Chapter 39

* * *

Estelle sat on a chair that was too tall for her height.

‘It’s too high…’

Normally, there would’ve at least been a footrest nearby.

Since Count Elbron began staying at the estate, the consideration shown toward Estelle had slowly diminished in subtle ways.

Using one excuse after another, saying other noble young ladies didn’t receive such treatment, Count Elbron gradually restricted Estelle’s range of movement.

Estelle was still not even ten years old.

A child whose sense of self hadn’t fully formed had no choice but to be swayed by an adult’s words.

“You still haven’t shaken off the habits of an orphan.”

“…”

“It may be acceptable for now, but if this continues, how disappointed do you think everyone will be? For your sake, I, Elbron, will set aside my own discomfort and become a strict teacher.”

He always spoke sharp words in a gentle voice.

Several maids who wanted to help Estelle were in the same room, but they only watched the count nervously.

‘I miss Reina.’

Her dad, Bonita too.

She missed them all.

“You are the sole heir of the greatest ducal house in the empire.”

“…”

“Therefore, you must never show weakness to anyone, nor should you waste food. His Grace learned to stand on his own from a much younger age than you.”

Estelle could only nod at his words.

As her head drooped, she saw the carpet far below, her feet not reaching it.

“Lady Estelle, you mustn’t lower your head like that or hunch your back.”

“O-Okay.”

“You mustn’t stutter when you speak either.”

Count Elbron held a cane in his hand.

Estelle lifted her head and rolled her eyes slightly.

‘Scary.’

Count Elbron had never struck or directly threatened Estelle with the cane.

He only slammed it against the floor whenever she made a mistake.

But that alone filled Estelle with overwhelming fear.

It reminded her of the cold and terror she’d known at the orphanage.

“Shall we continue with the theology lesson from last time?”

“Okay.”

A book far too large and heavy for Estelle’s small hands was opened before her.

She hated theology lessons more than anything.

“…Denying the existence of Lord Bendicion and worshipping another impure being as a god, Finecke committed the sin of disbelief and was stripped of all grace…”

“…”

Whenever theology lessons were taught, Finecke’s story always came up.

Count Elbron brought up Finecke on purpose in front of Estelle, but the young girl didn’t know that.

She thought it was simply something that inevitably came up when learning theology.

She had heard the same stories often at the orphanage, so she believed it was unavoidable if she wanted to live as an imperial citizen.

The white hair and pink eyes she had finally begun to accept, after everyone around her told her they were beautiful, once again felt shameful.

“Lady Estelle. Were you listening?”

“Hm? Yes.”

“Then please repeat the passage I just read.”

Estelle skimmed the section the count had read moments ago.

Then she read aloud.

“…Finecke’s white hair and pink eyes are symbols of sin.”

* * *

‘Anything I want.’

Everything comes true.

Reina stood blankly in the corridor on the top floor of the estate, recalling the dream from the night before.

The voice and warmth that felt familiar despite hearing them for the first time.

She couldn’t remember the person’s appearance at all.

Even though she’d been stopped from meeting the person Eugene had longed for, she felt no hostility.

Reina stood still in the silent corridor and looked out the window.

Most of the snow had been cleared now, revealing bare ground.

The windows, polished clean every dawn, showed no fingerprints and faintly reflected Reina.

Her face was filled with worry.

‘How far does anything go?’

Was this outcome because she wished to live?

If she had done nothing and simply wished to survive, would it have been fine?

‘No.’

Reina shook her head.

If that were the case, then.

‘Then my lady shouldn’t have had to suffer like this.’

Thinking of Estelle growing darker by the day, Reina realized that merely wishing for something didn’t make it come true.

So this was what the woman in her dream had meant.

‘It means I need to act.’

It felt foolish to cling to a dream, but wasn’t she a transmigrator to begin with?

Arguing about what was real or unreal was pointless.

Reina lightly brushed the window frame and rested her forehead against the glass.

“There are too many problems…”

Since that dream, her already unsettled feelings had only grown more restless.

‘The first thing I need to deal with.’

That was Count Elbron, without question.

‘Even if Count Elbron is currently in charge of my lady’s education, this situation is strange.’

