There was a small secret room connected to the study, but it was no exception.

Moreover, even that had already been ransacked when the property was confiscated. She couldn’t have been the only one who knew about such a space in the mansion, and the study was the top priority for searching.

However, there’s no rule that there can only be one secret room.

Ansi began searching all the rooms on the first floor.

The dining room, reception room, and guest room all looked different from before. The coldness felt from the chilly walls, empty drawers, and dusty windowsills was as unfamiliar as someone else’s house.

Ansi, who had been silently searching alone in that unfamiliar house, finally discovered it in an unremarkable empty room.

A small gap in the bricks of the fireplace.

When she inserted her finger into the gap, something caught. As she pushed it, there was a sensation of a switch being pressed, followed by a creaking sound from the other side.

It was coming from the direction of the cabinet.

Ansi approached and grabbed the cabinet with both hands. The furniture that had looked heavy was surprisingly easy to pull. It seemed to have wheels attached underneath.

And there, a handle on the floor beneath it became visible.

“…!”

When she grabbed the handle and flung open the floor door, stairs leading down to a basement were revealed.

Ansi slowly descended.

The revealed space was tiny. It seemed just big enough for four or five people to lie down.

But something was strange.

“What is this place for?”

Given the absence of sofas or beds, it wasn’t a space for relaxation. It also didn’t seem to be a place for hiding confidential documents that would be difficult to keep in a study or office.

There wasn’t even a bookshelf or desk.

All that was here was a single framed picture on the wall, and a small drawer beneath it.

Ansi, after briefly gazing at the painting of an old woman and a young man, carefully opened the drawer.

The drawer opened lightly.

Inside were a small hand mirror and an old picture book.

Ansi picked up the palm-sized picture book. Opening it revealed an image of a happy-looking man and woman.

She read the text next to the picture.

There was a man who loved his wife very much. The man feared that his wife might go to heaven before him.

Why such a book was in a hidden space.

The reason soon became clear.

The man went to find Amor, the god of love, and made a wish. A wish to be able to foresee his wife’s death.

This wasn’t just a picture book. It was telling the story of Rubellsa’s ability in the form of a fairy tale.

If Rubellsa’s ability was passed down through generations, was the protagonist of the fairy tale who sought out Amor an ancestor of Rubellsa?

Ansi hurriedly turned to the next page.

Amor said: I will grant your wish. But… let me determine the end of your life. If you prevent your companion’s death, the day of your own death will also draw nearer.

Ansi swallowed hard.

The price for her foreseeing Damion’s death was her own life.

Suddenly, she remembered the pressure and fear that had gripped her heart then. Even now, it felt as if her heart was in someone else’s hands.

The man agreed. Amor took the man’s heart. The man saw the day his wife would die in a dream, and saved her from the brink of death. Although the man only lived for 10 more years after that, he didn’t regret it. Because 10 years with his wife were happier than 30 years without her.

The fairy tale ended quickly. On the last page was another picture of the man and woman happily looking at each other.

“Ah…”

A faint sigh escaped from Ansi as she closed the picture book.

Her own lifespan.

It was quite a price to pay for the brother of her enemy.

Nevertheless, Ansi didn’t regret saving Damion.

It was fine even if her lifespan was shortened a bit. Anyway, if she succeeded in bringing down Orphe as planned, she was also expected to die along with it.

As long as she didn’t die before this revenge was over, there wouldn’t be a problem.

Ansi put the hand mirror into her handbag and also took the picture book. As she was about to leave the room, she turned back and removed the painting.

An old woman sitting on the street was looking up, and a young man was extending his hand to her. The peculiar point was that the old woman was in the light, while the man was in the darkness.

And around the man’s neck, something of an odd color, as if mixed with oil, was hanging.

‘This too… just in case.’

Ansi took the picture out of the frame and rolled it up.

“Ansi!”

Roma’s face lit up as she opened the door. It was the first time seeing her since the wedding. Although she knew this heartless girl wouldn’t seek her out without a reason, Roma asked with inner expectation.

