episode_0028

As the world became distorted and blurred, a new landscape was formed.

A gentle breeze tickles the grass beneath a sky filled with densely packed fluffy clouds. Looking around, a familiar garden structure appears. It was the garden of Arkaden that Ash had walked through just before being locked in the mansion.

“Who are you pretending to be?”

Asher felt her own body with both hands. But the blond hair as bright as the sun and the servant’s clothes that were comfortable for movement were clearly hers.

“You came to the main body? No way…?”

A woman wearing a servant’s clothes. No matter where you look, she’s suspicious.

Still, I can’t waste my time in vain. Apart from the fear of the crazy woman outside, being trapped in a painting my whole life would be a waste of effort.

Asher made a decision and moved. The direction of his steps was, of course, the mansion. If he was going to look around the mansion of the past, wouldn’t it be worth it to find some clues?

“Let’s also take a look at the identity of that crazy woman…”

The closer I got to the mansion, the more I felt a new sense of emotion. The Ashe before and after entering this fucking mansion were completely different people.

The eerie mansion had already completely changed her body and mind.

‘What… Even if I had passed this mansion, I might have been killed by an assassin.’

In that sense, it might be fortunate. If you think about it, the chances of survival are higher than when engaging in a chase.

Above all, you can have power. The physical ability to deal with that crazy woman is a supernatural ability that I could not have even dreamed of before arriving here.

If you can just get out there with your life intact, you’re grabbing a huge opportunity.

‘Right… If I just clear the first floor, it’ll be this easy, but if I survive until the end, won’t it be a real achievement?’

It was a great motivation. As I was encouraging myself and moving forward, my eyes stopped at a place that particularly gave me a sense of foreboding.

A large dog with an impressive yellow coat and a doghouse placed on the grass.

An element that could not be forgotten was right in front of us.

“Haley…?”

Asher walked towards the kennel as if possessed. Then, Hayley, who had noticed the movement with her extraordinary hearing, turned her head towards her like a ghost.

“Heh… Heh…”

Gently, gently.

The thick tail sweeps the grass like a broom. It is quiet and doesn’t bark. It doesn’t run at people without a leash.

“Umm…”

Honestly, it’s disgusting. No matter what, how could I be indifferent when Haley, who looks like that, had her torso crushed?

Asher tried to ignore the trauma and stopped in front of the hound.

“The bird looks cute. By the way, judging by the absence of the blue scarf, the time period of the picture is… Ugh?!”

At that moment, Hailey licked Asher’s pants.

Princess Ashe, who was not accustomed to dirt by nature, was startled and took a step back.

If anything, it was unfortunate that I didn’t know about the stone root that was touching my heel.

Bang!

She lost her center of gravity in an instant and fell on her butt. Then, Hayley looked down at Asher with concern and kept licking her face.

“More, it’s dirty…! Can’t you stop it?!”

“Heh, heh…”

But would a beast understand human speech? Asher could only barely defend herself against Haley’s salivary gland bombardment with both hands.

Then, another noise was felt from behind.

“… Oh my.”

It was a woman’s voice. Asher pushed Hailey’s head away and tilted her head back to look back with difficulty.

Bright wheat-colored hair flowing down past her shoulders. Eyes that linger in the tranquil green of summer leaves. A beauty so beautiful that you forget the neatly dressed maid’s uniform.

The appearance was clearly that of Maid B – Bernacien Arcaden.

“Oh no… Our Hailey isn’t vicious, but she barks a lot at strangers.”

“That, uh, uh, so… I…”

“Where do you come from, Miss?”

“Huh?”

“It’s obvious that someone this cute would be disguised as a man. It has to be Young-ae who ran away from home because she was frustrated with her home, right?”

It was Bernatien who wrote a very convenient scenario. Ache willingly jumped on the illusion and made up his mind to act.

“Yeah, that’s right! That’s right. I’ll go back when the time comes, so can you keep it a secret?”

“Umm… It’s a shame to see the gatekeepers being reprimanded, so should we do that?”

“Good is good, of course.”

Bernacien smiles warmly at Ashe’s boast. Her smile has a magical quality that relieves people’s tension and anxiety.

It was as if she had some special power that made everyone feel comfortable around her.

“Is the sunlight warm?”

“Ahem…!”

Only after hearing Bernacien’s subtle remark did Ashe realize that she had fallen flat on her face. She tried to save face and squatted down, but her mistake did not go away.

Bernacien took his place next to Ashe as if he had not seen anything.

Soon she was speaking to Asher while gently caressing Hailey.

“What were your concerns that made you leave home with difficulty?”

“Me? Um, uh… well… ”

Asher dramatized the events of the mansion.

“I’m being hated at home for some reason. I’m having a hard time because I ask them to tell me why, but they won’t tell me.”

“Have you had a conversation?”

“… Risking your life?”

“Huh huh… What is that.”

Bernacien seemed to be taking it lightly. However, her furrowed eyebrows served as evidence that she was taking Ashe’s concerns seriously.

“Youngae, could you give me a chance to hear a little more detailed information?”

“What… I guess I can give it to you.”

Asher quickly opened his heart to the request, which was more polite than necessary.

“Well, it seems like my predecessors did something wrong. Is it like my karma for not knowing anything? Well, that’s all I know…”

“Is that so…”

“It seems like he wants to atone for his sins… I guess it’ll end only when I die. It’s so frustrating.”

Asher took a deep breath. The silence was filled with the sound of nature, the wind blowing through the grass. Meanwhile, Hailey closed her eyes and focused on Bernacien’s touch.

I don’t really expect any answers. In a fake world, any answers I get will just be empty.

But Ashe couldn’t help but listen to Bernatien’s next remark.

