Chapter 4

* * *

A short while later, the carriage stopped in front of the Larishi baron’s residence.

Yvette stepped down from the carriage, handed the fare to the driver, and headed toward the mansion.

Her uncle, Baron Larishi, had no separate territory, so the mansion in the capital was practically the main house.

It was not large, but it was a tidy mansion just right for a family of three.

Normally she would have entered through the front gate, but today, somehow embarrassed to do so, she headed for the back door.

Because entering this way meant she would not run into the baron and his wife.

‘They must both be terribly worried by now.’

Baron Larishi and his wife were among the few people who knew of the Blanche curse.

Having heard that she had not returned home last night, they were surely worried.

‘I hope they won’t be too shocked to see me.’

It was the moment Yvette was about to open the back door with a light heart.

Quiet voices drifted from beyond the door.

“Starting today, we’ll use the second-floor room as storage, so see that the furniture inside is disposed of at a reasonable price.”

“Oh my.

They’re perfectly good furniture—you’re going to sell them all?”

“We can’t keep using things the cursed child used! We shouldn’t invite bad luck for no reason.”

“Well, that’s true.”

From the voices, one was Baron Larishi, and the other seemed to be a maid.

Yvette, who had been quietly eavesdropping, blinked.

‘……Are they talking about me, by any chance?’

I’m the only cursed person in this house.

Yvette pressed her ear close to the door to hear more clearly.

Then the quiet conversation continued.

“Seeing as she hasn’t returned until now, she must surely be dead?”

“If you’re uneasy, shall I have Albert go out and check? Someone might have found the young lady.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.

We just wait quietly until word comes and pretend to mourn.

After all, now that the child is dead, the inheritance is ours.”

Yvette held her breath and focused on the voices.

As their conversation continued, she felt her heartbeat quicken.

“Then you’ll become the Count of Blanche now, master?”

“That’s right.

At last, I’ll hold a position befitting me.”

“Congratulations, master!

You’ve finally achieved your dream.”

“Haha, thank you.”

At the maid’s fussy flattery, Baron Larishi let out a satisfied voice.

Then came the sound of cheerful laughter, and the two presences slowly receded.

‘……What did I just hear?’

Yvette, ear still pressed to the door, blinked blankly.

Among those staying at the Larishi baron’s residence, she was the only cursed one.

Because the Blanche curse is passed down to only one person.

Moreover, ‘young lady’ was what the maids of the Larishi baron’s household called her.

In other words, it meant Baron Larishi was hoping she would die.

“……Ha.”

Yvette let out a hollow laugh and stepped back.

Just moments ago, she had felt as though she were floating on clouds.

Now, as if she had fallen off a cliff, her mood plummeted to the ground.

‘And they call themselves family…….’

It was a moment when she felt foolish for having tried so hard to grow attached to them.

“Ah, young lady?”

Just as Yvette was struggling to compose herself—

A maid who had come out to throw away the trash spotted her and let out a shrill scream.

From the voice, it seemed to be the same maid who had been talking with Baron Larishi earlier.

“H-how……? Today is definitely your birthday……!”

The maid stumbled backward, stammering. Then, realizing she had misspoken, she hurriedly covered her mouth.

Looking at the maid’s pale face, Yvette swallowed a bitter smile.

“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“……”

The maid could not say a word and trembled all over.

Yvette stared at her for a moment, then spoke coldly.

“If you have nothing to say, would you mind stepping aside? I’ve been outside all night, so I’m a bit tired.”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

Yvette lightly brushed past the flustered maid.

Her mind was already turning cold.

* * *

Even after entering the mansion, the situation was much the same.

“Hii—hiik!”

As she strode up the stairs, a passing servant yelped in surprise and dropped what he was carrying.

But Yvette did not even glance at him.

Her attention was entirely fixed elsewhere.

‘So they took Yvette Blanche in from the start, aiming for my parents’ inheritance?’

In the Aiden Empire, women could inherit titles as well.

So by rights, Yvette should have become the Count of Blanche.

But when the Count and Countess of Blanche died in an accident, Yvette had been a minor who had not even graduated from the academy.

Under Aiden Empire law, inheriting a title was impossible before the age of twenty.

So until now, Baron Larishi and his wife had been managing the Blanche count family in her stead, under the pretext of being her ‘guardians.’

‘If things had gone according to the original story, Baron Larishi would have inherited the title in place of Yvette Blanche.’

Blanche was a wealthy family.

Eighty percent of the magic stones mined in the empire came from the magic stone mines in Blanche’s territory.

In exchange for handing ownership of the mines to the imperial family, Blanche received a substantial portion of the sales as commission.

