DDFF | Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When Elisha pressed the brick, she felt a faint vibration from the wall.

Then, with a creaking sound, the wall behind the fireplace slowly opened to both sides.

“Oh my…”

Elisha covered her mouth with her hand and couldn’t continue speaking.

Behind the wall, a dark passageway appeared, with not a single light inside.

From the faint draft flowing out, she could guess it was a fairly long passage.

“…Let’s pretend I didn’t see this.”

Feeling uneasy, Elisha tried to press the brick again to close the door.

But—

“Guys…?”

The PomPoms swarmed around her hand, fluttering busily.

It was like they were stopping her from closing it.

“You want me to go inside…?”

The PomPoms moved up and down violently, as if saying yes.

Why? And why now?

Elisha’s face turned miserable.

“But it’s too dark…”

Then one PomPom zipped inside and shone brightly.

The light coming from its tiny body was about as bright as three torches.

“And it looks cold…”

Then another PomPom flew in and changed into something like a burning flame.

Warm air filled the passage, making it cozy.

“….”

Elisha couldn’t make excuses anymore.

In the end, she carefully stepped inside.

Behind her, the PomPoms followed, looking around.

“If anything feels strange, I’m turning back right away. Got it?”

Elisha’s voice echoed inside.

One PomPom hovered above her head, lighting the way ahead.

“Where are you even taking me…”

Elisha walked with no real destination, following wherever the PomPoms led her.

The passage was longer and more complicated than she expected.

There were sloping paths, and stairs covered in thick dust.

As she climbed step by step, the dust under her feet felt almost soft.

After walking and climbing for a long time, the PomPoms in front suddenly stopped.

There was a faint light leaking through a crack in the wall where they hovered.

‘This is…?’

Elisha carefully looked through a small hole in the wall where the light was coming through.

On the other side was a room filled with luxurious decorations and the finest furniture.

And inside…

‘…That’s the Young Master?’

Isaac was standing there.

He looked anxious, biting his nails as he paced around the room.

‘Then this is Young Master Isaac’s room?’

Elisha looked around in surprise.

Only then did she realize the hole she was peeking through was a gap between bookshelves.

Books were packed tightly on both sides of the opening where the light leaked out.

“Young Master, did you finish your homework?”

At that moment, Mila entered Isaac’s room.

Elisha felt uncomfortable, as if Mila was monitoring Isaac.

Thinking it would be better to leave, Elisha turned around.

But the PomPoms blocked her.

“H-What do you want me to do here?”

Elisha looked at the PomPoms in panic.

She didn’t want to spy on someone else’s room.

That was a terrible hobby.

“This is bad behavior. I’m going back—”

As Elisha took a step, the PomPoms flew up in a frenzy.

But something else stopped Elisha’s footsteps.

“Young Master, why didn’t you make that woman eat the salad?”

At Mila’s words, Elisha froze.

That “woman” clearly meant her.

Elisha’s ears perked up without her realizing it.

‘No… I shouldn’t listen…’

But curiosity won.

Elisha pressed herself close to the wall and looked inside.

In front of Mila, who had her arms crossed, Isaac stood with his head lowered.

“I told you so many times. If you don’t chase that woman out as soon as possible, you’ll be the one thrown out!”

“I-I…”

Isaac’s shoulders trembled.

Elisha watched with a confused face.

‘If I don’t leave, the Young Master will be kicked out? Why?’

First, she held her breath and decided to keep listening.

Even though Mila knew their plan had failed because of Blaine, she still scolded Isaac harshly.

Right now, she needed someone to take her anger out on.

She hated Elisha, who was receiving the love and attention of the Duke and Duchess—something Mila had never even dreamed of.

“If this keeps happening, all that will spread is the rumor that you’re a child they picked up somewhere. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m sorry, Mila… I’ll do better next time…”

Isaac spoke in a tiny voice, completely intimidated.

Only then did Mila look satisfied.

She lowered herself and met Isaac at eye level.

“That’s right, Young Master. People can make mistakes once in a while. I understand.”

“Mmm… thank you…”

Isaac sniffled and nodded.

Mila looked pleased and casually glanced around.

“Hm?”

Then her gaze fixed on the bookshelf.

“Young Master, doesn’t it feel like something moved over there?”

Eek!

Elisha, who had been watching without thinking, flinched hard and hunched her shoulders.

Could Mila see through the bookshelf?

Mila walked toward the area slowly, her face suspicious.

