Episode 145. Where You Will Be
The Count Wence's mansion, utterly gloomy after Cedric's death, was in full swing.
Doana had prepared early in the morning to attend Cedric's funeral. Several maids had neatly dressed Doana.
Doana, looking in the mirror, frowned fiercely, as if dissatisfied.
"Are you kidding me? What kind of makeup is this?"
Her eyes were plain, and her lips were pale, makeup-free. At first glance, she could easily be mistaken for someone sick.
Furthermore, her unsightly blisters were particularly noticeable.
Doana had been wearing heavy makeup since her skin had been damaged, so her current makeup was simply not to her liking.
"Don't you know my style?"
"Yes?"
"You need to cover my skin properly. Your eyes are blurry, too."
And what about her lips?
Doana looked at the maids with a pitiful look, as if she were not praying enough.
"But... oh, today is the previous Count's funeral..."
At the maid's quiet words, Doana glared at her through the mirror.
Soon, a cold voice echoed through the room.
"So what?"
"...Yes?"
"So what!"
Doana's unexpected maid couldn't hide her bewilderment.
Doana, who had been speaking shrilly, quickly closed her eyes, holding her head, which was throbbing.
"Ha... I'm already so annoyed, and now you're bringing up all sorts of things."
She tried to use Cedric as an excuse to threaten Eric.
But the result was disastrous.
Cedric was dead.
Thanks to that, there was no way to suffocate Eric.
Before hearing the news about Cedric, she hadn't realized how impressed she was with her extraordinary intellect.
"... But why do things keep getting complicated?"
If only Cedric hadn't died.
She could have exploited Eric's fear to manipulate him.
Nothing in life was easy.
Her body grew heavier and heavier, and hormones made her nervous.
Being pregnant was already excruciating, but her own position was diminishing.
'Once the funeral is over... he'll definitely kick me out.'
He must have lost all his previous affection.
Because she even threatened him.
Furthermore, the business she'd started to establish herself in was faltering.
The constant barrage of lawsuits was making it nearly impossible to properly manage her business.
And most importantly, the previous Count, who had promised to resolve all her legal issues, was no longer alive.
'Will the Count... really solve my problems?'
A cold sweat ran down her back.
She wasn't sure.
Eric wasn't like Cedric.
He cared more about himself than the Count's reputation.
'He doesn't care about the family's reputation... he'll try to kick me out.'
There has to be a way.
Think of it, Doana!
Doana didn't give up easily.
Whenever a crisis arose, a loophole always appeared. She had no doubt that this time would be the case.
That was when. Someone knocked on Doana's door.
"Excuse me."
The maid, looking anxious, entered and quickly gestured to her fellow maid.
The maid, who had been dressing Doana, apologized and approached the woman at the door.
She whispered with a very serious expression. They spoke in low voices, as if sharing a secret.
Soon, Doana's maid returned with a mysterious expression.
"Um..."
Her words trailed off, her eyes showing great difficulty. As the maid struggled to speak, she asked,
"Would you excuse me for a moment?"
Suddenly, soldiers barged in.
Doana jumped up in surprise.
"What, what is it?"
They had asked permission to come in, but that didn't mean she had given them permission. She was extremely embarrassed.
"Lady Doana, you met Countess Wence alone today, right?"
"What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"
Doana couldn't hide her bewilderment at the sudden remark.
The maid trailed off and spoke softly.
“There was a knight who saw the two of you leaving.”
“Really?”
“Yes?”
“Who?”
The moment the maid opened her mouth to answer, Doana shouted in anger.
“I told you it wasn’t true! Do you have any proof? Did anyone see the Countess and me leaving together?”
At Doana’s shout, one of the soldiers at the front took a step forward.
“I guess that’s why you’re asking. Lady, Doana.”
“!”
Even after some time passed, Beliana’s personal maid reported her missing. She picked up the note on the desk.
At the soldier's words, Doana's face crumpled like a piece of paper.
'What the heck are you talking about...? ...!'
She hadn't left her room all night.
Her body was heavy, and where would she dare go on a dangerous night when the sun wasn't shining?
"This is a false accusation!"
