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Chapter 51
The Secret of Birth
As soon as Winzard left for the Imperial Palace, neither Noma nor Rivera showed their faces again.
Perhaps they had gone to deal with matters related to the Raven Guild. Erne cast a glance around the unusually quiet Douglas estate.
A peaceful snack time with the adorable little Shuknen, and by chance, even the female lead, Belli, happened to be there.
“If you just look at it like this, it really seems like a peaceful day.”
Erne’s eyes drifted from Belli serving Shuknen his treats to the open window and the sky beyond. There were several other Douglas housemaids attending to their duties as well, but Erne was far from having the leisure to care about each and every person.
In truth, her heart was restless and uneasy, in stark contrast to the almost suspicious tranquility of this place.
And yet she didn’t step forward. Because in Nesheld—or at least in this absurd original novel—she was a princess with barely a single line, while Winzard wielded far more influence than she could ever dream of. He was someone she could trust.
Realizing once again how hollow her princess title was and how powerless she truly was, Erne fell into gloom.
“Teacher.”
Lost in thought, Erne was jolted back to reality by Shuknen’s voice.
She blinked back to herself and looked down at him. The boy wore a faintly uncomfortable expression as he rested his head on her knee.
“Where’s Belli?”
She must have been daydreaming for quite a while. Glancing around, she realized Belli—who had been clearing away the cookie crumbs Shuknen had dropped—was gone.
“She said she’d bring more from the kitchen…”
The moment Belli left, Shuknen had sought her out. His words trailed off vaguely, making her suspicious.
Narrowing her eyes, Erne studied him closely.
Why had he suddenly turned clingy? She didn’t know. Still, she brushed aside her unease by silently letting the boy snuggle into her arms.
And that faint sense of déjà vu she’d felt—the way Shuknen had clung to her so pitifully the second Belli left—only revealed its truth after he’d fallen asleep with his head resting on her lap, his belly full from all the snacks.
“They say that princess is the one who reformed the little devil? What a joke. And what’s she even doing here? Out there, all the talk is about the missing princess being dead or whatever. And here she is, leeching off the Douglas family and stuffing her face.”
“You’re telling me. If that powerless princess leaves this house, what do you think will happen? She’ll get wiped out without a trace.”
They were on their way back to Erne’s room after putting Shuknen to bed, when laughter rang through the second-floor corridor. It came from a group of maids, probably from the laundry room, with piles of fabric stacked beside them.
“…Tch.”
Clearly, the gossip was about Erne. Belli, her face flushed with rage, made to march over and confront them.
“Let it go.”
Erne stopped her in her tracks.
“Why? Those bitches were insulting you, Your Highness!”
“…”
Sharp-tongued, quick-witted… wasn’t that how the heroine was described? Where did that characterization go?
Feeling a sudden wave of dizziness at Belli’s foul language, Erne let out a quiet sigh.
“Leave them. It’s not like their words have any impact.”
What was so funny that they had to laugh that loudly? Clicking her tongue, Erne turned to walk away.
“Still, when did the Douglas family become the leaders of charity? First they take in an orphan and make him their heir, and now they’re sheltering a princess who’s lost everything. The Duke must be too kind for his own good.”
“Right? A man who’s still unmarried, at that. He’s ruining his own prospects. Remember when that little brat first arrived? He was just a helpless baby. If it were me, I’d never raise a lowborn child whose bloodline is a mystery. Not after everything we’ve suffered because of him. You wash all the sheets, and he spills juice on them on purpose so you have to clean them again. Ugh, he’s the worst.”
“And that’s not all! That freeloader princess—don’t even get me started…”
Erne could tolerate insults aimed at her.
But instead of walking away, she halted and quietly moved closer, listening in with clenched fists.
“They said the boy changed after meeting some teacher in Vanesa, where he’d gone for his health. But I saw him earlier—he’s the same. You’d think he’d have some sense of gratitude, after being raised when his mother died and he was abandoned. But he’s got nothing remotely cute about him.”
“You saw earlier too, right? When the princess and her maid were having snacks? The moment the maid stepped away, and Cassie made that comment, the kid froze and went running to the princess like a scared pup.”
“Yeah. And the princess had no clue. She’s dense as a rock.”
Behind the chattering maids, a cold wind seemed to stir. Even Belli was startled, grabbing Erne’s arm, but Erne’s face was like carved ice.
The maids, oblivious to Erne’s presence, kept gossiping happily.
“What did Cassie say again?”
“Something like… ‘Wow, Young Master, are you happy you’re getting a new mommy?’ Ha! You know how that brat goes nuts over the word ‘mother’? He froze like a statue.”
He was just a child. And yet they found joy in hurting him, in leaving scars. Rage surged through Erne, making her grit her teeth.
