“You were just trying to get me out of Gregory's sight, out of range from the bodyguards, then took the opportunity to knock me out for them to take away, aren't you?”
This time, Amber did not deny Vickie’s words.
"Yes."
Vickie's heart sank again and asked, "Why? Was I not treating you good enough? Why did you betray me?"
Amber heard her words and her eyes darkened slightly. She said indifferently, "You’re good to me, but in this world, not everything can be solved just because you treat someone well."
She paused and continued, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but I couldn't help it."
Vickie sneered.
"Why don't you tell me what made you do such a traitorous thing!"
Amber looked at her and suddenly laughed at herself.
"Ms. Vickie, don't even think of trying to get me to say anything more. I'll be honest with you. IIt's useless even if you managed to turn me against them. I'm just an insignificant pawn in their eyes. You’re not the only one who’s being watched and controlled. I’m the same. So instead of wasting your thoughts on me, you should think of how to deal with your good brother who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He's the one who's responsible for this operation! The mastermind behind all this."
Vickie was not annoyed when Amber revealed her true thoughts.
She just asked in a solemn voice, "Tell me your story, the relationship between you and them."
She was sure that there must be a backstory to Andrea and, like Andrea said, that it might be of no use to her.
However, perhaps she could find a flaw in it, and with that, she could tear an opening for her escape.
Amber saw this and did not refuse. In the end, she still had some fondness for Vickie, so she sat down across from her and began to slowly talk about her past.
"Let's start with my name then. Actually, I’m not Andrea. My real name is Amber."
Vickie shuddered slightly.
She already knew that if she managed to infiltrate the chateau and Gregory's men did not notice anything wrong with her, then her name must not be real.
Only the falsification of her entire identity would make it impossible for anyone to see any problem.
Vickie did not say anything, so Amber continued, "I didn't lie to you. I’m indeed an orphan. My mother died shortly after she gave birth to me and I was raised by a granny from an orphanage.
"Granny was very kind to me, but she was very old, too old to run that orphanage, so her two sons were the ones who ran the orphanage at that time.
"Her two sons were not good people. They amassed a lot of money with their mother's name, and treated us, homeless little children, very badly.
"They would beat and abuse us at will. They wouldn't give us anything to eat or clothes to wear, and they would take on a lot of manual labor from outside for us to do.
"Saying we could practice our craft, but in reality, we were reduced to being their money-making tools.
"Later on, they began to become dissatisfied with the meager amount they earned from doing handicraft, so they set their sights on us girls.
"But how could they forget? We're all carefully selected pawns, and each one had its uses.
"So just when I was so full of joy that I could live the ordinary life I dreamed of, they came along.
"They shattered my dreams of being ordinary and gave me the task of poisoning you.”
Then, Amber paused and looked at Vickie.
"You don't know that yet, do you? The cook, Reina, was also one of us. It's just that she and I didn't know each other before she did it."
"She was so sloppy that she even exposed herself after the incident. I watched her die in front of me, but I couldn't save her.
"I don't think I could’ve saved her either. After all, what did she have to do with me? It's not like I love that organization. It's all just inevitable.
"Then, finally it was my turn, they gave me two bottles of drugs, the same two bottles of essential oils I used on you.
"It wasn't real Hundred Floral Oil in that one. I don't actually know how to concoct those things at all. It was a kind of hallucinogen, something that can confuse the other person's mind.
"I used it on you as they’ve told me to. That's why you were later led by me."
Vickie frowned.
She said in a grave voice, "But back then, I was suspicious about you and gave that bottle of essential oil to Gregory for examination. The results came out fine."
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