My heart was beating fast.
“I was blonde?”
“Yes, why are you doing that?”
Without realizing it, I pulled my hand away from Jonah. Although the bathroom was filled with steam, my whole body felt cold. Jonah looked down at his empty hand and raised his head with a puzzled expression.
"...Madam?"
Yeah, when I first entered Blie's body, I was surprised at how even the eyelashes could be the same color. If you think about it, it's just because her hair is blonde, her eyelashes are also golden.
“Jonah, you... what do you know? What did you say again?”
“About hair?”
Jonah, who had been silently watching me act strangely, frowned slightly. It wasn’t that she didn’t like what I said, but her face was like she was recalling a memory from the past.
“Once every two weeks, you have to mix the medicine and charcoal powder that was given to you and apply it to your hair without any special instructions... If you don’t do that, the roots will turn golden on the first day, and on the second day, as soon as you soak it in water, the color will magically change...”
Why did Blie trust Jonah so much?
“...Jonah, why do you follow me so well?”
Jonah blinked her big eyes at the sudden question, and her cheeks turned bright red.
“Because Lady Blie is my benefactor.”
Ah. A puzzle piece that I didn't even know existed is now put into place.
“You took me in yourself when I had nowhere to go since Elacon, and allowed me to live well. Why are you suddenly asking me such a question, so embarrassing? It’s so sudden...”
“...Since I was a sorcerer?”
"Lady!"
Jonah opened his eyes wide and looked at the firmly shut bathroom door, then lowered his voice.
“I told you never to mention that!”
I couldn't control the goosebumps that were running all over my body, and I swept my arms up. Jonah must have thought I was feeling cold after leaving the bath, so she quickly sent me back into the bath.
“Suddenly saying something like that... It must have been hard for you all this time, right? How frustrating it must have been for you, Lady Blie, who used to live freely, to be locked up in the mansion. If there’s anything you need, just let me know. I’ll go to the ends of the earth to do whatever Lady Blie tells you to do.”
Her sweet and cute voice was full of loyalty to me. I gently caressed Jonah's chubby cheek which had a red mark on it. Jonah looked down as if embarrassed, then grabbed my hand tightly and rubbed it against her cheek.
“Don’t worry about it. If it weren’t for you, Lady Blie, I would have died anyway. A slap like this is nothing.”
A maid who would even throw herself to take my place. Why did I take the blind loyalty of a young maid for granted?
"Ah..."
I was crying. My face naturally distorted as I wiped away the tears falling down my cheeks. I realized the reason for this sadness. Everything was obtained by borrowing Blie’s body, but there was one thing. Adrienne, who was dying, had a huge heart that I didn’t know about. The heart of Rhodnes didn’t change whether I was alive or dead. The man who had hoped that I wouldn’t run away, despite my ridiculous mistakes and the many times I was hurt.
'Let's just think about what's right in front of us.'
The water is already spilled. I don’t know if Rhodnes knows it or not. A strange selfishness has raised its head. I am sick of Noevian’s lies, so what he says might not be true? Are there one or two suspicious parts about my death?
“I was blonde?”
“Yes, why are you doing that?”
Without realizing it, I pulled my hand away from Jonah. Although the bathroom was filled with steam, my whole body felt cold. Jonah looked down at his empty hand and raised his head with a puzzled expression.
"...Madam?"
Yeah, when I first entered Blie's body, I was surprised at how even the eyelashes could be the same color. If you think about it, it's just because her hair is blonde, her eyelashes are also golden.
“Jonah, you... what do you know? What did you say again?”
“About hair?”
Jonah, who had been silently watching me act strangely, frowned slightly. It wasn’t that she didn’t like what I said, but her face was like she was recalling a memory from the past.
“Once every two weeks, you have to mix the medicine and charcoal powder that was given to you and apply it to your hair without any special instructions... If you don’t do that, the roots will turn golden on the first day, and on the second day, as soon as you soak it in water, the color will magically change...”
Why did Blie trust Jonah so much?
