“I’m the only one who knows about this, and it’ll stay that way. So, you can’t tell anyone else.”
The man crushed his stale cigar against the paper. A new black stain appeared next to his deceased sister’s name.
“Don’t reveal your identity.”
“…….”
“The deadline is until the Lord of Heaven realizes you’re a fake, or until he dies. If you hold out, I’ll pay you more than you’ve ever dreamed of.”
He rose to his feet as though he had concluded his speech. It was an attitude that Mel naturally followed.
To a man born into a high noble family, what difficulty could an eighteen-year-old commoner girl pose? For Mel, it was also a natural occurrence.
Even knowing that, she impulsively asked.
“What if… I get caught?”
As he turned to leave, he glanced back at Mel. Her shoulders hunched under the gaze from above.
The man bared his teeth and smiled. His teeth looked eerily white.
“You’ll get to see that nostalgic face again.”
Nostalgic… face?
At that moment, Mel looked at the man’s fingers.
Unconsciously, whether something formless drew her gaze or not, there was a pearl ring she had seen before.
Even at a glance, the shoddy trinket she thought was familiar had a black stain on it.
No.
It wasn’t a stain. There was blood. The ring was something Mel knew very well.
Mel’s mouth twisted at the realization.
“N-no, did Norma die?”
“If you want to cry, hold it in for just three minutes. I’ll be out of here soon.”
“Oh.”
Mel squeezed her nose’s bridge.
Don’t cry; don’t throw up. Don’t make a sound.
She tucked her head down, avoiding any chance of eye contact.
When his footsteps finally started fading away, she felt relieved. She hoped he would leave quickly. Unlike the wind, the man didn’t immediately turn the doorknob.
“Mel Slopey.”
“…….”
“Mel.”
“…….”
“Bleria.”
“Yes.”
Laughter echoed at her cautiously squeezed response. The cheap ring rolled on the carpet and brushed against Mel’s shoes. The doorknob turned. The door opened and closed. Thud.
Only then could Mel expel what was trapped inside.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Goodnight, Miss.”
With the maid’s voice, Mel was finally alone.
The tears she’d been holding back burst out. She stifled a sob and pushed herself up.
Everything was unfamiliar. The clothes softer than a cat’s fur, the cool room in the middle of summer, and the fluffy bed that her wrists were sinking into—all were terrifying.
Worst of all, the pearl ring on the table next to her.
Mel looked down at the object with reddened eyes. Despite the darkness surrounding it, Mel recognized the familiar outline.
Someone once ridiculed it as cheap, but it was Norma’s most expensive possession. Something she never removed from her body, something she guarded fiercely.
That same ring was now in front of her.
‘Why did they kill Norma?’
She might have been harsh to her, but she was always polite to those of higher standing. Despite being a gambler, she was timid, so with just a word from a great noble, she would have easily let go of her.
‘Why am I curious about that right now?’
Because she thought she might get in trouble for impersonating an aristocrat, tears fell steadily onto the worn ring.
She despised Norma. She took her in, but she treated her like a slave. Mel has nothing but hate for her; she was even betrayed by her. She doesn’t even want to mourn her death out of spite.
But she can’t help but think. How did Norma die? Did she get run over by a carriage? Did she fall from a high place? Did she pretend to take her own life? Did she close her eyes without even screaming?
As she pondered, the face in her mind gradually transformed into her own.
“I don’t want to die.”
If she had to put a price on her life, it would be as cheap as Norma’s. Killing her would be so much easier.
Mel buried her face in her knees.
It’s okay; just listen well. When it’s over, she can earn a lot of money. Now that Norma is gone, she’ll be able to live freely. So long as she survives…
Even though she tried to think positively, her tears didn’t stop. She felt as if a large boulder were hanging from her throat.
The following morning, as soon as Mel opened her eyes, the maid rushed in.
She wiped her face, tailored, and fitted a large and expensive dress to her body. After brushing and shaping her hair, she was brought to a room with a long dining table.
The two individuals she’d encountered yesterday had already taken their seats. An elderly man with white hair and a dark-skinned man. Mel sat down, shrinking herself into the chair.
“Welcome, dear. Were you very surprised yesterday?”
The old man was so kind that Mel’s heart calmed down unbelievably. She had never been treated so dearly before.
‘They said he mistook me for his dead daughter, right?’
