C170
Tears ran down Liena's cheeks.
"Liena, let's go play at the mountain behind us!"
Ethel's smile came to mind as she took Liena's hand and led her back in time.
At that moment, Ethel took special care of Liena among the orphanage children, and Liena also loved her only friend very much.
The reason why the relationship between the two people ended like this was clear.
Her inferiority complex. More than she liked Ethel, Liena had a feeling of inferiority towards her friend who seemed superior to her in every way.
She wanted to be superior to Ethel. She didn't want to be an ugly friend who always had to receive Ethel's consideration and sympathy.
The only person she could consider precious was Ethel, and she hated admitting that there were more people besides her for Ethel.
So, after returning, Liena struggled to become a person superior to Ethel.
She reached a high status, earned the love of many people, and accumulated a huge amount of wealth.
But why? Even if she built a high tower, Liena's feelings would not be satisfied.
"Pleased to meet you, Princess Cassius. You are a lovely person, just as I heard from the young Duke."
At the moment Ethel, whom she had long forgotten, appeared with Leandro, Liena could understand the reason.
Simply becoming superior to Ethel was not enough.
Just as Ethel did in the past, this time she had to take care of her from a position higher than Ethel's.
In this way, she would also earn Ethel's love.
Liena finally admitted obediently.
The main reason she urged Leandro to marry her was her petty selfishness.
Saying it was compensation for a mistake or for Ethel's true happiness was nothing but an excuse.
Liena murmured self-critically.
"If with such selfishness I had formed a family, they would have been kinder to her..."
She was afraid of losing the false happiness she had accumulated through blessings, so she isolated Ethel in the mansion.
That was because Liena had not been able to rid herself of her feelings of inferiority towards Ethel until then.
When they reunited, she instinctively recognized it.
Although deprived of the chance to count on Liena's support and although she was taken in by a family in ruins, Ethel remained a bright and attractive person.
Fear always existed in the depths of Liena's heart.
She wondered if the people who had come to love her through the power of the blessing would someday open their eyes when they saw the truly charming Ethel.
At the same time, there was also stubbornness that denied such fears.
"That can't be possible. How could I have achieved this only to have everything collapse just because Ethel appeared?"
The two conflicting emotions made Liena show a strange attitude towards Ethel.
Liena couldn't completely exclude Ethel from the family, nor truly accept her as family.
"It was all just an illusion..."
Due to her inferiority complex, she made her only friend unhappy because she didn't want to lose everything she had accumulated so far.
As a result, her friend began to hate her, so she couldn't bear that fact and justified herself instead of being sincere.
She completely forgot her mistakes and believed that, since she was a friend who loved her when she was less attractive, she would naturally love the beautiful daughter of the duke.
Liena picked a raspberry from the basket and popped it into her mouth.
"... delicious."
It was sweet and delicious like the raspberries she used to eat as a child, but she hadn't returned to her childhood.
She regretted it deeply. Why was she so blinded by her vain feelings of inferiority and greed that she abandoned something truly precious?
Unlike others, she had been lucky enough to live a second life, but she only made mistakes.
"I want to apologize."
Liena suddenly revealed her true feelings.
"I know you can't forgive me, but I want to say I was wrong."
Tears flowed like rain, soaking the raspberries in the basket.
"I want to see you again just once."
But it may be too much...
There was no chance that Ethel, who had sent raspberries through Arsia, would come here, and Liena was scheduled to be executed in five days.
At that moment.
"Do I give you a chance?"
In a room where obviously no one was present except Liena, someone whispered in Liena's ear.
----------------------------
I realized an important fact too late.
"I'm sorry. I kept forgetting to return it right away."
"It's okay. It's not like it's wearing out or anything."
Terence took the pocket watch I offered him and responded with a smile.
Not long ago, during the sanctity verification, he lent me the pocket watch he always carried with him.
As soon as I casually mentioned needing something to measure the duration of the belt artifact, the hand that handed me his watch was very quick.
Apparently, his pocket watch was as high quality as it seemed, so the time was accurate.
"It looked like a very expensive watch."
"Yes. I don't know the exact price, but my father gave it to my mother when they were dating, so it must not have been cheap."
"E-Then that watch is from your mother...?"
"Yes, it's my mother's memento—."
"No, how could you lend it without saying anything?"
"Should I have told you?"
"I just ran with it, and I could have dropped it and damaged it."
"If it breaks, you can fix it."
Terence seemed so calm that I felt like I was making a fuss.
Please pay attention. I don't have the confidence to get away with damaging someone else's valuable belongings.
That wasn't the only thing Terence said that surprised me.
"This watch."
The man who returned the pocket watch I gave him said easily:
"I'll give it to Ethel."
"... what?"
"Please, use it well, Ethel."
"No, I can't stand it! How can I receive your mother's belongings?"
"The watch you used before is broken, so I lent you mine. I would like you to use this instead of buying a new one."
Terence was kind but stubborn.
"Just like my father gave it to his beloved, I want to give it to you."
"Terence..."
"It's my heart. Please accept this."
Full Chapter Here☜ (AntiC0pyr1ght)