Chapter 104

The first thing she did right after reaching the County was to pack up her luggage. She put her luggage—that wasn’t much—into the bag when she had first arrived here.

Ironically, the bag fit exactly as it had been back then. For herself, who never did enjoy shopping, she always kept the only basic necessities by her side.

Except for just one. Vivian turned her eyes before gazing at the top of her bed. The fancy hat that had never matched her room was waiting quietly for its turn soon.

Vivian fell deep into thought for a moment.

The tight space within the bag would eventually crumple the hat and it was evident that she wouldn’t be able to execute her plan if she were to arrange it back. She felt conflicted before gradually closing her bag while the hat was still on the bed.

“Vivian!”

Then, right at that moment. Amanda immediately entered after opening the door wide while carrying a tray of hot soup.

“Do you know how much I rushed to the kitchen after hearing that you had returned? You haven’t eaten for days. So, have some of this soup first…”

Amanda talked a little but she soon stopped. When she looked at the big luggage bag that was already in Vivian’s hands, her eyes gradually grew bigger.

“Vivi, are you perhaps—”

“Amanda. That……”

“You aren’t going to leave just like this, right? …right?”

Vivian who became troubled since Amanda was on the verge of tears began placing down her bag. Then, when she approached the startled Amanda in order to fill in the details of the situation—

“Urk.”

A disgusting smell had unexpectedly pierced Vivian’s nose. She unknowingly closed her mouth because she suddenly felt like vomiting.

“Vivi?”

“Uuurk.”

Amanda stared at her questioningly, but she still felt like vomiting. She usually had no trouble with disgusting smells, but she just couldn’t hold out for the smell of that soup.

“Vivi, what’s wrong with you?”

“……that soup—seems like it has already gotten bad.”

“What? No way. This soup was prepared today itself. I brought it over after it had been cooked and it is still hot as well.”

Vivian couldn’t think about anything at Amanda’s words all of a sudden. She began reaching out automatically to caress her lower abdomen quietly—just like a machine.

“Ah……”

Vivian’s complexion that had already been pale gradually turned purple.

At that instant, she tried to deny reality.

She had wrapped her belly before she quickly pulled her hands away since she didn’t want to believe it. It must never exist and it mustn’t happen at all costs. With such a bloodless complexion painted over her face, Vivian then fell onto her bed.

The first thing she felt was fear, and the next thing was just sorrow. Why at this time? The emergence of a new life that should have been blessed had merely become a new kind of horror to Vivian.

“Vivi, are you okay……?”

Amanda’s worried voice felt like it had come from far away. As she was still nauseous and her head had blanked out, she just couldn’t think of anything yet.

Actually, Vivian had already planned to leave behind everything she gained here. To be exact, it would have been everything that she had gained while she was with the Grand Duke. She wanted to consider it as a price for the fact that she wasn’t able to perfectly execute her deal with the Young Lady.

However, Vivian didn’t know what to do with this unexpected situation. If it were going to be for two people and not for one instead, the money on Vivian’s hand surely wouldn’t be enough at all.

Vivian then moved her lips.

“Amanda.”

“Yeah, Vivi. I’m here. Don’t think of it alone and just share it with me. So that I could help you myself.”

“I’m planning to leave this place.”

“Do you want to resign?”

“No.”

Amanda’s face immediately turned pale like Vivian at that firm answer of hers.

“You…… Are you planning to run away?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? There’s no one else who works as diligently as you. If you inform them of your situation nicely, even the Master will think of your effort for all this time and maybe he will actually…”

“Amanda. I’ve already gotten too involved.”

Vivian grabbed her shoulders.

“I feel like I’ve been doing these secret things for far too long behind the Master’s knowledge.”

“Is it because you have been substituting yourself for the Young Lady?”

Amanda’s face was filled with dread, but Vivian slowly nodded.

“Bu—but, the Young Lady had already said that she would help you live in splendor if you could just complete this work safely!”

“Do you think that Young Lady is such a merciful person?”

Amanda closed her mouth at Vivian’s firm question. The Young Lady whom she served was clearly vicious, unlike the other nobility’s Young Ladies.

But she is still a person who keeps the line of work precisely. Amanda moved her lips slightly with a clueless expression on her face, but then, she soon lowered her head.