Chapter 11
The First Step of Revenge
As she exited the west wing and entered the east, Eleanor noticed someone standing by the entrance.
It was a man with light brown hair neatly combed down to his ears, giving off a soft and gentle impression—Ernst.
She had told him earlier not to follow her to the west wing, so it seemed he had waited patiently at the entrance of the east wing. That was very much like him.
“Sir Ernst,” Eleanor called out his name. Upon hearing her voice, Ernst, who had been standing still like a statue, quickly approached her, his face filled with concern. It seemed he had heard a bit of what happened from the maids.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s Nora who got hurt,” Eleanor replied with a light laugh.
Her palm stung from slapping Nora’s cheek, but it was a satisfying pain. Thinking of Nora sitting on the ground, clutching her face in shock, made Eleanor smile even more.
Ernst hesitated for a moment, his lips moving slightly, but he remained silent.
His question wasn’t only about physical injuries, but he didn’t feel the need to push for more. After all, there was a liveliness in Eleanor’s face that he had never seen before.
Since becoming her knight, it was the first time he had seen her look so bright.
“Sir Ernst, I’m sorry to ask, but could I trouble you to investigate Nora?”
“Of course.”
Ernst’s expression brightened visibly. He had been insisting on investigating Nora every day, so this was welcome news to him.
“I want to know when Nora started living in the Tolcan slums, how she lived there, and where she lived before that. Also, please try to find out about the servants who worked in this mansion 15 years ago when my mother was still alive.”
“Understood. Is there anything else you need?”
“That’s all for now. Things are about to get busy, so I apologize in advance.”
“There’s no need to apologize. This is my duty,” Ernst said, shaking his head seriously.
she said with a teasing tone, but Ernst shook his head seriously, rejecting her apology.
From the moment Ernst became her knight, he had always been like this—devoted and serious as if he owed her a great debt. His unwavering loyalty was something Eleanor appreciated.
‘But will he still stand by me once he knows what I’m about to do?’
She couldn’t be sure. Ernst, after all, was a knight of Astria, not just her bodyguard.
If he turned cold after learning the truth, she wouldn’t be surprised. It would be disappointing, but she wouldn’t change her plans just because of that. The same would apply to anyone else.
From now on, there was only one path for her to take—no turning back.
***
Eleanor had divided her revenge into three stages.
The first was to make Nora “Eleanor Astria.”
The second was to make those who had left an unerasable stain on her pay the price.
And the final, third stage was to leave this juvenile world and become free. Then, she would watch them destroy themselves from afar, enjoying every moment.
‘Alright, let’s start with the first step.’
To give Nora her name, the most crucial thing needed was the Duke of Astria’s approval.
No matter how much Arlo favored Nora, without the duke’s official recognition, she could never claim the title of Astria’s princess.
Nora knew this and had been working hard ever since she was warned.
After that day, she visited the duke daily, showering him with flattery.
She was trying her best to prove her harmlessness and put out the seeds of doubt Eleanor had planted.
Not stopping there, Nora put on a grand show for the servants too.
“Thanks for bringing me dinner. Oh, I mean… thanks. I’m still getting used to speaking informally… Hehe.”
Dressed in modest clothing, she shyly smiled and thanked them for even the smallest things.
“I can do this by myself. I’m actually stronger than I look. See? I’m doing fine!”
“These cookies are delicious. You should try some too. I don’t need much; I’m not used to fancy food, so this is enough for me.”
“Oh no, the glass broke! Are you hurt? If the head maid asks, you can tell her I dropped it.”
She helped the servants with their tasks, shared her food with them, and was lenient with their mistakes.
It was clear to Eleanor that Nora was mimicking someone, though it wasn’t very convincing. Still, the servants began to view her more favorably, saying they liked how she was kind and unpretentious, unlike some noble ladies.
Nora likely thought that by winning over the people around her and proving herself as a capable lady, the Duke of Astria would eventually recognize her.
However, Eleanor found many flaws in that plan. Winning the favor of the servants might help a little, but it wouldn’t convince the duke.
He changed out servants as easily as one might replace a broken tool.
Though this might not be all Nora was planning, the biggest issue was that it would take far too long for her to achieve her goal.
‘It could take months for her to be recognized that way.’
Eleanor couldn’t wait that long. She wanted to hand over the title as soon as possible.
While both Nora and Eleanor wanted the Duke’s approval, their methods were different.
There was no reason for the Duke to warmly accept Nora.
Though that might ensure a stable future for Nora, Eleanor, who wished for Nora’s future to be as difficult as possible, was ready to take a faster route.
‘Nothing spreads quicker than gossip.’
The “people” she was thinking of were those who had some influence over the Duke. Not the servants, who were treated like disposable tools, but those whose opinions might affect him.
If Eleanor showed in front of the nobles in the capital of juvenile, Cardiff, that her relationship with Arlo wasn’t the same as before and hinted that he had another woman, it would tarnish the honor of Astria.
Her father, who cared deeply about how he was perceived, would be furious with Nora.
