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Chapter 47
“Miss, you’ve returned after a full two hours, as expected?”
When Iva returned, Jane, who had been lying in bed with the blanket covering her head, suddenly threw it off and stood up.
“Jane, you weren’t wearing my dress?”
“I was just lying in bed, so I left it be. I wouldn’t dare soil your dress, Miss.”
“You could’ve dirtied it if it were Jane’s.”
“I’ll help you change quickly.”
With Jane’s assistance, Iva returned to her form as the Countess’s daughter, fully dressed in her gown.
“This is a gift.”
She handed over some peanut snacks she had bought at the market.
“Oh! Thank you. We’ll eat them together.”
“Yes. Go ahead and eat them now. They taste best while warm.”
Jane nodded, understanding that she could take a break.
“I’ll be back quickly.”
“No, take your time. But call the coachman for me.”
“The coachman? But you’re under house arrest—where are you going?”
Jane looked at her as if to ask where she could possibly be going after just coming back from outside.
“I’m not going out. I just need to ask something.”
“Understood. I’ll call him right away.”
Iva waited in the parlor, and soon after, the coachman knocked and entered.
“Miss, you called?”
He greeted her politely but looked confused. Iva was under house arrest and couldn’t leave by carriage. The coachman had no idea why he had been summoned.
“Sit.”
The coachman hesitated, confused by Iva’s unusually cold, low tone, but he obeyed and sat down.
“Coachman.”
“Yes?”
“You mentioned recently that you had a fourth child, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. A lovely daughter.”
“Then the salary you receive only from the estate might not be enough, I suppose.”
“…Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“But I didn’t realize you’d need money so badly that you’d sell information about your master.”
Iva’s gaze, as if she knew everything, instantly drained the color from the coachman’s face. The lady of the house, whom he had thought knew nothing beyond the estate, knew everything. Without thinking further, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
“Miss, I am truly sorry! I’ve committed a grave sin. Please forgive me just this once!”
“Why should I? Who knows when your information might leak again.”
Iva looked down at the coachman without much agitation.
Until now, she had never scolded the servants for mistakes. She would comfort them, saying everyone makes mistakes.
But this time, it was necessary to make things clear. Not only her information but her parents’ information had nearly been sold.
“I’m truly sorry. With the baby being born, expenses piled up, and I lost my senses for a moment.”
“I see. Selling information about the Countess’s daughter to royalty… that takes courage.”
“W-what? Royalty? No!”
The coachman shook his head vigorously.
“I was told he’s a nobleman who likes you!”
“What?”
“He didn’t have the courage to approach you… I was deceived by a clumsy lie, perhaps?”
“Huh?”
“He asked me to show him your movements so he could meet you ‘by coincidence.’ I never imagined… he’s royalty!”
“Did she say so herself?”
“Yes! I really didn’t know!”
The coachman had been fooled by Julian’s maid, unaware of her schemes. From the start, she intended to plant someone.
Iva could not understand Julian more and more. What was he hiding that required such measures?
“Regardless, the fact that you sold my information doesn’t change. How dare you sell your master’s secrets—you’ll never work in another estate again.”
“Miss, please forgive me just this once. I swear it will never happen again.”
“If I say I’ll forgive you, will you do as I say?”
Seeing Iva seem merciful, he began to plead.
“Y-yes! Anything! Truly, anything!”
“Then continue selling my information.”
The coachman blinked, thinking he misheard her.
“But get their information too.”
“W-what? Royalty’s information?”
“Scared because it’s royalty, huh? My info wasn’t scary, so you sold it.”
He shook his hands, denying it.
“No! I’ll do it!”
Whether he died by royalty or got expelled here, the result would be the same. He couldn’t lose his job, so he stood properly and bowed.
“Just tell me. I’ll do anything you order.”
“Good. While continuing the trades, figure out why they’re buying my information.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Never forget today. You owe me your life.”
“I will remember.”
“Now go.”
