"Urrghhh! Now this is the stuff!"

The Squirrel Mercenaries stared at Gerard with their jaws dropped as he hungrily shoveled down the lava-like stew without blinking an eye. In this moment, Gerard looked like a savior sent from the heavens.

A short while later—

After devouring not only his own share of the stew but even the untouched portions the Squirrels hadn’t dared to eat, Gerard flopped back on the sofa, patting his now-rounded belly. Only Ciel’s bowl still brimmed with that fiery red stew. Ciel, his pride wounded by the thought of accepting Gerard’s help, had stubbornly insisted on finishing it himself.

"He really ate all that?!"

Though he looked like he couldn’t even eat half a slice of bread, the man turned out to be a massive eater. Lily stuck her tongue out in disbelief as she stared at the empty pots and dishes.

"Is that even possible with that body?"

"Is he a monster or what? No way a normal human can eat like that."

Lily eyed the now-snoring Gerard with suspicion and tiptoed closer to flip open his right eyelid. His eyes were mismatched in color, but he wasn't a monster.

Gerard, irritated, slapped her hand away and rolled over, letting out a loud snore.

"Whatever the case, Gerard really saved us."

"No kidding."

Bruno and Kyle breathed a deep sigh of relief, like they’d just passed a major trial. They weren’t entirely sure what Lady Estella had intended, but it was clear they’d passed some kind of test—well, everyone except Ciel, that is.

"That doesn’t count as a real victory."

Grinding his teeth, Ciel glared at his obnoxiously cheerful subordinates. What kind of leader dumps his assigned trial on someone else?

But the others didn’t care. With their own stew safely digested, the Squirrels began watching Ciel’s lonely struggle with relaxed amusement.

"Boss can do it."

"Of course. I’ve never once seen our boss give up."

"Yeah, the word 'give up' doesn't even fit with our boss."

Scowling at his ever-synchronized team, Ciel slowly lifted a spoonful of stew to his mouth.

"Don’t cry!"

"Don’t cry!"

To the sound of their ambiguous cheers that didn’t quite sound like support, Ciel spent the rest of the morning quietly weeping with emotion.

Sometime later—

"I finished it!"

Ciel triumphantly raised his now-empty bowl in the air. Bruno, who’d dozed off while watching, jerked awake with a start.

"Incredible."

Kyle looked on with genuine awe and admiration.

"Isn’t it kinda moving? Our boss actually did it in the end."

Fresh out of a nap, Bruno glanced at the clean, empty bowl and felt his nose sting for no reason.

"I hate myself for getting emotional over something like this."

Lily grumbled, trying hard not to agree with Bruno. But there was someone who truly didn’t share the sentiment.

"You left the jalapeño."

Airi coldly pointed at the bright red jalapeño Ciel had secretly pushed to the side of the pot.

Completely unaware of the chaos at Birch Hall, Estella ran straight to the training room the moment her hangover cure was complete. After taking a few days off for various reasons, her joints were screaming for movement.

Claire’s athletic wear design skills were evolving rapidly. Since her main work was dressmaking, her early exercise outfits had focused more on appearance than function. But after fully understanding Estella’s goals, she began prioritizing performance.

Today’s outfit was the result.

It didn’t take long to put on or take off and could be worn without assistance. High-friction and jointed areas were reinforced with durable fabric, while the rest used breathable, sweat-absorbing material. Though Claire focused on practicality, she never gave up on aesthetics. She’d succeeded in crafting a look that was both simple and stylish.

Even the other knights training nearby had asked if they could get one tailored too.

After an intense workout that left her soaked in sweat, Estella enjoyed a refreshing bath. As she relaxed, Ria brought her a chilled cup of Miraclelium.

"Thanks."

Ria’s skill had improved dramatically. The first batch of Miraclelium she made was already excellent, but now it was near perfection. Estella could confidently say that not even in her previous life had she ever tasted Miraclelium this delicious. A single herb leaf floated on the surface, adding a carbonation-like freshness.

"Wow! Ria, this is so refreshing and delicious. You’re the best Miraclelium brewer ever. And soon you’ll be rich."

There was no one else around, so Estella whispered the last part softly.

Ria still couldn’t quite believe it. Maybe because they hadn’t officially launched sales yet. But on the day of Katrin’s birthday party, the fifty application forms they'd prepared had vanished in the blink of an eye—and people even fought over the last one.

Those forms were now arriving one by one at a small shop Estella had secretly purchased in town.

The smallest order was ten bottles. The largest? Thirty.

Each bottle sold for five silver. Ria’s monthly wage from the Marquis’s estate was fifteen silver—and that was only after her pay had increased for formally assisting Lady Estella. Miraclelium had almost no ingredient cost. The materials were everywhere, and the whole process only required carefully smoking the mixture over low heat until it gave off a blue smoke.

Pure profit, born from almost nothing.

Though no money had landed in her hands yet, Ria felt like she was dreaming. Helping her lady was fulfilling enough—but to receive so much in return for something that felt so small… she sometimes felt it was too much.

She reminded herself daily: I have to repay my lady’s grace with everything I have.

"My lady, the Marquis is scheduled to depart for Ballachy tomorrow morning."

At Ria’s report, Estella shot upright from the rocking chair where she’d been lounging.

A few days ago—

Estella had reflected deeply on her previous life. Though her current life had changed significantly, the road ahead was still long. Her to-do list was mountainous. But the most important task had yet to even begin.

Uncovering the truth behind her father’s death.

Though she now lived as Estella, not Yoon Seo-yi, it no longer mattered. She was fully Estella—holding both women's memories in one soul. And with that, her love for her father had grown stronger by the day.

To avoid repeating the same mistakes, Estella had begun recording every memory that came to mind from her first day here. She carefully noted them all down in Korean, not the imperial language, to prevent anyone from reading them.

Many memories were vague, lost to time. Some were as hazy as fog, unreachable. But the day her father died—she remembered that one clearly.

It was shortly after Katrin’s birthday party. He’d left on a territory inspection to Ballachy and died on the way back in a monster attack.

Back then, grief had swallowed her whole. She hadn’t had the strength to examine the strange details behind the incident. The memories following it were fragmented. Some moments too vivid, others blurred like a censored image. It felt like someone had tampered with her mind.

"So, it’s tomorrow?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Ria, I’m going with Father to Ballachy. Tell the Squirrel Mercenary Band they’re to come too—but make sure Father doesn’t know they’re accompanying us. I’ll explain it to Lucius myself."

"Yes, my lady!"

Seeing the sudden shift in Estella’s expression, Ria tensed up too.

I’ll have to stay up all night!

They were leaving tomorrow, which meant there was a lot to prepare. The first and most urgent task was alerting the Squirrel Mercenary Band. As soon as Estella left to meet the Marquis, Ria dashed off toward Birch Hall.

On her way to the office, Estella ran into Katrin.

Despite everything that had happened at the birthday party, Katrin ran up with a radiant smile and clasped Estella’s hand like nothing was wrong.

"Sister! Are you just back from training? I’m so happy you’re healthy now—but I miss the time we used to spend together."

"Is that so?"

Katrin acted perfectly cheerful, putting on a show for the passing servants. It was funny—and somehow pitiable.

How could someone with such an angelic face do the things she did? How deeply was she involved in Father’s death?

Even now, Estella’s original self—the remnant part of the old Estella—desperately hoped Katrin had nothing to do with it.

As she looked into Katrin’s innocent eyes, Estella’s gaze swirled with tangled emotions.

Chapter 52

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