Chapter 8

8

It was heartbreaking.

That was all I could think about. I had already witnessed the state of the estate, so I had expected it, but... stepping out of the carriage and breathing in this air felt far more heartbreaking than I had anticipated.

“This way, please be careful.”

A knight guided me from the village entrance. The two bodyguards didn’t seem to harbor any particular ill will toward me, which was surprising. I had braced myself for their displeasure.

The situation inside the village was even more severe. Most people had lost their homes to the monster attacks, and injured people who hadn’t received proper treatment were slumped on the streets.

The most difficult problem was the food shortage. Many people were subsisting on root vegetables that barely qualified as a meal.

...I had come in my most modest attire, but even this was a silk dress. Suddenly, I felt incredibly extravagant. I wondered if the bread and dried meat I had brought to distribute were a form of deception.

“Please, line up.”

I couldn’t not share it, so I started distributing the bread and dried meat at the relief center as planned. I watched the people who quietly lined up at the knight’s instruction with a complex mix of emotions.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll eat well.”

While quite a few people showed hostility toward me, no one actually attacked me. They just received the food with tired expressions, muttered their thanks mechanically, and left. Perhaps they didn’t even have the energy to hate anyone.

Does Father know all of this, the hell he has created?

No, that man... would probably not care even if he saw this. Father is the kind of person who could reign over hell and still have room to spare. He was someone who never had compassion to begin with.

Why is such a person the Duke of Everett?

Will Father ever face his comeuppance?

I was lost in these unanswerable questions while mechanically distributing the food.

“Die! You witch! Filthy blood of Everett!”

“...!”

A villager who had just received the food suddenly shouted and lunged at me. Just as his dirt-caked, rough hands were about to grab my neck, a knight quickly pulled me back. It was Jeremy. At the same time, another knight, Will, grabbed the man’s arms and twisted them behind his back.

It all happened in an instant. The man, now pinned to the ground by Will, glared at me with bloodshot eyes, full of resentment.

“This is no good,” Will said, trying to calm the man. He seemed more concerned about the man than me, as if he understood the reasons for the attack.

“I’ll let you go, sir. I’ll kill this witch even if it means going to hell...! Damn Everett! This is all your fault!”

I just stared blankly at the man who was shouting in rage. Throughout the time Will was trying to calm him, I could feel the accusatory gazes of the people around me. ...Everyone was blaming me. Even though I had done nothing but come here to distribute food.

Because I am the daughter of the Duke of Everett.

In fact, that man isn’t even my biological father...

“You and your father, and your demon brother, all of you Everett scum will be cursed! You will pay for your sins!”

The man continued to shout as he was dragged away by the soldiers who had gathered at the commotion.

I saw the faces of the people who looked at him with pity. The eyes of those who glanced at me were clear in their message.

‘There is no one on your side here, and we all hate you.’

* * *

“Are you alright, my lady?”

Charlotte asked worriedly. It was late evening, and I had barely eaten, but I couldn’t even feel hungry. I smiled faintly.

If Lady Seymour’s intention in sending me to inspect the estate was to inflict a psychological blow, it was indeed successful.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that all of this, the situation around me and the desolation of the Valentine estate, was a terrible nightmare.

“Even if you don’t have an appetite, please have a warm glass of milk and go to bed. ...I’m worried because you’ve been skipping meals lately.”

“...I’m fine. I’ll eat well from tomorrow, so don’t worry.”

Charlotte looked unconvinced but didn’t press further. Instead, she earnestly reminded me to eat properly from the next day. I agreed, though I wasn’t sure if my expression was natural.

After Charlotte left, I was alone in the dark room. I lay on the bed, trying to sleep, but I couldn’t. The desolate scenes from the estate kept flashing in my mind.

I know it’s not my original sin, yet I feel a sense of self-loathing and guilt.

Even if I try to help them... it would just be a deception and hypocrisy.

