Episode 8
Bella wiggled her tiny fingers.
“Bella doesn’t have a mom or dad. They left her behind. So, she has to survive on her own.”
Suddenly, Frederick’s face turned cold.
“Who told you that?”
His voice was low and threatening—like he might punch someone right away.
Bella’s eyelashes trembled, and she looked down at the floor.
Wow, she’s actually scared. This isn’t okay.
“Hey, stop it. You’re scaring her.”
“….”
Frederick slowly turned to look at me. His deep eyes sparkled slightly through his soft, dark brown curls. His eyes were shaking—just a little.
“If you keep asking, she’ll only get more upset. Anyway, she’s not working here, right?”
Frederick nodded at my question.
“Then it’s fine. Don’t make things worse. Just go do your thing.”
I looked at Bella. I had to get her out of this awkward moment.
“Bella, want to come to my room and help me unpack? It’ll be faster with your help.”
Bella clapped her little hands and smiled brightly.
“Yes! Bella will help! Bella wants to earn her keep!”
Frederick gave her a strange look, then gently set her down.
“….”
I held out my hand to Bella.
“Come on, let’s go to the room.”
Bella looked at my hand for a moment, then grabbed it tightly.
“….”
Frederick just watched us silently. His face had a strange expression I couldn’t understand.
“Bella, can you put these clothes in the drawer?”
“Yes!!”
I picked out some light clothes and handed them to her. Bella looked super excited to help me, like it proved she was useful.
Watching her so happy made me curious.
I sat on the big sofa and patted the spot beside me.
“Bella, want to sit here?”
Bella looked at the sofa for a second, then climbed up and sat down.
“Bella, why are you living here?”
“Bella’s mom and dad used to work here.”
“But where are they now?”
Bella thought for a second, then pointed to the sky with her short fingers.
“Up there, in the sky.”
“The sky?”
She put her thumb to her lips and nodded.
“They’re with the young master’s parents. They were all on the same boat and went to the sky together.”
“Oh…”
So that’s it… When Frederick lost his family, Bella lost hers too.
“But the young master said it was okay, so I live here now. Butler Ecor and the maids are nice to me. But they say I’m too young to work now, so later I have to become a maid.”
“Hmm…”
‘I mean, sure, she’ll have to support herself when she grows up…’
But was it really necessary to say that to such a young kid? She looked like she was only six or seven. They could let her play and be a kid a little longer…
Even if they meant well, it must’ve been confusing for Bella. It made me feel a little sad for her.
“Bella, you don’t have to clean my room. Just come visit me sometimes, okay?”
“Visit your room? Will you read me a book?”
“A book? You like reading?”
Her eyes sparkled. She clasped her hands and placed them on her round cheeks.
“Reading is the best! When I read, I can go on trips, or become a princess, or a captain!”
She was so excited.
“The young master taught me how to read. Now I read books all the time. Sometimes he even reads to me.”
“Really? That’s unexpected.”
Oops. I said that out loud. Bella tilted her head.
“Unexpected? But the young master loves books!”
“I don’t mean that. I meant it’s surprising he taught you how to read and reads to you. He doesn’t seem like he cares about others.”
“Oh.”
Bella fidgeted with her fingers.
“Miss Delphine, want me to tell you a secret?”
She lowered her voice. A secret? What kind?
“Sure, I’m curious. Tell me.”
Bella leaned in close and whispered in my ear, covering her mouth with one hand.
“First impressions don’t tell you everything.”
That was not what I expected her to say. Wow, she sounds way too mature for her age.
Bella continued.
“First impressions are just like one page of a book. I’ve read books that were boring at first but got really fun. And some that were fun at first but got boring later. So Bella…”
She looked straight at me. Her bright brown eyes shined.
“Bella doesn’t decide after one page. I give it more time and then decide.”
“Wow… You’re really smart, Bella.”
Bella got up from the sofa and brushed off her bottom.
“No, I learned it from the young master. I used to stop reading after just a few pages, but he told me this secret.”
‘Seriously? That guy? I did not expect that.’
Bella placed both hands on her belly and bowed.
“I’m going to help with dinner now.”
“You’re going to work?”
I sounded a bit worried.
“Don’t worry, Miss. I only wash vegetables. And I asked to do it. I want to learn work early.”
Bella actually looked like she was reassuring me. I was still a little worried, but… something about her made me trust her. What the heck, Bella… you’re really like a little grown-up.
“Alright. Come visit anytime you want.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Bella waved her chubby fingers and left the room.
‘This house feels…’
I leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. Outside the window, the sky was turning red with sunset. A cool but fresh breeze blew in. The firewood in the fireplace crackled softly.
It wasn’t a bad feeling. Everything here was new and unfamiliar—but somehow, it wasn’t bad.
“This house is kinda fun.”
3. What Happened to Frederick?
I ate dinner alone. Apparently, in this house, Frederick eats first and the rest of the staff eat afterward.
‘Honestly, I prefer eating alone.’
The meal was simple. Pumpkin soup and salad came first, then grilled meat and vegetables. I skipped dessert.
I had already enjoyed that amazing éclair a few days ago. I could go without sweets for a while.
Suddenly, I thought of Leo. It was strange—I hadn’t thought about him for a long time.
After I possessed Delphine’s body, I used to think about Leo constantly. It was part of her routine, her whole life. But now I had gone this long without thinking of him? That was surprising.
After dinner, I changed into comfortable clothes and went back to my room.
Outside, it was pitch black. The moon and stars only gave off a tiny bit of light.
Even though I hadn’t worked today, I still felt tired from being in a new environment. A warm bath would help me sleep better.
‘It’s been a while since dinner… no one should be in the bath now.’
I grabbed a towel and headed to the bathroom. Even if someone was there, each tub had walls and its own changing space, so we wouldn’t run into each other.
‘This house is way better than the Flerin mansion. That place didn’t even have a proper bathtub.’
I remembered how I had to quickly wash with warm water in winter. The Flerin mansion looked fancy on the outside but was lacking in comfort.
Well, most mansions didn’t have personal bathtubs anyway.
I headed to the bathroom, feeling excited.
Inside, the stone walls glowed with oil lamps, giving off a faint smell of oil. The flickering light created a warm, cozy feeling.
‘Looks like no one’s here.’
I quickly took off my clothes and got into the tub. The water temperature was perfect—hot enough to make me flinch at first, but warm and relaxing once I adjusted.
“I’m melting~”
I sang to myself. This felt so good.
I soaked up to my neck and started thinking. Living here, working for the Ferredi family after leaving Leo… it felt like a dream.
‘And if I think about the fact that I possessed someone’s body… it really is like a dream.’
Then a question popped into my head.
‘Why was Frederick never mentioned in the original story?’
It didn’t make sense. Frederick was way better-looking than the main character, Leo. Okay, maybe he seemed gloomy and dark, but that could’ve been his tragic prince charm.
Even if he was a side character, someone with this much wealth and looks should’ve been mentioned.
‘Did something happen to him?’
Or maybe I read it and forgot?
I tried to remember the story, rolling my eyes around. No matter how hard I thought, there was no mention of the Ferredi family—or Frederick.
‘Sure, I sometimes skimmed the story when I was bored…’
That’s normal, right? Everyone skims through web novels sometimes! But still—how could there be no mention at all? It’s weird…
“Ah?”
Suddenly, one line from the novel popped into my head.
‘Ah…? No way…’
