Chapter 30
It’s all because of her—Rosiane. She has no shame at all.
As the Countess clicked her tongue in disapproval, the head maid bowed even lower. Still, she continued, as if there was nothing she could do.
“Many of the furnishings were already damaged when we tried to remove them.”
“No… that girl did this?”
Is she insane?
“I’ll have to give her a proper scolding.”
The Countess gritted her teeth and strode toward the parlor where Rosiane was.
It was true that some of the furnishings were damaged—maids were cleaning up here and there. After ordering the head maid to make a list of everything to be compensated, the Countess opened the parlor door.
“What is this about? I heard you threw quite a tantrum, insisting on seeing me.”
Despite her mischievous behavior, Rosiane sat calmly in the parlor, her usual lovely self.
‘She played with Emil while wearing that innocent expression…’
Knowing this, she no longer seemed innocent. The Countess spoke in a cold voice.
“Honestly, I don’t even want to see you anymore.”
“I have something I must show you, though.”
Rosiane nonchalantly unpacked a bundle she had brought. Inside were clothes from her childhood that had been found in Yvonne’s room.
The moment the Countess saw them, her face went pale.
“Y-you… how did you get that…!”
Rosiane replied calmly.
“They were just in Yvonne’s room.”
“You went through Yvonne’s room?”
“Well… judging by your reaction, it seems you know what this is. It must be something precious, right?”
Rosiane’s words finally made the Countess realize her mistake. Trying to recover her composure, she answered with a feigned ignorance.
“Nonsense. What’s so special about it? They’re just ordinary baby clothes.”
“Are you pretending not to know?”
“It’s not pretending—it’s the truth. Then, what is it?”
“Do you think I came here without realizing that these aren’t just baby clothes?”
Carefully placing the bundle back so the Countess wouldn’t touch it, Rosiane smiled faintly.
“I understand why you’d pretend not to know. No one would recognize this fabric. And understandably so—it’s made with magic.”
“A trickster’s tale. No matter how rare it looks, magical fabric? Absurd.”
The Countess continued to deny it, but Rosiane had evidence.
“I even asked a famous retired dressmaker from the capital.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Living magicians who could create fabrics have long disappeared. And all the other magical beings like fairies and dragons capable of freely using magic are extinct.”
“When did they go extinct?”
“That would be… right after the previous Empress died.”
After the previous Emperor was overthrown and killed in a rebellion, leaving the previous Empress alone, that night…
‘Well, strictly speaking, they weren’t entirely extinct.’
The last fairy died that night, but her daughter survived, escaping the palace riding the fairy’s guardian dragon.
That’s Yvonne.
‘Could that girl have known this?’
The clothes Yvonne wore were made from magical fabric crafted by the fairy Empress herself. They were fireproof and as light as dragonfly wings.
Anyone with even a little knowledge of rare fabrics in the capital would have immediately recognized it as fairy-made.
‘But what could they do with that knowledge?’
Magical fabrics, as rare as they were, did not show the effects of time easily. Even after many years, they looked hardly worn. Some noble families might inherit one or two such pieces without noticing.
Even if the Kleine family had such clothes, they could always claim they were just handed down as baby clothes by an ancestor. Unless someone had seen exactly whose clothes they were.
The Countess lifted her chin and replied confidently.
“You don’t even know whose clothes these are. They were just in Yvonne’s room.”
“Does it matter whose clothes they are?”
But the Countess underestimated Rosiane. Rosiane was far bolder and more ambitious than an ordinary person. With a soft smile, she said:
“What matters now is that these will become my clothes.”
The Countess blinked in confusion, not immediately understanding. When she realized what Rosiane meant, she screamed.
“You insane woman!”
These were the clothes of the lost former Princess Yvonne. Anyone who had worked at the royal palace would have recognized them instantly.
And yet, Rosiane claimed them as her own.
In other words, she intended to assert that she herself was the lost former Princess.
The Countess screamed hysterically.
“How could you fabricate such a thing when so many people know her face!”
Leaving aside hair color and facial features, what excuse could there be for a girl who spent her childhood as a Kleine family daughter?
Rosiane pressed even harder, raising her voice to overwhelm the Countess.
“That’s why I came to see you. Even if my parents alone can’t manipulate this, together with the Kleine family, we can.”
The Countess went pale. Taking in Yvonne, who had nowhere to go, was one thing—but swapping the former Princess could be considered treason.
But cunning Rosiane didn’t give her time to think.
“The dressmaker I asked has apparently already sent a letter to the capital. It seems they recognize whose baby clothes these are. I’m sure we’ll hear from the capital soon.”
“You… you…”
Shivering with disbelief, the Countess faced Rosiane, who smiled faintly.
“Didn’t it scare you when you tried to marry Yvonne to Emil? Just think of it lightly. Only the person has changed.”
Rosiane smiled deeply at the trembling Countess.
‘Thank you, Yvonne, for leaving.’
Seeing her leave in a hurry, it was clear she didn’t even know who she really was.
Yes, this child, who doesn’t even know her own value, forgetting her isn’t so bad. A plain girl like her doesn’t deserve the status of former Princess anyway.
‘I’ll take everything for myself.’
Emil, the throne, everything.
Upon arriving in the capital, I was immediately escorted to the Christopher Duchy. Dante got off the carriage first.
“I have business at the palace. Rowan, make sure she’s properly guided.”
“Understood.”
I couldn’t help but glance at Dante, as if waiting for a farewell. Our eyes met for a brief moment.
“…Then.”
He shut the door silently, without another word. Feeling a bit slighted, I pouted and lowered my head. Then, belatedly, I lifted it again.
‘Slighted? Why do I feel slighted?’
We weren’t even close.
‘Did I expect a warm “take care” as if we were family?’
Embarrassed at myself and feeling pathetic, I slapped my cheeks with my palms to regain composure.
As I fiddled with Pepe and looked out the window to calm myself, the unfamiliar scenery of the capital passed by.
Though everything was unfamiliar, the only thing that kept coming to mind was Dante’s cold farewell.
‘Ah… this is bad. Why am I like this?’
I shook my head to clear my confusion. Seeing me like that, Rowan asked softly:
“Would you like to get out?”
“Ah…”
I couldn’t admit that Dante’s farewell bothered me, so I awkwardly nodded. Rowan smiled gently.
“You may feel disappointed looking only through the window now, but wait. Once we arrive at the Christopher Duchy, you’ll forget all about it.”
“Is the Christopher Duchy really that beautiful?”
Rowan smiled awkwardly.
“You’ll see when we arrive. It also relates to the tasks Miss Yvonne must handle in the capital.”
I pondered over what that could mean as the carriage continued.
Finally, the carriage stopped in front of the destination.
“This is the Christopher Duchy!”
The Christopher estate was enormous. The Kleine estate looked like a small cottage in comparison.
However…
“Oh my.”
I could only murmur in ambiguous admiration. No matter how you said it, the mansion wasn’t exactly radiant or stunningly beautiful.
