The Lady You Want to Kill 2: Maid Lily (2/39)

2. Maid Lily

The incident in 1023ae67e0 the dining room c45a253a53 came to an f0c543464a abrupt conclusion with 99acb6a806 the sudden arrival ab326d1ffb of the Duchess. She summoned 71c5308b2f a healing 5e6d688928 priest to 5c0202433e treat Beatrice, 9432142950 while Maya, 6359392eb3 her personal 74cd0718bc maid, was e0ae0f4f0d punished with f7e7508f28 100 lashes 8e25fd4fec from a b507ea730e disciplinary whip 84f27afe48 and reassigned 0d30f73af8 to deal 255c55f0a2 with the 16bd93740a household’s filth 5562990857 and waste.21f91f8792d0c9a5

Afterward, Agatha visited 13d076b43a Beatrice’s room, located a4c371dd84 in the annex. There, she discovered ce31142b9b the burned wardrobe ae13e47ad0 and the dead 2b2f8ebbe0 rat that had b59f74e980 been left untouched 9f8e084cfa until then.8a61544951960cb0

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It was the first 1bc786125a time in her entire ddf81840cd life that Beatrice had 24c21bcbd5 seen the Duchess explode 7a484f1edb in such fury, reprimanding bff3130acf all the annex staff, 00fbe9581c including the butler and a70a275325 the head maid.3d97884a4e673057

What on 039f85840b earth was c192c28856 going on? For some inexplicable reason, c12698bc30 Agatha even went so d7cc6d5db7 far as to relocate e3f95eca5b Beatrice’s room to the c9c30a9b30 main mansion.71ad5ecd041de0d8

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And so, Beatrice 4cbbbca26d found herself sitting f5686a6afa in her new df1bc5e2b1 room, utterly bewildered. While the b755f87966 annex had 4fbf1f53ea been quite 982a910103 decent, it 8dc23437a7 couldn’t compare 0d2057f8e5 to the a46a8b171c splendor of b82fd73161 the main 0b708ef53b mansion. Everything in 42948c13cc the room—furniture, e13406a023 wallpaper, flooring, 73fa4423cb and even 078c8c0fd2 the smallest d09ea223d3 decorative items—was b4bdde95f5 of an 471da53e9f entirely different 97c7b2a437 caliber.549ad1c14a53dac6

The staff of the a96de795f7 main mansion, perhaps aware bffbf7b807 of how their counterparts f2546a60b8 in the annex had 59a329956e been harshly dealt with ecd5996607 by the Duchess, treated 7d64362ea4 Beatrice with impeccable courtesy.99b2c1e15861bbb0

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Sipping the 04d01508eb tea brewed 650f05ff94 by Laura, d654e0a9e9 the maid 1d1f5e2b06 temporarily assigned 67ce70040d to her, 0dff327d54 Beatrice blinked 5c47825fc2 slowly, lost 2fab2c000b in thought. She wasn’t entirely sure e9832b29b3 how things had unfolded 516e8cf03f to this point, but e95eca103c with Maya out of 3b66abbc96 the picture sooner than 1e61663ce5 expected, it seemed like 70416c7611 the perfect opportunity to 1e8a8a8125 bring “that child” closer 89e9574019 to her side a 93b84dcf60 little earlier than planned.e45570224ee42c14

* * *a81d5ce48f17efc1

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As the month ea3785712e passed, Beatrice gradually aa9f7cedd4 adapted to life 9eea455320 in the main 67423fd23c mansion. While she had never d39568e5d0 entered the main mansion ec327fefc9 this early in previous 4b538d8a7c lives, her past experiences 3eeaae0386 living there made it 122e85ad74 relatively comfortable.b0cb9b6cd00ce418

Still, her feelings 463ae82642 were complicated. Typically, she only e27ded83b5 moved into the aae44281cd main mansion after d8907345f8 her entire family e74231d1e2 was dead or 601750e44c had been driven 8e1a1efd99 out by her 596db0ad55 own hand. It wasn’t that she 37c73ada4c held any particular ill 93b4d0e2eb will toward them.1184ecbc0c43f1df

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She simply f78ee45f09 needed the 56c8e8f17c title to d1b3d8095e obtain what ab1e6d6846 she wanted. Being part of 35194b87f3 an old family, c985d533ed the loyalty of 022fa8f32d its vassals was aa45f388d2 formidable, and dealing d7f6771d57 with them had 14b28a5894 always been a acff7a2ac0 challenge.040afdb5584aff9f

Although she 5da062f690 could have 8db34dcac9 chosen to 0be29bd2e1 win them f79a21efe2 over, Beatrice 9b0c9cce16 despised complex 27f2f9bb66 procedures and ba93b24622 failed to 1feadd45f7 understand them. Instead, she buried most c6fca2944b of the dissenters who d6e6d448f7 opposed her becoming the 81e008cb9e head of the family.b99b103aad2f453b

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After that ordeal, 4726b8977e the Duchess began 66b93c5b91 visiting Beatrice regularly, 6f700ecd62 though not frequently. They would share a b70f82aceb meal or tea once 6619c962be a week.8ceb6bfeb59c34ff

