“This is why you can’t trust the people of the Phaeson family. Praising the Duke in front, but scheming such things behind his back. So dark and gloomy, really. Ungrateful.”

“Are you done talking?”

“Not yet. Because she’s been distracted by strange things, for 5 years not a single child… Aaah!”

“Sa, Sasha!”

“Jane! What are you doing!”

“What about you all? What have you done to the late madam?”

Jane, who had thrown water at Sasha, tossed the bucket into the hallway. The empty bucket made a loud noise as it rolled, but no one looked in that direction.

Jane glared at them with fierce eyes, as if she could devour them.

“Did the madam ever treat you badly? Did she beat you for being lazy, or starve you for spreading strange rumors?”

“…”

“Did you ever make your own clothes, work clothes and play clothes, or did you not? No, right? Of course not. The madam regularly provided new clothes for you.”

“…The madam?”

“Yes. Where do you think the new gloves and hats that came out every winter came from? Do you think the former head maid cared that much? The same goes for the medicine you applied and ate when you were hurt or sick. It’s just that the madam didn’t say anything.”

The maids hardened their expressions at Jane’s words.

“That, that…”

“All those were made by the madam. I didn’t know…”

“Sasha. If you’re happy that the madam is gone, then dance and sing alone. Don’t pick fights with me. Who knows? Maybe the Duke will see you and fall for you, thinking you’re kindred spirits?”

“Jane you…!”

“Why don’t you go wash off your anger? What if the wicked witch of poison you were talking about was raising a disciple in her laboratory?”

“Ugh! Aaaaah! No… No!”

“Sasha!”

Sasha hurriedly left the spot, shaking off and wiping away the water. Jane didn’t even look at the remaining maids and picked up the rolled bucket.

“Watch your mouths as well. The lady might have endured it, but I won’t. It’s not because I liked the madam. Just don’t insult her. The madam treated you all kindly.”

Jane’s voice, which had been emotionless throughout, finally cracked with emotion. A remaining maid cautiously spoke up.

“……So-sorry. Jane……”

“Is this something you should be sorry to me for?”

Jane replied as if it was absurd and then moved on. Moments later, tears streamed down her face. They were tears mixed with anger and relief.

‘Madam, please wake up soon. And run away. This place is not for you.’

* * *

The night before the funeral of Duchess Cardius.

Jane was called by the butler and the head maid. The two of them showed a brief moment of pity when they saw Jane dressed in white.

“The master has given his permission.”

“Thank you.”

“Can you do it alone? It’s entirely different from attending to the living.”

“I can do it. Please let me do it. It’s the last time I’ll be able to dress the madam, and I want to do it by myself.”

“Alright. I’ve made sure no one else can interfere. The clothes for the madam are in this box. Take it.”

Jane picked up the box indicated by the head maid. On the eve of Iren’s funeral, the castle was ominously quiet that night. But Jane’s expression as she walked through the dark corridor was strangely bright.

Iren’s coffin was in her bedroom. Jane cursed on the spot when she heard that the Duke had summoned a magician to completely preserve her body.

What a madman. Who made the madam like this.

Duke Cardius was not the mad wolf of the battlefield. He was just always a mad human being. It was too pitiful and sad that the madam had to marry such a man.

Upon reaching the bedroom, Jane locked the door. Just in case, she also locked all the windows before taking out a bottle carefully hidden in her pocket.

It was the most important medicine in this plan. The one Iren gave to Jane before she died.

“If you feed me this medicine, I will wake up from a comatose state. There’s some time before the effects kick in…… so try to feed it to her right before changing my clothes.”

Iren knew all too well about Sirencia’s funeral customs and procedures. It was a trace of her desperate efforts to blend into this place.

As she remembered her reading stacks of books about Sirencia, Jane felt like crying again. Was it fortunate that her efforts were finally being rewarded?

“You have to wake up, madam. You must…… you must open your eyes. Keep your promise with me!”

Jane clasped the medicine bottle with both hands and prayed fervently.

Please wake up without any issues. May both you, madam, and the baby in your womb, be safe.

She prayed until sweat formed on the surface of the bottle, which made it slippery, before finally opening it.

Not a single drop should be spilled. If anything went wrong with the madam, I could never forgive myself.

But her hands trembled violently due to extreme tension. Jane put down the bottle for a moment and took a deep breath in and out.

“Phew… Haah… Hooh. Good. You can do this, Jane. You must live up to the madam’s expectations!”

Her trembling lessened after taking deep breaths. Jane held Iren’s chin with one hand to keep it steady and with the other hand, she poured the medicine in.

