Chapter 32
“I found a woman named Helen.”
Raylenne’s face brightened at Cashwood’s answer. She was at Cashwood’s agency, feeling nervous until he finally spoke, relieved to hear the response she had hoped for.
“Really?”
“Yes, but this Helen…”
Seeing the dark look in Cashwood’s eyes, Raylenne felt a sense of foreboding. Cashwood rubbed his forehead before speaking with difficulty.
“She was dead.”
“What…?”
Raylenne’s expression twisted in shock, her palms growing clammy.
“What do you mean she’s dead? How can she suddenly be dead?”
“I visited her home, and her family said they were preparing for her funeral.”
Her fingertips began to tremble. It didn’t take long for Raylenne to connect Helen’s sudden death to the true culprit.
“If that’s the case, it’s truly horrifying…”
The true culprit must have used Helen and then killed her to avoid being caught.
It took Raylenne some time to calm down. Cashwood waited silently. Once more composed, Raylenne gulped down the water in front of her and set the glass down with a thud.
“Where did you find Helen?”
She had said she was from Hatar…
“She was within the Ergen Duchy.”
Raylenne coughed in surprise.
“She didn’t tell a single truth.”
To think she was so close by. The saying “hidden in plain sight” was accurate.
Cashwood continued calmly, “She was in a very secluded place. It’s true she was a daughter of the Barony of Maklar. She seemed to have a large family too.”
At least it seemed true about her having many siblings and her family background.
“How did you find her?”
“I inquired around the vicinity of the Ergen Duchy, describing her appearance. Eventually, I found a maid who had worked with Helen.”
A maid who worked with Helen? Raylenne furrowed her brow and asked, “Who was it?”
“Her name was Belle.”
Raylenne’s eyes widened.
If it was Belle, she was the maid Janie had mentioned.
[Yes… Belle. She was the maid who worked with Helen and me. Don’t you remember her?]
In the past, Raylenne had pushed Belle, causing her a severe head injury. Belle had quit being her maid afterward.
“Can I meet this Belle?”
Cashwood nodded, “I’ll write down where she works.”
Watching Cashwood write, Raylenne clenched her fists without realizing it. She felt as if she was about to uncover a significant truth.
* * *
Although the lead on the true culprit had disappeared, Raylenne was somewhat satisfied to have information about Belle. Belle was now working as a maid for a marquis in another region. Raylenne also learned that her maids were daughters of minor noble families. Children from regular noble families couldn’t endure her abrasive personality and had no reason to.
‘This must be the place…’
Raylenne had left the duchy at dawn and now stood in front of a large mansion. Before coming here, she had sent a letter to this address, thinking Belle might refuse to meet if she just showed up, and feeling guilty about that.
Belle had bad memories of her because of the head injury Raylenne had caused. Whether Belle quit or was dismissed because of it, she had disappeared afterward.
So Raylenne had written to apologize and asked to meet. She had been anxious about whether Belle would reply, but a few days later, Belle’s letter arrived, simply stating she would meet her.
Now, Raylenne stood in front of the location mentioned in the letter. It took about six hours to reach here from the Ergen Duchy, so she had started early in the morning. If she talked to Belle quickly, she could return to the duchy by evening.
‘She’s late…’
Although the appointed time had passed, Raylenne waited patiently, thinking of it as a small penance. Time continued to pass as she kept her gaze fixed on the mansion door.
Growing weary of waiting, she finally saw a woman with reddish-brown hair step out with a loud noise. The woman, presumed to be the owner of the mansion, exchanged greetings with the departing woman.
As she walked closer, Raylenne recognized the striking beauty as Belle from her memories. Raylenne stood up abruptly from the bench and approached her.
When their eyes met, Belle hesitated and then stood still.
“Raylenne?”
Raylenne nodded, “Belle, how have you been?”
“Yes… I’ve been well.”
Though awkward, Belle didn’t seem too troubled to see her. Three years had passed, and it appeared both the physical and emotional wounds had healed.
Feeling more at ease, Raylenne asked, “Have you been waiting long? The Marquis’ wife’s father passed away a few days ago, so I was comforting her and our conversation took longer than expected.”