“Ordinary people would feel pity… right? How could they say such cruel things to a kid?”
She wanted to split their heads open—and if she did, she was sure flowers would bloom inside.
Insults aimed at her, she could brush off. But those who would ruin Shuknen’s childhood—a time meant to be filled with love and care—she could never forgive.
Children are fragile, precious beings. Even neglect wounds them; sharp words leave them bleeding. With that thought, Erne, ready to play righteous protector, opened her mouth—
—when suddenly someone stormed out of the laundry room.
“You! Gossiping about the Young Master again?”
“Eek!”
“Enough! He’s a poor child! If you keep harassing him like this behind the Duke’s back, I’ll report every last one of you to him personally.”
The firm, scolding voice left both Belli and Erne wide-eyed.
While the maids stammered excuses, Erne’s attention was drawn to the woman who had spoken—her lips trembling as though she might cry at any moment.
The situation defused before Erne could intervene. A low voice then murmured behind them:
“A pitiful woman.”
It was someone Erne had encountered occasionally since staying at the Douglas estate—the housekeeper who had introduced herself as Madam Linnel.
The person she called pitiful was the woman who had just scolded the gossipy maids.
“Why?”
“She was born a noble, but when she couldn’t bear children, her husband cast her out. He even took a mistress from a brothel, and she ended up divorced, with not a single coin in alimony. Disowned by her own family, the only work she could find was as a maid in noble households.”
Erne’s expression shifted through a spectrum of emotions at Linnel’s explanation.
‘What is this, Joseon-era nonsense?’
Cast out for being barren? And a rolling stone ousts a settled one? As Erne followed Linnel through the garden, she listened to more of the woman’s story.
“Her name is Jane. She always had a soft spot for the Young Master, because of her longing for a child. But the difference in their stations meant she never dared get close. Once her family disowned her, she even lost the right to use her noble surname.”
“…Couldn’t she at least sue for alimony?”
Belli, who had been listening quietly, interjected carefully. But Linnel slowly shook her head.
“Nesheld’s laws are not kind to women. She was cast out penniless for failing to produce an heir. I still remember the day she came here without even a letter of recommendation.”
As they reached the garden, Erne pondered Linnel’s words before tilting her head.
“But tell me, Madam Linnel—did you know those maids were bullying Shuknen and talking behind his back?”
Jane’s story was tragic, yes. But what unsettled Erne more was the sense of wrongness she felt. Linnel stopped in her tracks at the question.
She glanced toward the crimson-streaked sunset, her expression unreadable, before speaking again.
“There are many here who view the Young Master unfavorably. His origins are unclear. Eight years ago, he was found abandoned at the Douglas gates with only a letter. The current Duke adopted him. But to continue the family line, they need a legitimate heir—not an adopted one.”
A chill crawled down Erne’s spine. Fighting the urge to lash out, she pressed on.
“That wasn’t Shuknen’s choice.”
“No. But that doesn’t change the fact that he can never be the Duke’s real son.”
“Madam Linnel.”
This woman looked like she’d bleed neither tears nor blood if pricked. Erne, her face hard as steel, called to her in a voice laced with frost.
“Your indifference is also a form of abuse.”
For the first time, a faint smile curved Linnel’s lips—a smirk, really.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because it’s amusing. A princess barely clinging to life under the Duke’s protection, daring to lecture anyone—it’s quite the joke, isn’t it?”
Linnel’s previously ambiguous attitude now revealed its true nature. And the worst part? She wasn’t entirely wrong. Erne didn’t feel offended, though. If anything, she smiled faintly in relief.
“Good. I wasn’t expecting much anyway.”
“…What?”
“The thing about people who do wrong? They never realize it. Even if you tell them, they just don’t get it.”
Linnel’s expression cracked, expecting anger but receiving cold sarcasm instead.
As her face twisted, Erne shook her head lightly and turned toward the wide-open main gates of the Douglas estate. Winzard had returned from her father’s trial.
Heart pounding, Erne tossed a short parting shot over her shoulder.
“Since words won’t work, I’ll just show you. Even if I’m a fallen princess—I’m still a princess. And you’re still just a housekeeper.”
“…What does that—”
“From now on, I’ll show you what real consequences look like.”
Of course, Linnel had no idea what “real consequences” meant in Erne’s vocabulary.
Leaving the baffled woman behind, Erne sprinted toward Winzard.
“Gosh… Your Highness,” Belli panted as she ran alongside her. “What did you mean earlier—about real consequences?”
“Oh, that?”
What else?
With a sharp grin, Erne exhaled through ragged breaths.
“Life is war, you dumbass.”
Belli’s face crumpled the instant those words left Erne’s mouth. And that was only natural.
