Charlotte must have known this marriage was one where she was being sold off.

Charlotte had always been like this. She watched over Yerpi’s circumstances but never reached out to help.

Sometimes, that indifference became the butterfly’s wing flap that tormented Yerpi even more.

Yerpi and Charlotte had different birth mothers.

Yerpi was born to Lady Rudia Deilang, the legal wife. But even before Yerpi’s birth, Madame Bibierus had already resided in the side villa as the count’s concubine.

The count was a despicable man from the start. Even with a legal wife, he dallied with his concubine, pressuring her to bear him a son.

Lady Rudia, raised delicately as the noble lady of the house, couldn’t bear the sight any longer and died the year Yerpi turned three.

That same year, Charlotte—the child of the concubine—was born. With the legal wife now gone, Bibierus swiftly took her place.

Bibierus and Charlotte were no longer concubine and concubine’s child. Only Yerpi, once firmly in her original position, was now cast aside as the two ascended to the main household.

But not long after, Bibierus herself fell ill to an epidemic and passed away.

The count blamed everything on Yerpi.

It’s because of a cursed girl like you that my wives keep dying.

It was an absurd accusation. But as a child, Yerpi was easily wounded by such unjust blame.

Regardless of the count’s relationship with Yerpi, Charlotte grew up deeply loved.

This was because, at the temple where she went to receive blessings, it was confirmed that Charlotte possessed sacred power.

The count, obsessed with the offhand remark that she might one day become a saintess, began treating Charlotte with utmost care from that day forward.

He invested the family’s wealth, honor, and everything else into Charlotte—even more than he would for his own daughter.

Charlotte became the saintess the count had wished for. Yet now, she wasn’t at the temple, but in Growen’s land.

Charlotte leaned against the carriage wall.

Her eyes closed as if weary, she looked like a holy painting—beautiful and serene.

“I’d like to rest a bit now. Actually, something big happened… I don’t want to talk about the complicated parts yet. Can we talk later?”

Despite her saintly appearance, Charlotte was stubborn and never gave in to others’ opinions.

Saying this meant she wouldn’t speak at all until she herself felt like it.

“But at the very least, you should tell me why you ended up stranded in the desert. Otherwise, His Grace won’t know how to handle your case.”

She hadn’t said anything yet, but she couldn’t stay silent forever. At this firm stance, Charlotte suddenly smiled.

“If you insist, I’ll tell you when we arrive at the castle. Wouldn’t it be better to say it in front of the Duke? After all, the issue is that I’m an outsider.”

Wasn’t this the way to settle it? Charlotte sounded strangely confident. But since it wasn’t disadvantageous to herself, Yerpi couldn’t object.

“Then we’ll do it that way.”

Even as she answered, why did she feel so uneasy?

Whether she knew Yerpi’s inner thoughts or not, Charlotte brightly smiled and moved to sit beside her.

“Yeah, thanks. I really do only have my older sister, after all.”

Charlotte often said she had no one but Yerpi ever since childhood.

Back then, during their shared lessons, Yerpi was beaten for mistakes Charlotte had made.

The sharp pain on her calves was still vivid in her memory. It wasn’t only when she was beaten.

Whenever Yerpi took the blame for Charlotte’s mistakes, or when a maid briefly stepped away and Yerpi had to do the dirty work in her place, Charlotte always said the same thing.

“Oh, this carriage. It’s more comfortable than I thought. Still, not quite as good as the main temple’s carriage. Or maybe it’s just because it’s the desert road?”

Charlotte linked arms and leaned her head toward Yerpi. The weight on her shoulder felt awkward.

Charlotte occasionally acted childish like this. No one disliked it when Charlotte leaned on them.

In fact, people rejoiced, calling it the blessing of a future saintess.

“But you’re not just a candidate anymore—you’re the real saintess now. Is it really okay for you to be here?”

“Does my older sister dislike me being here?”

Her wide, upturned eyes looked innocent.

Her eyes, clear violet and as if they’d never known malice, stared back.

“No. I’m just worried.”

While Yerpi searched for her own survival, the original story was already distorting. A sense of anxiety, born from not knowing what lay ahead, overwhelmed her.

