To begin with, Mariel did not die.

Fortunately, Mariel was safe thanks to Selma rushing in right away and taking action.

“But I really thought I was going to die!”

Mariel said enthusiastically while eating Bree’s special nutritional soup.

Daphne looked at Mariel with a wrinkled face.

Her words and facial expressions are so different.

“It’s true. When I got hit, stars were twinkling in front of my eyes.”

“Yes, yes.”

Daphne roughly nodded back.

“Then I’ll be on my way. Rest until you say you’ve passed Miss Selma.”

Mariel grabbed Daphne while she was trying to get up from the chair next to the bed.

“By the way Milady, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Madam Banten’s earrings. How was it found in Edia and Rachel’s room?”

Mariel continued, putting the spoon she had been working so hard to eat with on the plate, as if she was really curious.

“Because of Edia and Rachel’s personalities, I’m sure they put it in my luggage.”

“Ah, that.”

Daphne spoke casually again this time.

“I took out what was in your luggage and hid it in their room.”

“Pardon? H-how? You’ve never left the guests, have you?”

Mariel’s eyes widened.

“To be exact, I ordered it and Sir Leon replaced it for me.”

A few days before the guests arrived, Kael told Daphne of the secret passages of the castle.

Among the numerous passages, Daphne paid attention to the secret passage connecting her room and the room of the two people.

‘It means that if something dangerous happens, move to the ladies’ room and run away.’

Rachel and Edia weren’t assigned that room for no reason.

“So I put Sir Leon on standby in advance.”

She secretly informed him that the emperor would definitely make a move.

Thus, Leon huddled in the narrow passage and withstood it with his huge body.

Then, he tilted his head for a moment when he saw the ladies-in-waiting passing by Daphne’s room and entering Mariel’s room.

“I’ve hidden it well in the clothes! Milady!”

He did his part admirably.

“I see.”

Mariel nodded as if she understood at last.

Daphne rose again. It was almost time for Kael to arrive.

She had a lot to tell Kael.

“If you see Sir Leon later, thank him.”

“Yes, thank you. Milady.”

Daphne briefly stared at Mariel, who greeted her brightly, then shook her head with a sigh and left the room.

‘Her personality seems to have changed for some reason.’

She used to have that kind of personality, but has it been suppressed in the meantime?

‘I’m going to go back to my room and rest until Kael returns.’

She had been sweating since she met Zegman in the morning and talked about the situation so far.

Of course, she made up a fiction suitable to the facts and talked about it.

Actually, she was nervous.

It wouldn’t be odd if he caught a mistake at the end.

But after listening to Daphne, Zegman only said a few words.

‘You worked hard, baby,’ he said

“……”

Daphne entered the room and looked at herself reflected in the full-length mirror.

A child came into sight.

If you eat well and sleep well like you do now, you’ll grow up.

But for some reason. It seemed that even when Daphne grew up, Zegman would keep calling Daphne a baby.

‘Kael said he believed in me, too.’

In addition, even Mariel, whom she had no intention of getting closer to, became like this.

‘It feels like the lines are getting blurred.’

Her heart began to feel uneasy. Daphne pressed down on the pit of her stomach.

“Here, Milady.”

A maid who helped organize Mariel’s room was carrying a small travel bag.

“I came out of Mariel’s room because there are some of Milady’s things.”

“Really?”

When Daphne reached out her hand, the maid gave her the bag.

There was actually some Daphne’s stuff inside. They were the things that she gave Mariel to keep.

‘I guess I kept it there.’

“Where should I put this bag?”

It came out of Mariel’s room, but there was Daphne’s things inside, so it seemed unclear where to put it.

“Just in Mariel’s room…”

Daphne, who said that, suddenly shut up.

“I believe Miss Daphne will tell me one day.”

The first words that shook Daphne came to mind.

After that, patting her head with a big hand.

“Baby.”

That was what Zegman would affectionately call her.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been—venting my anger on Milady until now. I shouldn’t have done th-that.”

Mariel, who apologized to her even as she lost consciousness, came to mind one after another.

All of that was not in Daphne’s plan.

And her shaky self.

‘You can’t trust people with all your heart.’

Then the events of the previous life will be repeated. She will be betrayed and killed again.

Like in Korea, like in the previous life, again and again. Again!

Daphne’s breathing quickened.

“Milady?”

When the maid, who felt strange, called Daphne again, Daphne smiled with a nonchalant expression.

“I’ll just clean it up. Never mind you.”

“Yes, Milady.”

The maid bowed and left the room as if that was the last time.

Daphne put the bag on the table.

At a glance, it was a bag that seemed to be full of a few clothes and items.

It meant that it was a bag that would allow her to pack up and leave immediately at any time.

A bag that is too big will be a hindrance when leaving.

“……”

Daphne, who sat in a chair for a while and stared at the bag, stood up.

