Chapter 8
My hair was pinned up high.
Dressed in a light yet neat dress, I prepared to go out with a fluttering heart.
“Where are you going today?”
Meisha asked as she adjusted my outfit.
“To see someone I’m glad to meet.”
Though Meisha didn’t understand the meaning behind my words, she simply nodded.
By the time my preparations were complete, Meisha handed me a small bag and waved.
“Be careful.”
“Yeah, I will.”
I gave her a bright smile and stepped out of the room.
Clatter. Clatter.
The carriage jolted forward, swaying from side to side just as it had on the day I went to the royal palace.
Perhaps because it had been a while since I last rode, the ride was far from comfortable. Every ten seconds, my backside collided with the seat.
It was uncomfortable, but luckily, today’s destination was closer than the royal palace, so we arrived quickly.
“Stop for a moment.”
A faint voice reached my ears, and the carriage slowed, likely stopped by the guards at the front gate.
“Show them this.”
I passed a letter through the carriage window, and soon after, the carriage moved again.
Not long now. It seemed it was time to stop.
“Hmm.”
Stepping down from the carriage, I faced a residence radiating a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Surrounded by a green garden, this place favored dense trees and climbing vines over extravagant flowers, giving it a serene, refined feel.
“Miss, are you sure this is alright?”
Illar, closing the carriage door, asked me.
“I’m not really sure either.”
“Excuse me?”
Seeing Illar’s surprised expression, I felt a pang of guilt for arriving without giving any explanation. Yet I was confident.
This was the one person I could truly trust.
I need this, to reclaim what I’ve lost. I just hope my choice isn’t wrong.
With that thought, I stepped boldly into the mansion.
It was 1:00 PM.
A peaceful hour for the nobles, but the busiest time for the staff.
The hallways I walked through were filled with servants hustling about.
Yet, none were waiting to guide me.
Normally, even a single maid would be assigned to escort someone who had an appointment. How this person regarded me became painfully clear.
“Excuse me.”
I tapped the shoulder of a passing maid.
“Oh! Who…?”
The maid, her hair tied high, widened her eyes at me.
“Where is Miss Forhan right now?”
The maid clapped her hands lightly, as if suddenly realizing something.
“Oh, are you a friend of the lady? She’s on the second floor. Shall I take you to her?”
“That would be appreciated.”
The maid led me to a room at the far end of the second floor.
“She should be inside.”
Saying this, she quickly returned to her duties. I knocked on the white door.
“Come in.”
A voice responded from inside, as if expecting me.
Click.
I opened the door to find a woman with long gray hair draped to one side, seated at a table.
“Welcome, Lady Clodie.”
Her greeting wasn’t exactly warm, yet it filled me with a quiet joy. I whispered her name in my heart.
Rael Forhan.
One of the few who didn’t dislike me and, along with Meisha, had always helped me—my maid, Rael, was there before me.
“Hello, Lady Forhan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I forced a composed voice, hiding the mix of happiness and gratitude for someone who had always assisted me.
“Please, sit.”
Rael gestured to the chair before her.
“You are the lady who danced with His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, correct? It was impossible to miss the commotion that followed.”
She asked the maid behind her for tea before speaking to me.
“Yes… it wasn’t something I aimed for, but it is true.”
“I heard that was the day you returned to the social scene after a long absence. Dancing with the Crown Prince—it’s remarkable.”
“….”
“And I truly didn’t expect you to come looking for me either.”
Her words were puzzling, yet Rael’s expression remained unchanged.
“Why have you come to me? Is it to escape public scrutiny, or to attach yourself to someone prominent to gain attention in society? Or have you come because I appear vulnerable, and you seek my place?”
Rael smiled faintly at me.
I noticed the signs: the staff who should have welcomed me weren’t present, the tableware was less than perfect.
Her caution was unmistakable.
“Well, I’m not inclined to entertain either of those intentions.”
Behind her serene smile, a maid appeared with a teapot and cups.
Two teacups were placed on the table.
Rael’s was ornate, meant for entertaining guests. Mine was smaller, simpler in design.
I glanced at her cup, then at her, and she sipped her tea without flinching.
“I apologize. We’ve run out of guest cups in the house.”
Providing a visitor with a cup like mine would have been highly disrespectful. Yet I could tell from her expression that her intent was not entirely hostile.
She has no tea for you. Leave.
Her caution was clear, but not threatening. It was Rael, after all. She didn’t judge people by status. Though her gaze seemed sharp now, she was still the Rael I knew.
I picked up my cup without hesitation and took a sip.
One sip. Two sips.
The tea in my cup was scarcely more than half what it had been.
I placed the cup down and smiled faintly at Rael. Her neutral expression flickered slightly.
“Really… what are you…”
She hesitated, then asked:
“Did you drink it knowing my intent?”
“To be precise, yes.”
It was obvious. The teacup arrangement was a clear message.
Though slightly exasperated, she laughed aloud, a simple human reaction she couldn’t have held back if she were anyone else.
“Is this foolish or bold…”
“Better to be bold, I suppose.”
“Is that so?”
The tense air between us eased.
I decided it was time to speak.
“Lady, I came seeking your help.”
“Help?”
At that moment, a maid rushed in, followed by a woman whose appearance cast a shadow across Rael’s face.
“Rael.”
A woman with slightly darker gray hair and crimson eyes, resembling Rael but slightly older, entered.
“Mother.”
Ah, Rael’s mother.
“Who is this young lady? Did you bring her?”
The lace of her ornate dress shimmered as if she had just returned from some event.
Rael subtly moved in front of me, shielding my presence.
“She is my guest.”
“Guest?”
Her gaze swept over me, and she exhaled sharply.
“Curious, Rael.”
The matriarch lifted Rael’s chin, scrutinizing her.
“By her age, she should have come of age… but I’ve never seen her in society.”
It was obvious she was speaking about me.
I bowed first, acknowledging the situation.
“Pleased to meet you, Lady Forhan. I am Berian of the Clodie family.”
“Clodie family?”
A sharp, incredulous laugh escaped her lips. Rael’s chin was quickly released.
“You are insane,” the matriarch said coldly, her tone cutting through the room.
“Have I not told you, Rael, that society is not filled with the same people?”
“Mother.”
“I instructed you to associate only with those who would benefit the family.”
Clang—
A loud noise echoed as the jeweled fan in her hand struck Rael’s head and hit the floor.
Startled, my shoulder jerked.
I had never heard they were at odds, but this was more than a simple quarrel.
Is she only kind in public? Does she assume I am powerless in society, so it doesn’t matter?
“You really are something…”
The matriarch clicked her tongue, turning her gaze to me.
“You are Lady Clodie, yes?”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
“Your family is in decline. That you have crossed our threshold is an insult. I suggest you leave, and do not spread word of today’s events elsewhere.”
“Mother!”
Rael’s voice rose, pleading.
“She is my guest. I invited her. Please, do not embarrass me further.”
Her stance was calm, but her hands trembled slightly.
“…Very well. If you insist, I will leave. But remember our prior agreement. Time is short.”
With that, she turned and left.
Click.
Even after the door closed, Rael remained frozen, staring at the now-empty doorway.
In that moment, I realized how much she resembled me once—standing helplessly, vulnerable.
“The task Lady Forhan requested earlier… is the engagement to Viscount Bendiz, correct?”
“How do you—”
Breaking the suffocating silence, Rael turned to face me.
“You asked why I came to see you earlier, didn’t you? To use you?”
Her small voice echoed through the room.
“I want your help. And I can help you too. I can help you.”
