Chapter 29
Theodore’s face grew even more grim as he thought of what poisonous mushrooms looked like.
“You must have thought that eating them carelessly would cause trouble.”
At that, a quiet chuckle came from Fiorentia’s side. Though her voice wasn’t loud, Theodore’s sharp hearing caught it immediately.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
Fiorentia deliberately paused. Instinctively, she knew this was an opportunity.
“I need to answer carefully from now on.”
She had eaten the poisonous mushrooms on purpose to gain the power to save Theodore, but she couldn’t tell him that outright. It might be the best chance to open the lock on his tightly guarded heart.
Theodore was a suspicious man. If she admitted that she had eaten the mushrooms to win his favor, all her efforts so far might be wasted. He would probably overanalyze her motives and distrust her again.
Swallowing dryly, she slowly spoke.
“Honestly… after listening to you, I’m not sure why I did it either.”
She tried to sound calculated, almost resigned.
“I don’t know… maybe I was hungry? Or… maybe I just wanted to die? I can’t really remember.”
She glanced subtly from behind her mask. Just as she expected, Theodore froze, looking shocked at her unexpected words.
“You… wanted to die?”
Flustered, he called her name like a sigh, unsure what to say.
Fiorentia lowered her voice a little.
“You may not believe me, but it’s true. I ate them and felt really sick. That’s why my memory around that time is hazy.”
Her words hinted at something. Indirectly, she revealed that her life had been so difficult that she had been willing to risk death.
At the Marcella mansion, for people to collectively ignore her, they would need the consent of someone higher in status.
“And there’s only one person like that.”
Her half-sister, Desdemona.
With this, Fiorentia succeeded in showing Theodore that even though she carried the Marcella name, she was separate from that family.
“It’s annoying being watched unexpectedly, but with Esther here, it’s a bit easier.”
Even just from seeing how the maid treated her rudely, Theodore could guess her situation. Over time, repeated behaviors like this would make her story more believable.
Finishing her calculations quickly, she allowed herself a faint smile. She didn’t need to hide her expression and was glad for the mask.
Her plan worked. As she trailed off her words, Theodore’s eyes softened and wavered for a moment. Fiorentia noticed immediately.
“Good. Feel pity for me. That will make it more likely you’ll save me later.”
It was clear that her words had stirred something inside him.
After thinking deeply for a while, Theodore’s Adam’s apple moved, and he finally spoke in a low voice.
“Even so… do you have to eat something like that? People from the Marcella family are strange.”
It wasn’t sympathy, comfort, or teasing like, “That’s so like you.” But Fiorentia recognized it as a crack in the wall he had built around her.
“If I can find the gap, maybe I can slip through it.”
“That’s enough for today.”
She nodded, agreeing in a deliberately tired voice.
“Yeah… I think so too.”
And she thought:
“By the way… this was originally your ability.”
For now, she buried the truth deep. Fiorentia stayed silent.
Until the head maid arrived, the two of them enjoyed a relatively quiet time. Fiorentia was pleased with that.
“Then let’s begin.”
Fiorentia had grown several poisonous mushrooms in a hidden part of the room.
“I have no idea what you’re planning.”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
Just then, a knock at the door and Esther’s voice came.
“Perfect timing.”
Fiorentia gestured at an empty chair. Theodore obediently went over and sat, pretending to be a doll.
“Come in.”
Fiorentia gave permission, and the maid entered casually.
“I came to collect the dishes. Was the meal satisfactory? And I brought clothing for the doll, as requested.”
“Thank you. And sorry for always making you serve the meals. I’d go to the dining room myself, but that would upset my sister…”
“It’s your ladyship’s mood that matters most. Don’t worry about my fatigue.”
“Mm.”
Still, the maid expressed her annoyance by clattering the dishes loudly on purpose.
“I should have cleaned up in advance. Sorry, I’ll help.”
Fiorentia, avoiding the maid’s eyes, subtly waved her fingers.
Silently, the mushrooms began moving.
Theodore, watching, was surprised. This was the first time he had seen moving poisonous mushrooms. Unlike Fiorentia, he had no prior knowledge, so he couldn’t hide his shock.
“How can mushrooms move like that?”
By normal understanding, mushrooms grow rooted in one spot. Spores fly, not whole mushrooms. But these were crawling.
“They’re like animals, just without faces.”
Then he realized even asking the question was almost absurd.
“Once poisoned, nothing about them is normal.”
It couldn’t be understood from an ordinary perspective. Theodore decided to accept it as it was; it was easier and less stressful.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen them properly.”
He had seen a lot growing up and wasn’t easily grossed out or frightened, but these mushrooms were unsettling. Standing still, they were fine—but moving, they were strange. From a distance, they looked like burnt hands crawling or like giant spiders.
Fiorentia kept making small talk with the maid, deliberately stalling. Meanwhile, the mushrooms quickly closed in around the maid.
Finally, they surrounded her.
“What exactly is she planning to do with those?”
Before he could wonder, thunk!
A mushroom fell from the ceiling over the maid’s head.
“Ah! Wh-what is this?!”
As she turned in surprise, another mushroom attacked, curling its horn and grabbing her neck.
Snap!
