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Starting with Becky’s secret, the chain of events led to Lyna’s participation in the hunting competition. However, if Ainar, who is known for his tremendous luck, were to join the competition, the situation would change.
After the morning meeting, Becky found herself at a crossroads once again. This time, she only had one path to take.
The weight of having the future Duchess of Bolsheik, Lyna, know her secret was far greater than the whispers of an unknown man whose origins were unknown to her.
Becky had lied about her past and joined the Duke’s family as a servant. But as expected, no family would believe the words of a servant.
Lyna’s decision to give Becky a chance to speak was an act of mercy that Becky appreciated. Despite her nerves, Becky stuttered out her secret.
“I am
 Becky Graham, as you said.”
Her past was a typical story that could have come from anyone’s mouth at any time.
“After my father died, my mother started gambling. At first, she seemed to be winning, coming home with more gold than she had before, like turning 10 gold into 15 gold.”
With a blurry focus, Becky faced the past she had buried deep and never wanted to revisit.
“Becky! Becky Graham! Where are you? Look at this!”
Becky felt a fleeting sense of happiness when her heavily drunk mother laughed broadly showing the money she won from gambling. It reminded her of a time when her mother used to smile before her father, a baron, had passed away.
But the joy was short-lived as her mother’s gambling addiction spiraled out of control.
“I lost again. Ah, I just don’t have any luck today,” her mother would lament as the losses mounted. Days turned into weeks, and the household items began disappearing one by one, along with the servants.
In the empty mansion, with nothing left to break, Becky’s mother screamed in despair. Becky’s wounds deepened as she tried to comfort her mother, who kept hurting herself.
Becky spoke with a painful tone, her dull eyes revealing the lingering agony.
“Gambling debts are the kind that slowly suffocate you,” she said.
Despite selling off everything that had belonged to her family, her mother’s gambling debts continued to grow rapidly, like a wildfire impossible to extinguish.
“Mother, please stop this,” Becky pleaded with her mother, who had accumulated debts beyond what she could bear.
“I’ll earn the money and repay it,” she insisted. But her mother kept bringing creditors to their empty mansion, causing Becky to hang her head in shame as if she were a criminal.
“Please, stop it now!” Becky screamed.
“All I need is one big win. My luck is out there. If I can just get that one win, everything will be back to normal,” her mother said, clinging to Becky’s leg.
Becky knew it was impossible. Her mother’s words were typical of those addicted to gambling, who had crossed the point of no return.
Becky had once thought that if she could prevent her mother from going out, the debt wouldn’t increase. But it was a naive and foolish thought.
Debt, like money, attracts more debt. By the time creditors started refusing Becky’s visits, they were already in a state where they couldn’t escape the swamp of debt.
“I couldn’t
 solve the debt. Even if I sold my body, there were many creditors who said that it wouldn’t be enough to pay them back,” Becky said with a vague laugh that sounded like crying. She then touched the scar on the back of her head.
“Today is the end of the payment deadline, Lady Graham,” the creditor said.
“Just a few more days, please,” Becky begged.
“Tsk, there’s no one left to lend money to the Grahams anymore. Even though this floor looks wide, it’s narrow,” the creditor remarked with pity, looking down on Becky as she clung to him with her messy hands from doing random chores to earn money.
His words felt like a death sentence to Becky, but she knew deep down that the sentence had been handed down a long time ago. It was the night the crowd of creditors had disappeared.
Becky had been sitting dazed and disoriented when she suddenly got up as if possessed by something and opened the door to her mother’s room, which had been locked.
The room was filled with the overpowering stench of alcohol, and the only light came from a flickering candle. A figure that vaguely resembled a human rushed toward Becky.
“Becky! You bad girl! How dare you treat your mother like this!” her mother cursed and frantically scratched her face and body.
Becky looked at her mother blankly and spoke softly, “It’s over now.”
“What? Did you pay off the debt? Oh my god, then can I go back to gambling again?” her mother asked, misunderstanding Becky’s words. She then took out a necklace with unsteady eyes.
“Do you see this? It’s the first gift your father gave me. I’ve been keeping it safe. Now I’ll make money with this
”
Before her mother could finish her sentence, Becky snatched the necklace. “If I have this, I’ll be able to buy a little bit of time to pay off the debt.”
Her mother, unable to understand what was happening at first, rushed toward Becky like a demon. “That’s mine!”
“Please, don’t do this anymore!” Becky pleaded.
In the end, they had a physical fight over the necklace, and as a result
 
.
“The fire
it broke out,” Becky said, her voice filled with sadness.
The flames had spread rapidly, consuming the empty mansion in an instant. And her mother

Becky trailed off, her thoughts lingering on what might have been.
“I might have been able to save her,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
But the truth was that Becky didn’t know. Her memories of that time disappeared after she witnessed her mother, who had clung onto the necklace like a demon, even as the fire spread.
Lyna listened to Becky’s story without showing any emotion. She didn’t sigh with sympathy or shed tears at the pitiful past. Instead, she simply gazed at Becky calmly, her eyes settling on her.
“I don’t know what happened, but my mother’s necklace was in the hands of the man who was threatening me. He didn’t seem to be a creditor
” Becky said, taking a deep breath before continuing her story.
After the mansion was engulfed in flames, someone rescued Becky, who had lost consciousness.
“It was
 Emma,” Becky said absentmindedly, holding onto a memento of Emma that she had with her.
Perhaps it was luck that finally came after all her struggles, or maybe it was a sunny day that shone into a mouse hole that day.
“I don’t have any family, friends, or acquaintances. I’m in the same situation as you,” Emma said, smiling despite her declining health. She had saved Becky from the pit where she had been trapped.
Becky couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you save me?”
“Because it was my last chance to do something good,” Emma replied.
Becky was still confused, so she asked again, “Why are you doing this for me?”
“Even if I die, it would be enough if you are alive,” Emma said, patting Becky’s hand.
A few days later, Emma passed away suddenly, leaving Becky with a statement she couldn’t fully comprehend.
Becky hesitated before speaking, “And after that
”
“Becky disappeared and became Emma to get rid of her debt and came here, right?” Lyna asked.
Becky confirmed, “Yes.”
Lyna crossed her legs, a gesture she had not made until now, and spoke. “Being threatened for living someone else’s life? No, he would rather have threatened you with knowing you were Becky Graham.”
Becky confirmed once more, “Yes.”
Lyna asked, “Why did he need a permit?”
Becky had no answer, as she had not asked anything until now. She lowered her head in shame.
Unexpectedly, Lyna praised her, “Smart,” in a smooth voice without any sarcasm. Becky lifted her head, surprised by the unexpected praise.
Lyna continued, “If you find yourself in a situation where you have to step into something that you can’t control, it’s better not to know anything. Well, those who haven’t experienced it will delve into it like moths to a flame due to anxiety and curiosity, but you did well. In your situation, it’s best not to ask anything.”
Becky was at a loss for words, as unexpected praise came from a place she had not even thought of.
Lyna looked at her for a moment and spoke lightly, “Okay. I’ll pay off your debt.”
Becky could only gape, stunned by the sudden resolution of her debt. Lyna added, “And I’ll forgive you for tricking me by pretending to be Emma and coming in as a servant.”
Lyna forgave Becky as easily as taking out candy from her pocket.
“Tell Sebastian that after the hunting competition is over, register under the name Becky, not Emma,” Lyna said.
Becky was still in shock, unable to believe what was happening. Finally, she managed to speak.