It seemed Nergal wanted me to stay in Landgritz for a few months to recover from my journey.

After resting in my room until late that evening, at the banquet hall I was guided to, he recited all sorts of events he said he had prepared for me.

Starting with the magnolia festival, there was fireworks, an opera performance, and floating wish lanterns…

And he said I should relax since I’ve come to my family home?

Despite acting like he was hosting an honored guest rather than a sister, his words only sounded nice.

Is he stupid, or just clueless?

‘No, he was incompetent.’

And I coldly rejected Nergal’s proposal to the point of being heartless.

“You’re so different from the elder brother I knew that I’m bewildered. I wonder if you’re not someone else wearing my elder brother’s mask.”

Given that there are regressors, I thought there might be a possibility of possession as well.

Especially since he’s a direct descendant of Landgritz, of the bloodline of the Demon Emperor.

Of course, it was a joke. Nergal laughed foolishly as if he had heard something quite amusing.

“Just, after the divorce, I had many thoughts. That all your hardships were my fault…”

“…”

Honestly, my feeling was, ‘So what?’

It was quite a sentimental attitude, but he was still someone who had betrayed me once.

I didn’t feel the need to unnecessarily sympathize. Even if he was my flesh and blood.

“I have no desire to dwell further on what happened back then. Rather, I’d like to go see my inheritance right after the banquet ends.”

“Lieselotte, how can you…! When your elder brother is being so humble, couldn’t you be a little more accepting even if you’re displeased? Of course, I know your feelings have been hurt a lot, but still, I wanted to be close with you again…”

See that. I must have been mistaken. Possession? This was just Nergal being Nergal.

“…Hah, no. Forget it. Right, you mentioned inheritance?”

In the end, it was Nergal who lowered his tail.

It couldn’t be helped.

Since Joseph and Sergei weren’t holding forks and knives in the banquet hall following me.

Still, thanks to my cold attitude, the schedule could be moved up considerably. Nergal sighed and said.

“Unfortunately, it will be too late to show you the inheritance right after the banquet ends. How about tomorrow morning at the earliest?”

I couldn’t understand why it was too late to see the inheritance, and how much time was needed.

But after hearing the rest of Nergal’s story, I had no choice but to nod in agreement.

“Landgritz’s secret inheritance isn’t here.”

Landgritz, which had pioneered trade routes along the coast near the mainland, had its domain castle built on a cliff by the sea, befitting its history.

Like the prince’s castle in a fairy tale with mermaids.

Especially when I lived here, my favorite place was the top of the high tower where you could see the sea farthest.

From there, you could watch the huge merchant ships, hundreds of which passed through the sea routes every day, without fail.

But more than that, I had a separate game I liked to play.

On particularly clear days, I would spend all day peering at the sea mist obscuring the horizon while hanging onto the tower railing.

I must have thought that perhaps beyond that, there might be a mermaid kingdom.

At such times, my nanny and grandfather would come looking for me in a panic, and I would have to go back down the tower led by their hands.

My nanny would try to convince me that there were no mermaids, no sirens, no sea serpents, no krakens, no Cthulhu…

That they no longer existed.

But I, thoroughly annoyed at my nanny’s words, just grumbled while clinging to my grandfather’s back.

Yes. That tower I was particularly attached to actually had a separate entrance leading underground.

A large and ornate iron door facing the floor.

Intricate and elaborate metal patterns adorned the door lavishly.

Only after climbing the spiral staircase for quite a while could I see that those decorations formed the Landgritz family crest.

However, as far as I remember, that entrance had never been opened even once. Moreover…

Except for me and grandfather, no one else seemed to know there was an entrance.

Even though my nanny was standing right on it at that moment.

As I puffed up my cheeks in indignation, grandfather, meeting my eyes, suddenly winked and put a finger to his lips.

The image of grandfather with his gentle eyes as he comforted me still seemed to flicker before my eyes even now.

But…

“…I didn’t know elder brother was aware of this door’s existence.”

“Until recently, I didn’t know either. Even though I’ve lived here my whole life.”

To think that the place Nergal guided me to three days later would be where grandfather and I shared our secret in my childhood.

While I just blinked in surprise, Nergal handed me the staff he was holding.

The staff had a rather strange appearance.

The end was greatly curved like a spiral, and an old lantern hung in the gap of that curve.

“What is this, elder brother?”

“It’s a key.”

“A key?”

When I asked Nergal, he gave an incomprehensible answer. The meaning became clear soon enough.

As I brought the lit lantern close to the ornate door, there was a series of heavy sounds – clunk, click, swish – that went on for a while, and then the lock was released.

“Ah, over there. Sir Sergei, watch your step.”

“What?”

Then with another thud, the entrance finally revealed the secret passage.

The tower basement that my childhood self had been so curious about.

Although only stairs leading to an even deeper place were visible so far, my heart was pounding.

“How fascinating. I couldn’t even see the door until now.”

Sergei, who had stepped back in surprise earlier, exclaimed in amazement. Before I could express my puzzlement at his words, Nergal agreed with Sergei.

“As the Sage Sergei says. I too didn’t know there was a door here until it opened. No, the door wasn’t even visible to my eyes at all.”

“Wait, wait a moment.”

At this point, I couldn’t help but ask clearly. I cut into their conversation almost accusingly.

“Then how did elder brother come to know about this door?”

“…”

Nergal, who had been avoiding my gaze with a bitter expression, finally fumbled in his breast pocket and took something out.

“It’s the will that the former baron, our grandfather, left for Landgritz’s heir… that is, for you, Lieselotte.”

“What…?”

Having been backstabbed by Nergal so many times, I felt numb to my very soul.

With trembling hands, I received the will handed over by my wretched elder brother.

My beloved heir, Lieselotte Karin Landgritz. This old man is so happy to have been able to give you your name.

The will began like that.

The stairs were connected to a deeper place than I had thought.

Especially since the passage itself was quite narrow and full of moisture, it was difficult to move quickly even though the stairs weren’t steep.

Above all, for someone like me wearing a long skirt.

As if that wasn’t enough, I had to hold this strange key-lantern-staff, so I couldn’t even steady myself against the wall while holding up my skirts.

‘He could have at least told me to wear riding clothes or something beforehand.’

As always, Nergal is no help in my life. He used to be shy and cute when he was young.

“…!”

At that moment, a strong arm gently wrapped around my waist.

Too startled to even cry out, I turned my head to see Joseph’s smile.