As Cura helped her into a dress, drowsiness began to overtake her once more. Elena stifled a yawn behind her hand, hearing Cura’s soft chuckle. Embarrassed, she covered her flushed cheeks with her hands and turned away. Did Cura know about her intimate encounter with His Grace the Duke? Uncertainty about Cura’s knowledge made every word, action, and expression feel awkward. Elena could only hope that Cura remained oblivious. No matter how close they were, it would be mortifying if Cura knew the truth.
“Cura, what happened to Lady Carmen?” Elena asked. Cura, who had been adjusting the hem of Elena’s dress, paused briefly before retrieving a coat draped over the sofa.
“I heard she passed away,” Cura replied. Elena was so shocked that she turned around immediately. Cura, who had been about to drape the coat over Elena’s shoulders, paused and then hung it over her own arm.
“When Teacher Leto arrived at the castle, the poison had already spread throughout her body. They tried an antidote, but it was too late,” Cura explained.
“So, where is she now? Is she still at the castle?” Elena asked.
Cura shook her head. “Remember when His Grace ordered Lady Hazel and her party to leave before dawn the next day? They embalmed her body and sent it to the capital in the carriage. I only heard about it from Teacher Leto, though; I didn’t see it myself.”
“I see…” Elena replied, feeling a heavy stone settle in her chest. Although Hazel had been more direct in her tormenting, Carmen had not been a saint either. Even if she had only followed Hazel’s orders due to their noble status, from Elena’s perspective, Carmen had been a bystander. Still, she had never imagined that Carmen would lose her life so suddenly and tragically.
“Don’t worry too much. They brought it on themselves, after all. Both Lady Carmen and Lady Hazel treated you terribly,” Cura reassured her, brushing off the coat that had been draped over her arm. She moved behind Elena to place it over her shoulders, then came around to the front to tie the knot beneath Elena’s chin.
Despite Cura’s reassurances, Elena still felt uneasy. She also worried about how this incident might affect Kennard. The thought that everything had escalated because of her weighed heavily on her mind.
“What about Teacher Leto?” Elena asked, a hint of warmth spreading through her at the mention of his name.
“He returned to the village shortly after Lady Hazel and her party left,” Cura replied.
“He didn’t stay longer? It’s been such a long time since I last saw him.”
“If it hadn’t been for Lady Carmen, he wouldn’t have come at all this time either. He was so anxious about running into His Grace that it was almost painful to watch,” Cura explained.
Teacher Leto was banished from the castle because of me too… Elena thought, letting out a deep sigh. Cura glanced at Elena, concerned by her expression.
“It’s his fault for saying unnecessary things to you. Why didn’t he even mention the White Fox Tribe still living in the village? You almost left without knowing anything,” Cura grumbled as she supported Elena, guiding her toward the door.
As they stepped into the hallway and headed toward the bathroom, the path felt strangely unfamiliar, almost new. According to Cura, it had only been three days. But in just those three days, so much had changed for her that the once-familiar surroundings now seemed foreign. The lanterns and paintings lining the walls, the lavishly arranged vases with various flowers spaced at regular intervals—all of it looked different to Elena, as if she were seeing it for the first time.
As they walked, the head butler, Lassino, appeared at the opposite end of the hallway with three or four maids in tow.
“Butler Lassino!” Elena offered a slight bow as she greeted him, and Lassino approached her with a warm smile.
“Miss Elena, how are you feeling?”
It was a simple, everyday greeting, but for some reason, it made Elena’s cheeks flush.
“I’m alright,” she replied quickly, turning her gaze to the maids beside him.
On any other day, they would have barely acknowledged her with a polite nod. Having seen her suffer while serving Hazel, their initial coldness had given way to something closer to pity. But today, when they met Elena’s eyes, they bowed deeply, offering her a more respectful greeting than she was used to.
