Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“But, brother, if I don’t finish it…”

“This is what the maids do. You are a daughter of the Count.”

At the words of the Count’s daughter, Elysia smiled. No one thought of her as the Count’s daughter except Edward. She was treated worse than a maid, and obviously, she couldn’t be considered a lady.

“Or, do you think I’ll just have to wash dishes with you here for you to stop?”

“No, no! That’s not it.”

Even though Edward was the weakest eldest son, he was the heir to the Caitlins. She did not know how angry the Countess would be if he cleaned the dishes. And, the aftermath will extend to her as well.

“Let me hug my little sister after a long time.”

How could she not miss people’s feelings for her? In the twenty years of her possession, no one but Edward was kind to her.

She couldn’t refuse Edward, her only affectionate person.

“I missed you, brother.”

“I missed you, too.”

“You’re still in a bad condition.”

“I can’t help it…”

Elysia was now talking to Edward in the attic. This attic was the space where she lived. The space had no sunlight at all, and a musty smell and dust vibrated. Normally, she didn’t have any thoughts, although Edward’s sad eyes made her feel a bit embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. If I had a little bit of power…”

“No!”

“I don’t even have the strength to get you out of this place.”

Even though she was sad, it was true.

Edward was powerless. All he could rebel against the Countess was to stop her from washing the dishes. He didn’t have the strength to make her move rooms. Even if she had to change rooms at any time, it was clear that she would go back once he left the County.

“I’m fine.”

In her last life, she had the experience of living in a semi-basement studio, so this was nothing. Considering that she suffered from mold and bugs back then, right now, this attic was like heaven.

“Now, this is my birthday present this year.”

“What?”

“It’s a necklace.”

It was Elysia and Edward’s promise to exchange gifts at this time every year. Edward gave her a little money. Without him, there was no way for her to raise her money.

“It looks expensive…”

“It’s okay. Not very expensive.”

Contrary to his words that it was not very expensive, this year’s gift was exceptionally shiny. She knew he didn’t have much money to roll. His position was not that high.

However, there was something strange about such an expensive-looking gift.

“Mine was only a scarf I have woven myself…”

“It’s good enough.”

“Brother… Perhaps—”

“Now? Does it suit me?”

Edward’s attitude interrupted her, afraid she might say something else, so Elysia quietly bit her lips. There was something unsettling about it. He couldn’t have bought this necklace with his money.

“…It suits you, brother.”

Nevertheless, she could not find out the identity of the necklace until the very end. She can’t lose Edward, the only kind person to her. So, it was her choice to pretend she didn’t know anything and chose to stay silent.

“You look good with the necklace, too.”

“Thank you.”

All she could do was put the necklace around her neck and smile as if she knew nothing.

“Elysia… If, if…”

“Yes?”

“If something unavoidable happens, you can sell all the gifts I gave you.”

The last words of the gifts were always this.

It didn’t matter if she sold them all. In fact, as Edward said, some gifts were sold and turned into cash. But, even though she hears it all the time these days, she couldn’t stop feeling uneasy.

In a corner of Elysia’s heart, the anxious feelings were slowly rising.

The County was delighted with the return of the successor. After an exceptionally noisy dinner today, there was a quiet silence in the castle. It was a little different from what she expected to be noisy until late at night.

“Is it my time now?”

The quiet evening, which came after the noisy day, was her alone time.

For this time, she didn’t have to look at anyone.

The party that ended earlier than expected was a little questionable, but it could be. In any case, Edward was a patient. He didn’t have much stamina to hang out with people for a long time.

Poor Edward…

“Can I run away, leaving Edward?”

Even though she could have escaped enough so far, she had a reason for not running away.

Elysia did it because she then would have to leave him alone at the County. Every time she tried to escape, Edward caught her ankle and she couldn’t leave. She knew he wanted her to leave, but whenever she was about to leave, Edward fell on her mind.

