Chapter 67
Their eyes met.
She was sure the woman hadn’t been looking at her before…
At some point, Jacqueline had turned her gaze directly to her.
The matron clicked her tongue lightly.
“Thought so. I figured you’d be a bold one.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Eugenia quickly bowed her head.
Before her impression worsened any further, she decided she should at least get the formalities right.
Releasing her lips, which she had been nervously pressing together, Eugenia introduced herself to Jacqueline.
“It’s an honor to meet you, madam. My name is Eugenia.”
Though her head was bowed, she could feel the intense stare drilling into her—so sharp it made her wish Jacqueline had just ignored her like before.
After a long pause, Jacqueline finally responded.
“Eugenia, is it?”
She repeated the name softly, almost humming it to herself.
But that moment of gentleness lasted only briefly.
Her voice turned sharp and cold.
“You pulled quite the stunt with my dress.”
Eugenia didn’t offer any excuse.
Before Jacqueline could even finish her sentence, she lowered her head deeper and apologized.
“I’m sorry, madam. But I had a reason. I desperately needed to meet you.”
“Hm.”
Jacqueline let out a short sound of contemplation.
Eugenia, unable to contain her anxiety, quickly added,
“With my status, I had no way of ever meeting you. I knew it was rude… but when a single chance came to me, I couldn’t let it pass.”
She prayed her sincerity would reach the woman before her.
With a trembling heart, Eugenia continued.
“Please, madam. I beg of you. Hear me out. I’ll accept any punishment afterward.”
“…Hah.”
A dry scoff escaped Jacqueline, as if she found the whole thing ridiculous.
For a moment, Eugenia feared it had all been in vain and bit the inside of her cheek hard without realizing.
A metallic taste spread in her mouth.
But Jacqueline’s next words were something Eugenia never dared hope for.
“Very well. Let’s hear it, then. Tell me why a lowly maid like you went to such lengths just to meet me.”
The rigid posture of the duchess relaxed slightly.
Her words were sincere—she really intended to listen.
“Thank you, madam. Truly.”
Eugenia swallowed a dry lump in her throat and cautiously lifted her gaze.
The moment her eyes met Jacqueline’s, she felt a suffocating aura of authority.
So this is Jacqueline Hanna Herace.
The lady who had once ruled the great House of Herace for many years.
The epitome of nobility, the idol of high society ladies.
A woman who had aged with unparalleled grace and dignity.
Eugenia had finally gotten her chance, but the sheer presence of Jacqueline made her lose her voice.
Focus! You must speak!
It took several mental lashes before she could finally open her mouth.
With both hands tightly clasped, Eugenia spoke in a trembling voice.
“If I may… did you receive what I sent?”
“I did.”
Jacqueline pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a white handkerchief and placed it on the tea table. She must’ve brought it with her from her room.
With graceful fingers, she unfolded the fabric.
“…!”
Eugenia’s eyes widened with recognition the moment she saw it—it was Joshua’s hair.
Her heart lit up. It felt as if courage bloomed inside her.
“I used to have hair like this once,” Jacqueline murmured wistfully as she stroked the soft strands with her fingertips. “It turned white with age, but it’s been so long since I last saw this color.”
Her voice was filled with a quiet nostalgia.
“This pale green hair is the color of my family’s bloodline. Whether direct or distant, anyone with our blood may inherit it. In my generation, only my younger brother and I had it. After that, my brother’s daughter was born with it too. I became her godmother.”
Sensing the story would grow longer, Eugenia—knowing it was rude—cut in carefully.
“Madam, there’s someone you must meet.”
The dreamy look in Jacqueline’s eyes vanished instantly, her expression turning cold.
It was as if she already knew what Eugenia was about to say.
“I heard my niece has passed.”
Clearly, the news had already reached the nobles, regardless of the national border closure.
“Yes. I know. I worked in that household, after all.”
Jacqueline’s eyes briefly widened in surprise—she hadn’t expected that.
