It had been ten days since Mother had swaggered and turned Mrs. Becker's room upside down.
Even though the Count soon returned, her mother still had not found any evidence of the theft.
They searched the entire mansion to find the person who had sent the complaint, but it was clearly of no use.
'Is it possible to find a person based on just one handwriting?'
On the day her mother read the letter in front of everyone, she took a moment to replace the letter with an identical blank piece of stationery.
To proceed to the next step, no one other than the mother can read the complaint.
Using her still-rusty pickpocketing skills.
So, handwriting analysis would have been impossible.
'I saw with my own eyes that none of my mother's people read it.'
And to move on to the next step, Odette had to meet Mrs. Becker one more time.
When she heard her footsteps, she asked in a raspy voice.
“What about the blanket? You must have packed some bread with meat in it and some fruit, too.”
Well, people's personalities don't change.
Even though A and B were pretty clearly sorted out, Mrs. Becker immediately treated her like a subordinate when she started taking care of her.
“What about champagne? You asked for that too, didn’t you?”
Odett shrugged.
“Have some orange juice.”
“Can’t you even bring that? I guess incompetence can’t be fixed.”
'You asked me to do something like that when you clearly knew I wouldn't be able to enter the wine cellar in the first place.'
After the blow she got from this incident, she wanted to make sure that she was above her in some way.
She was desperate to hurt Odette's pride.
Odette could win if she wanted to, but she didn't really want to do that right now.
Mrs. Becker asked, munching on her sandwich, wondering if she was hungry.
“What is Madam doing?”
“Mother herself has been busy preparing for the ball these past few days. Her subordinates are still busy looking for evidence of your theft.”
“By the way, did you do your job properly, Miss? You don’t know how to do anything. You didn’t make any stupid mistakes, did you? You put this bracelet on me, and all of a sudden, there’s evidence of theft.”
“Shouldn’t you stop talking while eating?”
“The complaint was written by you, right? What if it gets caught? If they find out through handwriting analysis or something like that that it was written by you, my wrist will be gone!”
“Well, there’s no point in looking for it. I’ve already replaced the complaint with a blank letterhead, so there’s no way to check the handwriting. No one has seen the contents of the complaint in person except for my mother, and no one ever will.”
Odette said this nonchalantly, but clearly enough for Mrs. Becker to remember, and handed her the orange juice.
Mrs. Becker drank the juice in gulps.
'I don't have a hobby that tolerates hysteria, though.'
There was a report that Malea gave Odette yesterday.
“The day before I went to prison, Mrs. Becker told me that her period was unusually late this month. I asked her if she was stressed, and she laughed, saying that she had never had a late period in her life. She must have been busy.”
Since the redemption period is short, she actually thought it would be difficult to use the card while making lemon tea.
She was grateful that she had come all of a sudden. What could be so difficult about enduring that level of hysteria?
“If you need anything else, please let me know.”
“Don’t you have any sense? Why are you telling me all these things?! Go to Sasha right now and beg her to let me out! Why are you keeping me here without any evidence? That crazy woman Sasha!”
'It seems that Mrs. Becker's hatred towards my mother is also steadily deepening.'
“That's right.”
“If there’s no evidence, then I’m not a thief. She can’t kick me out, right?”
“My mother can’t just kick you out as a thief. But she can fire you. It’s entirely within the lady’s power to fire her own maid. Not even her husband can touch her.”
Then suddenly Mrs. Becker's eyes widened.
“She can kick me out without any evidence?”
“In that case, don’t worry, I will cancel the contract for that bracelet. I won’t ask you to share your personnel authority with me unless it is absolutely necessary.”
“Oh, how can that be?”
But Mrs. Becker reacted as if she had lost the world.
“I have so much power, how did I get to this position, how can you cut me so easily? If Sasha wants, she can just cut me?”
It was a completely counterproductive logic that wasn't even worth responding to.
'Because she is an outsider who can be easily cut off in the first place, the master does not give the maid any authority or obligation.'
Do you think that the custom of giving authority to the butler, housekeeper, and head maid in that order in the case of mismanagement by the mistress just came about?
Usually, this is a power given only to butlers or housekeepers who have shown loyalty for several generations. That is why there was gossip about Ferdinand, who was given to Mrs. Becker because he did not like his mother.
Rather than correcting it, the Count tolerated it because Mrs. Becker was his lover. It was a family of the worst of the worst.
“That’s how it was originally. But the reason why my mother didn’t use her authority to fire you is because she didn’t want to lose face. She was also worried that if she just fired you, she’d fight with my brother even more. So if there’s no evidence, my mother will probably frame you.”
“Who, false accusation?”
'In this case, you can't even call it a pure accusation. Why do you look so aggrieved?'
“Mother’s jewels are many. If she has even one subordinate who secretly uses them, she can quickly turn them into thieves.”
“Oh, how!”
