“What’s going on? Why are they there?”

Having arrived at the restaurant and finished ordering, Liz glanced at a certain spot and chuckled to herself.

Her gaze landed on a couple seated together, who were behaving like awkward virgins, unable to even hold hands. They had placed a single dish between them and were twisting their bodies away from each other, creating a scene.

The couple were two people Liz knew very, very well.

“Why are they at the restaurant when I sent them to the inn to rest?”

Liz wanted to send Mirabel and Jonathan back to their lodging with a kick if necessary, but she held back, fearing that her true identity might be revealed.

‘Next time, I’ll have to hand over the room key.’

Liz thought, shaking her head in disbelief.

Meanwhile, the food arrived.

“Here you go.”

The waiter spoke gruffly, placing the bowl down so roughly that it made a loud noise, causing a few drops of soup to splash onto her skirt.

But of all things, the soup was red. A red soup stain on her ivorycolored skirt.

Damn it. She had ordered spicy food because she had been craving it, but she didn’t expect this to happen.

The waiter turned and left without a word of apology, as if determined to be fired. Liz, looking down at her stained skirt, was filled with consternation.

If only she had known, she would have worn darker clothes. Would it wash out with water?

Liz hurried to the restroom. She then soaked the stained part of her skirt and scrubbed it, but no matter how much she scrubbed, the stain did not seem to come out.

“That won’t come out if you do it like that.”

“……?”

At the sound of someone’s voice, Liz looked up to find Mirabel standing next to her.

The meddlesome Mirabel couldn’t just pass by when she saw Liz struggling. So, she tore a corner of her own handkerchief, moistened it with soap, and placed it on the reddishstained area, then said,

“Leave it like this for a while. That way, the pigment will fall away from the fibers.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“……?”

At the sudden informal address, Mirabel looked at her in surprise.

Only then did Liz remember.

‘Oh right, this face isn’t that face, is it?’

“Ah, you resemble someone I know, so I got confused. Thank you. Mira… I mean, sister.”

Although she frowned slightly at being called ‘sister’ by a stranger, Mirabel showed no signs of being particularly upset.

Mirabel gave a slight nod and returned to her lover.

Liz was grateful for the kindness that Mirabel had shown, but at the same time, she realized how different her real face was.

If Mirabel, who harbored special affection for her master, couldn’t recognize her, then it seemed that no one in the world would recognize Liz.

Suddenly, a painful memory from her past life surfaced.

The sorrow of her childhood, when she was treated like an ungrateful brat by her relatives.

The lonely life in which she had to disappear without leaving a trace of her existence in the world.

Suddenly, she disliked her freedom.

There’s a big difference between having and not having blood relatives. Liz wanted to go home right then, but she couldn’t return with this face.

“What time is it now?”

Liz took out her pocket watch.

Three hours had passed since taking the medicine. She had only taken a little, so she only needed to endure about three more hours to return to her original face. Liz wished those three hours would pass quickly.

(This is a time separator.)

When the Countess returned home, she strangely felt that the house was in disarray.

Everything was neatly arranged in its place, but the people were the problem.

The servants were all bustling about as if a screw or two had come loose.

The Countess called over the most flustered one, Mirabel, and asked,

“What’s going on?”

“Well, that’s…,”

Mirabel spoke with a troubled expression.

“Miss Liz hasn’t returned yet.”

The Countess turned her head toward the grandfather clock. It was only eight in the evening.

“Wait a little longer. She’s probably playing at a friend’s house.”

The Countess said nonchalantly as she took off her coat. Lilia quickly approached to assist her in taking it off more easily. The Countess paid no particular attention to this matter.
Kain was the only one who had a subtly hardened expression.

Mirabel spoke, nervously rubbing her hands together.

“We thought the same, so we tried to contact those young people you’re close to, Miss.”

“And?”

“They didn’t come. Not anywhere.”

“Where is she roaming around?”

The lady spoke in an irritated tone, not worried at all.

“When did she leave?”

“That is…… I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Does it make sense for the exclusive attendant not to know the whereabouts of her master?”

Mirabel bowed her head deeply. The Miss had suddenly told her to go play, so she had.

But Mirabel neither spoke nor thought that way. It felt like everything was entirely her fault that the Miss had disappeared, blinded by the thought of dating Jonathan after a long time.

Mirabel wanted to slap her own cheek.

“It seems Mirabel won’t do. You’re not qualified to be a maid.”

“…….”