Chapter 24
So, this is how she wants to twist it.
It seemed Chloe was once again trying to tie me to the circumstances of my own “death.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked calmly.
“Oh, nothing. I just find it curious, that’s all.”
I could see exactly what kind of narrative Chloe was hoping to paint—but this wasn’t a very smart move.
She had little to gain by digging up that matter again.
And seeing how brazen she was… maybe Chloe really wasn’t the one who killed me after all.
“To fill the void my sister left behind… even someone like me has to try. What else can I do?”
But now wasn’t the time to focus on that.
If anyone was going to use my death to their advantage, it had to be me.
Not Chloe.
“Well, we’ll revisit this issue once the ledgers come in tomorrow,” Grandfather interjected, cutting into our conversation. “Next—how is the construction of the new trade vessels coming along?”
With that, the meeting moved on.
And Chloe’s face cooled instantly.
No doubt, she was now quietly agonizing over where Grandfather truly stood.
Watching her stiff expression—and the rotten looks spreading among the retainers—I had just one thought:
Refreshing.
This… This was exactly my kind of joy.
“What are these black clothes…?”
Karlin looked at the black trousers and jacket I had laid out with a confused expression.
“Let’s call them… the foundation for better health.”
“And this mask? It all looks so suspicious.”
She dangled the black mask from her fingers, frowning.
“This stays between us.”
Understanding that I meant not a word of this to Chloe, Karlin nodded enthusiastically.
“But seriously… You’re not planning to go out this late at night, are you?”
“No, I’m going to sleep peacefully right here in this room.”
“…”
Karlin sighed softly as she watched me change clothes despite what I had just said.
“I’ll go with you, then.”
“That’s a problem. You can’t follow me into my dreams, can you?”
“My lady…”
She clearly didn’t believe my nonsense, her face scrunching with worry.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a reliable escort.”
I opened the window.
The sound of rustling leaves drifted in from outside.
It seemed Solmon was keeping his word.
“It really does feel strange moving without my usual hands and feet.”
Now that I had Elliot on my side, it was time to gather the rest of my people, too.
I needed those who would follow me like Elliot or Karlin—people who didn’t need long explanations.
But that would have to wait.
“For now, goodnight, Karlin.”
I gave her a little push on the back, then climbed into bed—still fully dressed in black—and pulled the blanket over myself.
Karlin couldn’t quite bring herself to leave. Her steps dragged, reluctant and heavy with worry.
Did she really think that would stop me?
“Make sure you give a good report,” I said with a smile.
Karlin’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
In the stillness of the room, a quiet presence slipped in.
The door, which I had left deliberately unlocked, creaked open. Someone stepped silently inside and crept toward my bed.
They weren’t exactly a professional. The rustling as they rifled through the drawers made it obvious—they were an amateur.
So sloppy.
Even if I had actually been asleep, all that noise would’ve woken me.
They couldn’t even find the object I’d placed in plain sight. I almost wanted to sit up and hand it over myself.
After a while, there was the sound of hurried footsteps leaving the room.
It’s done.
As the door closed, I opened my eyes.
I pushed back the blanket I’d pulled up to my neck and went straight to the drawer.
The spot where I had left the key was now empty.
“Alright then. Time to go out.”
I got up and headed straight to the place where my horse was waiting.
“You could’ve just taken a carriage if you can’t handle riding,” Elliot said, watching me retch beside a stone wall.
To be honest, I hadn’t expected this either.
It wasn’t like I was riding alone—Elliot had been in control the whole time. And yet, I felt like my insides had been completely scrambled.
“I really underestimated this body…”
“Glad you made it without dying.”
Elliot gave my back a few solid pats.
“Haa… But dragging a whole carriage here wouldn’t exactly have been subtle.”
“Well, seeing you this close to death, a carriage would’ve been the better option.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“How was I supposed to know it’d get this bad?”
Everyone needs an adjustment period.
“They’re coming.”
Just as I caught my breath, Elliot pulled me behind a tree.
With loud hoofbeats, two men on horseback rushed through the gates of Uncle Milles’s estate.
“They’re back from the mine already? Isn’t that too fast?”
“They’re professionals. That was more than enough time to break into a vault. And we lost a lot of time because of your… condition.”
“Stop bringing that up, would you?”
