14. She is Not Foolish

It has been one week since Ava stayed at Duke Ashford's Mansion, and as a result, Ellie had to wear her veil every day.

She didn't want outsiders to know her secret, especially if that person was Ava.

Everyone in the mansion, from guards, and knights, to servants, knew Ellie's true face.

But no matter how hard they denied the rumors outside, people didn't believe them because they assumed Eleanor instructed the mansion's servants to spread lies.

In the end, they could only stay silent and grit their teeth.

Ellie tried her best to avoid Ava, but it seemed that fate had other plans.

Wherever she went, she always ran into Ava, to the point that she began to suspect if Ava was following her.

The same thing happened now.

When she was about to read a book in the greenhouse she often visited, she encountered Ava who was planting flowers.

Despite her dress and hands being dirty with soil, she still looked beautiful.

Upon seeing Ava, she slowly took a step back, intending to leave.

However, before she could go any further, Ava turned and greeted her.

"Lady Eleanor, good morning."

"Ah yes, good morning."

"Are you going to read a book in here, My Lady? The atmosphere is nice here. But it might be better to read in the garden since the weather is good, My Lady," Ava suggested as she saw Eleanor carrying a book.

"I can read wherever I want."

Ellie herself was surprised by the words that came out of her mouth.

It seemed that in front of Ava, she couldn't control her emotions and way of speaking.

Ava sensed the tension in Eleanor's response but still smiled kindly.

She didn't seem bothered by Eleanor's cold demeanor, unlike how she behaved a week ago in front of Duke Ashford.

"Of course, My Lady. I apologize if I seem to be bothering you. I just wanted to have a conversation with you since we are in the same place," Ava said gently.

Ellie took a deep breath, feeling slightly guilty for her sharp behavior.

"Forgive me, Miss Ava. I have been under a lot of pressure lately. I hope you can understand," Ellie said in a softer voice.

"If you need someone to talk to or maybe some help in facing difficult situations, you can confide in me, My Lady." Ava then stepped forward and held Eleanor's hand.

Reflexively, Ellie flinched, causing Ava to stumble and fall.

'It seems I didn't use much force, but why did she react like that?' Ellie looked at her hands and then at Ava, who lay on the ground looking miserable.

"Ellie! What have you done?"

The voice of Duke Ashford could be heard from afar, heading towards them.

Then Duke Ashford helped Ava to stand up.

'Is this how you play?' Ellie thought, holding back her anger.

"Ellie, why did you push her?"

"I didn't...!" Ellie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she spoke in a pleading tone, "Forgive me, Father... Earlier, I saw a bug on Miss Ava's hand, and I got scared. The bug got inside her apron as we both panicked and tried to get it out, causing Miss Ava to fall."

Ellie smoothly lied.

Now she was a hundred percent sure that this woman who looked very weak in front of her was a snake. Ellie was not naive enough to be manipulated so easily.

"Hah... you make me worried."

"By the way, why is Father here?"

"Father saw you from a distance while being here, and I wanted to come and see you. Does a father need a reason to meet his daughter?"

"Of course not, Father," Ellie replied softly.

The three of them sat and chatted for a moment before Henry went to find Duke Ashford because there were documents that needed to be signed.

When Duke Ashford left Ava and Ellie alone in the greenhouse, the atmosphere became very awkward.

Then Ellie started the conversation.

"It's quite funny, isn't it?"

"...What do you mean, My Lady?"

"My father didn't ask you if what I said earlier was true. Even though I lied so smoothly. I find it amusing," Ellie said, grinning.

Ava couldn't respond to that statement. She could only smile awkwardly.

"Forgive me for pushing you so 'hard'," Ellie said.

In reality, both of them knew that Ellie didn't put out too much force. Ava smiled gently upon hearing Ellie's words.

"Can you imagine if my father was a harsh man who enjoyed beating his daughter, for example? He wouldn't believe me and would consider me the villain."

