Chapter 43: Sisters Fiene and Muge

After returning home, Fiene followed Noah and Fernan’s suggestion to have some tea and a light snack.

This helped her calm down a bit.

Indeed, her father’s letter mentioned their imminent downfall, but experiencing it firsthand was quite a shock.

Fernan had told her that the family had dispersed, but Fiene wanted to see her family home with her own eyes.

She told Noah that she could manage alone, but he changed his clothes and got into the carriage with her. Noah said that thanks to Edmond’s arrangements, his detention had been comfortable and he wasn’t tired.

This time, three attendants accompanied them, along with Fernan.

She had a feeling that there might still be family members at her old home. She was also concerned about how Maggie, who had an excess of magical power, was faring. It seemed tragic for the house to fall while she was still ill.

The carriage entered an area a little away from the prime location of the royal capital.

With Noah’s help, Fiene got off the carriage in front of her family’s home and was shocked at the sight.

“What? Why?”

The mansion seemed to have caught fire and was half-destroyed.

“It’s probably because the third daughter lost control of her magical power.”

“Is the family safe?”

Fiene’s face turned pale. Maggie was fourteen the last time they met, so she should be fifteen now.

“Even after everything you went through, you’re still worried about your family?”

Noah asked seriously.

“Of course, I have feelings of unforgiveness. However, my father and mother didn’t know about my short lifespan, and if a daughter who didn’t resemble any family member was born, I can somewhat understand why they would feel estranged, though I don’t condone it.

However, I can’t understand Muge and Rolf’s actions. To them, I probably wasn’t considered family. And even my father has fallen into ruin, so asking Noah-sama to just pick up their bones is rude to Noah-sama!”

Perhaps because her life had been saved or because she had been treated kindly by Noah and those around him, she felt her resentment and anger soften a bit.

“I have a letter for you from Donovan. I don’t have it with me now.”

Noah’s words surprised Fiene. She hadn’t expected her father to write to her.

“I see. Thank you.”

At that moment, Fiene noticed a figure inside the mansion.

“It looks like someone’s there.”

The mansion looked abandoned, but there were people inside.

Fiene instinctively took a step towards the porch. She saw red hair moving beyond the window.

“Surprising. Someone is still living here.”

“Noah, I’m going in.”

“Fiene, it’s dangerous. Don’t.”

Noah tried to stop her, worriedly.

“It’s fine. If it gets bad, I’ll scream. Besides, it was my home. I want to know why my sister and brother could do such terrible things.

I have been bullied since childhood. But no matter how bad it was, tricking me and trying to put a binding spell on me when I had little time left was too cruel.”

She wanted to understand how they could have treated her so badly.

Noah thought for a while before answering.

“Alright. Be very careful.”

Fiene nodded and took off running.

The figure she had seen through the window earlier was Muge.

“Muge! I know you’re in there! It’s Fiene. Come out!”

She shouted as she stepped into the entrance. A noise came from the hallway on the right.

Fiene instinctively headed in that direction.

There was almost no sign of people in the mansion. Where had her father and mother gone? And what about Maggie?

She reached the room where the noise had come from. The door was open.

It used to be the dining room, but now dust swirled in the air, and it was completely desolate. The chairs and table had been removed, leaving nothing behind.

Creditors must have taken everything when the family fell.

In the dim corner of the dining room, a figure was huddled under a cloak.

Red hair peeked out from the side of the hood.

“Muge?”

“Yes, it’s me. So what?”

Without turning around, she stood up.

“What do you mean, ‘So what?’ Why did you do such terrible things to me?”

“I want to ask you the same thing. First, why are you still alive?”

Her words were as harsh as ever. Fiene, furious, walked toward Muge in the corner of the dining room.

“Weren’t we sisters? What was I to you?”

“A disgrace to the family. And let me ask you again, why are you still alive? How are you well enough to come to the royal capital? And didn’t you read Maggie’s letter?”

Muge’s barrage of questions was relentless.

“Maggie’s letter? What are you talking about?”

Fiene had no recollection of it. Muge clicked her tongue.

“She has magical power excess syndrome. If you, who are favored by that disgusting, freakish magician, could have provided funds, our family wouldn’t have fallen.”

Fiene’s eyes widened in shock.

“Are you saying I should have begged Noah-sama for money? Is that what the letter was about?”

“Of course! We’re family, so helping us should be obvious!”

Muge screamed.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Then what about the way you treated me? You didn’t think of me as family at all, yet you have the nerve to say that? More importantly, is Maggie alright?”

No matter how much Fiene asked, Muge only spewed insults. She didn’t even look at Fiene once.

She kept her back turned the whole time. Fiene thought it was cowardly of her not to show her face.

“I don’t know. She didn’t take her medicine, lost control of her magic, and the house collapsed! It’s all Maggie’s fault and all your fault. Both of you should just die.”

“Enough!”

Fiene grabbed Muge’s arm and tried to turn her around.

Muge’s hood slipped off gently. The characteristic red hair of the Hausen family had lost its luster, and a large scar marred her face. Fiene’s eyes widened in shock.

“Sister, what happened to that wound…?”

At that moment, Muge’s right hand moved swiftly, holding a shard of glass, and it came rushing toward Fiene’s face.