CH 5

“Young Lady. Come on, get up. Lady Mariette invited you to tea time in the greenhouse!”

Mariette’s greenhouse was a gift from the Marquis for her 12th birthday. It was filled with rare exotic flowers and fruits all year round which was why Mariette often held tea parties there.

But during those countless tea times, Blanche was never invited by her sister. But all of sudden, she’s now inviting Blanche?

Blanche was immediately heartbroken.

“You seem to have forgotten that I am still a patient.”

“No way! Look at this, Lady Blanche. This food was also sent by Lady Mariette!”

The maid opened the silver cover on top of the trolley to reveal the carefully crafted Flemish soup.

The soup, made from white wine and yolk, was a well-known nutritious food for the sick. 

At first glance, it seemed that Blanche’s eyes were twitching. She dug deep into the blanket and closed her eyes again.

“I don’t have anything to say, so just leave.”

“Young Lady~ Don’t be like that. Now, how about this? Lady Mariette also sent you a dress and jewelry to wear to tea time.”

At that, Blanche was taken by surprise. This is because Mariette was usually very attached to her things, so if someone touched her possessions, she would slap the back of their hand violently.

But this Mariette sent clothes to Blanche?

‘Is that even possible?’

She reluctantly got up and checked out those ‘great things’.

Blanche murmured in a dry voice.

“… That’s the dress that sister fitted in Madame Ambrosia’s dressing room last summer.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the system window popped up.

[system/ Mariette’s handmaidens are laughing at you.]

Unsurprisingly, all of them had an expression that said. ‘That’s just how it is’. This time a brown-haired maid came closer.

“You know? Here, Second Lady. Look at this pearl necklace!”

The pearl necklace in the maid’s hand was also something Blanche was familiar with.

“… Is this Mother’s?”

After the death of the Marchioness, Blanche, unlike Mariette, did not inherit a single piece of her mother’s jewels.

‘Even if I wanted to take one, I didn’t have anywhere to go.’

Without realizing it, Blanche stared down at the old and dull necklace that glimmered a faint light. The brown-haired maid whispered.

“Do you like it?”

“… Well.”

“First of all, eat my lady. The necklace has no feet so it will not run away.”

Was it her imagination? Somehow, it felt like there were thorns in those words. Blanche then gave her orders with an annoyed sigh.

“I’ll eat later. I’m uncomfortable so I’ll have to wash first.”

“But, lady. This precious soup will grow cold.”

“You all. Do you act like this with sister Mariette?”

Only then did the five maids set out to prepare for a bath. Blanche, like Mariette, had them bring a pure white porcelain bathtub to her room, They dissolved a flower-scented bath b*mb in her bath water, washed her from head to toe and even massaged her scalp.

It was the first time she had bathed like this after her mother passed away.

After finishing her bath, the maids brought her back to the bed and laid out their makeup tools. But Blanche hit the back of the maid’s hand who was about to comb her hair.

Just like Mariette.

The maid asked her in an absurd tone wondering what she was doing.

“What’s wrong, my lady?”

“Stop it. I’m not going to my sister’s greenhouse.”

“Yes?”

“I’m telling you all to disappear from my bedroom. Oh yes. Tell sister that I had a good bath thanks to her.”

“My lady, what do you mean…”

She stared at the brown-haired maid who seemed to want to click her tongue.

“That pearl necklace. There are too many scratches even if I don’t look closely.”

That wasn’t all she had to say.

“Also, the first day sister wore that dress, she found another young lady wearing a similar one and never wore it again. Did you think that I wouldn’t know?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Tell sister, I think I overestimated her eye for things.”

The maids apologised. But it wasn’t a sincere apology. They were just worried about going back and offending Mariette.

The maids didn’t stutter when they spoke their lies.

“I’m sorry, my lady! Actually, it was us, not Lady Mariette, who picked this dress and the pearl necklace. So please, don’t hate Lady Mariette, your sister, too much!”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Yes?”

“It seems like my older sister doesn’t have an eye for handmaidens too.”

What a weird expression, she wanted to say this while looking at their faces. But Blanche looked the other way.

Blanche lay on the bed with wet hair. Then she issued an ultimatum.

“If you don’t get out in five seconds, I’ll tell my father I’m not getting married. And that it was because of you guys. Can you all handle that?”

“I-I’m sorry. My lady!”

“I’m sorry!”

Apologies burst out from here and there like a spinning song. But Blanche saw it. They apologized, but their lips twitched with spite.

Bang! The door slammed shut as the silhouettes retreated.

Maybe they thought she wouldn’t hear it, so someone she didn’t know shouted in the hallway.

“It’s funny. You can’t even walk properly!”

