Her father would never know how much comfort the words, “Honesty is the greatest talent,” brought to Aila.
“So, unless you don’t want to be the head of the household, Noah won’t become the successor just because he’s my son.”
“...Yes, Father.”
Aila nodded with an embarrassed expression.
Roderick felt equally awkward. More than ten years had passed without him having a chance to properly fulfill his fatherly duties, and he, too, felt a pang of embarrassment at having this conversation with his daughter.
“Yes, then I guess I should go now. Ophelia can’t keep Laura around for that long.”
Roderick, who was feeling a bit embarrassed, got up from the bed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Ah, Father...! It’s not!”
Roderick, who was walking slowly towards the door, realized that he had entered through a secret passage after his daughter pointed it out, and he walked stiffly towards the secret entrance.
Aila, who witnessed her father's usual serious demeanor and uncharacteristic mistake, could not bear it any longer and burst out laughing.
“Then, let’s really go.”
Even thinking about it, Roderick chuckled, perhaps finding his mistake amusing, and twisted the statue's hand. Then, the hidden passageway reappeared.
“Then I’ll see you in the evening.”
He smiled kindly as he entered the room, then disappeared into the dark passage.
“Did you call, ma’am?”
"Yes, Laura. Come in. Take a seat over here."
Laura, who arrived at Ophelia's room, sat down in the chair opposite her as instructed.
“Why did you call me?”
When Laura asked, Ophelia opened her mouth with a kind smile.
“You must have worked hard taking care of Aila all by yourself. Thank you.”
At those soft words, Laura snorted inwardly. Why is she so trusting?
How could one not laugh at her for entrusting her daughter to someone who only intended to take revenge by using her own daughter, and even thanking her?
“No, ma’am. I was just doing what I had to do.”
“Still... I felt bad for you having to suffer alone, so I hired another maid to take care of Aila with you.”
Ophelia opened her mouth, trying to suppress the anger that was welling up in her at Laura's hypocrisy.
Perhaps she had never been so good at judging people. She was trembling with fear at the thought of her own foolish past when she had rejoiced in saving a good and honest child.
"... Yes?"
Since the second child was born, she was cautious about bringing people in, so she was relieved to think that there wouldn't be any new maids coming in for a while.
Laura was shocked by the sudden bolt from the blue and couldn't control her expression.
"Why are you so surprised? You'd be better off working with someone else than alone."
“Oh, that’s... it was so sudden.”
Ophelia watched Laura's expression change in a hurry and agreed with her story in a somewhat mechanical tone.
"Yes, it's quite surprising. I apologize for not telling you in advance. I've decided to take the daughter of the Baron who helped find Aila as my maid."
'Young Lady of a Baron.'
Laura couldn't hide her impatience and tapped the back of her hand with her finger.
From what Ophelia had said, Lisa was seventeen years old, younger than Laura. Furthermore, she had joined the dukedom earlier, so technically she was her senior.
It was clear that Lisa would be treated as a superior from now on.
Even though she was the daughter of a Baron, she was still a noblewoman.
And besides, she was the 'daughter of the benefactor who found the Princess.' It was obvious how arrogantly she would look down on Laura.
‘...I am also a noble young lady!’
Laura felt like crying from the injustice. If only she hadn't disguised herself as a commoner and entered the country, she wouldn't have had to bow down to a mere young lady from a baronial family.
Had she not been entangled in a treason plot and brought ruin, she would have lived as a Viscountess. That meant she was a noblewoman of a higher rank than that girl named Lisa.
'And who is the benefactor? Who brought that girl Aila to that estate...?'
The thought of how well the Duke and Duchess, who knew nothing of the circumstances, would treat that woman named Lisa made her stomach turn.
'I'm really annoyed...'
While Laura was barely able to control her rising irritation, Ophelia smiled and watched the scene as if she knew nothing.
It wasn't exactly fun to deceive someone and scheme behind their backs, but considering how much they'd been fooled before, they felt like they could deceive Laura even more.
“So, please take care of Young Lady Lisa. Can you do it?”
“Yes, of course.”
Ophelia asked with a kind smile, but Laura, unable to reveal her true feelings, had no choice but to suppress her seething anger and act hypocritically.
“By the way, when will that young lady come?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that. I thought it was supposed to arrive tomorrow.”
