut up!!”

Magnolia shouted, her face turning bright red.

Just like Welno earlier, she was the loudest one here—but when I looked at Welno, he also just gave a helpless shrug.

It seemed he couldn’t scold a noble lady.

In this argument, it looked like Zachs was better at handling things.

When Magnolia lost her words, I gently called out to her.

“If you’re looking for the Witch of the Tower of Lament—”

I was about to say, “That’s me,” but—

She must not have expected someone to be so close by.

She turned toward me so fast, it looked like her neck might snap, and her red eyes opened wide—

“Kyaaaaaaaa!!!!”

She screamed.

(Well… yeah, that was expected…)

I should have called out to her much earlier.

As I thought that, her body shook in shock.

She slipped—probably because she was so surprised.

“─!!”

Her body tilted sharply.

(She’s falling…!!)

I reached out quickly, but by then, her upper body was already too far off-balance.

(I won’t make it in time…!!)

The royal guards were behind me, and I was in the way.

I was the closest one to her.