TDRDH:03

CHAPTER:03

The inside of the carriage was bleak.

The Duke, his eyes fixed on a small book.

Elias, the young duke, resting his chin on his hand with a bored expression, staring out the window.

And even Cecilia, sitting in silence as if on pins and needles.

They were the Lucerte ducal family, just as they always were.

This sense of estrangement, as if they were entirely scattered apart without a single word of conversation.

“Cecilia.”

Right then, the Duchess spoke calmly.

Startled, Cecilia reflexively straightened her posture.

“Baroness Trancier is a friend of mine. So, make sure you behave yourself.”

The Duchess gave a gentle warning.

Cecilia quietly bowed her head and replied politely.

“Yes, Mother.”

Right on cue, the carriage came to a halt.

A servant of the Tranciers politely opened the carriage door.

“I welcome the Lucerte ducal family.”

Escorted by the servant, the family members began to alight from the carriage one by one.

Cecilia only stared blankly at their retreating backs.

It felt as if someone was strangling her with all their might.

…Her breath caught in her throat.

* * *

A week passed like that.

I was extremely anxious that I might bump into the Lucerte family, but surprisingly, I managed to avoid them with ease.

As it turned out, the paths of high-and-mighty nobles and a mere maid rarely overlapped.

Moreover, there was also some good news.

“I heard the VIP guests went out to the hot springs today. They’re not expected to return until around evening.”

My friend, Amanda, had secretly tipped me off.

And so, currently.

I was out in the backyard of the Trancier estate all by myself.

Since maids didn’t officially have break times, we had to sneak in a rest whenever we could like this.

Besides, I had already told Amanda to call me if anything came up.

There shouldn’t be any problems.

“Urrgghhh.”

As I stretched my arms wide, a strange groan automatically escaped my mouth.

“Ah, my muscles are stiff as a board.”

After rolling my shoulders and turning my neck side to side, my stiffened body finally seemed to loosen up a bit.

“It’s a bit cold, though…”

I gently rubbed my arms.

The fresh air was nice, but perhaps because it was still early spring, the weather was rather chilly.

But I didn’t want to go back inside just yet.

I had been cooped up in the Baron’s castle all day, cleaning like my life depended on it.

‘Should I walk a bit?’

As I wandered aimlessly,

I suddenly froze in my tracks.

“……Sob.”

It was because I heard someone’s muffled sobbing.

As if barely pouring out a sorrow that had been suppressed for a long time.

It was a very small, fragile cry.

‘What’s that?’

Instinctively, I turned my head toward the source of the sound.

And in the end, I saw it.

The hem of a purple dress poking out from behind a large tree!

The owner of that hem, which looked expensive even at a glance, was…

‘Amanda!’

I screamed internally.

‘You said the VIP guests went out to the hot springs todayyyyy!!’

I desperately racked my brain.

There were only two people in the Baron’s castle who would wear such a luxurious dress.

First, the only daughter of Baron Trancier.

Second, the female protagonist of the original story, Cecilia… No, that’s too horrific, so I want to believe it’s not her.

Even if I thought as positively as possible and assumed that lady was the young lady of Trancier.

‘I just witnessed a highborn lady crying, didn’t I?’

This is the worst…

Noble ladies are generally incredibly proud.

They would find the mere fact of being caught crying to be an utter humiliation!

‘No, I didn’t see anything.’

I swallowed hard.

If I just back away now, it’ll be as if nothing happened.

That mysterious lady would probably prefer it if I pretended not to see her anyway.

Isn’t that why she came all the way out to this secluded backyard to hide in the first place?

With that thought, I crept backward, but—

*Snap!*

‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.’

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Please, anyone, tell me that what I just stepped on wasn’t a twig.

Seriously, nothing is going my way!

“Who’s there?!”

A sharp voice rang out loudly.

At the same time, the figure hidden behind the leafy tree sprang to her feet.

She then glared in my direction with a fierce gaze.

‘Wow.’

Even in my panic, I was left speechless.

Almond-shaped eyes that curved in a perfect arc.

Flawless, snow-white skin.

A long, slender neck like a deer’s.

Her moist, blue-green eyes resembled a rain-drenched summer forest, and her thick, wheat-colored curls called to mind a ripe wheat field.

In both my past life and this one, I had never seen such overwhelming beauty.

I mean, isn’t she basically an angel descended from heaven?

…The only problem was.

Cecilia utterly loathed both her wheat-colored hair and her blue-green eyes.

Because no matter how desperately she groomed herself, she could never compare to Milena’s bright blonde hair and radiant green eyes.

It was as if these dull shades proved she was nothing but an imitation of Milena.

As if, no matter how hard she tried, she would never reach the level of the “real daughter”…

That was it.

The worst-case scenario had arrived.

‘Why is Cecilia here of all places, aaaahhh!!!’

Cecilia growled fiercely.

“You, how long have you been standing there?”

“J-Just now.”

At that response, Cecilia glared holes through me with a suspicious look.

I hurriedly added to my explanation.

“I mean it! I just came out for some fresh air, but then I heard a strange sound…”

Uh-oh.

At the sudden sharp glint in her eyes, my voice trailed off.

She seemed deeply humiliated that her crying had been discovered.

But it was painfully obvious that she had been crying, even at a glance.

Reddened rims around her eyes and tightly pursed lips.

Her eyelashes, fluttering like butterflies, were soaking wet.

“You.”

After a brief silence, Cecilia suddenly addressed me.

She then continued in a grim tone.

“……If you dare go blabbing about me to anyone else, I won’t let you off easy.”

“Yes, of course.”

I nodded vigorously.

“I didn’t meet anyone today, and I didn’t see a single thing.”

But Cecilia’s face remained cold.

“How can I trust you?”

Ah, does she have major trust issues or what?

Well, Miss Female Protagonist might not know this yet, but…

My goal in life is ‘never get involved in the original plot,’ you know?

But Cecilia, who obviously had no way of knowing this, threatened me in a low voice, her expression growing even colder for some reason.

“If you tell anyone that I cried… *Sniff.*”

*Sniff?*

For a moment, I doubted my ears.

Did this icy lady… just sniffle?

“……!”

Cecilia’s shoulders stiffened in startle, and she quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her face.

But her lovely face was already burning red like a ripe tomato.

Her trembling blue-green eyes, which had been darting around in confusion, soon locked onto me with a terrifying intensity.

‘I-I’m doomed.’

Hey, it’s not like *I* made you cry, so why are you looking at me like that…

I’m the one who wants to cry here!

‘Wait.’

At that moment, my eyes widened.

Cecilia doesn’t want the fact that she cried to be found out.

If so…

Doesn’t that mean it’s fine as long as the person who cried wasn’t Cecilia?!