“...Jonah, why do you follow me so well?”
Jonah blinked her big eyes at the sudden question, and her cheeks turned bright red.
“Because Lady Blie is my benefactor.”
Ah. A puzzle piece that I didn't even know existed is now put into place.
“You took me in yourself when I had nowhere to go since Elacon, and allowed me to live well. Why are you suddenly asking me such a question, so embarrassing? It’s so sudden...”
“...Since I was a sorcerer?”
"Lady!"
Jonah opened his eyes wide and looked at the firmly shut bathroom door, then lowered his voice.
“I told you never to mention that!”
I couldn't control the goosebumps that were running all over my body, and I swept my arms up. Jonah must have thought I was feeling cold after leaving the bath, so she quickly sent me back into the bath.
“Suddenly saying something like that... It must have been hard for you all this time, right? How frustrating it must have been for you, Lady Blie, who used to live freely, to be locked up in the mansion. If there’s anything you need, just let me know. I’ll go to the ends of the earth to do whatever Lady Blie tells you to do.”
Her sweet and cute voice was full of loyalty to me. I gently caressed Jonah's chubby cheek which had a red mark on it. Jonah looked down as if embarrassed, then grabbed my hand tightly and rubbed it against her cheek.
“Don’t worry about it. If it weren’t for you, Lady Blie, I would have died anyway. A slap like this is nothing.”
A maid who would even throw herself to take my place. Why did I take the blind loyalty of a young maid for granted?
Just like the other maids, I thought Jonah was the Count's maid, and I never thought of her as a maid brought in by Blie. Come to think of it, even when everyone was afraid of Blie, Jonah was always by my side and nagged. Not only did she try to follow me wherever I went, but she did whatever I told her to do without question. Her loyalty wasn't the admiration of a naive young maid, but her true heart that started from Elacon. How could I have not recognized someone who knew Blie so well while she was so close to me?
“Jonah, does anyone else know that my natural hair color is blonde?”
“No one else knows, Lady Blie. I will never tell Lady Blie’s secret to anyone. I promise. How could I tell anyone if I haven’t even told His Highness the Grand Duke?”
I wanted to get back Blie's diary that I had left with Rhodnes.
“...Okay, then dye it again. Before Marge comes.”
"Yes!"
Jonah quickly applied the medicine to my head. I looked into the mirror and watched my blond hair gradually turn black. Blie’s face in the mirror was flushed red.
'Who are you?'
No matter how much I stared at the mirror far away, I continued asking useless questions to her face, which still did not answer.
'Why did you hide your hair color without even Noevian, who was working with you, knowing?'
Marge came in and said, "Jonah, you're really dedicated. Even if you don't do that, Madam's hair is always shiny." Then, Jonah smiled awkwardly, saying that she liked what she did.
'Blie, I want to know more about you.'
I closed my eyes due to the sudden fatigue.
“Jonah, does anyone else know that my natural hair color is blonde?”
“No one else knows, Lady Blie. I will never tell Lady Blie’s secret to anyone. I promise. How could I tell anyone if I haven’t even told His Highness the Grand Duke?”
I wanted to get back Blie's diary that I had left with Rhodnes.
“...Okay, then dye it again. Before Marge comes.”
"Yes!"
Jonah quickly applied the medicine to my head. I looked into the mirror and watched my blond hair gradually turn black. Blie’s face in the mirror was flushed red.
'Who are you?'
No matter how much I stared at the mirror far away, I continued asking useless questions to her face, which still did not answer.
'Why did you hide your hair color without even Noevian, who was working with you, knowing?'
Marge came in and said, "Jonah, you're really dedicated. Even if you don't do that, Madam's hair is always shiny." Then, Jonah smiled awkwardly, saying that she liked what she did.
'Blie, I want to know more about you.'
I closed my eyes due to the sudden fatigue.
***
The Grand Duke’s mansion was quiet with many of the servants gone. I was okay being alone in this Grand Duke’s mansion, which was now nothing but wounds. I thought so because I didn’t feel as angry or sad as I used to when I walked around every corner of the mansion and recalled the old days.