Originally, it was supposed to be put in Mariel’s room.

But Daphne put it in her closet.

Very deep, so deep that it’ll be hard for even Mariel to find it. Then she covered her bag with clothes that she didn’t wear now.

Slam!

Knock knock.

As soon as she closed the closet door, she heard a knock.

“Miss Daphne, are you there?”

It was Kael.

When she opened the door, Kael was standing there wearing a fur cloak, as if he had run without changing his clothes as soon as he arrived at the castle.

“May I come in?”

“Of course.”

Daphne led Kael to a chair in front of the fireplace.

“I was told that your lady-in-waiting was injured.”

Kael said as he hung his cloak on the chair.

“And that you dealt with the rest of the ladies-in-waiting.”

Wessler told him.

He said he was going to meet Kael, but he seemed to have told him everything on his way here.

“Thanks to you, I can cover the emperor’s eyes for the time being. No matter what happens, the emperor will not know.”

Daphne flopped into the opposite chair and nodded.

“So you’ll be able to take a breather. And besides that, there’s even better news–”

Huh? Daphne, who had been speaking with a smile, stopped talking. It was obviously good news, but Kael’s face was dark.

“Miss Daphne.”

Kael said lowly. She could see the strength used in the hand holding the armrest.

“I also heard that Miss Daphne almost got hurt again.”

It seems that he heard about the story of Rachel’s attack.

“But I’m not hurt.”

Daphne stood up and spun around. There were no wounds on her face, hands, or anywhere.

Even after verifying that, Kael’s face was not good.

“If it weren’t for the lady-in-waiting, you would have been hurt.”

Haa, Kael sighed deeply and released his hand. He leaned against the back of the chair.

“Please take care of yourself. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but Miss Daphne seems to be insensitive to danger.”

‘It’s a bit unfair to say that.’

It was only twice. Once was thoroughly calculated and the other time was an accident.

But there was nothing to say. Daphne nodded.

“I was scolded by Mister Zegman.”

Daphne pouted her lips. She was scolded, but she felt like she was scolded again.

“I also promised that I would never let Sir Leon leave my side in the future.”

“I like that.”

Kael nodded.

“So what other good news is there besides covering the emperor’s eyes?”

“Oh, that!”

Daphne’s eyes lit up.

Of course, covering the emperor’s eyes was also very good news.

But for Kael, the news to be told now would be better.

“I think I can solve Bertrand’s food shortage, Your Grace.”

Just by using Edia.

***

In the middle of a well-decorated drawing room sat a man.

The man who looked exactly like Edia was Count Brighton.

‘I came in a hurry after receiving a letter from my daughter.’

Can they really save themselves from bankruptcy?

‘It would be possible if I used some of the grand duke’s wealth, but there would be no reason to help me that much.’

It was suspicious and questionable. But he couldn’t go back. Already, the amount of money borrowed from banks and acquaintances was at its maximum and unaffordable.

In a few months, the mansion will be stolen and the family will be driven to the streets.

And he will be the main culprit behind the ruin of Brighton County.

‘Ugh, no.’

To ruin the historic Brighton County himself. In addition, he refused to let his family suffer.

Besides, having already come to the grand duchy was an act of turning against the emperor.

He secretly came in the middle of the night, but he was still anxious.

‘I have to get help from Grand Duke Bertrand somehow.’

He wished he could be lent enough money to pay off his urgent debt.

‘But there’s still that land. You won’t starve to death at all.’

The count struggled to gather his mind, recalling the land he had hidden securely.

Still, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“Good evening, Count Brightton.”

“Ahhh! Hello!”

He was lost in thought and didn’t even know that the grand duke and grand duchess were coming in. Count Brighton sprang to his feet.

“It is an honor to meet Grand Duke Bertrand and the Grand Duchess. I am Malcolm Brighton. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

As he greeted them, Count Brighton glanced sideways at Daphne and Kael.

‘What the, they’re little kids?’

He knew they were young. But seeing them in person made him feel it more clearly.

‘I was more worried about the grand duke because of the vicious rumors, but looking at it now, he’s just a growing boy.’

Not to mention the grand duchess.

In the eyes of Count Brighton, Daphne was just a ‘pretty, cute looking child.’

‘Can’t I rip more of this off?’

Until a while ago, he thought it would be nice if he could be lent a little bit of money.

When he saw the two people who appeared easy, his greed welled up.

Neither of them know much of the world yet, so if he coaxes them well, they’ll help him.

Daphne was also smiling as the count laughed inwardly at the thought.

‘It shows all on your face.’

Edia looks like her father, doesn’t she?

‘This is why I like evildoers.’

Even if you tear it apart mercilessly, you don’t feel any remorse.

Daphne intended to rob Count Brighton here today.

“Haha.”

“Huhu.”

Daphne and Count Brighton smiled brightly at each other.