The Count's private bedroom. One of the two figures that had been attached to each other raised his body with heavy breathing.
It was Mrs. Becker with a weary look on her face.
“Sion, after all that crazy negotiation with that guy, all I got was one Karl! Damn it!”
“There is no one as annoying and poisonous as Margrave Kleist.”
The Count, who had been unable to stop gossiping about the Marquis even during their secret meeting, finally closed his mouth after he had fallen asleep.
'My situation is really miserable. I have to meet someone in secret like this.'
It was sad. The Count loved her, adored her, and didn't spare any money, but love with a married man was inherently sad.
Especially if the man is cold and ruthless. It was because she felt an instinctive sense of crisis that she could be abandoned at any time.
She has a gut feeling that if she bothers him for no reason, he'll be the one to abandon her.
That was also why she could not tell the Count that Odette had discovered the affair.
'I was going to pressure you to give Odette a good beating as soon as you came.'
The Count was in a particularly bad mood these days. If she brought up such a subject, he would surely kick the bed and leave.
'Do you know that I love you with such a pitiful heart? That I love you even in that cold-hearted way?'
Mrs. Becker, who had wiped her tracks cleanly as always, quietly closed the door and headed down the hallway.
It was 3 a.m. She was the only one who moved when she was least likely to be noticed. She didn't even hold a small candle for fear of being discovered.
These days, she has to be especially careful. As she gains control of the property, there are many people who try to use her weaknesses to do politics.
For example, the head maid, the housekeeper, Paula, the butler Rolf... people belonging to the Countess who had lost her power.
At first, there was an uproar over the maid of the madam having too much authority, but the resentment gradually subsided.
This was because there were so many places that urgently needed budget execution as various incidents occurred during the period of the national foundation.
In a situation where money was being spent immediately, not many people would question the legitimacy of Mrs. Becker's authority.
What can be done when the Count, who has returned, has tacitly consented to the management of Madame Becker's property, saying, 'Follow Ferdinand's will'?
But 'they'. Madam's people, they found fault with her for every little thing to the point of being tiring.
'Besides, since I've been given the power to appoint people this time, how much more will they harass me from now on? If I get caught for no reason, I'll get tired.'
It was a moment to be more careful with her steps.
“Mrs. Becker?”
Someone spoke to her in the dark hallway.
“Whoa! This is a surprise!”
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I just came out to get a drink of water and was so happy to see you, Mrs. Becker... I guess I surprised you.”
Mrs. Becker, her heart pounding, looked at the maid holding the candle holder. In the candlelight, she could faintly see Maleah's face.
'Thank goodness it's not Paula.'
Mrs. Becker cleared her throat.
Maleah was a maid who had followed her well from the beginning and was so kind that she even gave her the precious peony tea leaves she had received at the salon.
But she shouldn't let her guard down completely. After all, she's the Countess's close maid, so she never knows when Maleah might turn her back on her.
“Where have you been?”
“...I’m feeling stuffy, so I’m going for a walk.”
“I see. You’re going to the basement where the bedroom is? Do you want to go back together?”
Mrs. Becker felt slightly uncomfortable, but she knew it would seem stranger to refuse the offer when there was no light.
So she nodded and walked along with Maleah.
“I heard you became the maid of honor? Congratulations. You’ve only been here for a short time, but you’ve been promoted so quickly. That’s amazing.”
Mrs. Becker worried that Maleah might ask about her early morning walk, deliberately tried to start the conversation.
“Hey, Mrs. Becker is more powerful. You have the authority to manage the property, which is something only the mistress of the mansion would have, and now you have the authority to appoint people. Now, Mrs. Becker has more authority than Madam.”
'Are you trying to tell me that I have too much authority right now?'
For a moment, she thought so, but Maleah continued speaking in a gentle voice.
“I’m very happy. How active was Mrs. Becker during this founding? Since Mrs. Becker is in charge of personnel affairs, the mansion will probably run much better. Honestly, Madam... don’t know much about the circumstances of those below us, does she?”
Mrs. Becker, who had secretly wanted to hear such praise, sighed without realizing it.
“Then what do you do? The people who are the real power in this family keep badmouthing me behind my back, saying that it’s wrong for me to have the right to manage the property.”
“Oh, really. What can you do if you curse? After all, it’s the authority that the master and the young master have acknowledged. Just hold on a little longer, madam. Politics are powerless in the face of true power. In the end, Mrs. Becker will win.”
Mrs. Becker blinked. The words were so comforting.