The liquid from the tilted bottle pooled in her mouth. After ensuring every last drop was emptied, Jane closed Iren’s mouth and tilted her head back.

‘Please go down. Go down. Go down and make madam’s heart beat again……!’

Jane was almost dragging Iren’s upper body, waiting for the medicine to spread.

The doorknob rattled. Jane, drenched in sweat from supporting Iren, was startled and looked towards the door. Rattle, rattle. The doorknob turned again. Someone on the other side was turning it.

“Who, who’s there? Please go back! I’m dressing the madam in her shroud right now. Please go back!”

The movement stopped. Did they leave…? Jane sighed in relief and cursed the uninvited guest whose face she didn’t even know.

The butler had warned them not to even come close, what kind of mad person…

Bang!

“Kyaaah!”

With a loud noise, the door was smashed open. Even in this chaos, Jane did not let go of Iren. Only after the ringing in her ears stopped did Jane look up, speechless.

The person who entered with the debris and dust cloud was the duke.

Lahart, who strode into the bedroom, stared intently at Jane and Iren, whom Jane was holding. His gray eyes were unfocused, and his sclera was veined with blood.

His slightly disheveled hair and the clothing with a couple of buttons undone were all unlike his usual self.

But Jane couldn’t care less about that. It was Lahart’s clothing that irked her so much that she couldn’t see anything else. The deep and vivid green jacket.

Jane gritted her teeth. The reason the maids did not wear white clothes, the reason the butler or head maid could not issue such an order, was exactly that.

Even Lahart, Iren’s husband and family, did not dress in white!

Jane’s eyes blazed with anger.

“Please do not disturb the madam’s last moments.”

“Iren is my wife. I have rights.”

“No! I will do it alone. You gave your permission too! Please leave now!”

Jane screamed furiously. Even if it meant getting beheaded for daring to defy her master, she had to somehow get the duke out.

The madam had already taken the awakening medicine. Once the effect kicks in and her breathing returns, the duke would realize that the madam was not dead.

“Please, I beg you. Let me dress the madam with my own hands for the last time… Allow me this chance to repay even a fraction of the grace the madam has shown me. I dare to ask this of you, Your Grace.”

Jane pleaded with tears. Imagining the madam trapped in this castle again if their plan failed brought tears to her eyes automatically.

“You and Iren both have a knack for ruining people’s moods.”

Lahart muttered lowly, then he threw something. What fell over Iren was a navy blue dress. The light reflected from the jewels decorating the chest area stabbed Jane’s eyes.

“This dress is……”

“Put it on her.”

“What? This dress was worn by the madam at her wedding. How could I……”

“I said put it on.”

Lahart ignored Jane’s attempt to resist again and looked around. Soon, he was pointing his finger at a box containing a white shroud.

“Do I have to tear that up to convince you?”

“……”

“Or I could tear you up instead.”

Jane clenched her eyes shut and grabbed the dress brought by the duke. Lahart, with a twisted smile on one corner of his mouth, left the room and leaned against the corridor wall.

‘That guy is not human. He’s a monster. A mad monster!’

Jane spat out a curse that was almost a curse at the duke as she changed Iren’s clothes. She couldn’t forget that she had been entrusted with the most important task.

I’m the only one who can safely wake up the madam and get her out of the castle. So, I must stay alert. I can’t mess this up by getting angry at the monster!

As the butler said, changing the clothes of someone whose light of life has gone out was not easy. After struggling to change the dress, her whole body was soaked in sweat, as though she had been caught in the rain.

Jane roughly wiped off the sweat flowing down and laid Iren straight in the coffin.

“Madam……”

In Sirencia, it was customary to wear dark-colored clothes for weddings because white clothes were worn at funerals. Since there was no specifically designated color, brides and grooms often chose colors according to their taste.

To dress the madam in her wedding dress. It was utterly absurd.

Jane shook her head and did makeup on Iren. It seemed better to disguise her in case the medicine’s effect kicked in early.

A faint blush rose on Iren’s pale cheeks, and her lips turned red.

“Leave.”

“I can’t. I can’t leave the madam alone……”

“I gave you my consideration is for Iren.”

“……I promised to close the lid myself. Then I’ll wait outside……”

“Get lost.”

It seemed best not to provoke the duke any further. Jane left the room but looked back several times. She couldn’t help but worry.

‘Of all times, to come after the madam has taken the medicine.’

Anyway, the duke was of no help to the madam until the end. It was a blessing in disguise that this mad duke had broken down the door. I could rush in immediately if something happened.

“Irelaide.”

Lahart knelt beside the coffin.