“What brings you here?”

“I want to sell some items.”

Of course. Sigh, Roma let out a long breath.

“Did something happen?”

“Yeah. You coming here is what happened. Tell me how married life is treating you.”

“These first, please.”

Ansi took out various items from her bag and laid them out. No wonder her handbag looked so full, there was quite a lot.

Roma raised her eyebrows high as she examined them.

What Ansi brought out were gold decorations.

But the bottom finishing was strange…

Ah, they were torn off from somewhere. Probably from chair or bed posts.

“How did you tear these off?”

“With a saw.”

“A saw? You did it yourself? You even know how to use a saw?”

“It’s a tool meant to be used, so there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Ansi stared at Roma without changing her expression. Roma liked that subtle brazenness and those oddly misaligned eyes. She was a child she wanted to keep seeing for a long time.

She asked with a smile.

“Did you tear them off from your husband’s house?”

“No. From the Rubellsa mansion.”

“Oh my, you stole things from home?”

“I suppose so.”

“I heard the country swept everything away a year ago, but I guess they missed these.”

“Can you sell them?”

“If you go to the back auction house, they’d be even happier.”

“Please, I’m asking you.”

“Come back in a week.”

Roma’s eyes sparkled instead, and she didn’t refuse.

It was fortunate for Ansi.

She needed funds in case it was difficult to freely use the money received from the Orphe family. Even if there was no interference, Ansi needed money to supplement Sofia’s living expenses after she succeeded in her revenge.

“Nothing else? Your pocket still looks plump.”

Roma showed interest in Ansi’s bag. However, all that was left inside was the hand mirror from earlier. There was nothing else to take out here.

“The rest are my personal belongings.”

“You’re not selling that painting?”

“This too.”

Ansi pulled back the rolled-up painting.

“Hmm…”

Roma narrowed her eyes suspiciously but soon relaxed her expression.

“Oh right, about what you requested before the wedding.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve erased everything from documents under Rain’s name to records and library cards. But I couldn’t erase people’s memories, you know?”

Roma wrinkled her nose and smiled mischievously.

“Yes, thank you.”

The task Ansi had requested from Roma was to erase all traces of Rain Arel. It was the second request Ansi had made to Roma, who usually just received and carried out some of the requests that came to her.

The first request was to create the name Rain Arel, so it was also clean to go through Roma to erase the name.

“By the way, there was someone looking for you. A man with ashen hair and slightly slanted eyes…”

Ansi paused.

A familiar description. It was clearly referring to Geris.

He was the bastard who had been persistently coming around demanding illegal interest that hadn’t been agreed upon originally. Since she had left the south without paying it, it seemed he was angrily searching for her.

A chill ran down her spine. The sensation of Geris grabbing her hair was still vivid.

“Someone you know?”

“…No.”

“Then that’s good.”

Ansi forced herself to erase her anxiety.

There’s no need to worry.

Geris won’t be able to find her.

After all, she’s not in the southern Saul now, but in the capital Pelitz, and she’s not living under the name Rain anymore.

It’s okay. It will be okay.

Ansi composed herself and turned to leave the shop.

“Rain has flown away.”

Geris’s crooked voice echoed in the dark room. The loan shark who had hired him nonchalantly puffed on a cigarette behind his desk.

Geris’s face showed discomfort as he watched the rising smoke. This stupid guy seems to have lent money to so many people that he doesn’t even remember who owes him.

He raised his eyebrows as he leaned on the desk.

“Rain Arel. The pretty woman who borrowed 400 Rus a year ago.”

Rain Arel, who looked so noble yet had to borrow a mere 400 Rus. A foolish woman who didn’t know how quickly that could become 1000 Rus, 5000 Rus.

According to what he had found tracing her whereabouts, Rain had left home without permission and seemed to have boarded a train to Pelitz.

Geris waited for the order to find and bring back that woman immediately.

If such an order was given, Geris could track down that woman to the ends of hell.