Chapter 3

“Did the marquess tell you to leave?” Cassio suddenly asked.

“Ophelia’s funeral has only just concluded. Marquess and Marchioness Windrose likely haven’t had time to figure out what to do with me yet. I will need to make my own arrangements,” I replied.

Considering the marchioness’s intermittent consciousness, it was unlikely that they had spared a thought for the girl who had essentially served as an accessory to their now-deceased daughter. In addition, they were now preoccupied with the daunting task of securing a new heir. My situation was undoubtedly last on their list of concerns. I therefore planned to leave on my own accord while everyone else was too busy to notice.

“What on earth is…” Edmund left his sentence unfinished as he sighed in disbelief. His reaction was colored with a touch of bitterness, perhaps because he had always perceived me as a witch plotting to usurp Ophelia’s place.

I thought they would be relieved by my departure. After all, I had never had any intentions of taking Ophelia’s place or scheming to seize a slice of the marquessate’s fortune. My plans had always been to simply step aside quietly. Their dismayed reactions intrigued me, but I chose not to worry myself too much about their feelings.

“Lady Emilia, weren’t you to be named the marquess’s adopted daughter?” Cassio asked.

I was puzzled as to why someone so intelligent was feigning ignorance. I shrugged. “That was a promise the marchioness made to placate Ophelia while she was alive. Just one of many.”

This was the truth. Ophelia and I played together, fought each other, and reconciled all throughout our childhood. Given that she was confined to her bed for the majority of each day, she inevitably missed out on the traditional education expected of the nobility. By remaining constantly at her side, my own upbringing diverged significantly from that of a typical noble lady as well. Ophelia had always considered it unfair that I had to join her in her limited lifestyle.

Marquess Windrose and his wife had found it a simple matter to provide a little monetary compensation in exchange for a girl whose life had scarcely been better than a commoner’s. But because Ophelia came to hold me dear, she challenged her parents about this arrangement. In response, the flustered marquess and marchioness had declared me a ward under their protection.

Had I actually been a commoner, they might have supported me further by providing living expenses and tuition. However, what they offered an underage noble like myself was more comparable to the support of a godparent. This arrangement was meant to reassure Ophelia that we were essentially sisters, and it was only after it had been explained to her likewise that her anger began to fade. But these assurances had been nothing more than fabrications to placate her.

No one understood this better than I. Ophelia’s parents were not bad people, but they weren’t particularly good either. They would have done anything for Ophelia, their beloved only daughter, but now that she was gone there was no place here for someone like me. I had become nothing more than an echo of their daughter’s presence. Their kindness toward me had died with Ophelia.

I was acutely aware of the arrogance, cruelty, and bigotry endemic to the high nobility. From birth, I was relegated to a status far beneath their regard. I was related to the marquess by blood—albeit by barely a drop—but in practice, I was more like a commoner than a noble.

Even if they didn’t formally adopt me, it was unlikely they would dismiss me outright. I had spent more than a decade at Ophelia’s side, after all. As a distant, yet still blood-related cousin who had remained by their daughter’s side until her end, they couldn’t expel me without cause. However, that was the extent of their obligation to me. Living indefinitely within the estate’s walls was not an option.

While the marquess remained in power, my circumstances would likely remain stable. However, with Laertes’ impending succession as marquess, my future was uncertain. The marquess might arrange a marriage of convenience to a minor noble to preserve appearances, but even then, my lack of any real status meant that a favorable outcome wasn’t likely.

“You need not worry,” I said. “What reason would the marquess and his wife have to adopt me?”

“Me, worried? Not at all…” Cassio groused.

“My affiliation with the Windrose family has ended with Ophelia’s passing.”

Edmund seemed on the verge of saying more but ultimately kept silent. Meanwhile, Cassio stared at me intently with a serious expression.

Whatever misunderstanding they were laboring under puzzled me. If anyone was to be named adopted daughter, it was the soon-to-arrive baron’s daughter who was the spitting image of Ophelia. Indeed, in one of the game’s storylines, the grief-stricken marchioness took in the baron’s daughter as her own after Ophelia’s death. That storyline had involved Laertes, though my memory of what happened was vague after such a long time.

My role in the game was as Ophelia’s friend and maid. I was banished, only to shamelessly reappear after her death and become an unwelcome presence at the Windrose Estate. The introduction of the baron’s daughter, and my subsequent jealousy-fueled misconduct, led to my expulsion at the male leads’ hands.

It was well known that Ophelia and I were close during her life, so I was barely tolerated as it was. When it was finally discovered that I had lashed out against the baron’s daughter out of envy, I swiftly faced my downfall.

