“Oh my goodness, my lady!!”
As soon as Anna, who had been nervously biting her nails beside the carriage, spotted me, she rushed over in a fluster.
“What on earth happened?! I was so shocked when I heard you suddenly collapsed!”
I shook my head weakly, too drained to even speak. Seeing this, Estelline quickly stepped forward.
“I-I’m sorry. There was a small accident at the party… I suggested she rest here for the night, but the young lady insisted on returning home.”
“Oh dear… I-I see.”
Anna replied, carefully examining my complexion.
She looked at Estelline and me holding hands with disbelief in her eyes.
Feeling conscious of her gaze, I spoke hesitantly.
“Um… Estelline, could you maybe let go of my hand now?”
“Oh! Sorry!” Estelline cried out and quickly let go, then fiddled with her dress as she added:
“I-I mentioned this earlier too, but I really want to repay you properly for today. So… would it be alright if I wrote you a letter sometime soon?”
“Of course. Anytime.”
“And also… just maybe… um…”
Estelline trailed off, looking awkward.
Guessing what she meant, I leaned closer and whispered so Anna wouldn’t hear.
“…Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone what happened today. It’d be bad if word got out about an incident like this, right?”
Estelline nodded, eyes wide with surprise.
The Laurent family, being as influential as they were, naturally had many enemies.
People were always looking for a chance to drag the Duke’s name through the mud.
‘If anyone finds out about today’s poisoning incident…’
They’d use it to start all sorts of malicious rumors—about the Duke losing his dignity, about lax security, about the servants being untrustworthy.
In fact, something like this did happen in the novel.
After Eria’s death, the capital buzzed with vicious gossip aimed at tearing down House Laurent.
Estelline, even while grieving her sister, had to endure a storm of public scrutiny.
‘Though in the original, Selenea enjoyed that part.’
Thinking of that cruelty, I clicked my tongue internally, then suddenly had a good idea.
“Estelline. How about we just say I collapsed from anemia?”
Her eyes went round.
“Huh? But, is that… really okay?”
“Sure. Anemia’s not some fatal disease or anything.”
I nearly killed her little sister—this much was nothing in comparison.
Estelline, however, bit her lip and replied in a trembling voice:
“Selenea… thank you. Really.”
I shook my head like it was nothing, just as Anna’s voice called from afar.
“My lady, it’s cold. You should board the carriage soon.”
She must’ve been waiting for us to finish talking.
I nodded and walked over to her, then turned back to Estelline once I was on the carriage.
“You should head in too, Estelline. Thank you for everything today.”
“N-no, I should be thanking you. And…”
With a flushed face, she toyed with her earlobe and added:
“…I think I might have misunderstood you all this time. I’m sorry.”
I paused, then responded with an awkward smile.
“Nah, no need to apologize.”
Right then, the coachman snapped the reins, and the carriage began to move.
Estelline’s figure outside the window gradually shrank into the distance. When she was barely visible anymore—
I pulled my head back inside and leaned close to Anna to whisper.
“…Anna. The maid who delivered the medicine—do you know who she was?”
“Oh, yes. I took down her details. Why?”
“Arrange for her to defect. Immediately.”
I needed this to be a perfect crime.
* * *
“Haa…”
I let out a deep sigh as I stared at the ceiling. Dawn light was already beginning to seep through the curtains.
It was past midnight when I returned to the mansion with Anna, and I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep since.
My mind was just too full.
The biggest thing bothering me was—
‘Why did I collapse?’
Tears of God was a substance that supposedly had no effect on non-Awakened individuals.
‘But I collapsed. And it hurt like hell.’
The throbbing pain in my chest still lingered. It was improving quickly, but still.
‘…I mean, things did go well.’
The Duke of Laurent would no doubt investigate further, but he wouldn’t find anything suspicious.
There was no proof that could tie anything back to me.
The circumstances themselves made it hard to suspect me, and the only witness—the maid from the Laurent household—should’ve left the capital by now.
‘What if her family was deathly ill and she had to return home immediately?’
It was the excuse Anna had suggested, and a good one. Meaning, no evidence, no witness.
But…
“The real problem is from here on.”
Even though I had some knowledge of this world from the novel, I was still someone who had been suddenly dropped into it.
