Chapter : 05
A day passed.
Then two days. Three days… Before she knew it, another entire week had gone by.
As each day passed, Camilla’s expression grew visibly more haggard.
“Why… why…!”
Why won’t I wake up?!
Unable to contain her frustration, Camilla repeatedly rubbed her face with both hands.
This had never happened before.
Had she ever stayed in this world for this long?
A growing sense of unease began creeping into her heart.
No way…
No… it couldn’t be.
Don’t tell me… I’m going to stay here like this…!
Camilla violently shook her head.
The thought alone was horrifying.
After all, she knew better than anyone how Camilla’s life ended in this world.
Unconsciously, she kept touching her neck, which—for now—remained perfectly intact.
Knock. Knock.
A moment later, someone entered after knocking.
It was Donna, her personal maid.
“Miss?”
Seeing Camilla slumped over with her head buried between her arms, Donna flinched.
“What?”
As Camilla slowly lifted her head, Donna quietly let out a relieved sigh, careful not to show it.
“The head chef personally prepared some refreshments for you.”
“Refreshments?”
“You haven’t been eating proper meals lately.”
After the incident in the dining hall, nearly all of the kitchen maids had been replaced.
The maids who had tampered with Camilla’s food were dismissed without receiving a single coin of severance pay.
On top of that, the Duke had ordered everyone to pay special attention to Camilla’s meals.
“I’m not hungry.”
With absolutely no sign of returning to her real body as Isia, Camilla had completely lost her appetite.
No matter how delicious the food was, she’d take a single bite before pushing it away.
Eventually, the head chef had decided to prepare something himself.
“Please… at least have one bite. Head Chef Gelard put his heart into making it.”
“…”
Donna’s voice was filled with concern.
Just as Camilla was about to bury her head beneath the bed again, her gaze settled on Donna.
If there was one person in this place who genuinely cared about Camilla…
It was probably her.
Even when Camilla had been arrested for attempted murder, Donna had remained by her side until the very end.
When Camilla died…
Donna had been the only one who cried.
She always got furious whenever the other maids bullied me.
Whenever something happened, Donna would insist they immediately report everything to the Duke.
Though she ultimately obeyed Camilla’s orders to stay quiet, she could never hide how heartbroken she was.
She even fought the other maids—grabbing their hair if necessary—because she wanted to clear her lady’s name.
Later, she’d return with a nasty bruise around one eye, grinning as she proudly declared,
“Still… I hit them harder.”
Knowing what kind of person Donna was…
Camilla couldn’t simply ignore her.
“…Fine.”
Unable to refuse her request, Camilla slowly sat upright.
Donna’s face instantly brightened.
She hurried outside and soon returned with someone who had been waiting beyond the door.
“Excuse me.”
It was a rather thin man in his mid-forties.
After giving Camilla a brief bow, he immediately placed the food he’d brought onto the table.
“It’s apple pie.”
The pie was generously topped with thin slices of apple that had been beautifully caramelized in sugar.
“Please, give it a try.”
The chef’s tone overflowed with confidence.
No…
Arrogance would be a more accurate word.
Although he didn’t openly voice it, the look in his eyes as he stared at Camilla was anything but kind.
It was practically hostile.
His expression clearly said that he was only making an effort because the Duke had ordered him to.
Camilla raised an eyebrow.
Well, look at this.
Unlike Donna, who nervously fidgeted after noticing Camilla’s irritation, Head Chef Gelard remained completely unmoved.
If anything, he occasionally curled his lips in obvious disdain.
To him, this was utterly unacceptable.
The mere thought that one of his beautiful culinary creations would end up in the mouth of a bratty little girl twisted his stomach.
It felt like a complete waste to let someone with no appreciation for fine cuisine eat his masterpiece.
She should just eat whatever she’s given.
For the past several days, every dish sent to Camilla had been returned untouched.
Every time Gelard saw them come back to the kitchen, his blood boiled.
How dare she leave my food unfinished!
Though those maids were infuriating too…
Not long ago, the maids who had tampered with Camilla Sorpel’s meals had been exposed and thrown out of the estate.
Of course, Gelard had been furious with them for ruining his food…
But honestly…
He couldn’t entirely blame them.
After all, she wasn’t even the real noble daughter.
She was just some country girl from a backwater village no one had ever heard of.
Watching someone like that pretend to have refined tastes irritated him to no end.
If not for the Duke’s orders…
He couldn’t care less whether she starved.
“I made this with great care.”
“…”
Camilla looked back at the chef.
Honestly…
Meeting Gelard’s openly dissatisfied gaze, she let out a small sigh.
His inability to hide his displeasure wasn’t really the issue.
I’m used to people looking at me like that.
Ever since childhood…
And especially after years in the entertainment industry…
She had long mastered the art of ignoring people who disliked her.
