Ethella found out?
How much did she hear? To what extent?
My mind went blank.
I'd always known that someday Ethella would find out.
I thought I’d be prepared when that moment came.
But because it happened so suddenly, all my defenses vanished.
"Ethella. Tell me what you heard."
Not knowing what to say, I desperately called her name.
The pain in my throat felt like something was raking over dry, cracked flesh.
Ethella—who always smiled at me with affection—glared instead.
She’d cried so much that her blue eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
"...Sister."
I forced my legs to move so they wouldn’t buckle.
Even that short distance felt like forever.
As soon as I opened the door, the maids standing outside pushed it fully wide.
"My lady!"
"Everyone, get out! All of you!"
The maids froze at Ethella’s scream.
It was the first time any of them had seen Ethella—eternal sunshine of the mansion—like this.
This is all because of the First Princess.
The maids filed out as if being chased, glaring at me.
What’s the point of walking upright if it all ends like this?
I didn’t notice their anger.
My once-straight shoulders trembled. My steps were unsteady. The rims of my eyes were red, holding back tears that never fell.
I don’t know how I made it to my room.
Once the door closed, I crumpled to the floor.
Just a while ago, I had been happy.
Flowers, necklaces, compliments. A gift from Ethella. A gift from the Grand Duke.
I should have known that unfamiliar happiness was a harbinger of misfortune.
I’d already experienced it once—and still, I’d been foolish enough to enjoy it.
Jade and Ethella—who had called me "Princess"—broke away like splinters, stabbing me.
I curled up, clutching at the searing pain ripping through old wounds.
My breath came hot and suffocating.
I always knew this would happen.
Jade. Ethella.
I thought the day would come when even Conrad—who had never stood beside me—and Father would turn completely away.
But it hurt most that even Ethella came to hate me.
As I struggled to breathe, my hand touched something hard at my throat.
My fingers found the pink diamond necklace—the Grand Duke’s gift. The one I’d so happily agreed to share with Ethella.
I let out a shaky breath.
Swallowing my tears, I shut my burning eyes.
I can’t let it end like this. Not without telling Ethella properly.
I pushed my broken heart back into my chest and stood up.
My legs shook, but I forced myself forward.
I have to go. Talk to her again. Tell her it wasn’t like that. If she listens—maybe...
A faint, desperate hope flickered.
When I stepped into the hallway, something felt off.
The maids were bustling about in a panic.
All of them were rushing toward Ethella’s room.
"Where’s the doctor?"
"I heard the young lady fainted!"
"She cried so hard... Her body is weak."
Someone’s sad voice floated by.
A sudden terror wrapped itself around my heart.
Ethella fainted.
I walked toward her room, my knees buckling so badly I had to brace against the wall.
Beyond my foggy vision, Conrad appeared, running.
I reached out to him as if grasping for salvation.
For an instant, I thought I saw a flicker of concern on his usually-expressionless face.
But his features twisted as soon as he met my eyes.
"Was it you again?"
"..."
"Was it not enough to take Mother? Now you’re going after Ethella too?"
Maybe he really does take after Father.
I blinked slowly.
If this is a nightmare, please let me wake up.
Conrad’s harsh words continued to hollow me out:
"I told you: if you don’t understand something, write it down and memorize it. Don’t go near Ethella."
After his chilling warning, he entered Ethella's room.
I felt something inside me—my second fragile support—collapse completely.
The expectations I’d held together so sloppily, even after they’d cracked, were now crushed beyond repair.
"Olivia!"
Jade’s voice, hot and frantic, shouted my name.
He bounded up from the bottom of the stairs and seized my shoulders violently.
I swayed like a paper doll in his grip.
"I told you—not to let Ethella find out! How can you fail even at that?!"
He growled like a wounded animal—his anger directed solely at me.
I met his eyes blankly as I rocked back and forth.
At that moment, I understood.
The day I longed for—the day my family smiles at me—will never come.
