RCHR 29

Chapter 29

Rebecca saw Zeppelin to the entrance and then turned her wheelchair. There, she locked eyes with Alicia, who was looking down at her with a frosty gaze.
“Do you have something to say?”
When Rebecca smiled gently, Alicia raised her eyebrows slightly and parted her lips.
“It’s time for you to return to your room, Lady Alicia.”
At that moment, a maid rushed over and cut Alicia off.
It seemed there had been an order not to let Alicia speak carelessly to Rebecca.
Alicia glared at the maid in frustration, then swept into the mansion in her pale-pink dress.

‘Her temper hasn’t died out. Good.’
Seeing that, Rebecca felt oddly reassured.
It wasn’t that she worried for Alicia, but she didn’t want her to end up walking the same path as herself.

“We’re ready.”
A maid carrying a large basket brushed past Rebecca and whispered quickly.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she returned to her place without pause.
Rebecca watched the girl’s neatly braided blonde hair retreat and smiled in satisfaction.

Even Zeppelin couldn’t possibly blackmail and control every servant in the mansion.
That was why his hunting dogs made up only a small fraction of the staff. The rest pledged loyalty in exchange for money.
Among those who weren’t hunting dogs, some served as Grace’s eyes and ears.
Grace gathered from them the daily routines of Rebecca and Alicia, as well as rumors circulating inside and outside the mansion.
She picked out the important information and reported it to Zeppelin.

Among these informants, Susan specialized in collecting outside gossip.
Thanks to her natural sociability, she befriended servants from other houses and merchants at the market, carrying back all sorts of chatter.
Most of it was useless, but sometimes she came across hints about price fluctuations or secrets only servants would know.
Her skill in this was valuable, but what really caught Rebecca’s eye about Susan was her appearance.
Susan was a blonde with blue eyes. And most importantly—she was unusually close to Rebecca’s height.

Rebecca waited until she was alone to approach her.
“You’re quite tall. Almost as tall as me.”
“M-My Lady!”
Though she had worked in the mansion for years, this was the first time Susan had spoken directly with Rebecca. Startled, she dropped the towel she was holding.
“Susan, was it?”
“You—you know my name?”
“Of course. I know you’re always working hard on my behalf.”

Just hearing those words from the beautiful lady she had always admired made Susan feel faint with delight. To think she even knew her name!
Her heart pounded wildly.

Susan glanced around. The dim corridor, just after preparations had ended, was empty.
Part of her wanted someone to witness this, so she could brag, and she felt a little disappointed.
As she bowed her head, Rebecca’s shoes came into view.
They were scarlet, adorned with an ornate golden butterfly decoration.

Rebecca had been watching Susan ever since noticing her presence.
Susan often gazed longingly at Alicia’s or Rebecca’s possessions more greedily than any other maid.
Considering that everything Zeppelin provided was of the highest quality, it would have been stranger if a young maid didn’t stare.
Rebecca caught the flicker of desire in her eyes and smiled faintly.

“Do you want these shoes?”
“Eh? N-No, how could I…?”
“I think they would suit you even better than me. I’ll give them to you.”
“Wh-What?!”
Susan was so shocked she let out a cry before she realized it.

Rebecca raised a finger to her lips.
“Shh. This will be our little secret. But nothing comes for free.”
“Th-Then…?”
Susan was already half-entranced, her lips slightly parted.

Rebecca gave her a captivating smile.
“Would you like to play a little game with me?”

“Will this really work, My Lady? What if the Count finds out someday…?”
Even as Kanna dressed her up, Susan anxiously bit at her nails.
Rebecca stopped her hand before she could raise it again.

“Hmm, you’d better wear gloves. Someone might notice otherwise. Don’t worry—the Count won’t be coming home for several days. My goodness, look at you! Anyone would believe you were a noble young lady born and bred.”

Before Susan could fret further, Rebecca hurried her toward the mirror.
“This… this is me?”
Susan stared at her reflection in disbelief.
A sky-blue dress embroidered with delicate pink roses matched the color of her eyes.
Kanna had concealed the freckles she hated so perfectly that she couldn’t find a trace of them.
Even her drooping eyes had been redrawn to tilt upward like Rebecca’s.

At a glance, unless one looked closely, she looked remarkably similar to Rebecca.
“Good heavens, oh Lord! I’ve become My Lady! Gasp! I mean—! Forgive me, I misspoke!”
Overexcited, Susan shouted before shrinking under Kanna’s sharp glare.

