“I… don’t know what you mean, Jade.”

“I’m sick of it, so stop calling it that and tell me why such nonsense spread about the Duke swearing allegiance to you.”

Olivia reflexively bit her lip.

It had been a year and a half. A year and a half since she was reunited with Jade, who had never come back from the war with Heferti.

There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to complain about why there had been no reply to her letters, why the relief supplies had been returned.

She wanted to say thank you for returning safely. She had hoped he would smile at least once if she said that.

But Jade was no different than he had been a year and a half ago when he always ignored me.

Jade’s sharp eyes softened slightly.

“Lying? I knew you would. After all, who would swear allegiance to you, especially a Duke, you id”

“It’s true.”

“…What?”

Jade looked at Olivia with a face of disbelief, then soon scoffed.

Following Jade’s habit of not lying, Olivia slowly opened her mouth.

“His Grace the Duke swore allegiance to me, Jade. As you know, it was a knight’s oath to a Lady.”

“No way!”

“Why are you speaking like that?”

“What do you mean?”

At Olivia’s soft mumbling, Jade yelled out. He seemed as if he was going to burst.

Clearly, clearly, it should have been a situation where he swore allegiance to the princess, so why her? Does that stupid thing even know what it means?

He continued to rant for a while, but suddenly Olivia was too quiet. Jade momentarily forgot to breathe as he looked at her. After all, what did she say?

The moonlight coming through the window above the door shone on Olivia. Under the lofty and cold moonlight, Olivia was quietly bowing her head. Her silvery hair, so much like mine, sparkled as if it would disappear at any moment.

Jade’s heart dropped. Olivia had never bowed her head, not even when tenyearold Jade realized that Olivia was not his real sister.

“It was because of you? Because of you, our mother!!”

Jade, who had secretly taken care of Olivia without his father and Conrad knowing, hated Olivia more than anyone from that moment on.

Olivia seemed to have said something in her shabby clothes, only pursing her lips, but he didn’t want to hear any excuses.

Even two years after his mother’s death, Jade believed Olivia was his sister. He regretted having taken care of Olivia during that time. Since then, Jade consistently tormented Olivia.

Even if he released a bunch of frogs under the bed, locked her outside on a cold autumn day when it was raining, tore her favorite book, or shoved her without reason.

Even when she was alone in social circles.

Through all of those things, Olivia held her head high.

Not like that, bowing her head.

While Jade said nothing, Olivia raised her head. Her face was smiling as usual.

“Why. Why do you talk as if no one would swear allegiance to me?”

“That,”

“I can receive it too. After all, I am also an adult who has had a debutante ball.”

Jokingly, Olivia laughed as she clutched her dress hem, then pretended to curtsy. Jade’s eyes narrowed as he watched her intently.

“That. Heferti’s glove, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

Olivia unwittingly hid her hand behind her back. Jade spat out words with a suppressed voice.

“Did you get it from the Duke?”

“…Yes.”

“You knew it before today, didn’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“You, stupid thing!”

A thunderous voice fell. As Olivia flinched momentarily, Jade, who had been snorting at me, yelled and went up the stairs. Soon, there was a loud bang as the door closed.

Olivia glared a bit at the top of the stairs. Conrad was usually the one with harsh words, but since coming back from the battlefield, Jade’s words had gotten worse. Somehow, he could pick out just the words that hurt me.

Words like being fed up or instantly denying things about the oath came to mind, and Olivia clenched her fist harder.

The marks left on the palm under the glove were only now coming to mind. The foot began to hurt again, as if it had been in the fire.

Olivia climbed the stairs with a limping stride.

Had the way to her room been this long? As soon as she passed the long hallway and entered the room, Olivia closed and locked the door before collapsing on the floor. The injured look remained plainly on her face where the smile had disappeared.

It had been a while. Such a mess of a reunion.

Bad Jade. Naughty Jade. Malicious Jade.

Yet still.

The Jade she had waited for so long.

With a mix of joy, regret, affection, and a hint of disappointment, Olivia barely muttered a word.

“……I’m glad you’re safe, Jade. Really, I’ve waited.”

The words she had longed to say to Jade enveloped the room where Olivia was alone and vanished.

When the weary Olivia fell asleep, she dreamed of the day Jade gave her the doll.

8 years ago, it was the festival of Madelleine’s territory. The time when Olivia, who was twelve, woke up to the noises outside her room.

Was Jade coming to put frogs or something in my room again?