Chapter 14
Even in the moment when her breath was catching in her throat, she wondered if she could really say something like that…
“Ow. My jaw hurts.”
Roshanne, who had been grinding her teeth, released all her tension at the pain she felt squarely in her jaw.
She brushed off the dust from the broken furniture on her palms and gently rubbed her aching cheeks on both sides.
Her body wasn’t used to much chewing activity normally, so even chewing on something slightly hard for a long time was painful and exhausting.
Just look at this.
She could easily break that armrest, but because she broke it, her hands ended up covered in scratches, didn’t they?
‘I can’t physically wring the emperor’s neck right now, but I can indirectly tighten the noose around his throat.’
Roshanne pulled the bell cord to summon a maid.
Then, with her dainty fists clenched, she placed them on her sore cheeks and gently massaged them.
Her cute, balled-up fists drew large circles.
‘That child… no, that man.’
The man the emperor couldn’t bring himself to kill with his own hands, so he kept banishing him to the outskirts of the empire, wishing for his death each time.
The man who made Crown Prince Yozef come running in terror just because a rumor had spread once.
And the man who, due to his madness, absolutely needed Roshanne.
Yes, that man.
Knock knock.
Around the time Roshanne was picturing that man’s face, a knock sounded at the bedroom door.
“Come in.”
As Roshanne gave permission, the door opened. The maid who entered with slow steps paused in confusion upon seeing Roshanne sitting in such an adorable pose.
“Why?”
Roshanne, with her lightly clenched fists still on her cheeks, opened her eyes wide and asked.
“Why are you tempting me like… Ah, no. Do you have something for me to do…?”
The maid, momentarily flustered because Roshanne was already pretty even when still, but now deliberately acting cute, quickly composed herself and asked.
“I’d like you to go to Archduke Barpheus for me.”
“Pardon?”
Making the emperor and crown prince’s faces crumple was actually simple.
All Lady Roshanne of Railaten had to do was show interest in Cheyton.
Imagining the arrogant Yozef’s face twisting up, Roshanne’s mood improved instantly.
“I don’t have any particular message, so just go, have a cup of tea, and come back. So that if others see, it’ll look like you delivered some word.”
“Miss, that’s a bit…”
But the maid wrinkled her face as if such an order was troublesome.
“Why?”
Roshanne, not expecting the maid’s reaction, asked in puzzlement.
After Roshanne had helped the maids from Duke Railaten last time, their attitudes had subtly changed.
The maids no longer harassed her or ignored her commands. They tried hard to carry out orders as if she were truly their lady to serve.
But repaying her kindness stopped right there.
“If the duke catches us, not just the one running your errand, but all of us will get fired.”
The maid refused flatly. When it came to jobs or lives on the line, it was different.
There was no one in the mansion loyal enough to Roshanne to that extent.
“The duke tells us morning, noon, and night not to even let the name of Bar… ahem, that person be heard in the mansion.”
“Morning, noon, and night? So he must be chanting it like a mantra all day long.”
“Yes, we can’t stop Bar… ahem, that person from visiting the mansion himself, but us going to meet him directly is a bit…”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Roshanne nodded as if understanding the maid’s hardship.
Then she removed her hands that had been cutely placed on her cheeks and stood up from her seat.
As Roshanne rose, the dust on her dress cascaded to the floor.
‘How is there so much dust…’
The maid, thinking how hard it would be to clean the dust fallen on the carpet, widened her eyes.
“No, that, why, there, how is it broken like that…”
Beside the fallen dust, the chair’s armrest lay pitifully shattered.
Moreover, that chair was definitely made of solid wood, hard enough that even a small scratch was difficult to make?
As the maid stared at the chair in bewilderment, trying to find a logical reason,
Thud.
Something rolled over and touched the maid’s foot. Instinctively, she lowered her head.
Thud.
And another thing flew to her feet.
Sparkling like big stars, stealing her gaze…
“That’s for the maid who runs my errand.”
The maid lifted her head with her mouth agape.
Roshanne, with an indifferent expression, was taking jewels from the jewelry box and tossing them casually like bait.
The maid was utterly distracted by the bait flying toward her.
