Chapter 48 – Now I’m tired of living someone else’s life.

I hadn’t expected to see Bill here, so I was pleasantly surprised. I thought only Greta would be here. However, Bill didn’t seem as pleased to see me; he glanced warily between Ian and me. For a moment, I was confused, then quickly realized I needed to remove my bonnet. As my short hair was revealed, Bill and Greta’s eyes finally focused on me.

“It’s me, Anne.”

They seemed too shocked to even speak. I grinned as I saw the disbelief in Bill’s eyes.

“A-Anne? Is it really you?”

Greta was the first to react. She circled around me, looking me up and down, trying to confirm that I was indeed Anne, before suddenly flinching as she looked at Ian.

“Oh, um…”

Greta knew both Ian’s face and his status. She was probably hesitating, unsure whether to greet him or not. I quickly interjected.

“Ian, this is my friend Greta. And this gentleman is Bill, who has been taking care of me.”

“I’m Ian Keppel.”

Ian bowed his head politely. Greta gasped, nearly having a fit. Ian then approached Bill and extended his hand for a handshake.

“Thank you so much for taking care of my wife. I should have greeted you earlier, but I only found out you were here today.”

“…Ah, it’s no problem. But… wife?”

Bill shook Ian’s hand automatically, then turned to me with a puzzled expression. Meanwhile, behind Ian, Greta was wiggling her pinky finger at me. From her expression and gesture, it was clear she was asking if I was Ian Keppel’s mistress. I gave her an awkward look.

“Um, no. It’s… well…”

Could you please stop wiggling your pinky? Ian might get the wrong idea if he sees. I quickly walked over to Greta, took her hand, and gave her a vague smile.

“The truth is, I’m actually the missing Duchess.”

“What?!”

Greta’s shout was so loud that even I flinched in surprise. She was so shocked that she couldn’t even close her gaping mouth, only snapping it shut when Ian turned to look at her.

“Sorry for not telling you. Would you like to sit down?”

Before sitting on the sofa, I turned to Ian and said,

“You should go now.”

“Oh…”

“You said you were busy, didn’t you? Hurry and go.”

“Yes.”

Ian hesitated for a moment, but when I spoke firmly, he nodded obediently. After bidding Bill a polite farewell, he left. Once the sound of his footsteps faded away, I hugged both Bill and Greta.

“Bill, I’ve missed you. Greta, were you worried?”

“Of course, I was!”

Fearing Greta might lose her temper, I quickly guided her to the sofa. Bill sat across from her, letting out a deep sigh.

“What on earth happened?”

“…It’s just as you see. This is my true face, and my real name is Olivia Keppel.”

Bill said nothing, his face showing a mix of disappointment and sadness. Seeing that expression on his face made me feel a pang of sorrow.

“Are you disappointed?”

Bill stopped mid-motion as he rubbed his face and looked at me with a questioning gaze. I forced a smile.

“You must have hoped I was your daughter because I resembled her, right?”

“…She’s dead.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“…If she were alive, she would have come to Red Pub. I knew from the beginning that you weren’t my daughter. But…”

Bill, seemingly parched, downed his now-cold tea in one go. Greta, unable to stand the silence, chimed in quickly.

“He thought his deceased daughter might have sent you to comfort him.”

Bill slammed his teacup down hard.

“Nonsense!”

“Do you know how worried he was? When the Duke of Keppel suddenly took you away and there was no news from you, he tried to get information through his contacts at the palace. But they all said there was no new prisoner matching your description, and when we went to the prime minister’s residence, they said he was on leave. I had to stop him from storming the Duke’s estate.”

“So, that’s why you came to the palace.”

“Yes. Then they told us to stay here until you could be called.”

They probably hoped the palace would mediate the situation, but it was clear Cade wouldn’t care about that. The fact that they were confined in the Begonia Palace as soon as the situation was known is proof enough. The Begonia Palace had always been used as a detention center for disgraced royals or high-ranking nobles since the first crown prince’s exile. They were likely locked up to prevent any rumors from spreading.

“It’s all my fault. I’m sorry.”

Seeing me looking downcast, Bill cleared his throat and spoke.

“There’s no need for that. We were treated well. Greta here ate so well that she’s….”

“What?! This old man! Do you know how much I worried?”

“I never thought I’d get to see the Emperor himself. It was a worthwhile experience.”

You saw Cade?

“His Majesty came here?”

“Yes, we met the Emperor and a wizard. The wizard just appeared out of nowhere, which gave me quite a scare. Do you know who it was? It was the famous Count Hershey!”

I listened to Greta excitedly chatter on with an awkward smile.

“But despite the scary rumors, he was really handsome. He even looked kind. Actually… now that I look at you, you kind of resemble him.”

