Chapter 11
The moment I heard the door close, I quickly stood up and grabbed Luisa’s hand, which was busy stripping off my clothes.
“Luisa.”
“Oh! Lady Maribel. Have you come to your senses a little?”
“Mm. I’m fine. I’ll change myself, so could you bring out something light and cool instead? And can I loosen this headpiece? My head is throbbing.”
Even if it had all been an act, I figured I should at least show some signs of being unwell.
I tried to take off the tightly pulled-up headband, but Luisa looked troubled.
“Duke Sephardi returned a whole day earlier than expected. You’ll probably have to greet him at dinner… He dislikes it even more if you redo things, so perhaps it’s better to leave your hair now and I’ll fix it later?”
I had assumed that even a duke’s illegitimate daughter could live a bit leisurely, but why was there always so much work?
I swallowed another sigh.
I wanted nothing more than to avoid facing the duke and duchess, but I couldn’t think of a way out.
“You’re right. I hate doing things twice even more.”
“Then I’ll go fetch a warm towel and some clothes right away.”
“Good. But Luisa.”
“Yes?”
Her wide eyes and freckled, innocent country-girl face made it hard to believe what she had done.
I hesitated, then spoke.
“What exactly did you put on the ice?”
“What do you mean… of course, a little bit of poison.”
There wasn’t the faintest hint of guilt on Luisa’s face as she answered.
I was momentarily speechless, and Luisa rushed to explain.
“Manu brought Altina mountain poison, so I just brushed a little on the ice. Then I froze another layer of water over it, so when it melts even slightly, it would work easily…”
So specific. So calculated.
This definitely hadn’t been Luisa’s idea alone.
“Luisa.”
“Yes?”
“What if someone asked you to try it first? And if Gabriella really had eaten it and gotten sick, everyone would blame you.”
It wasn’t something I had ordered, but even if she had planned it alone, it was recklessly dangerous.
My maid, offering poisoned ice to Gabriella right in front of Jose?
But Luisa shook her head and spoke quickly.
“I’ve been drinking tea laced with belladonna juice every day for half a year, just as you instructed, Lady Maribel. You said if I built tolerance, no one would suspect me. That one day the opportunity would come.”
“…I did?”
“Yes. And even if I got caught, I would never reveal it was you. You even gave me a precious jewel. You promised that even if something happened to me, you would take care of my family. You said you knew exactly who they were and where they lived, so I had nothing to worry about.”
…You insane woman, Maribel.
You had your maid drink poison to build tolerance, then threatened her with her family?
No doubt the real Maribel hadn’t actually cared who her maid’s family was. The jewel she gave was probably fake too.
Just honeyed lies, nothing more.
Bad people never do just one bad thing. With no one else to blame, I could only squeeze Luisa’s rough hand tightly.
“L… Lady Maribel?”
“Did you see what I gave Gabriella today?”
“I thought you were pretending to reconcile while waiting for a chance. I assumed you had prepared something with the rosary in advance.”
Of course. A maid who had watched the villainess Maribel for years would naturally think that.
I grasped her trembling hand tighter and met her gaze.
“The reconciliation was sincere. I truly want to get along with Gabriella.”
“What? Why? You suffered so much because of her. You cried every day from the anger.”
Damn it, Yoon Gabi, why did you write the character like this?
I wanted to grind my teeth and curse the author, but all I could do was sigh again.
“It wasn’t that unbearable.”
“How can you say that? The Sephardis made you suffer.”
“The Sephardis suffered too. We both did things to each other. I feel sorry for them too.”
Of course, saying I never felt pain would be a lie.
But honestly, I did feel some sense of responsibility for breaking the peace of their family just by existing.
I didn’t only feel anger or resentment.
Even long before I got close to Gabriella, I had felt guilty and couldn’t bring myself to approach her warmly.
That was something I should have told Yoon Gabi when he wrote this character.
“Luisa.”
“Yes.”
“I really do want to get along with Gabriella now. That’s the truth. So there’s no need for poison anymore. Do you understand?”
“You… really mean it? You want to get along?”
“Yes. I truly do.”
Even though I was telling her she no longer had to do bad things, Luisa didn’t look relieved.
Her face still held faint worry as I studied her carefully.
“But then… what about my family…?”
“Ah. The threats.”
“Threats? No, never.”
She shook her head, unable to look me in the eye, and it was almost pitiful.
I smiled as gently as I could.
“Luisa. Keep helping me. If you help me get along with Gabriella, I’ll help your family as soon as I can. Bring them to me one day.”
“Really…?”
“Of course.”
Her lips trembled violently. She sucked in a breath and couldn’t speak for a long time.
“I… I’ll go fetch your clothes right away.”
She bowed again and again, running off. Then she turned back suddenly and shouted:
“I always knew you were a good person, Lady Maribel! You were scary sometimes, but…”
All I could do was smile bitterly.
Scams, theft, ordering murders, threats. She was basically a walking crime compendium. And still, “good is good,” huh.
She must have been treated so poorly that even the smallest kindness felt monumental.
“I’ll be forever loyal to you, Lady Maribel!”
“Moderation is fine too.”
I waved my hand lightly.
Cleaning up after a villainess was proving much more troublesome than I thought.
“I greet you, Father, Mother. You, the great Sun and Moon of Sephardi.”
Duke Sephardi had returned to the ducal estate—bringing with him the crown prince and another grand duke for the Rocio festival.
He was a day earlier than expected, so technically I should be greeting him tomorrow.
I grumbled inwardly but bent my knees slightly.
“I heard you suddenly collapsed. I was so busy overseeing the household while your father was away that I couldn’t tend to you properly.”
I lowered my head deeply, lifting only my eyes to glance at my stepmother, Laura.
Her face was full not of concern but disapproval.
“I’m all right. Thank you for your concern.”
“Gabriella told me today that the Puerto cedarwood fire almost went out, so you gave her your pearl rosary.”
Maribel’s father, Duke Mateo Sephardi, always skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know there was another pearl rosary. I didn’t know you had it. Why did you hide it?”
Since Yoon Gabi had modeled this family after my own, it wasn’t too hard to predict.
My father was always greedy.
What he really meant was: why hadn’t I handed it to him first?
“I worried that rumors of a house owning two holy relics would cause strife. I was waiting for the right moment, when it would be truly needed.”
“The right moment, you say.”
“Gabriella is becoming the crown princess. That’s a great honor for our family. I know I’ve caused her grief, and I want to make up for it now, even if I haven’t been a good sister until now.”
With a domineering father, the only option was to grovel and flatter.
“Giving away a holy relic so easily is commendable, but… right before Gabriella becomes crown princess? Too late, perhaps, or maybe just too obvious.”
“Mother, I promise I’ll do better from now on. I truly regret my past actions. Knowing Gabriella will soon be gone from us makes me realize how much I regret everything I’ve done.”
And with my sharp-tongued stepmother, tears were essential.
Hidden by my veil anyway, I raised my hands dramatically and wiped at imaginary tears.
“Well, if that’s how you feel.”
“At least now you seem to understand the heavy responsibility of being Sephardi’s first daughter. I’m relieved.”
My stepmother Laura only pursed her lips, but my father Mateo smiled in satisfaction.
And I knew exactly what to say to cement this favorable situation.
