15.

A moment later.

After escorting Brigitte to her bedroom, I glanced back at her briefly.

“Are you okay?”

To my question, Brigitte nodded with a fragile expression.

“Yes, I’m okay.”

But her reflexive answer of “okay” was probably just a response that came out. In reality, she probably wasn’t okay.

As evidence, her fingertips were trembling uncontrollably.

“…”

I observed Brigitte in silence.

The reason I had openly shielded Brigitte from Viktor, crushing him head-on and making a clear statement in front of everyone at the boarding school.

It was all for the message: ‘I’m on your side.’

Of course, I was well aware that most of my actions so far had been incredibly self-centered. To evaluate how much utility a person had and help them accordingly wasn’t driven by pure altruism…

Disgusting, to say the least.

‘However…’

I ruthlessly trampled down the rising guilt.

‘I want to survive.’

I wasn’t the original heroine who received everyone’s love for no apparent reason.

I was a walking death flag.

A villainess who incurred everyone’s enmity just by breathing.

That was me.

So, I was willing to do anything to survive.

… Even if it meant deceiving others.

But what I needed to say to Brigitte right now was:

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

My apology must have seemed a bit unexpected.

Brigitte looked at me, tilting her head in curiosity.

I carefully chose my words.

“Even though I’m supposedly a steward, I never showed any interest in the fact that you were suffering.”

“Lady Elze.”

“I apologize. It’s my fault.”

“…”

Even though the person who had ignored Brigitte was the ‘original Elze,’ I still felt the need to apologize. Now that I was that ‘Elze.’

As the ‘Elze,’ I had to live on.

However, Brigitte didn’t show any positive response to my apology, nor any signs of accepting it. Instead, she cautiously gauged my reaction and asked with a voice filled with suspicion.

“Do you… have something you want from me?”

“Something I want?”

“Yes. I’m thankful for your help, but… I mean…”

Brigitte couldn’t finish her sentence and just nervously nibbled on her lips.

‘Ah.’

I realized in an instant. Bridgette was trying to convey something to me right now.

‘You can’t genuinely want to help me, can you?’

“…”

My mouth felt bitter.

Brigitte’s lack of trust in me wasn’t discomforting. Rather…

‘Why is Brigitte like this…? I understand too well.’

The Rose Cross Mansion. A grand hell created with immense malice, the most dazzling inferno in society.

Brigitte had suffered for far too long in this hell. Since she entered the boarding school, she probably hadn’t experienced a single moment of joy. No matter how sincere I was in approaching her, all she saw was betrayal. In the end, she probably chose to close her heart.

Moreover, even I, who was now trying to get closer to Brigitte, was only wearing a mask of goodwill to use her.

On the other hand, Brigitte, who had silently accepted my silence, was now wearing an even more frightened expression.

Desperately, she added, “I… I have nothing I can do for you, Lady Elze. So…!”

“…”

I looked at Brigitte silently, organized my thoughts for a moment, and replied in a gentle tone.

“Well, there is actually one thing.”

Brigitte tensed her shoulders.

Staring into her eyes filled with fear, I calmly continued.

“I want to be friends with Countess Martin.”

Friends.

At the mention of that word, Brigitte’s gaze shook visibly.

“…Yes? B-But…”

“People in similar situations often understand each other’s pain and feel compassion, don’t they?”

I offered a faint smile.

“Moreover, there are no people in this boarding school who resemble each other as much as you and Countess Martin.”

“Me… resemble Lady Elze?”

“Well, yes.”

I concluded matter-of-factly.

“We are the ones who are not welcomed by anyone else in this boarding school, after all.”

* * *

Some time passed.

Bridgette sat there dazed, staring at the door Elze had left through.

‘What just… happened?’

Elze’s words and actions kept replaying in her mind without pause.

[I want to be friends with Countess Martin.]

Words she couldn’t even imagine.

Brigitte, her throat dry, answered with a trembling voice.

[Do I have to answer right away?]

[No.]

Elze tilted her head.

[You can’t force a friendship.]

[Then…]

Brigitte, her lips trembling, unexpectedly let her true feelings spill out.