“You know I was promoted based on my discernment, right? After going through the chaos of the founding of the country, I realized that Mrs. Becker had the qualities of a noble lady that were even better than Madam. If it were Madam, she probably wouldn’t have been able to do even half as well as Mrs. Becker.”
“Was I... that much?”
“Yes. Mrs. Becker, who just took over, is more excellent than the lady who managed the money for 25 years. Perhaps if Mrs. Becker had been the mistress of the mansion, the Count’s family would have become even more powerful. We’ll see.”
Even without that, the price of several paintings that Maleah had selected from the salon had increased several times in just a few days.
There was no doubt about Maleah's discerning eye, which had been used to select only paintings whose prices would skyrocket.
When Maleah made such a statement, Mrs. Becker's shoulders somehow shrugged.
“Besides, Mrs. Becker has a lady-like side for some reason. You're very cultured and well-educated. If Mrs. Becker had been the landlady, I would have had a much better time working.”
'Well... Since I'm married to a Count, they call me 'ma'am'. Actually, my original social status is much better, right? I'm a lawyer's daughter and Sasha is a moneylender's daughter.'
Usually, the maids who accompany the mistress when she gets married have been with her for a long time since she was single.
But Mrs. Becker was a last-minute hire just before Sasha's wedding.
It meant that there was no particular affection or loyalty.
All it took was for the father, who couldn't bear the high interest rates and went bankrupt, to hand his daughter over to a loan shark in exchange for his debt.
“Oh, you know this is just between us, right? What I meant was... Mrs. Becker is not inferior to Madam in any way, and you are doing very well, so have confidence.”
Mrs. Becker, whose vanity was stimulated by Maleah's whispers, could not help but be lost in strange thoughts even after returning to her room after parting with Maleah.
'What if. What if... I become a Countess?'
Mrs. Becker had never imagined herself marrying a Count.
First of all, since they had an heir, Ferdinand, it was clear that they would not get a divorce, and even if the Count divorced, it seemed unlikely that he would marry her, who had become a widow at a young age.
'I thought that if I became pregnant with the Count's child, he would be less rude to me than he is now... but I'm the mistress.'
But when she thought about it, there was no way she wouldn't be able to hold the position of Countess, who was also the daughter of a moneylender. And when she actually got to grips with the power, the role of the mistress wasn't as difficult as she thought.
Mrs. Becker, leaning against the door and lost in thought, noticed a white tea set on the desk. It was a gift from Maleah to her.
A top-quality tea caddy with a vivid imperial emblem. The Empress's salon. It was not hard to imagine herself invited to that room as a noble lady.
In it, she also sees herself acting much more civilized than Sasha does now.
'That's right. The reason Sasha became the Countess was because she was chosen by the Count. Nothing more, nothing less, right?'
Mrs. Becker did not know that divorces between nobles and commoners were different. Nor that nobles did not marry or divorce for love.
Sasha opened the tea caddy and tore off the tea leaves. Then she filled it with water and brewed a cup of tea.
She had no idea that peony tea could help with pregnancy. The peony tea made by the royal family is made with high-quality ingredients and is made with special care by pharmacists, so it is said to be very effective.
'Why is the line so long?'
Paula, who had been standing for four hours, patted her sore leg. She was getting annoyed by the fact that there were still six people waiting in front of her.
'What the hell is this all about, all because of one damn maid?'
If Mrs. Becker had voluntarily returned the management rights to the property, this incident would not have occurred.
It's ridiculous to have the right to manage property, but who would have thought that this time Mrs. Becker would be given the right to appoint people as if it were mine?
She's like a woman who was sold into debt but is still full of greed.
'And the Count let that happen?'
If the Count had any sense, he should have given some authority to his butler or housekeeper, even if he did not return the management of the estate to her mother.
It was really out of the ordinary for a maid to have the authority to manage the mansion.
But the Count only undermined the mistress's position by saying, "Do as Ferdinand wishes."
The mother, who had been stripped of the most fundamental rights of a housewife, spent every day in her room swearing at Ferdinand, calling him "an ungrateful brat just like his father."
Because of that stuffy situation, Paula came all the way here and stood in line.
Soon the previous customer left, and all six people in front of her were rejected and left in disappointment.
'I waited and saw that only about 1 out of 4 people really had their fortunes told. Is that how you make money?'
It seemed to be true that the saying that only those who can see a clear future just by looking at their face are accepted.
“Next person, come in.”
