Episode 48

【 The Start of the Hunting Festival 】

“Kyaa!”

Crash!

A maid, who had been pushed to the floor, looked up in shock, trembling. The other maids stood frozen, their eyes wide with surprise.

“…You.”

Aria, the one who had shoved the maid, was on the verge of tears. Her face was enough to evoke sympathy from anyone who saw her.

Even after being pushed, the maid appeared to be at a loss, as if she was the one who should apologize.

“Lady Aria…”

“How dare you steal my brooch?”

At those words, the air in the room turned icy. All the maids looked at Aria in confusion.

It was during the time when her debutante was supposed to be in full swing.

Their young lady should have been the star of the event, holding the Crown Prince’s hand, dancing and shining brighter than anyone.

Yet here she was, entering her room in the middle of it all, pushing down a maid who had been waiting for her, and accusing her.

It was the youngest maid, the one who had been the most eager to follow Aria.

The maid shouted in shock.

“Lady! I didn’t—”

“I know you took it. The other maids told me everything.”

It wasn’t entirely true. Aria had merely overheard the maids gossiping the night before and chose to ignore it.

 

‘When the time comes, you’ll secretly hide the lady’s brooch.’

‘But it’s the lady’s brooch!’

‘Do it, and we’ll make Mindia… that fake lady, out to be the thief. When she storms out in anger, we’ll say we found the brooch and return it to Lady Aria.’

‘Oh, I get it. You want to stop Lady Mindia from appearing.’

‘This is Lady Aria’s debutante! We can’t let that fake lady steal the spotlight!’

‘Exactly! Matching her dress to Lady Aria’s was such an overstep!’

‘That wicked girl would surely cause a scene at Lady Aria’s debutante if given the chance.’

‘Right. That’s why we need to get rid of her before she does.’

 

Aria had heard the maids whispering as she pretended to sleep, and she had hesitated for a moment about whether to stop them.

Normally, she would have.

If this were the Aria who had lived in a baron’s household.

Accusing an innocent person like that would be wrong, and she would have told them not to do it.

 

‘How kind of you to share your food. Such a good girl.’

‘She’s so pretty and gentle, isn’t she?’

‘Aria is always so sweet. Isn’t that right?’

 

No matter what Aria did, people would praise her and compliment her. But if she strayed even a little, the disappointment would be overwhelming.

 

‘Aria wouldn’t refuse to share, right? Isn’t that true?’

‘Of course. She’s such a good girl. Aria, you wouldn’t have done that, would you?’

‘It would be such a disappointment if you did.’

 

‘Yes, of course. I’ll share. I’ll do it. I’ll take care of it.’

 

And naturally, she internalized that behavior. She became accustomed to being selfless, gentle, and kind.

It didn’t take long for this to solidify as a survival strategy. People liked her, and they liked her kindness.

 

‘You’re such a good girl. Will you give up your room for your sibling?’

‘Oh, we’ve run out of soup today. Aria, you can go without, right?’

‘We were so busy we forgot your birthday. Sorry. You’ll understand, won’t you?’

 

And it was always taken for granted.

That’s why Aria came to hate being called kind. It felt like a curse placed on her long ago.

As if the world itself demanded she be that kind of person.

Love and attention came to her naturally, but she never felt free.

Though everyone loved her, she always felt suffocated.

She smiled when she wanted to scream, and she laughed when she wanted to cry.

The thought that she was sick of everything would flood over her like a wave, several times a day.

‘I have desires too.’

A voice from deep within her heart would often whisper.

‘I want something too. I have things I want. I’m willing to do anything to get them.’

But revealing such desires felt like a crack in her facade, a taboo that threatened her survival.

So the kind girl remained kind.

And her reward eventually came.

 

‘Oh! Aria! Our precious daughter!’

‘This girl is the true Lady of House Reinhardt!’

 

Aria began to appreciate being called kind again when she left the baron’s household and entered the duke’s house.

Here, there was no need to give up anything or share.

Without having to struggle for attention, everyone loved her, and she could remain a kind and gentle girl without sacrificing anything.

She finally had things of her own. Her own room, her own clothes, her own family. The very things she had longed for and desired so deeply.

There were people who told her she was the true lady. The only real lady.

The sweetness of it resonated deeply with her. For the first time, she felt like the center of the world.

And then, a dark shadow began to creep in.

Like the spilled lemon tea on the carpet of my room, like the dress I had once handed over…

There stood a gray-haired girl by the side of the person I had intensely longed for and desired for the first time in my life.

