Chapter 8
Even just sharing a breath with her made Charlotte feel as if she herself were being sullied—a messy, vile sensation. Yet there was only one reason she had to align herself with the Grand Duke, a man cruel enough to slaughter her own family:
“Because I have no power.”
Unluckily for her, Charlotte had absolutely no power at the moment. The name of the Aubrey Dukedom held no weight before her. Rather, her existence was nothing but a shadow of the Dukedom itself.
Everyone in the Empire who had heard of the Aubrey Dukedom knew that Charlotte was an adopted commoner.
Because of this, the Duke had been widely praised for his philanthropic act of adopting a commoner—an unheard-of deed for a noble—and enjoyed great popularity among the common people, even receiving a medal of appreciation from the royal court.
But what about Charlotte?
Was she really the “lucky girl” people claimed?
She had lived her entire life under constant surveillance.
“Could that lowly girl be daring to covet the power of the Dukedom? Or perhaps the wealth of the Aubrey family?”
Even the street urchins observed her closely, whispering among themselves. They seemed to believe they could have been chosen instead, had she not been.
It was laughable. They did not see the shadow looming over Charlotte. Or, if they did, they thought it only fair. After all, fortune that defies one’s social station must be balanced by a measure of misfortune.
In any case, Charlotte had absolutely no freedom.
Hence, she could not possibly propose breaking off her engagement with Richard Cosmo. Her engagement was the sole reason for her adoption.
Even if she attempted to end it by some cunning, at best she would be cast aside; at worst, killed in secret.
Her existence was validated solely by her connection to the Cosmo Dukedom. She was, in every sense, a pawn that the Dukedom could use and discard at will.
So Charlotte thought:
If I am a pawn, then why not join hands with a knight?
A knight that could traverse the chessboard freely, leap over others, and strike deep into enemy lines. If she allied with such a being, capturing the king as a mere pawn would not remain an impossible dream.
The knight she had in mind was the Grand Duke Vermeer.
If he—favored by the Emperor and also serving as Minister of the Military—were to take her hand, she could leap past the Cosmo Dukedom and move forward. And if the knight could survive by bringing the pawn to a check position, that would suffice.
“If the Grand Duke takes my hand…”
Then breaking her engagement with Richard would be an easy matter. She could escape the Aubrey Dukedom, and her life might be prolonged.
Of course, the thought that she had to rely on someone else’s strength for her revenge was unpleasant—no, it was miserable and horrifying.
But this was the best choice.
Her crouching stance was temporary.
Once she had a foothold, she could spread her wings and soar into the sky.
So…
Charlotte placed her hands over her chest and closed her eyes.
God. Please grant mercy to the merciless.
The maid, Lily, was still clutching her arm, which was covered in dried blood, as she hurried across the hallway.
The wounds from the whip with hooks had been inflicted by her mistress.
Lily had been beaten for hours a few days ago simply for keeping Richard Cosmo waiting and for bringing Charlotte a new dress.
“This girl must have truly lost her mind.”
“And you, standing there quietly and listening to such madness? What stupidity.”
“I’ve never allowed a servant to live without thinking, you know.”
Lily’s feelings of injustice surged.
She had done nothing wrong. She had only been late for the appointment and followed the order to prepare a new dress for Charlotte. Why should she endure such harsh punishment?
Logically, her anger should have been directed at the one who struck her—but she could not possibly hate her mistress. So, instead, Lily’s resentment was redirected.
Thus, she hated Charlotte. She hated the girl who had caused her such suffering. She wanted to retaliate in kind.
Bang!
Despite being a mere maid, Lily flung open Charlotte’s door without knocking.
Unlike the bright hallway, the room was dark because sunlight did not reach it.
Lily’s gaze fell upon the bulge of the bed. Charlotte was lying there.
Normally, Charlotte would have been up at dawn, reading or walking. Why, then, had she been lying here all this time? Had her mistress truly gone mad, as Lily had suspected? Lily squinted and stared at Charlotte sharply.
“Miss! Wake up! The sun is high in the sky!”
Charlotte did not stir, despite the shouting. She had been pretending to be lazy, feigning sleep.
This confirmed that her prediction about Lily’s behavior was correct.
Charlotte slowly lifted her gaze from Lily’s squinty face.
“Lily.”
She rose slowly, speaking in measured tones.
Merely approaching Grand Duke Vermeer did not mean Charlotte’s plan was complete. He was simply a tool to surpass Richard and strike at the Aubrey Dukedom.
Thus, Charlotte had to proceed carefully with her agenda in the mansion—the tasks she had planned since returning to this time.
The first step was to secure an ally.
Charlotte looked at Lily, who had moved exactly as she had expected, and slowly opened her lips.
“Do I have any official duties today?”
“No, you don’t.”
“Then why did you wake me?”
“Huh?”
“Is it not your duty to safeguard your mistress? Then why interfere with her rest and act so arrogantly?”
“I—I didn’t mean to….”
“Explain yourself. If your reason is valid, I will forgive you. If not, you will not escape punishment. So tell me, why did you disturb my rest without permission?”
Lily could not utter a word. Charlotte was entirely correct—she had indeed interfered with her mistress.
Yet…
“She’s just a commoner.”
Lily was lower in status than even a commoner! She had been favored by her mistress purely by chance, yet…
“Do you have any idea how much humiliation I’ve suffered because of you?”
Lily’s frustration bubbled over, and she instinctively hugged her arm. The movement tore off some scabs, and blood seeped onto her maid uniform.
“You’re hurt.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened slightly as she reached for Lily’s arm.
She had already anticipated that Lily would be punished by the Duchess. After all, simply delaying the meeting with Richard and insisting on wearing a new dress would surely enrage the Duchess.
Yet Charlotte’s expression was one of complete surprise, as if she had never imagined it.
“Did your mother strike you again?”
“W-Well….”
“I made you suffer because of my stubbornness. I’m sorry.”
“…N-No.”
The harsh anger that had almost boiled over in Lily’s heart eased slightly.
Perhaps it was the simple apology from her mistress. Perhaps it was that someone noticed she was hurt.
Whatever the reason, Lily slightly retracted her earlier resentment toward Charlotte.
