~Chapter 8~
But the Head Maid knew full well that her wish was nothing more than a dream that would never come true.
Malcolm spoke softly, as if consoling a child chasing a worthless dream.
“Although it was brief, it’s true that the Young Lady once treated you kindly. But no matter how kind she was then, it doesn’t justify her behavior now.”
“…”
“You must take care of yourself. You can’t sacrifice yourself for these children forever. At this rate, you’ll collapse.”
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
Although she expressed her gratitude, she didn’t say she’d heed Malcolm’s words.
If the same thing happened again, she would still drop to her knees and beg for mercy, accepting the punishment herself.
This was a conversation that had been repeated countless times, and Malcolm, swallowing his bitter feelings, didn’t press further. Instead, he quietly tended to the wounds of the Head Maid.
“Every person has a core of kindness. The Young Lady, too, once acted out of genuine compassion. Perhaps she’s only forgotten it for a while, and deep down that mercy still rests within her heart.”
“Hmm.”
“Malcolm, you remember too, don’t you? What she was like five years ago, during the flood?”
“…That.”
“The Young Lady saved hundreds of people who couldn’t escape the storm and the rising water. She saved thousands. It was nothing short of a miracle.”
Malcolm was aware of the story about Livia Arfin five years ago.
Although she hadn’t been able to save everyone, she had stopped a massive flood and saved countless lives herself. The sight of her weeping as she rescued the people felt like the scene of a true saint.
But Livia of that time and the Livia of now felt like two different people. Malcolm had wondered if those stories were mere exaggeration.
Yet listening to the Head Maid, he felt that perhaps it wasn’t a fabrication after all. The Head Maid spoke with a faraway gaze, as if looking towards some distant place.
“That’s why I’ll wait… a little longer. Until the Young Lady finds mercy for us again.”
The words sounded like a hopeful prayer, yet felt like despair with no chance of being granted.
After Malcolm finished treating her wounds, the Head Maid left the infirmary.
Her next destination was the dreaded Eastern Storage Room.
Back in her room, Livia returned from the scene of broken glass and sank down onto the sofa, brushing out the hair that had been tightly bound until now.
With an impatient sigh, she discarded the fancy corsage and sank down. Even in disarray, she was captivating, and her sharp, upturned eyes gave her an alluring air.
Legs crossed, arms folded, she drank cold water in one long gulp, but her irritability didn’t abate.
“Impudent little wench. How dare she ruin the work I’ve built?”
Although the curse fell from her lips, it brought no relief. The reason was simple — the person her anger was aimed at didn’t even exist in this world anymore.
Livia had lost five years of her life to an unknown soul that had possessed her body. It hadn’t just taken over; it had thrown her life into chaos.
“Try restraining yourself from mistreating the servants when you’re in a bad mood. We can’t hire new staff for the time being.”
“Livia Arfin needs servants, and yet we can’t hire more? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“No matter how much we try to cover things up, this is still a household where people live. We can’t silence the whispers that rise beyond these walls. We’ve hired too many staff in too short a time. Not a single one has been dismissed, and that in itself is suspicious.”
“Isn’t it your job to suppress such rumors?”
Livia tilted her head sharply, brushing her chin upwards. The golden light in her eyes shimmered like a jewel, making her appear even more commanding.
Edmund, her right hand and closest confidant, sank down to one knee before her, serene and composed.
“Just for a while. The Crown Prince is watching closely. Wouldn’t it be better to stay cautious?”
He kissed the back of her delicate hand, closing his eyes as if even this simple act was an honor worth dying for.
“What a vile man, that Crown Prince. Always watching, despite claiming to be too busy. What a pest.”
“Perhaps it’s because of the broken engagement. He may still harbor a grudge.”
“Hmph! The Crown Prince has too little dignity. To bear a grudge over such a trivial matter! And he thought he could restrain someone like me? What a joke.”
Livia sneered, brushing away memories of the Crown Prince. Her scowl deepened, and Edmund, sensing her rising discomfort, gently pressed a kiss upon the back of her hand.
“He fears you, Livia, and wishes to restrain you. But in the end, he can only watch from a distance. He can do no more than that.”
“Quite right. The people of the Empire love me far more than any Crown Prince.”
“No one can stand tall before you, Livia.”
At those sweet words, the corner of Livia’s lips curved upwards. The gentle smile upon her face caused a faint blush to rise upon Edmund’s freckled cheeks.
“Still… when that worthless soul possessed my body, it appears she and the Crown Prince grew closer. Surely he knows some of the schemes she implemented.”
“Hmm…”
“Find another way. We can no longer use the pretense of ‘punishment’ to remove young servants, as you said. Not for the time being.”
“Yes, I’ll find a more effective approach.”
“The way you watched from the shadows when that worthless being possessed my body… I can trust that instinct, can’t I? You’re the only one I can trust completely.”
“My very soul belongs to you, Livia. Even if some false being possessed this body, I would have known. You are the only one I recognize.”
A faint laugh rose from Livia’s throat at Edmund’s words.
While the false soul possessed her body, Edmund had watched from the shadows. The moment he noticed her behaving like an entirely different person, he had abandoned everything and disappeared from sight. It was an excellent decision.
The impostor had tried to undo every scheme Livia had put in motion, attempted to rekindle connections long severed, and created troublesome new alliances.
But Livia was different. Livia was a being meant to dominate and to revel in her own pleasure. An exalted figure who would never bow, even before an Emperor.
A chosen one, infused with holy blood — someone the Emperor himself dared not oppose.
“Come to think of it, the Crown Prince still doesn’t realize another soul possessed this body. If he had an ounce of your sense, he would have guessed long ago.”
Edmund narrowed his eyes sharply, knowing he was the one who had silenced that suspicion every step of the way.
He smiled softly as he kissed the hand he held, then spoke, voice low.
“Even if another soul possessed your body, it was still your form. The body that promised itself to him, and the body that later betrayed him, were one and the same. What room is there for such a sweet delusion?”
“Ahaha…!”
Livia’s laughter bubbled forth until she doubled over, brushing away the tears that shimmered in the corners of her eyes.
“Isn’t it ridiculous? The thing called ‘love.’ To make a man who detested me, love me? The Crown Prince, shaking and begging desperately as if thrown into the depths of hell… I can still remember the sight. It’s too delicious for words.”
For Livia, to play with a person’s heart was no challenge. All had adored her, praised her, trusted her.
To betray that trust, to crush that love — those were games Livia had mastered from a very young age.
**“Livia! What is happening?! Even if you’ve lost your memories, what about us…?!”
“Us? What about us? What am I supposed to remember? That I was going to marry you? So what? My memories stopped five years ago. At that time, weren’t we absolutely disgusted with each other?”
“…Are you saying you felt disgust for me?”
“Oh, how sharp you are, Your Highness. I was beginning to wonder if you’d lost all sense. You can comprehend words after all?”
“…”
“Must I make it even clearer? It was a mistake for you, a man of low worth, to seek to claim someone like me. You should have kept your greed in check. Do you understand?”
“Livia, enough…”
“Must I spell it out for you? I don’t love you. Never have, not for a moment. In fact… seeing you like this? It’s downright revolting. Do you understand? The sight of you makes my skin crawl.”**
At that moment, the Crown Prince had looked like a man thrown into hell while still living.
