TTPD 24

TTPD

Posted by Aashi, Released on April 9, 2026

Chapter 24

A Ruined Face (2)

Julia seemed disappointed that Edith’s condition hadn’t worsened compared to yesterday.

But when Edith tearfully said that she had applied her toner diligently again today and it still hadn’t improved, Julia fussed with repeated cries of “Oh no, oh no,” before leaving.

Edith skipped breakfast and prepared to go to the Lion Theater.

Just as she was about to leave, the door burst open without a knock.

Wyatt strode in with an enraged expression and roughly tore off the veiled hat Edith was wearing.

“What is this mess?!”

It seemed the rumors circulating among the servants had reached Wyatt’s ears.

‘Stupid Lillian.’

Julia, while hoping Edith’s condition wouldn’t reach the marquis, had excitedly told the servants,

“Edith’s face is a disaster. What if she turns into a monster?”

As if the servants of the marquis’s household wouldn’t pass that along to him.

Edith shrank back, thinking it was fortunate that Julia was so foolish.

“What on earth have you been doing to end up with your face like this? Huh?”

Wyatt grabbed Edith by both shoulders and shook her roughly.

“The only thing you were even remotely useful for was your face! What am I supposed to do now that it’s in this state?!”

Hearing the marquis’s shouts, Edith felt a strange sense of pleasure.

‘Right. The more ruined my face becomes, the more anxious and agitated this man gets. Then should I just live like this? Should I keep living this way, carefully applying the toner Julia tampered with?’

“We need to show this to a doctor. Don’t move!”

Even though Edith was already dressed to go out, the marquis didn’t ask for her opinion.

It was nothing new, so it didn’t make her particularly angry.

After ordering a servant to summon a doctor, the marquis stayed in Edith’s room until the doctor arrived, spewing ab*se the entire time.

“You can’t do a single thing right! Is it because you were born that way? This is why keeping lowborn trash around never brings anything but disgrace.”

The marquis’s venomous words were almost welcome.

He made no attempt to come close to Edith, and thanks to that, she didn’t have to tremble with fear even while being alone in the same room with him.

If her face hadn’t been in this state, he would have sent those sticky gazes her way and tried to make covert contact.

‘Should I just leave my face like this instead of fixing it?’

As she was having that self-destructive thought, the doctor arrived.

Clicking his tongue as he examined Edith’s face, he said,

“It seems you’ve had a reaction from using a toner that doesn’t suit you. For the time being, you must stop using toner and apply only this ointment. The inflammation and blisters will subside, but you should be prepared for some scarring. If it doesn’t settle down, we may need to perform a procedure to drain the pus… For now, be sure to apply the ointment diligently.”

The moment the doctor handed over the ointment and left, Wyatt struck Edith’s head hard with his palm.

“Ah!”

“You stupid b*tch, can’t you even manage a single face properly? I went through all the trouble of securing a match, and you go and ruin your face like this?”

The marquis grabbed Edith by the hair and yanked her toward him.

“If the duke sees that hideous state and calls off the marriage, don’t think I’ll let you off easy. You’ll see something truly horrific!”

He flung Edith onto the floor.

Even as she collapsed, not a shred of pity entered the marquis’s eyes.

As he opened the door to leave, Edith caught sight of Julia standing behind it, eavesdropping and smiling as if this served her right.

Once the door closed, Lenny—who had been standing silently in the corner, holding her breath—approached with tears in her eyes.

“Miss, are you alright?”

The Reynolds family didn’t consider servants as people, so they hadn’t cared whether Lenny was watching or not.

That was why, every time Edith was subjected to cruelty, Lenny could only stand in a corner, swallowing her sobs.

Suddenly, Edith felt sorry for her.

What must it be like to have to watch the person you serve be beaten and humiliated?

Was it harder to be beaten, or to watch it happen while being unable to do anything?

“I’m sorry, Lenny. For showing you something like this.”

At Edith’s words, Lenny burst into loud sobs.

Squatting down beside her, Lenny pulled Edith into her arms.

