Chapter – 23
Returning to her room, Eleanor sat down and reviewed her meeting with Rezet.
It had been exhausting in many ways. She didn’t like that a man who had appeared out of nowhere was now hovering around her, and she liked his easygoing personality even less. The only thing remotely tolerable about him was his face—but she had long since passed the age of being flustered by mere looks.
And those eyes of his…
“He’s hiding something.”
There was a time when Eleanor had survived by reading nothing but other people’s moods. With a single glance into someone’s eyes, she could roughly gauge their true intentions. In her previous life, she had ignored countless warning signs out of a desperate desire to be loved. But now, she intended to make active use of what she saw.
When they first met, Rezet’s interest had been close to simple curiosity. But the look he gave her earlier today clearly carried suspicion.
What had changed him?
There were many possible reasons. A so-called failure with no abilities to speak of had begun acting unpredictably again and again. If he started suspecting even one of those incidents, there would be no end to it.
Why had Rezet insisted on following her? To dispel his suspicions—or to confirm them?
Of course, it didn’t matter which.
“Anyone who tries to stand in the way of my revenge… I won’t forgive them.”
She repeated her vow. It was a word she had carved into her heart countless times in the demon realm, through blood and tears.
Revenge.
The intruders she had believed could become her family.
The traitor she had believed to be her father.
And even this entire nation, which had sacrificed her ignorant soul to the demon realm in pursuit of its own peace.
When Eleanor had writhed in agony, not a single person had looked back at her.
She had no intention of letting petty interference frighten her now.
“Rezet Rotger…”
Perhaps what truly unsettled her was that the question from their first meeting still had no answer.
Rezet Rotger, praised as a once-in-a-century genius. It had been only natural that he was expected to become the next head of the Rotger family.
And yet, when she destroyed the Empire in her previous life, his figure had been nowhere to be seen.
It couldn’t simply have been that he was absent.
The Empire had mistaken Eleanor for the Demon King and had deployed all of their elite forces.
“So… what do you know?”
She turned Rezet’s question over in her mouth once more.
Perhaps it was a question she herself should be asking him.
The day of departure for the Forest of Virtna arrived before long.
“The departure is supposed to be tomorrow! Then why do you have to leave today?”
“There’s a large party in the hall tomorrow, so they can’t prepare a departure ceremony.”
“And you believe that?”
Clutching her skirt in frustration, Laura looked ready to burst.
The original departure date had been tomorrow, but just last night, they had received sudden, unilateral notice to leave today instead.
Since a party hosted by Jennifer was being held tomorrow, they claimed Eleanor had to depart today in order for the ceremony to be prepared.
“Of course I don’t believe it.”
Murmured Eleanor, recalling Jennifer’s awkward smile.
“Since this is your first campaign, I want to prepare everything properly for you as your mother.”
Jennifer had said so, but she hadn’t been able to completely hide her tension. She knew the abrupt schedule change felt unnatural.
But it didn’t matter. This was precisely the situation Eleanor had wanted.
“There’s no need for you to prepare a departure ceremony.”
“Eleanor. Not disregarding your mother’s sincerity is also a lady’s virtue.”
“And not burdening a mother who must already be busy preparing for a party is also a lady’s virtue. Please focus on your preparations. As you said, I’ll depart tomorrow.”
At that, Jennifer had visibly relaxed.
If the departure ceremony were made too grand, news would inevitably reach the Rotger family—something Jennifer surely did not want. She may have prepared excuses about excessive scale appearing extravagant, but Eleanor had no intention of entertaining such talk.
“It was bound to turn out like this anyway, so don’t worry. I’ve already finished preparing.”
“My goodness, already? Then what about me—”
“Laura, you have something else to do in this house.”
“Is it… a special mission?”
After whispering something to the tense Laura, Eleanor donned light traveling gear and walked out at an unhurried pace.
The guards who once blocked her path now carefully avoided her gaze and slipped aside. Perhaps because several guards connected to her had died, there was even a hint of fear in their eyes.
That alone was a considerable change.
“They’re so rude. Not even greeting you as you leave, Miss.”
Laura fumed, but Eleanor merely sighed lightly. She had long since abandoned any expectations of them.
“Don’t concern yourself with it, Laura.”
“You’re too soft-hearted, Miss. If it were me, I’d have pulled them by the hair already.”
“Would that be necessary?”
The Eleanor who had been soft-hearted died the day she was offered to the demon realm.
