The Knight Who Broke Off Our Engagement and Told Me to Never Show My Face Again Still Clings to Me Today, Even Though I Was Possessed and Turned Into a Villainess for Ten Years - 13 - The Truth and the Lie

“…What does this mean, I wonder?”

Two days left until the ball. After finishing my lesson with Mother, I sat on the sofa in my room, reading Neil’s letter again.

If Neil isn’t the real Neil, then maybe it’s a lie made to keep me and Gerald apart. Or maybe Neil is real, and Gerald is really hiding something. Either way, it’s the worst for me.

Especially if it’s the second one—I might not be able to believe in anything anymore. Gerald is the one I trust the most, after all.

At that moment, I remembered Gerald’s words: “Continue as usual and just draw a small line inside yourself.” I don’t want to doubt him, but for now, I decided to stay in that kind of mindset.

Eventually, it was lunchtime, so I headed to the dining room to eat with my parents.

Father, who said he had something to tell me, seemed to be in a good mood. That made me feel relieved—it probably wasn’t bad news today.

“Actually, Sadie, we’ve found a tutor for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And not just anyone. This person is one of the best in the country.”

“Huh? Why would such a person teach me…?”

“They said it was a recommendation from someone, but didn’t tell me who. This tutor will teach you not only school subjects and manners, but magic too.”

“Even magic!?”

Why would such an amazing person agree to be my tutor? As for the person who introduced them, my parents and I have no idea who it could be.

But still, I was really relieved—finally having a tutor, and even learning magic. What’s more, they might come as early as tomorrow, so I planned to have them teach me as much as possible before the ball.

“But Sadie, are you feeling okay? You just had your magic tested recently—are you tired or anything?”

“No, I feel great.”

Actually, two days ago, people who said they were from the Magic Ministry came to our house. I guess they heard the story about me saving a child with magic. They tested my magic, and when they saw I gave a strong reaction, they were shocked. They said it was the first time something like this had happened.

At the time, I tried my best to explain—it was probably because someone had taken over my body and my soul and body were out of sync. But they clearly didn’t believe me.

Maybe to them, my story seemed like just another lie from the girl with a bad reputation. They probably thought it was more likely that the machine just had a rare glitch, since it had never failed before. That’s really sad. But still, they did say they’d look into it. I wonder if that’s true.

After lunch, I went back to my room, and Hara quickly brought me some tea. It was my favorite—sweet milk tea. As usual, I asked her to chat with me.

“Hey, what do you think I should give Rufus as a thank you? I feel like sending him something might bother him, so maybe just a letter?”

“Yes, that might be the safest choice.”

That day, I had fallen asleep in his arms, and I hadn’t even thanked him.

And I definitely couldn’t have done it alone. I was saved because of both of them. Since I got them involved, I really wanted to thank Rufus and Tim properly.

By the way, I’m making something for Tim. He asked me to sew something onto his sword belt as a thank you. He said it could be like a charm, so I’ve been stitching it carefully, little by little, every day.

“…Is it okay if my writing is messy?”

“As long as it’s full of feeling, it’ll be fine.”

Thanks to my daily writing practice, I think I’ve gotten a lot better. But I’m still a little embarrassed.

After finishing my tea, I went to my desk and quickly wrote the thank-you letter to Rufus. But…

“Would it be bad to send this to the Langridge family house?”

“…It might not reach him directly.”

As I worried whether I should send the letter at all, Hara gently said, “How about delivering it directly to the knight order?”

“To the knight order?”

“Yes. I hear they accept gifts through the front desk. So you could hand the letter there.”

“I see…”

It’s said the knights are super popular among noble ladies and townspeople, so they often receive gifts and treats. That’s why this kind of system now exists.

“I believe Tim is training with the knights today as well. I heard people can even watch. It’s a safe place with lots of knights, so I’m sure your father will allow it.”

“Yeah, I want to see it…!”

Wanting to see Rufus and Tim in their knight uniforms, I quickly started getting ready. Once again, my parents assigned me three guards, and I rode off in a carriage.

◇◇◇

“She’s too cute.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Her handwriting is round and sweet—like an angel’s halo.”

“I see.”

That evening, in a private room at a small restaurant, Rufus stared at a letter so much it was like he might burn a hole in it. He kept muttering, “So cute,” “I’m so happy.”

Can you believe it? Sadie Arclight visited the knight order today, gave Rufus a letter, and even watched the training.

Rufus noticed her faster than anyone else. He moved like he was facing an S-rank magic beast—no doubt about it, he was very excited.

At one point, Sadie looked straight at him and waved. But Rufus hesitated, unsure if he should wave back. Thinking he ignored her, she lowered her hand and gave a sad smile.

In the end, Rufus rushed after her as she was leaving and pretended it was a coincidence. “Oh, you were here? I didn’t notice,” he said in an obviously fake tone. So much for his vow to stay away from her.

“So, what do you want to do?”

“…I don’t know.”

Rufus covered his eyes with one hand and said quietly:

“It’s not that I don’t believe what she says.”

“What?”

“But right now, I have almost no reason to trust her. The church is unstable, the marquis family’s position is shaky too. Acting just on feelings would be foolish.”

Rufus lost his mother early. The marquis is the only family he has.

And even if she did save a child, Sadie Arclight’s reputation in high society is still in ruins. People say she got involved in crime-like things. Getting too close to her now would be like asking for trouble.

Also, there’s what Eliza said. She was really desperate about it. Maybe there’s more going on.

“For now, I’ll just watch over her from the shadows and not get involved openly. I messed up today.”

“…So you’re a stalker now?”

“No. Anyway, since the Arclight family’s tutor job was still open, I asked Lady Ramona to take it.”

“You mean that Lady Ramona?”

“Yes.”

Lady Ramona Ingram, the Countess, was also Rufus’s magic teacher when he was a child. She’s a powerful woman with a lot of influence in the kingdom.

“You really convinced her?”

“I told her I’d do anything.”

Rufus said it like it was nothing. I couldn’t help but sigh. He’s really unbelievable.

But as I watched him, even I started to wish—what if she really had been replaced by a good person? That would be nice.

“…She really is cute.”

The envelope said “To Rufus Langridge.” The writing wasn’t very neat.

But Rufus held the letter like it was a treasure, reading it over and over again, smiling the whole time.