“In that case, I can’t do anything about it. Don’t worry, I’ll take off the bracelet for you then. In that case, the only one who can help is my father, right? He’s the true master of this house.”
Odette mentioned the Count on purpose so that the effect of the complaint could smoothly lead to the next stage.
Mrs. Becker continued to verbally abuse her and her mother, bordering on cursing.
Odette didn't really hate hearing it. She just vaguely thought that it wouldn't be good for prenatal education.
The social season in Barceha begins in the summer, and on the first day, a ball is held at the palace.
The Countess had never received an invitation to a ball in her name.
Always the Count, Ferdinand, and Odette. They could only attend the ball as companions of the family that had received the invitation.
The Countess was depressed, expecting to be detained again at this palace ball, as her relationship with Ferdinand had fallen out.
'But who would have thought that such good fortune would strike? The laboratory would catch fire at that very moment!'
Thanks to that, Ferdinand and the Count, who were interfering with her, disappeared from the mansion, so the era of the Countess has truly begun.
All the precious herbs in the lab burned down, causing damages of tens of millions of dollars - that was none of the Countess's business.
'It's a good thing that my dowry has increased hundreds of times, but I regret not having the opportunity to spend it properly.'
The Emperor and Empress were always present at the Imperial Ball. The Countess, who considered the ball a golden opportunity to make up for her absence from the Empress's salon, spent a lot of money and went to great lengths to prepare for the day.
Thanks to this, with the ball only three days away, the mansion lobby was bustling with designers and tailors hired by the Countess.
'Ah. I feel like I can breathe easier these days. Is it okay for me to live in my own house like this?'
Now that she can finally act like the hostess, life feels worth living.
“Madam, how about this dress, it’s your style?”
“Paula, isn’t that dress similar to the one Mrs. Becker wore a few days ago? How can I wear something that would hurt my pride and resemble a maid? Put away all the red. It makes me angry when I think of that unlucky girl.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Malea! Tie my hair up a bit higher. Tighten my corset properly! Didn’t you see the atmosphere last year? I said that I have to have a full and flashy skirt to stand out.”
Unlike Ferdinand, who was obsessed with making Odette into a doll to his taste the whole time, when a ball was scheduled, the Countess had no interest in Odette at all.
Because shr was spending so much money on herself, she didn't even think about ordering a separate dress for Odette.
To the Countess, Odette was just a 'ticket to the ball', worth just that much.
And that indifference was exactly what Odette had hoped for.
First of all, Odette was able to spend time with Karl as the Countess did not have to worry about her.
Even though the Count soon returned, her mother still had not found any evidence of the theft.
They searched the entire mansion to find the person who had sent the complaint, but it was clearly of no use.
'Is it possible to find a person based on just one handwriting?'
On the day her mother read the letter in front of everyone, she took a moment to replace the letter with an identical blank piece of stationery.
To proceed to the next step, no one other than the mother can read the complaint.
Using her still-rusty pickpocketing skills.
So, handwriting analysis would have been impossible.
'I saw with my own eyes that none of my mother's people read it.'
And to move on to the next step, Odette had to meet Mrs. Becker one more time.
When she heard her footsteps, she asked in a raspy voice.
“What about the blanket? You must have packed some bread with meat in it and some fruit, too.”
Well, people's personalities don't change.
Even though A and B were pretty clearly sorted out, Mrs. Becker immediately treated her like a subordinate when she started taking care of her.
“What about champagne? You asked for that too, didn’t you?”
Odett shrugged.
“Have some orange juice.”
“Can’t you even bring that? I guess incompetence can’t be fixed.”
'You asked me to do something like that when you clearly knew I wouldn't be able to enter the wine cellar in the first place.'
After the blow she got from this incident, she wanted to make sure that she was above her in some way.
She was desperate to hurt Odette's pride.
Odette could win if she wanted to, but she didn't really want to do that right now.
Mrs. Becker asked, munching on her sandwich, wondering if she was hungry.
“What is Madam doing?”
“Mother herself has been busy preparing for the ball these past few days. Her subordinates are still busy looking for evidence of your theft.”
“By the way, did you do your job properly, Miss? You don’t know how to do anything. You didn’t make any stupid mistakes, did you? You put this bracelet on me, and all of a sudden, there’s evidence of theft.”
“Shouldn’t you stop talking while eating?”
“The complaint was written by you, right? What if it gets caught? If they find out through handwriting analysis or something like that that it was written by you, my wrist will be gone!”
“Well, there’s no point in looking for it. I’ve already replaced the complaint with a blank letterhead, so there’s no way to check the handwriting. No one has seen the contents of the complaint in person except for my mother, and no one ever will.”
Odette said this nonchalantly, but clearly enough for Mrs. Becker to remember, and handed her the orange juice.
Mrs. Becker drank the juice in gulps.
'I don't have a hobby that tolerates hysteria, though.'
There was a report that Malea gave Odette yesterday.
