The Resetting Lady

“Mmm-hmm.”

Isela felt an intense headache when she opened her eyes. What is this place? Last night the banquet went too long, so in order to rest, she was escorted to the guest room of Haier mansion.

“Even the guest room is cheap here.”

He back hurt from the mattress. Unlike her usual fluffy and soft bed, the straw filled bed was a torture to her body. It was still a dimly lit dawn. As she opened the window, the cold wind cooled off her mind. In the garden, the blooming buds were sprinkled with morning dew.

One day, all these things would belong to our family. When she thought that, Isela felt full of affection towards the Haier Fief. I will become a good mistress. And I will also be a bride worthy of Raymond-nim.

“Eh?”

When her hand reached for her throat, it felt empty.

“eeeh?”

The necklace gifted by Raymond-nim.

NO. IT’S MINE. Raymond-nim might become disappointed in me. My necklace. It’s a gift after a long time.

Isela hurriedly rummaged through the bed. Nothing. Her eyes turned white.

No. What should I do, if it’s that Haier bitch who took my necklace? Maybe not. If it’s not her, what if it was some maid or servant who took it? I will catch and kill them. But what if the person was taken away? Or had already run away? It was such a valuable thing that a commoner could not even dream to touch even if they worked all their life. AAAhhhh, my necklace.

Isela crawled across the floor. Did I drop it? What should I do? No way, who took my necklace…..

Knock knock

“Who is it!”

“.… brought wash water.”

The door opened and a dark skinned maid came in with hot water. Isela was not in the mood to wash, rather she held onto the maid and asked: “Who brought me here yesterday?”

“…I escorted madam. Madam was very sleepy when moving, which might have caused you….”

“Who took my necklace?”

“What?”

“My necklace is missing!”

“I put the clothes inside the closet, maybe it is there.”

Though Isela rummaged through the closet, there was no necklace in it. With surging anger, she slapped  the maid’s cheek.

Slap.

On her dark skin, Isela’s fingernails scratched out a trail.

“Find it for me right now! At any cost!” Isela lashed out in an angry voice. The maid raised her head and looked back at Isela as she covered her cheeks. Isela was taken aback. With eyes wide open, looking at Isela, the maid laughed.

“If it’s missing, then nothing can be done.”

Isela grabbed the maid’s hair. In that moment, the door was opened. Karen in pajamas stared at Isela and the maid with surprised eyes. Karen asked Isela,“…What’s all this ruckus?”

“My necklace is missing!”

“What? Miss Isela, please repeat it slowly. You mean your necklace?”

“Yes, my necklace is missing. I left it in the closet, but now it’s nowhere to be seen. I suspect your maid,” Isela said while she hid the flesh remnants on her finger nail.

“I understand. We might need to find it with the combined might of all the maids and servants. It’s yet to brighten now outside –  for now, freshen and dress up, Isela.”

“That’s not important at the moment….”

Isela closed her mouth. Because Karen wasn’t the only person to come down due to the ruckus. The servants and maids of Haier mansion looked at her with scorn. Her fathers subordinates were also staring at her with hopeless eyes. As she supresses her explosive temper, tears dripped down from her eyes.

“Also I would like you to consider that, even though she is a maid, Nancy is someone who has been by my side for a long time.”

Isela was infuriated by Karen’s obviously annoying words, but still she dropped her head.

That day, the Mansion was thoroughly turned around, but still the necklace was not found. Isela gnawed on her nails. Garden, to the maids cottage then Karen’s room, even under the carpet and crook of the trees, every nook and cranny was thoroughly searched, but it turned out to be for nothing. Isela insisted on searching the Haier lord’s room but under the hasty restraint of Verdik, she cried out.

“Father, what should I do….”

“Can’t even take care of a necklace, now why are you acting like this to me?”

Verdik loved his daughter, but he couldn’t help but frown when he heard the morning ruckus. When doing initial work for intricate business, these sort of things were very irritating.

In a time like this, when one needs to be careful with each word and each step, to make such a ruckus just for a necklace was not worth it. Not even a ring – just a casual gift. Vedik can still recall Raymond’s blunt face ordering in the store saying ‘Get me the most expensive one.’

“But it’s a gift from Raymond-nim…”

Towards Isela, Verdick felt pity and at the same time sighed at her immaturity. She was a hard-won daughter at his late age and he wanted to raise her beautifully and marry her off to a decent man. Verdik felt self-blame when he saw his downcast daughter.

To scold her – it was easy, but difficult to rectify. One mustn’t denounce or give up their child. The words he said to the Landlord echoed in him.To want to give the very best of everything to their child is in the heart of every parent.

A good spouse is what a parent most wanted to give their child. Raymond was the most precious asset Verdik gave to Isela. To the extent, it was problematic as he was too superior.

The engagement could have been a good combination where wealth and fame was equally exchanged, but Raymond’s repeated success distorted that balance. In addition, when the eldest son of the Baron was ridden with illness, Raymond became the successor of the title to become the the most wanted man in the higher circles from a second son of a fallen Baron household.

An excessively superior fiance, to some extent can adversely affect the relationship. Engagement is just to be engaged – unlike marriage. In engagement, when there is not much gain from one side, the relationship might fall in jeopardy. The Evans also noticed this from Raymond. That’s why he had wanted to forcefully buy the land to upgrade their class, but this ignorant daughter is having a fit just for a necklace.

“Though the gift from Lord Raymond is of excellent quality, if you feel too bad about the loss, I will find you a similar one. Here under the eyes of Lord Haier, you can’t mess up.”

“It may look similar, but its not from him.”

“But the mistake is yours.”

“.….”

With a sullen face Isela made her steps towards her room.

Step by step.

Along with Isela steps, a sound akin to rats hushing and rushing echoed in that timeworn stone building. Isela felt disgusted with the castle. In the end, she couldn’t find it.

Because she searched for the necklace all day, her dress had long become dirty along her hands. Even though she changed her shoes to the cheap sandals worn by the servants, it was a mess. She looked like a mess.

“Raymond-nim….will get disappointed.”

I wanted to wear that necklace to meet Raymond-nim. At here. In this mansion. In this mansion which will soon become mine, waiting for him to rest here when he gets tired. Showing to him that now I also have the qualification to become a mistress who can take care of a fief.

She opened the door. Isela found the necklace.

It’s over there. My necklace. As expected, that bitch took it.

The necklace was hung on the neck of the maid. She, a cheap-stake, wore that expensive necklace which didn’t suit her. As Isela suspected, that maid was the one who took her necklace. But Isela could no longer throw her wrath to that maid.

Because there was nothing below her neck.

Isela blocked her opened mouth, from where high pitched screams slipped through.

Father help me. Dear god, I didn’t commit any crime.

N O.

As she untangled her dishevelled hair, Isela ran crazily out of the room into the hallway. She just ran, without any destination and blank eyes. A corpse, killed, sliced from the neck . . . who killed her and placed her in my bed!?!

“.….Aaah!”

Isela slipped and fell on the floor. The pain surged in and she felt cold air all over her body. Isela quivered as whimpers escaped from her mouth as she sat crouched and leaned against the wall. A moonless dark night.  The mansion inside was dark and the hallway there wasn’t even a single light. She was scared and fright creeped in her.

“E,eh,eh,ng……wuu..”

The cold stone wall cooled down Isela a bit.

Did I just dream? She can’t stand such an atrocity even in plays. What did I just see? Was it real?