CH 56

While walking to her brother, Bella’s mind was full of other problems.

‘What’s the real purpose?’

She almost fell down the stairs a few times from being too distracted. The ladies following her were alarmed as they supported her.

She was about to go crazy with curiosity.

“Princess.”

Bella: “Hmm?”

“That’s, um… we’re here.”

“…”

She’s even walked a few steps past. 

The soldiers guarding the Crown Prince’s office looked on with their eyes wide open as if they had seen something strange. 

Bella: “Ahem.”

She coughed to mask her embarrassment. 

Let’s pretend nothing happened. 

Luckily, she’s had twenty years of living in the Imperial Palace, which trained her to manage her facial expression quickly.

Bella cleared her throat and said. 

Bella: “Brother, it’s me.”

Michael: “Come in.”

Her brother, Michael, was slumped against a chair. He didn’t look like he was busy with work.

Through his slightly opened mouth, Bella could almost see an image of his soul drifting away.

Crossing her arms, she grumbled. 

Bella: “You won’t even look at me?”

Michael: “I’m exhausted… What’s the matter?”

Bella: “I’m here to tell you about the progress I’ve made.”

At her words, Michael perked up.

Michael: “Ah yes, today’s the opening of your salon. How did it go?”

Bella: “What are you pertaining to? My salon? Or what you ordered me to do?”

Michael: “The order, then, please.”

At Michael’s enthusiastic reply, Bella’s brows twitched. 

Well, anyway…

Bella: “She answered straight to the point when I asked. I’m not sure if she’s telling the truth.”

Michael: “What did she say?”

Bella: “She’s trying to find a husband.”

Michael: “What?”

Bella: “She said she couldn’t meet people if she stayed at home. Since she’s decided on getting married, she’s going to attend social functions to look for a husband.”

“…”

Michael’s expression changed. Bella looked him in the eye and shrugged. 

Bella: “It’s up to you if you want to believe it or not.”

Michael: “It’s not a ridiculous excuse, but…”

Bella: “It makes me wonder if that’s the only reason. Ah, there’s something more.”

Bella placed the paper she was holding in front of her brother. 

Michael: “What’s this?”

Bella: “It’s a piece of paper Lady Keira dropped on her way back. It fell off her sleeve.”

Michael: “On purpose? Or by accident?”

Bella: “I don’t know. Please check it out.”

Michael: “Hmm.”

Michael unfolded the paper and looked through the contents, his eyebrows arching.

Michael: “What is this?”

That was what Bella wanted to say.

Michael: “This…”

Michael’s voice trailed off, unsure of what he’s saying. 

Michael: “A cheat sheet?”

Bella: “Right? That’s what it looks like, doesn’t it?” 

Squinting his eyes, Michael said. 

Michael: “I have a guess.”

Bella: “Yes, go ahead.”

Michael: “It’s as if Lady Parvis, a person who rarely participates in social activities, had prepared conversations in advance for today… Did she really drop this?”

Bella: “If you don’t believe me, we can have the penmanship compared.”

Michael: “Alright. Let’s have one of our people see if they can identify it.”

Bella happened to keep Keira’s reply to her invitation. If she handed over the two sheets of paper to the investigation team, they’d see the result in less than a day.

Michael: “Well done, Bella.”

Bella: “There’s no definite conclusion yet.”

Michael: “I’m glad you know that. You’re so smart. Please continue doing your best for me[1].”

Didn’t that mean she’d have to stick with an awkward person and observe their movements?

‘I knew this would happen.’

Bella frowned at her brother in discontent but sighed. She needed to keep a good relationship with him.

Bella: “I’ll do my best.”

Michael: “I appreciate it.”

Just words? As Bella’s eyebrows wiggled, Michael took a step back. 

Michael: “The Imperial family’s concerns are your concerns, too, are they not? In that sense, you don’t even provide enough service to contribute to our cause.”

She pouted her lips and conceded.

Bella: “Fine. I’ll let you know if I find out anything else. I’ll do my best. You must be busy, so I’ll let you be.”

Michael: “Yeah, it’s dinner time, so enjoy your meal.”

Her brother’s words reminded Bella how hungry she was. She wished him well and left the room.

When she exited the room, the Crown Prince’s assistant told her that the results of the handwriting test would be out by tomorrow.

‘Did she really write that?’

Lady Keira kept glancing down at her lap the whole time she was in the salon. Bella couldn’t help but think that it meant she kept using the object in question.

Therefore, chances were slim that the lady accidentally picked up what someone else had dropped.

‘She’s a real mystery.’

And her questions would be answered in an unexpectedly long time.

Keira was on cloud nine as she left the salon. She didn’t think she had gotten closer to the ladies to the point of calling them friends just yet, but she was still able to chat amicably with them.

She thought it would be nice to be able to get along with them someday.

Reina and Joy, who were waiting outside, greeted her.

“You look like you’ve done well.”

It was a relief to see that Her Ladyship seemed to have made friends.

Keira: “It’s thanks to everyone’s help.”

For some reason, Keira’s chest tingled, and she had to wiggle her hands, feeling giddy, the whole way back home.

While her mood was wonderful on the way back, shortly after she arrived, she realized that the paper she had hidden in her sleeve had disappeared.

She only found out after changing her clothes.

Keira: “Rose, there’s a piece of paper in my sleeve. Take it out and keep it safe.”

Rose: “Yes, my lady.”

A moment later, Rose said. 

Rose: “Um… my lady. There’s nothing here?”

Keira: “What?”

Rose: “There’s nothing here. Maybe it fell when you were changing your clothes?”

The other maids were called in to search the dressing room, but the piece of paper was nowhere in sight.

Keira’s face turned pale.

‘Everyone worked together to help…!’

She had lost the paper.

The bigger problem was the fact that she still needed it.

Keira didn’t have the courage to ask the knights to help her make a new one. They took the time to help her and would probably be disappointed that she had lost it so carelessly.

‘W-what do I do?’

Of course, if the knights find out, they’d happily make a cheat sheet for her again.

However, Keira, who was not aware of such circumstances, could not hide her anxiety.

Rose: “You don’t look well, my lady. We’ll finish looking for it, so please rest now.”

Keira: “Tell them to search the hallway or the carriage.”

Then, Keira brightened. 

Keira: “Yes, I might have dropped it on the way.”

Just because it wasn’t not in the dressing room didn’t mean it’s lost. They might find it if they continued to look.

Keira ordered the staff to retrace her steps before heading towards the dining room.

It was Rose’s advice to eat and rest first.

‘What if we don’t find it?’

Preoccupied with her thoughts, she couldn’t taste the food she was eating. She put down the tableware, not eating dinner.

She didn’t hear any news on finding the paper even as she retired to her bedroom.

Keira: “Maybe the wind blew it away…”

Then it would be impossible to get it back.

She should have checked it on the way back. She was filled with regret, but there was nothing else she could do.

The following day, there was still no news.

“It was probably too dark at night, so we’ll look for it again until this afternoon.”

Keira: “Then, please.”

Keira was despondent.

How do you find a small piece of paper in such a vast property?

The wind must have blown it away the whole night.

‘I can’t find it either…’

As Keira wondered where the paper could be, Rose said.

Rose: “Maybe you dropped it in the palace?”