20.

‘That’s what I’m going to do.’

Leaving behind just that cold statement, Elze departed.

[…Lady Lepherian.]

Benedict revisited what he knew about Elze.

A woman obsessively fixated on the Marquis Offenheir.

And a daughter who was almost abandoned in the Lepherian Viscounty.

The Lepherian Viscounty was a highly esteemed noble family even in aristocratic society, known for their wealth and influence.

In truth, the title of Viscount Lepherian was not inherited from Elze’s father but from her mother, who was the sole heiress of the Viscounty. However, after Elze’s father married into the Lepherian Viscounty, he assumed the title on behalf of his wife.

The seemingly blissful life of the Viscount couple was shattered when a long-concealed secret about Elze’s father came to light. It was revealed that he had a son with his concubine before his marriage.

Elze’s mother, shocked and distressed, fell ill and eventually passed away, while Elze’s father remarried, as if he had been waiting for this revelation.

During all this, Elze rebelled against her father’s actions. Her father, annoyed by his daughter from a previous marriage, tried to marry her off for a good dowry.

Given Elze’s outstanding beauty, it seemed like a perfect plan, but…

[I’d rather die than marry like that!]

After swallowing pills several times, jumping into the river, and rebelling to extremes, Elze finally managed to secure the position of the Marquis Offenheir’s lover.

Subsequently, she became the manager of the Rose Cross Residential School, shedding her reputation as a luxurious, arrogant, and foolish villain…

‘Actually meeting Lady Lepherian, she didn’t seem like that kind of person.’

Communication flowed smoothly, her intellect was exceptional, and her judgment was sound. The notoriety surrounding Elze seemed to be only skin-deep and had not reached her true essence.

‘Furthermore… How did she find out?’

Benedict’s true identity.

He had kept his role as an information operative separate from his role as a merchant, not even disclosing it to his family.

Those who knew that Benedict was operating as an information agent could be counted on one hand within the entire Empire.

All of them were working undercover as clerks in this pastry shop…

As Benedict pondered these thoughts deeply,

“Excuse me, my lord.”

A clerk cautiously called Benedict.

“What should we do about the investigation requested by Lady Lepherian?”

“For now, proceed with it.”

“Understood.”

The clerk nodded and then left.

Benedict leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

‘Lady Lepherian.’

The street that had casually drawn near.

A sweet fragrance that tickled the tip of the nose.

Honey-colored eyes gazing up at him.

The sight, reminiscent of a perfectly blooming deep pink rosebud.

Strangely, it flickered within his blurred vision.

* * *

Before I knew it, the sun was setting gently, and it seemed like I had lingered at the Pie Shop for quite some time.

As I walked toward the carriage waiting area with quick steps, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

A small square had come into view.

A charming fountain sprayed a refreshing stream of water.

Around it, small street vendors selling ice cream and snacks were scattered here and there.

“Mom!”

I watched as children ran into their mother’s embrace.

Families holding hands, strolling together.

Friends engaged in chattering conversations.

Even lovers exchanging sweet glances.

… Everyone seemed happy.

However, amidst this scene, a child running joyfully with an ice cream cone suddenly stumbled on something, and I instinctively caught the child’s shoulder.

“You should be careful.”

But the problem was that just as the child was about to fall, the ice cream the child was clutching spilled onto an expensive dress.

The ice cream left a messy stain on the dress.

“Oh!”

The startled child looked at me with wide eyes.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay.”

I smiled and shook my head.

Well, it really was okay.

Elze had a closet full of dresses, and I had ordered a new one at the clothing store today.

“…”

At that moment, the child gazed at me with a somewhat entranced look.

‘Why are you staring like that?’

I was tilting my head when, all of a sudden, the child’s mother rushed in, flustered.

Then, she noticed the stained dress and her expression seemed like she was about to faint.

“Ma’am, I’m so sorry!”

The child’s mother stammered, as she couldn’t even properly form words.

I waved my hand dismissively.

“It’s fine.”

