138 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards Episode 138
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A moment of silence passes. My stepfather couldn't answer easily. I quietly waited for his reply.
"Why don't you think it's Roena's intention? That girl isn't a child."
"But according to Margo, Roena can be a child. Am I the only one who thinks so? Ah, no. I misspoke."
I deliberately made a slip of the tongue, watching my stepfather's reaction. But he seemed lost in thought, remaining silent. So, I was the one who became anxious.
Did I go too far? Is it not the time to bring this up yet?
Fortunately, my stepfather not only generously accepted my words but also confirmed that he hadn't taken them lightly.
I was prepared to be told not to talk nonsense, but he agreed so easily that my preparations felt ridiculous.
Thanks to that, I felt quite relieved that his love for Mother was still deep.
"Alright, I understand what you mean. I also need to think about that matter. I'm sorry for not fully understanding your distress."
In truth, it wasn't completely resolved, but I could confidently say that I had planted some suspicion about Margo. If I pushed it any further, only I would look strange. So, I smiled as brightly as I could.
"No, thank you."
As I dabbed away tears that weren't even there with a handkerchief, my stepfather forced a smile as well.
"Don't worry."
"Yes."
Even if not right now, someday he would solve the mystery of today's suspicions. He would do his best for Mother, who was carrying my sibling. So, I could leave the study with peace of mind.
Ninety percent of the rumors about nobles circulating in the streets probably came from the mouths of maids running errands.
In the brief moment when the butcher was cutting meat, or when they met maids from other noble families on the street, they couldn't control their mouths, and the words spread like wildfire.
The news of Mother's pregnancy was the same.
Not long after I left my stepfather's study, Princess Dieunzel, as well as Lady Roshan and the various ladies and noblewomen she had introduced me to, rushed to send letters congratulating me on the upcoming sibling.
Before I knew it, my table was piled high with letters from social figures.
Marie and Seril looked surprised that people whose names everyone knew were sending me congratulatory letters. They had been working hard all along, but they hadn't realized I had built up such a network.
"You've received more than Lady Roena!"
Blan shouted excitedly. Ever since she had been harshly treated by Margo, she had been burning with a sense of competition in that regard, so she was easily pleased by such things.
"We need to write replies, so sort them out well."
I said, tearing open Lady Roshan's letter with a paper knife.
Lüce Roshan's letter was different from the others. Instead of congratulations, she comforted me, who might feel neglected because of the sibling, and emphasized that she was by my side.
And she even added a piece of paper with traditional methods and spells for conceiving a daughter, leaving a meaningful message.
'It might not be something everyone likes. So, I think Sis will definitely need this.'
I carefully folded the paper she sent and placed it in a small box on the side table next to my bed. Then, I quietly called Marie.
"Marie."
"Yes, Miss."
"You said that the maids serving Mother have also turned to your side?"
"Yes. They hang on my every word now."
"Then, I have a favor to ask."
"Just say the word."
"If any of the ingredients for Mother's medicine or food were sent by relatives of the family, could you find out what they were made of?"
Marie tilted her head, looking puzzled by my words.
"Why?"
Seril would have simply answered 'Yes.' I sighed and said reproachfully.
"Now I have to explain the reason to you as well."
"N-No, it's not that. I have to explain to those children why they have to do that..."
"Just say you're worried about Mother."
"Yes, I suppose so."
"Can you do that?"
"Of course. It's not a difficult task."
"Then go and ask them right away. And while you're at it, call Mlang."
Soon after, Mlang quietly entered. Perhaps because she wasn't doing Roena's hair at the moment, her visit was faster than expected.
"Miss, are you feeling alright?"
The first thing Mlang said when she saw me was concern about the previous incident. She continued to cherish the favor of having her insurmountable debt repaid.
Was that why? Her eyes were more loyal than Marie's, more obedient than Seril's, and more clever than Blan's. Especially the way she seemed ready to do anything I asked without question.
I beckoned her to come closer. And I reached out and took her hand. The calloused, rough skin felt raw through my fingers.
"It must be hard making hair, right? Goodness, look at this hand. It's all blistered and burned... There's not a single unscathed spot."
To create beautifully curled hairstyles, a hair iron heated to the right temperature is needed. If it's too hot, the hair will burn, and if it's not hot enough, it won't curl properly, so it was the job of the maids in charge of hair to heat it to the right temperature in advance.
Especially when styling hair as fine and delicate as Roena's, it took twice as much effort as with other people. So, Mlang's hands were always a mess and full of injuries.
