Chapter 6
It was already the fourth day of my job as Cecilia’s personal maid.
Based on my experience so far, Cecilia was a reasonably easy lady to serve. She’s a bit prickly, but she isn’t exactly a cruel person. You can tell just by the fact that she doesn’t restrict my movement. Honestly, if she wanted to keep my mouth shut completely, it would be much more effective to keep me glued to her side at all times.
“You live alone with your mother?”
“Yes. I feel uneasy leaving her by herself…”
“It can’t be helped then. I understand.”
Cecilia readily allowed me to commute from home. To be honest, living in the annex was much more comfortable. In the main building, I had to be stuck in a never-ending cleaning hell. Now, I just stay quietly by Cecilia’s side and run occasional small errands.
‘By the way, I haven’t run into the Duke’s family even once.’
At first, I worried about what I’d do if I met them. But for the past four days, neither the Duke and Duchess nor the Young Duke have shown their faces at all. I haven’t even seen any messages sent to her.
‘Well, it’s a relief for me.’
It’s better not to run into the Duke’s family if possible. And thinking about it coldly, even if I did run into them, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Even if I have the blonde hair and green eyes that are the physical traits of their biological daughter:
‘Would they really think I’m the real daughter just because of that?’
There’s a reason I’m so confident. In the Lucert family, a child with a very rare and special power is born. The reason the original Milena was accepted as the biological daughter immediately was that she manifested that power. That means:
‘As long as my power hasn’t awakened, they won’t recognize me even if they die.’
And right now, I don’t have a single sign of any power awakening. So, practically speaking, there’s no need to worry. I just need to hold out like this for a few more days and safely say goodbye to the Lucert family…
‘Really, why does Cecilia keep weighing on my mind?’
I stopped managing the flower vase and turned my head. Cecilia was sitting alone in the distance. Her blue-green eyes were staring blankly out the window.
‘She’s probably waiting for her family.’
Every day, Cecilia glances at the closed door to see if anyone is coming, and every morning she asks me, “Is there any news today?” But there was never any news, and no one came looking for her.
“My Lady.”
Unable to watch any longer, I spoke up.
“How about going out for a short walk?”
“A walk?”
“Yes, you’ll feel much better if you get some fresh air.”
I spoke again with a cheerful voice. Cecilia looked a bit annoyed, but she didn’t refuse my suggestion.
“It’s still chilly outside. Please wear a shawl.”
I wrapped a large wool shawl around Cecilia’s shoulders. After tucking her in tightly so the cold wind wouldn’t reach her, I gave a bright smile.
“Let’s go.”
Cecilia looked down slightly at the clothes I had tucked in. A faint smile spread across her beautiful, usually expressionless face.
“…Alright, let’s go.”
Even though it was still chilly since it was early spring, the spring flowers were beginning to bud one by one. Cecilia and I walked along the deserted path, sometimes one in front and sometimes the other.
‘Mhm, I definitely think it was a good idea to come out.’
Checking Cecilia’s expression out of the corner of my eye, I nodded with satisfaction. Her stiff lips had clearly softened. See, people need to walk and breathe fresh air once in a while.
“Milena.”
“Yes, my Lady.”
Cecilia kept her eyes fixed on a bush of bright yellow forsythia flowers and asked me in a low voice.
“You said you live alone with your mother, right? Isn’t it hard?”
“Um, not really?”
I tilted my head. Her blue-green eyes glanced back at me.
“But you’re working this hard even now.”
A deep shadow fell over her snow-white face.
“I know. I’m…”
Trailing off for a moment, Cecilia finished her sentence like a sigh.
“Not an easy master to serve.”
Eh, what is she talking about?
Reading her expression, I answered cautiously.
“Um, I think you’ve misunderstood something. It’s actually much easier for me to serve you, my Lady.”
“It’s easy?”
Cecilia looked at me with eyes as wide as a startled rabbit. Why is she so surprised? I became a bit puzzled.
“Of course. I don’t have to clean stairs or mop floors anymore, right? I mostly just keep you company, my Lady.”
“B-but my personality…”
“What’s wrong with your personality? You’re gentle enough.”
I wasn’t just saying empty words. I sincerely felt comfortable with Cecilia. Why does she think of herself so negatively? At my answer, Cecilia suddenly got a coy look on her face and snapped her head away.
“Forget it, just finish the story you were telling earlier.”
She’s secretly quite shy, how cute. I suppressed the laughter that was about to leak out.
“You asked if it was hard earlier, right? It’s not hard at all. Instead, I feel like I want to repay a debt.”
“A debt?”
“Yes. My mother suffered so much raising me, even though I’m not her biological daughter.”
At that, Cecilia’s ears perked up.
“Huh? She’s not your biological mother?”
Well, this wasn’t a secret. It was a fact already widely known to the people around here. I shrugged and answered.
“Yes. She said she found me by chance, abandoned in the mountains.”
“I see…”
Cecilia looked like she was deep in thought. But right then:
“My Lady.”
A cold voice called out to Cecilia. At the same time, Cecilia stiffened her shoulders as if she had been struck by a whip.
‘Who is it?’
I turned toward the direction of the voice. A middle-aged noblewoman was looking this way, her back perfectly straight. Her brown hair, mixed with gray here and there, was pulled up so tightly that not a single strand escaped. Her expressionless face gave off a very strict impression. Cecilia called out to her with a trembling voice.
“N-Nurse.”
…Is that person Cecilia’s nurse?
Suddenly, I felt like I’d been doused with cold water. The nurse who had taken care of the Lucert siblings since they were young: Madam Howard. She was the culprit who abused Cecilia in the original story.
“Always remember the grace the Duke’s family has shown you.”
“How long do you plan on disappointing your family?”
“If you were the real daughter, you would have shown a much more perfect image.”
While verbally abusing her like that, she only protected and favored the Young Duke, Elias. Eventually, when the real daughter, Milena, appears, Madam Howard tosses Cecilia away like a worn-out shoe. Then, she treasures only Milena.
“Were you out for a walk, my Lady?”
Madam Howard stepped toward Cecilia. I saw Cecilia, who always kept her back straight, instinctively shrink back.
“Ah, well. I felt a bit stifled…”
“Does that mean you are simply killing time?”
Madam Howard seemed to scrutinize Cecilia from head to toe with a disapproving gaze before coldly finishing her sentence.
“Well. I don’t think this is something a dignified Lady should be doing.”
Excuse me, what are you saying?
My jaw dropped in disbelief. The whole reason the Lucert family came here was for a ‘vacation’!
‘Wow, I really can’t hide my facial expression.’
Every time I saw scenes of her gaslighting in the original story, I felt like I had eaten a million sweet potatoes. But hearing that nonsense in person… It’s so annoying?! In the meantime, Madam Howard, sensing my gaze, turned toward me. Just as her eyes were narrowing:
“Um, what about Mother and Father?”
Cecilia gathered her courage to ask a question. At that, Madam Howard let out a small “tsk” sound.
She just clicked her tongue, didn’t she? Right?!
