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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Rachel's Scheme (4)
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The room hadn't been cleaned since she'd been imprisoned, and a fine layer of dust had settled everywhere. In the corner, the jewelry box the maids had brought for the garden party, and the jewelry she'd kept in the drawers, were still there.
As expected, Helena and Victoria had no interest in the jewelry they possessed. Especially out-of-fashion pieces would have long vanished from their minds.
Just as she finished checking the jewelry, a maid brought in food.
The maid gently set down a large tray and was about to leave.
"You there."
At Ariana's call, the maid stopped.
The maid had short red hair and downturned eyes, giving her an innocent appearance. She was a new face, perhaps having come to work for the Bronte family to replace the maids who had been imprisoned.
"What's your name?"
"Rosalyn, Miss."
Judging by the maid's submissive demeanor, she seemed unaware of Ariana's current predicament. It was precisely this kind of maid that Ariana needed.
"I have a favor to ask of you..."
There was a risk Rachel might find out, but for now, using the maid was her only option.
She couldn't just leave the mansion without being assigned an errand.
"Tell me, Miss."
"Can you leave the mansion unnoticed and bring a peddler here?"
Ariana took out a hairpin from the box. Made of gold and set with two small sapphires, it was a valuable item far beyond a maid's wages.
"If you run this errand for me, I'll give you this one now, and two more similar pieces after you've met the peddler."
Rosalyn hesitated for a moment before taking the hairpin Ariana offered.
"Where should I bring the peddler?"
"Bring him to the woods behind the mansion's back gate."
"Then I'll meet you in the woods behind the mansion's back gate in two hours."
After Rosalyn left, Ariana drank the water she had brought.
The water, drunk after so long, was so cool and sweet it brought tears to her eyes. Ariana drank more than half the jug before finally eating.
There was soft bread that smelled freshly baked, a rich mushroom soup, a salad of corn, beans, and finely chopped onions tossed in a refreshing dressing, and thinly sliced ham.
She chewed slowly and thoroughly, careful not to upset her starved stomach.
Food that Helena would have dismissed with a "Who eats this kind of rubbish?" Ariana chewed carefully and ate every last bite.
Afterward, she selected the most valuable-looking pieces from the jewelry box. Having no bag for them, she removed a pillowcase and put them inside.
'This should be enough to cover the cost of going to Dongnyeong.'
She wanted to sell all the jewelry, but she had to be prepared for contingencies. Helena or Victoria might remember the existence of the jewelry.
Ariana carefully hid the pillowcase inside her dress skirt before leaving the room. If Rosalyn wasn't Rachel's setup, she would be entering the Bronte mansion's woods with the peddler by now.
She composed her expression to avoid looking suspicious and was hurrying down the hallway when it happened.
"Ariana."
At the voice from behind, Ariana stopped abruptly and turned around.
Rachel stood in the hallway with Helena.
As if going out, Rachel and Helena were wearing thick coats. Helena was stroking a white fox fur scarf with a displeased expression.
"Mother, Miss."
Ariana curtsied slightly to the two of them.
Rachel narrowed her brows.
"How long are you going to keep calling your sister 'Miss'? Don't keep your distance; call her 'sister' and try to get along."
Helena's expression darkened further, but she didn't whine as usual.
"Yes, Mother. I will."
"By the way, where are you going?"
"I just wanted to get some fresh air. If not, I'll go back to my room."
"No, it's fine. You must be stifled from being confined. Have you reflected on your actions?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Good. You'll need to prepare a lot to go to the capital, so be careful not to catch a cold and behave yourself properly. Understood?"
If she had heard these words before her death, she would have been overjoyed to tears. She would have been so excited by the thought that her mother finally cared for her, tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep.
But now, every word Rachel spoke sounded like it held a hidden blade to Ariana's ears.
Ariana bowed her head with a faint smile.
"Yes, Mother. I'll be careful."
Ariana stepped aside to let them pass first. Rachel and Helena walked past her. Helena quickly turned her head to glare at Ariana, then let out a disdainful "Hmph!" and snorted.
Ariana waited for them to leave, then hurried her steps.
+++
As she entered the woods, the wind blowing through the trees sharply grazed her arms. Despite the cold wind, Ariana straightened her back and walked slowly.
Rosalyn and the peddler emerged from behind a tree.
Rosalyn approached Ariana first and whispered quietly.
"I called over a peddler who was about to leave Weston City. He'll depart Weston City as soon as your business is concluded, so there won't be any problems."
Ariana was slightly surprised by Rosalyn's cleverness. Receiving Ariana's gaze, Rosalyn bowed her head slightly and stepped back.
A distance far enough that Ariana and the peddler's conversation wouldn't be overheard.