No matter how calm I acted, everything was strange and frightening.
And worst of all—I knew too little.
‘I even mixed up character names at first.’
Of course I did.
Who reads web novels carefully like a textbook? You just skim and go with the flow.
‘Besides, Selenea wasn’t even a major character. Just memorable enough to recognize.’
Exactly. She was a minor villain who showed up briefly, then disappeared.
One of the many obstacles inserted to deepen the protagonist’s backstory.
With a small sigh, I rubbed my forehead with my palm.
“A big crisis passes, and a small one follows…”
I guess that’s what people mean when they say life is the same everywhere.
My eyes stung and a dull headache throbbed from sleep deprivation. I shook my head.
‘Whatever. I’ll think about it after I wake up.’
Out of habit, I glanced at the wall clock. It was already past 5 AM.
‘Crap. I’ll barely get an hour of sleep at this rate—wait.’
I froze mid-grimace, eyes widening.
Now that I thought about it… I didn’t need to wake up at six anymore. There was no job waiting for me in this world.
A smile slowly crept onto my lips.
No matter how exhausting and degrading it was, I had stubbornly endured that company for the sake of next month’s bills.
But now…
I was unemployed, with no responsibilities?
“…Holy crap.”
A stunned breath escaped.
I sank into the soft bed, and the luxurious comfort wrapped around me.
Now I could feel it for real.
‘Guess being a noble’s daughter does have its perks.’
The bed was soft. The blanket was warm.
No comparison to the cheap 19,000 won comforter from my past life.
And everything here was just… bigger. The room, the windows, the bed. King-sized, maybe?
“…No wonder people go crazy for reincarnation stories.”
This was too fun. Life felt thrilling.
With a dazed smile, I closed my eyes.
Birdsong drifted in through the dim morning light. Dawn was breaking.
‘What if I fall asleep and wake up to find it was all a dream?’
But that worry didn’t last long. I soon fell into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes, the sun was already high.
As I sat up feeling refreshed, I spotted Anna seated by the fireplace, knitting.
“Anna.”
My voice came out hoarse. She looked up and rushed over, concern written all over her face.
“My lady, are you alright? You seemed to be sleeping so deeply, I decided not to wake you.”
“Mm. I’m fine.”
Anna smiled in relief and gently fixed my messy hair.
‘I guess Selenea didn’t mistreat Anna before.’
Otherwise, Anna wouldn’t be this kind to me.
Or maybe their relationship hadn’t soured yet?
I stopped overthinking it. It was good that I got along with someone I’d be spending a lot of time with.
“Are you really feeling okay? The rumor that you collapsed is already all over the capital.”
Her green eyes were filled with worry.
“Was it anemia? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Oh come on, it’s just anemia.”
Anna let out a stern sigh.
“My lady, your health is my top priority. Shouldn’t we still have the doctor take a look?”
“It was temporary.”
Anna mumbled “Still…”, then suddenly widened her eyes as if she remembered something.
“Oh! Then, what happened with that laxative?”
I flinched and looked up.
“…Huh?”
“You said you were absolutely going to give it to Lady Estelline.”
I hurriedly looked away and blinked.
“O-oh, that… I changed my mind and got rid of it before she could take it.”
Anna’s mouth dropped open.
“Then why did you send that maid back to her hometown?”
“Uh, just in case…?”
Anna’s eyes narrowed slowly, suspicion glinting in her green gaze.
She said with a thoughtful hum:
“But you used to hate Lady Estelline.”
“…”
“You pushed for this scheme even though I strongly objected. Now you’re telling me you suddenly changed your mind…?”
I forced myself to act nonchalant as I replied:
“I-I don’t really hate Estelline anymore.”
“Pardon?”
“I mean… she’s not actually that bad… and honestly, I was kind of harsh before, wasn’t I?”
“…My lady. Are you sick?”
Turns out, sudden personality shifts were just as suspicious in this world.
I coughed awkwardly and leaned back, shaking my head.
“No way. I’m perfectly fine.”
Anna stared at me for a long moment before reluctantly nodding.
“…If you say so.”
Then she clapped her hands together and exclaimed:
“Oh my goodness, I almost forgot!”
I looked at her in confusion.
