Chapter 27
“Yes… To become the head of Mergen, you need that kind of boldness.”
Grandfather laughed.
For a moment, an unexpected wave of confusion hit me, pricking my chest.
He had never shown me that kind of smile before.
“Do as you please. But you’ll be responsible for cleaning up whatever mess you make.”
“….”
Everything was going according to plan—exactly how I wanted.
So why did it taste so bitter in my mouth?
“How could everyone vote in favor of that?!”
“You think I wanted to? Didn’t you see that stack of papers in front of her? It was a threat. She was saying she could do to us what she did to Milles.”
“I haven’t felt that kind of chill since Deborah.”
“I’d rather have had Deborah. At least she kept our secrets buried.”
“How did Irene turn like this all of a sudden?”
“There’s definitely someone backing her.”
“And who would that be?”
“…”
Most of the retainers had ended up voting in favor.
They were afraid. If they were somehow linked to Milles and exposed, they’d be punished worse than they deserved.
“Are you all insane?!”
Roosevelt stormed out of the council chamber and shouted at the retainers.
“How could you vote for her?!”
“We have to protect ourselves. Didn’t you hear? Lord Mergen expelled Milles on the spot!”
“Even so—!”
“Weren’t you the one who cut Milles loose first, Lord Roosevelt?”
“…What?”
“We heard Milles went to you. Why didn’t you clean up the mess?”
“Hah—”
Caught off guard, Roosevelt fell silent.
That’s when Chloe stepped out into the corridor.
“Lower your voices. Lord Mergen can hear you.”
At her words, the hallway fell silent.
“From now on, I don’t want to hear that name again.”
“…”
Everyone avoided her gaze.
“Brother…”
“You have something to take care of, don’t you?” Chloe said coldly.
Roosevelt flinched, unsure what to do with himself.
“Drag Milles here and have him kneel before the family head.”
“Y-yes, understood!”
He turned and bolted down the hall in a panic.
“And you,” Chloe said to a maid nearby, “wait here and bring Irene to me when she arrives.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chloe walked past the retainers, glancing at each of them like she was carving their faces into her memory.
“…We’ve been played by Irene.”
“It feels like that icy tension we thought ended with Deborah’s death is back again.”
“I thought Deborah had risen from the grave.”
“…Hah…”
The retainers still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
“If you were suffering from insomnia, you should’ve taken something for it. Mergen’s physicians are known for prescribing very effective remedies.”
At my sarcasm, Chloe took a long, deep breath.
“I would know. I’ve tried them myself.”
One more jab—and it hit the mark.
At last, my stepmother snapped.
Smack!
A sharp, stinging pain bloomed across my cheek.
Her slap stings more than I expected.
I pressed my cheek gently, tasting a bit of blood in my mouth.
“You dare make a fool of me? Are you done pretending?”
Her voice shook with fury.
“Was I ever pretending?”
“At the very least, you’ve proven you were never a harmless lamb.”
“Oh dear… Was that how I came across, Mother?”
The word Mother made Chloe’s eyes flash with sharp anger.
“You think gaining control of one mining operation is enough to claim the heir’s seat?”
“Hm. Hard to say.”
“I’ve warned you before. If you don’t want to end up like her, you’d better watch yourself.”
“So tell me, did you kill her?”
I asked it plainly—calm, direct.
“No point dancing around it, is there? We’re all family here.”
After all, the truth carries no power.
Even if Chloe had killed me, what could I do about it now?
“I’m just… curious.”
“She was simply unlucky. That’s all.”
So she wouldn’t admit it. Not outright.
My cheek still tingled. The initial sting was fading, replaced by a hot, dull ache.
“Grandfather will be announcing the heir appointment soon.”
“Why tell me?”
“So you have time to prepare. Another sudden slap like that would be awkward.”
“You’ve grown far too arrogant.”
Her words made me laugh.
“Why that face, Stepmother? What are you thinking? Trying to figure out what’s going on in my head—is it giving you a headache?”
“….”
“Hah.”
It really was funny.
This was a kind of thrill I could never feel in my old body.