This unease tightened around Yerpi’s throat more fiercely than she could imagine.

Charlotte, now lying with her head resting on Yerpi’s lap, reached out and gently stroked her sister’s cheek.

“Don’t worry too much, sister. I prefer it here.”

“Did you dislike the temple?”

“Yes.”

Yerpi was surprised by the immediate answer, without hesitation. Seeing Yerpi’s subtle reaction, Charlotte smiled.

“The temple… is truly boring. I have to pretend to accept everything. Sometimes, during public events, I have to show mercy to smelly people. Being a saintess isn’t just a noble job. I suppose that’s why they call me the daughter of the goddess.”

Words like mercy and sacrifice didn’t quite suit Charlotte—yet somehow they did.

A look of skepticism settled on her face, beautiful as a lily. Even this expression was unfamiliar to Yerpi.

In the past, whenever the count asked Charlotte what she wanted to be in the future, the child always answered with a smile: “A saintess.”

While Charlotte was selected as a saintess candidate and sent away, many things had changed.

But perhaps, even before that, Yerpi had never truly understood Charlotte’s inner thoughts.

In the end, a question slipped out without her realizing.

“So, you never really wanted to become a saintess?”

“No. I did want to.”

The firm answer defied her expectations once again.

“But now that I’ve achieved it, I need to find something else I want to be.”

Charlotte stretched her arms out wide and yawned.

At her words that she wanted to sleep a little, Yerpi gently closed the slightly open curtain.

The unspoken question—had she already found something new she wanted to be?—remained trapped within her lips as the carriage raced across the red desert.

***

The investigation team returned to Growen Castle.

The carriage carrying the two women arrived as well. Yerpi had been completely drained from dealing with Charlotte the entire journey.

While Raymond was overseeing the knights’ reorganization, Yerpi stood before the maids who had come to greet them.

“Welcome back, Your Grace? Did Erca have a good trip too?”

“Yes. It was hot, but a nice place.”

“Right? Summers are wonderful. Next time, we should all go together. There’s no party as passionate as a summer celebration!”

Erca, having returned from her hometown, was brimming with energy. Pepe took the luggage from Erca.

Pepe, smiling as she greeted Yerpi, suddenly shifted her gaze. At the end of it stood Charlotte.

“Your Grace. You’ve worked hard. But who is this person…?”

“She’s my younger sister.”

At those words, the maids, along with everyone who had come out to welcome the Duke and his wife, turned their eyes entirely toward Charlotte.

“I- If she’s your younger sister, do you mean someone from outside the world?”

Before Yerpi could answer, Charlotte opened her mouth.

“Yes, that’s right. You’re my sister’s maids, aren’t you? It’s surprising that my sister receives such personal service.”

Her tone, smiling sweetly, was ambiguous. But since it wasn’t exactly wrong, Yerpi decided to let it pass.

Yerpi personally guided Charlotte to her room, accompanied by a maid assigned to serve her.

“You can use this room.”

With that, she turned to leave, as if telling Charlotte to rest comfortably. Having been tense the entire journey back, Yerpi desperately wanted to go to her room and rest.

But Charlotte called out, stopping her.

“Oh. Sister. Just a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Could someone other than this maid serve me instead?”

The sudden request visibly flustered the maid standing beside them. Yerpi, who had already begun to walk away, stopped and asked.

“Did Elly make you uncomfortable?”

“It’s not that. But I was the saintess, after all. Having an ordinary maid serve a saintess feels a bit… inappropriate.”

In short, she doubted whether an ordinary maid could properly attend to her.

“Elly is calm and well-trained in serving honored guests.”

“But still. I just don’t like it.”

Her capricious nature, as unpredictable as boiling soup since childhood, seemed unchanged even in Growen.

Yerpi remained silent, leaving the maid standing awkwardly in the middle. Meanwhile, Charlotte came up with a solution.

“Then just lend me your maids.”

“My maids?”

“Yes. A lady’s maid is more suitable than an ordinary one, isn’t it? After all, they belong to you too.”

Her reply came with a radiant smile, as bright as the sunlight streaming through the window—utterly natural, as if there were nothing strange about it.