17. Flashback (10)

'This is my last chance. If this goes wrong, I will. . . .'

Even though Lizzy was about to go crazy. On the fourth of her marriage to Cliff, the end of the original story episode that she has been waiting for will take place at that moment, where Lizzy will win the hearts of the royal family.

"where are you going?"

"Didn't you decide not to care where I went?"

She was also fed up with Cliff's expressionless face and his mechanical questions. As if he only had a few obligations left for him to fulfill the premarital duties. Lizzy closed the carriage door quickly, she wanted to erase the dry look on Cliff's face in her mind and ordered them to leave immediately.

'A month before the founder's festival, a slave auction house outside the capital. . . .'

In the original story, Lizzy when out to buy some gifts for the duke and duchess to celebrate the founding festival together, but she end up entering the slave auction house mistaking it as a shop, and accidentally discovers the lost imperial descendants there. Of course, she didn't take that child along with her because she knew his identity.

She only brought the child here impulsively because she felt sorry for the boy, who was treated rudely.

Although the boy says he couldn't remember his past, but he's very intelligent and knowledgeable about noble manners.

Lizzy was so impressed with the boy, that she hired him as her errand boy. One day Princess Catherine, who happened to be visiting the duke's mansion, was surprised when she saw the boy.

'Because the fact that the emperor's nephew has been kidnapped was a top secret among the royal family's.'

Catherine, who recognized her cousin at glance, invited Lizzy and the boy to the imperial palace together. Catherine who had called the boy biological mother in advance, reunited with her lost son on the spot.

Lizzy who found the lost royal family bloodline, got favored by the imperial family, and she lives happily ever after with Cliff. That the ending of the story.

'I don't want to lose anymore. I must succeed this time.'

Even though the weather was still hot, Lizzy shoulders were shaking. When she thought about all the things she had lost over the past few years, she didn't feel any fear when she tried so hard to get rid Edith. Only after she completely lost the affection of the Duke and Duchess, whom she thought she no longer needed, she realize how warm and comfortable it was, even Cliff's love, which she thought was boring, couldn't be replaced by anyone else's love.

There were many men who confessed their love to Lizzy, but all of them only coveted by Lizzy's appearance and her position as the next 'Duchess Ludwig.' The more she heard other people's confessions about they love, the more Lizzy's heart became empty.

'If I win the imperial family favor, everyone will love me again. It had to be.'

Lizzy squeezing her trembling hand due to her anxiety and headed to the outskirts of the capital. She put on the robe that she had prepared in advance and covered her face with a fan. Then waited for the boy's turn at the slave auction house she entered. Even though she had lived as Lizzy several times, she was so nervous as if it was her first time being there.

'It's the last auction. He will show up this time isn't?'

Lizzy held her bidding board tightly in her hand and didn't take her eyes of from the stage.

"Now, this is the last slave auction of the day! This time it's a rare hansome boy! he's thirteen! I have never seen such a pretty boy in my 15 years of slave auctioning!"

The words of the man auction were exactly same as in the original story. However, Lizzy's hand, which was raise the bidding board, stiffened.

'W-what!'

The boy who came on stage was a beautiful boy with white skin and brilliant blonde hair just like the original. However, he was a different child from the emperor's nephew. Moreover, despite his young age he wasn't a boy who held his head higher proudly, but he was a boy who trembled with fear while looked around anxiously.

Lizzy paused. 'The original. . . There is nowhere left.' She felt like her life was over.

'Just like this, I'm going to be grow old as a duchess who can't even receive love from her husband?'

It was terrible. Isn't this the life of an extra whose name will not be mentioned in the novel? Just as Lizzy was about to panic, she suddenly heard the auctioneer voice.

"5 million pesos! It reached 5 millions pesos! Haha. A beautiful like this must have many uses. Is there anyone would paying more higher price?"

With the word 'use', a plan quickly came to Lizzy's mind. Lizzy hurriedly raised the bidding board.

"8 million pesos! 8 million pesos! Anyone else?"

The funny thing is, just like the original which no longer exists, Lizzy was able to bid the boy with 8 million pesos.

* * *

"What's your name?"

"I-l was called Peril, master."

"No. From now on, your name is Johan."

"Jo-jo Johan?"

Lizzy frowned at the boy who kept staring and stuttering.

"That right. Johan. Get rid of your stuttering habits quickly."

"I'm sorry."

"And you don't remember anything about what happened last year before. Do you understand? You only remember your name, Johan."

At her that sudden request, Peril the boy no, now is Johan widened his eyes.

"No matter what anyone asks, you must say you don't remember anything. You can do that right?"

"Yes, that. . . .I'll do that."

