Chapter 3

“Just let it go. Occasionally, someone gets struck by lightning while walking down the street. In your case, it might be good luck once everything is over.

“……”

“I’m not one to enjoy cutting off people’s heads. Just make sure your identity isn’t exposed. It’s simpler than you think.”

Mel’s eyes darted up and down, unsettled.

‘Why is he trying to comfort me? Is he afraid I won’t be able to follow orders if I’m too stiff?’

Questions swirled inside her, trapped behind clenched lips.

Damien was saying unnecessary things. If he was truly as frightening as he seemed, wouldn’t it be better not to say anything? Then, suddenly, it hit her.

Ah.

Reflecting on the past couple of days, she realized something surprising.

Damien had never been physically violent toward her. Even though controlling someone’s life and death was the worst kind of violence, in a situation where she had hit rock bottom, even that felt like a small mercy.

Whether he pitied her, wanted her to perform well, or didn’t think she was worth the trouble, it didn’t matter.

Maybe…

Mel clenched her trembling teeth. When the smoke from his cigar tickled her throat, she didn’t hold back this time.

“Cough! S-Sorry.”

He let out a short, exasperated breath. The sound twisted her heart like squeezing water from a soaked rag.

“Oh, come on.”

He dropped the unfinished cigar into a glass of wine and stood up.

“You don’t need me to escort you to your room, right?“

“…No.”

She couldn’t remember the way at all, but somehow… Ah! She recalled something the old man had mentioned and quickly corrected herself.

“Yes, brother.“

Damien’s expression flickered as if he didn’t know how to respond before settling into a scowl. The door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.

Mel didn’t flinch. Instead, she stared at the glass. The deep red liquid soaked the cigar, slowly darkening.

Norma and Dewey also smoked cigars, although they weren’t as fancy. Flickering red embers, harsh smoke that always seemed to blow into her face when she coughed.

Pushing away the memories, she focused on the soaked cigar again. Her heart felt a little lighter.

“As long as I’m not caught…”

Mel clenched her fists tightly.

***

Unimaginable days followed. She learned to read correctly, practiced speech, dining etiquette, and how to walk and speak. In between, fragrant oils were applied to her hair and skin, expensive dresses were tailored, and she ate fine food and received jewelry as gifts.

As summer turned to autumn, the overwhelming pressure that once felt unbearable lessened to a manageable degree.

Mel gradually adjusted to life as Bleria Heaven. Along the way, she discovered a few things.

First, the Heaven family was a duchy, and the old man who appeared elderly was only in his mid-50s. His face, though lined, wasn’t profoundly wrinkled. His early white hair was due to poor health.

Second, despite his initial demands, Damien seemed to have no genuine interest in her. He was too busy with his affairs to cross paths with her often.

And finally, Mel wasn’t the only one who felt her treatment was undeserved.

“She’s not coming again…”

Mel stood idly in a corner of the hallway, waiting for a maid who didn’t show up.

Lucy, her personal maid, had been chosen by the head maid. She was kind, meticulous, and polite. When Mel used formal speech with her, Lucy had kneeled, nearly bringing Mel to tears. Apart from that incident, she was always gentle.

The problem was that Lucy was around Mel’s age. Being young and with many senior staff members, she was often called away.

“Lucy, come here. I need your help.”

Requests to borrow Lucy had become impossible to refuse. It had happened more than three times, and Mel had even overheard blatant conversations.

“Can you believe the story about Lady Bleria suddenly returning to life? Sounds like a scam.”

They quickly lowered their voices, aware of the sensitivity, but the words lingered in Mel’s ears. She pretended not to hear.

‘It can’t be helped.’

It was true, after all. She wasn’t a real noble. A commoner pretending to be one. She understood the staff’s suspicion and accepted their subtle coldness.

Lucy wouldn’t return anytime soon. Mel had no choice but to return to her room alone.

Sigh.

Determined, she tried to navigate the unfamiliar mansion. But no matter how hard she tried, the layout didn’t magically simplify.

Even after wandering for hours, she ended up somewhere unfamiliar.

“E-excuse me!”

She reached out to a passing servant, but he nodded and walked away. Despite the bustling hallways, no one came to help.

If someone with authority were around, perhaps they’d assist. But luck wasn’t on her side today—no head maids or butlers were in sight. It felt as though she was lost in a vast sea.

