You Said I Was a Persecuted, Terminally Ill Grand Duchess? - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 10

I felt a bit of self-loathing toward my past self who had found it interesting.

Thud.

I closed the book without regret and stood up from my seat.

Rather than reading some trivial dragon story, chopping firewood would be much better.

“Ugh.”

As I stretched and stepped out the front door, much warmer air was circulating around.

The weather wasn’t particularly cold today either. Could spring be coming already?

Nina, who plays ‘Na’ in the Gana-da Maid Team, said that Celeste’s winter is very fickle.

One day it’s bitterly cold, then the next day clears up as if nothing happened.

Then fog rolls in again, and it wouldn’t be strange for frosty days to continue – that’s Celeste for you.

I deeply agreed with the saying that weather is close to the whims of the gods.

But today at least, feeling the gentle warmth while tending to a vegetable garden would be quite a nice choice.

“Has the ground thawed a bit?”

After I fell while chopping firewood, Betty hid the hand axe somewhere.

But she didn’t know this.

“I know there’s a pickaxe behind the woodpile!”

Hahaha! Now I’ll use this to level the ground.

The Cottage’s backyard was a perfect place for cultivating a small vegetable garden, both in size and soil quality.

I should plant lettuce here, and tomatoes, and herbs too.

If this world has peppers too… I could grow peppers and raise cabbage or radishes, then try making kimchi with them.

Though I’m living a more satisfying life compared to my previous life, the one thing I miss is living in a world without rice and kimchi.

‘I’m born to be Korean.’

I need to eat rice to have the energy to work!

Though it was close to making excuses since the Gana-da Maid Team was right there, having grown up strong eating only Western food…

Anyway, I was fully determined to at least make inquiries and try rice farming or kimjang.

I crouched down in the middle of the backyard and pressed the ground firmly with my hands.

The soil was cold, but the snow had already melted long ago.

Maybe it wouldn’t be bad if I tilled it with the pickaxe?

“Heup!”

My thinking was brief and my action was quick.

I immediately grabbed the pickaxe and struck it down into the ground like hammering.

“Ack!”

Then I immediately threw the pickaxe away.

No, it was closer to my body being thrown away.

Since the ground was soft, the pickaxe did penetrate without difficulty.

The problem was that there was something hard like a rock underneath.

Zing, as if electricity flowed through my body, all the fine hairs on my body stood on end from the shock wave that traveled up the pickaxe.

“My hands!”

Right. This body was weaker than I thought!

Thinking of Betty, the smallest but strongest among the maids, I internally shed tears of blood from envy.

If Betty had seen this state too, it would have been cause for alarm.

‘I absolutely can’t let her find out.’

It would be better to pretend it never happened.

Betty alone was overwhelming enough, and now I suddenly had six overprotective guardians.

If they found out I had been digging… no, pickaxing by myself…

Now they might even take turns standing guard to really prevent me from taking even one step outside my blanket.

“I’ll pass on that!”

Let’s pretend it never happened. Never happened.

Just as I was pulling the pickaxe out of the soil and trying to roughly fill the hole with my foot to destroy the evidence.

“?”

Something was dangling from the tip of the pickaxe.

“What is this…”

I can catch something? Even from the ground?

It was an utterly absurd situation.

I examined the identity of the object hanging from the end of the pickaxe with a stunned face.

It was an antique silver cup with handles on both sides.

It looked quite valuable with its elaborate patterns.

If it were a bit larger, it could have been used as a championship trophy for some competition.

Moreover, for something that had been buried in the dirt, it was suspiciously shiny.

“…This is ominous.”

The feeling was so eerie… I felt reluctant to bring it inside the house.

I gently scraped the soil with the pickaxe to dig a hollow, then put the silver cup back in and covered it up.

“Nothing happened. Yes yes. That’s right.”

…I thought that would be the end of it.

* * *

“My lady, are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

Lia, who plays ‘La’ in the Gana-da Maid Team, looked at me with a worried face.

In contrast to her impressive bulging muscles, she was the most tender-hearted child.

I smiled awkwardly and shook my head.

