It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 13
“……”
I had to agree that Lionel’s behavior was unusual.
Though I didn’t know him well, the Lionel I remembered from the novel was relentlessly indifferent to others.
Initially, the other male leads acted cautiously around him, pretending to be mindful of his presence. But once they realized Lionel had no intention of involving himself in his sister’s affairs, they began openly cavorting with Vivian throughout the mansion.
Lionel never once issued a warning.
He simply existed in the background as a source of tension, his presence like a razor’s edge.
Yet this same Lionel had thrown Dantère out of a window just because he didn’t leave when told.
“Priestess, don’t you have any guesses?”
“…Not really.”
I did my best to sound nonchalant.
“I’ve only spoken with him a few times, so I’m not sure. Perhaps you should ask him directly.”
Dantère narrowed his eyes at me, scrutinizing my face before finally looking away.
“How dull.”
His muttered complaint brought a wave of relief, though I didn’t dare show it.
“If you have nothing more to ask, I’ll excuse myself.”
I didn’t need any further entanglements with Dantère Ortatum. Of all the dangerous male leads, his attention was the last thing I wanted.
Feeling a cautious sense of relief, I turned to the door and grabbed the handle. But then—
“Hey, Priestess.”
His languid voice stopped me in my tracks.
“What’s your name again?”
He had the audacity to act as though I’d told him before. How shameless.
“…Sasha.”
“Sasha? Hmm, it suits you… and yet it doesn’t.”
I had no idea what he meant, but his words irritated me nonetheless. Despite his carefree demeanor, Dantère had a disconcertingly sharp edge to him.
“Got it. Off you go, Sasha.”
The most notorious libertine of the novel, calling my name as casually as one might summon a neighbor’s dog. We weren’t anywhere near that level of familiarity.
The only thing that makes it less offensive is that it’s a fake name.
As I walked away from Vivian’s room, I clenched my hands into fists, realizing my fingertips had gone cold and were trembling.
Had the maid who came to fetch me from the main house known what was happening in there?
Surely, at the very least, she knew Vivian wasn’t in the room.
I resolved to remember the faces of the maid who was currently entangled with Dantère and the one who had lied to me.
Something told me I’d be staying in this mansion longer than I’d hoped.
I’d kept my head down, thinking I might secure a way back to the monastery. But it seemed they had no intention of letting me go.
“I’ll need you to stay here until the matter is confirmed.”
Recalling Lionel’s resolute tone, I realized the moment he said that, my plans had gone entirely awry.
The firmness in his gaze and the finality in his words were all too familiar.
“No, you can’t, darling. You’ll get a stomachache.”
“Do you want to go play somewhere else with your brother?”
Whether it was when I’d devoured both my share of sherbet and my brother’s or when I’d been caught snooping around the dangerous weapons in our family’s underground training hall, my family had always put their foot down with the same unyielding tone.
Even though they loved me dearly—or perhaps because they loved me—they couldn’t allow everything I wanted.
Lionel’s refusal carried a similar weight of determination, though it certainly wasn’t driven by affection or care for me. There was some other reason behind his decision, but the conclusion was the same.
He had no intention of letting me go.
So, what was I to do?
Dantère’s arrival would soon be followed by other male leads coming and going from this mansion.
The best course of action would be to live quietly in the annex, avoiding entanglements with anyone. But even that might not be enough.