“What you really want… may not be revenge.”

“What?”

“Everyone knows that a child born without sin is innocent. So, it is obvious that Young-ae, who grew up benefiting from the sins of her ancestors, will only hate her.”

“So you’re trying to get revenge?”

“Actually, I can’t say anything for sure. If the hatred really reached its peak, then it could be so. But… If you are someone who has accepted the truth that Yeong-ae is not at fault, then maybe… you just need some comfort.”

“Up…?”

“Yes, I guess I just need to acknowledge and remember that I was wronged… that’s the level of comfort I’m hoping for.”

It was just a casual conversation, but Asher’s thoughts were stirred. If this mansion wants me to be a place of comfort, Bernacien’s argument becomes quite persuasive.

In order to do that, we must first find out the woman’s identity. Only then can we hold a memorial service tailored to the woman’s circumstances.

‘For now… it’s information gathering.’

While staying in the world of painting, you have to find out as much as possible. Even Bernacien, who is not another person, suddenly appears.

There was a lot to ask questions about.

“Excuse me, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Youngae.”

Asher immediately asked questions about the elements he was most curious about.

“What is the butler’s name here?”

“What are the names of the butlers? Um… There are three of them and a butler above them, but it’s a bit hard to tell you all of them…”

“That’s right. Since you’re also a servant, it would be difficult for you to leak information about the mansion…?”

“Is there anyone who knows Youngae?”

“Oh! Right. I recognize you. I guess it’ll be easy to tell the difference since you’re from an immigrant family…”

“Are you an immigrant?”

Bernacien tilted his head innocently.

“There are no foreigners in our mansion. Are we selecting all the people of imperial origin?”

“Huh? Is that so?”

“Yes, have you ever encountered a scammer impersonating you…”

“No, no, I’m definitely not a scammer. So, yeah… I might have misheard the other family.”

Asher looked around urgently.

It’s not particularly surprising that the butler isn’t in the mansion, since it makes sense if we assume he was hired after the current timeline.

‘But… the butler is obviously an important character, so isn’t it too late for him to appear?’

Asher naturally assumed that the butler was the head of the Arkaden mansion. However, judging from Bernacien’s reaction, he seemed to be closer to a newcomer.

“Then… one more.”

A question that arose while talking with Bernacien.

Is this woman really the author of [The Duchess’s Diary]?

Although he appears kind and gentle on the outside, it is difficult to rule out the possibility that he hides his true nature due to the gap in social status.

“Do you… have someone you like?”

“Does it mean love?”

“For now, okay.”

“Love…”

Bernacien’s lips drew a leisurely curve.

“I’m not sure yet…but maybe.”

“Who is that?”

“I’m embarrassed to say it out loud… hahaha. I’m not even sure about my feelings.”

“Yeah…”

Asher immediately asked the next question.

“If you were to gain power, what would be the first thing you would do?”

“Huh? Power?”

Bernacien opened his eyes wide and pondered the unexpected topic for a long time. But Bernacien soon gave a feeble answer.

“Hmm… I guess there’s nothing. Is there really a need to have power?”

“Then what about the money?”

“Money… Actually, I wish I had a little more. How rich would life be if I could eat only delicious meals every day?”

“Your ambitions are small…!!!”

This led to Ashe getting angry at Bernacien.

“You want to order people around…! You want to buy jewelry…! You don’t want to work… You know?! Things like that.”

“Is that usually the case…? I don’t know because I’ve never had that kind of desire.”

Bernacien asked Ashe in return.

“I just do what I have to do… I thought jewels were just pretty stones. Also, work… The Duke works hard too, so I feel bad for not doing it.”

“No way…”

“Huh?”

“No, nothing. You are a maid with very sound thoughts, aren’t you?”

“Haha… I’m glad you complimented me, Youngae.”

Bernacien smiled with satisfaction. Separately, Ashe’s heart was burning inside.

She is so different from what I read in the Duchess’ diary. What kind of delusions were going on in this family 500 years ago…

“Then let me ask you one more question. A noblewoman who wears a dress and is also very good at swordsmanship? Is there a woman who can tease her opponents as if she is dancing?”

After asking all the questions, Asher realized that she had done something wrong. Thinking about it, the thought occurred to her that what would a maid know about nobles?

“Well, if it’s a female noblewoman who is that ignorant… like these knights, ah! ”

Bernacien said with sparkling eyes.

“If you are a good married couple, wouldn’t you be able to teach your wife how to use the sword? Why, if you enjoy hobbies together, it can improve the bond between couples…”

She trailed off, her confidence plummeting.

“Ehehehe… I guess that’s a bit like that, right? I’m not even married, so I don’t know much about the circumstances of noble couples, phew…”

She scratched the bridge of her nose in embarrassment and observed Ashe’s broken focus.

“Young-ae? Why are you like that? What’s wrong?”

To Bernatien’s genuine concern, Ashe responded with a short curse.

“… crazy.”

A cold wind blew away the fog that had been rising in Asher’s mind.

[Eeee, I don’t know. I feel like I’m catching something… It’s like there’s a fog in my head that makes it seem like I can see beyond if I squint my eyes?]

[Ah, really… I should remember this! For some reason, I don’t know why, but I feel a sense of foreboding. Where have I seen something similar? It’s too impressive a ghost to forget…]

I thought I had seen it somewhere.

I believed that if I saw a ghost like that, I would never forget it.

A corpse with a sword in its chest. A noblewoman. A voice that is eerily cracked, but still manages to wring out memories.

A person who possesses all of these things and yet holds a grudge against the royal family.

Also, there is a high probability that he possesses great swordsmanship skills.

Asher, faced with an unbelievable twist, muttered the woman’s name into the air.