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Chapter 48
Lindsay’s advantage was that she couldn’t lie as brazenly as Arina.
“Ah, Young Lady?”
Especially when flustered, her true intentions became even more apparent.
“I, I was just…”
“Yeah, I know. It was curiosity, right? You wondered if that would really work? You weren’t really trying to harm me, right? Right?”
“O-of course!”
After cornering her so she couldn’t escape the predicament, I gave her a perfect way out with my words. Lindsay nodded her head vigorously.
“I, I…”
“Lindsay, you’re a good person.”
“Young Lady.”
“So, you mustn’t do that again. Understood? Because I like you, Lindsay.”
“Young Lady… You are truly an angel!”
Lindsay stared at me as if moved, but a cunning intent to smooth over this situation with acting was still visible in her eyes.
Her eyes seemed far from the pure smile Elron had shown me. Seeing that dark gaze, I also smiled, forming crescent eyes.
I just smiled, making her desperately curious about what I knew and how much I knew.
* * *
Thud-.
Carefully closing the door, her previously leisurely steps quickly turned hurried as she ran down the hallway.
‘Just how much does she know?’
Gnawing messily on her fingernails, she rushed into her newly assigned room and plopped down onto the bed. As soon as she became a 2nd class maid, her room changed to a private one, and although she hadn’t received it yet, her monthly salary was said to have nearly doubled.
On top of that, serving Young Lady Letitia came with substantial extra income.
Even now, beneath her, money pouches from Helen and Belia jingled faintly.
Originally, since Hail wasn’t the type to use her head for such things at all, it didn’t matter, and with Arina’s share of the money also coming to her, she thought she could probably buy a house in the capital and send her siblings to school within a few years.
Her second sister would likely be married off within a few years. Unlike herself, she strongly wished for her to meet a proper man and get married. She also thought it would be nice if her younger brothers studied hard and became officials in the Royal Household or administrators.
What happened to Arina was unfortunate, but ever since Arina ended up like that, every day had been a bed of roses for her.
But-
‘I didn’t tell Bennet. Lindsay also gave me the same juice.’
If Letitia so much as opened her mouth to Bennet or anyone else, it would all be over.
Damn it.
‘How on earth did she find out?’
The flesh under her thumbnail was torn off, and even after gnawing on her index and middle fingers, no answer came.
Just how much did she know, and from where?
‘She should just threaten me already.’
Then she could at least find out the extent of what she knows.
But the small, cunning Letitia just smiled at her without saying another word.
‘Did she test me?’
No, she seemed too confident for it to be just a test.
What should I do? What?
She absolutely couldn’t be driven out or killed like Arina.
She briefly thought about telling Lady Helen, but if she did, her usefulness would end right there.
She couldn’t go to Lady Belia either.
There were already widespread rumors that on the very day Arina was taken away, Bennet had brought in Ellin, Lady Belia’s maid, for interrogation. If Bennet knew, it meant the Family Head knew too, which in turn meant Lady Belia had no influence over the Young Lady whatsoever.
‘I might just get framed for no reason.’
Just as she had done with Arina, she could be made the scapegoat and replaced by someone else.
‘What should I do?’
Her head felt like it was going to explode.
But even amidst this, the bed she was sitting on was soft, and the blankets and pillows were of a quality she never thought she’d experience in her lifetime.
Lindsay, who had been stroking the blanket with her palm, suddenly grabbed a handful of it tightly.
She could never give all this up.
‘I have to think of a way.’
Lindsay, who had rolled over from her right side to her left, began gnawing on her thumbnail again.
How much time passed like that?
Knock, knock. A knocking sound was heard, followed by Ann, the newly assigned 3rd class maid, entering the room with a tray.
“Miss Lindsay, your meal.”
“Ah.”
Realizing the time had passed so quickly, she looked out the window to see the summer sun setting languidly.
‘Such a beautiful sight.’
As Lindsay swallowed hard in frustration, a sweet, greasy scent wafted into her nose.
She hadn’t realized she was hungry, but upon smelling the food, her stomach seemed to stir.
