“Are you all not going back to your places? How dare you loiter while the lady is having her meal!”
Head maid Rose appeared at the end of the hallway, shouting loudly.
As her shrill voice echoed, the servants fled without even offering an excuse. The furious head maid was as fierce as a grizzly bear.
Even Ariella, who had committed no sin, flinched in surprise.
Only after the servants who had been attending her hurriedly fled did Rose return to her usual gentle demeanor, as if nothing had happened.
“Please don’t worry too much, my lady. Oh dear, I’m worried that your heartache will affect your health.”
Especially since you are already weak. Rose looked at Ariella with a gaze full of concern.
Ariella had a naturally slender frame and exceptionally pale skin, giving her a particularly delicate impression, but contrary to her appearance, she was quite resilient and strong.
Even knowing this, Rose always treated her lady as if she were a magnolia that could not withstand even a light breeze.
“I’m fine.”
“Fine? You can’t even eat your favorite chicken soup like this.”
Looking down, she saw the soup that had not diminished at all. It seemed that although she had eaten, not much had gone in.
When Ariella awkwardly smiled, Rose’s face grew even more somber. And at the end of that gloom was anger.
“No matter how much you try to force it, there are things that are acceptable and things that are not…! After all the care I gave you, you don’t even know your place! The betrayal must be overwhelming for you, my lady. If I’m this shaken, how much more must you be! But don’t worry too much. The master said he would talk to you separately, so everything will be revealed soon.”
“Thank you, Rose.”
Ariella smiled brightly to ease Rose’s worries.
However, she could not genuinely empathize with Rose’s words.
“Could it really be so?”
It was a plan that had been prepared for at least a few years. Would someone who had burned their own flesh to create scars have taken other preparations lightly?
Just looking at how she had been smiling innocently while collecting useful evidence next to Ariella was anything but ordinary.
Moreover, the most important point was that Aaron had special feelings for Lizzy.
Even if the Duke of Bedford had made a significant contribution to placing Aaron on the throne, one could not ignore the influence of the person who would undoubtedly become the next emperor.
Given that, even if there were suspicious aspects about Lizzy, it would be impossible to expel her without solid evidence.
“Perhaps, it’s not about expelling her…”
Thump, thump. Her heart began to race. Ariella fidgeted with her collarbone and took a deep breath.
“…My lady. I will investigate that woman.”
Concerned for her, Adam cautiously approached and suggested.
Having stayed by Ariella’s side for a long time, he had begun to take on the roles of both a bodyguard and a secretary at some point.
Perhaps due to his upbringing as the eldest son of a baron, he always completed whatever task she assigned him perfectly. If he were instructed to find out about Lizzy, he would surely carry it out excellently.
Knowing this, Ariella shook her head.
“I’m fine for now.”
Yes, for now.
She was trying her best to suppress the rising bad thoughts.
As long as Lizzy did not commit a greater sin than she already had.
***
Even after Lizzy was confined to her room, Ariella continued to attempt contact. She sent many letters while avoiding her father’s watchful eye, and the content she wished to convey was always the same.
[Let’s meet. Let’s talk in a place where others can’t see us.]
However, no reply came.
Ariella tried to calm her restless heart as she waited, firmly believing that a response would come eventually.
And finally, a small note was placed in front of her door.
[Come to my room at midnight.]
The letter had no sender or recipient written on it, but it was clear who had sent it.
From the moment she received it, Ariella waited for midnight with a trembling heart. Time seemed to drag on unbearably. A day felt five times longer than usual.
And finally, the promised time arrived.
To avoid the eyes of the servants, Ariella draped a black shawl over her shoulders and carefully stepped out of her room.
The dawn at the Duke of Bedford was quiet. Most of the servants, except for the guards, had gone to bed, and the hallway was dark and cool, illuminated only by minimal light.
Ariella quietly walked along a path where no guards were passing.
‘Something feels… strange.’
As she reached the second floor of the west wing, an odd sensation suddenly washed over her.