Rebecca soothed her kindly.
“Have you forgotten? The game is about how closely you can become Rebecca Devonshire. Of course, you won’t have to speak much.”
“Yes…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back in a few hours. All you need to do is sit in the wheelchair, enjoy yourself, and paint.”
“But, My Lady—I can’t paint!”
“Kanna will guide you. No problem at all.”

Rebecca took Susan’s hand.
Susan was entranced by the softness of her touch—it was like holding a cloud, so different from her own rough hands.
“Thank you. I’ve been so suffocated. With my husband away, this is my chance. Just for a while, I want to be an ordinary person, not the Countess.”

Susan couldn’t understand. How could such privilege ever feel suffocating?
But the intensity of Rebecca’s gaze stirred something in her.
She turned to the mirror, staring at her own transformed face, unable to shake the sense of wonder.
Rebecca and Kanna exchanged a satisfied, knowing smile.

Finally, Susan gripped Rebecca’s hand tightly, as if she had made up her mind.
“I’ll do it. My Lady, please go with peace of mind.”

Rebecca pulled her bonnet low and mimicked Susan’s waddling walk as she approached the main gate.
The gatekeepers took her pass with icy eyes.
“Go on through.”
As soon as Rebecca slipped out, they shut the gates like machines.

They didn’t even offer a polite word of farewell—like soulless husks.
‘All the better for me.’

It was her second escape.
Since Robert was on sick leave, she couldn’t use the same trick as last time. She had spent several nights devising this new plan.
It didn’t make her heart race quite like the first time, but she still felt the thrill.

As she breathed in the air of freedom, Julian suddenly came to mind.
The Duchy of Johannes bordered the city where the Count’s mansion stood.
If she took a carriage now, she could easily reach him.
But Rebecca laughed at herself bitterly just for entertaining the thought.

‘What, am I getting attached already? Rebecca, don’t overstep.’

She forced Julian out of her heart, and with heavier steps than before, she headed toward the market.

The market brimmed with the raw vitality of life. Shouts and laughter mingled on every side.
Rebecca felt dizzy for a moment, but the lively atmosphere was so welcome that she lingered despite her limited time.

“Oh my, Susan! What brings you here today?”
But she had to stop quickly—too many people mistook her for Susan.

Susan was astonishingly well-connected. At every corner, merchants greeted her warmly.
Rebecca pulled her bonnet lower and made her way toward the address Leo had given her.

<Tanisha Trading Company>

The building was neither overly luxurious nor shabby.
Rebecca lifted her head and knocked on its plain, simple door.

“Come in.”
With a clear voice, Tanisha swung the door open. She froze when she saw Rebecca in commoner’s clothing.
Despite her plain attire, Rebecca radiated dignity and grace, and Tanisha instinctively shrank back.

“Um… what brings you here?”
“I’ve come to see the head merchant.”
“That would be me. And you are?”
“I heard you were looking for me.”

Rebecca’s words made Tanisha’s eyes tremble—clearly surprised by her appearance.
Rebecca was just as taken aback. She had expected a seasoned old gentleman.

Instead, Tanisha was a petite young woman, dimples showing as she spoke.
Yet her large, round brown eyes shone with keen intelligence, and Rebecca instantly knew she had found the right person.

“Then, could you be… Lady Rebe—”
Tanisha caught herself before finishing the name, clapping a hand over her mouth. Then she quickly ushered Rebecca inside.

‘So she does know who I am.’

Julian had assured her he hadn’t revealed her identity to the head merchant.
But this girl clearly already knew—proof of her sharp mind and strong network.

Rebecca marveled inwardly while letting her eyes wander over the interior. The goods looked cluttered at first, but on closer inspection, it was clear they had been carefully arranged.

“I’m still organizing, so it’s not perfect yet,” Tanisha added with a hint of embarrassment.

Overall, the structure was plain, but it bore signs of meticulous care.
Rebecca sensed Tanisha had a real attachment to this place.

Though smiling kindly, she studied Tanisha’s wary eyes with equal caution.

“You there, bring refreshments to my room,” Tanisha called to a black-haired young man bustling nearby.
He didn’t seem to be in charge of refreshments, and looked confused, but at her firm gaze he nodded, set his papers aside, and disappeared into the small kitchen.

After checking on him, Tanisha led Rebecca upstairs.
There, a room full of bookshelves awaited.
She walked to a large desk, upon which rested a nameplate befitting a head merchant.

She pulled out the heavy leather chair and gestured.
“Since it’s the Duke’s order, you should sit here.”

The chair made a deep sound as she moved it into place.
Rebecca stared at it in silence for a moment.