Chapter 250: Sisterly Dinner With Ceres

By late evening, the sisters returned to the Estate.

They had spent the rest of the day together.

For the first time since Airam's return, there had been no lessons, no danger, and no urgent voices calling them away from one another. They had wandered through the Estate, talked in quiet corners, argued over books in the library, and carried several volumes out to the clearing beyond the gardens.

There, beneath the great tree covered in colorful leaves, they had read together.

Their mother rested beneath that tree.

The clearing had always felt different from the rest of the Estate. More peaceful. It was the one place where the sisters could speak of Anna-Maria without feeling that the past was pressing too heavily against them.

They stayed longer than intended.

By the time the light began fading from the sky, they hurried back toward the main building, arriving just in time for dinner.

"I wonder who she is," Esther said as they walked.

Her voice was full of curiosity.

"An intruder," Airam replied immediately.

Esther blinked.

Hermione crossed her arms.

"I do not understand what Ulrich sees in her."

There was an irritated edge in her voice.

Esther glanced between her sisters.

"Um… she reattached Lord Ulrich's arm," she said carefully. "She helped him a lot, Big Sister."

That only worsened Hermione's mood.

Esther was right.

Ceres had done something impossible.

She had repaired Ulrich's mana pathways. She had reattached the arm he lost bringing Airam back from Valdris. Even the physicians had been stunned.

And somehow, that fact made Hermione feel worse.

Airam's expression darkened too.

Ulrich had lost his arm because of her.

He had nearly died because of her.

Now another witch had arrived and done what neither Airam, Hermione, nor Esther could do.

She had fixed what the sisters' troubles had broken.

Airam did not like it.

She did not like the thought that someone new had entered Ulrich's life when the three sisters were already there.

When SHE was there.

Her pace quickened.

The uncomfortable thoughts made her hungry.

Very hungry.

She needed dinner.

Several plates of dinner.

"Eldest sister is upset," Esther whispered to Hermione.

Hermione did not look at her.

"It is because of that girl," she said.

Her tone sharpened as she narrowed her eyes.

"You should have seen her earlier. She smiled at me when Ulrich sent us out of his room."

Esther sighed.

"Big sister is upset too."

Hermione's cheeks turned faintly red.

"I am not upset."

Esther said nothing.

Airam said nothing.

But neither of them believed her.

Esther herself did not dislike Ceres.

Ceres had seemed kind enough. She looked nervous and tired, and her strange magic had helped Ulrich. Esther wanted to know more about her.

Still, there was a small feeling in Esther's chest that she did not fully understand.

Ceres seemed close to Ulrich in a way that was different from the sisters.

She knew things about him the sisters did not know.

She had seen him before they did.

She had been protected by him.

And now Ulrich had invited her to dinner.

Esther hoped the meal would help everyone get along.

But perhaps she was being too optimistic.

The sisters entered the dining hall.

Hermione stopped immediately.

Airam stopped beside her.

Esther nearly walked into both of them.

"W-What?" Hermione whispered.

Ulrich was already seated at the head of the table.

Ceres sat to his right.

Mark sat beside Ceres.

They had already begun eating.

Ceres looked calmer than earlier. Her green hair had been brushed, and she wore a clean dress provided by the Estate. Though she still appeared tired, her face had regained some color.

"Ladies," Monika said warmly from nearby, "you are finally here."

None of the sisters responded.

Hermione stared at Ceres.

Ceres looked up.

Then she smiled at Hermione.

It was a small smile and perfectly harmless.

And somehow it made Hermione's hands clench at her sides.

"You did not wait for us?" Hermione asked.

Her eyes shifted toward Ulrich.

Ulrich looked at her.

His expression was dry.

"Are you the Count Rubenhart?" He asked her

Hermione blinked.

"What?"

"Then why should I wait for you before eating?"

Hermione's cheeks turned red.

"Hmph!"

She walked around the table and took the chair farthest from Ulrich's left side.

She sat down with enough force to make the chair scrape loudly against the floor.

Airam did not follow her.

Instead, she immediately took the chair on Ulrich's left.

Esther sat between Airam and Hermione, leaving Airam directly opposite Ceres.

Airam stared at the green-haired witch.

"Why is she still here?"

Ulrich looked at her.

"They are my guests."

His brows drew together.

This was becoming increasingly troublesome.

Hermione and Airam seemed determined to dislike Ceres for reasons Ulrich could not understand. Ceres had done nothing openly hostile. She had helped him. She was injured and recovering. She was a guest under his protection.

Yet the sisters acted as though he had brought an enemy into the Estate.

It did not occur to Ulrich that they might be jealous.

The thought never even came close, actually.

The sisters jealous that he seemed pretty close to the newly appeared witch? Indeed, it never even crossed his mind.

"I apologize if I am bothering you, my lord," Ceres said quietly.

Her expression turned apologetic.

Her visible eye lowered.

She looked very innocent.

'That vixen!'

Hermione's fingers pressed against the edge of the table.

The wood cracked faintly beneath her grip.

Ulrich looked at her.

Hermione immediately pulled her hand back.

Her face flushed in anger and embarrassment.

"You are not bothering me," Ulrich told Ceres.

Ceres looked up.

A soft smile returned to her face.

Then she continued eating.

Airam's expression darkened further.

Hermione looked as though she wanted to say something but forced herself to remain silent.