"Good. Starting tomorrow, I will give you a teacher so you can learn noble etiquette and speech. You have to be a perfect even the smallest of actions so that you can be seen as a noble."

Johan looked unsure, but when she think about what the last 12 Edith done until the End, Lizzy knew very well that when humans are pushed to their limits, they can do anything.

Lizzy called his servant and told her to wash the child well and giving her secret command.

"Put sleeping pills in his dinner. And while he slept, tattooed him with the butterfly-shaped mole on his collarbone."

The red butterfly-shaped mole on his collarbone was a proof that he was the emperor's nephew.

It had been 5 years passed since the child had been kidnapped, so if the missing child and this boy has a many similarities, both the emperor and the child's parents would be fooled.

'Well, if the original one doesn't help me, I have to do it with my own hand.'

From that day on, Lizzy take care of Johan's every move and completely transformed him into the 'Emperor's lost nephew.' Because of that, she had a big fight with Cliff.

"What else are you planning this time by buying a slave?"

"I need a errand boy to use."

"Why would you need an errand boy for? Your maid does everything."

"You talk as if you know eveything?"

"It's because the child is still young and you don't seem to have any common sense, there must be rumors that will spread if you let the handsome child by your side all the time?"

"Just take care of yourself!"

After the big fight, she locked herself in her room. Although she is irritated and angry, Lizzy struggles to regain her composure. She shouldn't be this angry.

'I need to move as quickly as possible before Edith comes to the capital.'

Killian and Edith plan to come to the capital with their son on the day of the national foundation celebration. Therefore, before they arrive she has to regain her position as the main character.

* * *

"It's been a long time, Lizzy."

"Thank you for inviting me, Your highness."

Lizzy politely greeted Catherine, who had invited her to the palace for the first time in a long time. Catherine, who used to send her invitations every day, stopped after she didn't response. However, perhaps because of her good connection from outside than inside the Ludwig family, Catherine welcomed Lizzy without any difference from before. And as Lizzy planned, Catherine turned her gaze to the boy behind her.

"Who is that?"

"Ah, this child I brought as my errands boy. I rescued him because I felt sorry for him. But surprisingly, he knew noble manners really well and he very smart boy."

"Is that so?"

Catherine frowned as she glanced at the neatly dressed boy. Then she suddenly stood up and approached the boy.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Johan."

"Johan?"

Catherine's expression became more serious after hearing that name.

Then Lizzy stepped out.

"Princess, is there a problem? I rescued this child from a slave auction. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember much of his past."

"Sl-slave? Oh my. . . !"

"He just remembered a few things, Johan, what was it?"

Johan answered Lizzy question by bowing his head.

"When I was young. . . .i remember living in a large and nice house. I don't know what I was doing in that house. However, i remember there was something like a rug with a sun hanging in the wall in the middle of that house."

Although her hands shaking nervously. Catherine asked him again. "And?"

"I remember there's beautiful person has a same hair color as mine called me "Johan," and that I had a white dog with black spots on the back, the dog's name was Othello."

Catherine looked so pale that she looked as if she was about to faint, so she urgently called the maid around there and ordered her.

"Call Aunt Sierra! Hurry! Please tell her that i think i found Johan!"

Catherine's urgent orders the maids, and Lizzy looked at Catherine with a puzzled expression.

"Your Highness. . . ? What is this, all of sudden. . . ."

"Lizzy! Where did you find this child?"

"At the slave auction house on the outskirts of the capital. I mistook it for a store and went in. . . .buy the way, what happening?"

Catherine held Lizzy hand tightly and her eyes filled with tears.

"You saved Johan."

"What?"

"This child looks just like my cousin Johan, who's lost five years ago."

"Yes?"

Lizzy opened her eyes wide, pretending to be surprised. But part of her mind was thankful to the heaven.

"Well done! It's worth to please Catherine.'

It felt like all the pain she going through was repaid at once. Moments later, Catherine door burst open without knocking, and a woman who looked bewildered ran in. The emperor, the emperor younger brother, Marquis Thuroux, and the woman husband followed behind her.

"Johan!"

The woman, who had entered the room roughly, stood straight when she saw the boy, and slowly approached the boy and knelt down. Then, she carefully tore off the boy's clothes as if trying to find something. Her face was already full of tears.

"Johan. Do you recognize who I am?"

The boy glanced at Lizzy and shook his head awkwardly.

"He says he doesn't remember much of his past, but he remembers the rug that hanging in the Marquis' office, and Othello, the dog he raised when he was young. That's something he wouldn't never remember unless he's Johan."

The woman burst into tears again when Catherine explained what she heard from the boy earlier.