Doana's voice, filled with evil, rang out shrilly.
Doana felt truly wronged.
"Who... who the hell saw me! It's so wronged, I'm so wronged!!"
The soldier, who thought Doana was making a fuss and not being able to understand, let out a deep sigh. Then he gestured to the soldiers behind him.
“We’ll take care of you, Lady Doana.”
“This is a false accusation!! Who the hell is that person who saw me! Bring him here immediately!”
“Please calm down. Just tell me what happened this morning.”
Beliana’s whereabouts were still unknown.
The soldiers who came to find Doana, suspecting her absence, thought to themselves,
‘Something must have happened.’
‘That’s why she’s acting so sullen and claiming nothing happened.’
If she had simply returned after a conversation, they wouldn’t have reacted this way.
[Doana must have done something to the Countess.]
The soldiers and maids couldn’t help but suspect Doana, who was usually known for her bad behavior.
Doana threw herself into a commotion, shaking off the soldiers who approached her.
“Don’t touch me! This is sexual harassment!”
She screamed, preventing anyone from touching her.
“If the Count finds out you touched me, you’re all dead!”
The soldiers were hesitant to approach Doana, who was even talking about molestation.
Since nothing had been revealed yet, they couldn't drag her away like a criminal.
Just then, three knights entered Doana's room.
They were holding a dirt-stained shoe and a torn dress hem.
"Are these the Countess's?"
The knights handed the items to Beliana's personal maid.
The maid carefully accepted the shoes and nodded, her face pale.
"Yes, they are."
They said they were looking for the Countess, who might have gotten lost in the mountains behind the mansion...
"I only brought a shoe and a torn dress hem... "
For a moment, her head was spinning.
Something had clearly happened to Beliana.
When they confirmed that it was the Countess's personal maid, the knights stared at each other with stern expressions.
The knight in the middle walked through the soldiers and stopped in front of Doana.
"Lady Doana."
He called Doana in a low voice, then nodded to the soldiers.
“I need you to come with me for a moment.”
As soon as he finished speaking, soldiers flanked Doana on both sides.
“Let go! I was accused of sexual assault...!”
As she spoke of assault again, a soldier interrupted her.
“Lady Doana. You are being taken away for questioning. We only take those who are at risk of escaping to the interrogation room.”
“It’s unfair... I’ve been unfairly treated!”
Her sobs echoed throughout the mansion. Doana was dragged helplessly by them. They passed through the hallway, across the garden, and boarded the carriage.
Serun, who had been perched in a tree, watching the whole thing, crunched an apple in his hand.
It was Serun who had testified that Doana and Beliana had left together.
Although Serun didn’t know why Beliana had run away, Serun, always smart, immediately figured out Beliana’s intentions.
And, he threw a spoon into Beliana's plan and sent Doana away.
Doana was going to prison soon anyway due to numerous incidents.
'There's no need to feel sorry for going a little early, right?'
He pretended to catch the bowstring in mid-air, then spread his hand with a 'Piung' sound. His hand was directed towards the carriage Doana was riding in.
"The villainess has been exterminated."
Serun muttered to himself, then smiled happily.
"I apologize for beating you up, Rose."
Although he said this, Rose would be the one to finish the job.
Doana, who received no support from the Count Wence family. This incident was merely a flare that signaled Doana's lonely imprisonment.
The Count Wence's mansion, utterly gloomy after Cedric's death, was in full swing.
Doana had prepared early in the morning to attend Cedric's funeral. Several maids had neatly dressed Doana.
Doana, looking in the mirror, frowned fiercely, as if dissatisfied.
"Are you kidding me? What kind of makeup is this?"
Her eyes were plain, and her lips were pale, makeup-free. At first glance, she could easily be mistaken for someone sick.
Furthermore, her unsightly blisters were particularly noticeable.
Doana had been wearing heavy makeup since her skin had been damaged, so her current makeup was simply not to her liking.
"Don't you know my style?"
"Yes?"
"You need to cover my skin properly. Your eyes are blurry, too."
And what about her lips?
Doana looked at the maids with a pitiful look, as if she were not praying enough.
"But... oh, today is the previous Count's funeral..."
