~Chapter 33~
“Oh, that dress.”
After the festival, everything had been so hectic that Leah had completely forgotten she had ordered a dress.
‘I didn’t even realize it had been delivered.’
She found the forgotten dress in Carolina’s
dress room.
Carolina had been curious about the dress Leah ordered, so she secretly had a maid pick it up without telling anyone.
Apparently, she liked it so much she didn’t
return it, and just hid it in her dress room.
It was only possible because both Johann and Leah were too busy and forgot about it.
Johann had told her to throw it away and get a new one because it had been touched by others, but Leah didn’t want to waste it.
‘It probably didn’t even fit her, so she would’ve just tried it on once. Why bother…’
And it was an expensive, custom-made dress.
‘Is that just how nobles think?’
Right now, her custom dress was hanging in one corner of Raphaella’s dress room.
Raphaella told her to try it on, but Leah kept putting it off.
‘Maybe I feel too self-conscious about wearing a custom-made dress.’
She had nowhere to wear it anyway.
She figured she’d try it on later, when she had more time and felt more relaxed.
“Yes, I tried it on. Thank you.”
So, she ended up lying to the madam.
“I thought it’d suit you really well. I’m glad to hear it.”
“It’s such a pretty dress—anyone would look beautiful in it.”
“Hoho, but I think it’ll look best on you. Don’t you agree, young lady?”
“Yep! My mom is always the best at everything!”
Raphaella answered brightly, playing with some colorful fabric scraps the madam had given her.
She didn’t really understand what they were talking about, but still proudly praised her mom.
Everyone in the room smiled at the scene.
“Well then, I’ll go start working on the young lady’s dress now.”
“Thank you for today.”
“See you again next time, young lady.”
The madam bowed to Leah and Raphaella and left the room with her assistant.
“Soon you’ll be wearing a dress made just for you, Rafi.”
“Yep!”
“I can’t wait to see you in a pretty spring dress.”
“But Mommy, why don’t you make more dresses with me?”
“…Mom already has one over there, remember?”
“Just one? But I get so many!”
“One is enough for Mommy.”
“…Can’t Mommy make lots of pretty dresses like me too?”
Raphaella mumbled, looking a bit down.
Leah hesitated, not knowing how to answer.
‘I can’t exactly tell her it’s because she’s a noble and I’m not, so I can’t have many dresses. What should I say?’
She didn’t want to lie and say she’d wear more later, either.
“…Do you think Mommy doesn’t look pretty if she doesn’t wear fancy dresses?”
“No! Mommy is the prettiest no matter what she wears!”
“Right? So to you, Mommy’s the prettiest, isn’t she?”
“Yeah!”
“That’s why one pretty dress is more than enough for Mommy.”
Leah managed to change the subject cleverly.
It didn’t make much sense, but little Raphaella didn’t notice.
‘I can’t tell her the truth, but I don’t want to lie either… This is the best I can do.’
—
That evening, Leah and Raphaella had dinner with the duchess, unexpectedly.
Johann was still at the palace and wouldn’t be back until later.
That was a bit of a relief for Leah.
‘Having dinner with your husband and his
mother? Not easy.’
Maybe it didn’t bother them, but she felt tense.
The dining room was decorated differently this time, all bright and fresh for spring.
Soft cream tablecloths and vases full of pink and yellow flowers made the room cheerful.
“Raphaella, did your new dress fit well?”
Isabella asked Raphaella, who was already seated.
“Yes!”
“When you wear it, be sure to show Grandma, okay?”
“Okay!”
Raphaella answered while nibbling on some fruit salad.
“No wonder Johann was completely smitten with her even when he lost his memory. Raphaella is just lovable even by simply being there.”
Isabella said with a smile as she sipped her wine.
“By the way, I’m sure Raphaella was sad she couldn’t go with you to Mount Lorem…”
“Yes, but she understood.”
“She’s such a mature girl.”
Isabella gently stroked her granddaughter’s hair.