However, over time, he would grudgingly accept the situation. He would have no choice but to acknowledge that Eleanor was a fake and that Nora was the real one.
After all, the prince loved her, and Astria’s ties with the royal family would remain strong.
She would have to work to persuade her father in the meantime, but it seemed like a good way to start.
Eleanor quickly sent a letter to Arlo, requesting to attend a ball with him the next day.
Nora might notice, but Arlo wouldn’t be able to refuse.
After all, he had said, “I still care for you.”Even if his words were fickle, Eleanor could at least be sure that Arlo was still concerned about keeping up appearances like the Duke.
Sure enough, a few hours later, a reluctant acceptance came back from Arlo.
The only disappointing part was that the event happened to be a masked ball.
‘It would have been better to draw more attention with my face uncovered.’
Still, this was the soonest event on Arlo’s schedule, and with the duke away on an estate visit, it was the perfect time to act.
“Hilda, do I have a mask suitable for the ball in my dressing room?”
“Yes, my lady. There’s a white half-mask,” Hilda replied quickly.
She was the only maid assigned to Eleanor who hadn’t been dismissed.
Hilda was meticulous and knew when to stay quiet. So far, there was no indication that she was reporting to Nora.
“Alright, prepare it for tomorrow.”
“Yes! Oh, and… my lady,” Hilda hesitated, her lips twitching. Eleanor nodded for her to continue.
“Wouldn’t it be better to get a few new dresses made? The ones you have are too thick for this season, and most are from last year. A new dress in the latest style would suit you much better!” Hilda spoke quickly, glancing nervously at Eleanor.
New dresses, huh?
Eleanor wasn’t very interested. After all, she’d be leaving soon, and it would be a waste to get new clothes she couldn’t take with her.
But on the other hand, why not spend a little before she left?
“That’s a good idea,” Eleanor said.
In the past, whenever a designer was called in, Nora never missed the opportunity to stay by Eleanor’s side, no matter how busy she was meeting Arlo in secret. On those days, she never left Eleanor’s side. As a result, Nora always ended up choosing Eleanor’s dresses. She would reject all of the designer’s suggestions, claiming that she knew best what suited Eleanor, and would interfere with every detail.
Eleanor had always gone along with Nora’s choices, assuming that Nora knew better.
Now, though she still didn’t care much about dresses, she planned to pay attention this time.
If Nora thought choosing Eleanor’s dresses was important enough to delay meeting Arlo, it must also be important for Eleanor’s revenge.
“I’ll contact the dressmaker soon. It’s been a while since I’ve had new dresses and jewelry made. I’ll make sure to get the best ones.”
Hilda’s face lit up, and she excitedly added, “Oh, and new hats too! Big feathered hats are out of fashion now. Smaller hats with lace, ribbons, and flowers are in style. I think they’d suit you perfectly!”
Eleanor’s head started to spin from all the fashion talk. Sensing that Hilda wouldn’t stop anytime soon, she quickly cut her off.
“Yes, let’s get some new hats too. But I need to be somewhere, so we’ll talk more later.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, my lady!” Hilda quickly apologized.
“There’s no need for that.”
Hilda blushed like a tomato as she opened the door for Eleanor, who noticed Ernst waiting outside.
His appearance was as neat as usual, but there was a small tuft of hair sticking up on the side of his head.
Eleanor turned and saw Hilda hesitating behind her. ‘Let’s test her,’ she thought.
Turning back to Ernst, Eleanor smiled softly and said, “You must have rushed here, Sir Ernst.” She spoke gently as she reached up to fix his messy hair.
A woman who’s engaged shouldn’t be touching another man’s hair, especially when that man is her knight. It was the perfect setup for a rumor. If Hilda had been reported back to Nora, this scene would have reached Nora’s ears soon.
“…Thank you,” Ernst said, clearly flustered. His normally stiff face grew even more rigid.
Eleanor knew that Ernst was sharp enough to guess why she was doing this. She wished he could play along better, but this was probably the best he could do given his honest nature.
Glancing back at Hilda, Eleanor saw her face flush with excitement. ‘She thinks she’s just found some juicy gossip,’ Eleanor thought. But something seemed off. If Hilda had been secretly passing information to Nora, wouldn’t she try to hide her excitement?
Maybe she was just new to the job. Eleanor shrugged off the thought and began walking ahead.
She would find out the results of this test soon enough. Worrying about it now wouldn’t help.
“My lady, may I ask where you’re heading? I didn’t receive any schedule for today…” Ernst asked.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. There are no external plans today. I’m just heading to the west wing to see Nora.”
Ernst’s face immediately turned pale. He clearly hadn’t expected Eleanor to willingly meet Nora.
“I’ll escort you,” he offered.
His serious demeanor made it seem like he was preparing for a dangerous mission rather than a simple walk within the estate. Eleanor had to stifle her laughter.
‘Today, I’m the villain,’ she thought.
There was no need to explain that to him. With a smile, Eleanor continued on her way.
