Chapter 41: The Warning and the Burn

The words on the note were clearly a warning directed at me.

Who is warning me? Why do they need to warn me?

Suddenly, I thought of someone: Lord Axas!

Come to think of it, the voice of that recent insult seemed different from Fina’s.

Could it be that someone else heard my outburst?

Is Lord Axas truly watching me here?

It must be him/her warning me!!!

My heart raced, pounding wildly as an increasing sense of unease drove me to glance back quickly, then turn back just as fast.

Fina and the other maids were eating normally, each with a calm expression, seemingly unaware of the note’s existence.

“Who put this note here?”

I wanted to ask directly, confronting the one threatening me, hiding in the shadows.

But in the next moment, I felt a chill of fear and regret for my rashness and ignorance.

No, I absolutely cannot do that.

That person might not even be among these maids. Even if they were, they could easily pretend not to know anything.

But the words on this note could very well raise Rodd’s suspicions about my identity.

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead. Close call, so close.

“What’s the matter? You’ve been standing there for so long, doing what?”

Apparently, my delay in serving the food had made Fina impatient, and she asked me, “Can’t you eat our food?”

“Coldwind is wealthier than here, but it’s not like even the maids are so picky.”

“Hah! Who needs to be a rich girl to have rich people’s diseases.”

“Maybe our food is just pig feed to them.”

Whispers and comments followed, making me even more tense and confused.

“No, no…”

To avoid Fina thinking I was being picky and getting ostracized, I quickly forced a servile smile and explained, “Sister, you’re mistaken. In Coldwind, I often helped in the kitchen, so when I see unfamiliar dishes, I can’t help but wonder about their preparation. I was just lost in thought, I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

I quickly scooped a heaping spoonful of hot vegetable soup into my wooden bowl, not even waiting for it to cool completely, swallowing the note along with it.

The scalding, thick substance slid down my throat, burning sharply as it touched my tongue and mucous membranes. My muscles contracted, sending a strong signal of discomfort, triggering a reflex to vomit.

For a moment, I hesitated. Should I really risk this kind of burn?

But in this emergency, this seemed like the best way to express my lack of offense and destroy the evidence.

Besides, at this point, is this food still just food?

Just bear it…

“Umm… Cough cough—cough cough—”

Finally, I swallowed the soup.

The burning sensation echoed in my chest, the pain bouncing around inside me.

I knew this was just the beginning, and over time, I would likely experience persistent pain, possibly even nausea and vomiting.

So, before I could throw up, I coughed and showed them my now-empty bowl.

“Cough cough… It’s delicious… cough cough…”

The maids stared at me, shocked, clearly not expecting such a bold move from someone who looked like a little girl.

“Tsk—”

Fina abruptly stood up, storming over to me, dragging me to another room. Before I could react, she was pressing my mouth open, pouring a big spoonful of water into it.

“Umm—”

Although startled by her actions, I quickly realized the burning in my chest had eased significantly.

She… was helping me?

“Better now?”

“Y-yeah, it’s better…”

I looked at Fina gratefully, but she slapped me across the face.

Slam! The red handprint stood out starkly on my pale skin.

“Better? Better my ass!”

She grabbed my collar, pointing at my nose as she cursed, spittle flying, “Don’t you dare do something so stupid again! Is your life so cheap that your mom gave it to you for nothing? A few words could have solved it, but you had to go and make a fool of yourself?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Sorry my ass! Damn it, I’m telling you, if I see you pull this kind of stunt again, even if Lord Rodd is here, I’ll slap you again. Got it?”

“Y-yes, sister.”

I hastily replied, not sure if the warmth in my chest was from the burns or something else.

“Got it, right! Then keep drinking, don’t stop until you puke!”

Fina pushed me to the floor, then stormed back to the other room.

Soon, I heard her fierce berating from the next room.

By the time I returned to my room, it was almost midnight.

I wanted to rest early, but Fina insisted I drink a lot of water to prevent further burns.

I’m not sure if her method is scientifically sound, but I felt really uncomfortable.

Finally, when my belly swelled like a small pregnant woman, she let me go.

But I have to admit, she was a very kind-hearted woman. Before leaving, she said she would get some herbs from Allen to help me recover quickly.

“I really misunderstood her…”

I had to apologize for the impression I formed of her based on her appearance, especially after dealing with so many women in Coldwind, I’d gotten into the habit of thinking the worst of everyone.

Seeing her initial behavior, I immediately thought of her as another Bena.

“Who would have thought I’d meet someone so kind in this place?”

I placed my hands on my soft chest, feeling the lingering warmth, and couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

It’s such a shame, that Fina…

How could she not understand at her age?

In this damn world, everyone can be anything, except a good person.

As someone in a position of power like Rodd, occasionally performing acts of chivalry to satisfy his ego is one thing, but what’s the point for an ordinary person to be good?

Fina, Fina, do you know the task behind the person you helped today?

In the future, I might just bring about your downfall.

“So…”

Closing my eyes, I murmured with drowsiness,

“Good people should die…”