~Chapter 14~
My heart dropped.
“I don’t see any weird reaction from you, so I told you to eat more of the soup.”
…Ah.
The Baroness was really in a bad mood.
Camilla took another spoonful of soup.
Slowly, she ate two more spoons.
She chewed and swallowed slowly, mixing it with other food, but still, the Baroness didn’t tell her to stop.
Sonia, standing nearby, started to get nervous.
After ten spoonfuls, Camilla’s fingers went numb and a wave of nausea hit her.
There was blood mixed in the thin liquid that dripped onto her palm. Sonia’s face turned pale.
“Baroness! Miss…!”
“You still don’t get it, do you?”
The Baroness sneered at Sonia’s words.
“You’re not going to die from just this much, right?”
Camilla couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.
The Baroness wouldn’t kill Camilla without the Baron’s permission.
So, this was just…
A warning.
A warning not to outshine Nina.
It was okay to teach Nina inside the house. After all, Nina was like the princess here, and Camilla was never that important.
But if Camilla started getting better treatment than Nina, especially from someone powerful like the Duke’s family, things were different.
A lowborn illegitimate girl getting chosen over her real daughter?
So, she wants me to know my place.
The Baron trusted Camilla, so the Baroness didn’t really want her dead.
She just wanted to break my spirit.
Normally, Camilla would have backed down.
But today, for some reason…
“And don’t look down on yourself. Just now, you saved my life. I’m the Young Duke.”
…she didn’t want to do that.
Camilla took another spoonful of soup.
The Baroness raised an eyebrow, surprised.
It’s numbing and bitter at the end. I know this herb—hemlock.
Even a little bit causes numbness. She had actually tested this herb on herself before.
“Cough!”
Blood splattered.
“Sonia!”
But Camilla kept eating the soup.
“Speak.”
Camilla looked up. The Baroness cut her off coldly.
“If you say what you should, I’ll let you go.”
What the Baroness wanted was:
A confession that she didn’t help Nina get chosen.
Camilla didn’t answer. She just lifted the spoon for more soup.
“What are you doing? I told you to talk.”
“I’m only doing my duty here. I have nothing else to say to you, Baroness.”
“What?”
Camilla took another spoonful and added,
“…And like you said, I won’t die from something like this.”
Her whole hand was numb.
The spoon fell with a clang.
Soup splashed on the table, but Camilla forced her blurry eyes to stare at the Baroness.
“I don’t think I can eat any more by myself now…”
She looked at the maids standing behind the Baroness.
“Your maid can help me, right?”
The Baroness’s eyes changed.
This brat!
The only reason she kept Camilla was because her cosmetics were good and she took care of Nina.
And now she dares to fight me!
But really, it was because the Baron acknowledged Camilla that the Baroness couldn’t touch her.
Her anger boiled.
“Fine. You two, feed her more soup—now.”
The two maids grabbed Camilla’s jaw and forced more soup into her mouth.
Drip, drip.
Red spots of blood fell on the table.
It was Camilla’s nosebleed.
The room became cold.
But the Baroness just nodded.
“I didn’t say to stop.”
As her vision blurred, Camilla thought,
The Young Duke wants me not to look down on myself.
He wants me to have pride.
He wanted that from a friend.
But only someone who grew up loved could have pride in a situation like this…
Still…
Just a little bit of pride, I’ll try.
He let her use his name. She let him use hers.
So, for him—and for herself—she went against the Baroness and took another spoonful.
At the same time, Camilla’s head dropped.
“Sonia!”
Sonia, scared, tried to help her.
Crash!
Dishes fell.
My kind Sonia…
“Baroness, please! The Baron ordered me to keep Miss Camilla safe!”
“You brat! How dare you—”
Sonia was kicked out.
Camilla’s vision faded.
She tried to move her numb fingers.
Then, as her limp body was lifted and more soup forced in—
“Mother?”
The side door opened. Nina’s small, shocked voice came in.
Through her hazy vision, Camilla saw Nina’s green eyes fill her sight.
That was her limit.
She gave in to the white darkness in her mind.
“-Sister!!!”
And everything went black.
(Dream Sequence)
Are you really not going to do it right?
A familiar but strange voice whispered.
Long, curly black hair. Fierce black eyes.
A cold, cynical, but familiar voice.
Do you want to die in “The Downfall of Nina”?
It was Yoon Mira.
Dead Yoon Mira was glaring at Camilla.
“…Of course I don’t want to die.”
She didn’t want to die. The pain and fear were still real.
Camilla clenched her teeth in the darkness.
But Yoon Mira laughed coldly.
If it were me, I wouldn’t have shown my teeth to the Baroness now.
Yeah, probably.
I’d use her until she let her guard down, then take her out in one blow!
That was smart.
But—
“This plan’s not so bad, either.”
What?
Camilla smiled. A bright, poisonous rose of a smile.
“The Baroness touched what belongs to the Baron.”
I made a crack between them. Even if it’s small, it’s not meaningless.
Crazy woman.
Camilla laughed at being cursed by her past self.
For pride, this was all she could do.
Then, it’s fine.
Her heavy eyelids fluttered.
Camilla opened her eyes a crack. Someone sat by her bed.
“Sonia.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Sonia answered faithfully by her side.
“How many days has it been?”
“…It’s the second day since you collapsed.”
“How’s my body?”
“You were numb and had a fever, but the doctor said you’re okay now.”
Camilla smiled faintly.
“That’s good. I can handle hemlock poison. I trained for it.”
She knew right away—the poison in the soup wouldn’t kill her. If it did—
I gave Sonia a signal under the table, so she called Nina.
She didn’t want to involve Nina, but there was no other choice.
“How’s the Baroness?”
“…She’s been staying quiet. The Baron saw you and got really angry at her.”
Finally, Camilla could smile brightly, like in her dream.
As expected, the Baron wouldn’t forgive anyone who touched his belongings.
The Baroness challenged his authority by harming Camilla.
Now, she had to make sure the Baroness knew she wasn’t an easy target.
Until now, the Baroness just saw me as a useful tool for cosmetics and to look after Nina.
Cosmetics saved her life.
Now, it was time to raise her value.
Eventually, I’ll have to kick her out, anyway.
Then Sonia said, teary-eyed,
“Miss… that was really dangerous…”
“It’s fine. I can’t die from something like that.”
“If you ate just a little more, even you would have been in danger!”
Such a good girl, Sonia… Camilla thought.
“Anything else happen while I was sick?”
“…The Young Duke set a visit date, but it got cancelled.”
Ah, that’s a shame.
“And now, Miss…”
“Yeah?”
Sonia’s next words made Camilla’s eyes go wide.
“The Young Duke is in the drawing room right now.”
What?