The only reason she didn’t grab the guards now was because there was no need to act in anger just yet.
Hearing a perfunctory greeting now mattered less than letting them remain rude to the very end. When the final moment of revenge for the world arrived, they too would pay their due.
For a fleeting instant, her eyes gleamed—but she soon lowered her gaze and whispered to Laura,
“Forget the useless talk. Make sure you handle what we discussed.”
“Yes. Don’t worry, Miss. I’ll manage it properly!”
Seeing Laura’s eyes shine with determination, Eleanor’s last bit of doubt faded.
Their trust wasn’t fully built yet, but Laura was surprisingly competent. By the time Eleanor returned, something interesting would surely be waiting.
“Then I’ll be off.”
After bidding farewell, Eleanor boarded the family carriage.
Lately, she found herself riding the Hildecht family carriage more often. It felt strange.
In her previous life, aside from early childhood, she had never properly ridden in a carriage bearing the Hildecht crest. She had been a stain the family could not show the outside world.
The coachman—whose face she did not even know—glanced back and nodded stiffly. Sensing the hostility directed at her, Eleanor simply smiled.
Hate me as much as you like. I feel the same.
She climbed into the carriage without assistance. A few maids whispered at the sight of her skirt swaying, but she paid them no mind.
Just as she was about to close the carriage door—
“Miss. Please wait.”
A large, intimidating voice. One she knew well.
Anne—Jennifer’s close confidante and the head maid who had treated Eleanor with the most contempt.
There was no way Anne’s intentions in calling her now were benevolent.
“What is it?”
Eleanor leaned her head slightly out through the half-closed door. Anne stood there wearing an unusually bright smile.
Seeing that smile stirred faint memories from the distant past.
Long ago, Eleanor had tried to win Anne’s favor. Anne had seemed so close to Jennifer that Eleanor believed pleasing her might earn Jennifer’s affection as well.
It had been a foolish thought.
“I prepared a lunchbox for you.”
“A lunchbox?”
“You might grow hungry on the way. I specially requested it from the kitchen.”
Anne presented an actual lunchbox.
Still wearing that rigid, painted smile, she placed it into Eleanor’s hands.
“The first tier is a meal, the second meat, and the third dessert. Please enjoy it on your way.”
“I’m not particularly hungry.”
“What are you saying, Miss? You must eat to have strength.”
For a moment, her expression seemed to twist, but she couldn’t resist adding one more remark.
“You once complained that I only gave you greens. And now you say you have no appetite?”
It was almost laughable.
She wanted to persuade Eleanor to take the lunchbox, yet even in that moment, she couldn’t forget her own wounded pride.
Compared to the history of torment Anne had inflicted upon her, that small complaint was nothing. And yet Anne remembered only the slight to herself. How treacherous human memory could be.
“If you insist so much, I’ll take it.”
“Make sure you eat properly!”
It was foolish to the very end. She might as well have been shouting, I’m suspicious!
Ignoring Anne’s flushed face, Eleanor shut the carriage door firmly.
Inside the lunchbox were three neatly stacked tiers of food.
But as Eleanor gazed at the fragrant bundle resting in her lap, her expression was icy.
“Let’s see how much effort they put into this.”
First, she would deal with this lunchbox that reeked so suspiciously sweet.
As the carriage rolled quietly forward, Eleanor stared down at it.
“Did they really think I would eat this?”
She was too incredulous to even be angry. Instead, a faint laugh escaped her.
It was widely known across the country that Eleanor Hildecht—who had failed to even pass the beginner healer exam for seven years—had changed. No one had witnessed that transformation more closely than Anne and Jennifer.
And yet, did they truly believe she would be moved by something as simple as a lunchbox?
“…This wasn’t Jennifer’s doing. Just Anne’s petty trick, most likely.”
Jennifer preferred subtler, more cruel schemes. If her hand had been involved, the malice would have been far better concealed.
Eleanor opened the lunchbox and took out a piece of fruit.
She gazed at the ripe, red apple for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.
There was a limit to how many times one could fall for such obvious tricks.
How long had they been traveling? When she came to, the carriage had noticeably slowed.
She leaned toward the small window in the carriage door. Outside, the blue foothills came into view.
They had reached the entrance of Mount Hebein.
Mount Hebein—deep and rugged, known for its quiet isolation due to the scarcity of visitors.
Which also meant that whatever happened within those mountains, no one would ever know the truth.
“If Jennifer prepared a ‘gift,’ it would be here.”
It was about time to make her move.
