Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 247 - Two Hundred And Forty Six
The morning sun filtered through the sheer, embroidered curtains of Marissa’s private sitting room, bathing the space in a warm, golden light that felt almost celebratory. The air smelled of freshly brewed jasmine tea and sweet pastries.
Marissa sat by the window, a delicate porcelain cup in her hand. She took a slow, deliberate sip, letting the warmth spread through her chest. A small, satisfied smile played on her lips. She looked out at the garden, where the flowers were growing, indifferent to the chaos inside the house.
Lily stood beside the table, refilling the teapot with hot water. She was beaming, her eyes shining with admiration. She set the pot down with a soft clink.
"You are brilliant, Your Grace," Lily gushed, unable to contain her excitement. She clasped her hands together. "Truly brilliant. I have never seen anything like it. Not only did you get the embezzlement proof from the silk shop—that ledger alone was worth something big—but you also seized all her jewels and coins. And an estate!"
Lily shook her head in wonder. "You stripped her bare in one night. She has nothing left."
Marissa set the tea cup down on its saucer. She leaned back in her high-backed chair, feeling the weight of the victory settle on her shoulders. It was a good weight.
"More than that, Lily," Marissa spoke, her voice calm but laced with triumph.
She reached into the deep pocket of her morning dress and pulled out a folded piece of thick parchment. She opened it and smoothed it out on the table.
It was the deposit slip. Ninety thousand silvers.
"I also gained this money too," she said, tapping the paper with her finger.
She looked at the numbers. It was a staggering amount. A fortune that could buy ships, land, loyalty.
"Adding it to my profits from the Golden Swan," Marissa mused, doing a quick mental calculation, "and the interest from the loans I recovered from the merchants... I think I will be considered a wealthy woman. A very wealthy woman."
She looked at Lily, her smile widening.
"Without my husband’s help," she added. "Without asking Derek for a single coin. I have built my own fortune. I am independent."
It was a powerful feeling. In her last life, she had been dependent on the mercy of others, begging for scraps. Now, she was the bank.
Lily nodded enthusiastically. She refilled Marissa’s cup, the tea swirling in the china.
"But Your Grace," Lily asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she recalled the events of the previous night. "How did you know? How did you know she was waiting for you? How did you know it was a trap?"
Marissa picked up the cup again. She blew on the steam.
"Myra faked Lady Anita’s illness," Marissa explained, her voice cool. "It was clumsy. A sudden collapse? A frantic messenger in the middle of the night? It was too dramatic. It was designed to lure me out. To make me think Ashlyn was gone, leaving her room unguarded."
She took a sip.
"To lure you in to steal the deposit slip," Lily finished, understanding dawning on her face. "Because it was obvious how they were shouting and screaming ’Thieves!’ the moment they walked in. They were ready. They wanted to catch you in the act."
Marissa nodded. "Exactly. She waited like a hunter in a blind. She set the stage. She scattered the coins to entangle me. She overturned the chair to make it look real."
Marissa chuckled softly. It was a dry sound.
"But I used her trap against her," Marissa said. "I walked in with Mrs. Alma. I turned her robbery into a recovery mission. I turned her accusation into a confession. And I took the deposit slip right before her eyes, and she couldn’t say a word to stop me."
Lily giggled. The image of Ashlyn’s horrified face was clearly a pleasing one.
"But you anticipated her trap," Lily said, looking at her mistress with awe. "You knew she was lying about her mother. You knew she was waiting. That is truly clairvoyant, Your Grace. It is like you can see the future."
Marissa’s smile faded slightly. She stared into the dark liquid in her cup, her reflection distorted in the tea.
"Clairvoyant," she thought.
It wasn’t magic. It wasn’t foresight. It was memory.
"Ashlyn set this trap knowing I was also reborn," Marissa thought, the realization settling in her mind like a stone. "She knows. Of course she knows. She remembers the past life where I was weak. She remembers the time I stole the slip to save myself. She tried to use my old desperation against me. She thought I would be the same foolish girl."
Marissa’s grip on the cup tightened.
"But she forgot that I remember too," Marissa thought. "I remember her cruelty. I remember her tricks. I remember how she smiles when she lies."
She looked at the rim of the teacup, tracing the gold paint with her thumb, lost in thought.
"Since our cards are shown," Marissa whispered to herself, "since we both know the truth about each other... the game has changed. There are no more secrets between us. Only war."
She set the cup down firmly.
"Let’s see who wins last," she murmured.
Just then, a heavy knock sounded at the door.
"Enter," Marissa called out, composing her features into the mask of the Grand Duchess.
A guard entered. He looked nervous. He held a sealed letter in his hand. The wax seal was red, stamped with the crest of the Austen family.
"Your Grace," the guard said, bowing low. "A message has just arrived. From the Austen house."
Marissa frowned. Her brow furrowed. The Austen house?
"From my father?" she asked.
"The messenger didn’t say, Your Grace," the guard replied. "He just said it was urgent. He said you are to arrive immediately."
He handed her the letter.
Marissa took it. She broke the seal. She unfolded the paper.
She read the short, scribbled note.
"Come home. Now."
There was no signature. No explanation. No news of illness or death. Just a command.
Marissa stared at the paper. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Why?" she wondered. "Why summon me back now? Is it Father? Is it Anita? Or is it... Ashlyn?"
She looked at the handwriting. It was messy, hurried.
"Prepare the carriage," Marissa ordered, standing up. "I am going."
