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Chapter : 4
“I’m surprised. I thought you’d want to go inside and take a look right away.”
“I do. But before that, I need to collect my belongings.”
As a transmigrator, it was essential to organize the real Charlotte’s life before any problems about who was real or fake arose later.
“Count Able won’t be particularly happy to see you.”
So that’s why he seemed so accustomed to yelling at Charlotte.
The real Charlotte had been living under Count Able’s roof all along.
“Which is exactly why I need to move out before he catches on. He was humiliated pretty badly today.”
“Humiliated?”
“Ah, I mean his pride was publicly crushed.”
“You’re worried about revenge.”
“Yes. I should run before he gets the chance.”
There was no need to guess.
Count Able was probably grinding his teeth over what Charlotte had done.
After all, he had literally warned her:
“Just you wait, Charlotte!”
Still, the thought of the Count fuming helplessly because she had already moved out brought Charlotte a secret sense of satisfaction.
Lacal studied her quietly before breaking into a grin.
“Taking advantage of an opponent’s moment of carelessness and resolving troublesome matters all at once… Interesting.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll help you move.”
“With the move too? No, it’s alright. You don’t have to go through all that trouble, Mr. Lawyer.”
“I’m doing it because I want to. Don’t worry about it.”
Lacal completely ignored her refusal.
Then he narrowed his eyes in an enchanting smile.
“Because you’ve become very, very interesting to me.”
Lacal’s carriage arrived in front of Count Able’s estate.
Apparently recognizing the place, the penguin immediately tried to hop down.
Charlotte grabbed its head.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
The penguin stared at her with a look that clearly said:
You’re leaving me with strangers again, aren’t you?
“I’m really coming back.”
“…”
“I promise.”
The penguin gazed at her for a moment before nodding vigorously.
“Cheep! Cheep!”
The sparrow suddenly flew toward Charlotte.
At the same moment, the penguin snatched it out of the air with one stubby flipper.
The sparrow kicked its tiny legs furiously as if demanding to be released, but the penguin simply climbed onto the carriage seat and sat down.
“That penguin is more capable than I expected.”
“Ahem. Well… yes, a little.”
Whether it was capable or not, it certainly wasn’t an ordinary pet.
Penguins that understood human speech weren’t exactly common.
“Well then. Shall we go?”
“No, Mr. Lawyer, you stay here. I’m just collecting my things. It’ll only take a moment.”
Charlotte pushed Lacal back into his seat and hopped out of the carriage.
Then she headed toward Count Able’s estate.
The neighborhood seemed to be reserved exclusively for nobles.
Beautiful and elegant mansions lined the area.
So this is where the real Charlotte lived.
As Charlotte looked around, the gatekeeper recognized her.
“Idio— I mean, Miss Charlotte. You’ve returned?”
The gatekeeper made no effort to hide his disdain.
As Charlotte attempted to enter, he blocked her path.
“You may not enter.”
“But this is my home…”
Had Lacal brought her to the wrong place?
“The Count has ordered that you are not to be allowed inside.”
“…”
“He specifically instructed us not to let you in, even if you knelt outside the gate crying and begging.”
In other words, Charlotte was expected to kneel and cry before being permitted back inside.
Count Able was surprisingly petty for such a large man.
Did he really want her apology that badly?
“Charlotte!”
A blonde girl in her mid-teens came rushing across the garden with a maid trailing behind her.
Her dress fluttered dramatically as she ran.
“Miss Kate.”
The gatekeeper, who had openly looked down on Charlotte, immediately bowed respectfully.
Kate ignored the greeting entirely and pushed past him to stand before Charlotte.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Charlotte.”
“For me?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Why?”
“Because I have something for you.”
Kate’s maid tossed a worn-out bag onto the ground in front of Charlotte.
“Take it, Charlotte. I packed your belongings for you. Though honestly, it was all just trash.”
While throwing Charlotte out, Kate still managed to act as though she were doing her a favor.
“If you kneel down and cry in front of me, I’ll consider speaking to Father about letting you stay.”
Like father, like daughter.
How badly had this family treated Charlotte that they considered begging and crying completely normal?
Honestly, this worked out perfectly.
She still didn’t know who the poisoner was.
Entering Count Able’s estate felt dangerous.
Now they were officially throwing her out.
Charlotte was almost grateful.
“Thanks for the hard work. You must have gone through a lot packing my things.”
“What?”
Kate blinked in confusion.
“You’re not going to cry?”
“Why would I?”
“You’re supposed to apologize and beg not to be thrown out!”
“Oh. I decided not to do that anymore. It’s embarrassing to cry at my age.”
Kate could hardly believe what she was hearing.
Why else had she rushed all the way to the gate?
She had wanted a front-row seat to Charlotte sobbing at her feet.
Instead, Charlotte completely ignored her and calmly dusted off the bag.
Hmph! So Charlotte Able isn’t going to cry?
Then I’ll make sure she humiliates herself.
Kate elegantly covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sniffled dramatically.
“Ah, Charlotte. If our family has ever made you feel unwelcome, I apologize.”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes.