“Since you were the first to answer my call, I’ll give you the chance to choose first.”
Thud.
Another sparkling jewel, gleaming like a tossed pebble, landed at the maid’s feet.
Her foot twitched as it brushed against the gem.
“Will you go to Archduke Barpheus for me?”
“…”
“If you won’t do it, then leave. I’ll ask the next maid—”
“Wait, wait just a moment, miss! I just need to go, have a cup of tea, and come back, right? How long should I stay?”
The maid’s eyes gleamed as she hurriedly scooped up the three jewels that had fallen at her feet.
“Isn’t Archduke Barpheus a forbidden name?”
“The duke isn’t here right now!”
If they got caught by Duke Railaten, they’d all be sacked. But with jewels like these, even getting fired would leave her more than well-off—more than well-off.
If someone was going to betray and get them all fired anyway, it might as well be her.
“So, you’ll do it?”
“Yes, miss!”
Roshanne nodded with satisfaction and set the jewelry box down.
“Then go, spend some time there, and make sure people notice.”
“That’s all I need to do?”
“That’s enough.”
“I’ll make sure everyone sees me—maybe I’ll even do a somersault on my way in!”
The maid’s enthusiasm burned as bright as the three large jewels in her hands.
“And there’s one more thing I’d like you to do.”
“Yes, please tell me!”
“Could you call for a jeweler?”
Roshanne glanced at the jewelry box she’d placed on the vanity. Then, with a sweep of her palm, she pushed it.
Crash!
The jewelry box hit the floor with a loud thud, its contents scattering in every direction.
“Eek! Miss!” the maid cried out in shock.
But Roshanne’s expression didn’t change. Kicking the scattered jewels as if they were mere pebbles, she muttered dryly, “The jewelry box is empty. I’ll need to refill it, won’t I?”
“What? But miss, you don’t have any allowance for maintaining appearances…”
“It’s fine. I’ll have all the expenses billed to the duke.”
“What?”
Not only was it shocking that she treated those jewels so carelessly, but she was treating the duke just as dismissively.
“He didn’t even ask if I was okay—not a single word. Even a stranger wouldn’t do that.”
Roshanne’s brow furrowed as she recalled what had happened in the parlor.
Then she gestured to the maid, who was still standing there, stunned and dazed.
“Forget just the jeweler. Call the jeweler and a designer to have new dresses made.”
Let’s see how much of Duke Railaten’s hoarded money she could burn through.
‘Those jewels are quite large, though,’ Roshanne thought, tilting her head as she looked at the gems scattered across the floor.
‘Didn’t Duke Railaten despise me?’
—
Lately, Roshanne had been busy.
“She’s sitting blankly on the garden bench again…”
“She sits there from breakfast until it’s time for lunch, doesn’t she?”
“A few days ago, Bar—ahem, that person and His Highness Crown Prince Yozef came to see her. Could she be seriously torn between the two?”
To others, it might not look like it at all, but Roshanne was truly busy.
‘That cloud looks a lot like the one I saw yesterday.’
Seated on the bench, Roshanne studied the shape of a cloud with a serious expression, comparing it to yesterday’s.
The cloud she was observing now could only be seen at this exact time of day.
If she missed this moment, the cloud would drift away or dissipate, and she’d never see it again! What a busy and important time this was!
Roshanne was glaring intently at the drifting cloud, utterly absorbed in her observation, when—
“Roooshhaaaanne!”
From a distance, Duke Railaten came running, shouting her name at the top of his lungs. In his hands, he clutched a stack of bills, their origin unclear.
Startled by his furious voice, the maids hurriedly bowed their heads.
The duke reached Roshanne in a few strides, waving the pile of bills in his hands.
“What is this? What in the world is this?”
“Move, Duke. You’re blocking my view of the cloud.”
“What is this? Roshanne!”
Duke Railaten didn’t budge, shouting again. Roshanne, annoyed, tore her gaze from the cloud.
“Hah, it’s a bill. Obviously.”
She looked at him as if he were pathetic, waving her hand dismissively.
A thick vein bulged on the duke’s forehead.
“Yes! Why are your bills coming to me? And this amount—all of it—!”
So he’s finally noticed.
Roshanne smiled.