“But, ma’am… the dress…”

She couldn’t seem to articulate her thoughts due to shock.

I clapped my hands roughly.

“It’s done.”

“I… I should at least pay for the cleaning, or…”

The child’s mother, with a pale face, bit her lip.

I gazed at her with mixed feelings.

I knew, I really did. That dress I had casually grabbed from my closet was probably more expensive than that family’s half-year living expenses.

So, was I in a happier position than that family?

Even though they lived in challenging circumstances, they still cherished and loved each other as a harmonious family. On the other hand, I was an aristocrat’s lover, relying on the wealth and power of my lover to act arrogantly and extravagantly. I honestly didn’t know which life was happier.

However, what I desired in life was clear.

That was…

“I’m truly sorry, ma’am. I’ll compensate you in any way, please forgive us…”

The child’s mother now looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

I finally spoke firmly.

“I said it’s okay.”

“Yes, yes?”

The child’s mother was taken aback for a moment.

I took out my purse.

Under the twilight’s dim light, the gold coins shone coldly.

I clenched a handful of gold coins in a haphazard manner and placed them in the child’s mother’s hand.

“This is for the ice cream.”

“What? Um… hmm.”

In an instant, the child’s mother swallowed a gasp as she gazed down at the gold coins I had given her.

I think someone once said that five gold coins were equivalent to a commoner’s monthly living expenses.

I continued speaking gently.

“Little one, it looks like you like ice cream.”

I gestured to the ground with my chin.

On the ground, there was a mound of ice cream the child had dropped.

“You can use this to buy a new ice cream.”

“Ma’am…”

“Don’t say any more. It’s bothersome.”

With those words, I swiftly turned around.

From behind, I could hear the child’s mumbling in a playful manner.

“Mom, isn’t that lady so pretty?”

“La-lady?!”

The mother panicked, attempting to hold the child back.

“I saw her smile earlier; she was really, really beautiful! Like an angel!”

…An angel.

There couldn’t be a word less fitting for me.

If I were to compare, I was more like the guardian of Rose Cross Residential School, rather than being likened to the gatekeeper of Hell.

Still, the reason I couldn’t stop stroking the corners of my lips unconsciously was that…

‘I smiled in front of that child…’

Most of the time, I smiled deliberately and calculatedly, trying to appear as charming as possible, doing whatever it took to gain someone’s favor. I practiced every detail, from softening my gaze to raising the corners of my lips. But just now, I didn’t do any of that. Without any calculations, I just naturally smiled because of the child’s innocence.

It was the first time.

‘It’s strange, I feel like I’m the odd one out here.’

Watching the peaceful daily lives of ordinary people makes me feel like I’m forcibly placed in an incompatible setting.

Yet, I still yearn to fit into this warm scene, even if just a little, and eagerly crave even a small piece of that warmth.

‘Someday.’

The thought popped into my head unexpectedly.

‘Someday, if I ever escape from this dreadful romantic fantasy world, I should open a shop.’

It could be a coffee house, an ice cream shop, a bookstore, or a general store. As long as it’s a place where I can have periodic conversations with people.

So…

“Oh.”

In that moment, I suddenly realized.

‘I’m lonely’

I bit my lip.

‘This could be problematic.’

It would have been better if I had remained oblivious to it.

Loneliness, once acknowledged, inflates itself at will. When you snap back to your senses, you find yourself constantly seeking reliance from anyone, and you discover a vulnerable side of yourself.

…Even though I knew I didn’t have the luxury to do that.

But then…

“Madam Elze!”

In that moment, my mind cleared as if I had just been splashed with cold water.

It was the coachman from the carriage I had ridden.

He had meticulously dressed as a coachman for Rose Cross Residential School, and when I faced him, the illusion of floating in the air vanished completely.

In its place, a chilling sense of reality swept over me.

‘Yeah, let’s set aside self-pity and brooding for later.’

Right now, the place I had to return to was the most glamorous hell in this empire…

The Rose Shadow Mansion.