Chapter 33

Sensing someone’s presence, Stephanie hugged me and held her breath.

Using magic to detect the presence outside, I found there were two people in total.

‘Who came?’

Sen’s flustered voice leaked through the closed door. The other presence seemed to have just revealed itself after hiding until then.

“I was bringing medicine and accidentally dropped the plate. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. I’ll clean up the broken pieces, so please go back now.”

“Thank you. But Gerard, have you been here all along?”

“It’s about the Grand Princess, after all.”

Listening to the conversation outside, my eyes widened. It seemed that Sen, who had suddenly arrived, had encountered Gerard.

‘Gerard was outside the whole time?’

I thought I was alone with Stephanie. Before the surprised Stephanie could hide, the doorknob turned slightly.

“Then I’ll go in to see the Grand Princess. Gerard, you should go back and rest.”

“Please leave this to me and go back yourself, Sen.”

“Taking care of the Grand Princess is my job.”

“She’s been feverish all along and has just stabilized, so it’s better to let her sleep.”

Despite Gerard’s dissuasion, Sen insisted on entering the room. The longer their argument continued, the more anxious I became.

“I’ll just check on the Grand Princess’s condition and leave.”

Don’t come in, Sen.

Since she said she came secretly, Stephanie shouldn’t be discovered here. I clenched my fists, not having any good solution to the situation.

“Is it okay?”

When I whispered to Stephanie, her shoulders flinched. The Grand Duke’s room had no place to hide for assassination prevention.

Stephanie, with a look of dismay on her face, whispered after pondering.

“I’ll try to do something.”

Stephanie moved silently and pushed her upper body under the bed. The space between the bed and the floor was quite high.

But not enough for an adult to fit in.

Just as Stephanie managed to get nearly half of her body under the bed, the door swung open. Gerard, who entered the room, frowned at the sight of Stephanie’s struggling legs.

“Fortunately, it’s over… What are you doing?”

“I’m stuck.”

“….”

Gerard rubbed his face and stared at Stephanie’s bottom for a moment. His tone was polite, but his expression showed annoyance.

It was a coldness that made me feel embarrassed for having mistakenly thought Gerard liked Stephanie.

“Can’t you get out on your own?”

“If I could, I would have already.”

Gerard looked at Stephanie with furrowed brows, then grabbed her ankles. As he pulled hard, Stephanie let out a scream.

Stephanie’s face, finally dragged out from under the bed, was contorted with pain.

‘It must have hurt a lot.’

Gerard ignored Stephanie’s silent glare and smiled at me. Is Gerard’s personality actually not that good?

As I frowned at this suddenly plausible question, Gerard spoke.

“I’m glad you seem to be feeling much better, Grand Princess.”

“Yes. Gerard…”

He still looked like he urgently needed treatment.

I cleared my throat, averting my gaze from the gauze on Gerard’s cheek. Thinking that he was hurt because of me, I couldn’t look him in the eye.

‘I should thank him.’

Although it was due to his mistaking me for the princess, he allowed me to meet Stephanie. I was glad to have learned what kind of person she was, thanks to him.

“I’m happy to have met someone as kind as Gerard.”

“Me too, or rather, meeting you might be my salvation, Grand Princess.”

“Why?”

“Because you might mistakenly think I’m a good person.”

A shadow fell over Gerard’s face as he smiled bitterly. The emptiness in his usually sparkling eyes was disconcerting.

As I hesitated, not knowing what to say, I heard Stephanie mumbling.

“…Did I gain weight?”

I burst out laughing involuntarily at her soulless voice. Gerard, who had been staring blankly at my laughing face, suddenly came to his senses and said,

“Stephanie, it’s time for you to leave.”

“Is it already that time? But we have a moment for goodbyes, right?”

“Alright. But you need to finish quickly.”

As Gerard closed the door and left, Stephanie sat close to the bed where I was lying.

“There was something you needed to tell me in private, right?”

I bit my lip slightly.

I was worried about Gerard waiting outside the door, making it hard to speak. Stephanie gently stroked my sweaty forehead as if to soothe me.

“Why did you tell me about that girl?”

“The reason I told you that story is…”

“The reason is?”

I wondered if it was okay to say this now.

No, if not now, when would I be able to tell Stephanie? Stephanie, looking at my confused face, spoke first.

“If it’s difficult, you can tell me later.”

“…But.”

“There’s a time for every word. If you’re hesitant to say it now, it’s not the right time yet.”

“Okay. I understand.”

I knew well that silence only worsens the situation and can’t be the answer. Nevertheless, I wanted to indulge in that kindness for now.

