When we first saw the convent building after a long walk along the trail, we both had the same thought at the same time: I really don’t want to go in there.
If I thought that, then my sister must have thought it 500% more.
The building looked like a triple-sized version of the villa we visited before—only stripped of all beauty.
In other words, it was old, ugly, and somehow still imposing.
Is it going to collapse the moment we step inside?
However, about twenty minutes later, we found ourselves desperately needing the convent’s shelter.
As we entered the convent’s entrance, a middle-aged nun greeted us.
“Welcome. I am Sister... Oh my. It seems you’ve received the baptism of the waterfall on your way here.”
“Yes!”
“For now, please change into dry clothes. We can exchange proper greetings afterward.”
Right. My sister and I were drenched, having been thoroughly soaked by the waterfall on our way up.
Since we were in the mountains, the water was ice-cold.
Percival was responsible for about 90% of the reason we looked like drowned rats.
Holding our bags, he chuckled.
“I distinctly recall warning you that the waterfall’s current sometimes shifts unpredictably. I advised you to admire it from a distance.”
“I... didn’t... Atchoo! Hear you. The waterfall was... so loud... You should’ve grabbed me...”
“I can’t just lay hands on a lady. Unless, of course, we were lovers.”
A cowardly and utterly pathetic excuse.
That bastard definitely did it on purpose!
If my sister decides to push him off a cliff right now, I’d pretend not to see a thing.
After changing into dry clothes and barely managing to dry our hair, we sat in the lobby, where the nun offered us warm tea.
It tasted even worse than it looked. I politely swallowed two sips before setting the cup aside, but my sister, surprisingly, drank it with ease.
A strict-looking middle-aged nun approached to welcome us.
“Welcome to the Binder Convent. We provide pure teachings to those seeking spiritual cleansing, away from the filth of the city.”
My sister was already dying of boredom, so I took the initiative to respond.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Doris Redfield, and this is my sister, Natalie Redfield.”
“You are ladies?”
“Oh, yes. We are daughters of Count Redfie—”
“If you have any intention of flaunting your title, I suggest you put it aside. Our convent has hosted countless nobles and royals throughout its long history.”
I wasn’t! But thanks for making me feel unwelcome right from the start!
That remark twisted my insides, while my sister’s gaze turned sharp. And just like that, our convent schedule began.
To be honest, I had already given up on having any expectations the moment I saw the building...
But surprisingly, I’m kind of enjoying this?
For starters, no one talks to me!
The nuns we occasionally passed in the hallways made a point of ignoring us, staring straight ahead as they walked by.
A few younger nuns couldn’t help but glance at our dresses and accessories, but they quickly turned away, fixing their eyes on the floor within a second.
“This is the hour of prayer. Please use this room to purify your thoughts...”
I can close my eyes and take a nap!
“This is the education hall. Since many noble ladies visit, we provide not only scripture but also practical guides for estate management...”
So many books!
“We must be grateful for even the simplest of meals. Now, let us partake in the sausage and wine delivered from the neighboring monastery...”
Monastery natural wine and charcuterie—something I’ve only ever gotten to taste once at a library gathering!
After a full day of activities, we returned to our room.
Percival alternated between smiling at my sister, who looked like she was about to collapse, and appearing confused by my brightened expression. He waved lightly.
“You must be exhausted. Get plenty of rest. You have a long journey back tomorrow.”
“Got it. Thank you for guiding us today!”
The moment we shut the door, my sister collapsed onto the bed, her ears flushed red.
“I’m so tired...”
“Since when do you complain, Sister? Did you drink too much?”
“This isn’t enough to make me drunk... Ugh...”
“Stay still. I’ll help you change.”
“Call the maid— No, never mind.”
“Good. I had no desire to half-undress you before calling for a maid anyway.”
She let out a weak chuckle.
I carefully undressed my sister, her clothes warm from her body heat.
Truthfully, there was something I had been wanting to ask while we were alone.
“Sister. I know this is a complicated time for you... What have you been thinking about lately?”
Despite the vague wording, she immediately understood what I was getting at.
“You’re uneasy because I’ve been so calm lately?”
“Yes. I saw you holding yourself back from ramming into His Highness more than once today.”
“And I assume my maid must have been so startled by me using cosmetics that she ran straight to you.”
“...You knew.”
There was something I suspected about her behavior.
“Sister. You once said that what I give to my maids always comes back to me. Is that why?”
“Something like that. Though, to be clear, I never expected anything in return from them. What could they possibly give me? More money, better taste, higher status?”
“Well... No. But then, why be kind to them?”