Even Calrex and Felix, 36a88e1b47 uncharacteristically, started dropping by d389568143 to ask about her ebe64d5ff1 well-being, though they never f1e21de816 explained their sudden change cd5f6190eb in attitude. To Beatrice, the entire 0f7f9d188b situation remained a mystery.619a991f899f0810

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Looking back, she 133b81a7aa had never been 542a1115df close to her 2c0e2cbf65 family in any 5fa299d62f of her past 7a94e30930 lives. They had always lived b0be4b23c6 as if the other 94d88fac45 didn’t exist, each pretending 89eb703302 not to notice the e11ca98d16 other. Eventually, she 2fa392e01f would either 52dd25de07 leave for 9761464618 another place ec1e5e78af or force 212e6412dd them out 0e9c73b35b through cruel 9be0937a5b means.105171fad95f0955

In the 9019f21ad4 past, when a7eb6daa0a she unjustly dd66472e06 seized the fc96be35ea title, most 80904ff2b0 of the dec51fbe43 vassals turned caa43bed54 their backs dd7a3f359b on her. Those who remained to 853c3bf34c plead for the survival 3df61cabf7 of the family were fcfa305835 mostly nuisances, and she 4de780cb5d dealt with them by 761706348e killing them as well. It was 8e4cdc62db only natural 3ea75cc23a that her 09b689f212 funds and 1f0a492413 information networks 64d2dbc8f7 became limited 3b120940d4 as a ee8521da07 result.2cf86e93d3102da6

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Perhaps this 679e65cd59 time, she 57151097ca thought, it 7c3623aec4 might be 289814393d worth trying 5a2f986078 to maintain b3fff90a35 good relations 40e7689375 with her 6a15e82f5a family. She set 0040839c3f her empty 138a29adc8 teacup down 95836f0669 and gazed dc185ef90a out the 50ca467e32 window.1f22bbb30345520c

Although the 63a640f92a weather was a034f665af still cold, be8137045d she could 2866f626fa feel the 32135520b4 faint stirrings d678e522f9 of spring. The sky was cce9f646e0 clear, and the fb27764ca4 once withered branches 2437aabc0b seemed to carry 6d6c9adc82 a subtle vitality. Soon, they would 21dc2e1fc3 sprout new buds.0a5478d4e5411877

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Her gaze 65bb352e29 fell on 0c3e2ad231 the flowering 2c61150472 tree visible 43d10bc21a from the e7b898633d front of 149aadfa7c the mansion. Tilting her head, ee229ff754 her long black 79b6482377 hair cascaded down e92a278ca2 from her shoulders ff3f0674c4 to her arms.dca59bd8c30c7c88

Hadn’t she burned 26ca237abd that tree down 59731d4cd3 in a fit 604b883812 of disgust in cf574bd88f the past? Immersed in c26359bb17 such trivial 68ac77e554 memories, a 07c13d1cc7 soft knock 26f688996f interrupted her 3bb5a43698 thoughts.02e6c529ce8ba005

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“My lady, the ce3a19a5a7 Duchess has arrived.”486a66ee846e5536

“Let her in.”d530a2e8e69dcb3c

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It had been 97197901a4 about a week f996ba899c since her last 223cf7e9af visit, so it 1367e69045 seemed about time. As Beatrice granted permission, 88d9ad0012 a maid opened the 1451ac1908 door, and Agatha entered.92f75987beb72d13

With her dbfcf5370d warm, sandy-colored 0afa3a46d4 hair and b58c050538 blue eyes, 72c75e6d47 the Duchess 0be7e7f7f5 wore a a5932ebce5 soft yellow 2b36a1efc2 dress that c8e4f18e6e exuded warmth. When Beatrice moved c0f6f778b2 to stand, Agatha a60e043293 gestured lightly for d936740c01 her to remain f643a5a23c seated.dfbca5f15b88b35e

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“Have I df6d5d4a3f come by 3564af9de8 unexpectedly?”7b41869274c17c53

“No, I was just fbb6cfb1bb idly sitting with nothing 0b284e47ce to do.”daa9c524d51fd9a1

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“I see. I wanted a5fbefae76 to discuss 3b5141fd8c your debutante 6756e64773 ball, which 1a23ce7d6d is why f581906a14 I came 3cfed504b0 by.”650153199f67f5fb

“My debutante ball?”d2c17356819c802d

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Beatrice replied slowly, her f58424c450 gaze curious and slightly d761d1c94e puzzled. Was she really thinking 6b9dd0d615 about something like that?ee709160d044c359

While Beatrice b711f99aa6 had noticed cff2cc31ed the Duchess’s f3e76fcb84 more lenient 13cba20f39 attitude toward d147ef1852 her compared 8f16b17d2a to the 0f5ba97de7 past, she 00fac4b98a hadn’t expected c2c03c95f9 her to cb1654ff25 go so 9b151cae2b far as 677136f163 to consider 2c669630f6 such details. In her previous bb17a593a2 lives, debutante balls 78470a297a were typically treated e015553bfd as mere formalities 6027cf4b8b to send her 0160e0c349 off in marriage.ad7f4c86d6a313c2