“…He’s my cousin.”

“Gasp!”

Greta was so shocked that it seemed like she might faint. Bill sighed and said,

“You already got surprised earlier; why are you startled again? It’s been widely rumored that a wizard came from the Keppel Duchess’s family.”

“Oh… I see. No wonder he was so kind.”

“Anyway, His Majesty personally requested our consent, and we agreed, so there’s no need for you to feel bad. We’ve been well taken care of.”

His words eased my mind. It seemed like they had been treated well. Their faces didn’t look troubled, so it didn’t seem like they had suffered much. I let out a sigh of relief.

“Now, tell us your story. Why was the Duchess singing in a backstreet pub?”

I hesitated, unable to give an answer. How could I explain that I had run away because my husband wouldn’t grant me a divorce? If I told them the truth, I’d seem incredibly immature. After all, my husband, my family, and even the royal family had treated them kindly. They would likely think I was foolish for running away.

“That was a tough question, wasn’t it?” Bill said, sighing when he saw I couldn’t answer.

“Then just answer me this: are you okay now?”

I felt a warm joy bloom in my chest. It was so heartwarming to know that someone was worried about me. The sincerity in his question, the look in his eyes that showed he was ready to help me no matter what—it made me smile.

“I’m okay.”

I have to be okay. If I said I wasn’t, these two would worry. Besides, the person Bill should be protecting isn’t me. I’m tired of living my life in someone else’s shoes.

“Then that’s all that matters. We’ll be off now.”

Bill stood up, ready to leave. Greta looked at him in surprise.

“Huh? Already?”

“How much longer do you plan to eat palace food for free?”

“But we just met, and I haven’t even asked you the details…”

“Get up!”

Bill stood and pulled Greta by the ear, dragging her along as she whined in protest. I quickly stood up and offered,

“I’ll escort you back to Red Pub in a carriage…”

“No need. Taking a carriage to the backstreets will only cause unnecessary gossip.”

“Then at least let me take you to the city…”

“I didn’t hear anything.”

“But…”

Suddenly, Bill turned back. I stopped as well, looking up at him. He spoke with a serious expression.

“Neither Greta nor I heard anything from you. You say you’re fine, so there’s nothing more for us to know. Just tell His Majesty and the Duke of Keppel that we’ll take what we know about your identity to the grave.”

“…Alright.”

“Take care.”

As Bill turned and walked away without hesitation, I called out to his back,

“Bill, I’ll come visit.”

Without responding, Bill strode across the garden. Greta waved at me as she was pulled along by him. I waved back at her and sighed. Bill was someone I owed a great deal to—a person who had given me a chance and a place to stay. Yet, I hadn’t been able to even mention repaying him. Not that he was the kind of person who would accept money anyway.

On the way from Begonia Palace to the Hershey family’s townhouse, I felt a heavy weight in my heart. I’d have to sincerely apologize to my mother, wouldn’t I? Will she be very angry? She might cry a lot. The thought of my mother’s reaction made my stomach churn so much that I burned calming incense to try and settle it. Even after getting out of the carriage, thick white smoke continued to billow out from the door.

“Liv.”

But contrary to my worries, my mother was smiling.

“I’m glad to see you’re healthy.”

“Mother…”

She gently hugged me, stroked my cheek once, and then held my hand.

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

My mother supported me as if nothing had happened. It had been nearly seven or eight years since I’d last been in the Hershey family’s townhouse, but the interior hadn’t changed at all. Feeling nostalgic, I ran my hand along the worn banister of the staircase.

“Nothing’s changed here.”

“Your grandmother decorated this place herself. Vanessa wouldn’t have dared to change anything.”

“It’s more likely because Uncle is a penny-pincher.”

My mother laughed a little at my blunt comment.

“Everything’s familiar, so it’s comfortable.”

This was originally our home. It had been taken away because of my failure to produce a male heir, but if I had been born a boy, it would still be ours.

“Let’s go to my room.”

I almost started up the stairs to the third floor without thinking, but my mother stopped me, and I stumbled.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I must have burned too much calming incense in the carriage.”

“There are no side effects, are there?”

“Prince Raphael gave it to me. He said wizards use it like tobacco, so don’t worry. It’s commonly used.”

I must have used it more heavily than I realized because it was so effective.

“This way.”

I swallowed a wry smile. Townhouses for nobles were usually built around the same time, so their layouts were quite similar. Guest rooms were typically on the second floor. I knew that, yet my body instinctively started heading for the third floor.

“Benjamin suggested I use the main bedroom, but how could I? I’m only staying for a short while, so it wouldn’t be right to take over the master bedroom.”

I found the phrase “staying for a short while” curious.