Chapter 152
“Kyah—!”
Clang—.
The sound of metal hitting the floor echoed down the hallway.
From early morning, the mansion had been noisy. Servants were running around in a panic, some clutching wet towels and flustered.
Belia quietly turned her gaze.
“What’s happening?”
The servant who had been following her replied softly.
“There’s been a commotion in front of the Marquis’s room. Lady Rene—”
At those words, Belia’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
In front of the Marquis’s room.
“This is no place to—!”
The head maid’s voice trembled. Her face was flushed, and she held a broken glass in her hand.
Rene, standing before her, lowered her head with a pale face.
Clack, clack—. Belia’s heels echoed through the hallway.
At the sound, both of their gazes turned at the same time.
“Miss—!”
The head maid hurried over.
“What’s going on?”
“Well, um—”
The maid’s eyes were bloodshot.
For someone who had served the Arphedi family for so long, such a commotion was almost an insult.
Belia held her hand for a moment.
“Calm down. Take your time and tell me.”
Her warm gaze seemed to soothe the maid temporarily, but the next moment, her anger flared again.
“That young lady entered the Marquis’s room without permission! And on top of that—!”
“On top of that?”
Belia narrowed her eyes.
At that moment, Rene raised her head urgently.
“No! It’s not like that!”
All eyes turned to Rene.
Her fingertips trembled, her pupils shaking with unease.
“I just… didn’t mean anything by it. He said he was in pain, so I went to check on him. No one was guarding him…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller.
Belia looked at her face steadily for a moment.
After the east wing collapsed, Rene’s communication with Vane had been completely cut off.
Was her action instinct, or the lingering echo of an order?
Belia’s gaze fell to Rene’s hands.
They were empty. No traces of black magic, no tools or instruments.
Belia’s lips curved subtly as she hesitated for a moment.
“It’s alright.”
She said quietly.
“You were startled. Head Maid, it’s alright. The Marquis’s room is off-limits by my instruction, but Rene is still confused. She’s not used to things yet, so mistakes can happen.”
“But—!”
The maid faltered, and Belia nodded gently.
“It’s fine. Just make sure it’s tidied up afterward. Rene, let’s go together.”
Rene looked at Belia blankly. Her smile was infinitely gentle, but her fingers were tightly gripping Belia’s hand.
“Come.”
At the end of the hallway, sunlight streamed long through the windows.
Belia led Rene by the hand, walking slowly.
The servants trailing behind were already focused on them.
No one dared to object to Belia’s words.
With just a single statement, she had completely controlled the atmosphere.
Rene followed, tense. She knew the Marquis’s condition was far worse than she had imagined, and seeing Belia act so calmly left her flustered.
If he found out she had been involved—
Startled, Rene shivered at the thought.
Belia glanced back at her and released her hand, walking ahead.
Perhaps composure truly shapes a person.
Before the regression, when Rene had trembled like this, Belia herself had felt nervous in front of her.
‘Varun.’
At times like this, it might have been his absence that changed the situation.
Even though Allendo was delaying his investigation, that too would eventually reach its limit, and soon a mansion confinement order would likely be issued.
So before that, Belia had to secure Rene’s position completely with the “Fragment of Prosperity.”
She needed the Holy Grail.
Thud. Belia’s steps stopped. They were in front of the glass greenhouse.
Rene’s footsteps behind her also paused.
“Th-just now—”
“You don’t need to say anything more. Come in.”
The door opened, and Rene cautiously followed her inside.
The greenhouse, decorated more quietly than lavishly, reflected Sop’s tastes exactly.
‘What Carlton mentioned—.’
Warm sunlight poured through the glass ceiling, and the scent of roses along the walls spread softly.
Rene’s heart fluttered at the unfamiliar atmosphere.
She could never have known that it was the excitement of the space itself, because she had never experienced anything like it.
“Sit here.”
Belia pulled out a chair. Rene sat down, still dazed.
“You were startled earlier, weren’t you?”
“Ah….”
“It’s okay. Anyone can make a mistake.”
Belia did not lose her smile.
“However, regarding the matter of my father—it’s the most sensitive topic in this mansion. So be careful. You may be my friend, but the other servants will see you as an outsider.”
A gentle warning, but a clear line was drawn.
At that moment, the greenhouse door opened, and Bedol entered.
“Belia, what’s all this commotion—”
His gaze fell on Rene, and his expression stiffened slightly.
“Ah… so you were here.”
His tone was stiff, and slightly awkward.
Belia smiled effortlessly.
“It’s fine, Brother. It was just a little commotion. Rene was curious about the Marquis’s condition, so she came by to check.”
“What? That’s a bit—”
“It’s okay. I explained everything. There won’t be mistakes again.”
Belia casually draped her arm over Rene’s shoulder.
“She’s my guest…”
At that, Bedol’s face twisted slightly but then he nodded.
“Alright… understood. Just be careful from now on. The Marquis is sensitive.”
Rene lowered her head slightly.
Looking at the small hand resting on her shoulder, she fully realized something.
The hostility of the head maid and Bedol toward her—this little hand was what kept it in check.
Once Bedol left, Belia exhaled softly.
“You’re still not used to the people here, are you?”
“…….”
“It’s okay. You’ll get more accustomed with time.”
Belia sat down and lifted the teapot.
“Have some tea. The greenhouse air will calm your mind.”
Rene cupped the tea with both hands. The warmth seeped into her skin.
Yet, within that warmth, Rene felt a strange chill.
As if the greenhouse wasn’t embracing her, but trapping her.
Belia’s voice was warm, but her meaning was clear.
“For now, it’s best to stay quietly here.”
The air in the greenhouse shifted subtly.
A breeze brushed through the roses. Rene slowly raised her head.
“…Why?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I want to protect you.”
Belia’s smile spread softly.
“I know Vane too.”
“Do you also think he lied to me, like Carlton?”
“Yes.”
Belia nodded lightly as she sipped her tea.
“You may not remember, but I do. That’s how I know he’s lying.”
“I—”
Rene closed her mouth.
For days, the confusion she felt kept pressing out, even knowing who the other person was.
Rene couldn’t fully trust Belia, Vane, or even Carlton.
Back when she had only been waiting to arrive from the South, she only wanted to reclaim her rightful place.
But was there truly a place for her here?
The days spent in the Arphedi Marquis house without Varun had shaken the certainty in her heart.
And now, with Vane’s voice, which had occupied her daily life, gone, that certainty had spread to her very being.
“Rene—.”
Belia looked at her with a curious expression.
Surely someone she had hated and resented—but perhaps knowing all the truth now, all that resentment was directed at the true culprit. This girl, after all, was in a similar position.
“Just compare the present.”
“Compare?”
“Think for yourself. Between now and before, which life is better?”
“Miss Rene requested a dress that doesn’t expose her wrists and fits snugly.”
The head maid reported.
Belia’s gaze lingered curiously, and Rene lowered her arm from the desk.
Belia let out an emotion she had never thought about before.
“The choice is yours.”
“…What?”
“No matter the past, the present is yours. Think carefully again. Who are you living for now?”
With that, Belia stood up.
Unlike the peaceful mansion, she needed to move to handle the noisy outside world.
“Think carefully about what you truly want. And if you need anything from me, just ask.”
With that, Belia headed out of the greenhouse.
Hoping Rene would regain her senses in the place she had once loved most in the mansion, before the regression.