Paula swallowed. It was finally her turn.
It was Mrs. Becker with a weary look on her face.
“Sion, after all that crazy negotiation with that guy, all I got was one Karl! Damn it!”
“There is no one as annoying and poisonous as Margrave Kleist.”
The Count, who had been unable to stop gossiping about the Marquis even during their secret meeting, finally closed his mouth after he had fallen asleep.
'My situation is really miserable. I have to meet someone in secret like this.'
It was sad. The Count loved her, adored her, and didn't spare any money, but love with a married man was inherently sad.
Especially if the man is cold and ruthless. It was because she felt an instinctive sense of crisis that she could be abandoned at any time.
She has a gut feeling that if she bothers him for no reason, he'll be the one to abandon her.
That was also why she could not tell the Count that Odette had discovered the affair.
'I was going to pressure you to give Odette a good beating as soon as you came.'
The Count was in a particularly bad mood these days. If she brought up such a subject, he would surely kick the bed and leave.
'Do you know that I love you with such a pitiful heart? That I love you even in that cold-hearted way?'
Mrs. Becker, who had wiped her tracks cleanly as always, quietly closed the door and headed down the hallway.
It was 3 a.m. She was the only one who moved when she was least likely to be noticed. She didn't even hold a small candle for fear of being discovered.
These days, she has to be especially careful. As she gains control of the property, there are many people who try to use her weaknesses to do politics.
For example, the head maid, the housekeeper, Paula, the butler Rolf... people belonging to the Countess who had lost her power.
At first, there was an uproar over the maid of the madam having too much authority, but the resentment gradually subsided.
This was because there were so many places that urgently needed budget execution as various incidents occurred during the period of the national foundation.
In a situation where money was being spent immediately, not many people would question the legitimacy of Mrs. Becker's authority.
What can be done when the Count, who has returned, has tacitly consented to the management of Madame Becker's property, saying, 'Follow Ferdinand's will'?
But 'they'. Madam's people, they found fault with her for every little thing to the point of being tiring.
'Besides, since I've been given the power to appoint people this time, how much more will they harass me from now on? If I get caught for no reason, I'll get tired.'
It was a moment to be more careful with her steps.
“Mrs. Becker?”
Someone spoke to her in the dark hallway.
“Whoa! This is a surprise!”
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I just came out to get a drink of water and was so happy to see you, Mrs. Becker... I guess I surprised you.”
Mrs. Becker, her heart pounding, looked at the maid holding the candle holder. In the candlelight, she could faintly see Maleah's face.
'Thank goodness it's not Paula.'
Mrs. Becker cleared her throat.
Maleah was a maid who had followed her well from the beginning and was so kind that she even gave her the precious peony tea leaves she had received at the salon.
But she shouldn't let her guard down completely. After all, she's the Countess's close maid, so she never knows when Maleah might turn her back on her.
“Where have you been?”
“...I’m feeling stuffy, so I’m going for a walk.”
“I see. You’re going to the basement where the bedroom is? Do you want to go back together?”
Mrs. Becker felt slightly uncomfortable, but she knew it would seem stranger to refuse the offer when there was no light.
So she nodded and walked along with Maleah.
“I heard you became the maid of honor? Congratulations. You’ve only been here for a short time, but you’ve been promoted so quickly. That’s amazing.”
Mrs. Becker worried that Maleah might ask about her early morning walk, deliberately tried to start the conversation.
“Hey, Mrs. Becker is more powerful. You have the authority to manage the property, which is something only the mistress of the mansion would have, and now you have the authority to appoint people. Now, Mrs. Becker has more authority than Madam.”
'Are you trying to tell me that I have too much authority right now?'
For a moment, she thought so, but Maleah continued speaking in a gentle voice.
“I’m very happy. How active was Mrs. Becker during this founding? Since Mrs. Becker is in charge of personnel affairs, the mansion will probably run much better. Honestly, Madam... don’t know much about the circumstances of those below us, does she?”
Mrs. Becker, who had secretly wanted to hear such praise, sighed without realizing it.
“Then what do you do? The people who are the real power in this family keep badmouthing me behind my back, saying that it’s wrong for me to have the right to manage the property.”
“Oh, really. What can you do if you curse? After all, it’s the authority that the master and the young master have acknowledged. Just hold on a little longer, madam. Politics are powerless in the face of true power. In the end, Mrs. Becker will win.”
Mrs. Becker blinked. The words were so comforting.
