ISGJV 43

Chapter 43

I swallowed my sigh and silently muttered a curse.

‘Ah, damn it….’

The only person capable of making someone as gentle and compassionate as me curse—even if only inwardly—was, of course, the Duchess.

“Hmm. Come here, child. Can’t you see that all your petticoats are wrinkled beyond repair? Take them and have the maids press them properly.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“You must personally check everything and bring it yourself. The maids in this villa are hardly trustworthy.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Honestly, this wasn’t even work for a lady’s maid.

It was work meant for servants.

Especially considering my official status was the Young Duchess of Kohen, it was completely absurd.

But really—was anything in this villa normal?

I quietly accepted the pile of laundry and left.

‘Ah… my ankle is completely done for.’

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from limping.

Beside me, the nanny spoke with concern.

“Young lady. Please give that to me. I’ll carry it.”

“No. It’s fine.”

The reason the Duchess had come to the villa while the Duke and Patrick were away was obvious.

And as soon as she arrived, she had nails hammered into Edmund’s window and began keeping him locked up.

‘She told him to reveal the secret. I don’t know if she knows everything, but she at least knows the Duke wants information from Edmund.’

And she had clearly come prepared to obtain it by any means necessary.

The reason the Duke tormented Edmund yet carefully avoided killing him was equally obvious.

‘To find the location of the seal.’

But the Duchess felt different from the Duke.

‘If it comes to it… she truly wouldn’t care if Edmund died.’

After all, wasn’t she the very person who had gifted an assassin to her own nephew just recently?

My back throbbed again.

The arrow had struck over my corset so it hadn’t left a wound—but it had really hurt.

She was the one who had gifted that arrow, too.

‘I need to be careful. I can’t give her even the smallest reason to criticize me.’

Limping, I headed toward the laundry room.

That wasn’t all.

The Duchess treated me as though no other servants or attendants existed and worked me relentlessly.

“Brew the tea. …Hmm. Your skill is lacking. You should learn from Lady Lillipen.”

“I’d like to take a walk. The sunlight is harsh, so you shall hold the parasol.”

And the peak of her nitpicking came in what she said after I’d silently endured all of it.

“Do you dislike that I’m teaching you these things? Is that why you’re limping on purpose?”

The moment I heard that, I had to mentally carve the character for ‘patience’ into my heart about a hundred times.

‘Endure. Endure. You must endure!’

But I couldn’t just let this slide.

I lifted my skirt and showed her my ankle.

The visibly swollen ankle.

“How could that be? It’s just that I’m clumsy and injured my foot.”

Of course, I couldn’t say, ‘You suddenly showed up and I hurt myself running here in a panic!’

When she saw that my ankle was clearly not normal, and that I hadn’t been pretending for two days, the Duchess only responded coolly.

“Then you should have said so earlier. Now I look like an insensitive person who forced an injured girl around.”

‘You saw me limping from the start! If that’s not proof I’m hurt, then what is?! And I did tell you I was injured! Did you already forget? Did you eat crow meat or something?!’

I couldn’t say that out loud.

I tried to stay calm.

Relax. Get it together, Kasia.
You can’t lose your patience, Seo Haena.

I alternated between my two names to steady myself.

If I snapped here, everything would be over!

I wet my lips, then spoke smoothly.

With a smile full of 200% sincerity.

“…It’s because I wanted to stay by your side as much as possible and learn from you, my lady.”

“Hm. That’s not unpleasant to hear.”

Thankfully, my answer seemed to greatly improve her mood.

She even granted me this indulgence.

“Then go back and rest. Tomorrow and the day after, you’ll continue learning from me.”

“Yes, my lady.”

I bowed politely and withdrew.

Or rather, I tried to.

But perhaps because she was in such a good mood, the Duchess gave an unnecessary ‘reward’.

“Ah, Lady Lillipen. See that girl back to her room. She’s worked hard.”

“Yes, my lady.”

‘I don’t need that…’ was something I obviously couldn’t say.

…

…

Limp. Limp.

