Chapter 21
The conflict between the head maid and the nanny was in full swing beneath the surface. To the head maid, this must have felt like an unexpected stroke of luck. Since their interests aligned, Eliano was more than willing to support Miller’s campaign.
“The nanny said she would stay in the small room… but the attending physician insisted that for absolute rest, she be moved to a proper room.”
The maids chattered excitedly as they assisted Eliano with her bath.
Eliano could bet all her wealth that someone had pushed the nanny down the stairs. The head maid was carrying heavy loads—why would a sturdy servant do the heavy lifting instead of her?
Noticing Eliano’s improved mood, Lavender added a few more drops of rose oil.
“They said if you force yourself to stay in a dusty, cramped small room and catch tetanus, they’ll have to amputate both legs. Even the nanny can’t avoid that.”
Though the small room in the corner was neat, Eliano didn’t comment and replied,
“Legs are precious. The nanny must be in pain and unable to sleep—bring her a sleeping pill.”
She said this intending to put Pamela into a deep sleep, limiting her range of movement entirely. Pamela needed to be removed, but Eliano dreaded what her father might do—likely assign another watcher.
Pamela was already a lost cause to appease, and Eliano herself harbored too much resentment from her previous life. Such people could never truly be reformed.
“Miss Isabella already gave her some… ah, sorry, a strong sleeping pill in her tea.”
“Did the nanny drink it willingly?”
“Um… Isabella made her drink it.”
The maids muttered vaguely. Knowing Isabella’s personality, she would have forced it down her throat regardless. Eliano waved her hand, showing she didn’t need to hear more.
“Not found?”
Eliano frowned delicately. Isabella sighed deeply.
“I think it’s already been smuggled somewhere.”
“If that were true, your neck would have been cut off by now. Father would never ignore that.”
“…That earring, you said it’s a magical tool? Where did it come from? Father didn’t give it, right?”
Isabella’s sharp words made Eliano pause in mid-sip.
“Father seemed completely unaware. I tried probing a little. Even when I mentioned obsidian earrings, he showed no reaction.”
“Doesn’t know? That can’t be…”
In her previous life, Eliano had received an official letter demanding the return of the family heirloom on behalf of the Rosana Ducal family. The letter was penned by Damian but sealed with her father’s stamp. There was no way her father could be ignorant. Eliano felt she needed to reveal some truth to Isabella.
“Strictly speaking, it’s a maternal heirloom. Mother gave it to me.”
“Sis, that’s not the Lambert Marquis family heirloom.”
“It is.”
“No, it isn’t. I have the heirloom.”
Isabella gestured to a maid she brought over. The maid swiftly brought a red box and opened it.
Inside was a golden cup. The maid, wearing pristine white gloves, carefully placed the golden cup on the table. Isabella nonchalantly poured tea into the cup.
“It’s a magical tool that neutralizes poison. It’s called ‘Goldstein.’ If someone poisons my tea, putting it here nullifies the effect.”
“…”
“Honestly, I don’t know why Mother gave this to me. Who would dare poison me?”
Eliano said nothing.
“Anyway, you must be mistaken. The Lambert Marquis family heirloom is only this antique cup.”
“My earring magic tool included, there could be two.”
“No. The heirloom is only this cup. When Mother passed the title of Marquis Dowager to my younger brother, she took this cup with her. Considering her collecting obsession, it’s not surprising.”
Isabella babbled, not understanding the value of this antique.
“Wasn’t it some rare pearl?”
“It’s a shell, Miss.”
“Oh, right, Emily. A shell. Anyway, because of rumors that the shell was up for auction, she went to Bedphone Beach. They called it recuperation, but the real goal was to attend the auction.”
Eliano pondered if she might have avoided misfortune had she possessed the poison-neutralizing cup. She had twice suffered miscarriages from poison during pregnancy—once as Crown Princess and once as Empress.
Her mother had given her a magical tool that changed the hair color marking her as illegitimate. She was too young to remember.
Then why didn’t she get the thing she needed most… Eliano’s face darkened. In her past life, she was repeatedly threatened with death and poisoned. The cup that neutralized poison would have been more useful than an earring that changed hair color. Her mother must have known what marrying into the Zacador imperial family meant.
She recalled her mother holding her hand tightly before leaving for Zacador. Although she was too distraught to recall her mother’s expression, she remembered the warmth of that hand.
They were not particularly close, but Eliano had believed her mother loved her. Even after being revealed as illegitimate, she had believed that. Instead, she felt guilty for not properly safeguarding her mother’s heirloom.
Eliano felt her faith shaken again. Did the Rosana Duchess really love her as a true daughter? Maybe her mother was no different from her father.
— It must have been sold. Even if it’s not the heirloom, this alone is enough to kick you out, so don’t worry, sis.
In the silent room, only the sound of Eliano tapping the table echoed. The maids stood quietly, watching their mistress.
Eventually, one nudged Lavender, who was her personal maid, but Lavender just placed her index finger over her lips.
No one dared disturb the noble lady deep in thought. Moreover, Eliano had changed recently—she had become strict, had clashed with Pamela, and driven out many maids. Above all, Eliano hated being bossed around by servants. Lavender was a veteran who had served many nobles, but Eliano was difficult.
“Go fetch the tea leaves from my shelf.”
Before she finished speaking, a maid moved as if waiting for the order, but Eliano raised her hand.
“Not you. Lavender, you go.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Lavender proudly fetched the tea leaves from the shelf. It was the tea Eliano loved for its pleasant aroma. After carefully steeping the leaves and filling the teapot, Lavender quickly stepped back.
“This is called Melani tea leaves. The scent is unique.”
Lavender responded cheerfully.
“Yes, the aroma is wonderful.”
Two other maids sniffed the aroma spreading from afar. It was floral and grassy—an unfamiliar scent. They thought, “If the young lady is this refined, she must drink such precious tea.”
“The one who gave it to me said the same.”
Melani tea leaves were a precious gift sent regularly by the Rosana Duchess. Occasionally, Eliano would have tea alone with her mother and chat. That tea, that time, was love. At least, that’s what it was to Eliano. It was an unforgettable memory.
But whenever she dismissed her shaken faith lightly, bad things happened. Her fate with her previous husband was proof.
Moreover, she was not the Duchess’s biological daughter. Still, to dwell on whether she was loved was wearing down Eliano’s heart.
Her husband would never have truly loved a child born outside marriage. That was her experience in the previous life. She had never loved the children her husband fathered with others. She couldn’t bear to look at them. Thus, she rejected the courtiers’ suggestion to adopt one of the princes.
If her mother was not her biological mother, what was stopping her from being harmed? She felt the need to verify with her own eyes that this tea was safe. Having suffered greatly from poison before, her distrust ran deep.
Eliano ordered,
“Bring the silver rod.”
