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chapter 18
The letter was delivered swiftly to the Imperial Palace, and after that, events unfolded at breakneck speed.
Upon receiving Alice’s letter, Duke Esteban went straight to consult the imperial physician.
As the most renowned doctor in the empire, it did not take long for the secret hidden within “Rube” to be exposed.
Duke Esteban immediately returned to his estate and confronted the household about the truth.
Karina, who had been unconscious after being knocked out by Edwin, wept pitifully and insisted it was all false—but there was no one who failed to recognize those tears for what they were: crocodile tears.
With the emperor’s permission, the physician brought to the ducal castle easily determined that Edwin’s hair had been altered by “Rube.”
Unfortunately, there was no way to restore it to its original color.
Edwin was diagnosed with a condition that would force him to live with black hair for the rest of his life.
Having learned the full truth, Duke Esteban appeared deeply conflicted.
Well, a villain is a villain all the same.
At present, Alice was confined to her room. Not even Evan was allowed to enter.
No—couldn’t enter would be more accurate.
Beyond her door, the metallic clank of armor echoed—clack, clack.
A knight of the ducal household stood guard outside her room.
They’re treating me like a full-blown criminal.
Because of that incident, Alice was branded within the family as part of a vicious mother-daughter pair entangled with Karina.
Karina was the woman who had brewed a tea poisonous to pregnant women and murdered the former duchess in order to seize the position of duchess.
After becoming duchess, she committed countless atrocities within the household and even turned her own biological son, Edwin, into an illegitimate child…
Given all that, it was a relief that stones weren’t being thrown at Alice.
However, having no visitors naturally meant no meals were brought either.
Alice was starving. I’m not going to die of hunger like this… right?
The mere thought was horrifying.
In truth, in her previous life she had once nearly starved to death due to extreme poverty.
She knew all too well how agonizing it was to endure hunger right up to the brink of death.
Alice’s gaze drifted toward the window.
Perhaps because it was spring, the sky was clear and bright. Perfect weather for going outside…
And so, she began seriously contemplating an escape—no, a breakout.
Knock, knock.
Startled by the sudden knock, Alice jumped up from the bed.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Is it a knight coming to arrest me?
The image of Karina being dragged away by knights the day before flashed vividly before her eyes.
Clearing her throat carefully, Alice spoke.
“Ah—come in.”
The knights of the ducal castle wouldn’t bother knocking for the daughter of a criminal.
Thankfully, the person who entered was Ena.
The maid who, if only briefly, had shared meals with Alice and crossed the line between life and death together.
Alice let out a deep sigh of relief without thinking.
“Ena.”
“M-My lady.”
“I’m not a lady of this house anymore. Just call me Alice.”
There had been many maids who suffered under Alice’s past misbehavior, and Ena was no exception. But this time, Alice had saved her life.
Ena’s feelings grew more complicated. Even if it had been under Karina’s orders, Alice had saved the very person who had once tried to poison her.
“That would make me more uncomfortable, so please speak casually.”
“O-Okay.”
Alice was so firm that Ena found herself dropping honorifics without realizing it.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“About what?”
Ena looked strangely frustrated.
“Wasn’t it you who reported all of this?”
Ena was asking if Alice had exposed Karina’s crimes. Startled internally, Alice immediately denied it.
“No?”
It would do her no good for people to know that she had reported Karina. It was better for her to remain completely ignorant of the incident.
“I’m not stupid. Why would I tell anyone?”
“Then why did you insist on going to the festival that day?”
“I was suffocating, being stuck inside the castle all the time.”
“…You risked your life for such a reason.”
Ena stared at her in disbelief. Alice replied with a shameless smile.
“If I didn’t, I thought you wouldn’t play with me.”
“Whatever it was, I’ll pretend I don’t know.”
“But Ena, are you okay?”
Alice worried she might be punished or reprimanded, but Ena nodded, saying she was fine.
