IRBSGHC 03

Episode 03

“Ah, m-miss!”

“Y-you were here all along…….”

Elia rose from her seat with an indifferent expression and brushed the dust from her skirt.

“Tell Mother that I collapsed in the closet and was moved back to my room. And bring some food up as well.”

“…Y-yes.”

The maid bowed her head, carefully watching Elia’s expression.

Everyone in the Marquis of Arnes’s household knew, if only in whispers, that Elia was an illegitimate child. Because of that, she was quietly despised throughout the estate.

They couldn’t openly mistreat her due to the difference in status, but Elia was always served leftovers—food that the family had already picked at.

If today hadn’t happened, they would have ignored her as usual, leaving her locked in the closet.

That experience was the reason Elia had struggled to open her heart to the servants of the North.

Unlike these people, the northern servants had genuinely cared for her—but it took a very long time before she could accept their sincerity.

While Elia was briefly lost in thought, the maids, clearly uncomfortable, began to slip away one by one. Elia spoke up as she watched them.

“That scar of the Grand Duke’s was earned protecting us. It’s an honorable scar.”

“T-that’s right.”

“Y-yes, exactly!”

Elia flashed a smile at the flustered maids and brushed past them.

They didn’t notice it, but a faint twitch passed over the corner of Elia’s lips. Acting unlike her usual self made her heart pound.

Knock, knock.

“Miss, your meal.”

“Come in.”

The maid who had earlier pointed out Felix’s scar entered and placed the food before Elia.

“…Ah, I’m sorry about earlier!”

Elia looked at the maid, who suddenly bent at the waist and apologized.

If this were Elia from sixteen years ago, she would have said it was fine and forgiven her generously.

Only now did she realize that kindness like that had only made her look easy to take advantage of.

“Your name was Jenny, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, miss.”

“Could you do me a small favor?”

At Elia’s words, Jenny rolled her dark brown eyes, her expression uncertain as if weighing her options.

“Um… what kind of favor?”

“It’s nothing too serious. As you know, I’ll be leaving for the North soon.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Right. But I’ve been worried whether someone as weak as me can endure the cold there.”

“That’s true. Miss, your body is so frail that you’re practically infer—ah, no, I mean, you catch colds very easily every month.”

Jenny hurriedly corrected herself, realizing her mistake.

“Exactly. So you’ll need to fetch the herbs I mention from the herb storage.”

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t you understand? Then let me say it again. Go and bring me the herbs.”

“…But how?”

Her eyes trembled anxiously, clearly flustered.

“It’s simple. If you say Serena is sick, they’ll hand them over easily. You’re Serena’s personal maid, aren’t you?”

“A-ah, even so, that’s…!”

“…Hah. I didn’t want to go this far, but—you took the necklace Serena gave me, didn’t you?”

Elia rose from the bed, an air of quiet pressure surrounding her as she took a step closer.

“I knew everything. I just pretended not to.”

Jenny staggered back in panic.

“Besides that, you shared most of the things Serena gave me with the other maids. If the Marquis were to hear about how many petty thieves there are in his household, how do you think he’d react?”

Of course, the Marquis wouldn’t care even if she told him.

“Th-that is…!”

As Elia’s face drew right up close, Jenny finally lowered her head in surrender.

“…I-I’ll do it! I’ll do everything you ask!”

Seeing that, Elia let out a self-mocking smile.

If it was this easy with just a little courage, why did I spend my first life being trampled like a fool?

Only then did Jenny hurriedly bow and rush out of the room.

Elia picked up the sandwich on the plate. When she took a bite, a crisp crunch echoed, and juice flowed from the thick slice of ham.

It was warm food—something Elia had never been allowed to truly taste in the Marquis’s household.

A child born from a secret affair between the Marquis and the most beautiful maid in the estate. The Marquis’s single stain.

That was Elia.

The Marchioness, who valued noble dignity above all else, had accepted Elia—but sent the maid away to somewhere unknown.

