While imprisoned, the dust had settled all around, for the room had not been cleaned. The jewelry boxes that the maids had brought during the garden party, and the jewelry left in the drawers, remained untouched.

Indeed, Helena and Victoria had no interest in the jewelry they possessed. In particular, the outdated pieces had long vanished from their minds.

Around the time she finished checking the jewelry, a maid came with food.

The maid gently set down a large tray and tried to leave.

“You there.”

Ariana’s call stopped the maid in her tracks.

The maid had red, bobbed hair and innocentlooking, downcast eyes. It was a face Ariana had never seen before; perhaps she had started working for the Bronthe family in place of the maids who had been imprisoned this time.

“What’s your name?”

“Rozalin, Miss.”

From the maid’s humble attitude, it seemed she didn’t know much about Ariana’s situation. Conveniently, a maid like this was needed at the moment.

“I have a favor to ask of you……”

It might fall on Rachel’s ears if she went wrong, but for now, she had no choice but to use the maid.

Since she could not go out of the mansion without being asked to run an errand.

“Please speak, Miss.”

“Can you go out of the mansion unnoticed and call a peddler for me?”

Ariana took out a hairpin from the box. The hairpin, made of gold and embedded with two small sapphires, was something the maid could never afford on her wages.

“If you do this errand for me, I’ll give you this first, and after meeting the peddler, two more pieces of similar jewelry.”

Rozalin hesitated for a moment before accepting the hairpin that Ariana had handed her.

“Where shall I bring the peddler?”

“Bring him to the forest by the mansion’s back door.”

“Then, I’ll meet you in the forest by the mansion’s back door in two hours.”

After Rozalin left, Ariana drank the water Rozalin had brought.

The water, after so long without, tasted tearfully cool and sweet. Ariana ate only after drinking more than half the water in the jug.

Soft bread with a pleasant aroma, as if freshly baked, thick soup with mushrooms, corn, beans, finely chopped onions mixed with a tangy sauce, and thinly sliced ham.

She chewed slowly for a long time so her starving stomach wouldn’t get hurt.

Helena would have scorned and thrown away the food that Ariana had chewed and eaten without leaving any.

Afterward, she picked out the jewelry from the box that seemed valuable. Since there was no bag to put the jewelry in, she took off the pillow cover and put it inside.

‘This should be enough for the fare to Dongryeong.’

If she could, she would have sold all the jewelry, but she had to keep some just in case. Perhaps Helena or Victoria might remember the existence of the jewelry.

Ariana hid the pillow cover inside her dress skirt and left the room. If Rozalin was not Rachel’s spy, she would be approaching the Bronthe mansion’s forest with the peddler by now.

It was while she was hiding her expression and trotting down the corridor.

“Ariana.”

At the voice from behind, Ariana stopped and looked back.

Rachel was standing in the corridor with Helena.

Were they going out? Rachel and Helena were wearing thick coats. Helena was displeasedly stroking her white fox scarf.

“Mother, Miss.”

Ariana slightly bent her knee and greeted the two.

Rachel’s brow furrowed.

“When will you stop calling your sister ‘Miss’? Call her sister and get along well, will you?”

Helena’s expression darkened further, but she didn’t whine as usual.

“Yes, Mother. I will do so.”

“Where are you going?”

“Just wanted some fresh air. If it’s not allowed, I’ll go back to my room.”

“No. You must feel cooped up. Have you reflected enough?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Good, we have a lot to prepare for going to the capital, so be careful not to catch a cold and carry yourself properly. Understood?”
If I had heard such words before dying, I would have been moved to tears. I would have been thrilled to think that my mother was finally worrying about me, and I would have tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

But now, to Ariana’s ears, each and every word of Rachel’s sounded as if it held a blade.

Ariana bowed her head with a faint smile.

“Yes, Mother. I will be careful.”

Ariana stepped aside to let them pass first in the hallway. Rachel and Helena passed in front of Ariana. Helena turned her head sharply and glared at Ariana, then snorted with a “Hmph!” and let out a derisive sniff.

Ariana waited for them to leave before hastening her steps.

+++

Upon entering the forest, the wind that blew between the trees fiercely grazed her arms. Despite the cold wind, Ariana walked slowly, back straight.

Rosalin and the peddler, hidden behind the trees, revealed themselves.

Rosalin came up to Ariana first and whispered quietly.

“I’ve called the peddler who was about to leave Westun City. Once your business is finished, he will leave Westun City, so there should be no problem.”

Ariana was slightly surprised at Rosalin’s cleverness. Catching Ariana’s gaze, Rosalin bowed her head slightly and retreated.