Chapter 42.
It was because, after her father drowned in the river while stumbling about in a drug-induced stupor, the debt collectors had tried to snatch her up and sell her off.
What she had done in a desperate attempt to at least buy some time had unexpectedly changed the entire course of her life.
“I have taken care of your father’s affairs. You should stay in this house for the time being and recover your health.”
Oster Felon had willingly taken in Roxana, who was no different from a stranger. Thanks to him, for the first time in her life, Roxana was able to eat a proper meal and stretch her body to her heart’s content under the sunlight.
Once Roxana had regained her health, the Felon couple gave her a choice.
“Is there anything you wish to do? We will help you as much as we can.”
Since her father was the last, Roxana could not be registered in the noble rolls. In other words, she was a commoner.
The best future remaining for her was to be hired as a maid in the House of Felon and eventually marry. Even knowing that, Roxana made a request with the thought that she had nothing to lose.
“I—I also want to read books and study. If I become smart, I will surely help the Count and his wife……”
She could not continue after that. Even to her own ears, it sounded like an utterly preposterous thing to say.
However, the Felon couple willingly made that wish come true.
“Since you are doing it, try as far as you can.”
After Oster passed away, it was thanks to Trisha pushing her like that that Roxana was able to graduate from the academy in the Kingdom of Candia, which accepted even commoners as students.
Becoming the top graduate was purely the result of her working herself to the bone to repay the grace of the House of Felon.
Returning to the Empire at the age of twenty-five, she had been serving as Trisha’s aide for the ten years since.
‘Come to think of it, I have received grace even more absurd than Miss Harriet.’
Roxana looked at the rippling surface of the teacup and felt ashamed. Perhaps she had been jealous of Harriet.
Trisha soothed that heart of hers.
“Roxy. It is not that I am blaming you. You see, I have made you and Harriet the joy of my twilight years. How else would I live if not by watching over you two, as it is so dull otherwise?”
“You are still too young to say such things.”
“You are kind. But I am not saying this out of weakness—truly, I do not have much time left. That is why I want to look after your futures while I still hold the position of Head of House.”
Roxana bit her lip.
Just as she said, Trisha was weakening day by day. Her skin was drying out to the point that she did not even sweat in the summer, and she coughed at length quite often.
Not only had she lost weight, but about once a week, she could not sleep due to pain in her chest.
Although it hadn’t been discovered by outsiders yet, it would only be a matter of time before people like Lauren noticed.
“So, let us go back to talking about Harriet. What did she say she wanted to do?”
“She said she wants to try a soap sales business by utilizing her own notoriety. Apparently, people have been curious about the secret behind Miss Harriet’s improved skin.”
Trisha didn’t know well what Harriet’s face used to look like, but judging by the fact that she had heard several times at the Vanderbilt family’s party that Harriet had become prettier, it seemed she had indeed changed a great deal.
“But surely she can’t sell just anything, can she?”
“They produce soap and herb products at St. Clarissa’s Convent, and she said her hives and acne were cured after using them.”
“That such good products haven’t even been rumored about until now?”
“There were no sales channels, and given the nature of a convent, they likely wouldn’t have tried to expand the work significantly just to make money.”
Trisha nodded.
“It would cost quite a lot of money to bring the convent’s products to Genoa and rent a shop to sell them.”
“That is why she says she will look for an investor.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me yet.”
After taking a sip of tea, Roxana stared intently at Trisha again and asked.
“That is why I asked how far you intend to help Miss Harriet. She says she will look for other investors for now, but if she gets turned down by everyone, she will eventually ask you, My Lady.”
“Ahaha! So that was it. Hmmm……”
A smile filled with expectation bloomed across Trisha’s face.
Every time she saw Harriet bustling about trying to do something, she had only thought of her as a diligent squirrel; she never imagined she would launch such a full-scale business.
Even if this business were to fail, Trisha was certain that it would leave behind a very great asset for Harriet.
“Harriet might be a smarter child than I anticipated. Is it not a pity for such a child to be frustrated just because she has no parents and her reputation is poor due to being framed?”
