CH 19

I was ready to go out the next day.

“Bring me the most modest clothes I have.”

“Pardon?” Irene asked in surprise. 

While I expected this reaction, I still replied with a hint of salt behind my words,  “I’m sneaking out, so I need clothes that won’t stand out. You’re not coming with me, by the way, so you should know that.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. Again, I…”

“Again what?”

“I-It’s nothing.”

The hesitation in her voice and behavior seemed strange to me. I opened my eyes wide and looked straight into her eyes, “Tell me.”

“But…”

“Hurry.”

Irene bit her lower lip and slowly looked up at me, “You used to wear plain clothes to look like Countess Fleur… So I was wondering if you were about to do that again,” Irene muttered her words slowly and closed her eyes tight, perhaps thinking I was about to hit her.

“You can open your eyes. I have no intention of hitting you.”

“Really?!” Irene’s face was pale with disbelief. I let out a false laugh. 

“Do I look like someone who would hit a person just for that?” 

“Yes- I mean, n-no!” 

“…I think I just heard you answer from the bottom of your heart.” Irene stepped back when she covered her mouth with her hand. She must’ve been scared of getting beaten again. That damned Ophelia… Was hitting people the only thing you did? I sighed, massaging my forehead instead of hitting Irene. “I won’t hit you. Rather, I won’t be hitting anyone, including you. I promise you in my name.” 

Irene’s mouth fell open. “Madam, are you sick?” She worried over me, checking my complexion, “I’m really- I’m just saying this because I’m really worried. Ah! Come to think of it, you were also acting strange when the designers were called over to the estate, I should’ve known from then!” She leaned into me, “Are you, by chance, dying from a deadly disease?”

“No!” I screamed. ‘No, no, no. You can’t be like this. Take a deep breath and calm down, me.’

“I’m not sick, I’m fine. It’s just that I changed my mind and decided that I was going to live a good life.”

Irene went silent once more and looked at me as if to check whether I meant what I said, so I hurriedly added, “I’m serious! Think about it, haven’t I changed a lot lately?”

“That’s right…” Irene, who had been pondering over my words, opened her lips carefully. I thought she might have understood my feelings by then, but, “Are you sure you don’t need a doctor..?”

I see.

She didn’t. 

I sighed deeply, thinking that I had a long way to go.

******

I persuaded Irene to wear plain clothes and came out with my hat on. The first step, go into town. Boys were running around the street, reminding me of the child I was looking for.

‘What was his name?’

“Theo.” 

Theo—a child with enough potential to become a swordmaster. He was a little too big to be called a child, but I had to find him regardless of his age. Green hair and dark skin, such were the features he possessed. Features unusual within the Empire. Theo was probably around 15 years old, but my memory was blurry, so I couldn’t be too sure. Nevertheless, I was sure he was younger than me. In the novel, Fleur witnessed a child stealing bread from a bakery, listened to the pitiful situation he had to endure, and decided to establish an orphanage. It would have been nice to meet him by chance like that.

I looked around. The streets were bustling with people. With a crowd this large, finding Theo would be like picking a star from the sky, which was why I thought of making Theo come to visit me. ‘So let’s build the orphanage first.’ Finding the place to build an orphanage was important. There was no mention of where the orphanage was built specifically in the book, so I had to find a place myself. It was on a street with not many people, but it wasn’t too remote. 

Anyhow, it was a relief that nobody recognized me. Maybe because Ophelia’s trademark silver hair was tied up and tucked inside the hat, or maybe because I lowered the brim of the hat to cover my face. If anyone noticed that I was Ophelia, I would have been in big trouble since I violated Callian’s order of prohibition by going out into the streets. To avoid getting caught, I had to look around as quietly as I could and then go back.

“Kyaaa!”

“Oh my goodness!”

A scream rang out from the streets. I turned my head in a hurry, met with the sight of a boy lying in front of a rushing carriage. He looked injured and couldn’t get up.

‘Oh my.’

