Sometimes I'm Short on Blood
I woke up in my familiar rags in the usual semi-basement prison cell.
"Ahh... so languid..."
It seemed even this potion was losing its potency. My fatigue hadn't fully recovered, after all.
Still, it was a relief that my half-sister or the First Wife wouldn't bother me much on days like this. I hoped it'd take a bit longer to get the next potion.
Having come to—whether from sleep or passing out—I stared blankly at the light filtering through the tiny window. Normally, I'd savor even that faint warm sunlight, but not today. I was low on blood. Literally—the blood I'd lost hadn't been fully restored by the potion, leaving me anemic.
"Which means I have zero reason to hustle around."
I decided to enjoy this rare bout of potion resistance. Honestly, it wasn't much of a "symptom" anymore; it just meant I'd need a stronger potion for treatment. No big deal. If they skimped on money, they wouldn't bother slapping me anymore. If they didn't, they'd use a better potion anyway.
Besides, our family was one of the empire's top four in wealth. All thanks to how hard I'd worked to earn it.
Maybe that's why using the ability that came with my reincarnation perk felt like such a chore now. Having wrapped up yesterday's engagement business perfectly, I could just coast from here on out.
As I lay there thinking I'd squeeze in a bit more shut-eye, the door flew open with a bang. Privacy? What privacy?
The maids weren't servants anyway—they got off on tormenting me subtly. Male servants weren't allowed in, of course. Apparently, just seeing me would tank my "value" as merchandise. Aside from the old butler, there weren't any men in this mansion to begin with.
So what was so urgent that they had to interrupt my lie-in?
"The master calls for you."
"Ah, reporting in..."
Maybe my biological father was the most normal one after all. Or perhaps he valued me highly. At least he didn't see me as worth a measly five silvers.
Not like my half-sister or the First Wife. I'd been the one to revive this family, after all. That's why even the Young Master, who despised me, just stood by and watched.
But talk about bad timing. Or was it good? I needed to request a stronger potion anyway. If I kept getting dosed right up to the brink of death with weakening ones, I might not recover and just croak. That'd be a problem...
For my own survival, I dragged my listless body off the rock-hard bed. Nothing like the plush one I'd seen at the hotel yesterday, but this old thing was dear to me. With it, I could sleep twenty-four hours straight. My back would scream, sure.
"What a bitch. Your paycheck comes from my earnings, you know."
I grumbled at the maid who'd left the door wide open and stormed off, then headed for the master's office. That's where he usually was.
The trek from my prison-cell-turned-room in the basement to the third-floor office was a full-blown journey. Normally, I'd treat it like exercise, but potion resistance turned it into an ordeal. Legs wobbling, cold sweat pouring, vision spinning now and then. Without clinging to the walls like a snail, I'd tumble down the stairs for sure.
Meanwhile, these maids sneered at me while scampering up and down effortlessly.
"Kane asked for the certificate. If I'd sent it, I wouldn't have to report in person."
I cursed Kane for not following up on the certificate as I finally summited the office door.
*knock knock knock*
"Master. May I enter?"
"Come in."
I had to knock and ask permission every time. Once inside after the formalities, there was my father, grunting over paperwork he barely understood. No surprise—all the earnings came from my work. I'd considered putting it in my name at first, but he'd snatched it away, leaving me with nothing.
Pathetic.
"Report."
"Yes. I've become engaged to Third Prince Kane."
"I see. I'll look into a suitable noble for you... Lea. What did you say?"
"I said I'm engaged to Third Prince Kane?"
Wow. Not even a sliver of faith in my success? Straight to "suitable old rich noble" like that.
But seeing his face? Pure satisfaction. Thanks, Kane. I mentally thanked the shirtless Kane from my memories and plopped naturally onto the sofa. Time to spin this out with chit-chat and rest on the plush cushions. I was beat.
As I thought it and moved to act, the office door—which demanded perfect protocol—burst open.
In came the only male servant, the old butler.
"Master!! Emergency!!"
"What is it?"
"Third Prince Kane has arrived!! He's asking for Lady Lea!!"
Kane? Why the hell was Kane here? How'd he even know about our house?
Oh, right—I told him yesterday. But seriously, why?
As I leisurely pondered Kane's motives, the now-panicked master barked orders. To me, it was like a bolt from the blue.
"Hurry and doll Lea up. Make it quick!!"
"Yes!! Lady, this way, please."
"Ah, yes..."
But I had to obey our butler. He was the only one in this house who treated me like a person. Maybe because he was old and kind-hearted. Why didn't he just work somewhere else? A good man like him, stuck here...
I followed the butler—who matched my sluggish, hurried pace—to the dressing room. Maids were already waiting in droves, prepped before I'd even gone to the office. This meant nearly an hour of makeup and primping hell.
"I hate this so much..."
I didn't want the hassle. Dressing up was torture: layer on, strip off, cinch tight, loosen up, slather on, wipe away. Nothing worse.
As I grumbled, a new face of a maid scurried over and whispered in my ear.
"Hang in there...! I'll pray for you, even if they're awfully mean...!"
"Newbie?"
"Ah, yes! Started last week."
"Then don't talk to me. You'll get bullied."
She looked so naive—didn't they even warn her? I glared at the other maids, who fidgeted uncomfortably. This newbie must be a favorite. Cute looks, sweet demeanor—she'd thrive with my half-sister.
"I get that you all ignore me completely. Send her to my sister. She'll do well there."
No response? Fine. Do your jobs, whatever.
"You—treat me the same. Got it?"
"Why...?"
"Just do it. Unless you want to see ugly."
I gave my final warning and tuned them out. I had my own survival to worry about.
......
"It's odd. Not a single man around."
Recalling Lea's reluctance to come home, Kane entered the Count Luniel mansion feeling a profound unease. Plenty of servants, but no men. Some debauched nobles staffed only women, but this place didn't have that vibe. It felt like a den of repressed secrets.
And Lea was clearly at the heart of that oppression.
"Good thing I came. Otherwise, I wouldn't have realized I need to get her out of here for good."
Seeing it firsthand only strengthened his resolve to extract her more often. He'd love to take her to the academy too, but that depended on her. He'd suggest it, at least.
He declined the offer to wait in the drawing room and lingered by the entrance instead. The atmosphere was too weird to stick around long. It reminded him of the imperial palace before a purge—unsettling.
He wanted to flip the whole place upside down, but...
"Gotta hold back."
"Hold back on what? If it's that, I'm not in good shape today—glad you thought better of it."
"No, not what you're thinking...?"
He'd closed his eyes, lost in thought, when Lea's voice snapped them open. And his words died mid-sentence.
Lea was different. Yesterday, she'd been a sharp, poison-coated needle. Today, she was like soft fluff. How to describe it? She looked hazy, languid—like she might float away or vanish any second. Even her teasing lacked bite.
Her condition must be pretty bad.
"What's wrong? You sick?"
"Not sick, just low on blood. Happens sometimes."
"Got it. Let's get out of here."
Kane swiftly changed the subject. Not feeling well, low on blood from heavy loss, happens occasionally—it all sounded suspicious. As a prince, he'd had education on physiology, including women's matters. In Lea's abused context, it could mean beatings or... that time of the month.
Just don't think about it.
Wisely, Kane chose neither. The first would enrage him, but he couldn't act without her request. The second? Mortifying. Best to escape with her ASAP.
Wondering what to do today. But with all his focus on Lea, he missed the blazing glares aimed at them both.