‘I-I think I got caught!’

Elisha covered her mouth with both hands.

The PomPoms quickly dimmed their light and huddled behind Elisha, hiding.

The closer Mila came, the louder Elisha’s heart pounded.

It felt like it might jump right out if she opened her mouth.

“Hm… maybe I imagined it?”

Mila tilted her head, then turned back around.

Luckily, she seemed to think it was nothing.

Meanwhile, Isaac was still sniffing and rubbing his eyes.

“Oh dear… my poor Young Master.”

Mila forced a gentle smile and walked back to Isaac.

Then she took out a small green bottle from her clothes.

“That’s why I prepared the next plan. First, you drink this.”

“W-What is it?”

“It’s medicine that makes you lose weight.”

“Lose weight…?”

Isaac looked confused, and Mila pulled her lips into a wide grin.

“Yes. If you take this, you’ll lose weight fast. Your stomach will hurt a bit, though. Then the Duke and Duchess will worry. And at that point, you just say it happened because that woman bullied you. Simple, right?”

“M-My stomach will hurt?”

Isaac flinched and repeated it.

But Mila’s grin only got nastier.

“My goodness, Young Master. Is a little pain such a big problem? What will you do if you really get kicked out?”

Her voice was sweet, but her words were sharp.

With a frightened face, Isaac finally nodded.

“O-Okay. I’ll try it.”

“Good. That’s our Young Master.”

“Mmm…”

Mila smiled in satisfaction and patted Isaac’s head.

‘Oh no! No!’

Elisha almost screamed.

If the PomPoms hadn’t flown over and covered her mouth, she might have been discovered.

She quickly covered her own mouth too, but she couldn’t stop her hands from trembling.

And it made sense.

Because Elisha already knew that green medicine far too well.

‘No, no, no… at this rate, Lila could really die…’

“Are… are you okay?”

“How could I be okay? Unni, go bring Lila some stew to eat… Ah! Lila needs the bathroom again!”

A long time ago, Lila had tried dieting and took the same medicine.

But instead of any effect, she suffered such terrible stomach pain that she was trapped in the bathroom for days.

In the end, that medicine was banned by the imperial palace for exaggerated advertising and severe side effects.

And now they were trying to make a child drink it!

Something dangerous even for adults…!

“Young Master Isaac, the bath water is ready.”

At that moment, a maid’s voice came from outside, and Isaac and Mila left the room.

They safely put the medicine inside the desk drawer before walking out.

Only then could Elisha lower the hands that had been covering her mouth.

“Hoo…”

Elisha let out a deep breath.

She couldn’t believe what she had just seen.

She had sensed that the tutor didn’t like her, but she never imagined she was doing something that terrible.

“You brought me here so I could help Young Master Isaac, didn’t you?”

At Elisha’s question, the PomPoms bounced up and down excitedly, as if saying yes.

***

“What should I do…?”

Back in her room, Elisha lay on the bed and thought deeply for a long time.

Beside her, the PomPoms floated gently through the air.

She had firmly closed the hidden passage entrance again.

If the tutor somehow found out about it, Elisha would lose her chance to help Isaac.

‘That woman seems to have earned a lot of the Duke’s trust.’

The Duke had said that when he first introduced Mila to Elisha.

That she was the person who took the best care of Isaac.

And Isaac truly seemed to follow her closely.

Still thinking, Elisha rolled onto her side.

‘So even if I say something… no one will believe me.’

In her life, there were only a handful of times anyone had ever listened to her properly.

So Elisha had always been used to hiding her feelings and enduring alone.

But this time was different.

Most of all, a child was in danger of getting hurt.

‘What should I do? How can I make people believe me, and help the Young Master…?’

Just then, a very old memory flashed in Elisha’s mind.

Back when her father, Count Lowell, still hadn’t lost his health, and could still walk around freely.

“I got you, Liri! Caught you in the act!”

“Kyaaa! Daaad!”

“Liri, we agreed only one chocolate cookie a day, didn’t we? You got caught, so you can’t make excuses, right?”

Count Lowell had walked over proudly, smiling.

He was a gentle father who scolded Elisha for breaking rules—

but in the end, still gave her one more cookie.

The moment she remembered that, Elisha sat up straight.

That day when she got caught red-handed, unable to make excuses, gave her a good hint.

“That’s it. I’ll show the Duke and Duchess with their own eyes what that tutor is doing!”