It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 56

Unless the Edelheit Marquisate had made such a request twice, what was written on this page must have been the reason for adopting this body.

I slowly moved my eyes. My gaze drifted downward. The story written on the page was rather long. The client was the previous Marquis of Edelheit.

The former Marquis visited Director Kessiam around the sixth month of his wife’s second pregnancy.

He knew well that it could tarnish the honor of the Marquisate, but he had his own sorrowful reason.

It was because of the Marchioness. The former Marchioness was so frail that giving birth to Giscal had been considered a miracle. The doctors shook their heads, saying no one could know if another miracle would occur. Naturally, the Marquis was worried.

He had witnessed firsthand the Marchioness teetering between life and death while giving birth to Giscal. He tried to dissuade her, saying they didn’t need a second child, but he couldn’t break her resolve to give birth even if it cost her life.

Outwardly, the Marquis pretended to understand her wishes, but as her belly grew, he made a secret decision. He ordered the family doctor to prioritize the Marchioness’s life over the baby’s and requested Director Kessiam to find a newborn with black hair and red eyes.

If the baby died, the Marchioness would be devastated, so he needed a living baby to soothe her grief. Kessiam, timely as ever, found such a baby and handed it over to the Marquis in exchange for money.

And just as expected—or perhaps intended—the baby was stillborn. The Marquis placed a newborn named Barnette in the cradle instead. Seeing his wife smile while holding the baby, he felt relieved.

The problem arose when the Marchioness died a few months after childbirth. More precisely, it was due to Director Kessiam’s premature anxiety. Fearing the Marquis might return the child and demand a refund, she approached him first and threatened him.

She said that if anything happened, she would expose the Marquis’s inhumane request. Whether he gave in to the threat or simply didn’t care, the former Marquis raised the child as the young lady of the Edelheit family. That child was Arne—the former owner of this body.

I collapsed into the chair. The notebook fell helplessly to the floor. The pages fluttered open to a blank one.

My mind felt empty. The first thought that surfaced in the blankness was this:

Did she know? And… did Giscal know?

Arne was not a biological child of the Edelheit family. She was a newborn named Barnette, brought from somewhere by the director of the Rockfeld Orphanage. Barnette? Even that name might not have been real. It could’ve been a convenient alias given by the orphanage director.

I touched Arne’s face with both hands and stared at her black hair that had fallen. Her black hair and red eyes weren’t proof of Edelheit blood. They were products of deception and manipulation.

Come to think of it, someone once said Giskal’s eyes were darker, while Arne’s were closer to pink.

“Hah, haha…”

A hollow laugh escaped me. Even though I wasn’t truly Arne.

Yes, I wasn’t Arne. Yet the shock was immense. I recalled the question I had first thought of.

Did Arne know?

…Of course she knew.

The only reason I could access this secret was because of Arne. She had gone to the Rockfeld Orphanage and caused a scene. The same Arne who stirred up trouble at banquets had deliberately gone to the orphanage and burned documents and furniture. That was the reason.

She discovered the secret, pursued the truth, and tried to bury it forever.

How did she feel when she learned the truth? Even I, who now inhabited her body, couldn’t fathom her emotions. But I could guess what she wondered most upon realizing the truth.

Who else knows?

Ortland the butler, the household servants, the family’s blood relatives, the nobles of high society, Erich, and Giscal. Among all these people, who did she think of first?

Giscal—did he know?

“Your Highness, Your Highness?”

I suddenly opened my eyes. In front of me was Louis, looking worried.

“Huh? What…?”

“The examination ended, but you stayed still, so I thought something was wrong.”

Louis spoke in a near-tearful voice. Only then did I remember that I had just undergone Parsen’s daily medical check-up.

Parsen’s examination was the same as the first day. I only had to close my eyes briefly. But during that brief moment, I had drifted into deep thought. These days, I had only one thing on my mind.

Arne’s secret birth.

“Did you feel dizzy?”

For the first time, Parsen asked a question beyond “close your eyes” or “open them.” But I could only shake my head weakly.

“No, sorry. I was just lost in thought.”

“…In that short time?”

“Haha, I know. But no, I wasn’t dizzy.”

As I denied it again, Parsen stopped asking and scribbled something on paper.

“Your Highness, you’ve been lost in thought a lot lately. You get startled when I call you. Is something troubling you? Ever since you returned from the orphanage, your complexion hasn’t been good…”

Louis was sharp. I coughed awkwardly and tried to brush it off.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”

But Louis wasn’t one to give up easily—especially when it came to me. He counted the days on his fingers and cautiously asked:

“Is it because you’re returning to the palace soon?”

“What?”

“There’s only a week left until you return to the palace.”

“A week?”

I blankly repeated Louis’s words. I knew it. It had already been five days since I visited the orphanage. Of course, I knew the day to return to the palace was approaching. But I had also forgotten. Once I left this mansion and returned to the palace, everything around me would change again.

I’d have to face Erich first, and then the maids who would recoil in fear upon seeing my face. Just thinking about those changes made me want to forget. And with Arne’s secret consuming me these past few days…

Hearing the specific timeframe of one week made it feel more real. In one week, I’d have to leave this mansion. Carrying the heavy burden of Arne’s secret.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

Parsen waited for the conversation to end before finally saying goodbye.

“Oh, yes, thank you.”

As I hurriedly gave permission, Parsen turned slowly, still wearing his robe. From the beginning until now, Parsen had never removed that robe. Even I, who received daily check-ups, had never seen his face clearly. Just as Parsen was backing away and opening the door, a sound came from outside.

“Arne-ni, whoa!”

The person who burst through the suddenly opened door was none other than Rocky.

Apparently, he had been about to knock when Parsen opened the door, causing Rocky to fall forward with his fist raised. He collided directly with Parsen, who was standing in front of him.

Fortunately, Parsen didn’t fall backward and caught the child.

“S-sorry! Are you okay?”

Rocky rubbed his small head and looked up at Parsen with concern. Parsen waved his hand to indicate he was fine and stood up, only to realize his robe had come off. He quickly pulled it back on.

“Huh? Um…”

Rocky tried to say something, but Parsen hurried out of the room. I approached Rocky, who was staring at the door where Parsen had disappeared.

“Rocky, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. He caught me, so I didn’t get hurt.”

“That’s good.”

“But…”

Rocky looked back at the door. Parsen was already gone.

“Rocky, what brings you here?”

“I just returned from the orphanage, so I came to greet you first, Arne-nim.”

“I see. Did you talk a lot with your friends?”

Louis, sensing the mood, left to prepare refreshments. At my gesture, Rocky sat in a chair and nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course! I talked a lot with my friends and even made new ones. The kids at the orphanage are all really nice.”

Rocky’s face was bright as he spoke. He excitedly told me about his five days at the orphanage. The biggest part of his story was about the new friends he made there.

“The kids who were originally at the orphanage didn’t talk much, so it was awkward at first. But Director Iblem taught us a fun game, and we became close. Also, luckily, all of them are from the Kingdom of Jaren.”

“The Kingdom of Jaren?”

Support