Episode 9

Lady Chanelia handed her a handkerchief.

Sophia sighed, took her handkerchief, and gently wiped her eyes.

She then started her second act, raising her feelings.

Act 2 did not stop at explaining Sophia’s rumors, but it was to let the world know her situation.

“After that, I had to be worse than her maid.”

Sophia spit out every single one of the discrimination she had suffered so far.

What helped her was the diary in the drawer which she found.

The diary was filled with Sophia’s tears and sorrows.

How they didn’t call a doctor even when she was sick, or that she was ignored by the maids, and her housework chores..

“That’s not? cool! I can’t believe something like this happened in the Frauss household.”

Chanelia patted Sophia, pretending to be angry.

“Oh, I apologize for putting such a frivolous article in the weekly, Sophia.”

Chanelia repeatedly apologized to Sophia.

Sophia didn’t think she had Chanelia apologizing to her sincerely.

‘I don’t think Lady Chanelia is joking when it comes to the social world.’

She somehow wondered if she might have used Lady Chanelia or it was the other way around.

But it was a win-win fight, so she didn’t feel bad.

“No, thank you for posting the article, I was able to come out of the house like this and tell my story. Had it not been for that, I would still be in the attic..”

Sophia expressed her gratitude by holding Lady Chanelia’s hand.

Their eyes met in the air.

They didn’t say anything, but they recognized each other.

“I will definitely write a correction in the next weekly magazine.”

Sophia smiled when Lady Chanelia promised her a correction, saying she was sorry.

~*~

After Lady Chanelia left the room, Killian glanced at Sophia.

“What?”

“..Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“So..”

His red eyes showed worry.

‘Male lead, you can’t be fooled!’

Pure eyes with no doubts.

Sophia grinned as if she had never cried.

“It was just an act.”

Then, Killian’s gaze hardened.

“Then, was everything you said to Lady Chanelia a lie?”

“No. It was all real, but the tears were not.”

He straightened his black and raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t understand her behavior.

His eyes are asking if it is reasonable to cry over the unfortunate life.

‘That’s right. Cinderella’s life is a mess.’

The domestic violence and discrimination that Sophia suffered are not laughable.

She knew how badly it hurted her.

“Anyway, nothing is going well because of you!”

“I wish someone like you would just die.”

‘If this were my real life, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.’

It must have been at the level of escaping.

Can’t fight back, can’t run away and be alone..

Thinking it’s in a novel gave her the courage to face it.

‘Because I’m the heroine, I’ll be happy in the end.’

Sophia laughed confidently of her happy ending.

Killian looked at his fiance quietly and opened his mouth.

“By the way, in your family.. Didn’t you say people wouldn’t care if you revealed you were treated?”

When she first met her today, she said ‘The title ‘Sophia Frauss, Misery in the Attic’ isn’t very appealing.’

And Sophia just asked Lady Chanelia to change it.

Will that unattractive title be able to stop this huge rumor?

“Of course they wouldn’t care. At least until this rumor spreads.”

Sophia shrugged her shoulders.

What she said to Killian was true.

People wouldn’t care whether Sophia lived in an attic or a basement.

“But now things are different. Now that I’m in the spotlight, my name alone is enough to draw attention.”

Now people would be curious.

They’ll ask if Sophia is a real maid or not. What her truth is. And then they would like to hear about her life.

“Because there is an order to everything.”

Sophia smiled brightly.

~*~

As she talked to Lady Chanelia and came out into the lobby, she approached as if the nobles had been waiting for her.

“Greetings after a long time, Duke.”

At the greeting of the nobles, Killian shook his head once without saying a word.

“I was surprised to see your name in Lady Chanelia’s weekly magazine this morning.”

It’s something they just talked about, but they have no way of knowing.

“I was surprised too.”

Killian nodded and grabbed Sophia’s hand.

People’s eyes quickly turned to Killian’s hand.

“Then she is..”

“Let me formally introduce you. This is my fiance, Sophia Frauss.”

Killian pulled Sophia lightly, making her stand closer to him.

Sophia greeted them as she had expected, and they watched as she greeted them.

Their eyes were trying to find a single flaw whether she was a maid or not.

But Sophia did not lose her noble words and deeds.

‘It’s not that I’ve read a ropan novel once or twice, this is what I’m saying!’

She hasn’t been like an idiot over the past week.

In the meantime, she had learned the parts necessary to adapt to this world in advance.

Besides, there were quite a few parts that Sophia’s body remembered.

Just as her amnesiac does not impair her speech, Sophia was naturally accustomed to the language and behavior of the country.

“I did not know that Count Frauss had such a beautiful daughter.”

“Since I was young, it was difficult to go out because of my poor health.”

Seeing her skinny body and pale skin, they seemed to believe that she was sickly.

“Then are you okay now?”

“I’m not completely healthy, but I’m okay.”

“Sophia has been at home all the time, so I think there’s a rumor going around.”

Killian said.

Then, a man from afar approached and interrupted.

“Well, whether it’s a rumor or not, I don’t know.”

It was a middle-aged man in a well-dressed suit.

Killian’s expression turned cold when he saw him.

“..Marquis of Fideut.”

Somehow, Killian’s reaction was colder than when he treated the other nobles.

As I later learned, Killian and Fideout reportedly fell out after a big argument at a party.

“I read that article too, but there are people who have seen Lady Sophia doing maid work, right?”

Marquis Fideut smiled leisurely and looked at Sophia.

Sophia took a step forward without losing.

Then, Killian gave strength to his clasped hand.

He seemed very concerned.

‘Don’t worry. I’m not going to cry here.’

She had no intention of creating Operation Tears twice. There were no more tears to squeeze.

Instead of bringing tears to her eyes, Sophia smiled at the marquis.

“You’re right. I even did the housework at home.”

Then, the atmosphere became very noisy.

“Well, before we talk about that, I heard that the Marquis has a hobby of collecting masks and dolls.”

Sophia remembered the small talk the nobles had had earlier.

A wealthy collector, the Marquis had a unique hobby of collecting colorful masks and cute kokeshi dolls.

They said that he had a room full of a collection of dolls and a wall full of masks.

“Is that so?”

“I heard you say that you sometimes invite your acquaintances to do puppet shows? And that you’re good with your hands and make dolls yourself.”

“Okay, but why are you talking about that now..”

“Then, is the Marquis a clown?”

Sophia asked, tilting her head.

Masks and dolls. It could be an expensive collection, but it was also the things of clowns.

Recognizing Sophia’s intentions, the marquis’ temples trembled.

“I’m being forced!”

“Right. That’s absurd logic. Just because I did a little housework, the rumors spread that I was a maid.”

Sophia agreed with the Marquis and nodded softly.

“Some of you here like to serve guests with their home-cooked dishes, and others who like plants and tend their own gardens.”

A nobleman’s hobbies would not always be reading or hunting.

“How ignorant would it be to say that such people are actually cooks, gardeners, or disguised their identities?”

She looked around the nobles who were there and smiled.

Then the nobles kept their mouths shut and didn’t say a word.

“Lady Chanelia also sincerely apologized..”

The air surrounding them was turbulent again.

“The proud Lady Chanelia apologized?”

“Then you mean it was really a fake article?”

Small whispers were heard.

“I’m going to laugh it off for the kind Lady Chanelia. You’re going to do the same, aren’t you, Killian?”