“I heard Demian told you the details…”
Though it was the first time she heard the name, she felt like she knew who it was. Mel glanced over and answered.
“Yes, the nobleman told me.”
“The nobleman—he’s your brother.”
Was it a mistake? Mel’s gaze met Damian’s as she glanced around. Her body froze at his icy-colored pupils, then she quickly lowered her head.
“Did Demian say anything harsh to you?”
“Oh, no! He’s been very kind to me. Definitely.”
“…That’s fortunate. Our family is quite simple, right? One person will be back soon. Her name is Harriet, and she’s the wife of your fat brother over there. They are having some trouble because of his mistake.”
“It’s not trouble; it’s a vacation.”
“He’s the only one who thinks that. Anyway, she’s a very nice girl, so you’ll get along fine, and your mother-“
Gurgle. The thunder in her stomach swallowed the old man’s words.
Mel’s face flushed. She hugged her stomach desperately, but it didn’t stop. The old man awkwardly smiled as her body continued to roar due to not eating anything since the previous day.
“I’ve been talking too much; let’s eat.”
Finally, the conversation stopped, and the meal began.
Mel sighed, but she couldn’t immediately fill her hungry stomach. She was used to drinking soup from the bowl and eating bread with her hands, but the food seemed too precious to eat that way.
She glanced at the old man. Perhaps because of his age, his movements were slow. She followed his lead, placing a white cloth on her lap and picking up a fork to eat the salad.
Mel’s eyes widened, and her hands moved faster.
She realized she had finished her share of the meal. Seeing the old man’s bright face, Mel felt embarrassed and patted her warm belly.
“Bleria.”
“Yes?”
“You don’t remember anything from when you were young, do you?”
Mel bit her lip and nodded her head, her body shrinking with guilt for lying.
“I’m not blaming you. Take your time to remember. There’s a lot we can do to help you. Your old room is preserved, so it’s okay to go in and look at your childhood portraits. If that doesn’t work, hm.”
“…….”
“Ahem, ahem. If it’s okay with you, would you mind if I brushed your hair later?”
Mel reached for her neck. It was short and sparse. It had been that way ever since her hair turned white from a fever. So, although she doesn’t like having her hair touched, she couldn’t say no.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“I’m sure you’ve forgotten, but I used to brush your hair when you were younger. If you remember even a little─”
“If she remembered anything, she would have come to Heaven a long time ago.”
Demian interrupted.
“Stop the interrogation and go see the doctor if you have indigestion; Kyle might faint.”
“Who said I had indigestion, you fool?”
“My dad, who got so excited about the child who ate with him, threw away his patient’s meal and overindulged.”
“Demian!”
The old man yelled, then looked at Mel and softened his voice.
“It’s not indigestion, dear. But I have an appointment, so I have to go now. Finish your meal and go.”
After glaring fiercely at Demian, he left his seat. Mel realized they were alone and quickly got up from her seat.
“T-then, I’ll be going too!”
“Sit down.”
She sat down without saying a word. It seemed ridiculous even to herself, but she couldn’t help it.
Mel was scared of Demian. She couldn’t sleep at night, haunted by images of his ghastly grin. It had been better with the old man, but now it was just the two of them.
Mel’s head bent like an errant nail, feeling as if hundreds of rats were nibbling at her flesh.
“Look up.”
This time, Mel complied. As her gaze wandered from Demian’s cheeks to the shadows under his eyes, a sneer hit her ear.
“At least she has someone to cry for her.”
“I didn’t cry over ……Norma.”
“Then. Because you’re scared you’re going to die?”
Mel inadvertently checked the man’s expression, and their eyes met properly.
Pale cheeks and tired eye sockets. His round pupils were devoid of any emotion, making it seem like she was facing a death god.
Aah!
Mel almost fell from her chair and dropped to her knees.
“P-please spare me, milord! I’ll never get caught; I’ll do as you say, please!”
“Get up.”
“But!”
“I’ve let the servant go, but if you make a fuss, you’ll get caught.”
Demian pulled the cigar from his pocket. With a cold sound, it was cut, and the match flame flickered over the cut end, burning it.
“Do you want to get caught and be at ease sooner?”
Finally, the man with the cigar in his mouth exhaled a puff of smoke. His gaze, looking down at Mel, grew heavier. She hesitantly stood up and sat back down.
“Isn’t it worth it?”
