“‘Why does it have to rain now of all times?’

Looking worriedly at Noxia, sure enough, the rainwater had seeped into her wound, causing her pain.

It was urgent for her to receive first aid, but I was afraid if I left Noxia alone, she might be drenched and in pain by the time I returned.

I quickly took Noxia’s uninjured hand and moved to a pillar where we could at least avoid the rain for a while.

Surprised by my sudden action, Noxia followed me obediently, although she looked taken aback.

‘Are you okay?’

Noxia forced a smile and nodded in response to my question.

‘Yes, I can bear it.’

‘Can’t you use your power to stop the rain?’

‘I can’t stop the rain completely, but I can create an umbrellalike shield around us to prevent us from getting wet. However, I’m too tired right now. You don’t need to worry about the wound.’

Noxia spoke as if to reassure me, but seeing the rainwater seeping into the wound and mixing with her blood, it seemed like she was in a lot of pain.

I had no choice but to tear the hem of my dress. This unexpected action made Noxia’s eyes wide as she looked at me.

‘Uh, sister?’

‘First, try to prevent rainwater from getting into the wound with this. I will quickly go and get help.’

Noxia was so flustered that she couldn’t speak, just staring at me with wide eyes.

Leaving Noxia behind, I ran through the rain on my own. It was time to treat her wound as soon as possible.

For some reason, there were no people in the mansion today, so I had to run for a while before I could meet the maids.

I quickly called the doctor, and only when Noxia was receiving first aid in a warm room did I finally feel relieved.

‘What would have happened if I hadn’t passed by there.’

Her wound was not lifethreatening, but the thought of Noxia struggling alone made me feel fortunate to have found her.

Once the situation had stabilized, I noticed the blood on my hand.

It must have transferred when I took Noxia’s hand in the rain.

I went into the powder room to wash my hands. As I was wiping the blood off my hands with running water, I could hear the maids gossiping outside.

‘Did you see that Miss Noxia was injured? Why did she get hurt all of a sudden?’

‘According to what I heard from others, it seems that Miss Tanashia pushed Noxia while she was practicing her power, and that’s how she got hurt.’

‘What? Really?’

‘Well, I thought it was strange when Tanashia called the doctor with such a serious look. She’s not usually the type to care about Noxia.’

Listening to them gossiping about me behind my back, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. I was about to go out and tell them the truth. But then, a thought came to mind, making me hesitate.

‘The way Tanashia acted in the original story wasn’t entirely wrong……’

There’s a saying that what goes around comes around.

Even though I didn’t hurt Noxia, from the maids’ perspective, it was a situation that could be suspicious, which I somewhat understood.

It would be ridiculous to insist on my innocence now, and even if I did, their views of me would not change, so I decided it would be best to let it go in one ear and out the other.

After all, I knew my reputation wasn’t good, and I didn’t care about the gossip from people who didn’t know me.

‘Well, instead of making a fuss about it, I’ll just turn a blind eye this time.’

The problem was that I missed the timing to leave the powder room, leaving me to wonder how long I should stay here.

Just then, an unexpected commotion arose outside.

‘What are you talking about now? My sister ran in the rain to get me treated. How can you casually say such things without knowing the whole story?’

It was Noxia who had shown up.

‘No, Miss Noxia.’

Just from their voices, I could tell that the maids were greatly flustered.

It seemed that Noxia had overheard their conversation while passing by.

‘After all, it’s true that Miss Tanashia has been bothering Miss Noxia. Our kind lady was again…’

‘Stop!’

There was a firmness in young Noxia’s voice.

In the novel , Noxia was a gentle and cute character, but she was also stubborn and would not bend when she believed something was wrong.

“It seems I’ve misunderstood you all. I thought you were just worried about me, but this time, you’ve crossed the line.”

“Miss, that’s not…”

“You’re guilty of spreading rumors in the mansion. I’ll consult with the butler and we’ll decide on an appropriate punishment.”

“Oh dear, Miss─”

“Everyone, leave. I want to be alone right now.”

At Tanashia’s disapproval, I could hear the maidens’ footsteps receding. Thanks to that, I wouldn’t have to wait here long.

‘I’ll just wait a little and then leave.’

While I was thinking that, I suddenly heard footsteps stopping right in front of the powder room, followed by Tanashia’s voice.

“Sis, are you there?”

“……!”

I hadn’t expected her to know I was here.

I was startled and couldn’t say anything, but it seemed like Tanashia knew because she continued speaking.