There had been many in the castle who had been threatened by the duchess over the years. They spoke up on Ena’s behalf, and fortunately, she escaped without punishment.
“That’s a relief.”
Alice smiled faintly and sat on the bed. Then Ena began discreetly pulling something out of her clothes, like a thief sneaking stolen goods.
Alice recognized it immediately. That wrapping—just like when she brought bread to Edwin!
“Is that… mine?”
“…Yes.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Alice happily accepted the bread and started eating. It wasn’t made by the head chef, Denny—the texture was dry and crumbly.
Still, maybe because she had gone a whole day without food, it didn’t taste bad.
So this is the kind of bread the maids usually eat.
Not knowing Denny’s bread was truly unfortunate.
…Who’s pitying whom, really.
She could barely take care of herself right now.
“Did you sneak this in?”
“……”
Ena stared at the floor, her stiff expression a silent confirmation.
“Then did you come just to bring me bread?”
Security must be tight. Breaking through all that just to bring a single loaf…
Alice was on the verge of tearing up at Ena’s dedication when—
“No…”
Ena slowly opened her mouth.
“Alice, the Duke has summoned you.”
The tears vanished instantly. With a queasy feeling, Alice asked,
“Why me?”
She never imagined Duke Esteban would summon her personally.
What is he going to say?
In Alice’s memories, Duke Esteban wasn’t particularly cruel to her. He provided ample allowance and never tried to rein in her misbehavior.
Strictly speaking, it was neglect.
If he truly disliked Alice, he wouldn’t have turned a blind eye to her rampages within the family.
…Should I try to appeal to his sympathy?
Ask him to be a little lenient in deciding her fate?
But Alice shook her head. He was fundamentally cold and pragmatic.
After the current Duke Esteban became head of the family, the already formidable Esteban household gained even greater influence within the empire.
With a tense expression, Alice followed Ena down the corridor toward the study.
Passing servants glanced at her and whispered among themselves.
Their looks were like those cast upon a criminal headed for execution.
Unnecessarily, Alice felt like a sinner.
Before she could dwell on it further, they arrived at the study.
Please, let the duke show mercy to a child.
With a small prayer, she took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.”
A low baritone voice answered from inside. When she opened the door, the faint scent of tobacco filled the room.
Alice stepped inside timidly.
—Thud.
The door closed, leaving only the duke and Alice in the room.
The study was dim and chilly.
Goosebumps rose along her skin, but Alice concealed it and cautiously examined the man before her.
A coldly handsome man with golden hair and red eyes.
Young enough that, if one didn’t know better, it would be hard to believe he was married with a seven-year-old child.
His expression was tense, clearly irritated by something.
Well… the reason is obvious.
Because of Karina, he had ended up confining his own biological son and heir.
On top of that, with the southern war making matters at the Imperial Palace especially delicate, he had been forced to abandon his post and return home.
Perhaps giving up the chance to earn great merit was what truly grated on his nerves.
He had been smoking in silence, not sparing her a glance.
Alice dared to study Duke Esteban more closely.
In terms of coloring, Alice looked more like his biological child than Edwin—but in facial features, he was unmistakably Edwin’s father.
There’s a miniature clone right in front of you, and you didn’t notice…?
You’d have to be blind not to.
No—maybe the duke doesn’t even know what Edwin looks like.
He had confined Edwin to the tower right after weaning him, so he wouldn’t know how the boy had grown.
Thinking of Edwin suffering in the tower at such a young age, Alice sneered inwardly.
Duke Esteban stubbed out his cigarette in a glass ashtray. For the first time, his red eyes turned toward her.
“Alice Garnet.”
Garnet—the surname Karina had before marrying Duke Esteban.
Just hearing him address her that way made Alice feel like she was sitting on thorns.
It reminded her once again of her standing within the family.
“Did you know about this?”
“Know about what?”
Resting his chin on his hand, the duke looked at her. His gaze was dry and cold.
“There’s no way you wouldn’t have heard the rumors circulating within the family.”
