It Was Me, Not You

(Diana’s POV)

‘Wait, what did I just hear? Is this Grand Duke coming back?’

It means the owner of the Grand Duke’s residence.

“The Grand Duke…”

“Does that mean he’s back?”

Kunta responded excitedly when asked such a question.

“Yes, miss! That’s right! The Grand Duke eventually brought the long war to an end and returned to the estate. So the young lady enters the castle and is treated as a young girl, given that she only has one day to live.”

Kunta seemed happy as she imagined what might happen in the future, but Diana was not.

The huge mass, which I thought would never return, has returned.

It wasn’t until now that I realized what the Archduke’s torch was that was making such a noise last night.

Why did you return so suddenly?

– Perhaps he’ll come because he’s anxious to see his daughter.

The story I heard at the laundry flashed through my head in an instant.

Did you really come because you wanted to see your daughter?

And that daughter will never be her.

It must be Seia, the noble Duke’s young daughter who grew up in the castle.

Kunta has great expectations because she has just recently joined the Duke’s castle and is unaware of the facts, but everyone in the siege castle will be aware.

Her status will remain unchanged even if the Archduke returns.

Rather… I’m thankful I didn’t chase him down or attack her.

Yes, she’s more willing to not leave Leah and Princess alone.

‘I can’t afford to go out and live for the time being…’

‘I’ve got a lot of stuff to prepare.’

Diana sighed softly as she looked down at her small hand, which was holding the bread.

If she is chased away, she will starve to death from the cold. Perhaps her mom Leah sells her into slavery.

I didn’t expect you to return so quickly. Diana’s thoughts were complicated by the Archduke’s unexpected return.

Then Leah raced off to the palace… Did you visit the Grand Duke?

I suddenly remembered how insane the Archduke was on the battlefield.

Is it possible that the Archduke killed Leah? The Grand Princess claimed it was because of Leah, and he murdered her… He’ll also murder me…

“Lady, are you all right?” Oh no, You ate it too quickly, and the skin turned pale.

“Are you feeling sick?”

Kunta expressed concern that my face had turned white.

It might be better to pretend.

“I’m going to make a call to a doctor.”

Diana hurried off to stop Kunta from getting up.

“No!”

“Yes? Miss, you’ve got a bad complexion…”

“I’m Alright, I’m perfectly fine.”

The doctor who was available in the castle. The Archduke must live without knowing she exists, but I cannot live without first admitting my existence.

Kunta nodded her head as if powerless, despite her dislike for the idea.

“All right. Then I’ll just leave before Leah comes.”

“Yeah, thanks for bringing me the food.”

When I said thanks to Kunta, who was carrying empty dishes in the basket, Kunta looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“You won’t be eating this kind of food anymore. You will go into the castle. And make sure to apply this without Leah seeing. It is an ointment that is good for pain.”

Kunta took the small, round barrel from her pocket and secretly slipped it into my hand.

“Thanks.”

Diana locked the door when Kunta had left while holding the round barrel that was filled in her hand.

And she returned to the kitchen, and she hurriedly removed the crumbs, she heard the door open.

Only one person had the key to this house.

Diana walked out of the kitchen and greeted Leah.

“Um, Mom is here.”

When she went to the Grand Duke, Leah was bad, so Diana lowered her eyes as she said in a crawling voice.

‘One cheek would be right.’

She made up her mind in advance and closed her eyes tightly, but only the cold wind brushed her face.

‘What?’

Diana opened her eyes and raised her head. Leah, who was standing in front of her, was walking past her and her in front of the fireplace in her living room.

“I do… I can’t. Why… Why are you asking such a thing, why… all of a sudden.”

Leah’s trembling voice scattered throughout the house.  Whatever had happened in the castle, Leah was pale  and tired.

Perhaps she was pretending to meet the Archduke, but unlike usual, her lips were painted red. But the red lips made her look like a ghost rather than beautiful because of her pale face.

Leah’s gaze, who was looking into the distant air for a moment, turned to Diana.  Diana, who had been staring at her momentarily blankly, flinched at the gaze she received.

“This is all because of you.”

Leah strode towards Diana as if she had suddenly become angry.

She immediately turned around and wanted to run away, but she had nowhere to run.

‘If you run away and come back, more pain will be waiting for you.’

Diana saw Leah’s hand flashing up, and closed her eyes tightly.

“Evil! Really! Why! Why!”

But there was no pain. Only Leah’s piercing voice bursting out of anger could be heard.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Leah screaming as she stomped her feet on the floor.

Her palms stretched out to hit her, Diana was clenching her fists as if her bones were sticking out.

‘Why are you doing that?’

Rather than feeling relieved that it didn’t fit, Leah’s crazy appearance made me terrified.