My "best" had always been insignificant.
My breath snagged in my chest.
I blinked slowly, hardly noticing Jade’s grip slacken.
My gaze wandered past him.
"You. I’ll go see Ethella first. Then I’ll come back—we’ll finish this conversation."
Jade issued the threat in a low voice, then hurried into Ethella's room.
I reached for my neck.
I clawed at the necklace, but the clasp wouldn’t come loose.
Gasping for air, I stumbled blindly down the hall.
In my blurred vision, I noticed staff looking at me with pity. A frozen Sally clutching flowers. A doctor rushing past.
And lastly—the family portrait hanging on the first floor.
"Ha..."
A hollow laugh slipped out.
As if my tears had dried out, my vision sharpened.
There I was—my younger self—alone and stiff, standing awkwardly amongst the Madeleine family.
Poor, foolish Olivia.
I was never meant to be in that picture. Why didn’t I see it sooner?
I laughed emptily.
Unlike the crowded staircase, the ground floor was deserted.
I opened the heavy door—and stepped out of the mansion.
His words faded into the air.
The portrait in my mind remained sharp—but strangely, his face felt out of focus.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Good evening, Your Highness the Grand Duke."
My voice—calm on the surface—cracked in odd places.
I coughed a little after each phrase. My throat burned.
The Grand Duke rushed over and stopped in front of me.
"What happened? Something’s wrong."
I spoke in fragments—and then laughed weakly.
His worried, youthful face looks almost comical. Why does he always look at me like that?
Why does he make such a sad expression—just for me? Not even my family has shown me a face like that.
It was an impulse.
The kind that rises up suddenly just from seeing him.
I raised the corner of my mouth into a crooked grin.
"Just how nice can you be to me?"
"...You can likely count on one hand the things I won’t do for you."
"Then... please help me."
Because I have nowhere else to go.
I swallowed the rest and laughed faintly.
Facing my tear-dried green eyes, his red eyes almost seemed on the verge of overflowing.
Without my noticing, his hand clenched into a fist.
---
A knock sounded at the door.
I answered, and a maid entered.
She resembled Sally a bit—except her hair was a pale straw color.
"Nice to meet you, my lady. I’m Hannah, the Grand Duke’s maid. I came to ask if you’re uncomfortable or need anything."
Her face was young and nervous.
Hannah brightened when I smiled.
"I’m very comfortable. It’s... nice. Thank you."
It was true.
I hadn’t brought any luggage, yet my wardrobe was filled with dresses, nightgowns, shoes, and even jewelry—all tailored to my size.
The Grand Duke had prepared everything beforehand.
"Please speak comfortably, my lady. You’re an honored guest of the Grand Duke. If you need anything, just pull this cord. I’ll come immediately."
"Anything?"
"Yes! His Highness told us to do whatever you want!"
Hannah looked excited.
At that eager expression, I made a small request.
After hearing it, Hannah blinked repeatedly.
"...Are you really leaving tomorrow morning? And with a carriage that bears no crest? Are you sure that’s all right?"
"It’s more than enough."
I grinned.
When Hannah left, I curled up on the bed in the unlit room.
No matter how small I made myself, my stomach still felt broken.
It was a night without sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, their faces appeared.
I ground my teeth.
Don’t cry.
But as the darkest hour before dawn crept in—when the night is blackest—my eyes grew faintly wet, unseen by anyone.
---
Pale morning light slipped through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Grand Duke stood there, staring out.
A carriage was crossing the garden, heading toward the gates.
"The young lady is on her way to the imperial palace."
Howard reported in a low voice.
The Grand Duke watched until the carriage vanished beyond the gate.
When it was gone, he looked down at the note in his hand.
"...You’re a clever girl. Then and now."
A sigh lingered at the end of his seductive murmur.
The Grand Duke looked over his desk with wistful eyes.
There was a neat pile of colorful envelopes.
The sender’s name—written in elegant handwriting—was the same on every one:
Liv Green.