Ellie deliberately baited Ava and thought, 'Now I'm starting to doubt her background. Who knows, maybe her abusive father is also a lie.'

There was hatred and jealousy in Ava's eyes, though it was fleeting, but Ellie caught it.

'What is your true purpose for coming here?' Ellie wanted to ask that, but someone like Ava wouldn't answer truthfully when confronted with such a question.

She was skilled in portraying herself as a victim and her opponent as a villain.

"Your words hurt me, My Lady. I simply slipped," Ava replied. Ellie noticed her pained expression.

"Then why didn't you explain it to my father?"

"When I wanted to explain, you had already opened your mouth to lie, My Lady."

"Well, because I can't let myself appear as the villain, right?" Ellie said, tilting her head and giving Ava a teasing gaze.

Suddenly, Ava's eyes widened at Ellie's words. Ellie didn't understand why Ava was so surprised.

"Fine, I'm tired. I will go back to my room. It was nice talking to you, Miss Ava Sinclaire." Ellie gave her brightest smile to Ava and then walked away, leaving her behind.

Ava stared sharply at Eleanor's retreating figure.

If looks could kill, Ellie would have been torn apart by Ava's piercing gaze.

"You are indeed supposed to be the antagonist, Eleanor."

"She is very different from what she should be. She is not foolish," Ava murmured, continuing to gaze in the direction Eleanor had gone.

***

Ellie pondered Ava's actions in her room. What mistake did she make that caused Ava to act like that?

She thought hard and tried to recall the plot of the novel.

Ellie was indeed annoyed by Ava's character in the novel, not because she was two-faced.

It was because Ava in the novel was extremely naive and innocent.

Ava believed there was nothing wrong with her relationship with Lucas because she saw it as the power of love, not politics.

She didn't even feel guilty when Eleanor became the concubine and took on the empire's tasks that were originally meant for Ava.

In her opinion, a task should be entrusted to someone skilled in that field.

She even pleaded with Lucas not to execute Eleanor.

However, due to her mercy, Eleanor lost her noble title and became a slave.

From the perspective of a noble girl, death would have been preferable than becoming a slave.

Unintentionally, Ava had inflicted a worse punishment on Eleanor than death.

But in the eyes of the nobles and the people, she appeared as a kind-hearted angel full of compassion.

'Wait, did she really do it unintentionally?' Upon rethinking, Ava's actions in the novel seemed like that of a girl pretending to be naive.

Ellie hadn't realized it before because she read it from the perspective of a reader who believed the female lead had to be good and wouldn't have a two-faced personality.

However, after seeing Ava's behavior earlier, Ellie wasn't so sure.

If given a choice, Ellie would prefer to face Ava in the novel rather than the one present here.

At least, the character Ava was a naive and foolish girl. Whether she was genuinely foolish or pretending, Ellie didn't know.

But Ava in this world was almost frightening because she could hide her ambition.

The more Ellie thought about it, the more her head spun.

All the characters in this world, as far as she had encountered, didn't match the descriptions in the novel.

'Is it just a coincidence? Or did the writer deliberately reverse their personalities one by one?' Ellie bit her nails and furrowed her brow.

While Ellie was massaging her forehead, suddenly the ring she was wearing lit up brightly.

The ring was a magical communication stone she got from the Hidden Hand, a secret guild whose services she used.

Ellie rubbed the small gemstone attached to the ring three times, and then a voice was heard.

"Miss, I have purchased the items you requested. Where should I place them? Also, the slave you asked for will be ready in two weeks."

"Why two weeks?"

"My informant said there will be a slave auction in a neighboring country. And the slave is a former noble who was abducted. So it will take two weeks to smuggle them here."

"Hmm. Very well. You can send the items to the warehouse in the village of Havenwood, in the farthest northern part of the capital. There are several storage warehouses in that village."

"Understood. I will contact you when the slave is ready."

"Okay."

Then the light from Eleanor's ring gemstone went out.

"There are many things to be done. Sigh..."