The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned Chapter 30

“No! It’s really not like that. I did something wrong, but my little sister hasn’t eaten in three days… She’s not well, so I only stole one…”

 

Shailoh, after quietly observing the siblings, came to a conclusion. “What you’re saying is true.”

 

“How can you believe that brat!”

 

“Look at the boy’s mouth and hands. They’re clean. But the crumbs on his sister’s mouth indicate she hasn’t eaten much at all.”

 

Shailoh gestured toward the man’s feet. The man looked down and grimaced. It was true. A loaf of bread lay on the ground.

 

“Still, stealing is stealing.”

 

“How much is this bread worth?”

 

“What?”

 

“I’ll pay you ten times its price.”

 

At this point, it was a matter of pride.

 

The man, fuming, grabbed the boy’s arm. “No way. Come on, let’s go!”

 

“Help! Help! Miss Griche!”

 

Shailoh was puzzled as to how they knew her name, but before she could ask, the man tried to drag the children away. Doris approached and handed Shailoh her wallet, from which Shailoh pulled out some bills.

 

“Here.”

 

The man, who was about to reject the offer outright, was taken aback when he saw the amount. It was equivalent to a month’s earnings for his shop. He swallowed hard, hesitating. “S-Still, this isn’t enough…”

 

“Then there’s nothing more to discuss.” Without a hint of regret, Shailoh turned and headed toward the carriage. Just as she was about to climb in, the man, having released the boy’s arm, hurried over.

 

“Alright! If you give me that money, I won’t take these kids to the authorities.”

 

“I’ll give you half.”

 

“What?”

 

“You missed your chance. Take this or lose everything.”

 

“But…”

 

“If you don’t want it, forget it.” With a nonchalant air, Shailoh boarded the carriage and opened her fan.

The man’s face turned pale as he realized his predicament. I must at least take this! Just as the carriage was about to depart, the man clung on desperately. “A-Alright! I understand!”

 

As soon as the money was handed over, the man took off in a hurry. However, fearing he might harm the siblings if she left, Shailoh brought the two children into the carriage.

 

“I’ll drop you off a little further along, so make sure to take a long detour away from that shop.”

 

“Yes. Thank you so much.”

 

“By the way, how did you know my name? Have we met before?”

 

Her first performance was a success, and the subsequent shows quickly sold out. The price of tickets to see her on stage skyrocketed.

 

“Don’t you remember me?”

 

“You are…?”

 

“You helped me in front of the ticket booth during your first performance.”

 

“Ah!”

 

Shailoh recalled the child who had sat down on the ground when the money blew away. She remembered giving him a ticket.

 

“No wonder you seemed familiar.” Shailoh beamed with delight.

 

The boy, who had been hesitating, smiled back and cautiously began to speak. “Excuse me, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you something?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I’m not trying to criticize, but… why did you initially try to help us but then leave?”

 

“Well, the basics of bargaining are all about push and pull.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Seeing the boy’s wide eyes, Shailoh explained simply. “People tend to believe that once they have something significant, it’s theirs. But what if that suddenly turns into a mirage?”

 

“That would be very disappointing.”

 

“They’d be shocked, confused, and then disappointed. And then they’d get angry and want it back, by any means necessary. Even if it’s just half of what they lost.”

 

“So you used that psychology.” The boy nodded, eyes sparkling.

 

Just then, they heard labored breathing.

 

“Haa… ha… Bro…ther…”

 

“Greta!”

 

The girl, exhausted and leaning against her brother, was gasping for air.

 

“Greta! Get a hold of yourself!”

 

“Turn the carriage around to the clinic immediately!” Shailoh, seeing the girl’s face turn pale, quickly changed their destination.

 

* * *

The boy’s name was Jenin, and the girl’s name was Greta. Thanks to their swift arrival at the clinic, Greta fortunately regained her stability.

 

“Thank you so much! I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness…”

 

Jenin, relieved to see his sister safe, knelt down, almost as if he intended to dig into the floor. Seeing the boy act this way pained Shailoh, who helped Jenin to his feet.

 

“Anyone would have done the same. Even if it wasn’t me.”