When Edward returned from the Logan Empire, she couldn’t imagine the thought that he would find her missing. That was why she stayed in County Caitlyn, even though she was treated like a maid.

“…Please stop torturing her.”

“Great. Now, you’re rebellious.”

The castle was quiet as if it were a dead mouse, but there was a loud voice from somewhere. Elysia wondered if she could go back to her own attic again, even now. Although she was too hungry to go back.

‘…I have to secretly stop by the kitchen and then go back.’

Squeak.

She moved slowly, though at the sound of the wood on her floor, Elysia stopped her breath for a moment and stopped in front of the door.

“Please leave Elysia alone. How long are you going to torment her?”

As she was about to step back into the kitchen, her body stiffened at the sound of her own name.

“You mean I bullied Elysia?”

“If this isn’t bothering her, then what is it? You want to send her to such a person!”

“It will only happen if she agrees on it. And, who are you worried about now?”

From the conversations and voices heard, it was Edward and the Countess who were talking right now. However, this conversation didn’t take place in Countess or Edward’s room.

In other words, it is an empty room that no one is using.

“Am I not living the life as mother wants to?”

“What do you mean that you’re living the way I want you to and holding your breath?”

She had never heard Edward raise his voice like that.

It was partly because of his sick body, but he was originally a fragile person.

“Drugs that come up every night. Did you think I wouldn’t know? Just as how mother wanted me to live, I became a body, not a living thing.”

Oh, she forgot for a moment why Edward was kind to her. He was not of the Countess descendant either.

“…I don’t think you really thought I wouldn’t know.”

Medicine, the body that lives, but does not live…

Putting all these words together, it was said that it was the Countess herself that made Edward have an incurable disease.

And, even though Edward knew it all, he took the drug himself.

“Why did you take the drug even though you knew it?”

“There is no way I can get out of it. However, not the kid. Please leave Elysia alone.”

“I want to listen to it, too, but it’s been a long time since she was betrothed to Grand Duke Raphael. Do you know the character of the new Grand Duke Raphael? If he comes here and cancels the wedding talk, you never know what kind of anger our family will receive.”

…Was it this?

The reason why she and Damon, who have no contact points, were able to get married was because the Countess first put a marriage relationship…

Elysia’s body trembled at the shocking fact, but she managed to hold onto her mind and concentrate on the conversation to follow. As she said, the Countess put the marriage into the Grand Duchy without her knowledge. Edward must have come to see the Countess as soon as he found out.

“If the marriage is accepted, Elysia…!”

“It has been five years that Grand Duke Raphael has not received a wife. Can the Grand Duke accept our marriage talk now? Besides, if the marriage talk is accepted, it will be good for Elysia as well.”

In other words, good if it does work.

Elysia knew that this marriage would be accepted, and she knew why the Grand Duke would marry now.

Grand Duchy Raphael had one rule.

After the Grand Duke of Raphael’s family became head, if he did not marry within five years, he would be deprived of his seat.

The Grand Duke was famous for their short-lived life, as the saying goes, a cursed family suffering from madness. So, the Countess, who knew about it, had entered the marriage proposal at this time.

‘Still, that’s the Grand Duke’s secret… How does the Countess know?”’

Is it a coincidence…?

The timing was too exquisite to be a coincidence. Grand Duke Raphael declared that he would never marry. At first, no one believed them, though now, no one questioned it because he retaliated not only by refusing to get married every time a proposal came in.

But now, if she put in a marriage talk… It looked bad.

“Anything good for Elysia? If she gets married, Elysia may die soon! Don’t you know the rumors about Grand Duke Raphael!”

After all, no matter how much the Grand Duchy managed it, they couldn’t stop the rumors circulating in the dark. Damon hadn’t done any cruel things yet, yet it had already been like this…

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You know what everyone is saying about Grand Duke Raphael!”

“He is the head of the family. He was also the only Grand Duke in the Empire. The head of such a large family would have something like a little cold-heartedness.”

“Such a blatant lie…”