Chapter 09
***
Knight Commander Ultia Shersburn was shocked when she saw me in such a miserable state.
“Doctor! Check this girl too. Her face and body are a mess!”
With my already pitiful look, the blood on my cheek stood out even more.
The family doctor, who knew who I was, only glanced nervously at Duchess Yudis and didn’t move.
The noble guests, confused by the situation, began to murmur.
“Who is that child?”
“Why is such a young girl so dirty…?”
I took my chance and looked up, struggling to speak clearly.
“Madam, this is my room! Please give me a chance to explain. I didn’t do anything wrong… sob.”
Yudis quickly reached out to stop me from getting close to Marchioness Ersha.
But Ersha was faster.
“Who are you? Why was the young master collapsed here in your room?”
I sat down in front of her weakly and let tears fall.
“My name is Izana Rohia. Please, Madam, let me explain.”
“Izana… Rohia?”
At the sound of that name, the guests gasped again.
“I didn’t harm the young master!”
My voice was sincere, with no hesitation or fear.
Ersha looked doubtful at first, but her suspicion turned into certainty.
She turned her eyes toward Yudis, who stood speechless.
“Duchess…”
The elder noblewoman’s voice was calm, but full of anger.
***
“The child seems smarter than I expected. And… dirtier too.”
At Ersha’s sharp comment, Yudis turned pale.
“Madam, please let me explain. I can tell you everything!”
My voice was weak but desperate and pure.
Ersha walked past the frozen Yudis and stood in front of me.
“Tsk…”
She clicked her tongue softly.
My messy hair, pale skin, tired face, bruised arms and legs, and even my limping steps told her everything.
Ersha instantly understood what kind of life I had lived. And how fake Yudis had been.
The other guests behind her noticed too.
She bent down slightly and looked me in the eyes.
“I’m ready to listen to you. Speak freely.”
“Thank you, Madam. May I stand up first?”
The guests frowned in sympathy.
Ultia Shersburn gave a small smile.
“No one wants to see you kneeling like that. Of course you may stand.”
With her help, I slowly stood up.
Then, I began to explain calmly.
“Yes, Madam. Today, I really wanted milk tea, so I asked Roti to bring me some. I didn’t drink it right away and put it on the shelf. I fell asleep, and while I was sleeping, the young master came into my room, drank the tea, and suddenly collapsed.”
“Lies! Izana, how dare you lie so cleverly!”
Yudis yelled sharply as soon as I finished speaking.
“You said you wanted the tea, so why didn’t you drink it? You must’ve put something in it!”
At her shouting, I fell to my knees again and started crying.
“No, Mother. The young master said I should only eat food after he had eaten it. So… I waited for him.”
Even though I was an illegitimate child, calling milk tea a precious treat was shocking.
Behind Ersha, the guests murmured.
“Oh no, did that young boy really do such a cruel thing?!”
“Whyd do you call him ‘young master’?”
“Because he told me to. But Joseph said I could call him ‘brother,’ so I did.”
As the guests asked questions and I answered, Yudis began trembling.
“Izana doesn’t speak well. She must’ve misunderstood something. Boris would never say that.”
Ultia Shersburn, who had looked displeased for a while, replied firmly.
“You’re asking the wrong people.”
“You know Izana’s condition. We shouldn’t believe everything she says.”
“We’re not just believing her words.”
Ultia pointed at me.
“We’re seeing the truth with our own eyes.”
Yudis said nothing. She knew saying more would only make things worse.
‘What’s going on?’
She looked at me with a hateful stare.
‘Did the servants lie to me?’
They said Izana couldn’t even talk properly and always clung to the old nanny.
…Was that wrong?
It had been a while since she heard those reports, so she didn’t know what had changed.
In truth, Yudis barely remembered me because she never tried to see me.
Even when I acted strangely in front of her before, she had forgotten it quickly.
“Duchess, to wake the young master, we must find out what made him sleep. Please call the maid who made the milk tea.”
The family doctor, trying to change the topic, spoke up.
The group of maids looked around nervously, and the servants outside stepped aside.
At the end of the path stood Roti, trembling and covering her mouth.
“Roti Hesward!”
Yudis shouted her name, filled with anger and confusion.
“Y-Your Grace, I… I…”
Roti thought about how people in the kitchen saw her using the magic spell on the tea.
‘I’m dead.’
As that thought hit her, she collapsed to the floor.
The other maids dragged her inside.
“Y-Your Grace!”
Terrified, Roti clung to Yudis’s dress.
“What did you put in the tea that Boris drank?”
“Your Grace, please spare me! I really…”
Slap!
Roti’s head snapped to the side.
“I asked you a question! My son collapsed because of you!”
“It was a magic potion!”
With that shout and everyone staring, Roti lay flat on the floor.
“I was told it was just a potion to help someone sleep peacefully. Miss Kalifa, who used to care for Miss Izana, made it. The kitchen staff also saw her use it sometimes. I just followed what she did! I didn’t mean any harm! Please believe me!”
“What? A magic potion?”
Ersha’s eyes widened.
“Are you a mage?”
“N-No, I’m not…”
“You’re crazy!”
Even the Marchioness yelled. Roti began to cry harder.
“I just did what Kalifa did. I didn’t think the young master would drink it. I didn’t know it was so dangerous!”
As Roti tried to explain, Ersha shouted.
“How dare you use magic without permission! You’re not even a mage! Were you trying to kill the young lady?!”
Magic is delicate and sensitive. Using magical items without being a mage was dangerous and unthinkable.
But Roti had always thought of magic as something far away, not real.
She shook her head and cried.
“I would never do such a thing! I swear! I only wanted her to sleep a little! Because of the important guests… I thought it would help…”
“I’ve heard enough. Take her away!”
Ersha pointed at her with disgust.
Just then, I shouted.
“No, wait!”
I ran in front of Roti and shielded her with my body.
‘I don’t want her to die.’
I glanced at her tear-streaked face.
Ugh, almost touched her.
I stepped back slightly and looked at the noblewoman.
With the saddest face I could manage, I said,
“Please don’t kill Roti, Madam! And Mother!”