Being worried only was enough. There’s no reason for me to throw my body in front of the carriage and save him—

“Theo?”

—Green hair and dark skin. It was Theo. My feet moved and I ran faster than anyone else. “Hold my hand!” I took Theo’s outstretched hand in mine and rolled across the floor, barely avoiding the carriage. The horse came to a sudden stop, stamping its feet. I was short of breath, but it wasn’t too much of a problem. I was lucky to have that much stamina. I looked at Theo, holding my breath, “Are you okay?”

Theo blinked several times, the aftereffects of the shock apparent on his face. It wasn’t surprising since he just escaped death. I examined his body while waiting for his answer and as I expected, he was sporting a leg injury. Blood was pooling around his ankle.

‘A precious Swordmaster’s leg is hurt!’

I hurriedly took out my handkerchief and stopped the blood from flowing out any further. “Go to the doctor. If you leave this as it is, you’ll be sick.” I took a silver coin out of my pocket and handed it to him. “Come on.”

Theo got up, frowning, “T-thank you..”

“No, I’m more than grateful that I was given a chance to save you.” I meant it. I was really lucky to be able to save Theo like this. If I hadn’t saved him, he would have died or been crippled. If that happened, the best swordmaster of the Empire would be no more, but I changed that terrible future. And since I was kind,

‘We’ll be able to get closer to each other.’

I’d be close to a boy who was talented enough to become a swordmaster! When that happens, the Crown Prince would have no choice but to acknowledge me. It was all calculated behavior, of course!

“Oh no, young miss!”

“You’re hurt!”

Cries emerged from the people. Only then did I notice the blood seeping from my arm. “Oh my,” I clenched my lips. It didn’t hurt, but I was surprised at how my body didn’t immediately collapse from such a wound. This was something I couldn’t imagine feeling in my past body! That made me feel better.

“S-shouldn’t you use this handkerchief?” Theo held out the handkerchief to me.

I shook my head, “You use it. I’ll go home and get treatment.” Then I put my hand on his shoulder and told him, “I’d like it back though. Why don’t we meet here at noon tomorrow?”

“Ye- yes!” Theo nodded like an obedient puppy, making me grin. Everything went as planned. I was busy laughing on the inside until I heard a rough voice.

“Damn it! Who the hell made the carriage stop!” A man got off the carriage. The expensive clothes he was wearing made him look like a noble. “Is it you? Or you?” Dressed in a disheveled outfit, he repelled people with the smell of alcohol oozing off of him. Then suddenly, our eyes met. “So it’s you!” He came running to me, “You f*cking b*tch! You were knocked out of the carriage!”

Slap! 

Did you just hit me—?

******

“Oh!” People covered their mouths with their hands and gasped in surprise. This bad nobleman just struck the hero who saved a boy! What kind of hero, you ask? A hero who threw herself in front of a carriage to save a boy, even saying, “Thank you for letting me save you.”

Moreover, she took care of the boy more than she did of herself even though she was injured enough to go to the hospital! Everyone was appalled that such a hero was being treated like this, ‘Stupid noble!’

However, no one was able to resist.

Everyone gathered around them were commoners. If they treated a nobleman recklessly, they would have to say goodbye to their necks. In any case, the woman who had been struck and beaten remained frozen. Well, looking at the clothes she was wearing, she looked like an ordinary commoner, so to everyone, it was obvious that she wouldn’t be able to protest against the nobles. Everyone looked pitifully at the woman—until she fought back.

“This crazy b*stard—” She started cursing at him without care, “Did you really just hit me? Even my mom has never hit me my whole life!” The woman kicked the nobleman, making him double back in pain.

“Ugh!” The nobleman, who was beaten, hopped and soon caught the woman’s head, “Do you know who I am? I’m Ilbert Ryde! The second son of the Ride family!” The crowd drew in their breaths again.

The Ryde family. Wasn’t that the vassal family of the famous Duke of Ryzen who was said to be the ruler of the back alleys! That woman’s dead now.

Everyone shut their eyes.