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Chapter : 34
“Oh my, Miss. Is that a handkerchief you embroidered yourself? It’s really beautiful.”
“If I had just one of these, I’d be so happy.”
Anna was happy to see the maids come over and speak so kindly. She thought their smiles were genuine. So, with a joyful heart, she gave them her embroidered handkerchief as a gift, hoping they could get along better in the future.
But a few days later…
Anna was walking around the inner yard with Shilla when she saw some maids in the distance throw something on the ground.
That’s…the handkerchief I gave them?
Shilla noticed Anna had stopped and asked, “Miss? What’s wrong?”
Anna snapped out of it and turned away quickly.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go over there instead.”
Shilla stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “Sure. I’ll show you the way.”
As the sun began to set, they returned to the tower. Shilla left earlier than usual, saying she had something to do. Anna felt restless and went to the window, trying to calm down by looking outside. That’s when she saw someone acting strangely far away.
“…Shilla?”
Shilla was bent over, searching for something on the ground. Anna thought she must have lost something important, but then a sudden thought struck her.
No way…?
Anna pressed close to the window, staring hard at Shilla’s actions. Shilla looked around, then picked something up. She brushed the dirt off it—it was the handkerchief the maids had thrown away.
Shilla kept looking around and picked up several handkerchiefs, carefully putting all of them into her pocket. Then, with her usual expressionless face, she left the inner yard.
‘After that, those strange maids never came near me again. Shilla must have done something about it.’
Anna spoke as if it was nothing.
“You can just tell by looking. Who’s a good person and who’s not.”
Lucy grinned playfully.
“You’ve always been good at judging people, Miss. That’s why you keep me close.”
Anna flicked Lucy’s forehead and smiled.
“Cheeky,” Anna said.
Lucy laughed and hugged Anna around the neck. Anna gently patted her back and let out a small sigh.
The next day, Anna woke up earlier than usual and left her room before Shilla or Lucy came to get her. When the guard in the hallway saw her, he straightened up. Anna walked over confidently and greeted him.
“Good morning. Do you know where Secretary Louis is?”
“He should be eating at this time.”
“You’re going to follow me anyway, right? Please take me to him.”
The guard was surprised by Anna’s straightforwardness, but carefully took her hand. His orders were to protect her, not to lock her up, and they were heading to a well-guarded part of the castle anyway.
As Anna walked beside him, the guard glanced at her. He remembered how she had charmed all the staff the day she arrived—so much so that Louis had to gather everyone and give a warning speech.
[Don’t be fooled. She may look gentle and delicate, but inside, she’s a seasoned noble from the capital. Whether you admire her or feel friendly, if you say the wrong thing, you might spill everything about our master.]
Everyone at Marcus Manor had worked hard to escape poverty. They would do anything for Raiden, their master, who had saved them.
[Always stay alert. We have many enemies.]
Knowing there were people after Raiden, it was natural for them to be wary of Anna, the guest.
The guard glanced at Anna again, then looked away. Anna just kept walking straight ahead.
“What brings you here so early?” Louis asked, looking surprised as he put down his spoon. A bowl of hot oatmeal with milk sat on the table.
Anna sat in an armchair, acting like nothing was wrong. “Go ahead and eat. I can wait.”
“…It’s fine,” Louis replied, glancing regretfully at his breakfast. With a sigh, he closed the documents he was reading. Anna saw the words “Art Museum Construction” and “Baron Caden” on one of the pages.
“This must be really important, right?” Louis said, staring at her as if expecting a good reason for interrupting his meal.
Anna pressed her lips together, then raised her head.
“I came because there’s something I really want to hear from you.”
Louis immediately understood her meaning. She wanted to hear the truth from him, not from Raiden, who kept avoiding her.
Anna’s blue eyes were clear and honest. Louis felt a strange urge to meet her expectations.
He cleared his throat. “Go ahead. Ask me.”
“I want to know how the investigation is going. And if you found out anything about the people who broke into the mansion…”
Louis’s face grew serious for a moment, then he nodded slowly.
“We found some of the thugs working as spies. After questioning them, it turns out your father and Marquis Nomen were working together. The marquis is even more obsessed with you than we thought.”
Anna felt a chill, as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. She shut her eyes tightly. Why was that man so obsessed with her when they’d barely met?
Louis clicked his tongue at her pale face. “Is it really that scary? He’s not going to kill you.”
“Are you saying it’s fine as long as I’m not killed? Is that supposed to be comforting?”
Anna glared at him, and Louis looked away awkwardly.
“Anyway, you’re not being kept at Marcus Manor for no reason. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“…Okay. I understand.”
As Anna got up to leave, she suddenly hesitated.
“Um…”
“Yes?” Louis tilted his head. Anna bit her lip and dropped her shoulders.
“…Do you have any news about my father?”
Louis sighed, knowing this question would come. He looked at Anna, who was tense and nervous.
“It’s hard to say this, but…”
Still, he thought it was better to tell her the truth, even if it hurt.
“You know that Count Evercline has disappeared, right?”
Anna nodded anxiously.
“I don’t think you’ll be seeing him again. To be honest, not only did the Evercline family owe a lot, but the count had personal debts as well. We couldn’t pay all of it.”
Anna was stunned for a moment, then blushed, feeling like she’d asked for too much.
Louis continued, “The men we caught said debt collectors can be very cruel to people who run away.”
“I don’t think you’ll ever see the count again.”
Even though he sounded sure, Louis actually knew where the count was. But he had no intention of telling Anna.
“Thank you for telling me the truth. I knew you would,” Anna said kindly.
Louis was so surprised by her gratitude that he forgot how to react.
“I’m sorry for coming so early. Thank you for your time.”
Anna left the office before Louis could answer. He stared at his cold oatmeal and frowned.
“My breakfast…”
Meanwhile, at the Haimel mansion, a similar conversation was happening.
“So, Marquis Nomen still hasn’t given up on Anna?” Edward spun a long navy box in his hand. Inside was a necklace he’d bought from a jeweler. Julie glanced at it and nodded.