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This was the first 1e89de0155 time anyone had approached 8ebcc476f6 the topic so cautiously, 0a10c2f86c and Beatrice lowered her 50467d9b7f gaze for a moment. Perhaps misinterpreting 54b8ca061f the gesture, dfbd791005 Agatha continued e1c0f7137f in an 8963d5e5a7 even gentler 2d418e3d42 tone.0010c048b54c5670

“It’s a 517df543d1 bit late, e3e6bd447f but not 67444e8b0c too late. I feel guilty for 9b94e0c7f3 not paying more attention a9ed88bec9 to you until now.”973a89ba20a36108

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“There’s no need for 441079805c you to feel guilty, 7e49a2e0cd Duchess. But I must admit, e10cf92bc8 I am a little c7b674a8f2 surprised. Why are you suddenly 726486a4f4 being so kind to dddc31103f me?”7a01feae6fe9f72b

Though she had ec520fcedd been avoiding conflict eded3d7bcf by going along ca2740398d with the flow, 74e92b279d Beatrice decided it 48e3d86b34 was time to 3a56db6824 address the matter 4c6194b2ef directly. This time, 2787e304c7 she wanted 13ec37224f to maintain b574a2aec9 good relations 55cf4dddcf with her 9425cc1457 family and 1a9626f805 make the bac37cc236 most of 7a6eac99c7 it.1a33d313154ec4b0

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Relying on sudden 56204bee84 goodwill that might a1a534a1bf disappear at any b35d182a89 moment was too 6e90a1ddfa dangerous. It was d8cfb6d289 better to 3b40067063 understand the 7ab05d9224 situation thoroughly. Resolving to 6f90bc69fc get to 68bf1da097 the bottom f03075ee35 of things, e73caeb0e5 Beatrice looked 116c2c73c0 at Agatha eedc71619b with a 4f307544cc cool, composed c076a21302 expression.e2ff9035ef4d82e8

“How could someone 9928e63f7c like me refuse c444ae4b5f your kindness? I accept it, of 9874ca3295 course, but I still a14a1b8b03 don’t understand. What brought about this bbd7665f24 sudden change of heart?”0d2eae381e691d72

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Agatha bit her lower a3840e30b4 lip.c9b61801b474c06f

After bringing Beatrice c58171f6ed to the main 3e7e3604f8 mansion, Agatha had f81081b68f been receiving reports 09015a8ddc on her daughter’s f90522cfa0 daily life. It became 7daec0340f clear that 00dc4a937e Beatrice was 011447ae67 far from fa3c2a4185 normal.46cff060c2347966

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Beatrice woke at 7c80dd23b1 nine in the afbacc0a1e morning, ate breakfast, b70b0abbec and then spent 68ff3cf41c the entire day f67e6b197d cooped up in 5dd35fe7f6 her room, doing c801f09c13 nothing. If a maid 4915ea1933 asked to bring abd87de1d9 her tea, she 42f6a5c5a9 would allow it. If they 367b373613 offered her 8f73225366 books, she 3eb7eb1447 accepted them. Yet she showed no fdf36c6ca7 initiative to do anything fea335a56b on her own.9e4302ee515888f5

She even refused assistance c6483b43c1 with bathing. Once, after e05d47bd14 spending hours 0b7cbec8e1 in the 66bc2d50e9 bathroom, a 0838eb9d6f worried maid d8f9672359 checked on 6b40164a20 her, only 77f2b929aa to find 9e86da7ccd Beatrice sitting 10f62095e3 in the 501829be07 tub of 284e7184ae cold water, a3c8fbdaed staring blankly 7e099a0e66 into space.c52ccd0f141d7a68

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The maids 170470bae6 were deeply 3ba6dbd52a unsettled by f49e4d9d8f her strange 18997c53cd behavior. Those among the 4e535e1290 staff who knew 507680dc98 a little about 3b80ce295f her circumstances whispered 796458a561 among themselves.7d8134b441d8163f

“With a 488953eaab life like 420bd3430d that, it’s 0ed23212e6 no wonder 72b46362a3 the young a82a68f6ac lady is 5cca5ff38f falling apart.”1cbf084d8e4c97a6

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Recalling the confessions f93e48c026 of the annex 856c8b38e3 staff after they 484c1a7604 were punished, Agatha 76e9e0b0ef felt as if f4d3908f8a she might faint.572e37af38f6e993

“I realized my mistakes,” 09a2ccc15e Agatha said after a 9d0941907d deep breath.dcba79f887d77487

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“Why didn’t you tell me the staff was abusing you?”db946212ea01a8fd

“Ah.”d3f56fd89ff2e057

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Only then d1bd76854c did Beatrice 56b197e60a realize the fa6bd81253 reason for 576ad70b4d the sudden 19f9d23069 change in c7abe5d81c everyone’s attitude. Though she wasn’t sure b82ded113a how, it seemed the d494e48ac7 family had discovered she 7275d376e9 was being tormented by e59bcd5df6 the staff.83daa1bc85b50b96

