Chapter 44
For someone who was plainly a commoner and had just entered the Bolshevik mansion that day, her response was as if receiving something natural, which would have puzzled anyone.
However, the butler and servants didn’t even blink, they just bowed their heads lightly.
Jane couldn’t hide her satisfaction at their well-refined behavior.
To think that such people would be serving her.
“If there’s anything inconvenient or needed, you can tell them.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
From the butler’s words, Jane realized that there were no servants exclusively for her.
Still, hoping against hope, Jane looked over the servants and barely suppressed the words that had risen to the tip of her tongue.
She mustn’t ask why there were only this many servants.
This treatment must be due to her current position.
Rationally, she understood, and she was confident she would have more in the future.
But she couldn’t help feeling upset right now.
Jane’s face stiffened slightly, but the butler and servants didn’t mind this time either.
“Also, the area you’re allowed to access is the east annex, including this room. Entry to the main building is prohibited without the young lady’s permission, so please keep that in mind.”
At the mention of movement restrictions, Jane’s cheeks momentarily flushed, but no one saw it as she quickly covered it with her palm and smiled.
“I’ll keep that in mind as well.”
“As for other necessary matters…”
“I’ll explain them.”
A servant stepped forward at the butler’s eye signal, and the butler left the room without even asking Jane’s permission.
“Apart from meals, if you need anything…”
While Jane’s face wore a calm smile as she listened to the servant, the inside of her mouth was a mess.
If you endure and persevere, you can grasp what you want.
Jane, who had repeated this to herself several times, took a deep breath and calmed herself.
“…that’s all. If you need anything else, please pull the bell rope.”
The servants who had finished their tasks also left the room without Jane’s permission.
Jane’s face, which had maintained a gentle expression until they all disappeared, twisted the moment the door closed.
Her face was contorted so grotesquely it could ward off evil spirits, but Jane never shouted or mishandled objects out of anger.
Rather, she straightened her back even more, pulled in her chin, and did her best to imitate the posture of those with blue blood flowing through their veins.
Everything would become hers anyway.
She didn’t want to ruin everything because of momentary emotions when she had just reached the starting point.
But she wouldn’t forget.
All of this current humiliation, anger, sorrow, and resentment.
“I must endure until I reclaim my position.”
And then I’ll pay it all back.
Jane caressed the first ingredient of the poison she had carefully hidden deep within her.
And neither Jane herself nor anyone who encountered her could smell the scent coming from her.
Except for Riina, who had gradually gone mad after drinking the poison Jane had made before the regression, and was eventually executed…
* * *
At the time Jane was meeting with the butler and servants,
Riina was surrounded by servants preparing for a tea party.
“The theme for the tea party you’ll be attending this time is…”
“…this one is not particularly favored by the host…”
Riina raised her hand as she listened to the servants’ explanations and recommendations that came without even asking.
Looking around the suddenly quiet surroundings, she looked down at what the servants had selected and opened her mouth.
“Bring something else.”
The dress densely decorated with blue sapphires looked unbearably heavy just by looking at it.
If she had her way, she’d like to just go in a light outfit with no decorations, matching only the “blue night” theme, show her face briefly, and come right back.
But that would be a very foolish thing to do.
Regardless of Riina’s feelings or plans, she is currently a Bolshevik.
Moreover, her engagement to the Second Prince has already been announced.
What if she suddenly appeared in the bare minimum attire that doesn’t violate etiquette, and disappeared quickly without even exchanging pleasantries?
Even a passing peacock could guess that something was wrong with her.
“Then how about this?”
Since there were several dresses prepared from the start, the servant promptly presented another dress.
“Next.”
When Riina shook her head at both the best and second-best options, the servants quickly began to prepare the third dress.
Riina, sitting askew in her chair, suddenly felt everything was bothersome.
Although it’s said to be essential, it’s not a place she needs to go to forcibly…
The places necessary for an heir were those for interacting with heirs of other families or confirming the family’s prestige.
For someone of Bolshevik’s status, wouldn’t things come flocking even if she just sat still?
Still, she should go.
There was one reason Riina was trying to go despite the hassle.
The future after leaving the family.