“Please don’t say that, Miss. I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. I’m truly, truly sorry.”

***

Wyatt only allowed Edith to leave the estate after confirming that she had carefully covered her face with a veil.

If Julia hadn’t added,

“Wouldn’t sunlight help that awful state improve?”

Edith would have had to come up with reasons to go outside.

There was no way sunlight would be good for her face, but Wyatt, who knew nothing about skincare, believed Julia’s words.

“Do you understand, Edith? If rumors spread about you looking like that, I’ll make sure you’re severely punished.”

Edith saw Julia, linking arms with the marquis, watching her with gleaming eyes.

Edith was certain that before long, there would be no one in this city who didn’t know what had happened to her face.

What use was keeping her own mouth shut?

Standing right beside her was the biggest blabbermouth in the world.

Edith let out a quiet snort of laughter.

Because of the veil, neither the marquis nor Julia noticed her mocking smile.

To think a veil could be this useful.

She decided she should make frequent use of it and boarded the carriage.

Red Road, where the Lion Theater was located, was quite far from Alca Road, but Edith had the carriage stop at Alca Road.

She didn’t want the coachman to know she was going to a theater.

The knights following behind her with bored expressions turned back after confirming only that Edith had entered the Alca Road bookstore.

For them as well, trailing after the unwanted daughter of the Reynolds household was nothing but a burden and a disgrace.

After making sure no one was watching, Edith headed toward the Lion Theater.

Many people glanced at Edith in her pitch-black veil, but that was no different from when she didn’t wear one, so it didn’t bother her.

“The performance is at 2 p.m. Tickets are 100 per person.”

As soon as Edith entered, the woman sitting at the counter said lazily, stifling a yawn.

Business was already bad, yet she treated even the rare customers this halfheartedly—it was a wonder this theater hadn’t gone under.

“I have an appointment with the makeup artist.”

“Oh, with Jelton? This way.”

Perhaps she’d already been told, because the woman didn’t ask anything else and led Edith inside.

At the end of a long corridor beside the counter hung a sign that read [Dressing Room].

The woman banged on the door with her fist and called out,

“Jelton! You’ve got a visitor!”

Soon the door opened, and a man with heavy makeup around his eyes appeared.

About thirty, maybe?

The makeup artist named Jelton scanned Edith up and down, then said gruffly,

“Come in.”

The dressing room was such a mess it looked more like a dump.

Piles of clothes stacked everywhere, dresses hanging haphazardly in layers, and a long vanity cluttered with cosmetics and tools whose purposes were impossible to tell.

It seemed to serve as both a dressing room and a storage space.

“Sit on that sofa—”

Jelton pointed at the sofa, then realized it wasn’t in any condition to sit on and swept all the clothes piled on it off with both arms.

After sitting down himself, he pointed across from him and said,

“Sit there. So—why did you ask to meet me?”

Before Edith had even sat down, Jelton asked.

Edith calmly took a seat on the sofa, looked at Jelton for a moment, then asked,

“My maid should have visited yesterday.”

“Oh, the young lady from the Marquis of Reynolds’s household. Lillian got married and became a countess, so you must be Edith Reynolds. So what? Are you expecting some kind of special treatment from me?”

“……”

“There are plenty of ladies like you, miss. Every single day they come bringing gifts, begging to meet some actor they fancy. If you watch closely, noble ladies are even more vulgar than market women.

Ah, well. I’m not saying you’re like that. Anyway, we don’t sell actors here, so if that’s what you want, go to Crystal instead.”

“Does Crystal buy and sell actors?”

“…Ah. Right. You’re a Reynolds too.”

The owner of Crystal was Mateo Reynolds.

Jelton looked momentarily flustered, but it didn’t last long.

“Well, if that’s all, you should be on your way.”

Edith lifted her veil.

The arrogant expression that had never left Jelton’s face collapsed.

The moment he saw Edith’s horrific appearance, he let out an involuntary groan.

Edith waited for him to take in her face fully before speaking.

“As you can see, this is what I look like.”

“Good grief… that’s awful. How did this happen?”