So, I didn’t stop it.

‘…….’

Aria knew deep down that Mindia hadn’t done anything terribly wrong.

Everyone disliked her, thinking she was a foolish and wicked woman, but Mindia had never actually done anything significant to harm Aria.

At least, not until today.

‘You have someone who suits you better, don’t you, Mindia?’

Aria thought of the Crown Prince, the man who grew more unpleasant with each encounter.

A man who had no qualms about giving away what he received, using others’ things as if they were his own, believing that was his privilege.

Mindia, a fake pretending to be real, was perfectly suited for such a man.

Still, Aria pulled the brooch from her collar, shuddering as if it were some disgusting insect, and tossed it aside.

The maid who had been knocked over cowered to avoid the brooch as it flew toward her.

“Kyaa!”

Aria didn’t flinch at the scream, only glaring at the floor. Her vision blurred with tears that wouldn’t stop flowing.

The reason she had ignored the maids’ plan to frame Mindia as a thief was because she thought she could handle it.

She had something she wanted—Mindia’s brooch, the one she had received directly from the Grand Duke.

If Mindia were to willingly give it to her, Aria had considered standing by her side, defending her.

She had only given in to desire for the first time.

‘I don’t need to hold back anymore. So…’

Besides, wasn’t today supposed to be her day? A day where she didn’t have to yield to anyone, where she could be a little selfish?

A day for her to enjoy, as the real one.

Aria recalled how Mindia had stood among the people, drawing all the attention.

The one person she had truly wanted, and the attention of everyone else, had all gone to Mindia.

Now Mindia had truly become a thief.

“I’ll tell Father that you can’t stay here anymore.”

Instead of saying that to Mindia, Aria whispered those words to the maid in front of her.

If only this maid had done her job properly, if she hadn’t acted so clumsily. If they hadn’t hidden her brooch…

“No, my lady, please!”

The young maid cried out in despair. She had only schemed for the sake of the lady she loved. The other maids had done the same.

To reassure their lady, they had subtly hinted that the brooch wasn’t truly gone.

 

‘It’ll show up soon, my lady.’

‘We’ll find it for sure. We can handle this.’

‘We know exactly where it is.’

 

The maids were only confused because Aria was acting as if she didn’t know. After all, they had only given her hints. They hadn’t outright confessed to taking the brooch themselves.

A pang of discomfort and sympathy for the young maid passed among the other maids, as well as the pain of watching their lady so upset.

“My lady! If I’m dismissed, I have nowhere to go! Please!”

“Girls.”

Aria coldly whispered to the other maids.

“Take her away.”

“……”

“I don’t want to see her anymore.”

It was a statement driven more by emotion than reason, but that made it all the more impactful.

The maids froze, sensing that Aria was genuinely angry, and that her fury could turn on them at any moment.

“What are you waiting for?”

Her sweet voice had turned icy, like frost on the wind.

“My lady!”

“I’ll make sure she gets her remaining wages.”

It was a kind decision, as usual, but no one could bring themselves to praise her for it this time.

“My lady! My lady!”

The maids dragged the young girl away, disappearing like a retreating tide.

Aria was left alone in the room. She collapsed onto her bed, staring at the corner where the stain from the spilled tea remained on the carpet. Despite attempts to clean it, the mark had never fully disappeared.

“……”

Aria pinched the stained edge of the carpet between her fingers, as if it were something filthy, and threw it out the window.

“This is how it should be.”

The soft whisper escaped her lips.

She didn’t want to lose the position she had fought so hard to regain. The world she had earned after so much patience had to revolve around her.

“I’ll have to keep doing this from now on. Isn’t that right?”

* * *

“Is the task completed?”

A man, who had been deeply bowing, slowly rose to his feet.

He was a chamberlain known for handling delicate matters, even within the imperial palace.

“Yes. For now, there’s no need to worry about any news from the North.”

“Good. I’m starting to get serious about this, and I can’t allow the Grand Duke to slip away.”

Prince Albert smiled, holding a letter in his hand. It was a telegram from the North.

“But, Your Highness, if you prevent the Grand Duke from returning to the North…”

“I’m not saying I’ll stop him forever. I’ll send him back before things escalate. Just not right now.”

Albert smiled as he tossed the telegram into the fireplace. The flames grew, consuming the paper.

“I don’t intend to turn the North and the Empire into ashes.”

“……”

“But I can’t let the Grand Duke leave without first watching him lose his woman right before his eyes.”

Albert’s smile gleamed sinisterly in the glow of the fire.