At the maid's quiet words, Doana glared at her through the mirror.
Soon, a cold voice echoed through the room.
"So what?"
"...Yes?"
"So what!"
Doana's unexpected maid couldn't hide her bewilderment.
Doana, who had been speaking shrilly, quickly closed her eyes, holding her head, which was throbbing.
"Ha... I'm already so annoyed, and now you're bringing up all sorts of things."
She tried to use Cedric as an excuse to threaten Eric.
But the result was disastrous.
Cedric was dead.
Thanks to that, there was no way to suffocate Eric.
Before hearing the news about Cedric, she hadn't realized how impressed she was with her extraordinary intellect.
"... But why do things keep getting complicated?"
If only Cedric hadn't died.
She could have exploited Eric's fear to manipulate him.
Nothing in life was easy.
Her body grew heavier and heavier, and hormones made her nervous.
Being pregnant was already excruciating, but her own position was diminishing.
'Once the funeral is over... he'll definitely kick me out.'
He must have lost all his previous affection.
Because she even threatened him.
Furthermore, the business she'd started to establish herself in was faltering.
The constant barrage of lawsuits was making it nearly impossible to properly manage her business.
And most importantly, the previous Count, who had promised to resolve all her legal issues, was no longer alive.
'Will the Count... really solve my problems?'
A cold sweat ran down her back.
She wasn't sure.
Eric wasn't like Cedric.
He cared more about himself than the Count's reputation.
'He doesn't care about the family's reputation... he'll try to kick me out.'
There has to be a way.
Think of it, Doana!
Doana didn't give up easily.
Whenever a crisis arose, a loophole always appeared. She had no doubt that this time would be the case.
That was when. Someone knocked on Doana's door.
"Excuse me."
The maid, looking anxious, entered and quickly gestured to her fellow maid.
The maid, who had been dressing Doana, apologized and approached the woman at the door.
She whispered with a very serious expression. They spoke in low voices, as if sharing a secret.
Soon, Doana's maid returned with a mysterious expression.
"Um..."
Her words trailed off, her eyes showing great difficulty. As the maid struggled to speak, she asked,
"Would you excuse me for a moment?"
Suddenly, soldiers barged in.
Doana jumped up in surprise.
"What, what is it?"
They had asked permission to come in, but that didn't mean she had given them permission. She was extremely embarrassed.
"Lady Doana, you met Countess Wence alone today, right?"
"What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"
Doana couldn't hide her bewilderment at the sudden remark.
'You barged in and said I saw Beliana?'
"Why would I be alone with someone I don't even want to see?"
With her own position diminishing, she didn't want to face Beliana.
The soldiers exchanged glances with puzzled expressions at Doana's words. They seemed to disbelieve her words.
“You can tell me the truth.”
“I told you we haven’t met?”
With her own position diminishing, she didn't want to face Beliana.
The soldiers exchanged glances with puzzled expressions at Doana's words. They seemed to disbelieve her words.
“You can tell me the truth.”
“I told you we haven’t met?”
Have you been fooled? Why can’t you trust people?
Doana’s expression crumpled as the soldiers asked her not once, but twice.
One of the soldiers who heard Doana fumbled with a piece of paper. He unfolded it in front of Doana and said,
“I checked all the notes on the Countess’s desk.”
“What do you mean, a note...”
Doana blinked in bewilderment and snatched the paper in front of her.
“This... what is this?”
[Dear Countess,
I would like to resolve the lingering resentment before the funeral.
I'd like to meet you alone. Could we meet briefly at the mountain behind the mansion?
-Doana-]
Doana’s expression crumpled as the soldiers asked her not once, but twice.
One of the soldiers who heard Doana fumbled with a piece of paper. He unfolded it in front of Doana and said,
“I checked all the notes on the Countess’s desk.”
“What do you mean, a note...”
Doana blinked in bewilderment and snatched the paper in front of her.
“This... what is this?”
[Dear Countess,
I would like to resolve the lingering resentment before the funeral.
I'd like to meet you alone. Could we meet briefly at the mountain behind the mansion?
-Doana-]
I... have never sent a note like this before?
