“Do as you wish. There are people who get struck by lightning while walking along the road. In your case, once everything’s over, it might turn out to be a stroke of good luck.”
“…….”
“I’m not one to ruin someone’s life for no reason. Just as long as your identity isn’t revealed, it should be simpler than you think.”
Mel’s gaze wandered aimlessly.
‘Why is he trying to calm me down? Is he afraid I’ll be too stiff to do what he wants me to do?’
The questions she couldn’t bring herself to ask floated between her clenched lips.
Demian was saying things he didn’t need to say. Someone this scary wouldn’t say something like that, but rather…
‘Ah.’
As she reflected on recent events, Mel came to a startling realization.
Demian had never acted violently toward her. Even though holding her life in his hands was the worst form of violence, in the current situation it felt remarkably lenient.
It didn’t matter if it was because he felt sorry for her, because he wanted to make sure she did a good job, or because he didn’t think it was worth it.
‘Maybe…….’
Mel clenched her trembling teeth tightly. And when the smoke came towards her throat again, she didn’t hold back this time.
“Cough! I-I’m, I’m sorry.”
He let out a gasp. At that moment, the sound twisted her heart, like squeezing water out of a wet rag.
“I’ll endure.”
The unfinished cigar was submerged in wine. Damian stood up.
“You’re not going to have me walk you back to your room, are you?”
“….Yes.”
She couldn’t remember a single thing about the way, but somehow… Ah! Mel remembered the old man’s words and quickly corrected her answer.
“Yes, brother.”
Demian frowned, unsure of what to say. With a slam, the door closed roughly.
Without flinching at the noise, Mel stared at the glass. The deep red liquid swirled.
Though the value may differ, both Norma and Dewey frequently smoke cigars. The red glow. Whenever she coughed, acrid smoke would inevitably spray out into her face.
Erasing the memories, she looked back at the discarded cigarette butt in the glass. Her heart felt somewhat lighter.
“As long as I don’t get caught…”
Mel clenched her fists tightly.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Days she had never imagined unfolded before her. She learned half a dozen languages—how to speak, how to eat, and how to walk.
In between, she applied an unknown perfume to her hair and skin, donned expensive dresses, enjoyed fine food, and even received jewelry as gifts.
As summer turned to autumn, the burden that felt like it would burst her heart gradually diminished to bearable levels.
Mel has somewhat adapted to the life of “Bleria Heaven.” Along the way, she learned a few new things.
For one, the Heaven she had entered was a ducal house, and the old man who owned it was actually only in his mid-fifties. His face wasn’t that wrinkled, and his health had deteriorated to the point where his hair had turned prematurely gray.
Second, despite making unreasonable demands, Demian showed no interest in her. Or rather, due to working all day, there was hardly any chance for them to cross paths.
Lastly, she wasn’t the only one who thought she was receiving excessive treatment.
“She’s not coming again…”
Standing in the corner of the hallway, Mel waited for the maid.
Lucy. Mel’s personal maid was handpicked by the head maid.
She was sweet, attentive, and polite. She got down on her knees and cried because she was treated with respect by Mel, but other than that moment, she was a very kind person.
The problem was that she was Mel’s age. Lucy was young and there were a lot of senior servants.
So…
“Lucy, wait. I need your help.”
When she was asked if they could take her away from Mel, she couldn’t refuse. It has happened more than three times. There were even times when she overheard explicit conversations.
“Can you believe Lady Bleria suddenly came back from the dead? It sounds too much like a scam.”
Perhaps realizing it was a sensitive topic even among themselves, they quickly quieted down, but the words lingered in Mel’s ears. She simply pretended not to hear.
‘It can’t be helped.’
It’s all true. She wasn’t a noble. She is a commoner pretending to be a noble. She understood the servants’ suspicions and quietly accepted their subtle reproaches.
Lucy wouldn’t come back soon. She had no choice but to walk back to her room on her own.
“Ha.”
Mel was determined to find her way around the unfamiliar mansion, but no matter how hard she tried, the layout of the mansion was not simple.
Even after dozens of minutes, Mel found herself in an unfamiliar place.
“Excuse me!”
She reached out to a passing servant, but he just bowed and walked away. Despite the constant flow of people, there was no one to help Mel.
If there had been someone with a higher rank, they would have reached out to help, but today, luck seemed to be against her, as neither the headmaid nor the butler were in sight. She felt like a lost child.
‘What am I doing here?’