‘What am I doing here?’

Regret washed over her. She should’ve waited for Lucy in the hallway, forced her to stay, or simply remained in her room.

Her eyes stung with tears, and her legs ached. Despite being taught otherwise, she crouched down, resting her head on her knees.

‘I don’t belong here after all…‘

“Excuse me. Are you Lady Bleria?”

Ah! Mel quickly stood up, startled by the sudden presence behind her.

In her haste, she made a mistake. As she rose, the hem of her skirt tangled with her shoes, causing her to lose balance and tilt forward. Just before hitting the ground, she squeezed her eyes shut.

“……”

What her hand touched wasn’t the cold marble floor. It was hard, like stone, but warm.

‘What is this?‘ Opening her eyes in confusion, she realized her hand was resting on a stranger’s chest.

‘What am I doing?!’

Silently screaming at herself, she quickly pulled her hand away. Only then did she take in the situation. The man before her had likely caught her as she was about to fall.

“Are you alright?“

“Ah, th-thank you…”

Even then, his voice, light with amusement, sounded pleasant.

‘I must look ridiculous.’

Her mind went blank as she chewed on her lip and lifted her head.

Had she ever seen anyone this beautiful? His brown hair, tinged with gray, reminded her of a sacred tree from an old tale, and his eyes, shimmering with sunlight, seemed like the most beautiful leaves from that tree.

Her mouth fell open as his gentle gaze curved into a soft smile.

‘Could he be a fairy?‘ Just as that silly thought crossed her mind—

“Lady?”

She snapped back to reality. Upon closer inspection, he was far too large to be a fairy. Her face flushed as she cautiously asked,

“…Who are you?“

“Just think of me as a servant. I was ordered to escort you. May I lead the way?“

“Yes! Oh, I mean… sure.”

How could she refuse? Feeling lighter on her feet, Mel hurried after him. But as her composure returned, something about the man started to feel strange.

She had been at the mansion for nearly a month now. She would have noticed if there were a servant this striking.

His clothing was also different from that of typical servants. He wore a simple shirt, but the fabric looked expensive even to Mel’s untrained eye.

“You’re really a servant?“

“My name is Pearl, my lady.”

The name sounded familiar enough. Mel tilted her head, puzzled. Walking half a step ahead, he glanced back at her and covered his mouth with a hand.

“…Why are you laughing?“

“It’s amusing how openly suspicious you are of me.“

“Oh… I’m sorry.“

“No unauthorized outsider would roam freely in a house like Heaven’s. If you’re concerned, you don’t have to follow me.”

Mel knew that much. She wouldn’t have followed him if she had truly felt unsafe, no matter how lost she was.

Glancing at him, she licked her dry lips.

“It’s just… you stand out so much, and I’ve never seen you before. That’s all.“

“How do I stand out?”

He slowed his pace and moved to walk beside her. His face was clearly visible now.

“Am I horribly ugly?“

“No… You’re handsome. Beautiful, even.“

“Which part?“

“Your dimples… when you smile.“

“And?“

“Your eyes are clear…“

“Anything else?“

“You’re tall, and your build is…“

‘Why am I saying this?’

Though she kept answering, her eyes darted around nervously. She had never been teased like this before and didn’t know how to handle it.

Should she get angry? Just as she considered it, his playful smile disappeared, catching her off guard.

“My lady, that’s quite unfair.“

“Me? What did I do?“

“You’re making an innocent person’s heart flutter despite having a fiancé.“

‘Did he just call himself innocent?’

His audacious comment nearly made her forget the earlier accusation. Pressing her lips together, Mel steadied her expression and voice.

“I don’t have a fiancé.“

“You don’t?”

Something about his tone made her pause. But there was no way Bleria Heaven could have one. Even if there had been someone in the past, the child had died at seven, making it irrelevant now.

‘Surely, there won’t be one in the future either?’

She clasped her hands tightly, her fingers digging into her pale skin.

“I see. No fiancé, then. Ah, we’ve arrived.“

Pearl’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She saw a familiar door in this maze-like mansion when she looked up.

“This is my room. They summoned me here? Wait, now that I think about it, who…?”

Without a word, he opened the door for her. The room was empty, precisely as she had left it.

Mel blinked, then realized.

‘He must have brought me back because I was lost.’

When she turned around, the fairy-like man was already gone.