“But you should have said something sooner. To leave so suddenly like this… Father and Mother are heartbroken.”
People passing by on the street began gathering to watch the scene.
“All these years, my parents worked so hard caring for you, even though you were our late uncle’s illegitimate daughter…”
In an instant, Charlotte became the ungrateful child who failed to appreciate kindness.
“You were always cherished more than I was because you were better at speaking than me. I was so jealous.”
Now she had become the wicked niece who drove a wedge between parents and daughter.
“And yet, the moment you inherited Grandmother’s fortune, you abandoned us and left.”
And finally she became a shameless woman who threw away the family that raised her because of money.
It was a truly impressive performance.
Tears streamed down Kate’s face like a tragic heroine.
The spectators immediately began glaring at Charlotte with sympathy for Kate.
Not bad.
Kate was cleverer than Charlotte had expected.
She managed to throw Charlotte into the street while simultaneously painting her as a greedy, ungrateful villain.
But Charlotte found it laughable.
Back when she had transmigrated into a palace maid serving concubines, schemes like this weren’t even worth discussing.
Why?
Because the solution was ridiculously simple.
“Kate, I understand your sorrow, but let’s at least tell the truth.”
Charlotte smiled mockingly and spoke clearly.
“If the Count and Countess treated me better than their own daughter… would I really have attended Grandmother’s will reading dressed like this?”
She spread out her worn, faded dress.
The fabric was frayed and threadbare.
“And if they cared for me so much, would all my belongings fit into this single bag?”
Charlotte lifted the old bag and dangled it in the air.
“I’m leaving because I was told to leave. But if people see me like this…”
“…”
“They’ll be lucky if rumors don’t start spreading that Count Able starves and abuses his illegitimate niece. Don’t you think?”
Charlotte deliberately emphasized:
“Count Able.”
“Starves and abuses.”
The spectators who had been sympathizing with Kate immediately switched sides.
“Did she say abuse?”
“Was she being starved?”
“Oh, how pitiful.”
Kate had expected sympathy and support.
Instead, the atmosphere completely reversed.
Even worse, Charlotte—who normally would have cried pitifully—was talking back calmly and logically.
The gatekeeper and maid looked equally stunned.
It was as though Charlotte had suddenly become an entirely different person.
“Take care, Kate. Though I’d rather not see you again.”
Having said exactly what she wanted, Charlotte turned around without a shred of regret.
Kate immediately grabbed her arm.
“W-Wait! You can’t humiliate me and just leave— Aaaah!”
The sparrow, which was supposed to be waiting in the carriage, suddenly launched a surprise attack.
Startled, Kate recoiled and clutched her neck.
Something dropped into Charlotte’s hand.
A finely crafted locket.
“This…”
Before Charlotte could even ask, Kate hurriedly changed her story.
“I-I was actually trying to give that to you!”
Right.
Because that’s believable.
You were wearing it around your neck, and now suddenly you were planning to return it?
You stole it while pretending to pack my belongings.
Since Charlotte knew nothing about the real Charlotte’s valuables, she pressed harder.
“What else did you take besides the locket?”
“Nothing! A beggar like you doesn’t own anything worth stealing!”
“But you stole the locket from this beggar.”
“Y-You…!”
Cornered, Kate lashed out.
She swung her hand toward Charlotte’s face.
Charlotte calmly caught her wrist.
“Tsk. So now that you’ve run out of words, you’re resorting to violence? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You’re supposed to be a noble lady.”
“Let go of me!”
“No.”
“I said let go!”
“I don’t want to.”
The anger Kate had been suppressing beneath her noble upbringing finally exploded.
“You! Why are you all just standing there?! Drag this idiot away and—”
“Are you finished?”
Lacal suddenly interrupted.
Kate, who had been screaming at the gatekeeper, froze in shock.
“D-Duke Statuar?”
“D-Duke?”
Charlotte was almost as shocked as Kate.
He wasn’t just a lawyer?
He was a Duke?
Suddenly, the reason the arrogant Able family treated Lacal so respectfully made perfect sense.
A Duke serving as the Dowager Countess’s lawyer.
The old lady’s connections were truly impressive.
“Greetings, Duke Statuar.”
Kate hastily gathered her skirt and curtsied gracefully.
Lacal barely glanced at her before turning toward Charlotte.
Bathed in the afternoon sunlight, his expression softened.
His gaze fell to the locket in Charlotte’s hand.
“Do you have any other belongings left behind?”
“I think Kate would know. She kindly packed my things for me so I could leave more easily.”
Charlotte smiled sweetly as she tattled.
Kate’s face turned bright red.
She had been completely exposed.
“T-That’s everything. Everything.”
“…”
“I swear! That’s really everything!”
Under the silent pressure of two pairs of eyes, Kate desperately defended herself.
“Miss Charlotte. Is there anything else you wish to say?”
“No.”
“Then let’s leave immediately.”
Lacal picked up Charlotte’s worn bag.
Charlotte accepted his escort without protest.
She waved elegantly at the near-tearful Kate.
“Goodbye, Kate.”