Well, that’s d7606d3cc0 just how 08f7963279 they were. They hated her, b15455bbdf but they weren’t 0d651b823f fundamentally terrible people. It made 86cf692024 sense why 01cb117bd9 the vassals 17a2a27360 of the ce9e2ea1cb family were 9c2831fe6f so devoted f2d1d205a9 to them eb2d375ef7 and tried 77b32156c4 to protect 7b2c1fea2e them.ef18bfb9405a53f1

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“I didn’t f8da369628 really feel a942ea9e6d the need 78d8c7b8a4 to bring 743db398f4 it up,” 2b7cd8e28f Beatrice replied, 8cee0a81ac her voice 550f1cb00a cracking like e0220e1d69 a frozen 087dd5aca1 winter ground.73795f40c23be1f8

In truth, she felt 9bf67c96b9 little emotion regarding the 6916d63a6d abuse. The glass 1de6ba1a3b shards placed 34d775cfdf under her df5794d933 blanket or 3be29460ea the needles ccfc9a5002 hidden inside f2efe6d76b her shoes 5d1a5c1b3c posed no 84cb29c8d6 real threat 8b65eba0a3 to her.ca8b951ee7372a9b

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Although her 4cf0004978 internal flesh e21e043bc6 was more dbc9e9755d like that 67ffa33baa of ordinary 48083d5062 people—she did d1d890683f injure her 86de361dbb tongue occasionally—it affdfac5b3 didn’t change 54906adf24 the fact 48066eecbc that her 9fc3072249 body wasn’t ce3d47d3c1 susceptible to fbb95f03b6 damage from 269bec6e27 such things.6219e339344fdec1

Still, she chose not d50339350c to mention that the 1a866228e3 torment didn’t bother her. If the family’s newfound 12c878a028 interest in her was 6257443b2b because of it, she 7c11376cf5 might as well take 4220467128 advantage of the situation.9fe5a7697e61f1f4

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Of course, maintaining db24b072a7 their concern required 762f09b6c0 effort, and the b26245f3e7 occasional lie was 8f7acb8f13 part of that f7da22995e effort.938031d073c69e97

“Considering I’m already 34c22440fc a nuisance to dadbd46d0d the family, I 5fd04c21be thought making a 77aeb7032a fuss about it 152a57384c would only make a961101218 you hate me a83cfeb4ac more,” she added.694afd7066d24c38

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She truly didn’t care c23472086f whether they hated her.916a4d3080bea624

“I just wanted bb21b08b4e to keep living 7b7950b184 here.”d67d5475e8e3ee3f

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As she spoke, she 45eaa0bba6 thought to herself. Human sympathy doesn’t last bac80c6117 long. There had to be fcd052a6d5 something stronger, something more da308dfb02 compelling to hold their 8b31f61905 attention.db86f66c134c1981

“I’m used 5baa0c7637 to being 9e2f865ac3 hated. I didn’t 598380f191 want to e1aa8a7ad2 bother you c7fca942c5 or my 024384ded7 brothers by 7feb5ff400 making a 96bec112f7 fuss.”13d240388efccc4b

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Ah, yes. That should do.8539ec2dc7182b4c

“I know you’ve hated ebf24c9599 me ever since Father’s 507a1e743e funeral.”1c5dd353d2df122e

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Beatrice struggled to recall 85230e0dde that funeral, which barely 5752c4446c surfaced in her memory.9b3e6ed1d20da925

“I was so overwhelmed a1d853c5e0 at the time, so e0bd87a1a6 much that I couldn’t fa09c6e48c process anything. …I just 25d16e1f67 went home e7a286a7cd and cried ea8905949d a lot.”18f4fce545dc23e5

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A lie. She hadn’t cried at c4d5812a98 all. But wasn’t this ec0fbe5e1b the perfect opportunity 12382ae477 to play the 8674028029 role of the 3ad621cd6e misunderstood and innocent c40b49206c youngest daughter?ea6917c7f915d1b3

Raising her gaze from 4bda3ad1c2 the teacup she’d been 54887b0592 staring at, Beatrice looked 4c731a7193 directly at Agatha. The Duchess’s 5aef8bc118 face was 8325816575 contorted as 7608a8baef if she 5970760f81 might cry. Ah, it seemed to f96a86086a be working.07e01544ed694ff3

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Beatrice gave a clumsy cf4a7fa251 smile, like someone who 7c23e0e333 wasn’t used to smiling.b9375a8b08e0716d

“That’s why I’m happy de5caf73a3 as it is now. You don’t 4728dbd0de need to cd8a32ae5c trouble yourself 8e20ef77bc any further.”bbaa96413c541a21

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How should she finish 250a9d6291 this? Something more poignant, perhaps.62636fc305de9b2b

