ILOIML 06

Chapter 6

After Leon left, I turned my gaze back to the Marchioness.

“Tell me the truth. I ate that chocolate too.”

“It was really hard to get that chocolate. It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

“It wasn’t just regular chocolate, was it?”

The Marchioness looked at me with an innocent face, as if she truly didn’t know anything. But behind that fake sweetness, I could see something sneaky in her eyes.

“You’re really going to pretend you don’t know?”

“I really don’t know. You’ve really changed, haven’t you? Are you even the real Bella? Or did staying next to the Grand Duke make you think you’ve become someone important, even if he is a fool?”

Her shameless face made my anger boil.

“I am someone now. I became the Grand Duchess. And Leon cares about me. You saw it, didn’t you? How much he depends on me?

Oh, is that it? Are you jealous because you never got love, and now someone like me—someone you thought was beneath you—is being loved? You’re not really that petty, are you?”

The Marchioness’s face instantly hardened.

Huh? Wait… was I just trying to poke her nerves, and accidentally hit the truth?

My mouth dropped open in surprise.

“So what if that’s true? You think you have everything now, just because you’re with that fool? But when reality hits, you’ll think about my offer again. I’ll at least make sure you live well abroad. That’s not a bad deal for you, is it?”

Live abroad? Is she trying to ship me off? But why?

I was married to Leon under the Emperor’s order. Even though I ignored the Marquis’s command to spy on him, if I disappeared, wouldn’t that put the Marquis in a difficult spot?

Wait a minute… what if that’s exactly what she wants—to make the Marquis suffer?

“You’re really a sad person,”

I whispered to myself.

Whatever her reason, I suddenly felt genuinely sorry for her.

I didn’t want to talk anymore. Just having a conversation with someone who played such low tricks made me feel like I was lowering myself too.

“If you pull something like this again, I really won’t forgive you.”

I gave her one last warning and left her room, heading back to mine.

When I entered, Leon was fully dressed and ready to go. As soon as he saw me, he puffed up his cheeks and turned his head away in a huff.

“Leon, are you upset?”

“You said you’d be right back, but Bella is a wolf and a liar! A shepherd girl!”

“Wow, Leon, I’m impressed. You connected wolves, liars, and even brought up the shepherd girl story?

Is your brain growing wrinkles already?”

“Wrinkles? Like these?”

Leon scrunched up his face and pointed at the lines on his forehead.

I pressed my finger on those wrinkles and shook my head.

“Don’t frown. You’ll get real wrinkles.”

Hearing that, Leon giggled brightly, and seeing his smile made me feel happy too.

Whether it was real or fake didn’t matter.

I just wanted to keep seeing that smile.

“Let’s go back to Aster.”

“Really? I wanted to go home anyway.”

The capital had once been his home, but now, it didn’t mean anything to him anymore.

I told the servants we would return to Aster and ordered them to pack our things.

After changing out of the dress I’d been wearing since yesterday, I sat down and watched Leon draw while the luggage was being prepared.

“Wow, that’s really good. Is it a crab? Or the sun?”

I looked at the drawing—just a circle with stick lines coming out from it—and asked.

Honestly, it looked more like a cartoon germ from a kids’ book, but I tried to be nice.

Leon didn’t say anything.

“…It’s a person, Bella. That’s a finger.”

“Hmm… it kind of looks like you, Leon.”

Leon narrowed his eyes and didn’t respond.

Why was he upset just because I said that drawing looked like him, even though he said it was a person?

Once everything was packed, we stood outside the Marquis’ estate, waiting as the luggage was loaded onto the carriage. We were also waiting for the Marquis couple to come out and see us off.

Only just before we got into the carriage did the Marchioness finally appear.

“The Marquis is still in bed from drinking too much last night. I apologize that I have to see you off alone.”

I stared at her coldly. I didn’t want to show even a hint of friendliness that might give her the wrong idea.

“Your Grace, I thought you would stay in the capital for a few months like last time. It’s very sad to see you leave so soon. I hope you’ll come visit again soon so we can go shopping and have fun together, like before.”

As if. That would never happen unless I went completely mad.

Did the real Bella dislike Leon enough to leave Aster and come stay with these kinds of parents?

I didn’t respond. I simply got into the carriage with Leon, and we left the Marquis’ estate to return to Aster.

This world isn’t my original home.

I’m still a stranger here.

But the moment we arrived back in Aster… I truly felt it deep in my heart—this is where I belong.

From the moment we got back, Leon also looked much more relaxed and cheerful, playing around like usual.

Even Kalsen and the other aides, who had been in the middle of a meeting, rushed out to greet us as soon as they heard we’d returned.

“My lady, you surprised us by coming back so soon! Honestly, we thought you’d stay a few months again like before. We thought only the young master was returning.”

Way to ruin the mood by being so blunt. I was feeling touched for a moment!

Still smiling brightly, I replied,

“This is my home. Where else would I go? There’s no place like home!”

* * *

Later…

“My lady, a letter just arrived from your friend,”

Amy said as I stretched and woke up from sleep.

“Friend?”

Bella had a friend? That was actually kind of touching.

“Elisabeth Osmond…”

I whispered the name written on the envelope.

I tried to recall if this person appeared in the original novel, but no such name came to mind. She definitely wasn’t a major character.

Still, since she was Bella’s friend, maybe this was a chance to build a connection outside the Grand Duke’s estate.

My hands trembled slightly as I opened and read the letter.

When I finished, I stared at Amy.

She looked confused by my reaction and asked carefully,

“Is something wrong?”

“I… don’t have money, do I?”

This wasn’t a sweet letter of noble friendship.

Crazy Bella—no, I—had apparently borrowed money from this Osmond girl.

Can she even be called a friend? She’s more like… a creditor.

Elisabeth was furious because I ignored her at the banquet even though I owed her money, and I hadn’t made any effort to pay her back. So right after the banquet, she went home and sent me this angry letter.

“If you don’t repay your debt within a month, I’ll make sure both you and the Grand Duke are humiliated across the entire empire.”

I shouted that last line in disbelief, reading it aloud. My hand trembled as I gripped the letter.

Amy avoided my eyes like her life depended on it—maybe from shock at the letter, or maybe at my furious face.

“Amy… why did I borrow money?”

Amy glanced nervously at the other maid, clearly uncomfortable.

Realizing I wasn’t getting a straight answer, I changed the question.

“How much is 30 solas? Wait—how does the money system work again? Can you break it down for me?”

Since arriving in this world, I hadn’t dealt with money directly, so I had no idea how big this debt was.

“Um… 10 moss make 1 kos, 10 kos make 1 luna, and 100 lunas make 1 sola.”

And 1 luna is worth about 100,000 won (roughly $75 USD), which means…

I felt like slapping myself.

“This is insane. Completely insane. I’ve totally lost it. I need to manage my own money from now on! Amy, who’s handling my money right now?!”

Amy swallowed hard and finally answered with a serious look.

“…As far as I know… you don’t have any money or personal funds at all.”