I walked down the dimly lit hallway and returned to the bedroom to recall the conversation I had with Jonah. According to Jonah, Blie was a sorcerer who worked in Elacon. Rather than actually practicing sorcery, she learned it from wandering sorcerers over their shoulders and lived until she came to the Empire and became Countess Acacia.
Jonah was an orphan who wandered on the border between Elacon and the Empire, wandering around the mountains with other children like wild dogs, and when she met Blie, and survived when she starved in the winter because there was no food. Most of the orphans who were from Elacon wanted to stay there after receiving money, but Jonah was from the Empire, so she followed Blie and came to live with her in the Count’s mansion.
So I heard from Blie that she lived as a wandering sorcerer, but I didn’t think I saw it myself. There was nothing more to hear from Jonah, but it was a great achievement to find out this much about Blie, who had been shrouded in mystery. It was definitely a great achievement.
But. I felt strangely heartbroken. The trauma from being hurt by Annie’s group in the capital was naturally healing at the Count’s residence. I was no longer sick, so I had nothing to be afraid of, and I treated Jonah and Marge as I wanted to be the Grand Duchess and treat my maids well.
When I thought that Jonah’s loyalty was not directed at my changed self, but at the original Blie, I felt sad. Blie lost her body. Noevian lost the honor he had worked for his entire life. He received the punishment he deserved. But why do I feel this way? Is it because I have nothing to gain on my own? Is it because of the faded resentment that I could only achieve what I wanted by entering Blie’s body?
It was the sight of Rhodnes's face that came to mind again that put an end to my foolish thoughts.
"Ah..."
I was crying. My face naturally distorted as I wiped away the tears falling down my cheeks. I realized the reason for this sadness. Everything was obtained by borrowing Blie’s body, but there was one thing. Adrienne, who was dying, had a huge heart that I didn’t know about. The heart of Rhodnes didn’t change whether I was alive or dead. The man who had hoped that I wouldn’t run away, despite my ridiculous mistakes and the many times I was hurt.
I suddenly sank. A huge sadness surged over me like a tidal wave. Sadness and fear mixed together as I thought that the only person who could raise me up as Adrienne again and love me as Adrienne might drift away because of the truth I had learned. From the moment Noevian mentioned the Crown Prince’s name, my anger lost its direction. If the Crown Prince had anything to do with my death, it would be for his ‘cause’ and not because he had personal feelings for me.
That was why I felt empty. At the same time, because of that, I was able to think more calmly about how to hear the truth from the Crown Prince. Fortunately, I can hold myself accountable for my death, even if I don't despair every moment like I do when I think of Noevian. But if the person who will watch it is Rhodnes. If it's his only full brother and his older brother who has protected and loved him his whole life. When 'everything' is over, I can regain the lost time with Rhodnes and be happy, but the imagination is fading.
It was clear that God was not on my side. If that were the case, I wouldn't be tormented by the thought that the person who harmed me might not be the culprit after I punished him. I shook my head vigorously.
'Let's just think about what's right in front of us.'
The water is already spilled. I don’t know if Rhodnes knows it or not. A strange selfishness has raised its head. I am sick of Noevian’s lies, so what he says might not be true? Are there one or two suspicious parts about my death?
I could kill him and then lie, and there is no guarantee that the Duke of Castagna and Doris are not related.
'So I need to check more.'
I wiped my wet face and calmed my mind as I continued to ponder. Before Rhodnes could sense Bardenaldo’s suspicions, I would have to find out and judge first. My clouded mind became clear.
“...What are you doing here, ma’am?”
And it wasn't just my head that became clear, but my vision, which had been clouded, also became clear. Gaspard, the butler who was coming from the end of the hallway with a candle, stopped in front of me. His eyes were a mixture of confusion and a little joy.
'So I need to check more.'
I wiped my wet face and calmed my mind as I continued to ponder. Before Rhodnes could sense Bardenaldo’s suspicions, I would have to find out and judge first. My clouded mind became clear.