In the novel she remembered, everything had flowed so naturally.

Everyone sided with the count without question and isolated Estelle.

Only now, facing the situation herself, did Reina notice how odd it was.

‘Why did His Grace take even his closest aide to the Holy State?’

Even if Damian was inexperienced as a guardian, his care for Estelle was sincere.

‘Did he judge Count Elbron to be trustworthy?’

Then was there something not written in the novel?

“This is strange.”

Even the fact that she alone sensed something wrong felt strange.

Everything about this was strange.

But Reina had no power on her own.

Since Damian left and Count Elbron arrived, the number of people on Reina’s side had dwindled noticeably.

It was easier to trust a noble than a commoner.

Reina tapped the window lightly, lost in thought.

‘And the assignment.’

After completing all her training, Reina was supposed to receive a title and officially become a nanny.

Because she was receiving a title in such a short time, she needed a reason strong enough to justify it.

Peter had told her to find something new that could influence the empire.

He probably didn’t mean she had to show something concrete in such a short time.

Reina knew that.

‘He likely meant I should at least think about it while Count Elbron teaches my lady, since I wouldn’t have much else to do.’

Instead, things had become even more complicated.

Peter and Damian didn’t know Count Elbron’s true nature, so everything appeared to be goodwill to them.

‘Complicated.’

It all went in circles.

Reina frowned.

In the end, the only solutions were Damian returning quickly, or Estelle asking for help herself.

It was a moment that made adults feel utterly helpless.

Unable to do anything until a child asked for help.

-Clatter.

As Reina repeated the same worries for days, she heard a sound from somewhere.

‘Who is it?’

She was deliberately on the top floor where people rarely came.

It was the best place to think.

‘The top floor only has storage rooms and unused rooms.’

Why would someone come up here now?

Supplies were usually restocked at dawn or late at night.

Reina rolled her eyes, then slowly walked toward the sound.

It wasn’t anything meaningful, just a thought that maybe someone needed help.

A lavish door stood open.

“…?”

Reina looked inside.

In contrast to the ornate door, the interior was empty and cold.

That made it immediately clear who had been there.

“…Annemarie?”

“…Botn!”

It was Annemarie.

‘Annemarie was one of the people Count Elbron chose.’

Reina finished the thought in an instant and asked.

“Did you come to get something?”

“N-No. Nothing.”

Annemarie turned her gaze away and frowned.

She never hid her irritation toward Reina.

Being disliked by someone who’d joined recently was nothing unusual.

“Don’t enter this room without permission.”

Annemarie said as she closed the door.

‘She went in herself though.’

Reina stared at the closed door.

Anyone could see how unnatural and suspicious this was.

Annemarie narrowed her eyes.

“When His Grace is here, you’re forgiven for almost anything, but not now. So don’t wander around however you like.”

“…”

“You’re not that stupid, so I trust you’ll behave yourself.”

It was a clear warning.

With a flat tone, Annemarie said that and left.

Reina remained alone in the corridor, watching Annemarie walk away.

After confirming she’d gone down the stairs, Reina quietly reached toward the storage room door.

‘If you’re going to warn someone, do it properly.’

If she truly didn’t want Reina to look inside, she should’ve taken her along when she left.

This was practically an invitation.

Inside the storage room, despite the vast space, there were hardly any visible items.

Everything was covered with white cloth.

Reina wandered near the spot where Annemarie had been standing.

Among the covered furniture, something stuck out oddly.

“Is it this?”

She lifted the cloth slightly, revealing a strange box.

“…”

When Reina saw what was inside, she gasped and dropped the box.

“T-This is…”

They were horrific photographs, too terrible to even speak of.

Grotesque images of people with white hair and pink eyes.

‘Did Count Elbron order these to be kept here?’

Why would he need these?

Reina’s vision began to spin.

She staggered backward, her hand reaching out blindly, and touched the wall.

The white cloth hanging there caught in her hand, wrinkling as it slipped.

And then.

“…!”

As the cloth slid to the floor, a massive portrait was revealed.

“Th-This person…”

The woman from her dream.

A white haired woman in an elegant dress, smiling softly.

Reina realized it then.

The woman she’d seen in her dream was.

Duchess Titania.