Chapter 365 – Their Connection 

「Nee-san? Claudia, you have a little sister?」 

「…She’s not my biological sister.」 

Claudia-san looked troubled, as though this was a topic she had hoped to avoid. But given the intense curiosity in Charlotte and Lawrence-san’s gazes, it was clear they wouldn’t let the matter drop. 

Resigned to their scrutiny, Claudia-san began to explain the meaning behind the “nee-san” comment. 

「Her name is Milen. There was a time when we lived together, and during that period, we formed a bond akin to sisters.」 

「Lived together? But didn’t you get taken in by the Blaffer family after your parents passed away?」 

「I wasn’t taken in immediately. Overwhelmed by the shock of suddenly being left all alone, I ran away from the town I lived in. For about a year, I wandered from place to place before the Blaffer family found me. It was during that time that I met Milen.」 

「C-Claudia, you had such a past…」 

Charlotte looked shaken by this revelation. 

We all felt the same way. Up until now, we’d only known Claudia-san as the calm and capable maid. The idea that she had such a harrowing past left us stunned. 

…The only one who remained composed was Lawrence-san. 

「I understand your connection to that woman. However, that doesn’t explain why you left the Blaffer household.」 

Exactly. 

The fact that Claudia-san had lived as a wanderer before being taken in by the Blaffer family must have been known to their head, Zenon-sama. It’s likely that, through that connection, Zenon-sama was also aware of Milen-san’s existence. 

Whatever the case, it’s hard to imagine that Milen-san is the reason Claudia-san left. But judging from her demeanor, the situation was far more complicated. 

「Even if I told you, I doubt you’d understand… So please, don’t involve yourselves any further.」 

「I already told you that isn’t an option—」 

「I used to be a member of Black Arrow.」 

「What!?」 

Black Arrow. 

The moment Milen-san uttered that name, Lawrence-san’s face turned pale. The calm demeanor he had maintained up until now vanished, replaced by a look of utter shock. 

「Impossible! Black Arrow was wiped out a long time ago!」 

「Some remnants survived. But… they’ve abandoned the ideals of their predecessor and degenerated into nothing more than a violent gang. That’s why I left them.」 

「This can’t be…」 

「B-Brother, please explain this so we can understand as well!」 

Charlotte’s plea echoed the sentiment shared by all of us. 

What exactly was Black Arrow?