Chapter 16

"Are you really sure about this?"

"Please."

"You should stop."

"Do it."

"It doesn't suit you, Miss!"

"I'll fire you if you don't!"

She wondered if she had gone too far. Mari, who was on the verge of clicking her tongue, did not back down. In such situations, the "character" of Rabi Heathfen proved useful. She repeatedly gestured, shouting, "Just do it quickly, hurry up and finish!" and handed her the scissors. Ignoring the sigh Mari let out, she faced the mirror, tucked the fabric around her neck, and pretended to be fully prepared. A sigh, too big to ignore, fell from above her head.

"Do it quickly."

She spoke in a cold, stiff voice. At first, Mari, this maid, seemed difficult to handle and was a mysterious girl, but once it became clear that she was a serious and loyal girl, it made sense. So, while this command was probably incomprehensible and unacceptable to her, Rabi expected that Mari would somehow manage to handle it. After all, Mari had neat hands and beautiful handwriting.

Speaking of which, she knew about the handwriting because she had peeked at the address on a letter Mari secretly held. It was clearly written, "Nella Harry." As expected, they frequently exchanged letters, but since there had been no direct contact from Nella to Rabi, it was possible that Mari had skillfully written the content to deceive, as intended.

Thus, to further the act, Rabi was now giving orders to Mari. Mari's face, seen in the mirror, had a straight line for a mouth, and her raised eyebrows twitched. However, she sighed for the third time, seemingly giving in, and fulfilled the purpose. Snip, snip. It made a satisfying sound.

...

Fer, as always, had a cold look in his eyes, and his mouth was twisted. In the slight vibrations of the carriage, he noticed his brother's gaze but pretended not to notice, raising his now shorter hair. Yes, it was shorter. The silver hair, now shorter than his shoulders, made him jump up in satisfaction in his room just a moment ago. He was also moved by the recovery of his strength, which allowed him to jump up.

In this country, noble women are expected to have long hair. Even the maids serving the Heathfen family have long hair. Long, beautiful hair is considered a requirement for beauty, and short hair implies that a woman is so poor that she has to sell her hair. So, while it might be possible for commoners, for Rabi, a duke's daughter, it is an impossible and shameful hairstyle. But that's fine.

What Nella wants from Rabi is for her to act in a way that is not befitting a duke's daughter. In the past, she tried to deal with it by distorting her personality, but now that her memories have returned, she still thinks it would be better to change her appearance.

The previous Rabi lacked the courage to do so. She had shed tears in her heart many times, suffered, and screamed. She didn't want anyone to see her thin, bony neck, nor did she want anyone to see her. So, having long hair was convenient, as it hid her in the rough, white hair, and despite her haughty attitude, her heart was always trembling like a rabbit.

(But that's all over now.)

Compared to having long, unkempt hair, this is much better, she thinks, now that she has her memories. It might be an impossible look for a noble lady, but with Mari's skill, it is neatly cut at the shoulders, and the damaged parts have been cut off, making it much healthier. If she doesn't want to show her thin neck, she can cover it with clothes. Besides, the current Rabi doesn't think of her body as shameful. It is proof of her solitary struggle.

While Rabi was thinking all this and clenching her lips, her brother, sitting slightly to the side in the carriage, looked at her several times with a puzzled gaze, which she didn't notice.

She stared out the window, trying to suppress her presence as much as possible. From Fer's perspective, he had to face this person, whom he didn't even want to breathe the same air with, every morning. It was hard not to feel some sympathy. The changing scenery was all familiar. It was the route to the school.

The overly long spring break was over. The middle school where Fer attended was adjacent to the elementary school, so they were almost the same, and they went to school together. They had done this since elementary school, so it felt natural, but thinking about Fer, it might be better to go separately in the future. Before her memories returned, no matter how much she was disliked, he was still a cute little brother, and she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, so she kept quiet.

She had prepared and planned as much as possible for the upcoming game. Still, she felt it was probably not enough. The thought of meeting Nella again made her feel cold from the bottom of her stomach.

(There's no need to win, but I can't lose.)

Rabi's goal is to escape. However, before achieving her purpose, she cannot let Nella catch on. The haircut is, in a sense, a symbol of her resolve. While it might not conform to the norms of the nobility, it definitely looks much better.

The still chilly wind tickled her cheeks. She slowly inhaled and exhaled. A deep breath.

(--- I will absolutely not lose. I will survive, even if it's just me.)