Perhaps this is the best ending for everyone.
The Duke gets his inheritance, Mel becomes a Duchess, and he himself fills his pockets and goes off to a place where no one knows about the thief Young-ae.
After talking with Elizabeth and returning to her room, Hermia came to that conclusion after much thought. No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed the most reasonable.
The princess… well, she might have just wasted money, but she didn’t feel too bad about it when she thought that she had paid the price for insulting her precious mother.
Since ancient times, parents are not the ones to mess with. It’s your own fault for talking nonsense.
Hermia quickly struck Walter before he could ask another question.
“I’m going to go home now that the charges have been dropped. I’m afraid that if I stay here too long, there will be gossip… … .”
It was also true that instead of holding off on the princess’s offer, she had promised to return home for now. Feeling embarrassed to continue looking into his eyes, which were like pure emerald crystals, she turned around and finished packing up her bag.
“I’m sorry, but I can only take a few clothes. And two pairs of shoes… … .”
“You can take it all.”
Walter smiled dutifully. It was clearly different from his usual expression, which did not reveal much of his true feelings, but Hermia did not notice it.
“Next time you come, we’ll prepare even more.”
Hermia’s eyes wandered around, unfocused. The words ‘next time you come’ flew by and prickled her conscience. Suddenly, she felt really sorry.
“Ah. What… … .”
She mumbled an answer as she closed her carrier and fastened her belt.
When Emily and the other maids brought out new dresses, hats, shoes, and even filled them with various nutritional supplements, the one suitcase grew to five.
As the room was cleaned up, Walter, who had been watching quietly, spoke in a slightly calmer voice.
“I would like you to have lunch here before you leave.”
“…I will do that.”
I felt very uneasy, as if I had come empty-handed and was leaving after just tearing off this and that.
* * *
The meal at the Duke’s house, which might have been the last, had a wider variety of menu items than usual.
Hermia sat at a table filled with oily meats, seafood, and breads glistening with butter, sipping the green drink her servant had served her.
This healthy juice, which was a little bitter, was quite thick and I felt full just from drinking one glass. She spoke to Walter, intending to eat a full meal while slowly digesting it.
“What are you going to do today?”
‘What’s your schedule for today?’
If it were normal, I would have asked in a polite tone, but since the curse began, I kept speaking in my childhood habits.
Perhaps it was because I secretly thought the tone used by nobles was unlucky. I thought I had gotten used to acting and speaking like them over the years, but if I didn’t realize it, I would often find myself blurting out this way.
Regardless of what she had realized, Hermia had decided not to worry about her unrefined speech any longer, since she no longer had to look good in front of Walter. It was getting tiresome to have to worry about it all the time.
I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let yourself get disappointed in yourself and lose interest.
“We have guests scheduled to visit in the afternoon. The chairman of the mining union will come with his members.”
Walter stopped holding the cutlery, swallowed the remaining food in his mouth, and answered smoothly. Table manners, which were as natural to him as breathing, seemed to be innate, not learned, like himself.
He continued speaking after neatly cleaning up the corners of his mouth without asking anything.
“They asked me to meet with them to negotiate wages for coal miners.”
“Why? You want a raise?”
“When my grandfather was here, there was talk of a 7% increase, but he passed away just before the deal was signed, so it was put on hold. It seems like he’s here to finalize it.”
At his words, Hermia also put down the fork she was holding. If they had decided on a specific number, it would have been enough to just stamp it, but why bother with an interview?
There was no need to ask any further. The mine’s ownership had changed, so they were probably asking for renegotiation.
“Have we met before?”
“This is my first time seeing you in person.”
“Did you come here like this when your grandfather was alive?”
Walter seemed to think for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
“This is probably your first time coming here. Usually, it’s sent by official document.”
‘Ah. That’s it. Coming to see the liver.’
Hermia nodded her head. To the men rolling around in the coal mines, the young, blue peacock must have seemed like the perfect prey to be boiled and eaten.
“Hmm… … .”
When I see a man pushing crayfish dishes towards me with an innocent face, I feel worried for no reason. I wonder if he’s just going to stamp it like a fool.
‘Well, it doesn’t have anything to do with me anymore.’
She picked up her fork again and scooped up a handful of the lobster’s soft white flesh and put it in her mouth. Even before she could chew, she felt melancholy at the thought that this luxury, which had been so delightful that it seemed like it would soon be over.
