Chapter 109 – Final Plan (1)
When the darkness of dawn breaks and the light begins to rise little by little from the east.
Inside a small house a bit far from the village.
There is silence between Lucia and Grace, who are sitting at the table facing each other. Grace, who had heard the whole story Lucia had told, was looking at her desk with her arms crossed, and Lucia was quietly looking down at her hands resting on her knees.
Talking to Lucia was an inconvenience itself. Except for Isabella, these are stories that I have never told anyone about or even thought about looking back on.
It was a story that Grace told her to tell in order to figure out how to deal with Isabella, but it was another type of torture for Lucia to go back and tell the story of her growth, one by one.
Pieces of memories that bloom again when you look back on your childhood. Those days, when she was so bright that she couldn’t be compared to now, kept coming back to her like a flood, and she had to swallow the feeling of happiness several times as she confessed it.
But she had no right to express her emotions.
More than anyone else, she is the most guilty in that she intentionally approached Mason with the intention of destroying him.
She was a sinner without even a second thought.
But still.
Several times her story tried to veer towards self-defense. Lucia felt deep disgust at herself, no matter how many times she tried to protect herself due to her petty greed for self-preservation.
Lucia unconsciously tensed her hands and trembled.
This silence, her contempt for herself, her worry for Mason.
It made her feel so uncomfortable and like she was going to gag at any moment.
“… After.”
Grace, who had been immersed in silence for a while, let out a small sigh, and Lucia flinched involuntarily and looked at her.
“I think it will be difficult to calmly take out Mason and Siana.”
Her two golden eyes were staring at him. The emotion in that gaze was peaceful, but every time she tried to face it properly, her whole body shook with anxiety.
It felt like facing the shining sun with open eyes.
Grace, who had no idea what she was feeling, tapped the table with her index finger. A regular sound echoed through her kitchen.
Grace remained silent, not knowing what to say. Grace, who had been lost in thought for a while, immediately took his hand away and took a breath.
“But, it’s not like there’s no way.”
“… Speaking of methods… ?”
Grace smiled crookedly at Lucia’s question.
“Our biggest problem now is that Isabella’s influence in this village is too strong.”
Lucia naturally nodded her head at her words. It would not be an exaggeration to say that most of this village relies on the farm run by Mr. Gordon for its profits.
Also, the image of herself that Isabella has created so far has also been a great force. Geumji Ok-yeop, the one and only village landowner who is always kind no matter who the person is.
Even if she said she was imprisoning Siana and threatening Mason, it would be difficult to expect help from the villagers. No, we couldn’t rule out the possibility that they might be labeled as strange people.
“In that case, Isabella should give us a problem that cannot be solved in the village.”
Grace’s answer did nothing to resolve Lucia’s question. Of course, she might be able to stop her influence if she made Isabella, like her horse, into an insurmountable problem in the town, but it was doubtful whether her influence would be enough to cause much trouble.
Seeing Lucia’s serious expression, Grace smiled and said.
“Would you know that, having lived as a village girl all her life, even if you go outside this village, there are people with more money and greater influence than Isabella?”
She continued with her words with a confident smile.
“Well, what do you know, it wouldn’t be difficult to get Isabella out of town anyway. And I have the ability to do that.”
Grace’s confident tone showed Grace’s confidence in her own abilities. But even so, Lucia could not easily sympathize with her. As she said, Isabella’s influence was absolute in the eyes of Lucia, who had lived here as a village girl all her life.
Of course, Lucia didn’t bother to show that she was doubting her. She didn’t want to go against Grace’s wishes, and also because she had no other choice.
After Lucia quietly swallowed her dry saliva, she asked carefully.
“… So, what should I do?”
“That’s a good question. There is only one thing you have to do.”
Grace started talking with a smile. It was her final plan to bring down Isabella.
And that day, Lucia hurried to get ready to go to Isabella’s mansion. She changed her clothes and carried the things Grace gave her in her arms.
Her heart raced as she walked toward Isabella’s mansion. However, unlike before, she did not come from joy at seeing Isabella, but from fear and tension.
Let’s calm down. Calm down.
When she arrived at the front door of her mansion, she took a deep breath and stepped into her mansion.
Her mansion had become even more beautiful than when she last visited.
The flowers that had begun to bloom under the hot sun and the freshly blooming grass that decorated the garden did not lessen the fear in Lucia’s heart.
She tried to keep her composure and knocked on the door of her mansion. Soon the door opened, and an old butler with a familiar face came out.
However, instead of welcoming her with a bright smile like before, Germain came out and greeted her with a slightly surprised look in his eyes.
“Miss Lucia.”
“Hello, Mr. Germain.”
Germaine greeted her with a nod, and instead of letting her in, he opened her door, came out, and closed the door behind her, talking to her.
“I think you’ve come to see the lady, but she said she’s busy with work and won’t receive visitors.”
Lucia smiled appropriately at the old butler’s words. Although she was not as good as Isabella, she was also good at dealing with people, and fortunately, she was still able to act as Lucia in front of Germain.
“Are you okay. “I’m not here to see Isabella.”
“If that’s the case, I won’t be able to let you into this mansion. Excuse me, but this is my job too…”
“I came to see my sister.”
Lucia interrupted Germaine. It was something she had never done before. Germaine, who heard her, suddenly stopped what she was saying, as if she hadn’t expected it, and then spoke to her again with her polite smile.
“Excuse me, Miss Mason is very busy right now…”
“I’m coming to see my sister?”
“This is the lady’s order. I was very busy taking care of Siana who was sick… “
She moved closer to Germaine. Germaine did not back down. As they have already known each other since Lucia was young. Lucia could also roughly guess what Germain thought of her and Isabella.
“Germain, please let her meet her sister.”
Germaine was Isabella’s butler who worked at her mansion, but she was also her adult who had been by Isabella’s side and watched over her and hers throughout their childhood. Although she had a hard time taking care of them, he was someone who always smiled and treated them as if he were caring for her own granddaughter.
“Please, you can guess why I’m here.”
She knew that his affection for her and her Mason was as great as his sympathy for her Isabella.
“You know, uncle. What kind of person is Isabella? If things continue like this, both her sister and Xia will die.”
Germaine’s eyes shook violently after hearing her words. Lucia understood him. She would always remember her as Isabella’s side.
“Then, Miss Lucia, now-“
“That’s right, Germaine. “I’m here now to save her sister.”
At her words, Germaine sighed silently. Lucia looked at him silently, and then he muttered softly.
“… “Lucia, I don’t know what caused you to suddenly change your mind, but it looks like she no longer agrees with you.”
Lucia nodded her head at his words. Germaine hesitated in her words before cautiously opening her mouth again.
“… It’s such a sudden change that I don’t know how to respond. But we all know who Lady Isabella is, and we know very well that she has a responsibility to all of us.”
It was an obvious fact. She did everything she could to sympathize with Isabella, while Germaine watched the girl go astray.
“It’s my fault. “I should have taken on the tasks that the master was unable to do and guided the wandering young lady well.”
It is an irreversible regret and a guilt that has no further meaning.
Also, it couldn’t simply be her or Germaine’s fault, but they both felt the most painful feeling of their own heavy hearts.
“As it is my duty to help the lady, even though it is late, I must correct what I can to correct her.”
Germain brushed her eyes with her hand and asked her quietly.
“You said you wanted to meet Miss Mason, right?”
She nodded her head, and Germaine looked around her and whispered quietly.
“There is only so much time I can gain. “Only for about 5 minutes.”
It was a tight time. But there was no other choice.
“Please let me in.”
Lucia spoke with a stern expression, and Germain turned and opened the door.
