In the room, Lalatina and Luna Hart lay with disheveled clothing, revealing a hint of allure. Despite this, both had bright, satisfied expressions as they pressed Aurelius Liora onto the bed. Beneath them, Liora struggled to fight back, tugging at clothes and resisting, refusing to lose easily.
After some time, with her strength drained, Liora finally yielded and lay quietly under their grip. Admitting defeat, she whimpered.
"I give up! Sisters, spare me… I can't handle this anymore… please, stop!"
"I didn't speak ill of you to the manor lord at all! My words just now were said in a moment of frustration, nothing more."
Lalatina, with one eye on Liora's exaggeratedly pitiful face, kept a calm, superior demeanor, like someone holding the power of life and death.
"Princess Liora, even if you pretend to be pitiful, it won't help you."
Luna Hart's expression matched, saying,
"After all our worry for you, we don't even know why the manor lord summoned you so late at night and kept you there until now."
"And yet here you are, turning against us, saying bad things about us in front of the manor lord."
Lalatina interjected,
"Quick, tell me, who am I, truly?"
Liora's eyes widened as she heard this, startled like a cat that had its tail stepped on. She snuck a glance at Lalatina, noticing her disheveled attire, the allure of the moment combined with her dignified presence making her all the more captivating. Suddenly, a thought crossed Liora's mind—if her dear brother, the manor lord, were to see this scene, might he reward her for bringing it to his attention? At this moment, perhaps Lalatina might really be that person she suspected. It was better not to upset her.
"Sister, I can't say. The manor lord himself forbade me. If you want to know, you'd better go directly to him."
Upon hearing this, Lalatina's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. What was the meaning of this? She pondered the possibility, wondering about her true identity, and seeing the nervous look Liora gave her. Could it be…?
Beside her, Luna Hart looked equally shocked.
"Liora, do you mean to suggest that Sister Lalatina could be the Kongming figure from the story that the manor lord told?"
Below them, Liora panicked and quickly protested.
"Sister Luna, you're twisting my words! I never said that; it's all your own assumption… How can you jump to such baseless conclusions?"
Lalatina's face flushed, with a small smile lingering on her lips.
"Liora, tell me everything you know, and I promise not to hold anything against you."
Luna Hart nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. If you tell us everything, we'll still love and cherish you."
With a confused expression, Liora responded,
"Sisters, I think you're misunderstanding something."
"What could I possibly know?"
"If you really want to know what the manor lord said to me, ask him directly."
Lalatina, seeing Liora's stubbornness, decided to be direct.
"Fine. Tomorrow morning, we'll go ask the manor lord directly about my true identity."
"And if he asks, I'll tell him it was Liora who mentioned it, all right?"
"Let's let her go now."
Luna Hart came to her senses,
"Sister, you're so clever; I'll follow your lead."
"Liora, I apologize for pressing you like that. Now, go wash up and rest early."
The two tidied up their clothes and settled on their own sides of the bed, slowly closing their eyes. Liora, with tears welling up in her eyes, looked at them and suddenly burst out,
"You two are so mean! Sister Lalatina is awful, and Sister Luna, you're just as bad for siding with her!"
Seeing her sobbing nearby, Lalatina gently smoothed Liora's messy hair and comforted her in a soft voice,
"Liora, if you tell me everything, I promise to keep it a secret. I won't ask the manor lord again."
Luna Hart leaned close, whispering gently while also adjusting Liora's disheveled clothes,
"I swear, only the three of us will know. No one else."
"Have you still not figured out our character?"
"If the manor lord has forbidden you to reveal everything, at least give us a hint."
"If you're still hesitant, we won't push you."
Liora silently grumbled to herself but, after careful consideration, realized that this might not be such a bad thing. If she played it right, she might even help bring these two closer together.
"Sisters, I promised the manor lord not to disclose anything. But… perhaps I could tell you a story instead."
Delighted, the two nodded. Suddenly, Luna sat up, shut the door, extinguished all but one candle, and then climbed back onto the bed, hugging Liora.
"All set; go on and tell us. No one will know."
Lalatina also nodded, signaling that everything was secure. Liora took a deep breath and whispered,
"I'll tell you the ending of the story from earlier."
"After countless attempts to find her and failing each time, he eventually realized that their story was doomed to have no conclusion."
"So, he stopped searching for her, understanding that even if he succeeded, only sorrow would await."
"Many lifetimes passed, and he fell into a deep slumber, slowly forgetting her face."
"Then one day, he met three women—each of whom he knew in a previous life: one who might have been her, one who was his beloved little sister, and one who was once his foe."
Liora paused, glancing at her two captivated sisters, before continuing,
"The first woman, he couldn't tell for sure if she was really her. The memory was faint, but he didn't mind. Whether she was or not, it wouldn't change anything."
"The second was his little sister, whom he didn't intend to recognize, choosing only to support her silently. But when she said, 'I'll always stand by your side,' it touched the depths of his lonely soul, and so he confided everything to her."
Liora shot a stern look at her mesmerized sisters.
"If either of you betrays this or intends to go against the manor lord, I'll never forgive you."
Seeing them nod earnestly, she continued.
"The third was his former enemy, one who had once competed with him. But he harbored no resentment, choosing instead to lend a helping hand."
"That's all I'm telling. Neither of you is allowed to spread this story in any form. Understood?"
Lalatina's gaze grew dreamy and beautiful, a surge of emotion rising within her. Reflecting on the past, she understood at last. Just as she was to marry another, a single promise had brought her to the manor, making her a personal maid. And the manor lord had even shown her how to focus completely… He must have suspected this truth. But if it was real, was her fate…?
Meanwhile, Luna Hart looked thoughtful. So, she had been the manor lord's adversary in a past life… Despite his generosity, she couldn't risk straining the bond. Even Madam had urged her to seize this chance, and she couldn't afford to fail. If she were in his position, what would she do? Thinking back on everything… Ah, he always spent time with Lalatina and Liora, while with her, he helped her rebuild Madam's form and gently guided her by sharing stories to consider. So, he was still holding a grudge?
At that moment, Liora shook the two out of their reverie,
"Sister Lalatina, Sister Luna, did you hear me?"
Their musings interrupted, they exchanged glances, a trace of embarrassment in their eyes.
"Liora, have you not bathed yet? Go on, and if you like, we can join you."
Liora couldn't suppress a strange joy and laughed out loud.
"All right, then, come help me scrub my back."