Chapter 21
‘Since when did we become this close?’
Hadn’t she been insulting me from the very first day we met?
Calling me rude, saying I was lacking, and all that.
That was probably why.
Why my voice came out so sharp when I asked my question.
“Why are you here?”
“Pardon?”
“Shouldn’t you be with the young lady?”
For a brief moment, Madam Howard’s face stiffened ever so slightly.
But only for a moment.
“I am a nanny, after all.”
She answered as if it were nothing.
“It is my duty to serve all of the Duke’s children equally. More importantly, hasn’t Lady Milena only just arrived at the duchy?”
“……”
“Please don’t worry. I already received Lady Cecillia’s permission.”
At that confident reply, my mood instantly sank.
To begin with, why would Madam Howard have any real reason to come looking for me?
In this enormous townhouse, was there really not a single servant available to guide me?
No.
This was about getting in line early with me—the one who might actually be the “real young lady.”
Even if that meant abandoning Cecillia, the young lady she had been serving all this time!
‘And she even got Cecillia’s permission?’
I clenched my teeth hard.
Because I knew exactly how Cecillia must have felt.
Humiliated.
And probably hating me even more than before…
Ah, how irritating!!
“First of all, thank you for coming all this way.”
After smoothing out my expression, I smiled brightly.
“You must already be terribly busy serving the young lady and young master, yet you still came to look after me too. How very thoughtful of you.”
“Oh my, it’s nothing at all…”
“But are you really sure it’s okay for you to attend to me?”
Madam Howard looked at me in confusion.
“Pardon?”
“What if I’m not actually the Duke’s daughter?”
At that moment—
A sharp crack seemed to run across her gentle expression.
My voice dropped lower, more secretive.
“If that happens, wouldn’t it mean you practically abandoned the real young lady for some girl who isn’t even the Duke’s blood?”
Exactly.
I knew the original story, so I was fairly certain that I really was the true daughter.
But as of now, the mage tower hadn’t yet confirmed it.
So with a sweet smile on my face, I pressed further.
“Ah, is that why you call me ‘Lady Milena’ instead of ‘young lady’?”
“Well, that is…”
“A very wise choice, honestly. After all, it hasn’t been officially proven yet that I’m truly Duke Lucerte’s biological daughter.”
I gave a small shrug and continued softly.
“It couldn’t have been easy, calling someone who used to be nothing more than a servant girl ‘young lady,’ could it?”
Madam Howard pressed her lips tightly together, having been struck right where it hurt.
Because wasn’t it true?
If she genuinely believed I was the Duke’s real daughter, then she should have addressed me as “young lady” or “my lady.”
But she didn’t.
‘Probably because of her pride.’
She had spent years enjoying status as the nanny of the Lucerte siblings.
So suddenly bowing and scraping to some girl who had appeared out of nowhere, simply because she might be the real daughter?
That wouldn’t be easy.
Especially when our first meeting had gone so poorly.
“Anyway, please guide me to my room. I can wash myself, so just prepare some clothes for me to change into.”
That was the final blow.
Madam Howard’s mouth stiffened.
“…Yes, understood.”
Forcing a smile, she bowed her head.
‘Honestly, she’s so transparent.’
I scoffed inwardly.
After barely suppressing her anger while escorting Milena to her bedroom—
Madam Howard felt her insides boiling with rage.
‘That arrogant little wench might actually be the real young lady?!’
And until now, hadn’t she been nothing more than a mere servant girl?
Yet now Madam Howard was expected to bow and scrape, calling such lowborn trash “young lady”?!
She was still seething inwardly when—
“Nanny?”
A voice suddenly called out to her.
Startled, Madam Howard quickly turned around.
“Young Master?”
Elias was staring at her with a puzzled expression.
“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be by Cecillia’s side right now?”
Their father had made it very clear.
Cecillia had likely been deeply shaken by everything, so he had specifically instructed them to stay close to her.
So why was the nanny wandering around the hallway alone?
“Ah, well, Lady Milena has just arrived, hasn’t she?”
Madam Howard immediately put on her usual kind smile.
“So I thought she might have difficulty adjusting. I simply came to check whether she needed anything.”
“……”
At once, Elias’s eyes narrowed.
Before, he probably wouldn’t have thought much of it.
He may even have considered it kindness that she was taking such good care of Milena.
But now—
Something about her behavior irritated him.
‘Why does it have to be Nanny taking care of Milena?’
After all, it wasn’t as if she personally had to stay by Milena’s side.
Milena could easily be left to another servant.
More importantly, didn’t Cecillia need her care too?
And yet here she was, setting aside the young lady she was supposed to serve… just to fuss over Milena.
“Even so, Father gave you orders.”
A strange, needle-sharp discomfort prickled in his chest.
Elias continued, his tone noticeably colder.
“Make sure you’re paying attention to Cecillia too.”
“Of course, Young Master.”
Madam Howard answered sweetly.
Elias stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable—
Then abruptly turned and walked away.
Madam Howard watched his retreating back with a hardened face.
‘What was that?’
Normally, Elias would never have reacted that way.
If she had said she was looking after his sister, he would’ve probably smiled warmly and praised her for her hard work.
But just now…
‘Did he sound annoyed with me?’
Madam Howard frowned deeply.
But only briefly.
‘No… I must just be imagining things.’
She immediately denied it to herself.
After all, how hard had she worked to earn the Lucerte family’s trust?
“Where could the real Lady Chesha be right now…”
“Don’t lose hope. One day, she’ll surely return.”
She had used the missing “real daughter” to stir guilt within the family.
She had displayed unwavering loyalty.
And until now, those efforts had paid off beautifully.
The Lucerte family trusted her completely.
…The only problem was that this so-called “real daughter” was such a disaster.
‘No… I can’t let this continue.’
Madam Howard ground her teeth.
Even if that girl truly was the Duke’s biological daughter—
She needed to be disciplined in advance.
If left unchecked, there was no telling what kind of trouble she might become.
Besides—
‘These days, lowborn trash have far too much luck.’
Her face darkened coldly.
Take Cecillia, for example.
By sheer luck, she had been adopted into nobility and now lived as a cherished young lady.
Even though she was fake.
And now some random girl from who-knows-where might actually turn out to be the true daughter of Duke Lucerte?
How was that fair?
‘Yes… I need to teach her that she cannot behave so recklessly.’
Madam Howard’s eyes gleamed sharply.
There was something deeply sinister in that expression.
