Chapter 3
After the moon had come and gone for quite some time, Elysia returned to the annex as she had resolved earlier. As expected, a different knight was on guard duty from the one she had encountered during the day.
Observing his face attentively, Elysia returned to her room with a satisfied expression.
Despite only moving between the annex and the main house, her body felt exhausted as if she had exercised for a long time.
She had slept soundly last night due to her tiredness, but now, she forced her heavy eyelids open and sat up in bed.
With sluggish movements, Elysia reached out and grabbed the bell.
As she lightly shook the bell, the door to Elysia’s bedroom opened with a clear sound.
“Elysia, my lady. Are you coughing?”
Elysia’s personal maid entered. It was Rachel, the closest maid to the next lady of the house.
“How is Ariel?”
One of Elysia’s morning routines was inquiring about Ariel’s well-being.
Although the answer was obvious since Ariel often woke up much later than her, she still asked.
“She is still asleep.”
Rachel replied politely, bowing her waist with precise inclination. She seemed familiar with this question.
Rachel could easily predict Elysia’s next action as usual.
Elysia would typically go to the bathroom to wash up.
However, contrary to Rachel’s expectations, Elysia didn’t move and spoke again.
“Could I see the list of the Duke Partin’s knights?”
“…If you seek permission from the duke…”
“I wish Father didn’t know.”
Elysia chuckled, hugging her knees tightly. Occasionally, when Rachel saw Elysia like this, she seemed like a child of that age.
“I will do my best.”
The problem was that Rachel couldn’t resist Elysia’s charm. Even without resorting to charm, if it was something Elysia asked for, she would do it without hesitation.
“Thank you.”
“Rachel was the maid brought by Isabella.’’
Isabella, who was not loved by the Marquis of Partin, was a target of neglect by the servants.
She did not bring meals on time, and she often missed cleaning the rooms.
It was also common to mock Isabella as if to listen to her.
At least there was Rachel.
If there was no Rachel, Isabella would have left the world even faster.
“Did someone among the knights upset the lady’s feelings or…?”
“That’s not the case.”
This morning, Rachel knew that one maid had packed and left, so she asked if it was the knight’s turn this time.
Contrary to expectations, the answer that came back was negative.
“Thank you for worrying, Rachel. I will prepare alone today, so you can go now.”
Elysia, who got up from the bed, approached Rachel and hugged her slightly as she spoke.
It was a different attitude from when dealing with other servants.
“All right.”
When the slightly smaller Elysia hugged her, Rachel’s worried expression relaxed.
Everyone behind despised Elysia for being too much like her father, harsh and austere, but Rachel was grateful that she wasn’t entirely gentle.
From the beginning, looking at Elysia’s attitude towards me and Ariel, it was rude to say that she resembled the Marquis Partin.
At least Elysia was someone who knew how to love others.
Elysia was not unaware of how she would appear in the eyes of others.
She did not hide the confusion of her past, and she lived fully expressing the value of returning what she received.
‘Come to think of it, do I look like a villain to others?’
Still, Elysia had never attacked others first or been taken advantage of, unlike when she was young.
On the other hand, the original Elysia was different.
-You. You broke it by pushing it. Do you know how expensive this is?
-Did you properly wash the blankets? Then what is this stain?
-You’re slow and clumsy, and you can’t even do?
Once a day, she always found fault with the servants.
It was Elysia who broke the expensive wine glass, and the stains on the blanket were deliberately caused by her.
Each time this happened, the servants would stiffen their necks and refute Elysia’s words point by point.
In the end, even Hanoyang stepped forward to reproach Elysia.
“Miss, please maintain your composure. How can the noble Lady of the Partin Duke speak nothing but lies…!”
‘As if Elysia were so approachable, even if she is a duke’s daughter.’
Elysia, who was reading the newspaper, inwardly chuckled at the behavior of the servants in the novel.
In the original story, unlike herself, Elysia had no say in the fate of the servants. This was merely a compensation that the current Elysia had acquired by playing the ideal child desired by her father.
On the other hand, in the original story, since there was no power within the Duke’s mansion, she created sins and continued to exact petty revenge on the servants.
Of course, Hanoyang was also included in the targets.
“Who is criticizing whom for composure? You’re the one stealing our household’s money. That earring, it’s not something the likes of you can afford.”
“W-What are you saying! Again! Another lie!”
This wasn’t a lie.
Hanoyang didn’t know it, but Elysia belonged to the quick-witted and clever axis.