Belle spoke apologetically, but Raylenne shook her head.
“It’s fine. This place doesn’t seem suitable for a conversation. Let’s go somewhere quieter.”
“There’s a park nearby. Shall we go there?”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
The park they arrived at was indeed quiet, with no need to worry about being overheard. Belle spoke first.
“I was surprised when I received your letter. I can’t believe you actually came to see me…”
Belle seemed astonished that Raylenne had left the duchy. The Raylenne she remembered rarely left her room due to her social anxiety.
“Nothing in the world remains unchanged. I am no exception.”
Raylenne gazed at the slowly drifting clouds.
“Because of that, I realized my mistakes and came to apologize to you.”
Belle remained silent, but Raylenne continued without being deterred.
“There was a time when I was near death, and I thought it was my karma.”
Although this thought was not originally Raylenne’s, she felt the real Raylenne might have eventually come to such a realization.
“I’m sorry, Belle, for hurting you that day.”
Even while apologizing, Raylenne felt a twinge of guilt. She was apologizing with superficial memories, not truly knowing what had transpired between Raylenne and Belle.
It would have been better if the person apologizing was the Raylenne Belle knew.
Belle lowered her head in silence.
“…Honestly, I hated you more than anything back then.”
Belle’s faint voice reached Raylenne, who listened intently.
“I understand. I treated my servants terribly…”
“No, that didn’t bother me at all.”
Belle cut her off, speaking firmly. Raylenne blinked in surprise.
Belle spoke hesitantly in a weak voice, “We just… loved each other.”
Loved…?
Raylenne recalled a fleeting suspicion she had once had.
‘Could it be…’
As Belle continued, Raylenne was hit by a shocking revelation.
“I know how absurd it is for a maid like me to love a young master…”
A young master?!
Raylenne had to struggle not to shout. The Ergen Duchy had two young masters, but Caverion was the secondary male lead in the original story, so it couldn’t be him. Therefore…
“H-Helis?”
Stunned, she stammered like an idiot. But Belle, lost in her memories, simply nodded.
‘I can’t believe it…!’
Raylenne had expected to uncover some shocking truth when she met Belle, but a love story involving her foolish younger brother was beyond imagination. While she stood there blinking in astonishment, a sudden realization cleared the fog in her memory.
* * *
The familiar room was filled with a chilly atmosphere.
“Do you think you can become part of this household?” Raylenne glared at Belle with venomous eyes. Belle, with her eyes wide open, met Raylenne’s gaze.
“Why can’t I? Helis and I love each other…!”
Raylenne laughed hysterically. Her sharp laughter was tinged with madness.
“Love? Do you think love exists in a place like this? Even parents and siblings don’t love each other here, let alone outsiders.”
“…”
“Especially someone as insignificant as you.”
Raylenne grabbed Belle’s chin and brought their faces closer.
“This duchy is a place that dries people up. If you marry Helis, you’ll realize the truth of my words. Or perhaps even before that?”
“What do you mean…”
Belle’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
“The moment you say you’re marrying Helis, you’ll disappear without a trace. That’s the kind of man my father, the Duke of Ergen, is.”
Raylenne, smiling with curled lips, looked like a wicked witch living in the depths of a cave.
“My father would never give such an important piece like Helis to a girl from a nameless family like yours.”
“T-That can’t be… Helis will protect me.”
Belle clenched her hands tightly, trembling all over. Thick tears welled up in her eyes.
“How foolish.”
Raylenne looked down at Belle coldly. Belle’s tears fell drop by drop.
Soon, a suppressed voice burst out from Belle.
“What do you know about love…! You’ve been trapped here all your life. Even the servants of this household look down on you behind your back…”
Smack—!
Raylenne’s hand struck Belle’s cheek in an instant. The force was so strong that Belle staggered and fell sideways.
Thud.
With a heavy sound, blood began to flow from Belle’s head. She didn’t get up. Her eyes slowly closed, and her eyelids covered her pupils.
Raylenne stood still, her hand raised, staring at Belle. Red liquid spread around Raylenne’s feet. Her blue eyes sank deeply, like the dark depths of the ocean.
