I stared at the woman in front of me in amusement. Despite having a displeased look on her face, she still stuffed the steak I ordered into her mouth. She just eats without saying anything, as if this will be the last time she gets to eat.
I began to pick up a knife and a fork to stuff my mouth too. The meat was surprisingly tender and the sauce was savory with a sweetness to it. I didn't expect the food here would be delicious. Thus, we both ate quietly until the food was finished.
"So, what do you want from me?" She lazily asked. However, her brown eyes stared into mine, as if to gauge my intention.
'She just likes the novel described,' I thought. This woman's name is Hera. She used to be a maid in the Duke's mansion. She's one of the maids that was tasked to tend Valentina's wounds after she got beat up. Despite her personality, she actually has a phobia with blood.
Her hands always trembled whenever she tried to put a medicine paste on Valentina's bloody wound. It always made Valentina irritated and shouted at her.
"If you can't do your job properly, just quit!" So she said.
Hera, who can't take it any longer begged Valentina to help her quit her job. Since she has already seen the truth about how Valentina was being treated, the Duke won't let her quit easily. Not if her life wasn't on the line. Thus, Valentina agreed to help her and in return, she will owe her a favor.
I held up two fingers to answer her questions. "I need two things from you. One, please give me back the item I lent to you. Second, I need you to be my witness."
"Witness? Why? What for?"
"I want to completely sever the ties with my family. I don't want to have any connections with them and to do that, I need to erase them from my name first." This is why I worked so hard to prevent the incident yesterday. The duke's scheme will be revealed by the heroine and the Romano Household will be held in prison until it was proven that they were indeed guilty.
If that ever happens, my chance to cut ties with my family will be very slim. I won't be able to get away from this empire and have my revenge. In other words, my life would be done for.
"What?! Are you crazy?! Do you even know what that means?" She looked at me in disbelief.
"I know. It means I won't be able to stay in this empire anymore. All of the properties I ever got from the duchy will be taken away. But that doesn't matter. They never gave me anything very valuable anyway and they will never hand me even a piece of their property." I said coldly.
"Even so, why me?"
"You know that I need to have a valid reason as to why I want to cut ties with my family. I also need proof or a witness to prove it. You're perfect for it. You know I can't have any other maid do this."
"But what will happen to me after that? The duke won't let me go if he ever finds out," she stated her concerns. I could see the fear in her eyes.
"Then, would you like to follow me? I planned to go to the Aphelia Kingdom. The duke won't ever find you if you went there," I suggested to her, just like I did to Wendy and Gild.
"Aphelia Kingdom? Can a foreigner be permitted to stay there?"
"I have my own way, so you don't have to worry. I will also pay for your accommodations there. Please think about it. If you ever agree, please meet me at this address." I put a piece of paper on the table. She just stared at the paper before eventually taking it.
"Wait for a moment. I will bring the item," she told me as she got up from her seat.
•••
I inspected the item on my hand. It's a white mask made with a special material. I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. This mask has a property to morph one's face however they like. This item was so rare that I wondered how Valentina got her hands on it.
I morphed my face to be a little chubby and changed the color of my eyes into blue. I also gave a bit of freckles on my flawless face. I'm sure the Duke's mansion was in an uproar upon my sudden disappearance. They would have informed the guard to look all around the Capital.
"But they won't find me easily as long as I have this mask," I touched my face with a satisfied smile. I wore my hood and went downstairs.
I arrived at the cafe near a church. We promised to meet here yesterday. I spotted a woman with light brown hair. The sunlight coming from the window and illuminating her hair making it look like her hair has changed colour.
Who said brown hair isn't beautiful just because it's common? I'd die to have back the colour of my hair in my previous life.
"Have you waited for long?" I asked. She looked up at me and answered.
"No. I just arrived." She got up from her seat. "I have thought about your offer. I will help as long as you agree with my condition."
"What is it?"
"First, I need to bring my little brother along." I nodded to the first condition. Of course she needs to prioritize her family. "Second, rather than paying for our accommodation, please pay for his medication fees instead."
I was stunned by the pleading look on her eyes. She must be desperate to save her little brother. But I know I couldn't easily show sympathy towards someone.
"But, his medication fees should be more than your accommodation fees, right? Are you saying that I should pay you more than I suppose to? Of course, you're important as a witness and it will be a risk for you. However, the church won't reveal who my witness is to the public because it's the law. So, basically, the chance of you getting exposed is very slim. Yet you're planning to take advantage of me because of that?"
"T-that's..." She couldn't say anything as she lowered her head. I looked at her coldly. As someone who was born in a rich family, being taken advantage of by people around me was common to me. That's why I despise it.
"I will agree to your condition, only if you decide to work for me," I said after a moment had passed.
"What do you want me to do?" She looked at me in the eyes like she was determined to do anything as long as she could save her brother.
"I will tell you that later along with two other people. For now, why don't we go to the church first? We need to settle this thing as soon as possible," I gestured to the door. Beyond the door was a church that stood majestically in the distance.