Elia existed like a shadow within House Arnes. Yet she was still human, longing for warmth, for affection, for the sturdy shelter called family.

As a child, after hearing the word illegitimate, Elia had once gone to her father, Marquis Herald Arnes’s office.

“Father!”

But instead of helping her understand, the Marquis only left words that carved wounds into her fragile heart.

“If you know the truth, then don’t overstep. Live quietly.”

Elia never forgot those words.

From that day on, it was as if she gave up on everything.

She lived like a puppet of the Marquis’s household, doing only what she was told, slowly emptying her heart over many long years.

I lived like that my whole life. There was no way my nature would suddenly change just because I went to the North.

Elia scoffed at herself—then steeled her resolve once more.

There are too many people I have to protect in the North. Especially little Jeremy. I have to change now…

There was a reason she had to be different from her previous life.

She recalled the last image she had of Jeremy.

That was when he was… twenty-one, wasn’t it?

Even though she felt she hadn’t taken proper care of him, Jeremy had grown strong on his own and protected her.

The same age Elia was now.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t clearly recall the five-year-old Jeremy she had first met when she was twenty-one.

He was definitely very small, though…

Bang!

“Big sister! You were here!”

Someone burst into the room without permission.

“Serena….”

As always, there hadn’t even been the courtesy of a knock.

“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I was going to secretly let you out of the closet!”

“……”

Right. And every time you ‘saved’ me like that, I ended up being punished even more later.

Serena lingered near the door, tilting her head as she looked at Elia’s silent face in confusion.

Her cheeks were flushed, as if she truly had been searching for her.

“Big sister, did something happen? Why do you feel so different today? You surprised me earlier.”

“…No, nothing. What is it you need?”

“Hm? What do you mean? We were supposed to have tea together today! Don’t you remember?”

“…Ah.”

Elia’s loosened lips pressed tightly together again. She bit the soft flesh inside her cheek.

That tea. Melanesia….

Dizziness washed over her, and Elia squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again.

The anger that had settled over many years was rising back to the surface.

“Come on, big sister! Let’s go. I’ve prepared everything.”

Serena grabbed Elia’s hand tightly and smiled brightly, innocently.

You were the only one I trusted in this house…

She was a child as beautiful as a flower. Back then, Elia had been blinded by that appearance, never realizing the thorns hidden beneath.

On the table placed to the right side of Serena’s room sat a teapot, teacups, and an array of tempting desserts.

Several maids stood by to attend the tea, in a room several times larger than Elia’s attic.

“Since you’re always weak, big sister, these are tea leaves I specially imported from another country.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Go on, drink.”

Elia lifted the teacup decorated with pink flower petals. Time had passed, and the tea had long since lost its warmth; even the cup itself felt cold, like touching a stone.

In the past, I would’ve been grateful for your concern and drunk it all without suspicion.

Elia briefly raised her gaze to Serena.

Serena had ordered a maid to brew fresh, hot tea—only for her own cup—and was sipping it leisurely.

Only now did Serena’s true intentions become visible, throwing Elia’s emotions into turmoil.

Clink.

When Elia set the cup down without drinking, Serena’s gaze hardened.

“…Why aren’t you drinking?”

“…Just because. By the way, where did you get these tea leaves, and how?”

“Huh? I told you earlier, didn’t I? Our family lives off trade—you know that, right? Mother put in special effort. Ah! She said she’d prepare some for you to take to the North too!”

Elia looked once more at the small, reddish leaves floating in the cup.

The Elia of the past would have teared up in gratitude at such a sight.

But now, she knew what lay hidden behind that smile.

“That Mother, who despises me so deeply, personally?”

Serena’s face flickered with surprise at the unexpected remark.

“W-what are you talking about, big sister? Why would Mother hate you? Ah—right! Jenny, bring that over.”

Serena rolled her eyes and signaled to Jenny.

“You’ll really love this when you see it!”