“You know I was promoted based on my discernment, right? After going through the chaos of the founding of the country, I realized that Mrs. Becker had the qualities of a noble lady that were even better than Madam. If it were Madam, she probably wouldn’t have been able to do even half as well as Mrs. Becker.”
“Was I... that much?”
“Yes. Mrs. Becker, who just took over, is more excellent than the lady who managed the money for 25 years. Perhaps if Mrs. Becker had been the mistress of the mansion, the Count’s family would have become even more powerful. We’ll see.”
Even without that, the price of several paintings that Maleah had selected from the salon had increased several times in just a few days.
There was no doubt about Maleah's discerning eye, which had been used to select only paintings whose prices would skyrocket.
When Maleah made such a statement, Mrs. Becker's shoulders somehow shrugged.
“Besides, Mrs. Becker has a lady-like side for some reason. You're very cultured and well-educated. If Mrs. Becker had been the landlady, I would have had a much better time working.”
'Well... Since I'm married to a Count, they call me 'ma'am'. Actually, my original social status is much better, right? I'm a lawyer's daughter and Sasha is a moneylender's daughter.'
Usually, the maids who accompany the mistress when she gets married have been with her for a long time since she was single.
But Mrs. Becker was a last-minute hire just before Sasha's wedding.
It meant that there was no particular affection or loyalty.
All it took was for the father, who couldn't bear the high interest rates and went bankrupt, to hand his daughter over to a loan shark in exchange for his debt.
“Oh, you know this is just between us, right? What I meant was... Mrs. Becker is not inferior to Madam in any way, and you are doing very well, so have confidence.”
Mrs. Becker, whose vanity was stimulated by Maleah's whispers, could not help but be lost in strange thoughts even after returning to her room after parting with Maleah.
'What if. What if... I become a Countess?'
Mrs. Becker had never imagined herself marrying a Count.
First of all, since they had an heir, Ferdinand, it was clear that they would not get a divorce, and even if the Count divorced, it seemed unlikely that he would marry her, who had become a widow at a young age.
'I thought that if I became pregnant with the Count's child, he would be less rude to me than he is now... but I'm the mistress.'
But when she thought about it, there was no way she wouldn't be able to hold the position of Countess, who was also the daughter of a moneylender. And when she actually got to grips with the power, the role of the mistress wasn't as difficult as she thought.
Mrs. Becker, leaning against the door and lost in thought, noticed a white tea set on the desk. It was a gift from Maleah to her.
A top-quality tea caddy with a vivid imperial emblem. The Empress's salon. It was not hard to imagine herself invited to that room as a noble lady.
In it, she also sees herself acting much more civilized than Sasha does now.
'That's right. The reason Sasha became the Countess was because she was chosen by the Count. Nothing more, nothing less, right?'
Mrs. Becker did not know that divorces between nobles and commoners were different. Nor that nobles did not marry or divorce for love.
Sasha opened the tea caddy and tore off the tea leaves. Then she filled it with water and brewed a cup of tea.
She had no idea that peony tea could help with pregnancy. The peony tea made by the royal family is made with high-quality ingredients and is made with special care by pharmacists, so it is said to be very effective.
***
'Why is the line so long?'
Paula, who had been standing for four hours, patted her sore leg. She was getting annoyed by the fact that there were still six people waiting in front of her.
'What the hell is this all about, all because of one damn maid?'
If Mrs. Becker had voluntarily returned the management rights to the property, this incident would not have occurred.
It's ridiculous to have the right to manage property, but who would have thought that this time Mrs. Becker would be given the right to appoint people as if it were mine?
She's like a woman who was sold into debt but is still full of greed.
'And the Count let that happen?'
If the Count had any sense, he should have given some authority to his butler or housekeeper, even if he did not return the management of the estate to her mother.
It was really out of the ordinary for a maid to have the authority to manage the mansion.
But the Count only undermined the mistress's position by saying, "Do as Ferdinand wishes."
The mother, who had been stripped of the most fundamental rights of a housewife, spent every day in her room swearing at Ferdinand, calling him "an ungrateful brat just like his father."
Because of that stuffy situation, Paula came all the way here and stood in line.
Soon the previous customer left, and all six people in front of her were rejected and left in disappointment.
'I waited and saw that only about 1 out of 4 people really had their fortunes told. Is that how you make money?'
It seemed to be true that the saying that only those who can see a clear future just by looking at their face are accepted.
“Next person, come in.”
Paula swallowed. It was finally her turn.
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