Chapter 13
That handsome face never smiled at me. Enoch usually had a cold, annoyed expression that seemed to scratch at my nerves. I could remember that face easily—but not right now. It was like fog had covered that memory.
Did he ever smile…? Or maybe…
Enoch Haines didn’t appear in the novel, or in Jang Hyunji’s life, probably because he was just a commoner.
For the female lead, the world always prepared perfect men. Blake was one of them. Good family, rich, smart, good-looking—only men like that could be the hero’s partner.
Enoch didn’t have a noble background or money. He didn’t stand a chance.
But for me, he was the only one.
He wasn’t someone controlled by Jang Hyunji, or a person arranged by the story for the heroine. He saw me as me. Even if he called me shameless, I was ready to kneel and beg. I would throw everything away if he would just hide me from the world.
“Mr. Haines became independent five years ago and runs a merchant group. I heard he usually stays overseas,” the maid said.
“Where overseas?”
“You’re really acting strange. You could just ask your husband, and everything would be solved. Why…”
“Stop asking dumb questions. Just answer me.”
Then I remembered. This maid’s name was Lishi.
Lishi looked at me with suspicion, but she couldn’t treat me badly anymore. If I ever went crying to Linus, like she said, her head would be in danger.
“I don’t really know. I only heard that he travels around a lot…”
“Fine, then what’s the name of his merchant group?”
“It’s the Haines Group, Florence.”
I felt a chill down my back. I froze and held my breath. Lishi smiled, happy to see someone.
“Lady Grace!”
“It’s been a while, Lishi. I was wondering what you two were chatting so warmly about…”
It was Grace. I blinked, trying to remember what I had just said. Jang Hyunji wouldn’t have pressured a maid like that. That was something the old me would’ve done. Grace slowly came closer.
“Florence? What’s wrong?”
“S-sister…”
I barely turned around. I honestly wanted to run away.
I feared Grace more than Father or Blake.
Since I was a child, always. She never hit me or cursed at me, but her words could hurt deeper than anything.
In my memory, Grace got married three years ago and left the mansion. I came back here to escape Linus, but if I had known she was still here, I would have found another way.
I couldn’t even pretend in front of her. My face froze.
“Oh dear, Florence…”
Grace gently touched my cheek with her soft hand.
“Look at how thin your face is…”
Her pretty blue eyes were full of tears. Like Father and Blake, she gave me that same sympathy.
“I saw you lying unconscious. It was awful not being able to help. I heard you just woke up yesterday, but are you really okay to walk around already?”
“Yes, I’m fine, sister.”
“…Why are you suddenly speaking so formally?”
“I… I guess I’m still a little out of it after waking up…”
Grace narrowed her eyes. I hoped she thought my pale face and weak voice were because I was sick—just like Father and Blake did. I hoped she’d fall for it too.
I felt shame for pretending to be Jang Hyunji. But if acting like her could get me away from Grace’s gaze, I’d do it a hundred times over. I wiped my damp hands on my skirt.
Behind Grace, Lishi was watching with suspicion.
“But why were you asking about the Haines Group?”
“It’s nothing. I just suddenly thought about it…”
“Suddenly?”
“Yeah. Being back home again made me remember…”
“I was surprised because you never mentioned his name once in years.”
That made sense. Jang Hyunji probably didn’t even know Enoch Haines’s name.
“Enoch is strange too. Right after you lost your memory, he left like he was being chased. Since then, he only sends a couple of letters a year. Father and we all told him we were sad about it, but he still refuses to come back.”
Lishi quietly muttered, “That’s all because of her.” She probably blamed me. She knew Linus had kicked Enoch out, and thought it was all my fault Enoch couldn’t come back home.
“We kept telling him this was his home and he could come back anytime, but… Oh, I’m talking too much. You just woke up, and I’m keeping you standing here. I brought your favorite cake, Florence. Lishi, can you prepare some tea?”
Grace gently took my hand.
She touched my wet palm. I tried to pull it away, startled, but it was too late. She held it tight and stared into my face.
I couldn’t look at her.
Grace and her maids, my shrinking shoulders, the cold sweat. I felt like a frog in front of a snake. She scared me with just her gaze.
“Ah?!”
“Look at me, Florence.”
Grace roughly grabbed my chin and turned my face toward her. I couldn’t resist. I saw Lishi staring at us in shock. Grace’s gentle smile was gone. Her face turned cold and emotionless.
She looked at me like she could see right through me.
I didn’t say anything yet… She shouldn’t know yet…
If I just laughed like an idiot and acted dumb, maybe she wouldn’t figure it out…
“You’re back.”
“H-huh? What do you mean…”
“Don’t bother pretending.”
Grace spoke coldly, then pushed me away like she touched something filthy. I stumbled backward.
“You stink.”
“…”
“You don’t need to open a trash can to know it smells bad.”
“S-sister…”
“Don’t call me that.”
I shut my mouth. Her tone wasn’t loud or angry. It was calm, like she was reading a letter.
Blake’s rage was scary, but this cold contempt was even worse.
Standing in front of Grace, I felt like trash that shouldn’t exist. Maybe to her, that’s all I was. I couldn’t even get mad or fight back.
“Did your memory come back?”
“…No…”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is this.”
She pointed at my eyes.
“Those eyes that blame us like you’re the most pitiful person in the world.”
“…”
“How could Father and Blake not see it?”
I couldn’t breathe.
“You look like a dog begging for love it doesn’t deserve.”
“…”
“You’re a murderer who killed Mother. What right do you have to be sad or angry? Isn’t that right, Lishi?”
Lishi nodded behind Grace. Even without a mirror, I knew my face had gone pale. I was shaking. Jang Hyunji’s act was gone—I was back to being myself from five years ago.
“You should’ve kept pretending, Florence. If you’d kept smiling like an idiot, I might’ve acted like I loved you.”
Even though I wanted to erase that woman’s traces, I felt no joy.
“At least stupidity is cute. You were cute like that. I didn’t care if it was really you or not.”
Her disgust was aimed only at me. Whether I was “possessed” or not didn’t matter. As soon as she realized I was back, she showed pure hatred.
Maybe I really did stink like garbage. I laughed bitterly. Maybe that’s why, even when I didn’t say anything, she found me out.
Her sudden change was almost refreshing.
Grace threw the cake she bought for me into the hallway, stepped on it, and crushed it. Then she turned and said,
“I’m leaving. I don’t want to be near that. Lishi, bring my new shoes.”
“Yes, Lady Grace.”
Lishi bowed politely and gave me a quick glance.
Her calm eyes looked at the smashed cake, then at me. Her lips curled into a long, familiar smile.
It was the smile I always saw from behind Grace’s back.
Going back to five years ago… was just that easy.
