No Answer
“No answer.”
“…….”
“Fine. Then I’ll take care of this one myself. I’m the Clementine, after all?”
“…….”
“Take the kids and get out, Veronica. Oh, and the ring—if your interest wanes later, I’ll return it. You’ll know that much.”
“……Yes, I understand, milady.”
Veronica could do nothing but obey Idel’s words right there. If she so much as ruffled the feathers of her mood, Idel would surely run straight to Sylvia and spill everything. ‘I can’t let that happen.’ Without Sylvia to back up her secret with Demaric, her relationship would crumble. And more than that—if Demaric learned that all the effort he had poured into this place had vanished because of her… ‘No! Demaric would never abandon me.’ Veronica shook her head vigorously, scattering the negative thoughts, and clenched her fists tight. Only now, after leaving Idel’s room and dismissing the servants, did the wave of humiliation finally crash over her. Though the Clementine Duchy was a grand house, her own family was small and unimpressive by comparison, yet she had been a young lady of noble birth. Idel had dealt her humiliation she had never before experienced—before entering the duchy or even after. Her legs trembled as she made her way back to her room, and she spat out a torrent of angry curses. “That filthy rat…!” A fleeting smile crossed Idel’s face, the one who had seemed to find her so amusing. Idel had spoken to her with the expression of someone who had found an interesting toy. “Calling me a toy.” Grinding her teeth in silent mutter, Veronica’s eyes landed on the letter she had tossed into the trash bin. The anonymous sender. ‘No way… the young lady?’ Impossible. The young lady had only just learned her secret through the ring today. It could not possibly be her, the sender of the letter that had haunted her for so long. ‘Which means at least two people in this mansion know this secret right now.’ The suppressed unease roared back like a beast. Veronica paced the room like a madwoman. After wandering for what felt like forever, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. “……First, let’s handle the easy one.” There wasn’t enough information on the anonymous sender. Who the culprit was didn’t matter much, but what their motive was, she didn’t know either. ‘But Idel Clementine isn’t it.’ She knew exactly who she was and why she had said those things. ‘An interesting toy. A plaything or a punching bag.’ The answer was simple. ‘Just make sure it no longer feels like a game.’ Even if the other side was above her station, she was an adult while he was just a child, no matter how cunning. She herself couldn’t even manage simple pranks that her own maids noticed. People only truly understand each other when they are on equal footing. “……Like how you left the room without a word because you were scared, I’ll make sure you can’t speak to anyone.” In the dim room where not a single lamp burned, Veronica’s eyes glittered with determination. * * * Watch this? “Ouch! It hurts!! How am I supposed to comb my hair?!” “I’m sorry, milady Idel. Should I call another maid?” “You know that’s the third time I’ve heard that, don’t you?” “It’s just… we’re short-staffed…” Idel’s gaze shifted to the floor, where her red hair lay scattered, and then to the maids who bowed their heads while smiling. ‘Using physical force now?’ There… “Smiling?” “H-haha… I’m sorry. I wasn’t crying out of embarrassment or anything…” “Ivan’s right, milady. I misunderstood. Ivan was just laughing, not crying because she was scared.” Even distorting the obvious. ‘She seemed like she was evolving, but it’s Veronica after all.’ A solid anchor had been given to these immature brats. A pretty solid one. ‘Pretty solid.’ She was the secret fiancée of Idel’s direct superior and secretly dating him, so of course her actions were different. Nobles knew how to make a bad impression and then slip away gracefully. ‘Just like how the maids told her they were short-staffed as a polite act—Veronica must have told them to do that.’ They had deliberately messed up her hair to make her scream, all while preparing to say it was their fault if anyone asked for a reason. Unlike Diane, who was utterly flustered by the maids’ growing boldness, Idel found the entire situation delightfully satisfying. ‘Thanks to this anchor of Veronica’s, I can finally drag Sylvia out of this rotten plot.’ It was also perfect for proving she was as isolated as Melissa had intended. Thanks entirely to Veronica following her plan. ‘Then I should dance to their tune a little.’ Idel rose from her seat and glared sharply at the three who were spinning their lies. She remembered not to let her usual irritation show. Without blinking, she opened her mouth in a voice choked with suppressed emotion. “You’re saying I’m wrong? You were laughing just now. Not a single tear, and you claim that was what you were doing?” “…I-I’m sorry, milady Idel, ugh-huh…” “Ivan…” Idel’s pointed finger caused Ivan to bury her face in both hands and shake. Her colleagues on either side were desperately trying to comfort her, making the picture look perfectly tragic. “…What is this?” “Ah, Lady Sylvia, Lady Veronica…” “Ugh……” The maid who had hastily covered the fallen hair with her skirt shot a look of distress between Idel and Ivan. “Lady Idel was having her hair styled when……” “Lady Idel?” Sylvia’s eyes demanded an explanation as Idel let out a sharp cry. “I didn’t do anything wrong! They pulled my hair first! Three times! And they laughed at me!” “No, Lady Sylvia! They didn’t laugh—Ivan was just crying because she was upset!” “But you clearly—” Idel cut herself off, closed her mouth, and swept the room with eyes sharpened like daggers. Sylvia, Veronica, and the three maids. Every single one of them was against her. She took a deep breath, then clenched her teeth and averted her gaze. “Enough. I don’t need this anymore.” “Haa…… Lady Idel, I heard you ran at Lady Veronica like a madwoman earlier. If you keep doing this……” “I’ll tell the duchess? Go ahead and try! Or lock me up in the annex like last time!” Idel countered Sylvia’s sharp words with a fist clenched so tight her knuckles whitened. Tears welled in her eyes, filled with pure malice. “Ugh……” Idel forced herself to hold back tears for the sake of her pride. The moment she believed everyone had seen her cry, she turned and fled the room. A perfect exit. * * * “Haa, ha…… Here’s good. Hoo, haaa, this should do it.” Having successfully shed tears in front of the maids, Idel finally stopped her frantic running the moment she reached a place where no one could hear her. Her body naturally bent forward with the pounding of her heart and the burning in her lungs. Kneeling, she pressed her hands to her knees and gasped for air. A faint, winded laugh slipped out. “Haa, ha…… Aha! Haha!” The expressions of Veronica and the maids had been priceless. They looked so smug, like victors in a battle. Idel, who had rarely laughed out loud, slowly caught her breath. Her cheeks were still damp from not wiping away the tears, but what did it matter? ‘Who would even come here?’ Breathing through the bizarre sight of laughing and crying, Idel slowly straightened her upper body. And the moment her eyes lifted to the front…… “Ah!” Idel accidentally fell flat on her behind. There was someone standing right in front of her, completely unexpected. Like a ghost. “Are you all right?” Dante Knightray had not appeared like a real ghost, but still. His stern face showed no trace of his earlier injury as he watched the hand extended toward her. “I’ll help you up.” The fallen woman, the outstretched hand, and Dante himself created a strangely familiar scene.