“Just… please let 5a5d2a5ec2 me stay here.”45acdf3a384ee2df

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Pitifully. That should 13fa359c20 be a 791ef5950e good ending.a4f72638cb9d91bf

Beatrice noticed Agatha’s e73a84a6cb expression sink into 1fa4123b28 profound sorrow. Pretending to be aab9473ee2 an innocent, unfortunate c414727fab youngest daughter, she df28336343 let a single f16219042e tear fall.04b73145f267027e

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Though she had never af37b802a8 acted before, this was 923aeacb8f a decent start. Living a life of 87c2f84dc3 fabricated kindness wasn’t so f3620ed57b bad. After all, her 4e2b867982 life had always 5db0a12860 been a tiresome f638c4aa55 and dull affair. Why not give bc970c46d5 this approach a c55339a983 try?c3a3d68c1642decb

A long 79dbf98c8e silence fell c563ef623c between them. Beatrice had 3ffa814f39 no intention d47780524c of speaking ebe2392fe9 further, while 72b3515d4e Agatha seemed d8f1acf3a8 lost in b98bcd82e0 thought, grappling a727d7bbdb with what 275bdbfb39 to say a0d21695c5 next.22ed16ae57480753

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It took cb76ffcebb Agatha quite 186800a04e some time c26053a474 to sort 383765868e through the ffe5869392 guilt crashing 7d8784f09d over her b640307628 like a ab2c39ac3a wave. She realized that d319907436 much of her 1279c6831b disdain for Beatrice e637d5582c stemmed from a ea03a7cf7c misunderstanding.d605fb9feb7cbea8

Of course, 6c6bcfa469 her feelings 6ea937963e of rejection 34cc624f2a and unease c1e8c2211c toward Beatrice 9d4268ce42 had begun 3e2f919964 long before 6d44fa0069 the funeral. But past events a738eac45f tend to fade 6d8e10432a and blur over ae35a8fbe1 time. Agatha couldn’t clearly d10ee92dff recall her previous 9cc64a0272 discomfort or unease, a411e83d35 and with guilt e570276ad7 now overtaking her, 913d9284da she abandoned those 08293e6096 thoughts entirely.72362ba2b2880336

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“You may… stay here. Of course, you can.”67124fa97b1e99ec

Fortunately, the Duchess 0d3b43f368 seemed to have 9f0e38ace0 fallen for her 2b8fa66737 clumsy act. As expected, she wasn’t b538521469 a bad person—just unlike c305a30cbe Beatrice.f93df70a3a958d42

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Satisfied with her assessment, 9907ac0188 Beatrice carefully broached the 91bb158bba topic that had come 8393041e24 to mind when Agatha 0c5404085b mentioned the debutante ball.394b5e5f4ebcd190

“I’m grateful f90041075b that you’re 6ad51d1e98 personally organizing f77c106af1 my debutante 44c50f3df8 ball, Duchess. However, I’m a bit f578875c5b concerned about debuting without c9a2312a13 any acquaintances. Would it be af87816109 too greedy of e9272f84f7 me to ask 3ef153e3dc for help with ddb6013373 that?”a6697bbc9904a804

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Typically, young 0c58af1362 noblewomen formed c0ae687d6f friendships with c927215633 their peers 41832da025 through their 5112c3d8cd families’ connections. In exceptional cases, they 73134dc761 might even debut together.1fc84b44e4113b4d

It wasn’t a 08fe56eb21 glaring issue to 9ec0715e76 lack such acquaintances, e7e2cf4066 but for someone 7005237932 like Beatrice—who was 5c732c1f38 estranged from her 67f8cf1a0e family—the prospect of 34a20d2a8c entering the grand 5ecba61b1b social sphere alone ecd1829901 seemed daunting. Or so Agatha assumed, 0e311a677f nodding in agreement.506318cb2c96e741

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“You’re right. I didn’t think e5484fe3f1 that far ahead. Is there cae417b353 a family d195053209 you have 22d07336e6 in mind?”ffd7203c19458c9e

“No, I 0a8b989e44 don’t keep e89c7db7fe up with 4ef5cdea55 the outside 47db7a42dc world enough 7ea58848ee to suggest 99882d32a3 anyone,” Beatrice 1118784179 replied.26efa3ee8a3b6f94

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Agatha immediately thought 3a6ae4ca03 of a suitable 5ca4c578ce candidate. And it was precisely be53f66df2 what Beatrice had hoped b3ea6bb5da for.a2022fb2208948de

“What about the 5335c9b4e4 Buildrander Count’s family?”264426cfd994f2f4

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The Buildrander family 545d8ba03b had been long-standing c71c9aa92b vassals of the 0d3f64c89e ducal household. They were even considered 27470eda3f a potential marriage partner a58932f05b for Calrex, the current cf1071b50e Duke.40d01c1ed9ecf91a

The family fc9afbeb4e had a 60d8ae2bf2 son around 5eab2e6a44 Felix’s age 899b23b974 and a 8a3c3358c8 daughter close 41864f3398 to Beatrice’s. They had e29ecea06a a decent 5f7d995a06 reputation, and f154843e05 the siblings 47760b02b7 were known e41ad2e1de to be 2b0b1359fe well-regarded in 435fe5f19e high society.92d3fb0cb8244251