When I return to the Count’s house, I might be forced to fast again. I might even be treated worse for gaining weight.
‘Where on earth did Mel go? I need to find her quickly, hand her over to the Duke, and extort money from the Princess.’
She was busy moving her chin while absorbed in her work, but then she remembered something and asked urgently.
“By the way, is there any news about Mr. Isaac yet? He said he took the train a few days ago.”
“It looks like the trains have stopped running several times due to the heavy rain. I’ve heard that they’re stopping at every station to make repairs, causing delays of several days.”
Walter put down his glass of water and turned his gaze to the scenery outside the window, where the rain was still pouring down fiercely.
“The doctor seems to have gone quite far. The last report was that he was almost at the eastern border.”
“Isn’t the border a dangerous place… … .”
“It seems that news is delayed further as the terrain is steep and we have to cross a rugged mountain range.”
It was even more frustrating because nothing was clearly resolved. Walter’s eyes also showed a complicated expression as he looked at Hermia’s face, which clearly showed her feelings.
After that, the two people finished their meal without much conversation and exchanged formal greetings in front of the main building’s front door, each preparing to leave and see the other off.
It was a simple and conventional greeting, a reply of “no” to the words “thank you”.
The main house butler and the familiar maids, including Emily, also came out to see them off. Hermia smiled awkwardly at Emily’s request to come back here whenever something happened.
Although it was a short time, the days of having fun exchanging silly jokes with my peers felt like a distant memory.
If the plan went smoothly, today would be the last day I would see them. Hermia slowly looked at the faces of the people in the ducal palace who had come out to greet her, one by one, and then turned her unsteady steps.
It felt like heavy weights were tied to my legs as I walked through the heavy rain.
The duke’s carriage began to move slowly through the pitch-black rain even in broad daylight. Inside, Hermia stared blankly at the mansion that was getting smaller and smaller.
Despite the splendid scenery, it looked somehow lonely.
‘Even if you like me now, as time goes by, your feelings will become nothing. Maybe from the moment you inherit the inheritance, you won’t think of me at all.’
Is that the same for me?
The gloomy mood must have been due to the weather, she made an excuse and fell out of the window.
Surely the Duke won’t come with a club, or threaten to kill you.
“Umm… … .”
Since I had a similar experience, it was natural for a vertical wrinkle to appear between my eyebrows, even though it was just an exaggerated imagination.
‘Even so, he’s a duke, so he wouldn’t do something like that. I can’t even imagine.’
Hermia shook her head to clear her mind of useless thoughts and decided to think about something more productive, like how to survive in another country.
First, let’s find a house and then find a job. If you have some extra money, it might be a good idea to open a store.
If I were to choose a store, it would definitely have to be a bakery. It’s a place that always makes me feel good because it smells delicious just by passing by.
After a while of being absorbed in future plans, I felt the carriage slowly stop. In the blink of an eye, I was back at Bansenga.
When the coachman came down and rang the doorbell of the count’s house, the butler Philippe, who opened the door, hesitated and then began to call the servants.
Now it was time to wake up from the dream.
The bags taken out of the carriage hold were carried inside in a line by several people, and Hermia came down last.
Judging by the number of people still in the mansion, it seemed like the Count and Countess hadn’t left for their vacation yet. Damn it.
Hermia walked carefully across the wet ground beneath the umbrella held by Madame Laura, trying to minimize the amount of mud splashing on the plush mats on the hallway floor.
As expected, my stepmother came into view, arms crossed and a face like a gatekeeper from hell, inside the open door.
The countess’s gaze passed uneasily over the duke’s carriage and the soldiers in black raincoats following it.
How annoying it must be when the rule of only entering and exiting through the back door on rainy days is broken. Since there are so many eyes watching, he can’t bring himself to tell her to go through the kitchen door, so he just stands there with a puzzled expression.
Hermia, who had been intentionally moving her body to stiffen up as if it were a conditioned reflex, suddenly stopped walking and raised her head.
‘Don’t shoot! I’m an innocent noble!’
I wonder why the image of him suddenly sitting on the ground and squirming violently comes to mind.
Just meeting eyes always made me feel like my whole body would shrink, but today, the Countess looked infinitely smaller.
It’s strange. Was that person originally that small?
“… … .”
Hermia’s strides, which had begun to advance again, gradually increased, and then became so violent that water splashed at the feet of Mrs. Laura, who was standing next to her. Lady Olivia’s thin eyebrows twitched reflexively.