[I need time to think alone.]

Gasp.

Simultaneously, Brigitte took in a sharp breath.

This is practically like issuing an invitation to a congratulatory spirit. But there was something even more surprising.

[Got it.]

Instead of showing any signs of displeasure, Elze stood up graciously from her seat.

[Rest well.]

After leaving such a brief farewell, Elze exited the room without hesitation.

Thump.

The door closed.

“…Lies.”

Brigitte murmured unconsciously.

Understandably so, as this was the first time someone had respected her opinion and followed it.

In this boarding school, or more accurately, outside as well, Brigitte had always been forced to accept others’ opinions.

[You’re as stiff as a rock, not a living being!]

Her husband’s insulting words, and even the mockery in her husband’s letter,

[If you want to capture the Count’s heart, you need to make an effort, you know?]

Even her husband’s blatant taunts.

The cold gazes that looked down on Brigitte, the ones that belittled her, were still vivid in her memory.

That’s why Elze’s apology was truly special to Brigitte.

[Sorry…]

Because it was the first time.

“Among those who tormented me or just watched…”

The person who apologized and said sorry was Elze Leperhan.

She’s known as the villainess in society.

The Emperor’s illegitimate child, wielding power over the shadows through the prestige of the Marquis of Offenheir, soaring high without any bounds.

How wicked her personality was, it was said that she indulged in malice without sparing anyone.

But in this hellish Rose Cross Boarding School, the person who admitted her own mistakes first and apologized was.

The only person who treated her kindly.

…Isn’t it only Elze?

But then.

Knock, knock.

A short knock echoed.

Startled, Brigitte asked in a trembling voice.

“W-What’s going on?”

“Miss Elze has sent this.”

…Elze?

Brigitte swallowed dryly and replied.

“Come in.”

After that, the door opened.

The first thing that caught her eye was a large trolley.

Huh?

Brigitte blinked her eyes.

On the trolley were elegant tea foods, beautifully crafted teacups, and a teapot.

The maids bowed deeply towards Brigitte.

“She apologizes for unintentionally disrupting tea time earlier and asked that you convey her apologies.”

There was no trace of the subtle disdain they usually showed towards Brigitte.

The maids acted with courtesy as if serving a noble.

“I will pour the tea. And as for the cake…”

“It’s fine, you can all leave.”

Feeling burdened by the maids’ attitude, Brigitte hastily said.

The maids, who had been glancing at each other, bowed politely again.

“Understood. Please call us if you need anything at any time.”

“…Right.”

Brigitte, waiting for the maids to leave, cautiously approached the tea table. She picked up the teapot and poured the tea, and the fragrant aroma of tea slowly spread through the air. The color of the tea was a lovely shade of pink. It wasn’t the coarse tea that Brigitte had always been drinking.

“…”

After a moment of silence, Brigitte reached out her hand. She took a sip of the tea, letting the warm and fragrant liquid flow down her throat.

“…It’s delicious.”

As if tears were about to come.

Brigitte tightly held the teacup with both hands and suppressed her breath.

* * *

After parting with Brigitte, I was walking down the corridor of the East Wing where the maids’ lounge was located.

‘I asked them to send tea and snacks to Brigitte. I wonder if they brought them properly?’

Of course, I was curious about Brigitte’s reaction and how well the message was conveyed. While I could call the maids and hear what they had to say, what I was really interested in were the raw conversations that took place among the maids when they were alone.

And such conversations tended to flow out when their guards were down. For instance, when the maids were chatting among themselves.

Amidst those thoughts, I noticed maids pushing a trolley in the distance, approaching me.

I discreetly entered the adjacent room of the maids’ lounge and hid myself. Then, I slightly extended my head to observe the maids’ actions.

‘Good.’

Since the trolley was empty for now, it seemed like the tea and snacks were delivered to Brigitte properly.

Now, all I needed to do was listen in on what the maids were gossiping about…

‘Wait, who’s that person?’

For a moment, my eyes widened. It was because Victor was striding towards me from the opposite end of the corridor.