Nevertheless, my current self remained by Ophelia’s side until her final moments and watched her funeral take place.

“Where will you go after leaving Windrose? Return to your family? Society isn’t lenient enough to allow for an unmarried noblewoman to live independently,” Cassio mused, his voice now much calmer.

Family? Still, he had some gall to ask if I was returning to my family while he was fully aware I had none.

“I have enough to live on my own,” I snapped back. As long as I avoided the excess of a noble lifestyle, I could sustain a modest life with my funds.

Ophelia had constantly showered me with gifts. Marquess Windrose and his wife disapproved, but in order to appease her they had allowed it to happen. They ended up giving me many tokens of appreciation for taking care of their daughter as well. Selling some of the jewelry I received would be enough to secure a small home on the outskirts of town, while the remainder would cover my living expenses. Giving up extravagant dresses, fine teas, and lavish jewelry was a small sacrifice that I could gladly make.

However, I chose not to disclose my financial situation to these men. Unlike myself, they were capable of affording grand estates in the capital with ease.

Suddenly, Edmund interjected, “If you leave the Windroses, securing a suitable match will prove challenging, no? Aren’t you being a bit too optimistic? The comforts you enjoyed at her side won’t continue for—”

“The marquess and his wife have given me plenty during my time with Ophelia. I desire no more.”

“Y-you might feel that way now, but what about later?” His voice faltered. Given the way he was repeating himself, he seemed to be struggling to express his true thoughts.

I fixed my sharp gaze on him. Only moments ago, he had sneeringly suggested that I should have died in Ophelia’s place. What did he have to complain about now?

“I’m not worried,” I said. “With Ophelia no longer around, why should I linger?”

“Don’t you fancy Laertes?” Cassio asked unexpectedly, catching me off guard.

I momentarily tensed before bursting out laughing. “What are you talking about? I was only ever polite to him because he was Ophelia’s intended and the future heir to the marquessate.”

Of the three of them, Laertes had always been the most cordial to me. I kept any further thoughts to myself, but there were moments, admittedly, when he had made my heart flutter. He was both handsome and kind. Even though his regard was primarily for Ophelia, I felt that he had even noticed me at times.

Laertes visited the estate frequently, perhaps because of his relation to the marchioness and because he was the preferred choice for her daughter. Thus, he had been in my life since childhood. We had often spent time together while Ophelia was bedridden. To say those moments didn’t stir anything within me would be a lie—yet in the end, they were only memories. I had too much affection for Ophelia to steal away attention that wasn’t meant for me.

Cassio seemed determined to decipher my reaction as he scrutinized me closely.

I shrugged. “Even if I did harbor any feelings for Laertes, it’s a known fact that his heart belonged to Ophelia. Now he is the prospective marquess. It would be inappropriate for me to involve myself with him in any way.”

Everyone had loved Ophelia, despite her often being as temperamental as a sensitive and bristly cat. Even through fever and delirium in her weakest moments, she remained stunning. She seemed to disdain the world, but that only deepened the pity others felt for her. This drove her further into despair.

Edmund, Cassio, and Laertes had loved her too. Despite her difficult nature often putting an abrupt end to their interactions, they never ceased visiting her or sending gifts.

I found myself constantly oscillating between envy, pity, and empathy for Ophelia, always achingly aware of my own place in the world. Her illness and short lifespan aside, she had everything I lacked—loving parents, undeniable beauty, a prestigious family name, wealth, and the affection of many men. All of these things were beyond my reach, and it was only natural that I occasionally felt resentment stir within me.

Ophelia epitomized a tragic fairytale princess, while I played the part of the unnoticed maid at her side—yet ultimately, all we had was each other. I understood why these men adored her, so I couldn’t truly hate them. I knew their affection for her would leave them forever haunted and unable to move on.

Cassio’s face betrayed a mixture of confusion and surprise. It was as though he had reached into a box to find whatever answer I was hiding, and instead of something smooth and solid, he was greeted with a prickly hedgehog.

I took the brief pause as an opportunity to excuse myself. “If there’s nothing more to discuss, then I’ll be on my way.”

Edmund hesitated, then nodded minutely. Cassio, still wearing a serious expression, made no move to stop me either.

I thought about offering a more heartfelt farewell but ultimately decided against it, instead silently turning to leave. Our relationship had always been tenuous at best. Our interactions had been shaped by their jealousy over my closeness to Ophelia and my tendency to provoke them. Although she was gone, the memories we shared could not be erased.

The manor was engulfed in profound silence as if the shadow of the funeral hovered over the ground.