Eugenia pressed on with resolve.
“But the ones I brought back from the Duchy of Harlant… are your niece’s children, madam.”
“…What?”
“Your great-niece and great-nephew—they’re alive.”
“…What are you saying…”
Jacqueline’s composure cracked.
It was clearly something she hadn’t even imagined.
Her trembling hand covered the lower half of her face.
Eugenia quickly added, her voice filled with pleading.
“I brought them here from the Duchy. Madam, please meet them. They have nowhere else to go.”
“…Haah.”
Jacqueline let out a long, heavy breath.
Her lack of immediate reaction made Eugenia’s heart sink.
Is she hesitating because they’re too much of a burden?
She could understand if so.
The twins’ mother, the Marchioness of Keraithon, was indeed her niece—but they had lived in separate nations for a long time.
It’s likely they hadn’t seen each other in years.
Out of sight, out of mind—so the saying goes.
And perhaps the madam barely remembers what Joshua and Selmia even looked like.
But despite her silence, Jacqueline did not outright reject Eugenia’s plea.
That alone gave Eugenia a glimmer of hope.
As time passed, the tea cooled, and the cups lost their warmth.
“They’re alive, you say…”
At last, Jacqueline spoke again.
Her voice sounded frail, weary—far more than Eugenia expected.
Eugenia immediately nodded.
“Yes, they are. I brought them here. You saw the hair, didn’t you?”
Her voice was beginning to shake with emotion.
“It’s not a lie. Please, just once… meet them.”
Eugenia bowed her head.
Drip.
A tear fell onto her hand.
Only then did she realize she was crying.
Jacqueline let out another sigh but still didn’t speak.
I know this is a difficult decision.
Taking in foreign nobles wasn’t a light matter.
Though wealth likely wasn’t an issue, the children hadn’t left the duchy through proper channels—future complications were inevitable.
And Jacqueline wasn’t the sort to act on emotion.
She was the matriarch of the Herace Ducal House—expected to prioritize the good of the family above all.
That thought drove Eugenia to action.
“Madam!”
She dropped to her knees before Jacqueline.
One of the older woman’s brows arched as she looked down with a slight frown.
“Please… help them. They begged me—just a lowly maid—to help them.”
“….”
Eugenia’s voice trembled, but she couldn’t stop.
“They said… if it was their grandaunt, their mother’s aunt, she would surely help. They endured that long and difficult journey without a single complaint, holding on to that hope.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks, soaking her trembling hands against the floor.
Another deep sigh escaped Jacqueline.
“…I…”
Finally, she began to speak.
“I thought they had died, too. By the time I learned of what happened… they were said to be untraceable.”
“Then…”
Through her blurred vision, Eugenia looked up.
She couldn’t quite make out Jacqueline’s expression—but she swore the woman was smiling faintly.
“Yes, I should meet them.”
“…!”
“Bring them to me.”
“Th-thank you! Thank you so much!”
“And get up now.”
At Jacqueline’s gentle chiding, Eugenia wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stood.
“This must be yours as well.”
Jacqueline pulled out an envelope.
It was the letter Eugenia had sent.
“Yes, madam. I sent it.”
“When I first saw it, I had no idea what it meant. Thought someone was playing a trick. I shouldn’t have ignored it…”
She muttered regretfully with a sigh.
Eugenia sniffled and asked,
“When shall I bring them?”
“No need to delay. Tomorrow. This time, right here. Can you bring them without being seen?”
“Yes. I’ll make sure of it.”
Jacqueline nodded wearily and rose from her seat.
Eugenia bowed repeatedly toward her retreating figure.
“Thank you, madam. Truly, thank you.”
Tears welled up again—but she was far too happy to bother wiping them.
Jacqueline, for her part, found herself thinking that Eugenia’s tearful, smiling face was truly beautiful.
Which was probably why—
She couldn’t take her eyes off her for a long, long time.