She wished she had waited in the corridor where she parted ways with Lucy. She should have forced herself not to let Lucy go. She should have just stayed in the room.
Regrets flooded her mind. Her legs hurt. Despite being taught not to, Mel squatted down, bowed her head, and sighed.
‘As expected, this isn’t my place…’
“Excuse me. Miss Bleria?”
Ah! Suddenly sensing someone’s presence, Mel hurriedly stood up.
It was a mistake. Her shoe tangled in the hem of her skirt, causing her to lose her center and tilt. Just before falling to the ground, she tightly closed her eyes.
“…….”
What Mel’s hand touched wasn’t cold marble. It was certainly hard, like stone, but warm.
What’s this? Upon opening her eyes in confusion, she realized she was clutching the chest of a stranger.
‘What am I doing?’
Silently screaming inside, she quickly removed her hand. Only then could she properly assess the situation. It seemed the man in front of her had caught her from falling.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, thank you…”
Even in such a situation, his cheerful voice sounded pleasant.
‘How foolish of me.’
As Mel gritted her teeth inwardly and raised her head, a bright light seemed to wash over her mind.
Had she ever seen someone this beautiful before?
His ash-colored hair mixed with brown resembled a sacred tree from a legend, and his eyes, bathed in sunlight, seemed to have plucked the most beautiful leaf from that tree.
Her lips parted in awe at his serene appearance.
Could he be a fairy? Such a silly thought crossed her mind briefly.
“Miss?”
She snapped back to reality. Looking at him again, he was too large to be a fairy. Mel’s face flushed. She cautiously asked.
“……who?”
“Please think of me as a servant. I was instructed to escort you. May I guide you?”
“Yes! Uh, sure.”
How could she refuse! Her legs, now feeling lighter, followed the servant’s steps. But as she regained her composure, the person in front of her seemed increasingly strange.
It had been a month since Mel arrived at the mansion. If there had been such a beautiful servant, she would have known.
His attire was also different from that of a servant. Despite the casual shirt, it looked good even to Mel, who lacked an eye for fashion.
“You’re a servant?”
“I’m called Per, miss.”
His name sounded common… Mel tilted her head in confusion. The person who had been walking ahead turned back and covered his mouth when he saw her.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because it’s funny that you’re so openly suspicious of me.”
“Oh……. I’m sorry.”
“In a household like Heaven, unauthorized outsiders don’t confidently roam around. If you’re worried, you don’t have to follow me.”
Mel knew that much. Had she perceived it as dangerous, she wouldn’t have pursued, even if she found herself lost.
Glancing at the servant, she licked her dry lips.
“I just thought it was strange because your appearance stood out so much, but I’d never seen you before.”
“What’s wrong with my appearance?”
He slowed his steps and came alongside Mel. She could see his face well.
“Am I terribly ugly?”
“No… you’re handsome and pretty.”
“Where?”
“Your smile… Your dimples.”
“And?”
“Your eyes are clear and…”
“And?”
“You’re tall and…”
‘Why am I saying these things?’
Although she answered hesitantly, her eyes were darting around. Being teased like this was new to her, so she didn’t know how to react.
Should she get angry? Just as Mel thought so, the smile disappeared from the servant’s face as if he had been scolded.
“You’re being too harsh, Miss.”
“Me? How so?”
“You’re making an innocent person flutter, even though you have someone you’re engaged to.”
‘Did he just call himself innocent?’
Caught off guard by his natural response, Mel almost let her earlier words slip away. She clenched her lips tightly and adjusted her expression and tone.
“I don’t have anyone I’m engaged to.”
“You don’t?”
Mel hesitated at his subtle tone. But there couldn’t be such a person for Bleria Heaven. Even if there had been someone in the past, if the child died at the age of seven, it would be meaningless now.
‘Surely there won’t be anyone in the future?’
Mel clenched her fist tightly. Her pale fingertips seemed to dig into her palm.
“Is that so? You don’t have anyone. Oh, we’re here.”
Per’s voice snapped her back to reality.
In this ant-like mansion, the familiar door stood before her when she looked up.
“This is my room, but why did someone call me here? Wait, now that I think about it, who called…?”
The servant smiled wordlessly and opened the door for her. No one was inside. The room was exactly as it was before Mel left, waiting for her.
She blinked for a moment before realizing.
‘He brought me here because I got lost.’
When she turned back, the fairy-like, beautiful servant was already gone.
