[Chapter 33] What Am I Curious About?

The Revival Day was one of the biggest holidays of the year, and the number of items entering and leaving the McKenna mansion was staggering. The amount of food, gifts, and even everyday items provided to the guests was mind-boggling.

Given the circumstances, the back door of the mansion, through which all these goods passed, was never empty. Among the boxes entering the back door of the main building, a significant number had the word "Railing" written on them in elegant letters.

Joan Mori, who was checking the goods delivered by the Railing company, looked up with tired eyes.

In the dimly lit corridor, a bright platinum blonde stood out like a lit candle. Her beautiful eyes, which revealed her noble lineage, gazed at Joan.

No one in the mansion didn't know the "friend" brought by the McKenna Earl's precious only daughter. Joan blinked and asked:

"Are you lost, miss? This is the path for the servants."

"I know. I was just passing by and saw you working, so I came to say hello."

The girl explained her actions in a surprisingly mature way, despite her young age.

"Are you a servant, miss?"

Was there something that bothered her? Joan, who knew how Angelo felt about Neris Truede, felt a bit anxious.

If there was something that didn't sit well with her, she didn't know how to handle it.

Neris smiled brightly and said:

"Yes, I saw that the goods that were clearly received by the McKenna servant earlier were thrown away in the trash box and then came back in through the back door in a Railing company box."

The ledger in Joan's hand fell to the ground.

Neris's eyes, which seemed too mature for her age, sparkled with a hint of mischief. Joan realized that Neris was not as innocent as she seemed.

Her carefree attitude, like a casual suggestion to go for a walk, belied her true nature. Joan felt a shiver run down her spine.

There were no servants around, and Joan felt a sense of unease. She hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"Did you tell the adults?"

"Not yet. Why, would you try to silence me if I didn't?"

The impulse to do so had crossed her mind, but it was a fleeting thought. However, it was a fantasy that had no chance of coming true.

Joan was not the kind of person who would harm an innocent child to cover up her own wrongdoing.

Knowing this about herself, she eventually looked down, defeated. It seemed that this was the end.

It wasn't a satisfying conclusion, but it was the truth.

"You're saying that it's okay to embezzle goods and sell them twice, but it's terrible to take measures to keep the secret?"

The child's brow furrowed, but both of them knew that Joan's words didn't amuse her.

The clever child had summed up the situation perfectly. Joan took a long time to gather her thoughts before speaking again.

"...I've committed a crime, and now that it's been discovered, I must pay the price. That's all."

There was no intention to make excuses. Neris looked up at Joan's gloomy face and smiled brightly.

Before returning, Neris had clearly brought down Joan along with Angelo as part of the condition to bring him to the Elantria family.

At the time, she thought that Joan was targeted because she was a rising star as a merchant and had offended Angelo. However, it seemed that Angelo had not only cut her down but had also burned her to the ground.

"Was it Angelo's order? How can you pay the price alone?"

Joan's head jerked up. The intense turmoil in her eyes slowly subsided as she looked at Neris's calm face. She couldn't believe it.

As someone who had worked under Angelo and seen many noblewomen of relatively low status, Joan was surprised to see a dignified smile on the young girl's face.

Especially since Joan, who was of a lower status, was used to seeing people reveal their true nature in front of her.

And this was no ordinary situation.

"...Why do you think that?"

"Would someone who commits fraud for personal gain look as miserable as you do?"

Miserable face. Was it that obvious? Joan touched her own cheek without realizing it.

Her face, which had been soft and bright just a few years ago, had forgotten how to smile as she worked at the Railing company.

At first, her employer, Angelo, had only given her menial tasks, but soon discovered that she was meticulous, clever, and talented at grasping the situation. Slowly, all the dirty work of the Railing company fell into Joan's hands.

Although her position in the company seemed to have risen, and her salary had increased, Joan felt like a slave. A slave bought with copper coins, forced to work until death.

Did slaves have the right to pursue happiness?

It was a strange thing. The little girl in front of her seemed to know nothing about Joan's situation, yet she looked at her with a confident gaze, as if she knew that she was right.

And even stranger was that Joan felt a surge of emotions and wanted to cry just because of the girl's simple words.

She had no right to cry, having done dirty work and received hush money. Joan tried to calm herself down, telling herself that she had no right to cry.

Neris smiled wryly to herself as she looked at Joan.

