I decided to stop testing Belta.

This was enough. Having lived a rather turbulent life, I’d developed sharp instincts. It seemed I could trust Belta at least once.

“Hah…… Belta. I have something to tell you.”

In as calm a voice as possible, I explained the current situation clearly and systematically.

Belta kept sighing, apparently finding it impossible to believe.

—……Lady Roa, this is too much. You expect me to believe that?

Belta’s voice trembled severely. I felt somewhat sorry and chewed my lips. It wouldn’t be easy to believe, but what could I do!

“You’ll have no choice but to accept it anyway.”

—Th-then what about the real Lady Roa? Where is Lady Roa now?

Belta searched for the vanished soul of Roa.

“As I thought……”

Belta truly was someone who cared for Roa. Her question made it even more certain.

I had no way of knowing what happened to the real Roa either. Perhaps I was the most curious one of all.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened either. When I opened my eyes, I was here.”

—Oh, poor Lady Roa!

Thud!

I heard the sound of Belta collapsing. I exhaled deeply and rubbed the wood grain on the door’s surface. For now, I needed to win her over quickly.

“Belta. From now on, I won’t hide anything from you at least.”

As long as you don’t betray me.

“I need your help.”

For the moment, I had to join forces with Belta.

—Lady Roa. No, I don’t know what to call you.

“Just keep calling me Roa. For now, I want to leave the Seraphina household as soon as possible.”

I wondered what decision Belta would make. Whether she would extend that warm heart to me, the fake Roa, not the real Roa. My heart naturally pounded.

After a moment, I heard deep breathing. It seemed she’d made some momentous decision.

—I think the current Lady… Roa might actually be able to pull it off. I’ve never even thought about such a thing before. But if we could really live separately…!

Belta’s voice grew stronger as she went on. She too seemed to have much pent-up resentment toward the marquis household.

I cleared my throat to give Belta confidence that I could do it.

“I’m pretty tenacious. I had a similar family situation to Roa’s too. I’ve escaped once already, so there’s no reason I can’t do it twice.”

Having become independent at nineteen and reaching the top in ten years. With that valuable experience, I at least had confidence. As long as no illness like pancreatic cancer came for me.

Belta’s deliberation was quite long, a far cry from when she was excited with me. Meanwhile, I held my head and waited.

A few days later, Belta eventually came back to me.

—What…… should I do?

At her cautious question, I subtly raised the corners of my lips.

※※※

After that day, Belta crouched in front of my door and explained the currently fashionable dresses. I’d asked her to do this to figure out where in the book we were.

Of course, Belta was depressed about the real Roa’s disappearance, but she didn’t forget her duty to help me. She was truly a strong and wonderful girl.

—So the chest area of the bodice is decorated with multiple layers of ribbons.

“You mean échelle.”

—The sleeves are thin lace that spreads out as it goes down.

“That’s engageantes.”

When I correctly identified the Rococo dress styles one after another, Belta asked in a puzzled voice.

—How…… do you know this? You said you weren’t from here.

I closed my mouth briefly and scratched my cheek. The reason I knew fashion well was because before transmigrating, I’d been a fashion designer famous overseas.

I’d gotten a job at a brand everyone would recognize by name and worked like crazy until my illness appeared.

Rather than modern clothing, I loved various medieval dresses, so in haute couture I always paid homage to that era.

Delicate lace and ruffles that rippled like waves, and brilliant colors. Various items like hats and bags too.

Making clothes like works of art made me feel proud, as if I’d become an artisan. I unexpectedly liked the feeling of being removed from reality too.

Even when reading the novel ‘The Grand Duke Covets the Nanny’s Body,’ I read more intently when fashion-related content appeared in the historical setting.

“……I just know how to make clothes a bit.”

At my words, Belta clapped her hands as if now understanding.

Clap clap!

—I see! That’s not easy—you’re amazing.

“Your problem is you’re too good at complimenting.”

—Haha! It’s a habit.

“Anyway, that’s enough.”

I briefly pondered deeply and moistened my lips with my tongue.

