Chapter 16
‘Let’s see now.’
I excitedly began to rack my brain. In the original story, where and how much did that Preston jerk hide again?
‘Ah, right. I remember now.’
Unable to trust anyone, Preston had converted all the money he saved into gold coins and buried it all in one place.
‘And Velroa just happened to find it by chance.’
After the Grand Duke dealt with Preston, Velroa accidentally discovered the secret storage.
‘The problem is how to find that secret storage.’
Since it was discovered purely by coincidence, the description wasn’t very helpful.
Of course, if I spend enough time and effort, I could figure it out. But I really need what’s in that stash urgently.
‘I’m going to squeeze out every last bit of it.’
I chuckled to myself.
“All done.”
Ah—right.
There’s someone else here.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I slowly turned my head.
“Is there anything you’re not happy with, my lady?”
The maid awkwardly smiled, her face frozen stiff as our eyes met.
And I mean really stiff. Like, one tap and she might shatter?
‘I expected this, but it still stings.’
I swallowed my tears internally. I couldn’t blame her for reacting like this.
Thanks to that collection of garbage rumors, my reputation was pretty much radioactive.
‘Especially after what happened yesterday…’
They said I kicked out a maid just for bringing the wrong wash water.
Or that I ransacked the accountant’s office and threw him in the dungeon for being rude.
Half-truths and half-lies had spread like wildfire through the mansion.
“Eep!”
Most of the servants had similar reactions to me now.
I looked at the maid, who flinched just from making eye contact, and wiped away invisible tears.
‘And there’s no way to explain myself…’
The maid was dismissed because she physically hurt Velroa and went far beyond the line with her disrespect.
The accountant? He was an embezzler—I wanted to shout that.
But I couldn’t. It wasn’t something worth making public, and more than anything… no one would believe me anyway.
“I believe in you, my lady.”
Only Madam Salisbury, who brought me my wash water with sparkling eyes early this morning, was on my side.
“So, um, my lady…”
While I was internally weeping, the maid hesitantly asked a question.
Her hands, tightly clutching the comb, were trembling pitifully.
“A-are y-you n-not s-satisfied…?”
How much was she shaking? And just how bad was my reputation?
‘I might not be able to fix this image even if I tried for the rest of my life.’
I wiped the corners of my eyes and looked in the mirror—and then I saw it.
‘Whoa. I’m seriously pretty.’
It was the kind of beauty that could open your eyes wide.
Soft pink hair like the petals of a light rose.
Vivid violet eyes that looked like jewels.
Pale skin untouched by sunlight from years of confinement and delicate, well-defined features.
After combing my hair neatly and putting on a dress that actually fit, the beauty once hidden under rags and grime now shone brilliantly.
‘So I am this pretty.’
I stared at my reflection, then slowly closed my eyes.
“Hey, you! You can’t even earn proper money—how do you still manage to eat? If it were me, I’d have improved my skills and escaped already. Can’t even make 200!”
My jobless older brother, who mocked me even as I ate my first meal after working all day.
“Don’t be too upset, sis. Of course Lord Basel fell for me. Look at you—you’re dirty, ugly, and gloomy. It’s only natural he’d choose me.”
Even my half-sister, who blamed me for her stealing my fiancé.
“…”
Voices of the people who had tormented me echoed in my ears.
“Yeah… you’re right.”
And my own voice, always shrinking and agreeing quietly.
‘I really believed they were right back then.’
It was obvious, even just by looking in the mirror.
While they sparkled with confidence, I was always hunched over, timid, and depressed.
I once believed I lived like this because I was just that pitiful.
‘But that wasn’t it.’
Look.
Just one little change, and I’m already this different.
There’s still a lot I need to fix, but I think I’m good enough to attend the family meeting today and be introduced as Grand Duke Leandro’s fiancée.
It’s hard to believe I was the same girl in rags, starving and beaten, just days ago.
I smiled at the mirror.
I really liked the change I brought about.
“I like it.”
I smiled brightly and thanked the maid.
“Thank you.”
“Ah, y-yes…”
The maid blinked blankly. After a moment of thought, she gathered her courage and spoke again.
“My lady… I found this on the floor. Where should I put it?”
In her hands was Milton’s notebook. Ah—that must’ve fallen off the table after I checked it last night.
“It looks important. I’ll just place it on the—wait? This looks like the accountant’s notebook?”
The maid’s pupils began to shake as she recognized it.
“M-my lady, is this… perhaps…?”
Her trembling gaze asked the question for her.
What should I say?
Evidence of embezzlement? A secret ledger? No, I couldn’t say that. There had to be a better answer. Something more believable…
Uh, um…!
“A trophy?”
Why that word came out, I had no idea. But it just popped out—probably because of what I jokingly said to the Grand Duke yesterday.
“…”
A heavy silence hung between us.
“…I’ll leave it here then.”
She no longer trembled. When someone experiences fear and terror beyond a certain point, they just freeze solid.
“I’m sorry!!”
And I finally realized that today.
“…”
I blinked at the tightly shut door.
Wait a second.
Have I become… the kind of person who kicks people out and collects their belongings like war trophies?
‘Ugh! I wanna cry!’
I want to scream, “No!” and bawl my eyes out!
‘But I have things to do.’
Because that’s what adults do…
Swallowing back tears, I slowly walked to the bed. Lying there, still in the center spot like a queen, was Velroa—deep asleep.
“Velroa, Velroa. Time to get up?”
“Mmm?”
After a few shakes, one of Velroa’s tightly shut eyelids fluttered weakly. She looked utterly exhausted.
“Let’s go greet the others real quick and then come back to sleep, okay?”
“Mmm…”
She managed to sit up, but both her head and eyelids seemed too heavy.
Velroa wobbled a few times and almost fell forward.
That won’t do.
I’ll have to carry her.
I looked at her worriedly.
Ever since arriving at the mansion, Velroa had done nothing but sleep.
‘She wakes when you shake her, but then she’s out again almost immediately.’
She eats a piece of bread—falls asleep. Drinks a sip of medicine—falls asleep again.
Even during her first meeting with the Grand Duke, she couldn’t stay awake for more than a few minutes.
And even then, she was practically dozing the whole time.
I was so concerned, I asked Lady Anette to check her again.
“There’s nothing wrong with her body. I think it’s just all the exhaustion hitting her at once. She’ll probably sleep like this for a few more days.”
Exactly what I expected to hear.
“Also, the test results weren’t great. She’s severely weakened, so you have to make sure she eats well.”
“Could her trouble speaking also be related?”
“Hmm…”
After thinking it over briefly, Anette nodded.
“I can’t say it has nothing to do with it.”