Those who don't keep their promises can't be trusted. However, in her previous life, she had chosen Angelo because the Elantria family didn't intend to trust anyone.

Neris didn't know the exact circumstances, but Angelo must have also had a significant weakness in the Elantria family.

Their way of doing things was simple. Once they got what they wanted, they would try to stab each other in the back.

The one who acted faster would win, and the loser would die. It was a despicable tactic that couldn't last long.

At least, Neris, who didn't have a clear advantage to offer, couldn't try such a method.

So, she needed to gather trustworthy people. People who wouldn't forget what they had received and wouldn't betray her by nature.

In Neris's opinion, Joan was worth recruiting. The question she had asked was to test her suitability.

"Angelo Railing is not trustworthy. That's the most important thing for you to know."

As Neris expected, Joan looked like a person who had been hit with a weakness.

Joan was a person who had built up her capacity to run a rising merchant company despite suffering under Angelo. In her previous life, Neris had been the tool that brought her down, but if she left her alone this time, Joan would eventually be "taken care of" by Angelo.

Perhaps Joan herself knew that Angelo was not the kind of person to build a trusting relationship with.

Joan's eyes trembled with conflict.

"Miss... there are things that can't be undone for adults."

"There's nothing that can't be undone."

Even the dead could come back to life, as Neris had. Joan didn't seem to believe Neris's words, but her expression had brightened, and she seemed to want to believe.

Neris smiled, her small lips curling up.

Of course, she was confident that Joan hadn't done anything unforgivable in this life, like killing someone. If she had, Angelo would have brought it up when he brought her down in her previous life.

And now that she knew more about Joan's character from their conversation, she didn't need to hesitate.

Fortunately, Neris had enough experience in recruiting people from her previous life. Although she had lost the conditions she had back then, her experience was still a valuable asset that could help her.

"What people always need is courage. The courage to let go of what's bothering them, until the end."

"Miss..."

Joan's face became slightly anxious. Neris's words had touched something important inside her.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you can help me, and I can help you a little."

"About Heather?"

"There's something bigger than that."

Joan finally realized that no one had passed by for a long time, which was strange for a place where goods were constantly being delivered.

...From the beginning, this girl had come here to say something or hear something, and had deliberately kept the servants away.

And what Neris had to say was clear to Joan. She hesitated for a moment before bowing her head. Her eyes scanned the surroundings as she whispered quickly in Neris's ear.

Neris listened to the story without showing any surprise, nodding her head.

"I understand. Thanks for telling me. You can leave for now. If you go to the laundry room, my person will tell you what to do next."

The person Neris had bribed was an old and clever woman. She would skillfully help Joan escape.

Joan bowed deeply and quickly left. Neris remained alone in the dark corridor, standing still.

Soon, the sound of footsteps came from behind Neris. It was a light, yet firm step, not like a child's or an adult's, but rather a step that was full of presence and anger.

"Is this what you wanted?"

Neris turned around to see Heather glaring at her. She had been hiding behind the corner all this time.

Heather's expensive-looking pink taffeta dress accentuated her delicate beauty, but the cruel smile on her face made it hard to notice.

Heather approached Neris with her chin up, her attitude bold and fearless, unlike her usual gentle and obedient demeanor.

"Do you think my dad is a fool? That woman has no evidence, and even if she talks, the Earl and his wife won't say a word. Do you think you can go to Diane and tell her? Ha, you're nothing without her, anyway?"

Unlike Heather's expectations, Neris didn't look surprised or flustered. She smiled and replied...

"Even if you have Diane, you're nothing. Did you follow me out of curiosity about something?"

Heather's words were momentarily blocked. She stared at Neris with a calm and piercing gaze, then declared in a biting tone.

"You can't come here again."

"Whether you think that way is your freedom, and whether it comes true is up to me. Unfortunately."

Heather had been thinking Neris was ridiculous until just now, but as Neris finished speaking, she suddenly felt a chill.

What makes you so confident? Do you have something to rely on? And that gaze.

Your eyes are truly indifferent, as if you're saying that you're fundamentally different from me. It's as if you're saying that this kind of thing can't even touch the real sorrow I hold inside!

Heather felt anger and a strange fear rising up in her chest.

A child couldn't have eyes like that. When could a child like that have felt desperate survival instincts, or bitter sorrow?

Heather had seen many people who had been used and ruined by her father, but none of them had a face like that. They had been betrayed and lost important things, but...