For a moment, her heart pounded rapidly, and an uneasy feeling of foreboding filled her.
Doana’s eyes trembled uncontrollably. She slowly raised her lowered gaze.
The soldiers’ eyes were all turned to her. Not only they, but the maids were also looking at Doana.
'Why... why are you looking at me like that?'
Not a single one of them looked kindly at her. Everyone was looking at her with suspicious eyes.
"I... never sent anything like this,"
Doana stated the truth clearly.
"I don't know anything about it."
Despite denying it twice, no one seemed to believe her.
The maids behind the soldiers whispered among themselves.
"What? What on earth happened?"
"Um... there's the Countess's personal maid. She went to the Countess's room early this morning. The Countess wasn't there, and she only left that note."
"What's in that note?"
For a moment, her heart pounded rapidly, and an uneasy feeling of foreboding filled her.
Doana’s eyes trembled uncontrollably. She slowly raised her lowered gaze.
The soldiers’ eyes were all turned to her. Not only they, but the maids were also looking at Doana.
'Why... why are you looking at me like that?'
Not a single one of them looked kindly at her. Everyone was looking at her with suspicious eyes.
"I... never sent anything like this,"
Doana stated the truth clearly.
"I don't know anything about it."
Despite denying it twice, no one seemed to believe her.
The maids behind the soldiers whispered among themselves.
"What? What on earth happened?"
"Um... there's the Countess's personal maid. She went to the Countess's room early this morning. The Countess wasn't there, and she only left that note."
"What's in that note?"
"They said it said something about resolving the grudges that had developed before the previous Count's funeral? Something like that."
The maids were behind the soldiers, so they couldn't see the contents of the note.
That was all they had heard from the maid who had first visited Doana's room.
“Really? Then isn’t it a good thing? You two growl at each other every day. In the meantime, we’re the only ones who have suffered, having to watch what others say.”
“Ugh. If they had made up and things had worked out, the soldiers wouldn’t have come.”
The maid nudged the child, who didn’t know the main point of the story, and continued.
“You called the Countess over to say ‘let’s get along’ and...”
The maid, who had been whispering in a low voice, muttered even more quietly.
“The Countess didn't come back alone, nowhere to be found. Something bad must have happened.”
“Ah... Ah...!”
The maid raised her voice as if she finally understood.
The soldiers’ gaze turned to her for a moment because her voice was so loud. The maid covered her mouth with a gasp and lowered her head.
Soon, the gaze that had been directed at the maid disappeared as if nothing had happened. The maids who had been watching her began whispering again.
“So... Doana must be avoiding the situation for no reason. She said she never called. But... If nothing happened, why would she come out like that?”
“Did anyone see the two of you leaving together? Is it true that the Countess disappeared? Aren’t you making a big deal out of nothing?”
“They searched the mansion thoroughly but couldn’t find anything, so even the soldiers must have come out. And...”
The maids were behind the soldiers, so they couldn't see the contents of the note.
That was all they had heard from the maid who had first visited Doana's room.
“Really? Then isn’t it a good thing? You two growl at each other every day. In the meantime, we’re the only ones who have suffered, having to watch what others say.”
“Ugh. If they had made up and things had worked out, the soldiers wouldn’t have come.”
The maid nudged the child, who didn’t know the main point of the story, and continued.
“You called the Countess over to say ‘let’s get along’ and...”
The maid, who had been whispering in a low voice, muttered even more quietly.
“The Countess didn't come back alone, nowhere to be found. Something bad must have happened.”
“Ah... Ah...!”
The maid raised her voice as if she finally understood.
The soldiers’ gaze turned to her for a moment because her voice was so loud. The maid covered her mouth with a gasp and lowered her head.
Soon, the gaze that had been directed at the maid disappeared as if nothing had happened. The maids who had been watching her began whispering again.
“So... Doana must be avoiding the situation for no reason. She said she never called. But... If nothing happened, why would she come out like that?”
“Did anyone see the two of you leaving together? Is it true that the Countess disappeared? Aren’t you making a big deal out of nothing?”
“They searched the mansion thoroughly but couldn’t find anything, so even the soldiers must have come out. And...”