“About that, Duchess… While I’m away…”
“Don’t worry about Raphaella. Her silly grandma won’t be awkward around her anymore.”
“Thank you.”
“No, I should be thanking you instead.”
Isabella waved her hand dismissively.
“With Penelope around too, we’ll make sure Raphaella doesn’t feel lonely while you’re gone.”
Leah felt relieved seeing how much the duchess had changed in how she treated Raphaella.
Then, she happened to see the mark on Raphaella’s neck again—still glowing faintly.
‘…Why hasn’t it faded at all?’
Her husband had changed, the duchess had changed, and Carolina and
Marco—who mistreated Raphaella—was gone.
Even if the mark didn’t disappear, shouldn’t it at least fade a little?
‘Maybe it’s because the family’s just starting to change?’
Still, it should’ve lightened a bit.
Weren’t the changes in the family supposed to reduce the chances of Raphaella turning into a villain?
‘The reason she became a villain…’
Wasn’t the crime she was executed for attempted assassination of a royal?
‘Why would she try to kill royalty?’
In the dream, in Raphaella’s memories—
‘She loved a man who loved someone else.’
He was supposed to marry that other person, but Raphaella couldn’t let go.
And that “other person” was the daughter of the crown prince.
‘So the mark isn’t fading because… even if her family loves her, if she meets that man again, she might still go down the same path?’
Leah’s head started to ache.
‘That’ll happen after I’m gone. I won’t even be there to help.’
All she could think of was warning her husband in advance.
But she couldn’t even be sure that was the real reason the mark hadn’t faded.
‘What if it’s not because of love, but something else I don’t know about?’
Then what?
‘The mark has to disappear while I’m still alive… but how?’
If only there was someone she could ask for advice.
The worry for Raphaella made her want to cry.
“…Mommy, Mommy!”
“…Huh?”
“Aren’t you eating this?”
Raphaella pointed to the sweet milk pudding in front of her.
While Leah had been lost in thought, dinner was already wrapping up.
“I don’t really feel like it today. You can have it, Rafi.”
“Really?”
She pushed the pudding bowl toward her daughter.
‘Rafi… What else do I have to do to make sure you grow up safe, even past twenty?’
If only the goddess would appear in her dreams again and give her some clear answers.
Just tell her what exactly to do to get rid of that cursed mark.
—
A week had already flown by, and the night before Leah’s trip to Mount Lorem had come.
They were leaving early in the morning, so Leah and Raphaella went to bed a little earlier than usual.
“Mommy, are you leaving tomorrow?”
Raphaella hugged her tightly as she asked.
“Yes, Rafi. But I’ll be back soon.”
“…What if I miss you too much?”
She snuggled into her mother’s chest,
sounding like she was about to cry.
“Hm… How about this? If you miss me, look in the mirror and look at your pretty eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“Yeah, your eyes are the same emerald green as Mommy’s, right?”
Leah picked up a mirror nearby and showed it to her.
Raphaella looked at her reflection, then at Leah’s eyes.
“They are the same!”
“See? That way, when you look into your eyes, you can think of how we’re connected.”
“Are we really connected, Mommy?”
“Of course we are.”
“Hehe.”
“And when I miss you, I’ll look at the bracelet you gave me and feel strong again.”
She showed her daughter the bracelet on her right wrist.
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
‘I shouldn’t cry in front of Rafi, but I can’t help it…’
It felt like she was rehearsing for a goodbye that would happen for real a year later.
A short trip like this, she could handle.
But parting with her daughter forever…
‘How am I supposed to do that?’
Last time, before she came back in time, she had been in so much pain she barely knew what was happening when they said goodbye.
This time, she didn’t want it to end like that.
She wanted to say goodbye clearly—while she was still herself, surrounded by people who would take care of Raphaella.
‘If I can… I want to help her understand my death…’
Tell her, I love you. I’ll love you forever, even after I die. I’ll always be with you in your heart.
She wanted to say those words kindly—and then say goodbye.