Leah stomped her feet on the floor like a man who couldn’t beat her, then suddenly stopped and let out a long breath.

“It’s okay, Alright, “Ha, yes… No…”

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

The voices that had been muttering to themselves over and over again could not be heard, as if they were being swallowed in her mouth as they moved back.

Diana, unable to overcome her curiosity, listened and took a step closer to her, when she heard a knock on the door of the hut.

Leah, who was looking down at her floor, swung her head towards her door.

Diana, frightened by her quick reaction, also quickly took a step back.

Although Leah was displeased with  Diana, she walked towards the door with slow steps.

“Who are you?”

It was a sharp voice, as if she had a nervous breakdown.

“I am, open the door.”

An old man’s voice came from outside the door.

‘Who is it?’

The man’s voice was unfamiliar, but it was not the first time she had ever heard it.

‘It’s a voice I’ve heard before…?

Leah heard the man’s voice and opened the door, startled.

When the door opened, the first thing that caught my eye was the shiny nose of the man standing in front of the door.

“No, the butler, what are you doing here?”

Leah’s voice changed to a gentle one, where the nervous voice from earlier went.

She said, ‘Why did the butler come to my house?’

The general butler in charge of the Duke’s castle, he was nothing more than the actual owner of the castle without an owner.

And Diana had never met him before.

‘Oh, there was only one time.’

About two years ago, she had met once in the outer building.

So his voice was unfamiliar, but it wasn’t like the first time.

Diana remembered the stern eyes of the general butler who was looking at her.

The servants of the outer house hated Leah and Diana as she grew up, but sometimes they used to look at her with a sympathetic gaze.

‘It was someone I didn’t want to see again.’

Diana turned her head away without raising her line upon seeing the nose of her butler’s shoe.

She wants him to go back no matter what.

However, a voice different from Diana’s thoughts when heard.

“Bring the young lady to the Grand Duke.  This is the order of the Grand Duke.”

“Yes? No, why suddenly, Diana…”

‘You want me to come?’

Diana’s eyes widened in an instant.

‘Why is the Archduke me…’

I felt a sense of embarrassment close to astonishment.

And to my surprise, I heard Leah’s trembling voice as if it wasn’t that different from Diana.

Leah looked at Diana standing behind her with an anxious look, and then looked at the butler.

“General butler, Diana is not feeling well.  She’s probably not good enough to see the Grand Duke…”

Diana looked at Leah’s back and met numb gray eyes that looked up and down for a moment.

Seeing Diana’s condition, the general butler’s eyebrows narrowed slightly.

He looked at Leah with cold eyes.

“It is the order of the Grand Duke. Change her clothes and come back to the castle.”

The butler turned around and disappeared, as if he had no intention of listening to Leah’s answer.

“Really, why are these things happening all of a sudden!”

Leah shouted, slamming the door, she bit her nails anxiously before turning her gaze to Diana.

Leah glanced at Diana and wrinkled her impression.

She walked over to Diana, biting her lip.

“What’s this, you didn’t even get up and wash your hands?!”

“I’m sorry, I’m going to wash now.”

“Go and wash up right now. I mean, what should I do with that stinky child?”

Leah exclaimed sharply. Seeing Leah’s  appearance, Diana hurriedly ran into the bathroom to avoid being hit.

“Hurry up and get out! I don’t have time!” 

As soon as the bathroom door was closed, Leah’s cry was heard again.

“Yes!”

Diana answered loudly, not to provoke her any further, and filled the basin with water.

The water in the big bucket was brought from the valley of the laundry, so it was cold like ice in winter.

‘It would be nice to have a spirit stone in our house.’

If you have a water spirit stone, you can use warm water even in winter.

The people in the Grand Duke’s castle also use the Water Spirit Stone, but for some reason there was no Spirit Stone in Diana’s house.

As I put my hand into the basin, the ice-like water made my hands tingle.

‘Too cold.’

Diana pulled out her hand, shaking her body, and checked the closed door, and put her hand back into the cold water.

‘Be warm.’

Diana repeated herself several times as if she were memorizing a spell.

And after a while, the water in the basin changed to a lukewarm temperature suitable for washing.

‘Success this time.’

It wasn’t long before she found out that Diana was capable of such magical things.

When it was too cold to wash, I eagerly imagined hot water, and the water suddenly changed to lukewarm.

After that, there were times when I succeeded and times when I failed.

She wondered what this ability was, but she had no one to tell her.

Of course, she didn’t tell Leah either. She doesn’t know if this is good or bad because she doesn’t know what’s going to happen when she says it.

Diana quickly washed her face and washed her arms and legs as well.

As she walked out of the bathroom, she found Leah pulling out all of Diana’s few clothes from her and scattered them on the floor of her living room.