‘Yeah, let’s pull ourselves together.’
Crying in a tiger’s den only decreases the chances of survival.
“Sigh…”
After hearing Idel’s inexplicable sigh, the head maid briefly checked her expression before speaking again.
Her actions appeared more pragmatic, as though completing the Duke’s task took precedence over Idel’s response.
“Rose and Veronica will attend to you closely, but for the time being, I will take care of your affairs, Miss Idel. When you wish to move or feel hungry, just pull the rope to summon a maid. We will take care of it.”
“…For the time being?”
“Yes, for the time being. Miss Idel, it will take some time for you to get accustomed to life at the Clementine Duke’s residence, won’t it?”
Despite her impeccable tone and slightly lowered eyelids, her politeness was evident.
However, beneath the eyelids, the unhidden true feelings peeked through, prompting Idel to speak in a tone that was neither sincere nor whining. It was to assess the situation.
“Um, what about Mom? I want to see her.”
“You must be referring to the former Countess Lopez. She appears to be preoccupied with urgent matters and may not be able to meet you for the time being.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Was she being treated like a fool because she’s a child? It’s not like she wasn’t there when the Duke gave the orders, so why lie without hesitation…
Furthermore, this was an exaggerated response beyond what the Duke had ordered.
The Duke had ordered her to separate her from Melissa and not watch her every move.
‘Why go this far?’
As Idel silently considered the possibilities, she rolled her eyes for a moment before speaking calmly again.
“……then can I see the girl that was next to the Duchess? She was crying. I’m not in a good mood either, but we can hang out together. We can eat something delicious together. How about it?”
“That sounds nice, but I’m afraid it won’t be possible. Miss Gianna isn’t feeling well, so it might be challenging to make time. If Miss Idel insists on meeting her, wouldn’t it be a problem?”
Idel’s eyes widened as she watched the head maid dismiss her suggestion with a sneer. Just as she feared.
‘It’s because of the heroine, Gianna, who’s more obsequious than the Duke’s orders, right? Trying to protect the esteemed young lady of the duchy?’
It seemed like the head maid was worried about Idel behaving badly towards Gianna, like her mother, Melissa Lopez. So it seems like she’s trying to keep her from paying attention by pretending to care about her…
‘That’s a very desirable thought.’
Idel recalled what Melissa said just before stepping into the Duke’s mansion.
‘Idel, Idel is on Mom’s side, right?’
‘Yeah, Idel is on Mom’s side.’
‘What do you call people who don’t like Mom?’
‘Bad people.’
‘Yeah. You have to be mean to bad people. There are only two of us on our side: Idel and Mommy. Do you understand what I mean?’
‘Yeah. But…….’
“You know, if Idel is kind to bad people or if she disappoints this mother, she will… Help Mom make the right choice, so she won’t be sad.’
Until she recalled her past life, it was comforting to think that her mother relied on her, but now she knew better.
‘If I don’t listen to the warning, she’ll brainwash and curse me, turning me into a puppet.’
If Idel wanted to survive as a human, she had to be the “good daughter who listens to her “Mom” and does bad things to people associated with the Duke.”
So, she had no choice but to accept the attitude of the servants who warned her first, even though she didn’t want to.
‘Well, that action wasn’t particularly for my sake.’
Idel shook her head inwardly and spoke with a flat tone. For now, she just wanted to finish her conversation with the head maid.
“Hmph! Boring. I want to go to my room.”
As she walked to her room, Idel realized her conclusion in the parlor was correct.
Indeed, there was no solution in this place.
In the uncertain development of a ridiculous story, escaping as soon as possible was the best option.
‘They’re just cautious right now; when the original story truly begins… wait’ Cautious?’
Idel’s mind raced at the thought.
‘Either way, being loved is out of the question.’
With her evil mother constantly observing and cursing her, Idel was forced to engage in a variety of negative behaviors. Is it reasonable to expect love in such a situation? Ridiculous.
‘But on the other hand, if I get too caught up worrying about Melissa’s curse and make a misstep, crossing the line…’
‘I’ll end up being marked by the ‘Queen of Darkness” and receive a chrysanthemum ending**.’
(TL/N: To have a tragic ending.)
Even if she luckily managed to avoid death, preventing a future where she ends up in a marriage arranged as if being sold was an uncertain task.
‘So, the answer is clear. All I need to do is commit enough misdeeds to evade both sides’ punishment.’
As uncomfortable as it was to walk a tightrope between “Cursed Birth Mother” and “Future Dark Queen Mother,” what could she do?
