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Chapter 22
“Since it’s your coming-of-age ceremony, do as you wish. I’ll be going now.”
“Okay, Brother. Take care.”
The sound of one person’s footsteps faded away, but the other remained. Without realizing it, Anna slightly peeked her face out from the corner and looked at Ellen.
Ellen was holding something and looking down at it.
He was so focused that he didn’t even notice Anna watching him. Narrowing her eyes, Anna realized that what he was holding was a brooch.
She remembered hearing from Ellen’s maid about that “precious brooch.”
“The Young Master hates Miss Orte.”
And he treasured that brooch deeply.
What if he thinks Miss Orte stole that brooch?
‘The coming-of-age ceremony is soon… and many people will come…’
It would be the perfect place to humiliate someone.
‘This is all because of her. I’m not at fault.’
If Miss hadn’t poured water on her, she wouldn’t have gone to find the butler, and she wouldn’t have ended up like this.
Anna stared at the brooch, her eyes shining with thoughts of revenge.
“Cliff.”
It was a quiet dinner time.
“Yes, Father.”
“Where is Ellen?”
“He hasn’t returned from the hunting grounds.”
“Still?”
The Duke of Weekend had heard the news as soon as he entered the imperial palace. Ellen had gone to the hunting grounds to find the white deer that had disappeared a few months ago.
He thought Ellen would return after a few hours, but even as the sun began to set, Ellen didn’t give up.
Even if Ellen suffered and managed to catch the white deer, that alone wasn’t the reason he was acting like this. Especially since it hadn’t just been lost a few days ago—it had been over a month before he started searching for it.
It was that time.
The time when they made an unspoken rule—something they would never say out loud.
“Are the preparations for Ellen’s coming-of-age ceremony going well?”
“Yes. The guest list has been submitted as documents. Once you check it, we will proceed with the invitations and contact them immediately.”
The ceremony had to be grand.
“It will be held in the greenhouse, and the Crown Prince and the Third Prince have already expressed their intention to attend.”
“The Crown Prince wouldn’t miss it.”
The Duke knew well that the Crown Prince and Ellen were close.
“There will surely be someone among the Crown Prince’s attendants who serves His Majesty, so it must not be too extravagant.”
“Yes, we have reduced the number of guests as much as possible.”
Since the Crown Prince’s own coming-of-age ceremony was only a few months away, they couldn’t attract too much attention.
“Cliff. It will be hard, but endure it. This is a time that will pass.”
Cliff, who understood exactly what his father meant, put down his utensils and bowed his head.
“Yes, Father. I will not disappoint you.”
Unlike Ellen, who showed his emotions openly, Cliff was always calm. Watching him, the Duke of Weekend simply nodded without saying anything more.
Normally, Ellen would often come looking for trouble, but he had been quiet. As Orte thought about the reason, she realized that time had passed quickly and the coming-of-age ceremony was near.
Orte woke up only after the sun was high in the sky. She sent Sef to the library to bring books, and the next day she returned them through her again. She repeated this routine every day.
This was because nobles from vassal families had started staying at the mansion a few days ago. They came early to help prepare for the ceremony.
Orte didn’t want to meet them even by chance, so she deliberately stayed in her room and handled everything through Sef.
In this life, Orte realized for the first time that she liked reading books. Among them, she especially liked difficult, technical books filled with complex terms.
Because the content was hard and she had to guess the meaning of words through context, she couldn’t think about anything else and could focus only on the book.
Orte liked the time when she could immerse herself in words without thinking.
“You were just a fake who took Yvonne’s place.”
Just like now—she wouldn’t have other thoughts.
As soon as her mind went blank, memories from the past spread through her head as if they had been waiting. Orte frowned.
If she didn’t think about something, the memories would suddenly appear and wouldn’t leave her alone.
“Miss?”
At Sef’s voice, Orte immediately relaxed her expression and turned her head.
“What kind of book should I bring today?”
Sef always asked, and Orte’s answer was always the same.
Whatever the librarian recommended.
But today, Orte didn’t say that.
“How long have you been doing this work?”
“Today marks one week.”
“One week…”
So much time had already passed.
Muttering softly, Orte stood up.
“I’ll go today.”
“Ah, yes. Understood. But earlier this morning, someone came to see you.”
“Who?”
If it were the Duke or his sons, they would have woken her immediately, so she couldn’t think of anyone.
“It was a young lady from the Talley family.”
“…Yosef?”
“Yes.”
Sef looked slightly surprised that Orte said the name, but quickly lowered her head and answered.
Because of that, she didn’t notice Orte’s strangely distorted expression.
Yosef…
Orte repeated the name in her mind.
Yosef Talley.
Someone she knew very well. A girl of similar age, a noble from a vassal family, and a friend.
No—a person she thought was her friend.
And when Yvonne appeared, Yosef abandoned Orte completely.
“The Lady of the Talley family said she would like to have a light tea time with you. Since you were still asleep, I told her I would deliver the message later and sent her back.”
‘So this is when Yosef came to find me.’
Yosef was just the daughter of a minor baron family, even among the vassals of the Duke of Weekend. She didn’t have a striking appearance or an impressive background.
What caught her attention was the lonely Orte.
Yosef’s choice was excellent. Orte, who was ignored by her family, was so lonely that she gave everything to Yosef.
And Yosef’s approach started with this meeting today. At first, she met Orte out of curiosity, but seeing Orte awkwardly accept kindness and feel happy, she made a plan.
A plan to use her completely.
“An hour ago, the Talley lady’s maid came again. She’ll come back soon… what should we do?”
Orte originally planned to do nothing.
But a few days ago, when she hit the Duke’s subordinate with the documents, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction. It felt like gray had appeared in her black-and-white world.
‘Even if I do nothing, I can still take small revenge.’
After hesitating for a moment, Orte spoke.
“Call her to the reception room. And tell her to wait for me.”
After saying that, Orte changed her mind and sent Sef to the library instead. Then she spent the day reading.
Only late at night did Sef carefully enter and report.
Yosef, who had been waiting since early afternoon, had gone back.
At those words, Orte showed a faint but very rare clear smile.
“Today as well?”
Orte asked with a slightly surprised expression.
“Yes. She came again today.”
She must be quite desperate.
Orte lightly moved her foot as she repeated Sef’s words. Yosef had come again.
After yesterday, she thought Yosef wouldn’t return, but this wasn’t the Yosef she remembered. The current Yosef was just a desperate girl from a minor noble family, trying to climb higher.
Not the Yosef who stood above her and crushed her.
“Do the same as yesterday.”
Sef hesitated but soon lowered her head.
“Since I’m going to the library today, come find me after Yosef leaves and tell me.”
“Yes, Miss.”
After checking the time, Orte confirmed it was an unclear afternoon and headed to the library. Wearing a shawl over her nightclothes and dragging her slippers, she arrived. The scent of books welcomed her first.
After greeting the librarian, Orte went inside, chose a book, and sat in a place where sunlight came in well.
For a moment, Cliff came to her mind, but as soon as she opened the book, the thought disappeared.
As she read for a while, the warm sunlight slowly made her sleepy. Orte leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.
And in her dream, someone she strangely missed appeared.
