“Ah, I’m sorry. I unconsciously, I’ll stop now…I’m not thinking of robbing you, I mean I wasn’t trying to borrow money and run away. Really.”

I apologized urgently, but it seemed Lucian had already taken the hit.

He made a troubled face, bit his lips, and uttered a word.

“Do you always borrow money this way?”

This man frames a virtuous aristocratic lady to a delinquent.

“Of course not. This is my first time borrowing money.”

He breathed out in relief at my firm answer.

Then he spoke as if warning a young child of danger.

“If you need money urgently, please let me know. You should never borrow from someone else like this.”

I’m not such a shameless person.

I tried to answer back like that, but his eyes were so serious that I nodded obediently.

After a while, there were 500 flashing gold coins right in front of me.

“You won’t ask me what I’ll be needing the money for?”

Lucian answered me with his eyes closed.

“…..Isn’t it the lady’s hobby to buy clothes to dress up people and make them fashionable?”

“Oh, how did you know?”

“You said it was the greatest pleasure of a Lady.”

I was a little touched.

“That’s right. I’m glad you remembered that.”

I laughed in a good mood, but unfortunately, he had no reaction at all.

His expressionless face even looked somewhat unpleasant.

Did you have regrets after lending the money? However, as long as the money has been transferred to me, these babies are mine.

I quickly put the gold coins in my bag before he changed his mind.

With this amount of money, Estelle can dress prettily enough to flatten the haughty noses of those aristocrats.

The finest dresses were too pricey, but a decent dress would be enough.

After all, Estelle was a woman who shines with her presence alone.

‘Now the problem is how to dress her up.’

Estelle had the stubbornness of a heroine, which was more than the stubbornness that a Choi^[1] possessed.

Like the rolling romance of a heroine, she dared to take a difficult path.

‘If I ask her to go to the banquet in this dress right now, she won’t listen to me.’

Even if it was a banquet held in the Imperial City, she always wore old dresses.

It was because of the thought that she shouldn’t wear luxurious dresses as a saint who cares for the poor.

She was so stubborn that it was only near the end of the story did she wear a dress.

‘And that was only because the Crown Prince, who became a dog for the heroine, wished to see her in it just once.’

Not to mention, I was the supporting character with the role of the villain who had no contact with her.

She’s not going to listen to me.

How can I persuade her?

I was deeply troubled.

────── 〔✿〕──────

The next morning, Anne asked anxiously, “Are you really going there alone, Miss?”

“That’s right.”

“Why don’t you contact Lord Kardien and go with him? He’s been following you like a baby duck wherever you go.”

“No.”

“Why so?”

I answered Anne’s question in my thoughts.

‘Because I’m on my way to see Estelle.’

I haven’t been talking about Estelle in front of him recently.

Even if I bring it up and say ‘I know you like Estelle.’, it’ll only look like I was teasing a grade-schooler with his secret crush^[2].

I didn’t want to aggregate the blackened male lead who had been silent all this time.

So today’s outing was kept a secret from him.

I also didn’t tell my father, just in case.

If my father knew, in 10 minutes after I left the mansion, everyone in the capital would know my whereabouts today.

“I don’t want to make people worry for nothing. Don’t worry, Anne. It’s not as bad as you think.”

Disappointed, Anne nodded her head.

“I understand. Please have a safe trip.”

I nodded and left the mansion.

I understood Anne’s concern and why she’s being like that.

The place I was going to meet Estelle was the shabbiest and poorly guarded slums in the capital.

Unlike her name as a saint, Estelle was not in a sacred and clean place.

She was always mingling with those who were suffering and in poverty.

‘I knew of that fact, but I couldn’t believe it was to this extent.’ 

I frowned at the sight I saw.

As soon as I entered the slums, the landscape had completely changed. It was shabby and poor enough to make you wonder if you are still in the same capital.

Walls and houses were on the verge of collapse. There was an unbearable stench in the filth that was scattered all over.

The gazes of the people sitting in various places, where trash was mixed in, brought a chill down my spine.

‘It’s like a dead fish.’

Their eyes were staring blankly into space. And some we’re looking at me with hyena-like eyes.

Fortunately, I wore a shabby cloak to avoid revealing myself that I was a noble.

Otherwise, I would’ve been robbed of my money by vagabonds as soon as I entered the village.

A cold sweat ran over my hooded forehead.

I felt sorry for Estelle who was in such a terrible environment, but at the same time, a new found respect formed within me towards her.

I passed through the back alley and arrived in front of a shabby building.

<Flower Grass House>

It was a medical center run by a volunteer group that was created by Estelle.

I gulped and opened the door.

