Chapter 89 – Just the Two of Us

She was sure it had been mentioned at the last masquerade by the young lord, if she recalled correctly. Evelyn moistened her dry lips and calmly began to read the passage.

「 The Moon Goddess Diana bestowed her power upon a beloved disciple. Though it was meant to absorb the curses that gnawed at human minds, her disciple instead used that power to bring about Diana’s downfall. 」

What a chilling story…

The book of myths was filled with all manner of tales, many of them as outlandish as this one. Yet, something about this story felt undeniably tied to sorcery. Even if there was no direct mention, Evelyn couldn’t shake the feeling that this disciple might have been the very first practitioner of dark magic.

‘I should look into this further.’

By now, the young ladies were beginning to trickle back into the tea room, so she closed her book as well. Just then, she heard a faint sound of weeping nearby.

“Sniff, hic.”

Looking up, she spotted Dahlia wiping tears from her eyes.

The young ladies nearby exchanged uneasy glances. Evelyn, her face filled with concern, hurried over to her.

“Dahlia, what’s wrong?”

“I… I lost my necklace in the forest.”

“Your necklace?”

“Yes. It was my birth mother’s keepsake… Huk, hic.”

Pearl-like tears clung to Dahlia’s thick lashes as she wept, unable to finish her sentence. Seeing her struggle, a few of the ladies gently stepped in.

“Lady Lorenheim must be heartbroken.”

“Truly. A keepsake like that is irreplaceable.”

“Perhaps we could search for it together?”

A wave of sympathy gathered around Dahlia. Just then, Chloe strode up and snapped her fan shut, cutting into the conversation.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Are you all forgetting it’ll be dusk soon?”

In just an hour, the sun would set and the hunting festival’s participants would return. Chloe’s blunt warning made it clear she thought the idea was reckless.

Dahlia bit her lower lip in dismay.

“You’re right, Lady Chloe. There’s no need for everyone to trouble themselves because of me.”

The young ladies, pitying her downcast expression, began to take her side, one by one.

“Lady Winterwald, that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

“She’s right. There’s really no need to go so far.”

A few of the young ladies murmured, casting reproachful looks at Chloe for her blunt response. In a group like this, emotions often took precedence over reason.

‘At this rate, only Chloe’s reputation will suffer.’

Right now, Chloe’s level-headedness was just the sort of thing to make her an easy target, especially with so many of the girls here hailing from the opposing conservative families. Of course, Evelyn doubted Dahlia had intended any of this, but the longer the standoff dragged on, the more strained things would become.

After quietly watching the scene unfold, she finally spoke up.

“Then, how about we search for thirty minutes?”

“Evelyn.”

Chloe frowned slightly, clearly unconvinced. However, Evelyn gently took her friend’s hand and continued.

“It’s as the lady said, it’s getting late. After that, we can leave the rest to the knights.”

The young ladies in the tea room all nodded in agreement.

“That does sound far more sensible, Lady Inevasel.”

“It’s best we take a quick look before sunset.”

Evelyn shot her friend a sidelong glance, worried Chloe might have taken offense. Fortunately, Chloe didn’t seem bothered at all. Someone as perceptive as her would surely have already grasped her intent.

Dahlia, having wiped her tears with a handkerchief, offered her thanks in a voice still thick with emotion.

“Thank you, everyone. Truly.”

With her eyes still rimmed red, she managed a faint, bittersweet smile at last. Just as she cherished her own parents’ pendant, that necklace must have been precious to Dahlia as well.

‘I hope she finds it.’

Setting aside her feelings of sympathy, Evelyn steadied her voice.

“Shall we go, before it gets any later?”