‘This is not about the world getting me; it’s about me getting the world.’
Some wise saying she’d heard somewhere resonated with her today. Survive by being just bad enough and flee at the right moment.
[The illegitimate child of a duke who is beyond redemption runs away from home.]
In a soap opera, this level of exit would be enough, right?
‘Now, I need to devise the details of the plan…’
Recalling the servants’ behavior gave her ample time to think about her options.
Having decided what to do made Idel feel like she had enough time to contemplate her strategies.
ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
It had been some time since she had been under surveillance under the guise of adapting.
Naturally, Idel had not encountered anyone, including Melissa.
‘I will make sure of it.’
She felt a strong determination not to create any variables during the process of verifying if she truly belonged to the Clementine bloodline or what kind of child “Idel” was.
“Idel, if you ever need anything, you can always call us at any time…….”
“Not this again? Ugh, so annoying! I want to play alone, so just leave!”
Idel huffed, pursing her lips, then swiftly turned her head away.
The scribbles on the floor were a testament to days of rummaging through her memory.
As Idel counted the days on the papers, her eyes narrowed.
‘Is it almost time?’
The issue of verifying her biological lineage and the adult’s affairs would soon reach a resolution.
‘I will soon receive the ‘Clementine’ surname and join the Ducal family.’
It was a regrettable matter for both the Duke and Duchess, but the test results were already predetermined.
Before she entered the ducal family, Melissa had already marked Idel’s body.
Of course, it was only temporary, and if another test were to be conducted in a few years, it would show a different result, but who needs to double-check what’s already been proven?
‘Once it’s revealed that I bear the Duke’s blood, that’s when the real game begins.’
Idel rubbed the pencil in her small hand, gathering her thoughts.
‘My goal is to appear somewhat naive and bad, but also insignificant. And to seize the moment to escape.’
Though she was already putting on quite a performance, she knew she had to devote even more effort going forward.
‘I’m vulnerable to people like the heroine in this novel.’
Those who shine like the sun, and don’t hesitate to extend a hand to others.
However, a sturdy wall always begins to crumble from the smallest crack, and the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can become a hurricane.
‘So, let’s be cautious from the beginning, not to leave any room for doubt.’
Idel clenched her fists, renewing her resolve.
Meanwhile, the maid standing beside her was torn by conflict.
‘Should I clean this up now?’
Casting a quick glance at Idel, the maid rolled her eyes in contemplation.
‘I can tell by the way you’re squinting that you’re sleepy…….’
The new girl is a bit of a mystery.
She kept glancing around, which annoyed Idel, so she stayed quiet like a transparent ghost.
After being ignored no matter what she said, the maid had been troubled for a while.
The maid pondered for a while, then observed Idel more closely.
The scribbles on the ground, the blank expression, the half-turned posture…
‘I’m not sure if she’s sleepy, but she appeared to have lost interest in her drawing. Let’s clean up before she says another word.’
With certainty about Idel’s condition, the maid approached her quietly.
As she reached for the paper to clean up the scribbles, the edge brushed against her palm, causing a sharp, sudden pain to shoot through her hand.
“Ouch!”
Caught off guard, the maid instinctively grabbed her hand, and, upon looking up, she stifled a gasp at the sight of Idel.
She wasn’t sure if she was startled or frustrated at the sudden accident, but she looked at her with wide eyes.
“Oh, um…”
The flustered maid couldn’t finish her sentence before tightly holding her hand. Blood vividly oozed into her palm.
“You’re bleeding…….”
Idel was just as flustered.
She reached out and started to ask if she was okay, but quickly shut her mouth.
She felt awful about the unintentional accident, but worrying about the maid now would have destroyed the sensitive image she had built up over the past few days.
Instead, Idel quickly withdrew her lost hand and raised her voice.
“It’s not my fault! You’re the one who dared to touch my things! You’re the bad one! You were trying to take my paper, weren’t you? I know it all…”
“Oh, no! I was just trying to clear the paper away before you noticed……. I wasn’t really trying to take it from you, Miss Idel!”
Why would she steal a seven-year-old’s scribble scraps? Despite thinking like that, Idel brought out a line that a real culprit would say.
“So, are you saying I’m the bad one?”
The maids, who understood Idel’s feelings through her tightly pressed lips, awkwardly smiled, trying to calm her down.
– Knock, knock!
“The Duke and Duchess, along with Lady Melissa, are urgently looking for Miss Idel.”
With a light knock, the head maid entered the room, announcing the anticipated but unwanted “beginning.”
