The manor was once again engulfed in chaos, marking the fourth time it had happened that week. Brett sprinted towards the countess in the garden, gasping for breath. Between gasps, she managed to deliver the news, "The Young Lady has fainted again!"

The Countess didn't look up from the letter she was reading. " Have you tended to her?" she asked.

"Yes," Brett replied between breaths. "Eric carried her to her room, and we gave her some lemonade. But she's refusing to eat anything."

"It's finally time to put a stop to this," the Countess muttered. With that, she rose from her seat and made her way toward the Earl's study.

*******

[Maxine's room]

Things are going smoothly so far, I thought, as I took a sip the lemonade Brenda had brought me. It was the second part of my objective, the result of enduring that grueling period of intensive studying. I wanted to fall ill.

However, being sick was far from pleasant.

A groan escaped my lips as I felt a throbbing pain in my head. I was utterly exhausted, drained from head to toe. The rigorous dance and etiquette lessons had taken their toll on my body. And...

Glancing down at my bandaged palms, I saw the visible marks left by the intensive embroidery lessons. Trying to squeeze years' worth of instruction into a few short months had taken its toll.

"Miss..." I heard a whimper, and I turned my gaze to Brenda, who stood beside me with teary eyes.

In that moment, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Brett and her, for all they had been through because of me. But I had no other choice. I had to fulfill the mission to the best of my abilities and earn as many points as possible.

Besides, if things went well, they wouldn't have to see me for the next few months.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"Miss..." Brenda sobbed, clutching my hands. "Why are you putting yourself through all this? Is it because of the arranged marriage?"

"Arranged marriage?" I asked, slightly taken aback.

"That's what everyone is saying. That you're going through all this to escape the marriage with Marquis Harrington's son."

"Oh..." It made sense that others would interpret my actions that way. After all, Maxine had never shown any interest in becoming a tutor before. It was only when the Earl mentioned the marriage arrangement that I expressed my desire to become a tutor. Since then, I had been studying tirelessly.

"It's not because of Harrington," I reassured her. "I genuinely wish to have a career of my own. Someday, I would like to become a tutor at the palace."

That was a lie.

"That's wonderful!" Brenda exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "So that's why you've been working so hard. After all, they only hire the best tutors for the royal family..."

As we conversed, the door swung open, and Brett entered the room.

"Miss, the Earl has requested your presence in his study once you've regained your strength," she informed me.

"Very well," I responded, closing my eyes. I planned to take a nice, long nap before starting the first phase of my plan.

*********

It was already evening when I finally woke up. I felt more refreshed and energized than I had in a while. Slowly rising from bed, I wondered if I would have trouble falling asleep later that night.

As usual, Brett and Brenda helped me freshen up and assisted me in putting on a comfortable, light blue prairie dress.

While dressing me, Brett commented, "Miss, you have such dark circles under your eyes. It reminds me of that one animal I saw in a picture book."

Was she referring to a panda?

"It's okay," I responded. The more tired I look, the better. "No need to bother with makeup today."

"But you'll be meeting the Earl and the Countess," Brenda expressed concern. "You should try to look more presentable in front of them."

"I'm meeting my parents, not a romantic partner. Is there a need to look good in front of my own parents?"

"You're right, Milady..." Brenda replied, her gaze downcast. 

"It's alright," I replied. "I'm sure the Earl and Countess will be fine with me just as I am." 

"But still... we should at least try to cover up those dark circles," Brenda continued, her eyes hinting at a touch of frenzy. "Could you give me a moment, Milady? Believe it or not, I'm really good at concealing blemishes and dark spots with makeup. I'll go fetch something to hide them. Cold compresses... Tinted powders..." At this point, she was just murmuring to herself, like a madwoman.

"That's enough, Brenda," Brett's stern voice interjected, and she gave Brenda a meaningful look. "Let's get going, Milady. It will be time for supper soon."

As I left the room, I turned to look at Brenda one last time. Her eyes were desperate, as if she believed that something dreadful might happen to me simply because I hadn't covered up my dark circles.

Once we were out of earshot from Brenda, Brett spoke, her voice uncharacteristically strained. "Please don't mind my sister, Miss. Some scars are hard to erase."