'She's quick-witted.'
Ariana turned her gaze from Rosalyn and approached the peddler.
Haggling with the peddler wasn't difficult. She had often helped Ingou Albrecht, the merchant she married, with his business, and she'd had many occasions to haggle while assisting the Third Prince.
Ariana sold the jewelry at a good price and bought a sharp dagger cheaply. She figured a day might come when she would need it to protect herself.
After sending the peddler away, she returned to her room and immediately checked the money pouch.
22 gold coins.
It was Ariana's first time personally possessing such a large sum of money.
Carrying 22 gold coins on her person would be difficult.
'If I carry this around, someone might find out. I should deposit it in a trustworthy bank...'
To go to a bank, she would have to leave the mansion. She could ask Rosalyn to call a peddler, but she couldn't entrust her with such a large sum of money.
And inviting a banker was also risky. There were fraudsters who pretended to be bankers, created fake accounts, and stole money.
'I should avoid anything conspicuous until I go to the capital. For now, should I bury this under a tree?'
As she pondered which tree to bury it under to avoid being noticed by the mansion's residents, someone knocked on her door.
Ariana hastily hid the money pouch in her petticoat pocket, then got into bed, pulled the blanket up to her neck, and answered.
"Come in."
The person who entered was Rosalyn.
"What is it?"
"I thought you might have another errand for me."
"Why would you think that? Did Mother secretly instruct you to do something?"
"The Duchess isn't very generous, is she?"
Ariana had deliberately probed her directly, expecting her to be flustered, but Rosalyn spoke calmly without flinching.
"There's nothing for me to gain by reporting your actions, Miss, and even if she were in a good mood and gave a reward, it would only be a few coins tossed my way."
Rosalyn's words were true.
Rachel wasn't lavish with her employees.
"But you, Miss, promised me one piece of jewelry just for calling the peddler, and two more after he arrived. When you're so generous with such valuable things, why would I want to displease you?"
Despite her innocent appearance, Rosalyn was shrewd, and Ariana liked that about her.
A maid who cleverly calculated what would benefit her was more useful than maids who simply played it safe and did whatever they were told just because their mistress was the lady of the house.
As long as Ariana had something to give Rosalyn, Rosalyn wouldn't go running to Rachel to report Ariana's every move.
'I should use those who are useful.'
She couldn't do everything alone. Especially now, with her hands tied by the Ducal House of Bronte, she needed an accomplice.
'It would also be foolish to turn a blind eye to someone valuable just out of fear of betrayal.'
Ariana made up her mind and took out the money pouch.
"I need to deposit this money in a bank."
"I'd recommend Braden Bank. It hasn't been established for long, but I've heard it's trustworthy and convenient to use because it has branches in every major city."
Ariana had thought the same.
Braden Bank wasn't very famous at this point, but in a few years, it would become the most reliable bank.
However, it was strange that Rosalyn, a mere maid, knew this fact. It seemed she wasn't from an ordinary commoner background.
There were more than a few questionable aspects, but since she had decided to use her, she wouldn't dig deeper. She didn't yet have the power to investigate Rosalyn's background.
Ariana had even considered the possibility that Rosalyn might take the gold coins and run away. But two hours later, Rosalyn returned with a Braden Bank account created.
"Here's the account token. I set the password myself, but..."
Rosalyn told Ariana the account password.
The account token was a medal the size of two fingers, with the account number inscribed on it and the Braden Bank seal stamped on the back. Ariana, feeling a fresh sense of novelty, fiddled with the account token, the first she had ever owned.
Now Ariana had sufficient funds for her escape.
+++
Late at night.
A maid emerged from Rachel's room, her hood pulled low, and left the mansion. She climbed into a shabby carriage waiting outside the mansion and headed somewhere.
The carriage stopped in a dangerous area deep within the slums, a place where people involved in all sorts of shady dealings gathered.
Trembling with fear, the maid entered a pub and whispered something to the pub owner, handing him a silver coin. The gruff-looking pub owner nodded and led the maid further inside.
After the maid waited for a moment in an inner room, a man entered. He was a clean-cut young man.
The maid handed him one gold coin and said,
"The day after tomorrow, 3 PM. The pergola next to the central pond in Bronte Forest."
The young man tossed the gold coin up and caught it, asking with amusement,
"The target?"
"A woman with sky-blue hair and pale skin."
"I've heard about a woman with sky-blue hair and pale skin. Is it the Bronte family's second daughter?"
The maid's eyes flickered for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and said in a low voice,
"You'd do well to watch your mouth. You know our master's eyes are everywhere, don't you?"
"Of course. Is there anyone in Weston City who dares defy the Bronte family?"
"If you do this properly, you'll get five times what you've just received."