Riina had decided not simply to step down as heir or leave the main house, but to leave the Bolshevik family itself.
So she wouldn’t be able to rely on anything from the family.
Of course, she had no intention of relying on them.
The family’s discipline might waver if a former heir who had already left the family lingered around unnecessarily.
A former heir who hangs around despite having left the family, in the eyes of those drooling to exploit Bolshevik somehow.
Even children who have just started their education at five or six years old could answer how tempting a prey that would be.
Besides, even if she left the family, she didn’t want to live so pathetically.
Riina asked while fiddling with something she had picked up unconsciously.
“How much would this cost?”
While the servants blinked at her sudden question, Becky quickly answered.
“It would be equivalent to about four months of my salary.”
Riina tilted her head for a moment at that.
She was recalling the servants’ salaries among the documents she had approved.
Not long after, Riina nodded and put down what she had picked up.
I need to earn more money than I thought.
There’s a price to pay for becoming free and living alone.
The biggest of those costs would be ‘money’.
Starting from the house, which is the biggest expense, to costs incurred just for breathing.
Moreover, Riina had no intention of giving up the things she had enjoyed while staying at the Bolshevik residence.
Rather than greatly lowering her standard of living, she should earn enough money to maintain her current standard of living.
What Riina lacks is luck, not ability.
Even if failure is considered, you need to at least button the first button.
At this tea party she had decided to attend, she would need to observe the trends of the families with her own eyes and refine the investment targets she had already narrowed down.
“Next.”
Riina shook her head even at the third dress that came out, so the servants began to become extremely cautious.
Becky, who alternately looked at Riina, who seemed lost in other thoughts, and the servants who were gradually becoming anxious, soon nodded her head greatly and busily moved her hands.
“My lady, how about this one?”
The dress Becky recommended was extremely restrained in decoration, but instead wrapped in dense lace.
To think that delicate lace that must be handcrafted one by one was attached not only to the entire body but even to the ends of the sleeves.
It could truly be called a precious item that only those who know would recognize.
But because it came with the premise of ‘only those who know’, its priority was quite low…
The servants all looked at Becky with worried eyes, but Riina chuckled.
Becky smiled brightly at her reaction and carefully put down the softly flowing dress.
“There’s almost no jewel decoration, and the lace isn’t heavy either.”
“Alright. I’ll go with that one.”
“Yes!”
Becky answered neatly and then naturally began to give various instructions to the servants, and the servants naturally followed her instructions and moved efficiently.
It was a scene that would have puzzled strangers who saw it, unable to hide their bewilderment at how unusual it was.
Wasn’t Becky someone who had only recently begun to serve Riina closely?
Although she had had more private audiences with Riina than anyone else in that time, and even attended the big event of the hunting competition alone with her.
In any case, it was a clear fact that she wasn’t in a position to give all the instructions regarding Riina’s official outings.
Yet, no one stopped Becky.
Furthermore, there was no one who deliberately moved slowly or grumbled complaints about Becky when Riina wasn’t around.
Should we say it was the result of Becky’s innate friendliness and what she had honed to survive?
Even when she suddenly changed from Emma to Becky at some point, there was no one who spoke ill of her.
‘…for those reasons, I’ve been living as Emma until now. I’m sorry.’
There were no servants who pointed fingers at Becky, who bowed sincerely.
‘Right, Becky suits you better than Emma.’
‘That’s true. I thought it was too gentle a name.’
‘What does it matter if your name changes? Emma, no, it’s Becky now, right? Becky is Becky.’
They just smiled and stroked Becky’s cheeks, which had turned red around her eyes, or patted her back.
At that, Becky, who had been holding back her tears, burst into silent sobs, and her colleagues comforted her one by one.
The reason she was accepted without any fuss was probably because she had come to the Bolshevik residence and lived each day to the fullest.
The daily routine of waking up, starting work, laughing and chattering about trivial things, and generously helping those in need.
The time accumulated like that would have revealed ‘Becky’ as a human being that no words could replace.
Eventually, Becky, who had quickly finished all the remaining preparations, handed Riina a small fan inlaid with meticulously crafted sapphires.
“It would be better to have it, right?”