Based on Belta’s story, the book was completely in its early stages. Meaning the part where the female protagonist hadn’t properly appeared in the book yet.

‘At this point, there wasn’t really any useful description……’

The only way to survive in an abusive household was to actively utilize information only I knew.

“That’s it! The racetrack!”

I suddenly shouted as something came to mind while deeply pondering.

In the book, when the male protagonist first appeared, a racetrack was briefly mentioned in the process of describing him.

[Having come to the racetrack after a long time, David only wasted money. Though he had both looks and wealth, he had no luck.]

I stuck right to the door and asked Belta to do one thing. She gasped as soon as she heard.

—What? You want me to gamble?

“Shh shh! Quiet!”

—Ah, yes. Do I really have to go and do it?

“Yeah. I’m locked up. Please.”

Belta kept asking again reluctantly, then finally left after quite a while.

※※※

“……You really want me to bet on that scrawny little runt?”

The horse Roa emphasized was smaller in build and had slightly shorter legs compared to the others. Moreover, its gait was listless and its expression gloomy.

No one would think that horse would win.

“Did she get the number wrong?”

Belta sat down and seriously pondered. Maybe it was number 1, not 11? Or number 10?

The most popular horse in this race was number 1, a black horse that had won five times in a row.

‘Right! It must be number 1!’

Belta bit her lips anxiously while holding dozens of win tickets.

She thought whether she would truly follow the fake Roa or not depended on this matter.

‘If she’s really someone who came from another world…… and if I could just leave the violent Seraphina household!’

Belta was ready to follow even the fake Roa. After all, even if she left the fake Roa, it wasn’t as if she could find the real Roa.

“Whatever! I don’t know anymore!”

Finally, Belta marked a number on the ticket and headed to the spectator seats, pushing through the crowd. For some reason, there seemed to be even more people than usual today.

“Wow! His Highness the Grand Duke! This is my first time seeing him in person!”

“That’s not a face of this world. I think I’d stop breathing if our eyes met.”

“There were rumors he comes here occasionally! It’s true!”

“There’ll be tons of participants today. Even now, upper-class people are rushing over after hearing the Grand Duke came.”

Belta was shocked to hear people’s conversations. As they said, the Grand Duke wasn’t someone easily met.

She stood on tiptoes and glanced toward where the Grand Duke was said to be.

“Ugh! I can’t see!”

But there was no way she could properly see him surrounded by people.

“Forget it. I’m uncomfortable enough to death—what viewing.”

Belta suddenly got goosebumps thinking about how she’d invested half her life savings on horse number 11.

Of course, it was only possible because Roa had firmly promised to sell everything in her room to repay the money if it failed.

“Am I crazy? Being bewitched by someone who isn’t even Lady Roa?”

But it was already over. She couldn’t take back the marked ticket.

Belta watched the horses entering the lane while sweating profusely. She clasped her hands together and offered a prayer to heaven.

‘Please, please!’

Bang!

As the signal sounded, the muscular racehorses shot forward. Excited people cheered for the horses they’d bet on. The lead was, as expected, number 1, which had won consecutively until now.

Belta felt like she’d lose her mind.

It is number 1 after all!

She ground her teeth hard enough to hurt her jaw, when—

“Wh-what!”

“Oh no!”

People covered their mouths in shock. Everyone was so surprised they just blinked.

Huh?

Among them, only Belta, who looked at the lane, hopped on the spot like a rabbit. Her face bloomed brighter than ever.

‘Oh! Someone fell, but I showed too much happiness……’

Belta briefly shrank her shoulders in embarrassment.

The situation was this,

The leading horses, numbers 1 and 6, collided slightly while turning a corner, and the jockey who couldn’t maintain balance fell to the ground. Seeing him stand up, he didn’t seem badly hurt.

Moreover, the mid-ranking horses didn’t notice the situation with numbers 1 and 6 and rushed forward, then stopped urgently or turned sideways.

The horses spun around in circles, excited and unable to get their bearings.

“N-no way?”