The maid trailed off and spoke softly.
“There was a knight who saw the two of you leaving.”
“Really?”
“Yes?”
“Who?”
The moment the maid opened her mouth to answer, Doana shouted in anger.
“I told you it wasn’t true! Do you have any proof? Did anyone see the Countess and me leaving together?”
At Doana’s shout, one of the soldiers at the front took a step forward.
“I guess that’s why you’re asking. Lady, Doana.”
“!”
Even after some time passed, Beliana’s personal maid reported her missing. She picked up the note on the desk.
At the soldier's words, Doana's face crumpled like a piece of paper.
'What the heck are you talking about...? ...!'
She hadn't left her room all night.
Her body was heavy, and where would she dare go on a dangerous night when the sun wasn't shining?
"This is a false accusation!"
Doana's voice, filled with evil, rang out shrilly.
Doana felt truly wronged.
"Who... who the hell saw me! It's so wronged, I'm so wronged!!"
The soldier, who thought Doana was making a fuss and not being able to understand, let out a deep sigh. Then he gestured to the soldiers behind him.
“We’ll take care of you, Lady Doana.”
“This is a false accusation!! Who the hell is that person who saw me! Bring him here immediately!”
“Please calm down. Just tell me what happened this morning.”
Beliana’s whereabouts were still unknown.
The soldiers who came to find Doana, suspecting her absence, thought to themselves,
‘Something must have happened.’
‘That’s why she’s acting so sullen and claiming nothing happened.’
If she had simply returned after a conversation, they wouldn’t have reacted this way.
[Doana must have done something to the Countess.]
The soldiers and maids couldn’t help but suspect Doana, who was usually known for her bad behavior.
Doana threw herself into a commotion, shaking off the soldiers who approached her.
“Don’t touch me! This is sexual harassment!”
She screamed, preventing anyone from touching her.
“If the Count finds out you touched me, you’re all dead!”
The soldiers were hesitant to approach Doana, who was even talking about molestation.
Since nothing had been revealed yet, they couldn't drag her away like a criminal.
Just then, three knights entered Doana's room.
They were holding a dirt-stained shoe and a torn dress hem.
"Are these the Countess's?"
The knights handed the items to Beliana's personal maid.
The maid carefully accepted the shoes and nodded, her face pale.
"Yes, they are."
They said they were looking for the Countess, who might have gotten lost in the mountains behind the mansion...
"I only brought a shoe and a torn dress hem... "
For a moment, her head was spinning.
Something had clearly happened to Beliana.
When they confirmed that it was the Countess's personal maid, the knights stared at each other with stern expressions.
The knight in the middle walked through the soldiers and stopped in front of Doana.
"Lady Doana."
He called Doana in a low voice, then nodded to the soldiers.
“I need you to come with me for a moment.”
As soon as he finished speaking, soldiers flanked Doana on both sides.
“Let go! I was accused of sexual assault...!”
As she spoke of assault again, a soldier interrupted her.
“Lady Doana. You are being taken away for questioning. We only take those who are at risk of escaping to the interrogation room.”
“It’s unfair... I’ve been unfairly treated!”
Her sobs echoed throughout the mansion. Doana was dragged helplessly by them. They passed through the hallway, across the garden, and boarded the carriage.
Serun, who had been perched in a tree, watching the whole thing, crunched an apple in his hand.
It was Serun who had testified that Doana and Beliana had left together.
Although Serun didn’t know why Beliana had run away, Serun, always smart, immediately figured out Beliana’s intentions.
And, he threw a spoon into Beliana's plan and sent Doana away.
Doana was going to prison soon anyway due to numerous incidents.
'There's no need to feel sorry for going a little early, right?'
He pretended to catch the bowstring in mid-air, then spread his hand with a 'Piung' sound. His hand was directed towards the carriage Doana was riding in.
"The villainess has been exterminated."
Serun muttered to himself, then smiled happily.
"I apologize for beating you up, Rose."
Although he said this, Rose would be the one to finish the job.
Doana, who received no support from the Count Wence family. This incident was merely a flare that signaled Doana's lonely imprisonment.
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