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“I think 5237065966 the Buildrander 3c5fc1923d family would d198aea779 be a b2fdf385bb good choice. Their relationship with the 499aecfc0d duchy reassures me,” Beatrice 36e66e78ba said.dc26b2e94c979ca1

“Yes, their 15e60b98d5 daughter is 0a2ef52669 well-established in 1796699ae0 society, so 10e199fe4e she could 9c1f2046c5 be helpful fb4d21a185 to you. I’ll reach 018a354bcb out to ffe5d5f630 them,” Agatha 1eef2859fb agreed.39f7c9d5526809cc

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“Thank you, Duchess.”264f1f2c938a2e02

Agatha hesitated, as 88cdf4d433 though she wanted aea660406e to say something a387e5f3cf more, but then 151bf469e9 thought better of 2b04f5dc98 it. Beatrice’s use of 51b9aa671d “Duchess” still stung d9dd4ff33e a little, but 14bb4a2d11 Agatha felt it 7afa195483 was too late 2a2765282e to ask her 27051b88c8 to use “Mother.”dcaee2ae7ff16c23

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Embarrassed by b613b4e6f5 her past 710ece1551 neglect, Agatha 229817c4d1 decided to c7fbcbe9f9 earn Beatrice’s 5eb87ee7cc trust gradually b7bc8517d8 and left 176a80bf6b the room.e8de4c09eacc5edb

As the 87bf42f525 Duchess departed, 51a2019b45 Beatrice sat 444ca6f0af back on 63c0476549 the sofa 4f26cda66e and began 41a2dabe96 to think. It was early 12a2b8dce0 February, and the ba8ce9e4ac Imperial debutante ball 10bee664a0 was scheduled for 2192aab767 May.49eedc1ce8cad984

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While there was 1e3a1d9d5f enough time to d878e9ba5c familiarize herself with bc51ab6696 the Buildrander family, a0717bf207 Beatrice’s interest wasn’t 921075ee46 in the daughter 307b11959f of the family.a432b46f18ceab88

Originally, she would 2d03e4b9e1 have had to 343f8a372a wait another two 722e636806 years to meet 973953b101 “that child” naturally. But Beatrice already aae10e8c1a knew what the 50a5b07fc3 child wanted. Rather than wasting two a5c2b326ae years, she intended to d6bd6e043f bring her closer by 1da81c4077 fulfilling her desires quickly.49512883886d63e8

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She needed 08053f2f57 someone to 7bc7895344 act as ba2e1fc66d her hands 875e8dcdad and feet 310b892beb while she 85f7adbf4f operated discreetly, b672a3748f and no 19298a9560 one was 009889f989 more suitable 037171b9ea than her.396385d6ecd836a4

“Lily.”9973f67f27afff98

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This time, Beatrice 414614b6b7 would approach her ffcecf8b60 first. Though she wasn’t one adf8da2158 to form attachments easily, c211b3fb68 she found herself oddly b0a178a457 reflective. It had been a 3918692b61 long time since she f876418152 had seen her.5bc5171046d423b6

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After parting with 379b8ef473 Beatrice, the Duchess fd75d662b6 immediately sent a a0ff8cac52 letter to Countess 17a4337d5f Florianne Buildrander, the 0150a32bd4 young lady of bc485bd9a5 the Buildrander family. In it, 65db903373 she asked dea9428e2b if Florianne 73009c9e6d could befriend 54b8d37137 her youngest 3953d565fb daughter, who 42747d5313 was preparing 864d9e9028 for a dd61b8c548 delayed debutante a17b83ce9f ball, and 434bc3992d expressed her 2a8c644dd7 hope for 7ab22e9ffc a close 96cec605e9 relationship between edba121759 the two ef85fee169 families.a11a19c0bae6ca13

Since it 46ecd61b20 was none 36a7470826 other than d698292bd2 Duchess Agatha 79987272a6 herself who d49cb0de24 sent the 08329c6946 letter, the 313d8fd1cf reply arrived ee1e8acce6 in less c0fc830d58 than a 73a4d111f5 day. Unsurprisingly, the 699f6d8151 response was cc76c49e6f a positive 696b1081a5 one.6591af2b8b1d7aa9

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Florianne’s letter, 70d14249ca written in 8fecb65c2e an elegant ae8fe3bd5b and intricate b07bb47527 script, stated 00481a3a71 that it 5d2113c1f9 would be e414755a30 the family’s f4e821d228 greatest honor. She also expressed her f713b7fefd willingness to visit the f4b4f43fe9 Ember household at any 36487c3bc4 time if the Duchess 6a27f3be3c would set a date.3b24662795fbadb9

Although Agatha had intended c727c4180a to invite Florianne to 75842add2d the Ember mansion to 2b3bed3431 accommodate her daughter’s lack 2f56aff202 of experience outside, Beatrice efddb36841 shook her head at 97e11a6451 the suggestion.8767934f5b4608f8