"A-Ah, no. It's nothing. But what did you call me for? Ah, do I need to help with your hair?"
Mlang looked embarrassed and tried to pull her hand back, but I held her hand tightly and shook my head. And I put on the most affectionate voice I could muster to test her feelings.
"You said before that you would do anything for me, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you still feel the same way now?"
"Of course. I can do it right away."
"Good."
I smiled gently. And I met Mlang's gaze and quietly opened my mouth.
"You must talk sometimes when you're doing Roena's hair."
"Yes."
"Yes, I see. What do you usually talk about?"
"It varies from time to time. Ah, the other day, she just kept saying she was sad. I think she also said she was upset and frustrated."
"Do you ever bring up topics first?"
"If it's about family."
Yes, this is it. I tried to hide the joy that was about to burst out and said to her. As if I were talking about something trivial.
"Then you can bring up this kind of story first too. Because it's about family."
What I asked Mlang to do was very simple. I wanted her to casually say, as if she had heard it from another noble family's maid, a story that was a modified version of our current situation. Just like she usually talked, very naturally.
"Tell her that the girl in the story ended up being deprived of her position and property by the half-brother her stepmother bore, and was married off to an old man as if she was being sold."
Mlang didn't seem to understand at all why she had to tell such a story, but she didn't argue and only loyally replied that she would do her best.
"I'd like you to do it when Margo isn't around."
"Yes, don't worry."
"Yes, I'm counting on you."
I took off the ring on my finger and placed it in Mlang's hand. Along with the words to buy some nice gloves to wear since her hands were so rough.
Mlang looked very embarrassed by the sudden gift, but she readily accepted it.
Perhaps she thought it was a reward for the work she would have to do in the future, as there was nothing awkward about the way she carefully hid the ring in her skirt pocket.
A little later, Marie and the others returned, and Mlang greeted me and quietly left the room as if she had been waiting.
Marie seemed very curious as to why I had called Mlang, but unlike before, she endured and persevered. Instead, she had perfectly accomplished what she was told to do, and she had promised to let me know the names of the ingredients by note whenever there was a hint of that.
"Marie, there's one more thing you need to do."
I dismissed Seril and Blan and called only Marie closer. And I whispered softly in her ear.
"Can you do it?"
"Yes."
Marie replied with a confident expression. Pleased with her appearance, I took out a small coin purse from the drawer of the dressing table and handed it to her. Although it looked small on the outside, it was filled with silver coins, so it was not a small amount.
"Then, I'm counting on you. How could I do all this without you?"
Appropriate reward and praise. Marie was acting like she was about to die with just these two things. She greeted me with a flushed expression and repeated the words "Don't worry" three times.
And as soon as she heard the words to step back, she ran outside like she was flying. Just by looking at the wildly swaying hem of her skirt, I could tell how excited she was.
Whether it was because Mother was pregnant and they were giving me a break, or whether they had originally intended to rest, the calls from Lady Roshan and the Crown Prince had become infrequent for a while.
Unlike the Crown Prince, who had no news, Lady Roshan conveyed her recent situation through a short letter. She was taking a break due to the Empress, so she told me not to worry and to continue with the deceptive socializing.
So, I diligently picked out only the best invitations sent to me and wandered around here and there alone. Thanks to the network that had been well-established through Lady Roshan, I didn't experience sad things like neglect, mistreatment, or ridicule like before.
On the contrary, they were anxious not to treat me well. It was a shallow attempt to get Lady Roshan's attention even in this way.
If I felt a little uneasy, I could just find and attend a gathering where Lady Dieunzel's group was, so there had never been an unpleasant incident regarding gatherings.
In the meantime, two weeks had passed, and Roena, who had been very distressed by the stories she had heard from Mlang, eventually fell ill and became bedridden.
"It's a mental illness."
The family doctor shook his head and said to my stepfather. I, who had been dragged to her room because of the news that Roena was sick, was listening to the news without any emotion.
Mother couldn't come to see Roena because of the baby in her womb, so in the end, only my stepfather was filled with worry.
"Goodness, Roena. Why is your heart hurting? Tell this father."
Roena, who was lying on the bed, had a pale face like a doll. Her chapped lips and red, festering eyes made her look like a seriously ill patient.
"I'm, I'm really a bad person."
After a while, everyone listened in silence to her actions as she uttered words that seemed to blame herself in a voice full of tears. Before I knew it, her cheeks were getting wet with tears.