“Young Lady didn’t eat much again today.”
At Ann’s comment, hinting that there was plenty of food left, Lindsay pointed her chin towards the table.
Under her gaze, Ann set down the tray, smiled, and left the room. Lindsay looked over the warm soup, bread, and meat on the tableware, then slowly walked to the table and sat down on the chair.
She put a small piece of meat into her mouth, tore off a piece of bread and chewed it, then took out the wine she had hidden, poured a full glass, and sipped it.
It was the taste of money.
These were foods her siblings would never see in their lives, and the same went for her friends who lived, and still live, on the border between Orne and Diabria.
‘I can’t go back.’
Even if she had to crawl at Letitia’s feet.
She shoveled food into her mouth.
Even in this state, as the flavor of the food melting on her tongue registered, Lindsay bit her lip.
She could never let go of this taste.
* * *
A few days later.
“Is it all done now?”
“Yes.”
The detoxification process by the healers, which had lasted a full week, was finally over.
Honestly, it could have been finished in about two days, but Grandfather had insisted on keeping them for about a week longer.
“Pol?”
I looked at Pol, trying to convey that he should be reasonable now. He nodded as he put away his magic tools.
“You are fine now.”
“What a relief!”
I wanted to shout “I’m free now!” but held it back and hopped down from the bed. My hair, which had grown a bit longer, swished gently below my shoulders.
Seeing me like that, the faces of the people in the room were also melting into soft, relaxed expressions.
The elderly healers, who had been summoned to the mansion without knowing why, had seemed a bit awkward at first, but thanks to my crazily good social skills, they were now all reluctant to leave.
It was similar to grandfathers doting on their granddaughters.
“Please call for us next time too, Young Lady.”
“Me too.”
“I, I live in Orne. Young Lady! Please call for me anytime, even if you’re just visiting Orne.”
“I live in Orne too!”
“Since when is Elcanpa considered Orne?!”
“Here or there, it’s just a day’s journey apart, practically the same neighborhood, for heaven’s sake. Anyway, just call us if you need us.”
Two or three healers gathered, raising their voices, insisting I must call them.
“Thank you all for listening to Gurke!”
“Sigh, she’s an angel.”
I tilted my chin up slightly and gave them a bright smile.
The healers smiled back at that smile.
Watching the healers noisily jostling each other with their shoulders as they walked out, I covered my mouth with my chubby hand and giggled.
It had been boring, but I felt very good because I received so much affection from the healers.
One never gets tired of love, no matter how much one receives.
My cheeks flushed red with the happy emotion filling my chest.
I honestly wanted to keep feeling this emotion.
‘I must do well.’
Clenching my fists tightly, I softly went “Aja!” and pumped them up and down.
“Can I go to my lessons now?”
“Yes.”
Pol nodded, cleaning his monocle.
Remembering that Lilliana had sent letters and gifts three times in the past few days, I turned to look at Hail.
“Let’s bake cookies for Lili. Lili likes raspberry cookies. For Lesha, chocolate cookies.”
Worried she might only prepare raspberry cookies, I hastily added chocolate cookies. Hail nodded as if she understood.
“I will inform the kitchen.”
“Yay!”
I felt so happy I could fly.
Was it because all the bad stuff was out of my body?
Hehe, I laughed. Thinking I should write a letter to Lili too, I turned towards the desk. Pol adjusted his monocle on his eye and approached me.
“Young Lady.”
“Hm? Oh, right. Is it going well?”
I was in such a good mood I forgot to check on Grandfather.
“Yes, to some extent.”
Pol evaded vaguely, seemingly thinking I wouldn’t understand even if he told me. He glanced around the room. Hail and Pierce, the new knight who arrived a few days ago, were guarding the room.
He looks so frail, like I need to protect him…
But they say his skills are good. I looked back at Pol.
“But why did you call me? Oh, right!”
*Smack!*
Rian!
I clapped my hands together, remembering the existence I had forgotten more completely than Grandfather’s illness. I went close to Pol and looked up sharply.
“By any chance, Pol, did the injured boy from the clinic come?”
