Chapter 44: A Pawn’s Resolve

Inside the banquet hall, applause and congratulations surged like a tide, all directed towards Lord Rodd at the center, and the radiant Miss Cassina beside him.

Yet, amidst this bustling spectacle, my gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, involuntarily fell upon a corner of the hall.

Standing there was a figure both familiar and slightly unfamiliar: Aisha.

At this moment, she was no longer clad in a simple maid’s dress. Instead, she wore a graceful, long gown.

Though not overly luxurious, its style bore a subtle resemblance to Miss Cassina’s own attire.

She was already strikingly beautiful, and dressed like this, she appeared every bit the natural-born noblewoman, blooming quietly in the corner.

Many guests were curious about her, but she elegantly declined their inquiries one by one.

I felt a thrill at her appearance today, yet a question also arose.

By all accounts, as a maid, she shouldn’t easily leave her master’s side, much less wear clothing that would so clearly overshadow the host.

If discovered, she would undoubtedly face extremely harsh punishment!

My doubts grew wildly like weeds, and eventually, unable to curb my curiosity, I walked towards that figure.

I softly called out:

“Aisha.”

She whirled around, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, like a startled fawn.

“You… what are you doing here?”

Then, as if remembering something, she added,

“Oh, right, you’re Lord Rodd’s maid now…”

“That’s what I should be asking you!”

I stared intently at her, a wave of worry surging within me.

“How are you here, and why are you wearing this dress? This dress… you didn’t steal it, did you?”

“How could I?”

Aisha rolled her eyes at me, then wore a complex expression, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards Miss Cassina in the center of the hall.

The Lord of Coldwind’s daughter was beaming with a smile, like an elegant princess, receiving the blessings of the guests. Her smile was so radiant, yet it seemed to hide an unspeakable secret.

“Could it be… she made you wear it?”

Following her gaze, a sudden premonition of unease welled up in my heart.

“Clever. At first, I couldn’t understand why Miss Cassina would make me wear these clothes. After all, these are her most treasured possessions, things she would never part with for others to wear, let alone for a servant like me. But…”

Her breathing grew heavy at this moment, as if each word carried unspeakable secrets and pain.

“When I heard what she wanted me to do next, everything clicked into place.”

“What does she want you to do?” I pressed her.

Aisha looked at me calmly, her tone flat:

“She wants me to find an opportunity tonight to… make love with Rodd.”

In an instant, my mind went utterly blank. I stared blankly at Aisha.

It was hard to imagine she could say such a thing with such a calm expression!

Before I could react, Aisha spoke again.

“Actually, this decision she made has something to do with you, you know.”

“Uh… me?”

I couldn’t fathom how I could be involved.

“Have you forgotten? Not long ago, Miss Cassina gave Lord Rodd a handle against her because of her harsh treatment of servants, and he severely humiliated her. This young lady has never endured such affronts, and she’s determined to regain the upper hand. So, even though tonight’s banquet seems to be going smoothly, Cassina is only pretending as if nothing has happened on the surface. Secretly, she’s mobilized various channels, planning to bring some tight-lipped relatives and friends to expose Lord Rodd’s scandal tonight, then magnanimously forgive him. That way, she’ll be even with Rodd.”

Hearing Aisha’s words, I found Cassina’s thought process unbelievable and grew even more worried about how the night would unfold.

It was as if I saw an undercurrent surging through the banquet hall, and Aisha was merely a pawn in this dark tide.

“Besides, I don’t know if you’ve noticed my hair color?” she suddenly asked.

“Red, of course. Why?”

I answered matter-of-factly, but a vague sense of unease welled up in my heart.

“The young lady’s is also red.”

She gave me a meaningful look.

“Normally, nobles, to avoid suspicion, wouldn’t want their maids to resemble them. They would usually choose a maid with a very different appearance. But Cassina is different. It seems she thought very early on that she might one day need someone like me, so she suggested to her father long ago that I become her maid.”

“Now, she truly has a use for me—to be a substitute for her to sleep with a man. This is the meaning of my existence as a pawn.”

Aisha finished these words in a calm tone, completely unlike someone speaking about herself. It was as if she were talking about a stranger.

“You… are you really willing to be her pawn?”

I looked at Aisha with a touch of heartache. After all, in my eyes, though she sometimes spoke crudely, she had always been very kind to me. If not for her help on the *Longwind* back then, I might have had a terrible time.

“Of course, I don’t want to be her pawn, but…”

Aisha’s answer surprised me, her voice filled with resolve and determination.

“This is a perfect opportunity, isn’t it?”

She pointed a finger forcefully at me, a gesture much like the ‘I WANT YOU’ advertisements I’d seen in another world. Her tone became sharp.

“This is the best chance to get close to Rodd! What’s wrong with sleeping with him once? What does it matter which man it is? Even if he mistakes me for Cassina and calls out another woman’s name, so what? By the time Cassina crashes in, he and I will have already sealed the deal!”

Aisha’s face was alight with absolute confidence, her voice brimming with an understanding of men and self-assurance.

“I believe that even if Rodd is a total pervert, once he’s been with me, he’ll absolutely be unable to resist me!”

Hearing her statements, I didn’t know how to respond. I thought of many things, but could only say with helplessness:

“Not all men view that kind of thing as their life. I think Rodd, at least, wouldn’t.”

“Why wouldn’t he! Have you slept with him?!”

Aisha suddenly asked me very seriously. Her attitude startled me, and I shook my head repeatedly.

“Since you haven’t, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions, after all…”

Her words carried a hint of plea and understanding, as if seeking my resonance and support.

“If you had my experiences, you would definitely understand!”

Experiences?

Aisha’s words left me momentarily stunned. But before I could fully recover, I found my hand firmly clasped in hers.

“Lilian, do you know, you’re very much like how I used to be…”

Aisha’s heavy gaze settled on me, completely, as if she wanted to bind me tightly.

“A long time ago, I was as innocent and naive as you. But then someone made me realize that only by any means necessary can one survive in this damned world.”

“I understood this truth too late. I regret that I couldn’t do anything back then… So this time, I will definitely help you win over Rodd, using every possible method to make him grant you freedom and happiness!”

At that moment, the music in the banquet hall surged, its joyful melody intertwining with the guests’ laughter, creating a wave of cheer in my ears.

However, my gaze couldn’t tear away from Aisha’s lips, for she was telling me…

“Even if it means bearing his child, I will not hesitate.”