Missing Cinderella

“I’ll be back soon. Let’s have lunch for real this time when I’m back.” 

“Alright. Then I’ll be waiting for you.” 

Edwin walked away with excitement written on his face as Siella agreed. 

Siella stood still for a moment, listening to Edwin’s hurried footsteps down the hallway. Even though she felt sorry for Edwin, she was in a situation where she was also taking advantage of Edwin. 

‘The likelihood that the butler will open the letter again like last time is low.’ 

The letter would seem to not have any problems even if someone checked it. But she also hoped deep inside that no one would inspect the letter. This was the reason why she asked Edwin to periodically collect her personal and even official letters directly from the attendants who would come and go. Because even if they knew it wasn’t his, no servant would carelessly treat Edwin, Nocturm’s successor. 

After a moment of self-deprecation, Siella soon came out of her bedroom with her usual expressionless face as if nothing had happened. 

Someone had cleaned the hallway last night. Even when Siella returned to her bedroom last night, the scattered blue petals on the hallway had completely disappeared without a trace. But she could still feel the shock she felt when she saw the petals strewn on the hallway. Perhaps she wouldn’t be able to erase that sight from her mind for a while. 

Siella straightened her stiff neck and moved her steps, looking only straight ahead of her. She needs to find the spy – someone who was under Kyle’s orders, and she also has to find out who did that to the hallway in front of her bedroom. She needs to find that person not because she was confident that she could punish them right away, but because she needed to watch out from them until she left this place. 

Coming out of the main building of the mansion and passing through the corridor connecting the main building and annex, Siella arrived at the coach house. In front of the coach house, the man who was sitting on a tree stump jumped up. 

“What made you come to such a shabby place, my Lady?” 

Siella was taken aback when she saw the man rushing  to approach her, so she quickly responded to  the man, “I will be going out in a while, so I would like you to prepare a carriage for me.” 

“Yes? You, you’re going out, my Lady?” 

When she said she was going out, the man couldn’t hide his bewilderment at her words, since she had been hiding enough to hide her status as the Duke’s fiancée. 

Siella didn’t bother answering his question and asked him again, “Is there a coachman who can drive a carriage now?” 

“Oh, please wait here for a moment. I will go inside and inquire.” 

Glancing at Siella’s face, the man went inside into the coach house. Siella aimlessly looked around the overgrown grass then raised her head when she felt someone’s presence. The man who came out with the man from earlier looked at Siella in bewilderment. 

“What’s the matter? You’re going out?” 

“Yes. It would be better if you can prepare right away.” 

Siella looked straight to the man who kept glancing at her from the side and firmly told him, “I will talk to this person now, so you can go.” 

“… What?” 

“I’m asking you to leave.” 

Responding in a small voice, the man flinched and hesitated as he went back inside. Siella silently watched him until he disappeared inside the coach house. 

From behind her head, the coachman was staring at her this whole time as if she was some kind of strange creature. Siella felt unpleasant as if all of a sudden, there was filth over her head. 

Frowning, Siella let out a small sigh and turned her head. The coachman was waiting for Siella with a horse. 

“How long should I wait?” 

“Yes?” 

“I am asking how long it would take to prepare a carriage.” 

“Ah….” 

Distracted when he stared at Siella’s clear green eyes, the coachman belatedly came back to his senses and answered. 

“It won’t take that long. I will go and check if there are any horses resting inside and a clean carriage, though it will take some time to clean a carriage if there isn’t one.” 

The coachman also added that if their destination is far, then it will naturally take longer. 

“Where are you going?” 

“It’s not that far.” 

“Exactly where –” 

“I’ll let you know later, so kindly get it ready.” 

The coachman was confused when Siella suddenly cut off his words, but he soon nodded his head as he thought it wouldn’t be a big deal. 

“Alright, then I will make the arrangements as soon as possible.” 

“Thank you.” 

After confirming that the coachman was going back inside the coach house, Siella headed straight to the main house of the mansion. She was thinking of finding a nearby place and moving her things there right away. 

‘Anyway, I will be riding the carriage alone.’ 

Though there was the coachman, she would be the only one inside the carriage. And that’s why, it should be fine since I am not in the same enclosed space as the coachman. No, I need to hold it in even if it wasn’t alright. 

As Siella walked through the corridors, Siella calmly organized the plans she made the other night inside her head. And at some point, her continuous train of thoughts were abruptly cut off when Siella recognized the voice that flowed into her ears. 

“Leaving?” 

Siella involuntarily stopped in her tracks. Then she listened to the low voice drifting in the wind from some distance away. 

“Where should you be going?” 

“Duke….”

From the moment she was able to recognize their voices, the voices that came from somewhere behind the corridor close to the mansion became clearer than before. It was Eschert and Camellia’s voice. 

“Just like I said before, I am not suitable for this place. I have to quietly leave this place for Louie’s future….” 

“Are you talking about that again?” 

“…. Yes?” 

“Didn’t I already make it clear the other day? You deserve all of this.” 

Eschert’s usually cold and sharp voice was strangely affectionate. It felt like that even though he seemed to be angry and asking a question in a sharp manner. 

“Even after all that, do you still think that leaving this place was for the child’s future?” 

“Duke, I….” 

“It looks like you really don’t have any idea what that child really wants.” 

“…” 

“You thought wrong. There is no one better suited in this place other than you.” 

There was silence after he said that. 

Siella wondered if Camellia really wanted to leave. With her own eyes the day before, she learned that Camellia was looking for a place to stay with Leonard’s help. And with that, Camellia probably informed Eschert of that today right away. It also seemed like she had conveyed her intentions of leaving. 

However, it was difficult for Siella to accept and understand these series of events she saw. That would be the case – if she had known that Camellia had been thinking of leaving a long time ago. She wonders what kind of eccentricities Camellia might have encountered during her time in the mansion. 

It was strange. This was an incomprehensible situation. Something doesn’t add up no matter how much she thought about it. Just when Siella was thinking of that, 

“Lady Camellia.” 

As if he made up his mind, Eschert’s voice was much more resolute than before, shattering the heavy silence and rang heavily. 

“I will make it clear here and now.” 

“Yes? What….” 

“I…” a low voice that has a deep resonance stronger than ever, showing the firmness of its owner, “I want you to become the lady of the house.” 

Become the lady of the house. His words were direct that there was no room for any other interpretations. 

Siella took a deep breath. When she told him her intention to leave the mansion, wasn’t he the man who dismissed it as some immature complaint? And yet, that same man was about to hand over the position of lady of the House Nocturm to Camellia. 

(T/N: Now, you’ve said it, Eschert. I just want you to – ugh! I so badly wanted to curse.)