“There are very few people in the world without a pitiful story. And we still do not know if her scandal is a false charge.”
“Help that child with a generous heart. I say this because I think that would be a good thing for you, too. You two are quite alike.”
At the mention that they were alike, Roxana furrowed her brow again. It meant she didn’t like it one bit.
However, Trisha considered the two as similar as sisters. From the past of losing their parents and the experience of being abandoned by everyone, to the will to somehow forge a path through their bleak realities.
‘It seems Yawar has sent you two to me in place of children.’
Trisha smiled gently as she finished her warm tea.
* * *
*Clip-clop, clip-clop.*
In time with the sound of the horse’s hooves, Harriet’s heart hammered away.
‘What on earth is he thinking?’
The request to meet Duke Kaylas, which she had expected would be rejected, had passed through unexpectedly easily. Although she had thought of him as the top priority for a potential investor, seeing that the approval for the meeting was this baffling made her think perhaps that wasn’t the case after all.
It had been three days since she received the meeting date. And now, Harriet was headed to the House of Kaylas estate carrying a business plan that she had perfected down to the last detail until late last night.
‘Don’t be scared. I haven’t done anything that requires me to be subservient to that man.’
Come to think of it, how fortunate it was that she had declined his offer to provide financial support.
Harriet held the envelope containing the business plan tightly and tilted her chin up.
As she centered her mind, considering herself a diamond that would not break, the carriage slowed and soon came to a complete stop.
The coachman, who seemed to be talking to someone, approached the side of the carriage and said.
“My lady. We have arrived at the gate of the House of Kaylas estate, but to enter the estate, you must show an invitation or a meeting permit here. They say they also need to check the inside of the carriage.”
“Are you saying there is an inspection?”
“That is about the size of it.”
To inspect passersby when it wasn’t even the Imperial Palace. No matter how much of a Ducal house it was, checking inside the carriages of nobles could be seen as quite rude.
Of course, Harriet, who was in a position where she could not upset the investor, quietly opened the door when the guard knocked on it.
“Thank you very much for your cooperation. Is the visitor only the young lady?”
“Yes. As you can see.”
“And the permit or invitation for passage……”
“It is here.”
The guard bowed his head slightly to express gratitude and checked the meeting permit she handed him. Then, he suddenly jerked his head up and stared at Harriet’s face.
Seeing that surprised expression, Harriet felt she knew what the guard was thinking.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Ah, no. I mean…… are you really Miss Harriet Listerwell?”
A faint mockery was layered at the end of his question. His eyes, which scanned her up and down, were equally rude.
In the past, her face would have flushed red at such a gaze, but not anymore.
Harriet tilted her head to the side and warned him in a sharp voice.
“Yes. And in my opinion, the Duke would likely not want a guard blathering about this to the outside world.”
The guard nodded with a flustered look, returned the meeting permit, and closed the carriage door.
“You may pass.”
As the coachman was about to climb back onto the driver’s seat following his permission, Harriet asked the guard.
“But does the Ducal house originally inspect every visitor like this?”
He must have heard questions close to complaints a time or two, but the guard answered while frowning slightly.
“Since the Kifren War, there have been assassination attempts on the Duke by subversive elements of the Pirma Kingdom. Please understand that security has been strengthened because of this.”
Hearing that, she remembered seeing it in the newspaper.
「Duke Kaylas Carriage Explosion, Pirma-made Explosive Material Confirmed」
「18-year-old Pirma male swings weapon at high nobles on Nezerio Boulevard」
「Does the Pirma Imperial Family really have the will to fulfill the surrender declaration?」
At the time, she hadn’t considered it necessary for her immediate future, so she had only caught the general flow, but now that she thought about it, the person Pirma consistently attacked and treated as an enemy would be Duke Kaylas.
‘What would a life be like where you never know who is going to try to kill you and when?’
And yet, despite living such a life, didn’t he look truly composed?
While Harriet was thinking that the world she and Cedric lived in was truly different, the carriage passed through the gate and entered the Ducal estate.