For a moment, I worried she might say something ominous like I’m preparing to give up on everything. If she refused to answer, I would’ve grown even more anxious.
But instead, my sister gave an unexpected reply.
“I found your experience fascinating.”
“...Huh?”
“I never thought of maids as people who could offer something to nobles. In other words, I never considered them beings I could actually interact with.”
“...So you thought of them vaguely, like helpful little fairies who silently put gloves on your hands and clean your room after you go out?”
“That’s a great analogy. Yes, exactly. Even when I saw them fighting among themselves or getting kicked out over relationships with servants, it always felt like someone else’s story.”
“....”
“But after hearing your story, I decided to reach out for once. Of course, they got so startled that they ran away... Maybe I should apologize later...”
Did my sister just say she was going to apologize?
Is she that drunk?
As I hesitated, she let out a bitter laugh.
“Hah, I must be losing it. Lately, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things. I’ve lived as wildly as I wanted all my life... But there was only one reason our parents let me do whatever I pleased.”
“...Because you were expected to marry an extraordinary man.”
“Exactly.”
She pointed at the wall. A bleak, earthy-colored wall with a single religious painting hanging on it.
“The church teaches that those who live sinfully will fall into hell. But when our parents taught us about a lady’s life, they always replaced ‘hell’ with ‘the convent.’ What an amusing irony.”
“...”
“I thought I could live however I wanted... But in the end, I’m just as afraid of the ‘hell’ our parents hammered into my head since childhood. I only realized it now, at this age.”
“Sister...”
“Like it or not, I have to get married... If I choose Percival, I’ll be able to live extravagantly while milking that bastard dry for money, right?”
Sister.
You’re skipping the most important question.
Will I be happy?
...Isn’t that what you actually wanted to say?
But I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.
And as if carried away by either alcohol or exhaustion, my sister slowly drifted off to sleep.
***
At dawn, I woke up to a strange sound.
For a moment, I thought it was the morning prayer call and felt annoyed. I would have much preferred that.
But no—what woke me wasn’t a prayer.
It was my sister groaning in pain beside me.
“Sister? Sister!”
“Dori... my head hurts...”
Her face was flushed red. I didn’t even need to press my forehead against hers to check—she was burning up with fever.
I rushed out of the guest room in a panic.
A short while later, the convent’s medical nuns arrived to examine her. Their conclusion was predictable.
“It seems she caught a cold from the waterfall.”
Considering how ice-cold that water had been, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
But the next thing they said was completely unreasonable.
After a basic check-up, Percival turned to me and said,
“Lady Doris, you should head down first with the coachman and inform your parents. I will stay here for another day and escort Lady Natalie back once she’s able to move.”
“...What are you ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) saying? If anyone stays behind, it should be me.”
“I was the one who suggested this trip. I wouldn’t be able to face the count and countess if I returned alone. And if neither of us returns, they’ll worry immensely.”
“But still—”
“Haha, surely you’re not concerned that anything improper might happen? This is a convent.”
The medical nuns beside us nodded in agreement.
He placed a wet cloth on my sister’s forehead and gently held her trembling hands.
...And that was exactly what felt wrong.
My instincts reacted first, then my logic followed.
Percival. You already had a prepared excuse for why I should go alone, didn’t you?
The way he delivered his reasoning—so smooth, so convenient.
The next thing that bothered me: I’m fine, but my sister, who’s physically stronger from all her dancing, is the one who fell sick.
Come to think of it, yesterday, I left that horrible tea unfinished because it tasted awful. But my sister drank it all in one go.
What if... I was just given regular cheap tea, but she was given something that would make her sick for a day?
Percival is a patron of this convent. He could have easily swayed a few nuns.
Of course, this could all just be my paranoia—
But there was no way I was leaving my sister here alone.
“...Alright. Then I’ll leave my sister in your care.”
“Of course. She may even become someone very precious to me.”
Disgusting.
I swallowed down the urge to slap him across the face and said,
“I’ll report the situation to my parents and return tomorrow to pick her up. No need to see me off.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll also leave the maids here.”
“...Hm? Well, if that’s not inconvenient for you.”
Percival answered offhandedly, as if it were some trivial matter, before turning his attention back to my sister.
I grabbed my luggage and walked out of the room, leaving them behind.
...Of course, I had no intention of simply leaving.
The maids, who had been eagerly waiting for departure time, were caught off guard when I explained the situation.
“You’re going down alone, my lady? Wouldn’t it be better for at least one of us to go with you?”
“Don’t worry. One of you will be helping me.”
“...Pardon?”
I opened my bag and pulled out an item my maid had packed for me a few days ago.