Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 68

That maid had already infiltrated this household. She had cleverly disguised her status as a servant to get close to Adam within the Coffret Manor, intending to kill him.

Before Adam could deal with her, Cecilia now planned to send her outside and turn her into her messenger.

Originally, she had planned to naturally call her today for a chat, but…

‘So this is what they mean by “time flies”.’

The time wasted from fainting because of the fall was an unexpected event. Even if she prepared for every incident from her past life, she couldn’t foresee the coincidences of this one.

Regrettably, she had to postpone her plans until tomorrow.

Cecilia’s already impatient heart grew more anxious.

It was unlikely that the maid would change her mind and forgive Adam in just a day…

‘Why am I feeling so uneasy?’

There was an inexplicable sense of foreboding, like the calm before a storm, too nagging to ignore but too uncertain to act upon.

Cecilia’s intuition was telling her something was changing because of her.

Something was happening without her knowledge.

Among them were things she could not possibly handle.

She, too, did not know the entire future.

In an unconventional future, she would be no different to others—just equally unaware. And those others would think, desire, and act just as properly as she did.

Cecilia had always been wary of their big and small changes.

Hoping they wouldn’t cause a significant disruption to her plans.

Even though she knew it was a vain wish.

***

‘The shock from the fall seems to have stressed her. She should be fine soon.’

Caroline recalled the doctor’s words, deeply engrossed in thought.

‘Was it really just shock?’

Normally, she wouldn’t bother with her timid younger sister, but today, she kept lingering in her mind.

All because of Louise Cléon.

If she hadn’t filled her head with unnecessary words, Caroline wouldn’t be tormented by this unpleasant doubt…!

Realizing she was blaming her only ally, Caroline was startled.

‘What am I doing, blaming my only support…?!’

Slap!

She smacked her cheek, punishing herself. Then, soothing her flushed temple, she murmured softly,

“It is not right to harbor hatred, Caroline.”

Neither Cecilia, Ulysses, nor Louise was at fault. It all stemmed from her own insecurities.

The anxiety of being separated forever from Ulysses after their broken engagement had turned her this ugly.

Caroline finally broke the chain of her prolonged contemplation and came to a conclusion.

‘As long as my engagement with Ulysses is restored, this malicious feeling will soon fade away.’

Pretending to jump from the balcony had already failed. It couldn’t be used again.

‘Isn’t there another way to cancel the annulment?’

A way to make it impossible to proceed with the annulment, even if one wanted to.

‘Even to the extent that Father would have no choice but to continue the engagement.’

Caroline pondered over this until she returned to her room after dinner, struggling to come up with a suitable solution. At that moment of difficulty,

“Madame, what is this?”

Louise, who was about to return to her room after teaching Caroline, accidentally dropped something hidden in her sleeve.

“D-Don’t touch it, my lady!”

Louise, unusually flustered, seemed suspicious.

“What’s so important about it?”

Caroline picked up Louise’s dropped item with a playful smile. It was a bottle resembling a perfume container, filled with a colorless liquid.

“This is…”

“It’s, it’s nothing!”

Louise quickly snatched the item back from Caroline’s hand, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“Madame?”

“This is, well…”

Caroline frowned as she looked inside the perfume bottle.

“Madame, this is…”

Unfamiliar red letters were engraved inside the neck of the bottle.

“This is… a gypsy item, isn’t it?”

Gypsies were known for creating all sorts of bizarre items. Most of them were nothing more than trash with fancy names attached.

“Gi, give it here, Lady Caroline!”

As Caroline returned the perfume, she questioned Louise with a skeptical look.

“Madame… why do you have this?”

Gypsies were considered the lowest, plague-like group of people in the Caswick Kingdom. She had heard that some eccentric collectors or ladies secretly hoarded their items, but she never imagined her own governess belonged to that category.

“You know father despises gypsies because of Cecilia’s background.”

“Yes, he might throw me out if he finds out.”

“I would never tell Father about this!”

Caroline expressed her firm trust and then cautiously probed her.

“I just want to know why. Madame, we trust and rely on each other, don’t we? Please tell me. Why do you have this item?”

“……”

After hesitating, Louise finally admitted,

“That is… a love potion.”