The real problem was something else.
He’s so loud.
Her head already felt like it was about to explode from her current situation…
[You fool! Haven’t I told you countless times?! Food only shines when someone actually eats it!]
Just who was this noisy old man?
[No matter how amazing the food is, if nobody eats it, it’s nothing but garbage!]
Camilla sighed once more as she looked at the elderly man standing beside Gelard, loudly ranting away.
These aren’t even my real eyes.
These weren’t the eyes from her original world.
So why the hell could she see something like that?
Back when she’d merely been an observer in this world…
These beings had never appeared.
But now…
She could suddenly see them.
The realization filled her with despair.
I really have become part of this world…
Seriously…!
She wanted to curse.
Whoever had shoved her into this woman’s body deserved a string of insults.
What am I supposed to do now?
[And this pie! You used one gram less cinnamon than you should have! Just one gram! Do you have any idea how much difference that makes?! And Camilla doesn’t even like apples! I told you countless times—you must consider the preferences of the person eating your food!]
Ugh… you’re giving me a headache.
Massaging her forehead, Camilla decided the quickest way to make these ghosts leave was simply to eat.
She took one bite of the pie.
Then immediately tossed the fork onto the table.
“Is something wrong?”
“Take it away.”
“What exactly is unsatisfactory?”
Gelard had expected Camilla to be amazed after tasting his pie.
Instead, her unexpected reaction made him frown.
“It’s bad.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said it’s bad.”
“W-What…?!”
Gelard’s face twisted in outrage.
Someone who knows absolutely nothing about food dares to criticize my cooking?!
“My pie is flawless! If we’re talking about this pie—”
“There’s too little cinnamon.”
“Wh-What?”
“By one whole gram.”
“You even call this baking? Take it away.”
“…Excuse me?”
One gram of cinnamon…?
“And I don’t like apples.”
“Th-That’s…”
“Shouldn’t you learn the eater’s preferences before cooking? What’s the point if you’re the only one satisfied? If no one eats it…”
She looked him straight in the eyes.
“…then it’s just garbage.”
“…!!”
Those words…
Weren’t they exactly what his late master used to say?
Gelard stood frozen in confusion.
Camilla glared at him.
“Are you leaving or not?”
Only then did Gelard snap back to reality.
His face bright red, he hurriedly gathered the untouched pie and rushed out of the room.
You should leave too.
Camilla waved dismissively at the old ghost who had been staring at her in astonishment.
At that exact moment…
Their eyes met.
The old ghost’s eyes widened even further.
What?
Never seen someone who can see ghosts before?
Guess not.
Whatever.
Camilla collapsed back onto the bed.
* * *
[What’s wrong, Perol?]
Another ghost approached the old man as he left Camilla’s room.
He was an elderly man of similar age, dressed neatly in a butler’s uniform.
[She looked right at me.]
[She what?]
[I’m telling you, our eyes met!]
[Calm down and explain properly. What are you talking about?]
[The girl in that room looked directly at me.]
[Who? Miss Camilla?]
[“Miss”? Do you still think you’re the estate’s butler?]
[Just because we’re dead doesn’t mean we abandon our duties.]
The butler ghost, Derin, smiled gently.
[The Duke accepted her as his daughter. We should treat her with the respect she deserves. But… are you certain she saw you?]
[Absolutely.]
[Hmm…]
The two old ghosts simultaneously turned toward Camilla’s bedroom door.
They had watched over her for a very long time…
Yet she’d never shown the slightest sign of seeing them before.
[Could you be mistaken?]
[No. She even waved at me.]
[She waved?]
Derin stroked his chin with interest.
[We’ll find out if we keep watching. It’s not as though we’re short on time.]
Perol, the ghost wearing a chef’s uniform, nodded in agreement.
The two ghosts quietly vanished from sight.
* * *
I have to survive.
Three more days passed.
At last…
Camilla reached a conclusion.
I’m stuck.
Returning to her original world seemed impossible.
Maybe things would change someday…
But for now…
There was no hope.
She couldn’t afford to waste any more time lying around.
First… I survive.
Camilla, who had been lying in bed like a corpse, suddenly jumped to her feet.
If she kept this up…
She’d truly die a meaningless death.
“I need to fix my reputation first.”
Across the countless repeated lives…
There had been occasions when Camilla never participated in Ravi’s plot to assassinate the Duke’s eldest son, Ludvil.
But…
The outcome had never changed.
Far too many people already despised her.
The moment Ravi’s crimes were exposed…
Everyone dragged Camilla down alongside her.
They gave false testimony…
Claiming she had been Ravi’s accomplice.
“No… I didn’t do it!”
No matter how desperately she protested…
No one believed her.
Instead…
They chose to believe the lies of everyone else over Camilla’s own words.