But can I just stand by and do nothing? That’s not an option.

So, I need to find a way.

* * *

I decided to sell all the jewels I brought with me when I got married, keeping only a few.

Although they were gifts from Father, he wouldn’t care what I did with them. They were given to maintain the face of the House of Everett, after all.

Still, they were quite valuable, so I was able to get a significant amount of gold coins.

The usual approach would be to hand over this money to the administrator to help with the estate’s finances, but if I did that, it would only breed resentment...

‘The daughter of the Duke of Everett is condescendingly pretending to help us.’

Additionally, selling my jewels so soon after my marriage could hurt the Duke of Valentine’s pride.

So, to use this money effectively, I needed a different approach. For example...

“...”

I took a small box out of the luggage I had brought from the Duke of Everett’s castle.

When I opened the lid, a silver object inside reflected the indoor light.

This was the magical tool Owen had given me.

‘If you need to secretly investigate the House of Valentine, use this. It can make you look like someone you remember. You need to remember the physical characteristics of the person you want to transform into, though. But you have a good memory...’

I never thought that the manipulative schemes of that control freak would be helpful in this way.

Of course, Owen gave me this magical tool with sinister intentions. I had no intention of secretly digging up the House of Valentine’s secrets as he wanted. I planned to pretend to be incompetent after failing to find anything.

To Owen, Hessen, and Father, my incompetence is a given, so they wouldn’t suspect a thing...

Most importantly, Owen firmly believed he had me under complete control.

A sneer escaped my lips.

I tried on the magical tool, which was in the form of a necklace. The oval pendant was the right size to hide under my clothes.

I could transform into one of the maids or knights and go to distribute food. I could buy the food with the money from selling the jewels.

It was a decent plan.

* * *

I thought I had kept it a secret, but somehow the merchant blabbed, and the news that I had sold my jewels reached Theodore’s ears.

What a despicable person, taking money to keep quiet and then spreading the news.

I sat across from my husband, sipping tasteless tea. It wasn’t that the tea had no flavor; I just couldn’t taste it. It was as if my tongue was numb.

For a moment, I even thought it might be poisoned...

“You sold your jewels,” Theodore said casually, and I looked up.

He didn’t seem offended or angry. He just looked annoyed, as if he thought I was doing something pointless and incomprehensible. I hesitated, stroking the teacup, and replied softly.

“I wanted to buy new jewels.”

Of course, it was a lie.

I intended to keep my secret relief activities hidden from everyone except Charlotte.

Theodore frowned, then laughed and snapped.

“You don’t need to sell your jewels to get money. No matter how bad the estate’s situation is, the House of Valentine is a ducal house in the north. You can easily buy a few trinkets with your allowance.”

“...”

What a load of nonsense.

Theodore Valentine was more concerned about the estate and the people than anyone else. He was just putting on a show for me, probably out of competitiveness with the House of Everett. Whatever... it didn’t matter. I had no intention of telling him the truth.

“I’m sorry... I’ll be more careful next time.”

“...”

I bowed my head and spoke in a meek voice, and he seemed to have nothing more to say. I glanced up at his face. ...He didn’t look well.

‘Is he sick? His face is very pale. I heard he didn’t get along well with his contracted spirit... Is it still a problem?’

But I had no right to show concern.

“Go now. That’s all I needed to say.”

As he stood up to dismiss me, he glared at me irritably. I didn’t want to make things worse, so I quietly left.

But just as I was about to turn the doorknob, he added, in a mocking tone.

“Seeing the state of my estate and trying to comfort yourself with jewels is so typical of the House of Everett. Rest assured, I won’t show you such harsh sights again.”

He didn’t ask if I was scared. I had almost been strangled by an angry man.

No... if I had been strangled to death then, he might have been pleased. It would have been a way to get rid of a burden without lifting a finger.

“...”

I silently bowed and left the room.

It was a few days later that I noticed Theodore’s unusual state.