"I understand," I replied quietly. I was curious about the twins, but I knew better than to pry. It was a sensitive topic that Brett was likely not ready to discuss.

We soon arrived in front of the Earl's study, and I knocked twice on the door.

"Come in," a stern voice called from inside.

I opened the door and stepped into the room. The Earl was seated behind his desk, engrossed in some documents, while the Countess stood beside him.

With a polite bow, I greeted them, "Welcome back, my lord. How was your time in the Ashbourne territory? Are the tea estates thriving?"

"Yes," the Earl replied, glancing up at me before continuing.

"Look at the state you're in. What have you been up to while I was away?"

"I have been studying," I calmly replied.

"So I've been told. If I had known it would lead to this, I wouldn't have mentioned Marquis Harrington's son."

So, he had heard the rumors as well.

"It has nothing to do with him," I repeated what I had said to Brenda.

"Then why push yourself to such extremes? I've heard you barely sleep for more than three hours a night, dedicating the rest of your time to studying."

"I aspire to become an imperial tutor, my lord."

Surprise flickered in his eyes, and he took a moment to respond.

"Even if that is your goal, there's no need to subject yourself to such a demanding routine. I've heard reports of nosebleeds and other health issues," he said slowly, his tone much softer than before.

"He's right," the Countess chimed in. "You should take it easy. There's no rush. How are you feeling now?"

I remained silent for a moment, briefly lowering my gaze before meeting their eyes. I hoped I was doing a fine job at acting.

"I constantly have headaches, and noises irritate me. And..." I trailed off, glancing down at my gloved hands. "My hands sting whenever I try to do anything."

"Come closer," the Earl beckoned, and I walked over to stand beside him behind the desk.

"Upon closer inspection, you look quite tired," he remarked, gently removing the glove from my right hand.

For a moment, he appeared stunned, as if struck by lightning, as he saw the numerous scratches on my hand, both old and new.

"She had been practicing embroidery fervently in the past few months," the Countess explained. "As you know, she wasn't particularly skilled in dancing, etiquette, or embroidery. However, she was quite passionate about mastering them this time. These are essential qualities for a young noblewoman like her, and I was delighted to see her taking them seriously. So, I didn't intervene."

I felt a pang of guilt toward my original host. While she may not have excelled in these arts, she had been genuinely talented. Now, she too was being blamed for my ignorance.

Furrowing his brows, the Earl responded, "Even so, aren't you her mother? How could you allow her to do this to herself?"

The Countess remained silent, unable to provide a response.

"Maxine, from this point on, you will refrain from doing anything until you have fully recovered," the Earl's voice took on a stern tone once again.

"But, my Lord—" I began to protest.

"No means no. You will heed my words. Consider this as punishment for your self-imposed torture," the Earl asserted firmly.

I hung my head, gripping my dress tightly. So tightly that my hands stung and tears welled up in my eyes from the pain. I wasn't skilled enough to cry on cue, so I had to resort to these methods to shed crocodile tears.

"Then," I raised my head, biting my lower lip, a defiant glimmer in my eyes, "I would like to leave this place and recuperate somewhere far away."

It was my way of saying, 'I don't want to see you.' Thankfully, the earl seemed to understand this.

However, he remained resolute in his decision, just as I had hoped. "Very well. Where do you wish to go?"

"The manor in Baron Rutherford's territory," I replied. Surprise and a touch of sadness flickered in his eyes. The journey to Rutherford would take approximately ten days by carriage. The place was quite far from the capital.

"Why not stay somewhere closer?"

"If you deny this request, I'll take up my books again," I threatened.

"Alright. Go wherever you need to," the Earl sighed resignedly.

"Thank you, my lord," I enunciated each word distinctly. "I will not return until I have fully recovered."

With that, I stormed out of the office, forcefully closing the door behind me.

"Goodness... What a feisty girl. Hasn't she outgrown her rebellious phase yet?" I overheard the Earl remark from inside. "If only Matthew had half of her studious nature."

Regardless of his thoughts, it mattered little to me. My objective in this place had been achieved. I now had permission to journey to Rutherford, the place where Theodora Albertine had spent fifteen years of her life.