After Fleur was taken away, it seems that the maid who served her fortunately kept her secret.

‘But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad.’

A few moments later, she stepped onto the plush rug on the floor beside her bed. Blanche opened all the windows in her bedroom then returned to bed. It was because based on Mariette’s personality she would not give up on her easily.

As expected, her prediction soon became a reality. Mariette strode into her sister’s room, trembling due to the biting cold wind in the bedroom.

Unable to stand it, she closed one of the windows herself and looked back at Blanche.

“Oh my God, Blanche! You are still sick. But this cold air!”

“Yes. No one remembered that they had to close my windows.”

As she told her lies without a single pause, Mariette raised her eyebrows and looked at her own maids.

“You. What the hell do you think you’re doing to my sister?!”

“I-I’m sorry my lady!”

The maids moved in unison and closed all the windows. But they did not give up and made their excuses.

“But it’s weird. We never had the windows open.”

Of course, Mariette did not believe this.

“Are you lying in front of me now? You guys dare?”

“Th-That’s not it.….”

The maids were caught in the trap set by Blanche.

Only after the servants were scolded to the point of tears did Blanche speak up.

“If you’re going to argue, could you do it somewhere else other than my room?”

“Oh, Blanche. I’ve acted horribly in front of a patient for a while. Please be kind and understand.”

Mariette sat down at her bedside with a sad expression on her face. She also laid her own warm, soft hand over Blanche’s cold hands.

Clicking her tongue, Blanche slid her hand away.

“I don’t want to.”

A crack broke Mariette’s fine face but the agitation soon disappeared. She gently soothed Blanche, her eyes softly curving.

“You must be very angry. But Blanche. I’m your sister. Now, tell me. Why are you so unhappy? Let’s talk about it.”

“No. I decided not to waste my time anymore.”

Mariette had an eager look on her face as if she didn’t want to listen to her sister’s request.

“Waste of time! Don’t say that, Blanche. I feel like my heart is going to break when I hear that!”

“I have nothing more to say, so just leave.”

“Blanche! I know! You must be confused and afraid whenever you think about your marriage! Besides, you would have such a fat old man as a partner for your first time! If I were you, I would hate the family too. But, Blanche. You. You can’t do this to us.”

Mariette threw a gaze that seemed to be scolding her.

“You shouldn’t do this to our older brother who broke the rules just to bring Priest Segolene. Also, think of our father who stomped his feet until you woke up. And do you know how much Alphonse and I cared for you? Huh? Blanche. You shouldn’t be like this. Do you understand?”

Holding her sister’s shoulder with both hands, Mariette whispered softly.

“So on the first night, lay still and think of us. Us, your family. Then it will be a little less painful…”

If this was in the past, Blanche would have apologized by now, with tears in her eyes saying she had done something wrong. That is, if Blanche was still the same girl suffering from lack of affection.

But now, Blanche didn’t have the patience to listen to this b*llsh*t. She pushed Mariette away and snapped back.

“Let go of me.”

“Blanche?”

After a moment of embarrassment, Mariette changed her strategy. If carrots didn’t work, she had no choice but to bring out the whip.

“Are you really going to do this to me? I’m your only sister! I mean, I’ve been taking good care of you since Mother died!”

“And is that why you made me limp?”

Blanche’s speech impediment was congenital, but her leg was broken due to an accident.

Mariette’s face changed color. She hurriedly looked behind her and shouted at her five maids.

“Get out, all of you! Quickly!”

Only after the two of them were left in the room did Mariette force herself to smile.

“Blanche. What do you mean? And how can you speak like that in front of others? I will be misunderstood.”

“Was it a misunderstanding? My accident. It happened because of you.”

[system/ Mariette is agitated.]

Blanche made eye contact with Mariette.

“Why am I talking like this after being quiet all this time? Well, because I don’t love sister anymore.”

In fact, while becoming conscious of her previous life, memories that Blanche had forgotten after the accident came to mind. It was the truth. Mariette had hurt her!

“Mariette. No one takes the trash they’ve brought outside just to bring it back into the house. Since I woke up because I couldn’t die, I’m just putting out the trash in front of me. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Blanche no longer called her sister. And it seems that Mariette understood exactly what she meant.

Otherwise, the text that appeared at the bottom of her field of view would not have materialized.

[system/ Mariette is hostile against you!]

Blanche laughed.

“You know what? If I disappear from this house right now, aren’t you gonna have to be Count Juan’s wife instead of me?”

Mariette countered with her eyes lit.

“Wake up! Even without you, Dad wouldn’t let me marry the count. Didn’t you already hear that?”

“Do you really think so?”

Mariette was speechless at the sound of her voice filled with a prophet-like conviction.