The ladies exchanged puzzled looks.
Among them, there were glances suggesting whether anyone knew Laila, but no one stepped forward.
Laila forced a smile. None of them knew her.
All of them were people she’d never even crossed paths with.
Laila had hurriedly appeared here for a reason.
“I have a favor to ask: when you go greet Countess Donovan, may I come with you?”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Countess Donovan.
When she heard that, it felt like someone had poured cold water over her head.
Why hadn’t she remembered? How could she forget?
How could she, of all people…
“…Lady Hildegarde?”
Laila, who was already seated, looked up abruptly.
A woman in her 30s, just stepping into the private backstage area reserved only for staff, approached Lila with a puzzled expression.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Elise Donovan. You can call me Countess.”
“…Yes, Countess.”
“I’ve heard about the young lady many times by now, so I’ll skip the introductions here.”
Countess Donovan took the seat across from Laila.
She continued to look at Lila with a puzzled expression.
“We’ve never met before, have we?”
“…No.”
“Alright then. Let’s hear what it is you wanted to talk to me about.”
Laila hoped to have a private conversation with Countess Donovan in a secluded place.
The other ladies, having gotten the message, stepped forward as if it were their job. They insisted on arranging a private space, which resulted in this current setting.
Laila silently expressed her gratitude to them, even though she barely knew their names, and then began to speak.
“Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful swan.”
“……?”
“It was an incredibly unique and beautiful silver swan.”
“…….”
Countess Donovan’s silver eyes were known for their uniqueness and beauty in high society.
Countess Donovan remained silent, prompting Laila to continue.
“The swan had a unique human friend. The human, captivated by the swan’s beauty, diligently pursued it and eventually became the swan’s close companion.”
“…….”
“At first, the human treated the swan very well. However, the human started plucking the swan’s feathers one by one.”
Countess Donovan’s expression twitched. Laila avoided her gaze. But the story did not stop there.
“The swan endured the pain of having its feathers plucked, hoping that the human would eventually stop. But one day…”
“…….”
“The human ripped open the swan’s belly.”
“Milady.”
Countess Donovan called Laila.
But it didn’t seem like she had something specific to say; instead, it seemed like she blurted out whatever came to her mind out of bewilderment.
Laila lifted her lowered gaze.
She met Countess Donovan’s gaze. Locking eyes with her beautiful silver eyes, Laila spoke.
“Please, I beg you, divorce the Count.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“Miss, I hear there’s a shop around here that has incredibly delicious cakes.”
“Yes…….”
“Shall we go there?”
“Yes…….”
“We’re here! Right this way.”
“Yes…….”
“Which cake should I order? Today’s featured cakes are lemon and lime, but they also have a ginger cake. Ginger? Oh, well… ginger is a bit…”
“Yes…….”
“Should we order the ginger cake?”
“Yes…….”
“Should we not order it?”
“Yes…….”
“Should we buy out this bakery?”
“Yes…….”
“Huh? Sion, it’s dangerous!”
“What?”
Laila’s eyes snapped back into focus. She quickly looked to her side.
But Sion was sitting there calmly. The surroundings were peaceful, and there was no sign of any danger.
Laila glared at Taylor with a fierce expression.
“Sir Taylor, are you playing a prank?”
“Miss, I’m not the one playing a prank. You seem to be the one doing that.”
“What kind of prank am I playing?”
“Actually, it’s not as much a prank as it is. Miss, what happened at the theatre earlier?”
Taylor asked with a serious expression. Laila paused, looking at the unsmiling face and the question.
“You’ve been acting strange since then. Like you’re not yourself.”
“That’s…….”
“Is there something you can’t tell us?”
Us. Taylor subtly grouped Sion and himself.
Sion glanced at Taylor with a hint of annoyance but didn’t bother to correct him.
Laila hesitated before finally speaking up.
“I met someone I know.”
“At the theatre?”
“Yeah. By chance. I was really surprised to meet her there…”
Countess Donovan.
Laila recalled the image of her still ‘alive’ in her mind.
She was a beautiful woman. Her face, almost devoid of wrinkles for her age, and her silver eyes were truly captivating.
To think such a person was killed.
And violently at that!
Laila struggled to calm the rising anger.
Once, before the regression, Laila had been the Countess of Donovan.
More precisely, she was the second Countess Donovan.
The previous Countess Donovan was reported to have died from illness, but it turned out she was a tragic figure who died from being beaten by her husband.
When Laila learned the truth about the previous Countess Donovan’s death, she was filled with rage.
She had genuinely grieved for the unfortunate woman and was determined to deal with the Count of Donovan, even if it meant facing the death penalty for his murder.
So it was a shock.
The fact that she had completely forgotten about her all this time.
‘Of course…… It was understandable. There were reasons.’
It had been a difficult life.
Even after leaving behind her life as the Countess of Donovan, Laila endured all sorts of hardships.
She died a few more times and encountered near-death situations.
In such circumstances, it wouldn’t have been easy to keep the unfortunate woman she had never actually seen in mind.
But Laila thought she could do it.
She thought she could handle the difficult task.
However, the reality was different from her thoughts. The moment she saw her face-to-face, Laila had to admit it.
Had they not coincidentally met today, and if this opportunity hadn’t come to her now,
She wouldn’t have been able to remember this woman in front of her forever.
And she would have let her face the same fate again.
Guilt and remorse clawed at her heart.
That’s why, despite knowing it might sound like nonsense, she spoke a few words from the bottom of her heart.
Sincerely.
Pleading for her to escape so that she wouldn’t die so miserably and meaninglessly as in her past life…
‘I don’t know if my words will have any effect.’
A shadow fell over Laila’s expression. Taylor, who had been quietly watching her, cautiously spoke up.
“Was this someone you had a bad relationship with?”
“No. It’s just… I was really surprised, so… that’s why.”
“Who did you meet?”
“Huh?”
“Who was it?”
Laila blinked. She didn’t expect Sion to ask such a question, unlike Taylor.
Laila found herself answering without realizing it.
“Countess Donovan…….”
“Donovan?”
“…Do you know her?”
It seemed unlikely that there was any connection between the Donovan couple and Sion.
However, Sion’s rigid tone and the hardened expression on his face suggested otherwise.
Sion’s face was chillingly frozen.
“…No, I don’t.”
After a moment of silence, Sion responded. As he answered, his expression changed.
Some of the coldness dissipated, replaced by a hint of bitterness.
Along with a sense of guilt…
Laila rubbed her eyes, pretending to wipe away the dust.
It seemed like her emotions were inadvertently transparent to Sion.
The bitterness and guilt were feelings that fit her current self, not something Sion should have suddenly displayed.
“Countess Donovan seems to be quite a prominent figure.”
“Is she?”
Taylor interjected, and Laila responded as if prompted.
“She has a hobby of investing in plays, and it’s said that she’s never had a failed investment.”
