Earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.
Two years ago, on Charlotte's birthday, Baroness Lania gave it to her as a gift. Later, Charlotte's brothers went around the capital's famous stores and bought it themselves.
It was not a luxury accessory used by high-ranking aristocrats, but it was quite expensive enough for the baron couple to save money for this.
Charlotte has cherished this jewelry set so much.
She hadn't had the chance to wear it thus she just put it in a box.
Those were the precious jewelry that she held on to until the very end while disposing of the other jewelry she had to help her family to pay debts.
Anyone in the Lania family knew how she treasured the jewelry given by her family.
Cedar, who was aware of the fact, breathed in vain.
"Use it to hire a sorcerer."
"I can't. This is your favorite item, isn't it?"
"That's right. It's something I cherish a lot."
The sapphire jewelry set was Charlotte's first present here.
When she saw the whole family gathered and waited for her response to the gift with a nervous face, she didn't know why, but somehow, Charlotte really felt like she was a member of the family.
It was then that she came to think of herself as "Charlotte Lania," not as a stranger.
That's why the sapphire set meant so much to her.
But selling jewelry didn't mean losing her family. Without it, she was still Charlotte, a member of the Lania family.
She was the daughter of her parents and a sister of her two brothers.
Therefore, she would use the items that symbolized the love of her family to protect them
"I am giving it to you because it's something I cherish a lot. Because my family and the Lania estate are so precious to me."
"…"
"Please."
Cedar seemed to have a lot to say, but he took the box without saying anything more.
"I understand."
"Thank you. I know it's hard, but please take care of this matter for the time being. Just a few more days will do. And please deliver this letter with the money left after you hire a sorcerer. Use the mana gate to deliver it to the Heinst Duke at the Capital. As soon as possible. Let me know if you need more money."
The fastest way to get to the Capital from the Lania estate was to use mana gate from a nearby estate, which took one day trip away.
Usually, people in the Lania family didn't use mana gate because of the high fees, but it seemed that they had to send letters using the gate because the situation was so urgent.
Cedar accepted the letter, saying,
"I heed to your command."
Then, Charlotte looked at the box once again and headed to the room where Theo was sleeping.
I didn't regret my actions, but I felt a little uneasy.
After seeing Cedar off, Charlotte headed to the guest room where Theo was asleep.
She wanted to check Theo's condition.
But just as she stepped on the second floor, Charlotte heard a child sharp screaming.
"Noo! Theo doesn't want to!!"
Theo was the only child who could scream like this in the Lania mansion.
Did Theo awake? Why did he screaming like that?
Charlotte was worried and ran to Theo's room.
A group huddled around the room and as they saw Charlotte, they paved the way for her.
Charlotte went into the room quickly.
'Where is he?'
Charlotte quickly found Theo.
Theo was crouching in the corner of the room with his back against the wall.
The nanny who had a troubled expression on her face stood just a few steps away from Theo.
Then she saw Charlotte and approached her.
"Young miss, you're here."
"What is going on, nanny?"
"Master Theo woke up from his sleep and–"
Theo who saw Charlotte began to cry sadly even before the nanny finished explaining the situation.
"Big sister!"
The clear drops of tears quickly dripped from his round eyes.
"Haaa!!"
Charlotte ran quickly and hugged Theo.
Then, Theo hugged Charlotte's neck with his hands.
As if that wasn't enough, he even circled his two legs around Charlotte's waist.
"Theo, what's wrong? What's wrong?"
But Theo just cried and didn't give her an answer.
Charlotte turned her head and asked the nanny and Emma with her eyes.
The two would not have hit or scolded the child, but there must have been a reason why Theo cried so sadly.
"The young master Theo woke up when we tried to give him a bath. I guess he seemed to be shy."
Emma nodded up and down as the nanny replied awkwardly with a smile.
"I'm sorry, miss."
"What's there to sorry about. He is crying because he was shy."
Charlotte patted Theo on the back as he desperately clung to her.
It would be better if he took a bath.
Theo was cleaner compared to when he first met her. Maybe the nanny had wiped him with a wet towel while he was sleeping.
However, dried blood and mud were still on his hair and his face. Besides, Theo was still wearing blood-soaked clothes he wore earlier.
A three-year-old child fell into an unfamiliar place alone after the death of an escort.
That alone would be disturbing and scary, but when he woke up, Charlotte, whom he had familiarized with, was gone.
It would have been scary for Theo.
"Theo, did you get scared because I was gone?"
Theo didn't respond to her question.
He must be really scared.
Charlotte would have come a little earlier if she knew this would happen.
As she patted his back as an apology, Theo grumbled.
"Theo is scawwed."
(Theo is scared.)
"You must be scared, didn't you? It's okay. I will stay with you now."
"Ung."
Theo nodded with his face buried on Charlotte's shoulder.
"But Theo, you have to wash up. Nanny is not a scary person. Let's go wash up with the nanny."
"Noo, Theo doesn't want to! Theo likes big sister!"
Theo shook his head this time, adding more strength to Charlotte's arms.
What should I do?
Unlike Charlotte, who was flustered, the nanny approached with a smile.
"Young Master, you really like young miss that much, don't you?"
Theo peeked at the nanny, lowered his head again, and closed his mouth tight.
When he first saw Charlotte, she thought he was friendly because he was not scared of her, but it seemed that he was unexpectedly shy and stubborn.
"What should we do? I think he needs to wash up first, but he seems to reluctant to let me go.."
"I have an idea."
The nanny said.
Unlike Charlotte, who couldn't seem to find a solution, the nanny grabbed Charlotte's arm with a gentle face.
While the nanny was preparing for a bath, Theo didn't think of getting away from Charlotte.
It's not a figurative expression, he really wouldn't let her go.
Even now, he was hiding behind Charlotte's back, holding her skirt tightly in his hands.
He seemed to think that if he lets go of her skirt, he would be taken away by the nanny.
"Now, the bath is ready. Would you like to take a bath with me?"
Theo shook his head at Charlotte as the nanny checked for the water temperature.
"Theo doesn't want two.."
(Theo doesn't want to)
Charlotte smiled as she saw Theo with a sulky look on his face.
Is it because he couldn't pronounce it?
The child's short tongue pronunciation was cute.
Despite being cute, however, Charlotte couldn't just listen to Theo's whining.
There was so much blood everywhere that there was a limit to simply wiping it with a wet towel.
Therefore, Charlotte sat on the floor to keep eye level with Theo.
"Theo, you need to take a bath. If you don't, you will be dirty."
Theo lifted his head and looked at Charlotte with round eyes.
"Is Theo diwty (dirty)?"
"Yes, look here. You are dirty here and here."
Every time Charlotte pointed at Theo's head, face, and arm in turn, the expression on his face turned to shock.
Theo looked down at his little hand.
Although the nanny had already wiped it off with a wet towel, there was still a reddish bloodstain on the palms and the fingernails.
"If you take a bath, you won't be dirty any more. So let's take a bath, okay? You will smell nice if you take a bath. What do you think? We wash you up and then we can go eat delicious food."
"I want big sister!'
"Yes, yes, I will wash you."
Charlotte carefully undressed Theo as she looked at him becoming happy again.
When she took off his shirt, Theo shuddered, hugging himself in his arms.