Even a lowly peacock dresses up its feathers to attract a mate.
There was no way His Grace could have taken a liking to a frumpy woman who couldn’t even match a bird.
In fact, it was the male peacock that showed off its gorgeous feathers, not the female… but unfortunately, Celia didn’t know that much.
At any rate, what mattered was that the maids’ claim was absurd.
“Then that woman must have stolen it, hm?”
Celia supplied the answer herself, full of confidence, as if the logic flowed as naturally as water.
Meanwhile, Becky and Marie couldn’t help letting out disbelieving laughs.
They both knew. When a superior picked on you, it was better to keep your head down quietly than to fight back.
What’s more, this woman wasn’t just any lady’s maid; she was the only daughter of a countship.
It had gotten to the point where the maids passed around advice among themselves to humor Celia as much as possible.
But this time, they simply couldn’t stand for it.
Celia had crossed a line. Not only them, but dragging their angelic Miss Viola into it too!
Becky was about to shout at her when—for once, Marie, always so slow, was half a beat faster.
“D-don’t insult Miss Viola…!”
“That’s right! We have nothing to hide! Don’t go saying whatever you like!”
At their bold, undaunted attitude, Celia flinched.
“If you’ve nothing to feel guilty about, just say so. Why are you shouting? How uncultured.”
Then, turning the tables on them, she roughly snatched away the jacket Becky and Marie were holding.
“In any case, I’ll look into this myself, so you’d better not be lying. I’ll see you punished for daring to lie to a noble.”
“Yes! Please do!”
Did she think we’d back down if she said that? Becky threw her shoulders back and cried out all the more boldly.
“You’re welcome to check with Sir Conrad. He asked us especially to take extra care of her.”
“Sir Conrad did?”
Celia knit her brows as if she simply couldn’t believe it.
As the Duke’s closest confidant, Conrad held great power in this residence. So Celia, too, had once tried hard to get on his good side.
But every time, he had only sent her away with a smile, and she’d gotten nothing out of it.
And yet that same Conrad was giving someone special treatment? It was hard to accept.
In the end, she went so far as to grab another servant who was passing by to confirm the truth.
“Is it true? That Sir Conrad gave such an order?”
“Yes, that’s what he ordered.”
When the servant, dragged into this out of nowhere, answered with a troubled face, Becky smiled proudly.
So why accuse people of being thieves out of nowhere? Never mind the two of them—she’d gone after Viola too, and that made Becky furious.
She must be twisting up inside, right?
Thinking they’d landed a good blow, Becky giggled and looked at Marie. Marie didn’t say anything either, but her face was refreshed, as if a long-standing knot in her chest had finally come loose.
The position of lady’s maid was meant to be taken up for the honor of serving someone of high rank. But all the maids knew that wasn’t Celia’s aim.
She was openly angling for the position of Duchess.
She seemed to think she was being clever.
If she became Jayden’s lady’s maid, she’d naturally have more contact with Cain. She seemed to be planning to seduce the Duke along the way, but…
As if that could ever happen.
A sly fox could never beat the kind Miss Squirrel. It was the sun, not the wind, that got the traveler to take off his coat!
In much brighter spirits, Becky and Marie continued on their way to the laundry.
No sooner had I sent the maids off than I found myself in trouble.
And very, very big trouble at that!
“Mommy! Waaah!”
“Wait, calm down! I told you, I just fell a little!”
“Whaaa.”
She’d caught sight of my bandaged arm, and I’d made Melody cry. It seemed to have shocked her badly, maybe because it was the first time she’d seen me this badly hurt.
This is exactly why I was trying to hide it!
Who could have known that while I was washing Melody, water would accidentally splash onto my sleeve, and the bandage hidden beneath it would show?
Urgh. A bitter taste filled my mouth. It felt a little unfair, but this was no time for that. I hurried to comfort Melody.
“It only looks bad because there’s a lot of bandage. I really hardly got hurt at all.”
“Uu-uu…”
“I just got a little scratch while cleaning up a broken vase. You don’t have to worry.”
But just as her crying was starting to taper off, Melody, who had been rubbing her eyes with her head down, suddenly looked up.
“Mommy?”