Elliot bowed slightly, with perfect composure.
He never held back what he wanted to say—but always did it with impeccable manners.
“Let’s go in.”
I headed toward the wall without hesitation.
“…Where are you going?” Elliot asked, puzzled.
“Elliot, don’t tell me… You were planning to break in through the front gate?”
“…”
Elliot dropped his gaze in silence.
“Think I can climb the wall? Or are you planning to watch me throw myself over it and die?”
“…My knee, then?”
“What was that?”
“I believe you’ll be needing my knee, my lady.”
“…Exactly.”
There’s always a solution with Elliot.
“Let’s go.”
And so, Elliot lowered himself, placing one knee on the ground.
“No one saw you, right?”
“No, sir. One of the maids confirmed Lady Irene was sound asleep. And we spiked the mine guards’ drinks with sleeping draught.”
“Good. Well done. That wretched girl dares threaten me?”
Milles gritted his teeth as he stared down at the massive pile of ledgers in front of him.
“How the hell did that brat manage to go through all these books? Bring the copyists—now!”
At his order, the door opened and several people filed in.
“Rewrite every single document connected to me. Replace the originals with forgeries.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Not a single line can be out of place—not one!”
A booming voice rang out through the room.
Through the window, Elliot and I watched the ongoing activity inside.
Our eyes met in silent agreement.
My legs were completely numb from crouching too long in wait.
I massaged the cramp in my calf as I slowly stood up.
Elliot pulled a pouch of sleeping powder from inside his coat.
I tugged my mask up tightly over my face.
Opening the window slightly, I gently blew the powder into the room.
One… two… three…
It was potent. Within moments, the people inside began to yawn and sway, their bodies going limp.
“I’m going in.”
“Only grab the tampered evidence. We don’t need everything.”
“Understood.”
Elliot slipped inside first and held out his hand.
I reached out, accepting the help.
It bruised my pride to need assistance just to climb through a window,
but I no longer expected much from this body.
I caught a faint twitch at the corner of Elliot’s lips.
He was probably thinking it.
Why did you come along just to complicate things?
…I didn’t think I’d be this useless either.
But if I didn’t do it with my own hands, it just wouldn’t sit right.
“Please stay here. I’ll bring it to you.”
This time, I had no choice but to nod.
Elliot quickly gathered the forged ledgers they’d been copying.
I kept watch, scanning our surroundings with caution.
“Here.”
I took the bundle of original and falsified ledgers from Elliot and tucked them into my coat.
But at that exact moment—
“What the hell?! Who are you? Why is everyone passed out?!”
The door burst open.
Uncle Milles and his guards stormed in.
Elliot and I exchanged a sharp glance.
A beat.
Then—I ran.
Leaving Elliot behind without hesitation.
“A dog hole. Seriously.”
How I escaped from Uncle Milles’s estate…
That’s something I’d never want to explain to anyone.
Elliot, thankfully perceptive, had run off in the opposite direction to split their pursuit.
I, on the other hand, had wriggled out through a dog hole I had marked earlier—just in case.
It had been a joke at first.
Would I fit through something like that with this small body?
Turned out—I could.
And I did.
“After her! Don’t let her get away!”
I had managed to escape the estate safely, but there was no way I could return to the horse Elliot and I had come on.
Elliot had taken it and ridden off to lure the guards away.
Not that I could’ve ridden it in this body anyway, I thought bitterly.
Still, being stuck out here with no way back wasn’t any less frustrating.
As I anxiously tried to come up with a plan—
“Hello there, lost little lady.”
“…!”
For a moment, I wondered if I’d fallen asleep waiting for someone in my room.
Because surely, the Grand Duke appearing in front of the dog hole I’d just crawled through—this had to be a dream.
“You look rather troubled.”
“….”
The Grand Duke leaned lazily out of his carriage, looking down at me with that arrogant smile.
“Are you going to tell me again that you don’t need my help?”
So he was getting the same intel I was.
No—judging by the timing, he was probably getting minute-by-minute updates on my movements.
Behind me, a crowd of torch-bearing guards came pouring out of Uncle Milles’s estate.
There was no time left to hesitate.
“Let’s go.”
I made my decision.
Fine. Let’s see what it’s like—accepting the Grand Duke’s help for once.