Like water in a cup, a gathering of sick people were inside the building with a gloomy and heavy atmosphere surrounding it.

“Welcome. What brings you here?”

A woman wearing a white apron asked me with a stern expression.

At first glance, she seemed to be on alert because a person who didn’t need help came in.

“That’s…..”

“Oh my, is that you, Lady Pernia?”

At that moment, the inside of the dream-like building was instantly purified with the scent of phytoncide^[3].

I turned my head, feeling relieved the moment I saw Estelle and stumbled towards her.

‘So dazzling!’

Estelle’s appearance was modest.

On top of her simple homemade dress bereft of decorations was an apron stained with blood, and her hair tied up together was messy.

Nevertheless, she was shining brightly.

Estelle rushed over and supported me with a worried look.

“What’s wrong? Perhaps, are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I ate a whole cake by myself this morning. I’m very healthy.”

Estelle sighed in relief. But soon, her face was filled with questions.

She blinked her large doe eyes at me and asked,

“Then what brings you here?”

I looked at Estelle, mustering up a serious look on my face as much as possible.

“I came to dedicate myself to the poor. I want to apply as a volunteer.”

There’s no easy way to win a person’s heart.

All you can do is score points by doing what that person likes to do the most!

“You’re not sponsoring money, but my Lady is volunteering herself?”

Estelle’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe it.

It’s understandable.

This was the place where people in the lower class with poor body conditions expect to get help.

Taking care of such people was regarded as abandoning the dignity of nobility.

So the nobles would only donate or send servants to work on their behalf.

I responded to her gently, “Of course, sponsoring with money is great, but I believe helping people with my own two hands is the real meaning of service.”

Just kidding. I’m here to seduce you.

“I don’t know for how long, but I want to help the poor.”

This one is also a lie. I’ll quit once I seduce you.

However, Estelle’s gaze, who was unaware of my dark inner thoughts, was that of a priest who accepted God in their life.

Deeply moved, she held my hands tightly in hers.

“I felt it during the engagement ceremony, but Lady Pernia is such a wonderful person!”

That’s not true at all, but I just smiled shamelessly.

────── 〔✿〕──────

Serving while sweating with Estelle.

I thought this plan would be the most effective way to win her favor.

It will be easier to get her to wear a pretty dress once we get close.

After becoming Pernia, I have been only eating or playing around, so I thought it would be alright to do good deeds for a few days.

I proudly wrote my name on the volunteer application form.

I even had the sense of using the nickname ‘Nia’ because it would be difficult if people found out I was a noble.

……I was too complacent.

“Nia, could you please change the bedding here? Mr. Carman vomited blood and the sheets were stained.”

“Nia, stop Mr. Yaro. He’s pooping on the bathroom walls.”

“Nia, Mr. Russel has to go to the bathroom. Please help me.”^[4]

……What’s this?

The level of difficulty is too much for a romance novel.

“Nia, come on!”

At the urgent sound, I ran and took Mr. Russel’s urine. Tears welled up inside of me.

It was only a half day’s work, but I already felt like a hundred-year-old.

‘Should I just give up?’ 

I’ve only just started to get involved with the female lead, because there’s no mutual acquaintances between Estelle and I.

It doesn’t matter if Estelle wears an old dress or a pretty dress at the banquet hall.

But the moment I saw Estelle taking care of a patient from afar, my heart was shaken.

She held the patient’s hand with an infinitely loving face. Half of the patient’s face was covered with terrible burns, but she didn’t care at all.

The patient laughed at what she said. It’s as if she was saved by a goddess.

‘It must be hard.’

Estelle’s workload couldn’t be compared to the other volunteers.

She healed patients,  gave aftercare, and even discharged them. She took care of each of them, so she had no time to rest.

Nevertheless, she remained bright.

It’s enough to make my heart melt.

I made up my mind.

That’s right, just because it’s hard doesn’t mean I have to give up right away. Let’s endure it for a few more days.

I got up from the chair and covered Mr. Russel’s body with a blanket.

After taking care of a few more patients, Estelle came to take a short break.

“Work is hard, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

At my lightning-fast answer, Estelle furrowed her brows and laughed.

Notes:

[1]  So this is a stereotype in Korea. Chois are known for being stubborn way back in the days.

[2] ‘teasing a grade schooler with his secret crush’ – So the hangul here is 얼레 리꼴레리 which doesn’t have a direct English translation but it is usually said to tease people who secretly likes someone, mostly used by children.

[3]  Phytoncide is a substance emitted by plants & trees and generally means the aroma of the forest.

[4] For the patient’s names, during translating, they’re not known whether they’re a woman or man since the honorific -ssi is gender neutral but for the sake of placing a label since English needs the gender, the default is Mr.