 

Jenin shook his head and stood up, sniffling. “No, this is the second time. Just like before, you’re the only one who’s helped me without expecting anything in return.”

 

Doris, standing beside them, clicked her tongue sympathetically. “Don’t you have parents? How have you been getting by?”

 

“Our parents passed away two years ago. Greta has asthma and needs medicine, so I’ve been running errands for various households to earn a little money.”

 

Shailoh’s mind was suddenly flooded with a conversation at the unexpected mention of ‘running errands’.

 

“Unless we infiltrate the duke’s household directly to find out. But that’s…”

 

“It’s too dangerous, and there’s no one we can trust. It’s such an exclusive household that even getting a job there undercover would be tough.”

 

“It’s difficult unless you’re a child.”

 

“Among the families you’ve worked for as an errand runner, does the Baron Elton family happen to be one of them?”

 

The door they thought was completely closed was actually slightly ajar. It was her task to fling it wide open.

 

* * *

Crash.

 

“I-I’m sorry, Madam! Please forgive me!”

 

With the sharp crash of porcelain shattering against the wall, the room instantly became chaos. The maid, pale with fear, prostrated herself so low her forehead nearly touched the ground. Claire, indifferent to the maid’s terror, grabbed her hair. A shrill scream echoed as a slap rang out in the air. The maid, slapped across the face, collapsed onto the floor as if she had been discarded.

 

“Sniff…”

 

“How dare a lowly servant pull my hair?”

 

The incident began when a few strands of her hair were accidentally pulled out while she was brushing. Claire, startled as if pricked by a needle, glared at the trembling maid.

 

“You must have done it on purpose. Who put you up to this?”

 

“It really was an accident! I’m so sorry, Madam… I have a family of four to support. Please, don’t cut me off…” The maid, tears streaming down her face, clung to the hem of Claire’s dress.

 

Claire’s face twisted as if a bug was crawling up her, and she kicked the maid square in the chest.

 

“Aagh!”

 

“Madam!”

 

Just then, the door burst open and someone entered. Claire’s nerves were further frayed by the intruder, and she snapped her head around. “Elza! Are you here to interfere?”

 

The maid breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the person who had stepped in. It was none other than Claire’s close maid.

 

“Baron is on his way back. This is not the time for this.”

 

“What? Already?” Claire sprang to her feet and frantically checked her appearance.

 

While her mistress adjusted her attire, Elza gave instructions to the fallen maid. “What are you doing? Hurry and get the cleaning tools! You need to pick up the shards.”

 

“Oh, yes… Yes!” The maid, finally coming to her senses, scrambled up and fled the bedroom.

 

Once the door closed and only the two remained, Elza turned to calm the panicked Claire.

 

“Milady, please calm down.”

 

“That girl pulled out my hair! My nail got damaged from hitting that wretch. Look!”

 

“It’s alright. Your nails are perfectly fine. You’re still as beautiful as ever.” Elza smiled gently and guided her back to the vanity. “Even if your nails were slightly damaged, the baron loves you dearly. Such a trivial thing won’t change his heart.”

 

“No! He thinks I’m the perfect lady—graceful, flawless, without a single blemish.” Claire shook off Elza’s comforting touch and scrutinized herself in the mirror.

 

Elza sighed inwardly at the sight. This was precisely why she had sent the maid away.

 

The couple she served, Baron Elton and his wife, appeared to be a loving pair on the surface, but the reality was different. The root of the issue was Claire’s insecurity. Their marriage had come about because Claire, smitten at first sight, had pushed for it. Even though it was a baronial family, the Elton family was an ancient lineage that ran a prosperous trading company, making it a wealthy family. Yet, for some reason, the duke and duchess opposed her marriage until the end, which has led to the current awkwardness in their relationship.

 

Although Claire should have been satisfied with the marriage, she constantly doubted her husband’s affection and was anxious that someone might steal his love away. To hide her restless nature, she was always on edge, remaining in a perpetually sensitive state. Yet, even so, it wasn’t usually this bad. Since attending the former head of security’s birthday banquet, she had become noticeably more irritable and anxious.