But inside, I was on the verge of rotting away completely.

“I’m, I’m fine…”

“Fine my foot! There’s a shadow on your beautiful face.”

Saying that, Lia quickly brought a hand mirror and held it up in front of me.

My face reflected in the mirror… even I could see it looked quite gaunt with dark circles deeply cast.

And for good reason, as I hadn’t been able to sleep properly for the past few days.

In just a few days, the genre of my life had changed from ‘peaceful healing rural story’ to ‘horror terror devastation story.’

“My lady~ Please have your meal!”

Just then, Garnet, Nina, and Dora, each carrying a tray, entered the cottage one after another with bright smiles.

‘Even their entrance follows the Ga-Na-Da order…’

The Gana-da Maid Team seemed to have connections in the kitchen too, as the meal menu became noticeably more elaborate after they declared themselves my doormats.

But for me, accustomed to healthy food, it was greasy food.

So after sharing the food they brought on the first day together, they’ve been bringing the same healthy food as before.

The Gana-da Maid Team pleaded that they were so very disappointed, asking to at least let them prepare portions to their heart’s content, and I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.

That’s how they ended up carrying three trays like that…

“My lady. Today we specially prepared wine as a palate cleanser. Dora and I stole some from what goes into Lady Katarina’s meals!”

“It was truly a thrilling affair!”

Hahaha! Hohoho! Giggle giggle!

Normally I would have giggled along saying ‘Not bad, you girls,’ but today I couldn’t do that.

“Eek!”

“Oh my! My lady, are you alright?”

“What’s wrong?!”

“What bastard is it!”

Even Betty and Marigona, who had been cleaning windows and sweeping the yard in the distance, all came running and took combat positions at my shriek of horror.

I buried myself in Garnet’s broad chest, trembling.

Honestly, it was really too scary!

The reason was definitely…

“That silver cup! Where did it come from?”

“The silver cup? It was on your table this morning, my lady, so we used it because it was pretty…”

“Aaah! Crazy thing! Crazy silver cup!”

“My lady!”

That’s right! It was because of that silver cup!

That suspicious silver cup I had picked up a few days ago while making a fuss about creating a vegetable garden!

I thought I had covered it well and everything had passed quietly without anyone knowing, but strange things started happening from that very night.

That night when I had buried everything in my heart as if nothing had happened.

I had washed thoroughly and flopped onto the bed to sleep.

“?!”

My back felt uncomfortable, so I lifted the blanket and found that silver cup there.

“How disgusting!”

I got goosebumps for no reason and threw the silver cup out the window…

That was the beginning.

“Aaah!”

I threw it out the window, buried it in the ground again, abandoned it at the main residence.

Even when I hung it on a tree in the rear mountain and left it there, when I came to my senses, the silver cup would be back by my side like an undying wandering minstrel!

What is this, some kind of Annabelle?!

This repeated for several days, and I was on the verge of a complete neurosis.

Yesterday, thinking it would really be the end, I had buried it under a tree in the Duke’s Garden!

‘Evil spirit! At this point, it must definitely be an evil spirit.’

They said I was cursed – could it be because of that?

‘Was it real?’

It wasn’t just medieval-style gaslighting because my eyes were red and different from others, but I was actually cursed?

That’s when it happened.

“My lady, please look at this!”

Marigona, who had instantly dropped her combat stance, widened her eyes and held out the silver cup.

“There’s something reflecting inside this silver cup!”

“What?”

Hearing those words, an uncontrollable curiosity suddenly surged up.

Actually, there was some defiance mixed in too.

I had been looking for a way to end this tedious game of hide-and-seek anyway.

If it really was an evil spirit, I was prepared to resort to physical exorcism without hesitation, so I looked back at my reliable support team, the Gana-da Maid Team.

As expected, those magnificent muscles hadn’t gone anywhere and were displaying their natural beauty.

With their grip strength, an evil spirit or two would be nothing more than a punching bag.

‘Right. Even if I’m weak, my allies are super strong… we might even be able to beat up ghosts.’

Having gained courage like a petty schemer, I cautiously peered inside the silver cup.

And inside it was…

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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