Chapter 56
56
Before Ero left Helland, she met with Solskjaer. She had given him a heads-up about her plan, so he seemed somewhat prepared.
"Ero, this isn't just a simple play."
"I know."
"If it's not perfect, your life will be in danger."
Solskjaer's worries showed no sign of ending. But Ero wanted to know what she was capable of. It wasn't just about helping a friend; it was like an adventure for her.
"Chamberlain, I lived in the forest before coming to Helland."
"The forest? Was your home there?"
"Yes, so I thought the forest was my whole world. But inevitably, people came to the forest, and my identity was exposed. No one knows the despair I felt then."
She couldn't do anything and didn't know what to do. She was just pushed around by her parents and ended up in the mine. In the end, she was lucky enough to meet Maria.
"I don't want to settle down."
"?"
"Nora is working hard to earn money to get her children back from slavery, Ramona is getting revenge on the people who oppressed her when she was young, and the Queen Consort is doing all sorts of things. So I need to find a way too."
Solskjaer stroked Ero's hair. He understood what she was saying without difficulty. What she wanted to do, what she was good at, and what her ultimate dream was... She wanted to learn how to live her life. Just like he had a long time ago. When he was a slave, he only had to follow his master's orders, but when he became a free man, he didn't know how to live and wandered around. Gunther was the one who became his life partner at that time, and Pope Liberio was the one who showed him the way.
"I don't think I can't do something or that there are limits just because my body is male."
"......"
"I want to become as strong as Queen Consort Maria."
The woman who had everything under her feet and reigned supreme fell into the abyss in an instant. An ant crawling on the ground can live as if the dirt floor is everything, but a hawk that flies in the sky dies when it falls to the ground. She was speechless, her family was gone, and all she had left was her body. But she didn't die and got back up to where she is now.
Of course, it was possible because she had Gunther as a light, but could I have overcome it? I often asked myself.
"I don't want to create impossibilities for myself. That way, I can stay by Solskjaer's side for a long, long time, right?"
She knew too well that love that can only be protected by being strong. Solskjaer looked into Ero's moist eyes and gently reached out and hugged her.
"Yes, just because you have a different kind of love doesn't mean it's not love. You can have a love that is true enough and even destined."
But Solskjaer was worried about Ero. It was like throwing a child who couldn't even swim into the river and just praying that they would survive. Solskjaer took Ero out of his arms for a moment and pulled out the dagger he had stuck in his boot.
"It's for self-defense. Always stick it in your boots like I do. It's a dagger that has saved my life every time I've been in danger."
"Is it okay for you to just give me something like that?"
"I've sharpened the blade every time, but it's been a while since I used that dagger. You'll need it more than I do."
"Thank you, Chamberlain."
Ero kissed Solskjaer lightly on the cheek.
* * *
After Nancy learned that Laurent had been taken to Helland, she tried not to provoke Henry. She just silently focused on preparing for Monica's birthday party. But she was worried that this party would be very modest.
'I'm very short on money.'
But it wasn't the right time to go to Henry and talk about money. If I had some spare money at times like this, I could win Henry and Monica's favor. It was a disadvantage that she didn't have a network of wealthy people because she was a maid. Moreover, the fact that all the mistresses who used to please Monica had left made her more and more irritable.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Ackman."
Just then, Ramona approached Nancy.
"Ramona, what's wrong?"
Nancy's tone was quite friendly. Really, if it hadn't been for Ramona, she wouldn't have been able to drive Laurent out of the Imperial Palace. Her contribution was great.
"Can I ask you for a favor?"
"What favor?"
"I need an invitation to the late Empress's birthday party."
"Really? Who are you going to give it to? Is it your sister's fortune-telling again this time?"
Ramona took this opportunity to give a long explanation.
"It's not fortune-telling, but a person my sister knows well. Have you heard of Kirtan, a new country in the northwest?"
"Kirtan? I've never heard of that country."
"You probably don't know much about it. It's a country in a very remote area. Like Helland, it became rich because Magic Stones poured out. But the prince of that country wants to attend this party."
