🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 02
At that time, the thought that “maybe my son could have fallen for that face…” dominated her mind.
“Ahem! You say you’re carrying my son’s child?”
Clutching her pounding heart, she asked, half hoping it wasn’t true.
Halara’s expression, when their eyes met, looked resolute. She seemed ready to say, “Yes. It’s true,” without hesitation.
Please say it’s not true. Just say it was a joke!
Francesca desperately hoped that would be the case, though she knew it was unlikely at this point.
Halara paused for quite a long moment, whether aware of Francesca’s thoughts or not.
The answer that finally came out completely defied her expectations.
“It’s a lie! I’m sorry.”
“…A lie?”
Francesca had never expected the answer she had silently prayed for.
After that, Halara bowed slightly without giving her a chance to speak further and left as if fleeing.
Even in her daze, Francesca couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease, as if things hadn’t been fully resolved.
“Carlos, make sure this never happens again. I already have enough on my plate with family matters—do I really need to deal with trivial things like this too?”
Her voice was a mixture of fatigue and irritation.
Having one son known as a rogue was already shameful, but a child with a commoner? If it were true, she shuddered to imagine what punishment her husband, the Duke, would have imposed…
“…I apologize, milady. But there is something urgent I must tell you.”
The steward’s expression darkened.
“Can it wait? My head’s throbbing… I even had a bad dream today.”
“It concerns Master Dochev.”
“Huh… this isn’t about another pregnancy, is it?”
She hoped it wasn’t. The previous matter had been a mere incident. She thought there was nothing else worth worrying about.
But the steward dug up the smoldering embers.
“It’s about a woman named Halara who just left.”
“Why bring up that girl again?”
Francesca gave him a sharp look, and he spoke heavily.
“Actually, before reporting to you, I asked her a few things. There was a night when she spent time with Master Dochev.”
It wasn’t a coincidence that Francesca had faced Halara. She had even revealed exactly when she had spent that night with Dochev.
“Why is that important?”
The steward hesitated before speaking.
“That night, I turned a blind eye to Master Dochev staying out overnight.”
“…What do you mean?”
“He had quarreled with Master Nikolai and went out drunk. I couldn’t bring myself to report it. I’ve committed a grave sin, milady!”
The steward buried his head in the floor.
Overnight? They had even assigned a knight to watch Dochev 24 hours a day to prevent accidents. What was going on?
“Steward.”
“Please, kill me!”
“Steward!”
“I’ll leave the household voluntarily!”
The steward’s voice trembled.
Francesca was extremely sensitive about her son, especially about Dochev, her weak spot. She would never forgive a major mistake like this, no matter how long the steward had served faithfully.
“Steward! Carlos! Snap out of it!”
“Yes? Y-Yes!”
Francesca yanked the steward’s arm roughly. Only then did he timidly open his tightly shut eyes.
“Even if Dochev stayed out that night, we don’t know if he actually spent it with that commoner girl.”
That’s true, but…
“Even if Dochev is a rogue, surely he didn’t do that. Besides, the girl said it wasn’t true and left.”
“I apologize, milady. I was also confused… but when I spoke with her, it didn’t seem like she was lying.”
The steward judged Halara’s story to be too specific and factual.
“So, you’re saying… we need to verify? You doubt the pregnancy story might not be true?”
Steward Carlos nodded.
From his perspective, it was suspicious that Halara’s attitude had changed so suddenly in front of Francesca. She had testified so specifically to him but suddenly lied to Francesca. If her claims had been consistent, there would have been no suspicion. He would simply have confirmed the pregnancy and made a decision.
“Then thoroughly investigate. Make sure there are no complications.”
Francesca gave the order, recognizing his intention. It wouldn’t hurt to be certain.
Cutting off the tie that almost reached Bloody Mary, Francesca left.
Perhaps because the troublesome in-laws were gone, or because she had parted ways with the original story, she hummed lightly to herself.
“The weather’s nice.”
It must have been around noon. Sunshine poured beautifully outside the Bloody Mary estate’s south gate.
Outside the castle, the bustling market could be seen. The first sounds weren’t the sizzle of grilled meat or a crying child, but bargaining that bordered on cursing.
“Hey, old lady! Selling this for 8 bronze? You want me to starve?”
“At this price it’s basically free! Don’t you know that the older the meat, the better for your body?”
Ah, K-fantasy dialogue really has its own flavor.
The market didn’t feel strange to her. Having frequented modern fish and agricultural markets, it felt familiar.
Narrow alleys stacked with wooden crates. Muddy ground littered with broken bricks and fish remains. Shouts of merchants and bargaining everywhere. Rotten food in carts and corners stank, yet she smiled.
“This is a market. This is what life smells like.”
She wandered lightly, planning her next steps.
How can I make a living here?
Halara had been unemployed. A celebrated beauty in the village, she survived off the kindness of others rather than working. That’s why she had been called a femme fatale. She avoided hard work, instead taking advantage of men who showed interest in her. That ended with Dochev.
But that method no longer applied to Francesca, now in Halara’s body. She wasn’t that kind of person, and men were not her concern.
I’ve had enough of life being ruined by a bad man once. Never again.
“Hmm, how should I live?”
As the host, she had ample knowledge of the world, but relying on it could get her caught up with the original story and be dangerous. As a commoner, she was especially exposed to risk. She didn’t need to earn a fortune.
“Alright, I’ll try running a business!”
Her lifelong dream, never attempted behind the wealthy family, was to open her own restaurant and serve her own cooking.
“Good. Let’s start here!”
Original story or not, it no longer mattered to her.
After exploring the market, she first went to Halara’s house.
Finding it was easy. Villagers knew the house.
A small, dilapidated brick house. Inside, there was little of value.
So all the men she exploited were just a sham.
There were clothes and jewelry, but all were flashy and impractical. She sold them to a pawnshop.
“Only 10 gold…”
Including some of Halara’s money, she had about 15 gold.
Not enough to rent a decent shop and buy what I need…
But the worry was brief. She didn’t need everything at once. She could start small or even run a street stall.
“First, let’s buy some food and think about what dishes to sell.”
Using blankets in Halara’s house, she made a shoulder-sized bag to carry her purchases.
While testing it, she noticed a full-length mirror in a corner of the room—the only clean, seemingly valuable object in Halara’s room.
Should I sell this?
She stood before it, and was stunned.
“It’s really beautiful.”
Her hair was lush, bouncy, and golden like a sunset, falling naturally over her small head. Her face was perfect, with delicate features placed harmoniously. She looked like an angel.
My bald spots!
Stress-induced hair loss from her in-laws calling every morning.
My eczema!
Housewife’s eczema caused by her useless husband. All gone!
Halara’s hands were smooth and glossy, despite being a commoner.
This is incredible… how long has it been since I felt this firm?
“Possession is amazing…”
Tears welled up. She loved her beauty, but she had missed youth the most.
“Let’s go! Now I can do anything!”
She felt a surge of energy.
Anything except ritual food—I can make anything now!