Just watching Chloe squirm, desperately clinging to a worthless title, was its own form of entertainment.
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“If you knew what I was thinking, you’d laugh with me. But I doubt you’ll ever understand.”
“…Understand?”
The smile slowly faded from my face.
“Maybe if you die and come back, you might understand me.”
And I would know—because that’s exactly what I’d done.
“You think you’ve accomplished something—how pitiful.”
Chloe snapped, slapping aside her teacup. Cold tea sloshed across the table.
“I haven’t done anything yet.”
That’s why everyone’s still enjoying their peaceful little dawn.
“I only just lit the fuse.”
I’m not here just to expose some embezzlement or clean out a few rotten retainers.
“That’s why you should be afraid.”
Afraid of the Irene you once dismissed as less than a bug.
Afraid of losing, afraid of being broken.
Afraid of what I’ll become.
“Because when the bomb does go off, I want that moment to be glorious.”
“We’ll see who gets blown away when that time comes.”
Chloe clenched her hands so tightly, her nails dug into her palms.
Of course. Even her nails are sharp.
After that, we exchanged no more words.
Exhausted, I turned toward the window.
“Dawn has arrived—quiet and unnoticed.”
The night had fled.
And though light would return, I knew… the shadows within us would remain. “I did it on purpose.”
“She may respond with aggression.”
“Didn’t she already?” I replied, lightly gesturing to my cheek.
Elliot’s expression darkened with concern.
“This might actually be better,” I added. “It makes me look harmless.”
“I can’t begin to guess your intentions, my lady.”
“Things like pride, impulse, stubbornness, competitiveness—people tend to dismiss those, don’t they?”
“Are you… deliberately trying to appear foolish?”
“Exactly. People who underestimate me—who look down on Irene—always create the best opportunities.”
As I stepped back into my room, I was met by Karlin, whose eyes were puffy from crying.
“My lady! Do you know how worried I was last night? All the nobles gathered without warning, the entire staff was on edge, and you were nowhere to be found!”
“…Hmm. From now on, make sure Karlin gets advance notice.”
I murmured quietly to Elliot.
“She could let something slip if she’s not prepared…”
Elliot still didn’t fully trust Karlin.
“Chloe’s figured it out after last night—she knows Karlin’s reports were off. She won’t rely on her anymore.”
“So she won’t be summoned again.”
“Keep an eye on her anyway. Sparks might still fly.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I let my shoulders drop as I walked up to Karlin.
“My lady! What happened to your face?! Your cheek is all swollen!”
“I’m exhausted.”
“Did you stay up all night? But more importantly, your cheek—!”
“There was… something that blurred the line between dream and reality.”
“You’re not even strong to begin with! What were you thinking— Wait, I need to find some ointment!”
Karlin’s voice rose sharply, her concern ringing in my ears.
Strangely, the sound made me sleepy.
“Your voice… it’s like a lullaby.”
“My goodness—should you take your morning medicine or not? My lady, are you lying down like that?”
“Don’t worry so much. You’ll wrinkle.”
After that, Karlin’s voice faded completely from my mind.
I must have fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The estate grew still after the retainers had dispersed.
Birdsong filled the crisp morning air, but Abel had not moved from his desk for hours.
Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.
His fingertip idly tapped the corner of a white sheet of stationery.
Tidy handwriting filled the page, neat and deliberate.
It was one of many things he had preserved—one of many things carved into his memory.
He had seen that writing hundreds—no, thousands—of times.
Abel’s eyes drifted to another letter in his hand.
Back and forth, again and again, he compared the two.
The handwriting. The spacing. The line balance. The rhythm of dots and pauses.
Why did two letters, written by different people, carry the exact same signature style?
He was chasing an answer.
Even if his mind had been spinning for hours with nothing but impossible theories.
At last, his gaze settled on the name of the sender.
“Deborah.”
And with that name, he finally drew his conclusion.
“Why did you provoke Lady Chloe?”
Elliot asked me.
“Oh? So, you heard all that? I thought I was being rather discreet.”
“When you care enough, you hear everything.”
It seemed he hadn’t liked what I said to her.