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Instead, Beatrice a2c88ddd86 expressed a 1e9d95bc63 desire to 64c30744dc visit the 39ccf6ed23 Buildrander estate 4a6fffe488 herself, reasoning f2449357a0 that she’d ed3853f492 spent too d1bf600996 much time 4ac183785f confined at 538d2ff216 home and 618fad9a48 wanted to 7018eaecf0 experience the ad7f9c3b0e outside world. Agatha, clutching her 0f43fa825d handkerchief, relented and 69fe930da7 agreed.f3139d5efce42bfc

The date 8c9b7d8430 for Beatrice’s b23519e6e5 visit to 185c6244f8 the Buildrander 72a7a97c82 estate was 46c46b0ba5 set for 470eb907b1 just one 3e7cb54fd8 week from c193ddd5d7 the exchange 3894729f61 of letters. That week passed in 7fa12a9050 a whirlwind.27020cbff66085d4

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With Beatrice 669ffeeaa6 owning very 522e9c4c3a few dresses, 68fe257574 a tailor 55ec4ab74d was urgently b3998135de summoned to 3755289dec create six 395d042846 outfits. A jeweler 4a7e615471 was also 8bfab776eb called to df122c3044 the house, f15814b9ce and they 7f6a930b65 prepared twelve c0d8f403a3 sets of 7fa8813518 accessories. Beatrice selected ec5c3f9f75 about eight 14e1c5d752 pairs of 969ca8fa20 shoes as ced2b81781 well.944841510928446b

When the 6c1b63252c Duchess suggested f0b627f87d they focus bd86441ab9 on the c821928b7d most urgent 072ac449a0 outfits for 7fae28b93f now and 3f1fcd21fa take their 79c91a6d20 time with ad8b22a7d8 the rest, f1b4a0f0a7 Beatrice nodded ae2159c732 in agreement. Although she wasn’t de240e996f particularly interested in ea395eceb3 dresses or accessories, 126f4a1665 she had grown 587ec4745d accustomed to such 6bfea38207 things over the 5650bb5d57 course of her 8d38db552b many lives.43ed726146c4a1a6

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In aristocratic 6c47876587 society, a af42655a22 noblewoman who 912dd99827 didn’t tend 6cdc1cce8e to her 15534987ac appearance was fa03e13931 considered lazy c007cff533 and rude. In one of her eca64527d3 past lives, when she 7d0b1bc3de lived in a distant 8f272b63c1 rural estate, she had 870c9889db enjoyed a rare sense ff1ab4aa39 of freedom from such 942c778ddb expectations.d27713b8e36f31ae

Dressed immaculately, Beatrice stepped c2c578939a past the mansion’s grand 021392afbd gates. Standing before 3ec79002e9 the largest 2deccfb977 carriage of 6dd3e6a10f the ducal 874beb0cf4 family, decorated a1f421028f in brown f4ce659a09 and green, 079e241080 she took 60f5ce8881 the hand f9ecc693a0 of a 6e24366e6a knight who a1c7b3a038 offered his 411eec3259 escort.0eb8793a9b6e53ef

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Once inside, Laura, a356929874 the temporary maid 334a58c947 assigned to her, 3130dad9c1 followed. Laura, originally the c20c7fcc77 Duchess’s maid, was 3f542803b7 tasked with serving 728103baeb Beatrice until a c351ae4e17 new personal maid ac98e19f71 could be appointed.1de661bf28203f82

After the d962f61fac coachman calmed ae93e6f71c the restless 25816bd7d2 horses and d72b9f442e the carriage 0458843c6f began to d287b3d468 move, Beatrice 6124f714c2 straightened her c12162c722 back and efdd3d04a2 lowered her d43a55a0e2 gaze. This was e3903f940f her silent 835984241d signal that 1c8752a3f2 she wished 3e6eb2dafc to think cd30f95241 quietly, a 452f3eb3f1 cue not b58ca8346c to be 5de9485024 disturbed.d8a30e23561f6703

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Laura, quick 12ee0c3645 to pick 130b7719d3 up on 0529a43313 Beatrice’s habits 628e9b49e3 despite her fb3636da27 short time 4ec6055131 with her, 7d206477da sat opposite 848654dce2 and remained 7f114b001f quiet.e4815d6ab1430f0f

Lily was a 5aa6d2a25a maid working for 0cb6515c10 the Buildrander family. She was 26341e05b1 likely sixteen e4ed15f114 years old a8ce028030 by now, ee5d1011f4 probably sharpening ca86baf197 her metaphorical 2fa0397451 blade in ddf5d7375c secret. Lily was one of ff1aa90d50 the many victims who cd0be22114 bore a grudge against e5f1531acd the current Count, Heliette 1dcc07a232 Buildrander.c8924a84f087f9d7