Mark watched the exchange with growing unease.

"I was afraid we had troubled you, my lord," he said.

There was obvious relief in his voice at Ulrich's reassurance.

Ulrich looked toward him.

"Ceres's state of mind is heavily tied to your well-being," he said.

His voice was calm, but carried a warning.

"Do not forget that."

Mark's expression became serious.

"Yes, my lord."

He understood.

He was Ceres' only family after all.

If he was hurt, Ceres would become frightened.

And if her emotions became too unstable, the Thornbreath could react.

That was dangerous.

For Ceres.

For Mark.

For anyone near her.

"But it cannot continue like this," Ulrich said.

The conversation at the dining table stopped.

Ceres looked toward him.

Ulrich's crimson gaze rested on her.

"You need to learn how to live properly," he said. "Without being afraid every moment."

Ceres sat still.

Ulrich continued.

"You need to understand your abilities. You need to control them. And you need to stop believing that you must rely on someone else every time you are frightened."

Ceres lowered her eyes.

The words were not cruel, but that was the bitter truth about her.

Ulrich paused briefly.

Then he said, "From now on, you will take lessons with Airam, Hermione, and Esther in my Estate."

Silence fell over the table.

The three sisters froze.

Hermione was the first to react.

"W-what?!"

She stood so quickly that her chair scraped backward.

Ulrich looked at her.

Hermione immediately realized what she had done.

Her face reddened.

She slowly sat back down, though the displeasure in her expression did not disappear.

Ceres looked shocked.

"M-My lord?"

"You will receive a proper education," Ulrich said. "Magic theory. History. Etiquette. Politics. Everything necessary for your growth."

Ceres stared at him shocked.

Mark looked equally stunned.

"My lord," he said. "Are you serious?"

Ulrich nodded.

"Yes."

Then he continued.

"In three years, I will enroll you in the Academy at Arcadia."

The announcement brought another wave of silence.

"A—Arcadia?" Ceres asked.

She could barely form the word.

Everyone knew Arcadia.

It was not merely a distant place. It was one of the greatest centers of magical education in the world. The Academy there trained noble heirs, gifted mages, scholars, and exceptional talents from across several kingdoms.

For someone like Ceres, it was almost impossible to imagine attending.

"You will not find a better place to become stronger," Ulrich said. "Or to learn what you are capable of."

Ceres's visible eye widened.

Ulrich's voice remained calm.

"You need to learn proper control. You need to understand yourself. If you are going to live without fear, you must become capable of standing on your own."

Mark's expression changed.

The shock remained, but anxiety appeared beneath it.

"My lord," he said carefully, "Arcadia is far."

He was afraid.

Not for himself.

For Ceres.

He feared being separated from her. He feared that sending her to Arcadia would mean losing the only family he had left.

Ulrich understood.

"You may go with her," he said. "I will arrange a place for you to stay in Arcadia."

Mark stared at him.

Then relief washed over his face.

"Thank you," he said quickly but sincerely. "Thank you, my lord."

Ceres looked at Ulrich.

Her eyes had filled with tears.

"M-My lord," she whispered. "I do not know what to say."

"If you want to grow," Ulrich said, "if you want to stop fearing your own power, then do as I say."

Ceres nodded immediately.

"I will!"

A bright smile spread across her face.

For the first time since coming to the Estate, she looked openly happy.

Across the table, the atmosphere had become very different.

Hermione stared at Ceres.

Her ruby eyes had narrowed.

Esther sat quietly, still trying to absorb what Ulrich had said.

Ceres was not simply another guest.

Ulrich had arranged to take the same lessons as them.

He had promised to send her to Arcadia.

He had offered to provide a home for Mark in another country.

Those were not things Ulrich did for a random person.

Esther felt a small, uncomfortable pinch in her chest.

She knew Ulrich had already told her that she would be too young to attend the Academy in three years. She understood the reason. But watching Ceres receive a promise that Esther could not yet have made her feel strangely left behind.

Airam did not look at Ceres.

Instead, she looked at Ulrich.

Her gaze was very cold.

Heavy enough that Ulrich could feel it from across the table.

He tried to ignore it.

Then he tried to focus on his meal.

But the longer Airam stared at him, the more bothered he became.

It was an irrational feeling.

Almost as though he had broken some promise he did not remember making.

As though he had betrayed an unspoken trust or had been unfaithful.

Ulrich finally looked at her.

"Do you have an issue?"

Airam held his gaze.

Then she slowly shook her head.

…and she returned to eating.

Somehow, that made Ulrich more concerned.

Meanwhile, Ceres smiled brightly.

"I am happy," she said.

Her hands folded together in front of her.

"I will be able to see the Count every day now."

She gave a small, delighted laugh.

Several lines appeared across Hermione's forehead.

Ceres looked toward the sisters.

"Let us get along," she said with a hopeful smile.

Esther smiled back, though she still looked bewildered.

"Y—yes."

She was not against having another classmate.

And Ceres was a witch, like them.

Perhaps they could understand one another.

Hermione did not answer.

Airam did not answer either.

They both continued eating in silence.

Ulrich watched the three sisters and Ceres and winced slightly.

He had dealt with nobles, a twisted sect's members, demons, Valmorian soldiers, a broken core, a severed arm, and the Thornbreath Curse.

Yet he still could not understand women.

Not at any age.