“Wait a moment, Arrie!”
Ariella’s body stiffened like a statue. She could hear gasps of surprise from those around her.
Slowly, she turned her head.
“…What?”
“Even though it has come to this… I still want to get along well with you, Arrie.”
She hadn’t misheard.
“Did you just call me by my nickname?”
“Ah! I’m so sorry. I didn’t ask for permission… But I can’t really use the name Ariella anymore…”
Lizzy wore an awkward smile as she continued speaking.
“If you don’t like it, should I call you Miss again…?”
“That’s not it, Miss Lizzy!”
The question directed at Ariella was answered instead by the maids standing next to Lizzy.
“Didn’t you say so, my lady? Treat Miss Ariella as a princess!”
“That’s right, so Miss Lizzy can’t call Miss Ariella just ‘Miss.’ That wouldn’t be right!”
“Right, we can’t disobey Father’s orders, what should we do…?”
As Gianna and Aurora spat out their objections, Lizzy timidly glanced at Ariella. The way she clasped her hands and bit her lip looked quite pitiful.
Ariella stood there in silence, as if rooted to the ground, watching her.
After the maids behind Lizzy frowned in frustration, Ariella finally spoke.
“…Call me whatever you like.”
After all, it was a nickname that no one had asked for her permission to use. Ariella had never wanted to be called that.
What difference would it make if one more person joined in?
“Thank you, Arrie! Maybe you and I—”
“Sure, let’s talk. But this time, it has to be in a place where no one else is around.”
Ariella cut off Lizzy’s words firmly.
“Otherwise, it would be a waste of time, wouldn’t it?”
She stared at Lizzy without blinking. Her glassy, clear eyes sparkled with a strange light.
“No, my lady. It’s dangerous…!”
“No one is around. How could anything happen!”
Gianna and Aurora whispered warnings into Lizzy’s ear. The way they covered their mouths suggested they hoped she wouldn’t hear, but their voices were loud enough for Ariella to catch every word.
Rose, the head maid, who had been observing the situation, approached angrily. But just before she could speak, Lizzy jumped in.
“What do you mean it’s dangerous? Arrie is such a good person.”
If Lizzy stepped in first to scold, there was nothing Rose could do at that moment.
Moreover, by defending Ariella, Lizzy could earn a good reputation among the other servants as well.
“Alright, Arrie. Let’s go to my room together. I’ll send the maids away, so don’t worry.”
Lizzy’s face lit up with joy at Ariella’s suggestion. She stepped forward with a light gait.
“Come this way!”
It was quite absurd to see her guiding Ariella as if she were the owner of the house, but Rose had no grounds to object.
‘That wicked girl! Our poor lady, caught up with a madwoman…’
Rose watched Ariella, who was following Lizzy, with concern.
However, contrary to her worries, Ariella’s face remained calm.
In fact, the gaze that was fixed ahead sparkled with a desire she had never seen before.
It must be my misunderstanding. Rose thought as she harshly sent the gathered servants away.
***
Unlike the past days when she could only see the bed reflected in the candlelight through the crack of the door, this time, Ariella was able to properly explore Lizzy’s room.
The study was large and luxurious, as it was originally used for guests. Of course, it was not as grand as Ariella’s, but the items filling the room looked just as nice as hers.
It was obvious who had given them, even without asking. More striking was the fact that everything was already packed. It meant she was confident that her stay here wouldn’t be long.
Admiring that confidence, Ariella opened her mouth.
“What happened to my dress?”
“What?”
“The one I was wearing that day. What happened to it?”
“That day…?”
Lizzy tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand at all.
Even though they were alone, she was pretending not to know. Ariella felt a wave of fatigue wash over her.
“Fine, let’s skip the pointless questions. So, why did you lie?”
“What lie?”
“The lie that you’re the real one.”
The reason was obvious, but Ariella wanted to hear it directly from Lizzy. She felt that would help her sort out her feelings completely.
“What do you mean lie? No, I only spoke the truth. I understand that you can’t believe it… but I know you don’t want to. I’m the real one, and you’re the fake. That’s the reality, what can we do?”
Lizzy shrugged her shoulders as she continued.
“I didn’t mention the scar beforehand because I was worried it might lead to misunderstandings, like trying to take your place by fabricating lies… just like now. So I kept it hidden until my memories were clear.”