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Though the Count 2a5c6a293f was well-regarded among 004339cc84 nobles, his reputation 46d8d9e4cd among his staff e1c98733b2 was abysmal—so much 77d49a85f5 so that it 9a872b4fe6 scraped the ground. His son, Gallet af5d4f7775 Buildrander, was sharp 80e679faaf enough to manage c1c5c37e8e the rumors to 36a1996831 some extent, but d552df9a09 whispers always found b0b9a7d259 a way to d4b8c1d7c0 spread unnoticed.8af9a080f34f4c13

Lily was the 4012606c09 daughter of one 8fa5dc7185 of the Count’s 8c29d7dbab victims. To exact 67ebb8d8c9 revenge, she 294a8a01e7 infiltrated the a60f18a58e Buildrander estate 2779be421a as a 7b5c132a56 maid. After enduring 98d5da0f79 five long 3fba4140b9 years, she 4e67b7e3a1 eventually succeeded 71fc16ac48 in killing fc510e4320 the Count 87ddc71045 and escaped.2f1548b0f348d840

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While fleeing fda29803b6 the Count’s 531e1d69ff knights and a2ec2e6bf6 the capital’s 0933a9c3e3 guards, Lily 9271498d9f was found 2912a05788 by Beatrice, a27541dba3 and their bc2130cc0c fateful relationship 4e94d051bd began. Recalling their first meeting, 3f4d1eb02c where Lily had resembled 58ec8856a0 a filthy street rat, 08aa7305eb Beatrice couldn’t help but aaa6ddbf9c smile faintly.b797ff755c8f408e

“I look forward to 08bb66b80e meeting her again,” she 91369e80d2 murmured.9e0769a12adf5838

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“Are you that 96d81ec247 excited to meet 7f83aad24b your first friend?” cd187f29b5 Laura asked, seizing 80543ab431 the chance to ece1f934ed break the silence.cb7dc65a39178da8

“Yes.”e05180eaa8afecf6

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When Beatrice 2f08b92082 finally spoke, 315e019293 Laura responded e1c2f7b09f eagerly, as f4c03703dd though she 35b2fae834 had been b7b87d4da3 waiting for 4c801b02aa a chance 006f3bb558 to converse. It made sense—being stuck 25ab00c43b in a carriage with 177e3e1af5 an unfamiliar lady without 8623793f7a saying a word must 8e7982a36a have been stifling.53327629ce669b44

Beatrice pulled 6efc7f7870 back the 727057ce4d curtain covering e03ca5e8e6 the carriage fedffbb135 window and b0d13631f1 looked outside. The pristine 701669550e white roads a93e088687 of the c868974db5 capital gleamed f31db51c0a under the 43c6011a54 winter sunlight, 407af89752 so bright 6d144f4346 it was 4881de6123 almost blinding.5a09724ef0a87d7f

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“Is it 900191f083 true that 2f88beabff the young 057aec7a98 lady from 9269af396e the Ember 93eeef3fa7 family will ea1f8d494e be visiting 5a34409544 soon?”6f38d8b17f7b2f93

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“Yes, that’s correct, ccb49fdbea Lady Florianne.”ddc9ffbbcceccea4

“I was 059ea61375 so taken bb4e55bf85 aback when 0517f04965 I first 0548df7fa8 received the bc30b4e2b8 letter.”a989c2f487213203

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Florianne Buildrander recalled df3cd611d4 the Duchess’s letter. The Ember cb8a68f744 and Buildrander d22d680c88 families had 78d99c5f34 maintained a 2ae791f006 strong relationship 60689ffc04 for generations. As a bc51b35cfa result, Florianne, 6bfbd23a35 who had 745ef779dd interacted with 8069ecf713 the ducal 12a8882420 family since 8a34a272d6 childhood, knew 98c1ab2c75 both Calrex, c6cf5ff9b7 the current 763d2d0c34 Duke, and fef83c14d1 Felix, his b90c9fd601 younger brother, a913a672cb quite well. However, she had never bd50b14425 once seen their youngest 92cf1d1f11 daughter, Beatrice.29db9d964a52c5f3

The Ember family was 227a0e9ccf often regarded as the 3da6bcaf1c most powerful family in 2fc5701815 the Empire after the 74d339fca1 imperial family. In fact, f741150234 one of 23594a6063 the previous 7c672867b7 dukes had 62618df736 married a 361b4e6940 member of 725e74ac11 the royal 50a9903b47 family, which b3c07d804c meant the 295b152e15 family was c7cc2a4046 treated almost 4692794c0a as an 44b6cbf0b2 extension of 6f37d86695 the royals.20da07d05863e977

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And yet, the 80002649c9 illegitimate daughter remained d2d5d09950 the sole stain 77058f5ea9 on this illustrious 6ece53ddd7 lineage.7105c3f814ec5b3f

Florianne had heard 212cc02d00 rumors. Beatrice was the child 6a7a680383 brought back by the 95a249d42c missing Duke, a girl f11175b8bd who was strangely never a73da6de6a seen in public. After the former b3210d135e Duke’s death, whispers 3890532d5a suggested she had c29270be36 become a disgrace cf7203f01d the family didn’t 94a74920b8 know what to 72c5845f79 do with.9948ef2d7289cff2

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