Stephanie, seemingly trying to change the subject, spoke in an intentionally cheerful voice.

“By the way, I was surprised.”

“About what?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were a maid favored by the Grand Duke? Did I mention how surprised I was to find you in the Grand Duke’s room?”

“Mmm.”

“See you again, little one.”

Stephanie playfully pinched my cheek and left the room. The sound of her fading footsteps weighed heavily on my heart.

I felt sad, anticipating the future that would be ruined by the truth that would eventually come to light.

***

Gerard stared blankly at Stephanie’s back as she walked ahead. Her acting was so perfect that even he could almost believe nothing had happened.

Although he had asked her to pretend not to know the truth, he was surprised that she actually complied.

“Are you really alright?”

As if she had been waiting for this, a sharp reply came back.

“What should I do if I’m not alright? And are you really okay yourself?”

Stephanie, having shed her kindness from in front of the Grand Princess, revealed her irritable state of mind. She was excellent at suppressing her emotions.

Gerard was more curious than ever about the thoughts swirling inside Stephanie.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m not fine. I can’t even understand why that child is known as the princess.”

Stephanie recalled the events that had occurred just a few hours ago. Gerard, who suddenly came in the middle of the night, brought news that the princess was ill.

She didn’t hesitate to rush over when he suggested meeting secretly.

Upon arriving at the Grand Duke’s room, she found not her daughter, but an unfamiliar child lying there.

‘Why is the little one here?’

Stephanie, thinking Gerard had deceived her, became angry. After a long, roundabout conversation, the two realized they had both misunderstood.

“So you’re saying His Grace the Grand Duke saved this child, thinking she was my daughter, the princess?”

“…That’s correct.”

Stephanie saw the murderous intent in Gerard’s eyes when he learned the truth. It wasn’t directed at the child who had been believed to be the princess until now.

‘He wants to kill me.’

It was a look overflowing with the will to silence her, even if it meant killing her. It seemed the little one had good protection.

‘It doesn’t matter to me.’

If anything, it was better for that child to remain as the Grand Princess.

The Grand Duke would never let go of his ‘princess’ daughter. As long as her real daughter was safe, it didn’t matter who bore the name ‘princess’.

This judgment was largely based on the thought that this situation probably wasn’t that child’s, fault.

“As I said before, I have no intention of hurting the little one.”

“Why didn’t you confront the Grand Princess?”

“The little one couldn’t have intentionally deceived me.”

“The Grand Princess told me from the beginning that she wasn’t the princess. It’s just that I…”

“Didn’t believe it.”

She had hinted to the child about meeting her daughter soon, in a petty adult’s way of venting frustration.

‘I didn’t mean to see such an expression.’

Seeing the child’s crumbling expression at her words, she was certain. The child didn’t want this situation. Gerard worriedly followed her and asked,

“What do you plan to do now?”

“I’m tired of receiving help from others, so I’m going to take action myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to the place where my daughter was supposed to be and trace her tracks myself.”

Yes. The first place should probably be there.

‘The Black Magician’s Experimental Tower.’

Her daughter, with the power to foresee the future, probably left some trace of herself there. Perhaps some kind of signal that only she could recognize.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll be counting on you.”

It would be too dangerous for her, not being very strong, to go there alone. Stephanie smiled at Gerard, who didn’t seem to understand.

“You’ll have to help me trace my daughter’s tracks.”

“I have things to do.”

“Wouldn’t it be more dangerous for me to wander alone, knowing the truth?”

At that moment, Gerard’s demeanor changed completely.

Stephanie wrapped her trembling hand as she looked into the green eyes glaring at her. If she backed down here, there would be no way to find traces of her daughter.

‘This man’s true nature is on the Grand Duke’s side after all.’

Her principle was to use even the devil if necessary.

“I need to know. Why my daughter isn’t returning to me. This is a secret, but my daughter probably foresaw this entire situation.”

That’s how powerful her foresight was.

Her daughter, who could read the future, might have chosen to be taken as a slave herself. It was a truth she had been avoiding, not wanting to acknowledge it.

‘What did my daughter wish for?’

She needed to know what future she had hoped for that made her leave her family’s side.

“She…”

Gerard, who slowly opened his mouth, continued in a warmer voice than before.

“Even in a difficult situation where she was mistaken for the princess, she smiled at me.”

“That does sound like her.”

“I don’t mind if she’s fake. If someone has to become the Emperor, I hope it will be someone who can pay respects at others’ graves.”

As a knight, he wasn’t as kind as the Grand Princess thought. That’s why he didn’t tell Stephanie that the princess was probably dead.

The two, hiding their true intentions, agreed to go together to confirm the truth.