She said that it was just a small tribe in the northwest, but it became a kingdom when a mine with Magic Stones was discovered.
"The prince of Kirtan?"
"Yes, he had a relationship with my sister since it was a poor country."
'A nouveau riche. He suddenly became rich, so he probably wants to show off.'
Nancy smiled brightly at Ramona. If she did well, she might be able to create her own network of wealthy people. But Ramona surprised Nancy with an unexpected remark.
"That prince has a lot of money. He's debuting in Lastonia's social circles and looking for places to invest."
"Really?"
Is this what they call a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? If she connected the Prince of Kirtan with Henry and Monica, it would only be a matter of time before she monopolized their love. But she had to be more careful than ever. She could end up just introducing them and being pushed out of the spotlight.
"The prince told me to give this to Mrs. Ackman."
Ramona handed Nancy a large red velvet pouch. She felt like she could smell money coming from the pouch, and sure enough, it was full of gold coins. Moreover, they were so pure that they shone brightly.
"Why would he give me such a large sum of money?"
"It's about building connections. Mrs. Ackman is the real power in the Imperial Family. And now Laurent is gone."
"The real power?"
Nancy couldn't hide her overflowing joy.
"I'll write a note to the Chamberlain, so go and get an invitation."
"Thank you, Mrs. Ackman."
The saying that opportunity comes to those who persevere was so true. Unlike Laurent, who was impatient to become Empress right away, she had been preparing silently, and such good fortune followed. When she thought about it, Henry's attention and affection were more important to her than the position of Empress. That's why she betrayed Maria. So if she continued to love Henry diligently, good luck would follow her naturally, just like now. She felt overwhelmed because she felt like only good things would happen to her in the future.
Ramona turned around with a smile. But the fabricated smile that had been on her face quickly evaporated like steam. Ramona had visited Laurent in the prison where she was being held the night before she was taken to Helland. In the real Ramona Tail that Laurent Seradu remembered. Of course, she was able to enter the prison without difficulty after Stone used simple magic to subdue the guards guarding the door.
[How did you?]
As expected, Laurent looked as surprised as if she had seen a Magical Creature.
[I came to see your miserable end, Laurent Seradu.]
At Ramona's words, the blood drained from Laurent's face. Soon, she let out a hollow laugh and asked.
[Was it you? The one who stole the letter from my bedroom?]
[Yes. Bad people must be punished by Divine punishment.]
Laurent just opened her mouth and couldn't say a word properly. Why hadn't she noticed? If she had been fluttering around with that pink hair, she would have definitely caught her eye. Had she disguised herself?
[Laurent, you still have that habit, don't you? When you have something important, you hide it in the head of a statue. So I found it.]
If it were me, I would have burned it right away. But Laurent had a habit of displaying and keeping her misdeeds from the past. She was the owner of a bad habit of taking them out and praising her own abilities when she felt safe.
[You're going to die miserably in Helland.]
Large teardrops fell from Ramona's eyes. How long had she been waiting for this moment? The devilish woman who had burned her face and committed all kinds of harassment. Even in the moment of breathing in the dirty pigsty, she never forgot. She endured, vowing to take the most severe revenge someday. But such a day has come. Just warning Laurent, who would face a terrible fate in the future, was overwhelming.
[I should have gotten rid of a bad omen like you a long time ago.]
Laurent spewed out curses at Ramona like a madwoman. But Ramona remained unshaken, always smiling. Because when Laurent goes to Helland, Maria, a hell, will be waiting for her. Maria will never kill Laurent easily. Really, it was a pity that she couldn't watch it with her own eyes. Also, there was one last thing she had to correct for Laurent.
[Laurent, you're not more beautiful than me.]
[You're still crazy. There's no woman in this world more beautiful than me.]
The illusion that she is the most beautiful in the world. That's why if there was a maid around her who was even a little pretty, she would not only harass her but also completely ruin her. A psychopath who is delusional that all men are fascinated by her.
[No, I'm fine. You're the crazy one, not me. I hope you come to your senses before you die.]
Slap! Ramona slapped Laurent's shameless face very hard for the last time. A thrilling thrill struck her whole body in an instant.