Alone in the parlor, Iva took out the first card she had received from the old woman. Seeing the woman rise from underground to the clouds above reminded her of the old woman’s words:
The magic on her had originated in the Grace region.
Until a few days ago, Julian had been in Grace and was still buying her information.
Everything was suspicious. She couldn’t just wait idly.
Staring at the card, she briefly kissed the woman in the picture.
“I won’t just stay put anymore. I need to find out why I returned.”
Iva instinctively knew it was time to face things, not just run away.
“Julian… are you really okay?”
Advan came to the western palace in the morning after hearing Julian had collapsed again. Along with Claude, other princes accompanied him to check on Julian.
Julian lay weakly, pale, and Advan carefully held her small hands.
“Shouldn’t we return to Grace now?”
“No. I like being here with His Majesty.”
Julian’s voice was hoarse.
“Then come to my palace instead. Stay with me.”
“No, I want to stay with His Majesty with a healthy face.”
“How thoughtful, even when sick. Go to the Empress’s palace if needed.”
“Your Majesty, I’d like to rest a bit now.”
Respectfully requesting him to leave, Advan stroked Julian’s forehead and got up.
“I’ll come again tomorrow, and then we’ll see each other with a smile.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As Advan left the bedroom, the princes followed.
“Claude, what did the doctor say?”
“She’s always been weak. He said she may have overexerted herself.”
“And the diagnosis?”
“He didn’t say exactly, only that it’s a heart problem.”
Advan frowned as if he were the one sick.
“We should find a more capable doctor. Claude, watch over Julian carefully.”
“Yes. I’ll take care of her as I do myself.”
Claude bowed to Advan and the others leaving, then returned to Julian’s bedroom.
He sat on a small chair, observing her condition.
Pale face, dry and chapped lips—she looked worse than when she collapsed earlier.
“Brother Claude?”
Feeling a presence, Julian slowly opened her eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“A little dizzy. The rest is fine.”
“Can we talk for a moment?”
She looked at him silently, signaling she was ready to speak if she wished.
“Last night, Rye was the first to find you. I want you to explain what happened.”
Direct and straightforward. Julian had expected this question.
It was unusual that a strong knight, not her maid, had found the collapsed princess first.
“What did Rye say?”
“I haven’t asked yet.”
Claude wanted to see if Rye’s and Julian’s accounts matched.
Instead of speaking hastily, she closed her eyes and recalled her actions from last night.
She had confessed to Rye, who immediately rejected her. Furious and desperate, she had wanted to keep him to herself.
His warmth had felt too comforting, and she wanted to remain in it forever—possessively.
In her panic, she nearly ruined everything trying to hold onto him.
“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I decided to lie down a bit longer and then take a walk.”
“With that body?”
“I wasn’t in pain then. So I had Rye wait outside in case I went out.”
Claude’s eyes sharpened at the difference from Rye’s account.
“Then my heart hurt so much I screamed, and Rye rushed into the bedroom. Seeing my state, he said he’d call a doctor.”
“And did he leave immediately?”
Claude had seen Rye’s tense shoulders. He remembered Julian’s body pressing into Rye’s clothes.
Julian finally opened her long-closed eyes, meeting Claude’s gaze.
“No, he approached to check my condition. I was in so much pain I grabbed his shoulder. I had to hold something.”
This was the answer Claude wanted.
Since her account differed entirely from Rye’s, Claude had to sort things out—one of them was lying.
“I see. I may have held you too long while you were in pain. Rest now.”
He left the room to avoid revealing suspicion through prolonged conversation.
“Oh, right.”
Claude paused at the door, remembering something.
“When you feel better, make sure to show your face to Rye. He was really worried because you seemed in so much pain you seemed like a different person.”
Glancing at Julian for a fleeting expression, he saw her turn away, pretending not to hear, though her hand trembled slightly.
“Then rest well. Tell me if you need anything.”
Leaving only these words, Claude exited. Julian, now alone, bit her lower lip hard.
