"What?"
"Obviously, if you just do as I'm told, I won't say anything..."
"Did I say anything?"
"..."
One by one, I removed Aileen's fingers that were holding my arm tightly.
I could see the clear handprints left on soft, weak skin.
"Aileen, I was just thinking of things to help you feel lonely. Inviting the ladies is just one of the many worries."
Eyes full of suspicion looked at me.
I made eye contact with her without saying a word and then smiled.
Even if what I say is a lie, is there anything she can do?
'That's right, I should have been more generous to the people who use the mansion.'
If that had been the case, there would have been people who would have respected your opinion more than mine and would have said good things to Madam Mancini.
I walked up to Aileen and whispered softly in her ear as she cowered in fear.
"It's okay. If it's Rosalynn's business, I'll keep my mouth shut."
Isn't this a weakness too great to be easily exploited?
It is much more advantageous to hold on to it until you can use it again and again, so there was no reason for me to explode it first.
"So don't worry too much, Aileen."
I patted Aileen's shoulder and spoke kind words, but she looked like she was about to cry.
***
At that time, Rosalyn, who had stopped by a high-end jewelry store to buy jewelry with the ladies she often hangs out with, was snorting as she looked at the invitation in her hand.
"What an invitation without even the author's seal. Even if you look down on people, you are oily."
"Lady Isabella is not related to the Viscountess by blood. It goes without saying that you cannot use your own seal."
Rosalyn responded with a sharp voice to the words of a young lady who was watching.
"It's ridiculous that she even dared to send an invitation that wasn't even properly formal!"
Several ladies who were fiddling with the invitation exchanged embarrassed smiles.
Their impression of Isabella at the last meeting wasn't that bad.
Moreover, seeing that the invitation was sent directly from the author, it means that she received the Viscountes's permission to open the mansion even if she did not receive permission.
Even with that alone, It was clear that her skills weren't that bad.
'Considering my future social activities, it would be good to open up a relationship with the Viscountess.'
As everyone's harsh atmosphere continued, Rosalyn could not hide her discomfort.
For her, the incident of 'exchanging words' left only a feeling of humiliation.
She, who was considered to be unrivaled in horseback riding compared to other ladies of her age, was unable to subdue a rampaging horse and was screaming for help.
Moreover, the other party was not the Viscountess's daughter, but merely a person entrusted to the Viscountess.
"She says she doesn't even remember her family, but she's doing so well. Don't we even know whether she really has noble blood or not?"
Some of the ladies who could not easily refute Rosalyn's sarcastic words, nor did they want to do so, cautiously left.
It was a time when the remaining ladies were either sympathizing with Rosalyn's insult to Isabella or fighting back.
"Excuse me?"
A polite, soft voice broke up the conversation between the ladies.
A man with cold gray eyes greeted them.
"After hearing that some dazzling ladies visited our jewelry store today. I would like to show you a small favor in the hope that you will visit here often."
A voice is so sweet as to melt you in and blue hair that adds a mysterious atmosphere. The man dressed stylishly from head to toe, smiled at the young ladies who exchanged glances with bewildered faces.
Rosalyn looked at him blankly at the 'extremely calculating' laugh that made Isabella shudder so much.
"Please, give me the opportunity to escort beautiful ladies for a little while."
Eric placed his lips on the back of Rosalyn's hand so naturally that she didn't even notice.
The young lady's face, who was not immune to leisurely and skillful men, turned red in an instant.
***
"Charlotte, honey, where is your mind right now?"
Charlotte blushed at the head maid's slap.
She clicked her tongue, put her hand on her waist, and started nagging her.
"You've been feeling particularly dazed lately. You know that if a mistake is made while the Commander-in-Chief is away, it will be a big problem."
"..."
Commander-in-Chief. That's right, Alfred is currently vacating the mansion. Charlotte, who had been lost ought. nodded.
"What did you call me for?"
"Yes. It's nothing else... A child brought food from his hometown as an offering to the Madam in honor of the deceased Viscount. She asked the Lady and she told me to distribute it to each of the rooms."
Charlotte awkwardly accepted the unidentifiable, round-shaped, hard 'food'.
"This is food?"
"Yes. He walked away without even explaining how to eat it. Still, nothing was found in the toxicology test, so there shouldn't be a problem."
At the words of the head maid, the maid next to her who took the plate of food grumbled.
"You won't even touch Lady Aileen anyway, right? Not the food of nobles, but the food enjoyed by commoners."
"Shh. If you talk for no reason and it gets into someone's ears, they'll start yelling. Why are you being so careless even though you know her personality?"
After speaking quietly, Charlotte put the plate of food she had received on a tray and headed to her room.
Knock knock and a soft voice was heard.
"Come in."
Isabella, who had an elegant air, raised her head and smiled at her.
"What is that?"
"This is the dessert that the Viscountess told me to deliver to each room. It is said to be food from their hometown that was sent today by one of the residents in memory of the Viscount who passed away."
Isabella glanced at the round object on the plate and nodded.
"I see. I have to thank Madam."
"Are you feeling okay now? Madam said that if you had any trouble left, you would have better call a doctor."
"It's okay. It's okay now. It's my fault. I'm so into riding horses these days that I'm often looking for something to eat."
Charlotte flinched at the word horse.
The young lady, who was kind and even gentle, had been spending a lot of time with her horse these days.
Billy would praise her with a red face, saying that, unlike other nobles, she loved and cared for horses a lot.
'It might be meaningless.'
But occasionally, things like light snacks or tips are given to him by the servants.
Snacks from another restaurant were in the hands of Billy, who had clearly gone out to buy horseback riding gear.
'It must be a store in the opposite direction from the place you said you went to.'
Something inexplicably strange, very subtle, got on her nerves.
"Charlotte?"
"Yes."
Charlotte, who was lost in other thoughts for a moment, quickly responded, blaming herself.
Instead of blaming her for her mistake, Isabella brushed it off.
"Ask the kitchen to bring me a stronger spoon."
"Yes?"
"You don't eat it like this, you break it open and eat the pieces. It's a cookie that's empty on the inside."
Charlotte's mind became confused as she went to get a spoon after hearing those kind words.
The chef's eyes widened upon hearing Charlotte's words as she came to get the spoon.
"That's right. I was already planning on explaining how to eat it to the Viscountess. In the North, when children reach adulthood, they break it and eat it to help them shed their immaturity and become fully responsible people."
"Yes."
"I'm surprised that you knew this. It's a custom that can only be found in middle-class families."
"Because Lady Isabella likes reading."
"Yes, she did, but..."
Even as Charlotte answered like that, she couldn't erase the thoughts that seeped into a corner of her mind.
The boy's words she heard this morning kept ringing in her head.
'It's true! They look exactly alike!"
'Gibberish. How does Miss Isabella know such a mercenary?'
'I don't know either. But it looks a lot like the picture in the portrait the man is asking about. When I asked her if she was a noblewoman, she jumped up and asked who would say such a thing!"
A lot of nonsense comes and goes through people's mouths, so it was foolish to be swayed by a few words from a boy from outside.
Even though she knew that fact, Charlotte could hardly push away the doubts that crept into the back of her mind.
On her way back to Isabella with the spoon, someone stopped her.
"Are you Isabella's maid?"
Charlotte bowed her head in greeting Aileen's words, which seemed somewhat uncomfortable.
"I have something to ask you."
A soft, nervous voice whispered softly to Charlotte.
"Isabella. Is there anything strange about her? Don't you know because you're always there?"
Aileen's nails hanging down as she held on to Charlotte's arm were full of bite marks.
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