•?••? ? ?••?•

“Hmm, Jane’s taking quite a while.”

Iva was sitting at the base of the central staircase in the Blanche mansion, absentmindedly waiting for Jane. 

Jane would probably scold her for sitting just anywhere again, but she had no other choice at the moment.

She was hoping that Jane, who went to return the peasant-look outfit, would bring back some information on Julian’s spy network.

“Could it be… Was Jane in league with the spies all along?”

She had wondered how Julian managed to shadow her all this time. It made sense for Julian to plant someone in the mansion rather than assign someone to tail Iva, who mostly stayed in.

But there had been no recent hirings. That meant the mole might be someone already working there.

“No. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions without evidence.”

The mansion, which should’ve been the most comfortable place for her, felt uncomfortable because of Julian.

Shaking off her complicated thoughts, she stood up briskly. She figured she’d be better off waiting while indulging in dessert, and was on her way to the bedroom.

“Huffff! Ah, Miss!”

A servant, not Jane, was running frantically from the main entrance.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Wondering if Jane had sent a letter, she quickly descended the stairs.

“Th-there’s… there’s a letter!”

“From whom?”

“Well… it’s, ah, it’s…”

Clearly out of breath from sprinting from the entrance, the servant struggled to find words. But a closer look at his face revealed another emotion: pure terror.

“What on earth happened?”

“It’s… it’s…”

“Give it to me. I’ll see for myself.”

Trembling, the servant handed over the letter with both hands.

“…Huh?”

Upon receiving it, Iva immediately realized this wasn’t an ordinary letter. The wax seal bore the emblem of the royal family.

“Is this… from the palace?”

“Yes.”

“And this emblem?”

“Yes, it’s the emblem of His Majesty the Emperor.”

“What?!”

A letter from the Emperor.

Suddenly, Iva felt her entire body shaking uncontrollably. Holding the letter properly was a challenge.

What happened? Did I do something wrong? Am I going to die? Did I cause harm to my family or my people again?

For a moment, she felt like she was back on the execution grounds. The cold, prickly ground beneath her, the taunting stares of the crowd, and the looming dread of death all consumed her.

“Miss? Are you alright?”

“Why, why, why me…”

Lost in thought, Iva began to waver, and the servant quickly reached out to steady her.

“Phew, I’ve arrived. Every time I see the desserts Miss loves, I end up buying everything.”

“Jane! Come here, quickly! Something’s wrong with the Miss!”

“What?!”

Jane, who had just returned to the mansion, rushed over to examine Iva. The color had drained from Iva’s face, and Jane’s concern deepened.

“What happened? Why is she so shocked?”

“After seeing this letter.”

Jane’s eyes widened in astonishment upon seeing the Emperor’s letter in Iva’s hand.

Trying to remain calm, Jane attempted to take the letter from Iva, but Iva, startled, pushed her away.

“No! Don’t look! You can’t see it!”

Terrified, Iva clutched the letter protectively, her heightened state making her worry that someone else would get hurt because of her.

Jane, on the other hand, met Iva’s red, teary eyes with a calm gaze.

“It’s alright, Miss. Let me see it. Nothing will happen.”

“No! Because of me… again, because of me…”

Holding a distraught Iva who had taken a step back, Jane comforted her. As Iva gradually calmed down in Jane’s warm embrace, Jane swiftly opened the letter.

The move was so swift that Iva didn’t even have a chance to stop it.

“Oh my.”

“Jane, qu-quickly, throw it away. And everyone, run! Pack your things, along with the mansion’s servants and our family…”

“Miss, His Majesty has bestowed a reward!”

“As far away as possi… What?”

Iva, struggling in Jane’s embrace due to fear, lifted her tear-filled face in surprise.

“Say that again?”

“His Majesty, the Emperor, says that thanks to the party you helped with, we’ve established trade relations with the Fenet Empire!”

“Really? Oh my, Miss, you’re amazing! I have to let the masters know!”

As Jane and the servant jumped for joy, the other servants, curious, began to gather around.

The more people gathered the more distant Iva felt among them. And she realized once again.

In this life too, one wrong move could cost her the lives of those she held dear.

•?••? ? ?••?•