In the awkward silence, only the sound of my uncomfortable footsteps echoed.

I didn’t deliberately provoke Lady Lillipen.

I’d teased her quite a bit last time, and I didn’t feel like poking the bear again.

Besides—

‘My foot hurts too much for that!’

I’d thought it was just a minor sprain, but it seemed worse than I’d expected.

And being dragged around by the Duchess nonstop for two days without proper rest clearly hadn’t helped.

I had no intention of provoking Lillipen in this condition.

But it turned out my intentions didn’t matter.

When we reached a deserted area, a sinister whisper reached my ear.

“You had fun playing with me last time, didn’t you?”

‘Oh? This feels bad…’

The moment I sensed danger—

Lillipen deliberately hooked my leg.

And of course, she let go of my arm.

I went down in a thoroughly undignified heap.

“Ah!”

“Young lady!!”

The nanny, who had been following behind, gasped and hurried to support me, shouting at Lillipen.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“What am I doing? I did nothing. She just fell on her own.”

“Lady Lillipen!”

Lillipen smirked down at me.

“You won’t slither out like a greased rat this time. Her Grace is here in person.”

“….”

“I’m Her Grace’s closest confidante. Naturally, she listens to me above all else. Do you think she’d spare even a glance for the likes of you?”

‘She’s already paying me far too much attention.’

I kept that thought to myself.

After spewing her malice with great satisfaction, Lillipen left.

‘Wow. To bully a fourteen-year-old with this much genuine malice. Impressive.’

This villa, and the Kohen household under the current Duke, were truly a mess.

Just look at how they treated Edmund.

But I was the only one thinking so calmly.

The nanny was practically sobbing as she supported me.

“My poor young lady… how pitiful. How cruel of your master. To abandon such a young girl in a place like this…”

She meant Kasia’s biological father, Viscount Florence.

‘What could you expect from a man who sold his daughter as a sacrifice for money to a scumbag like the Duke of Kohen?’

According to Kasia’s memories, that money was meant to become her half-sister’s dowry.

In the Florence household, the only person who cared about Kasia was the nanny.

‘Which is good, really. I only need to take the nanny with me when I escape.’

When I escape with Edmund, the Duke’s fury will be tremendous.

In the original story, he destroyed this villa and killed all the servants because of it.

But if I escape together with Edmund?

‘Naturally, his wrath will reach the Florence family too.’

That means a single escape hits them with retaliation as well.

And since the Duchess is here now, if we successfully escape, the blame will fall on her.

Lillipen, under the Duchess, won’t be able to avoid punishment either.

I don’t know how many people this one escape would ruin—but—

‘I will do it. I will escape.’

I was already 120% motivated, and these petty villains had poured gasoline on the fire.

Limp. Limp.

As I struggled forward, steeling my resolve for a satisfying revenge—

An unexpected shadow approached and grabbed my arm.

“Eh?!”

Whoosh!

By the time I came to my senses, my feet had left the ground.

And when I recognized who it was, I was already being held in a princess carry.

“Wi—no, Marco…?”

That’s right.

The one who had suddenly appeared and lifted me was Wiles.

“Wi—no, Marco…?”

Lady Lillipen froze at the unexpected sight.

She had only intended to come back briefly—to check whether there were witnesses, and whether Kasia might run to tell the Duchess.

But instead, she witnessed something she never expected.

A tall, neat-looking male servant had appeared out of nowhere and scooped Kasia up into his arms.

Lillipen’s eyes gleamed.

She hid behind the wall and strained to listen, trying to get closer without being noticed.

Then—

Something unseen caught her foot.

As though perfectly reenacting the moment when she had tripped Kasia’s injured ankle.

“Eh?!”

Worse, there were stairs right where she fell.

Her balance completely gone, Lillipen tumbled down the steps.

“Aaaah!!!”

Kasia blinked in surprise.

“What was that sound?”

Wiles smiled as though he knew nothing.

“Who knows. Perhaps a little mouse eavesdropping on others slipped somewhere.”

“…?”