However, what Lizzy found there was.
“Pfft…! Hahaha!”
It was laughter, not tears.
That laughter, which had faintly echoed from a distant place that night, was something she had never thought belonged to Ariella.
Lizzy’s face stiffened in confusion.
Ariella, who was struggling to contain her laughter, gently took Lizzy’s hand with her soft touch.
“Thank you, Lizzy.”
She said with a bright smile.
“For becoming the real thing in my place.”
Is there no turning back?
The whispering voice was sweeter than ever.
Lizzy’s brow furrowed mercilessly. She had been standing there with her mouth agape like a fool, but soon regained her composure and glared fiercely at Ariella.
“What? Thank you?”
For Lizzy, this was a situation she could not comprehend at all. For years, as she prepared her plans, she had imagined the reactions Ariella would have when she was betrayed, but never once had she envisioned this kind of response.
Anyone else would have reacted the same way.
Who could dare to know how unhappy Ariella’s life had been as the Princess of Abercorn, how many days she had spent in tears and resignation?
How desperately she must have wanted to escape this terrible place! No one would know unless Ariella shared all her experiences up to now.
And Ariella had no intention of explaining this to someone who claimed they would willingly step into the mire in her place.
“Hah!”
Lizzy scoffed.
That laugh was merely the flailing of a cornered rat. She interpreted it this way: Ariella was putting on a show of bravado because she didn’t want to lose.
“Yes, I have to protect my pride somehow, right?”
Lizzy gazed at Ariella with contempt. The glint in her eyes directed at her was strangely chilling, but she refused to back down, raising her gaze defiantly.
“Is that even possible? If you were thinking that way, you wouldn’t have burned your thigh with your own hands.”
“Oh my, that must have hurt. But isn’t it a relief? If it had been a bigger scar, it would have been unbearable.”
“I’m fine. The pain is temporary, but the mark will be eternal.”
“Well, I wonder if that’s really the case.”
There would be plenty more pain to come, Ariella muttered.
Lizzy took this as a sign that she would not be able to claim the title of princess and raised her voice.
“We’ll see how long that arrogance lasts. From the looks of it, I doubt it will be for long.”
“Yes, do your best. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Ariella herself was unaware of it, but she had quite a talent for turning Lizzy’s insides upside down.
It would be a lie to say she had no intention of mocking her, but still, she had only spoken the truth, and yet Lizzy’s pretty face flushed red with anger.
“You…!”
Lizzy dropped the formalities and was about to start a real fight. But suddenly, she closed her mouth.
Thud, thud.
Footsteps could be faintly heard from beyond the door. It seemed someone was approaching from the end of the hallway.
‘It seemed I made it clear not to eavesdrop, so who is coming?’
Ariella looked toward the door with a puzzled expression.
And then it happened.
Crack!
A sudden sound of a break erupted right in front of her.
As she quickly turned her eyes, she saw Lizzy standing there, holding her own cheek. Without stopping, Lizzy slapped her own cheek again.
Smack! Crack!
“Ah! I’m sorry, Miss! Please spare me!”
Ariella’s face turned to one of disbelief at the sight of her self-flagellating and screaming. What on earth was she doing?
“What is going on?!”
The sound of footsteps grew closer, and soon the Duke of Abercorn burst through the door.
Ariella was slightly impressed. How did he know he would come? It seemed he had given his maid a heads-up in advance.
“Yes, to claim the title of princess, one must be able to plan like this.”
She turned to look at her father with a satisfied smile.
The Duke of Abercorn surveyed the situation with a bewildered expression.
Lizzy quickly helped him understand.
“Um, I’m really sorry, Miss… I dared to use your nickname… I thought it was okay since you allowed me to earlier. I’m sorry.”
The reason she had hastily attached was quite clever. She had shown displeasure when hearing the nickname in front of the servants earlier, so it would sound plausible to others.
To allow a nickname in front of others and then slap her in private. How petty could one be? It was even Ariella who suggested going somewhere without anyone watching, making it a perfect situation for bad rumors to spread.
“Eli, what is going on? Did you really do this?”
The Duke asked, frowning.