The look in her eyes was sharp, as if she’d caught me in a lie.
Huh. Come to think of it, didn’t I say I fell earlier…?
What a good memory she has. This was why quick-witted children were such trouble.
The tears that had almost stopped came streaming down again.
Waaaah! Boo-hoo! Waaah!
“Uu-uu! Uu-uu-uu! Uwaaah!”
Who did this?!
Even with tears pouring down her face, the child snorted angrily and stamped her feet.
Ugh, I’m in trouble. That means she’s really, really mad!
“I told you, it was just my own mistake.”
“Uu-uu!”
Liar!
“It’s true.”
“Uu!”
I don’t believe you!
The child shook her head firmly.
As if demanding I tell her who the culprit was right this minute.
But even so, I couldn’t tattle on who had done it.
“Melody, I was wrong. I’m sorry. I’ll be careful from now on.”
She seemed to realize she’d never get the whole story out of me, because the child pushed out her lips in a pout.
“Uu.”
I hate you.
“You hate me?”
“Uu-uu.”
No…
The child slowly shook her head. Her answer had turned honest so quickly that I couldn’t help smiling.
“Oh, you. You’re so good.”
When I rubbed Melody’s head, her lips, sticking out like a duck’s, slowly went back in.
Having calmed down a little, Melody held out her hand as if demanding I hand something over.
“Hm?”
“Uu!”
As if exasperated, the child thumped her chest, then grabbed my wrist.
Then she closed her eyes as if to concentrate.
“Melody. Don’t tell me you’re going to heal me? Don’t. It’s fine. I’ve already put medicine on it, and it’ll be all better by tomorrow.”
“Hmph!”
But the child was adamant.
I really am fine.
Holy power was something like a blessing. You bestowed a blessing on someone and dramatically boosted their power to regenerate.
It was certainly an incredibly useful power, but until you became skilled with it, it took a heavy toll on the mind.
In the original, Melody struggled a lot because of that, too.
She was a child who already had no good memories of holy power, because of the abuse she’d suffered at the Temple. It was only natural that her mind grew tired every time she used it.
I really don’t want her pushing herself for my sake.
But if I pulled my hand away now, Melody might sulk for a whole week.
If she only sulked, that would actually be lucky. But if she dug in her heels and refused to brush her teeth…!
Ugh. That couldn’t be allowed to happen.
In the end, I left my arm in her hands, and soon a dazzling golden light flowed out of the child’s body. The light wrapped around my arm at once, and the faint pain I’d been feeling subsided in an instant.
When I unwrapped the bandage, the torn flesh had filled back in.
Melody, worn out, immediately started yawning over and over.
“Thank you. It doesn’t hurt at all now.”
“Hehehe.”
After all that crying, the child seemed relieved now, and she smiled faintly.
I picked up sleepy Melody and laid her down on the bed.
“Good night.”
I patted and stroked her back, and the child fell asleep right away. I poked Melody’s soft cheek as she slept soundly and smiled.
Melody seems to have gotten used to it here already.
Will I get used to it like this, little by little, too?
I’d had so many worries at first. But everyone in the residence was so kind that I felt much more at ease.
“Mmm…”
At the sound of Melody mumbling, my own eyes drifted shut, heavy and drowsy. I fell asleep feeling good.
Until then, I had no idea.
That the very next morning, I’d run into someone unpleasant.
When the morning sun rose, it was time to go to work.
After stopping by the dispensary for a moment, I went straight to see Jayden.
I left the annex and soon reached the third floor of the main building.
I was about to go right into Jayden’s room when I stopped in front of the door.
Because I could hear something like voices from inside.
Huh. Someone’s already here.
The walls were thick, so I couldn’t make out what was being said. Perhaps it was only natural that no one but a Dragonblood, with their sharp senses, could hear it.
I took a step back, intending to wait outside.
But just then—
A woman’s voice leaked out through the gap in the door.
“When on earth is this illness going to get better? Haa, they say you’re a Dragonblood, but aren’t you weaker than the commoner brats in the street? You need to get better quickly so His Grace the Duke can be at ease…”
At the irritated tone, I frowned.
What? Even if she’s worried, why would she talk like that?