She was a woman who knew how to torment and manipulate people according to her own preferences.
Because of this, when she was a reader, she thought the ending of ‘Villainess Elysia’ didn’t suit her despite fitting her.
With the last memory of ‘Villainess Elysia’ in mind, Elysia closed the newspaper.
The newspaper contained reports of national losses due to the war. The content about the war that had been ongoing for six months took up the most space in every newspaper.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Elysia stretched and pushed the newspaper aside.
Having read ‘Imprisoning Ariel,’ Elysia knew that ultimately, the empire she belonged to would emerge victorious, which gave her the luxury to relax.
“Miss. It’s Rachel. May I come in?”
From now on, let’s start studying today.
“Come in,” Elysia said, opening her books to study when she heard Rachel’s voice from the other side of the door.
“Sure, thanks,” Rachel replied as she stepped inside, a stack of documents tucked under her arm.
Elysia easily deduced that it was the task she had assigned to Rachel earlier that morning.
“Here is the list of knights dispatched to the frontier,” came Rachel’s helpful explanation.
Thanks to her, Elysia’s workload was now cut in half.
Without waiting for a command to leave, Rachel stood quietly, waiting for Elysia’s next instruction.
“…These two here.”
Examining the neatly dressed figures in the photos meticulously, Elysia selected two documents and handed them to Rachel.
Rachel accepted the documents without a word.
“Could you investigate these two in detail?”
In detail?
Elysia had never seen her take such an interest in others before. Rachel looked at Elysia with wide eyes.
“Preferably focusing on flaws or weaknesses.”
It was amusing, rather than surprising, to hear a 12-year-old ask someone to find flaws and weaknesses in others with a calm voice.
If someone unfamiliar with Elysia had heard it, they might have laughed or thought she lacked proper upbringing.
Frankly, Rachel thought it was more of a parenting issue than anything else.
“…Understood.”
Suppressing her curiosity, Rachel replied, bending slightly at the waist.
Selenidid had a more developed slum district than other territories, thanks to the neglect of Marquis Partin.
Therefore, investigating others was not difficult.
A few days later.
This time, Rachel brought only two documents.
After returning from lunch with Ariel, Elysia went back to her room and immediately examined the documents Rachel had handed her.
“……”
One knight is deeply in debt due to gambling addiction, while another knight is financially supporting the medical expenses of their ailing younger sibling. Both situations seemed ideal for Elysia.
Elysia pondered on how these two ended up supervising Eden’s outbuilding. Nowadays, it seemed like everyone had at least one such story.
With her own complicated situation, Elysia felt frivolous for even considering it.
“Debt and a sick sibling.”
The note suggested that the sibling’s illness was severe, with expenses beyond manageable levels. Ultimately, both situations required money.
Elysia quickly calculated her available funds, which she had set aside to start a new life if Eden’s downfall forced her to. It was regrettable, but it was an investment in a new life.
“Well, I’ll figure it out when the time comes to start a new life or not.”
With a short sigh, Elysia made her decision.
“The one who has someone to protect is more desperate.”
After all, that applied to Elysia too.
No wonder she felt a sense of camaraderie with a knight she had never spoken to before.
After becoming a knight of Partin, Lizbeth faced her second crisis.
The moment was more nerve-wracking than pondering about being dispatched to the battlefield.
Elysia quietly observed Lizbeth, who started sweating despite the weather not being hot.
“She might collapse at this rate.”
This place was the least conspicuous spot in the estate of the Partin Duke. The poorly maintained trees and grass concealed the existence of the outbuilding.
Although it might not have been the intention, the Duke likely judged this place as the most suitable for hiding Eden.
“Lizbeth, right?’’
“To recognize my name… No, to know my name is an honor, Miss.”
But why here…
Lizbeth’s eyes kept darting towards the outbuilding, and Elysia had to make an effort to catch her attention.
With the question she wanted most finally asked, Elysia answered with a bright smile.
Seeing her radiant smile, Lizbeth gasped in surprise.
“I have a favor to ask you.’’
“…Me?”
Lizbeth had been serving as the Duke’s knight, but today was the first time she had conversed with Elysia.
Their paths rarely crossed, and Elysia had never shown much interest in the knights.
Thus, Lizbeth assumed she knew Elysia better than Elysia knew her.
But now, to have a favor to ask?
And they hadn’t even spoken until today.
Elysia maintained her smile, which only added to Lizbeth’s confusion.