Thanks to that, Blanche had been able to accumulate great wealth despite its small territory.

Given the circumstances, the inheritance set to fall to Yvette Blanche was considerable.

Of course, in the original story, Yvette Blanche never even had the chance to touch that money.

‘It’s unfair enough that I was cursed, and now the people who call themselves my relatives are busy drooling over the inheritance.’

She felt almost glad that the real Yvette Blanche was not here to see this.

‘……I can’t stay here anymore.’

Yvette thought bitterly.

Originally, she had planned to stay at the Larishi baron’s residence and take her time deciding what to do going forward.

But now that she knew Baron Larishi’s true feelings, she did not want to remain here a moment longer.

‘I need to find a place to live right away.’

As of today, Yvette Blanche had become an adult.

Which meant she could now inherit the Blanche count family.

With that money, buying a house somewhere in the capital would be as easy as pie.

Arriving at her bedroom, Yvette headed straight for the wardrobe.

Then she pulled out a travel bag and began packing her few belongings, one by one.

That was when it happened.

“Wh-what are you doing, young lady!”

The maid she had run into at the back door came rushing at her in alarm, having apparently followed her.

“As you can see, I’m packing.

Why?”

Yvette brushed off the maid who was trying to stop her and spoke calmly.

“Why are you suddenly packing?”

“I’m going to be independent now.

I’m an adult, so it’d be ridiculous to keep living off you all here, wouldn’t it?”

“……What? Independent? What do you mean……”

Perhaps it was an unexpected remark, because the maid’s expression stiffened awkwardly.

Yvette stopped packing and looked up at her.

“What. Are you worried your wages will get cut if I leave?”

The maid’s face flushed bright red, as if she had been struck where it hurt.

“……Wh-when did I ever say that!”

At the transparent answer, Yvette let out a soft laugh.

“You don’t have to say it.

It’s obvious what this household is thinking.”

The Larishi baron’s residence kept more servants than befitted its size.

Where would a low-ranking noble without a territory get the money for that?

It was plain as day that they had been dipping into Blanche’s money.

“What a shame.

If I had died, you all could have become servants of the Blanche count family, too.”

Yvette muttered sarcastically as she gathered her bag.

Perhaps the maid had been left speechless, for she said nothing and only clenched her fists.

Yvette paid her no mind and left the room.

Perhaps because she had less luggage than expected, the bag was quite light.

It was the moment she was about to go down the stairs, clutching her travel bag.

“W-wait right there!”

Heavy footsteps thudded, and then Baron Larishi blocked her path.

He must have rushed over, because his forehead was slick with sweat.

“……What brings you here, Uncle?”

Yvette fixed a crooked gaze on Baron Larishi.

She did not need to hear an answer to know why he had come running.

And sure enough.

Having barely caught his breath, Baron Larishi seized her by the shoulders without preamble.

“Why are you alive?”

“……That’s quite the question.

Asking your niece why she’s alive.”

When Yvette let out a laugh of disbelief, Baron Larishi tightened his grip.

“Tell me this instant what happened.

Did you break the curse in the meantime?”

Baron Larishi pressed her in a thoroughly agitated voice.

As he gripped her shoulder hard enough to hurt, Yvette’s face contorted sharply.

“Would you mind removing your hand first?”

She spoke coldly, but Baron Larishi did not even pretend to listen.

Only then did he notice the travel bag in Yvette’s hand, and his eyes flew wide open.

“What’s that luggage? Are you planning to go somewhere?”

“I’m an adult now, so I should be independent. I can’t keep imposing on my relatives’ house forever.”

Yvette spoke calmly, meeting his gaze head-on.

Perhaps his nerves were touched, for Baron Larishi shouted angrily.

“What money do you have to be independent!”

“What money? I have the inheritance my parents left me.”

And now it’s all mine, isn’t it?

Yvette added with a soft smile. It was a remark deliberately meant to provoke Baron Larishi.

Perhaps it succeeded in angering him, for Baron Larishi’s face turned bright red with fury.

“You, you……!”

He huffed and puffed but could not easily open his mouth.

Because he could not think of anything to refute.

“Until now you’ve used it as you pleased, but now it’s my money.”

Yvette, who had erased the smile from her lips before she knew it, roughly shook off Baron Larishi’s hand.

“If you don’t want to lose everything you have, behave yourself.”

Seeing her atmosphere change in an instant, Baron Larishi flinched.

He stared at Yvette with a dumbfounded face.

“What did you just say……?”

“Did you think I didn’t know you embezzled the Blanche fortune?”

Of course, it was a lie.