“...What are you doing here, ma’am?”
And it wasn't just my head that became clear, but my vision, which had been clouded, also became clear. Gaspard, the butler who was coming from the end of the hallway with a candle, stopped in front of me. His eyes were a mixture of confusion and a little joy.
***
Gaspard could not even count how many times he had sent letters to the Crown Prince’s palace. He had asked several times what he should do, but the Crown Prince had not responded today either. The Crown Prince and his men had said they would take charge of the final preparations for the Grand Duchess’s funeral, and soon followed the Grand Duke's procession. There was no explanation for Gaspard.
Gaspard felt uneasy as if he had suddenly lost two masters. He too had noble blood on his grandmother’s side. He had moved from one noble mansion to another since childhood and had become the Grand Duke's butler at a young age, but it was difficult to seize opportunities. His starting point was different from those who had been born as complete nobles. He had a desire to take the Crown Prince’s lineage and become a rising noble, receive local land, and advance to the central government. Of course, there would be limitations in his own generation, but he wanted his descendants to attend the academy from a young age, obtain higher positions, and achieve great things. But one of the people who was supposed to help him on that path was suddenly sentenced to a punishment that was almost like exile, and another one was out of contact, so how could he just sit still!
As he wandered around the mansion, feeling distraught, he found a woman sitting in the second-floor hallway, crying. Gaspard’s eyes quickly lit up. Yes, even though she was a bad woman with affairs with many men, she wasn’t the only one who had lost her connection. Now that the Grand Duke was gone, the position of the next Grand Duchess was virtually nonexistent. Wouldn’t he be the perfect person to sit next to the young widow who needed a new husband?
Besides, Blie Acacia would still have authority over Count Acacia’s mansion, and she was also the Crown Princess’ maid. Was this the pumpkin that rolled in?
“...What are you doing here, ma’am?”
The man must have been skilled at seducing women, so it was clear that the woman who had noticed his situation was waiting for him there. The woman’s disheveled face was slightly wet as if she had just cried. He felt that it was time for him to step forward. Now was his chance. A chance to make that woman his and grab another string!
“...What are you doing here, ma’am?”
The man must have been skilled at seducing women, so it was clear that the woman who had noticed his situation was waiting for him there. The woman’s disheveled face was slightly wet as if she had just cried. He felt that it was time for him to step forward. Now was his chance. A chance to make that woman his and grab another string!
He needed insurance since he had only trusted the Crown Prince. Gaspard held out his hand without hesitation. The woman had no choice but to take his hand. No nobleman would accept a woman of unknown origin, a widow, and about to be divorced. Maybe he was the best thing for her, too.
Gaspard, who held out his hand until the woman took it, covering his quivering mouth, felt strange when the woman just stared at his hand without any response.
“I knew that one day I would have a deep conversation with you.”
The slightly sleepy woman's voice sounded like a pleasant song. Gaspard felt the blood rushing through his body and swallowed dry saliva. However, the woman's next words were different from what he had expected.
“I know your sins.”
He had the candle, but what was really shining brightly were the woman's eyes. The woman's sparkling eyes were not the light of excitement toward an attractive person, nor the desire of a lowly person to seize the opportunity and rise in status.
“...Let’s talk about your tricks, shall we?”
The woman's eyes, as she spoke of the tricks he had while discussing his 'sins', were those of a ruler ordering submission.
“I knew that one day I would have a deep conversation with you.”
The slightly sleepy woman's voice sounded like a pleasant song. Gaspard felt the blood rushing through his body and swallowed dry saliva. However, the woman's next words were different from what he had expected.
“I know your sins.”
He had the candle, but what was really shining brightly were the woman's eyes. The woman's sparkling eyes were not the light of excitement toward an attractive person, nor the desire of a lowly person to seize the opportunity and rise in status.
“...Let’s talk about your tricks, shall we?”
The woman's eyes, as she spoke of the tricks he had while discussing his 'sins', were those of a ruler ordering submission.
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