“The day before I went to prison, Mrs. Becker told me that her period was unusually late this month. I asked her if she was stressed, and she laughed, saying that she had never had a late period in her life. She must have been busy.”
Since the redemption period is short, she actually thought it would be difficult to use the card while making lemon tea.
She was grateful that she had come all of a sudden. What could be so difficult about enduring that level of hysteria?
“If you need anything else, please let me know.”
“Don’t you have any sense? Why are you telling me all these things?! Go to Sasha right now and beg her to let me out! Why are you keeping me here without any evidence? That crazy woman Sasha!”
'It seems that Mrs. Becker's hatred towards my mother is also steadily deepening.'
“That's right.”
“If there’s no evidence, then I’m not a thief. She can’t kick me out, right?”
“My mother can’t just kick you out as a thief. But she can fire you. It’s entirely within the lady’s power to fire her own maid. Not even her husband can touch her.”
Then suddenly Mrs. Becker's eyes widened.
“She can kick me out without any evidence?”
“In that case, don’t worry, I will cancel the contract for that bracelet. I won’t ask you to share your personnel authority with me unless it is absolutely necessary.”
“Oh, how can that be?”
But Mrs. Becker reacted as if she had lost the world.
“I have so much power, how did I get to this position, how can you cut me so easily? If Sasha wants, she can just cut me?”
It was a completely counterproductive logic that wasn't even worth responding to.
'Because she is an outsider who can be easily cut off in the first place, the master does not give the maid any authority or obligation.'
Do you think that the custom of giving authority to the butler, housekeeper, and head maid in that order in the case of mismanagement by the mistress just came about?
Usually, this is a power given only to butlers or housekeepers who have shown loyalty for several generations. That is why there was gossip about Ferdinand, who was given to Mrs. Becker because he did not like his mother.
Rather than correcting it, the Count tolerated it because Mrs. Becker was his lover. It was a family of the worst of the worst.
“That’s how it was originally. But the reason why my mother didn’t use her authority to fire you is because she didn’t want to lose face. She was also worried that if she just fired you, she’d fight with my brother even more. So if there’s no evidence, my mother will probably frame you.”
“Who, false accusation?”
'In this case, you can't even call it a pure accusation. Why do you look so aggrieved?'
“Mother’s jewels are many. If she has even one subordinate who secretly uses them, she can quickly turn them into thieves.”
“Oh, how!”
“In that case, I can’t do anything about it. Don’t worry, I’ll take off the bracelet for you then. In that case, the only one who can help is my father, right? He’s the true master of this house.”
Odette mentioned the Count on purpose so that the effect of the complaint could smoothly lead to the next stage.
Mrs. Becker continued to verbally abuse her and her mother, bordering on cursing.
Odette didn't really hate hearing it. She just vaguely thought that it wouldn't be good for prenatal education.
***
The social season in Barceha begins in the summer, and on the first day, a ball is held at the palace.
The Countess had never received an invitation to a ball in her name.
Always the Count, Ferdinand, and Odette. They could only attend the ball as companions of the family that had received the invitation.
The Countess was depressed, expecting to be detained again at this palace ball, as her relationship with Ferdinand had fallen out.
'But who would have thought that such good fortune would strike? The laboratory would catch fire at that very moment!'
Thanks to that, Ferdinand and the Count, who were interfering with her, disappeared from the mansion, so the era of the Countess has truly begun.
All the precious herbs in the lab burned down, causing damages of tens of millions of dollars - that was none of the Countess's business.
'It's a good thing that my dowry has increased hundreds of times, but I regret not having the opportunity to spend it properly.'
The Emperor and Empress were always present at the Imperial Ball. The Countess, who considered the ball a golden opportunity to make up for her absence from the Empress's salon, spent a lot of money and went to great lengths to prepare for the day.
Thanks to this, with the ball only three days away, the mansion lobby was bustling with designers and tailors hired by the Countess.
'Ah. I feel like I can breathe easier these days. Is it okay for me to live in my own house like this?'
Now that she can finally act like the hostess, life feels worth living.
“Madam, how about this dress, it’s your style?”
“Paula, isn’t that dress similar to the one Mrs. Becker wore a few days ago? How can I wear something that would hurt my pride and resemble a maid? Put away all the red. It makes me angry when I think of that unlucky girl.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Malea! Tie my hair up a bit higher. Tighten my corset properly! Didn’t you see the atmosphere last year? I said that I have to have a full and flashy skirt to stand out.”
Unlike Ferdinand, who was obsessed with making Odette into a doll to his taste the whole time, when a ball was scheduled, the Countess had no interest in Odette at all.
Because shr was spending so much money on herself, she didn't even think about ordering a separate dress for Odette.
To the Countess, Odette was just a 'ticket to the ball', worth just that much.
And that indifference was exactly what Odette had hoped for.
First of all, Odette was able to spend time with Karl as the Countess did not have to worry about her.
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