“Oh my, there’s not much left!”
It was already frustrating to have a maid suddenly come in, but to think she was due to arrive tomorrow? Laura forced a smile on her face, determined not to leave Aila alone for failing to deliver this important news once she returned to her room.
There was no way this could have come up out of the blue. It was clear that there had been a plan in place since she left Herzig's estate with Roderick.
But that reckless woman did not report this important fact to her.
'Do you really think I'm something when I say 'young lady, young lady?'
Aila was nothing more than a tool for revenge, nothing more. She couldn't figure out when the child who had always been so observant and wary of her had started acting so unruly.
“Yes, then you’ll be going now.”
“...Yes, ma’am.”
Laura left Ophelia's room and headed quickly to Aila's. It seemed the only way to vent her anger was to take it out on Aila.
"Miss!!"
And Laura flung open the door. Aila jumped in surprise at her appearance, wondering what she was doing.
“Huh, huh? Why?”
Seeing her stammering and faltering as she spoke made her feel like her stomach was going to burst.
Of course, Aila was just trying to calm her shocked heart because Roderick was in the room just a moment ago, but to Laura, who didn't know about the situation, it seemed like she was just doing it because something was bothering her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What, what?”
"Baron Herzig's daughter is coming as a maid! You already knew, didn't you?"
Laura crossed her arms and glared at Aila with a fearful expression.
“Huh? Yeah. I think we talked about something like that when we left the Herzig estate...”
“But why didn’t you tell me?”
Aila sighed softly. She wondered what on earth her mother had said to make Laura so angry, but it turned out to be nothing.
“I thought you already knew... I didn’t think it was that important.”
Aila looked at Laura and answered in a dejected voice. She wasn't really dejected; she was just pretending to be.
As she bowed her head and trembled, Laura's temper softened. She thought she already knew, so what more could she say?
"From now on, you must tell me even the smallest details! Only then can I report to my Master and respond accordingly."
“Ugh, I’m sorry.”
Aila nodded, trying to please Laura. It was a little frustrating having to constantly watch Laura's every move, even after returning to her parents' embrace, but it was unavoidable if she wanted to avoid arousing Byron's suspicions.
“...But why did you close all the curtains? It’s pitch dark even in broad daylight.”
Laura, who had been grumbling, finally noticed the curtains that were closed when her anger subsided, and asked while opening the curtains.
“Huh? That’s right, it seems a little chilly...”
Aila scratched her cheek and answered awkwardly, and Laura sighed deeply as if frustrated.
"You're indoors, so why are you saying it's cold? You used to live in places colder than this."
The tedious nagging began again. Seriously, it was hard to tell who was in charge.
A week had already passed since Lisa Herzig began staying at the Duke of Weishaffen.
Although it wasn't a long time, Lisa had completely adapted to the Duke's household in that week and had become loved by many.
It was partly because she was the daughter of the benefactor who had brought back the precious Princess, but more importantly, it was because she was naturally gentle and kind.
In the Duke's household, there was hardly anyone who disliked Lisa. Except for Laura, it would be no exaggeration to say that everyone loved her.
“So, unless you don’t want to be the head of the household, Noah won’t become the successor just because he’s my son.”
“...Yes, Father.”
Aila nodded with an embarrassed expression.
Roderick felt equally awkward. More than ten years had passed without him having a chance to properly fulfill his fatherly duties, and he, too, felt a pang of embarrassment at having this conversation with his daughter.
“Yes, then I guess I should go now. Ophelia can’t keep Laura around for that long.”
Roderick, who was feeling a bit embarrassed, got up from the bed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Ah, Father...! It’s not!”
Roderick, who was walking slowly towards the door, realized that he had entered through a secret passage after his daughter pointed it out, and he walked stiffly towards the secret entrance.
Aila, who witnessed her father's usual serious demeanor and uncharacteristic mistake, could not bear it any longer and burst out laughing.
“Then, let’s really go.”
Even thinking about it, Roderick chuckled, perhaps finding his mistake amusing, and twisted the statue's hand. Then, the hidden passageway reappeared.
“Then I’ll see you in the evening.”
He smiled kindly as he entered the room, then disappeared into the dark passage.
***
“Did you call, ma’am?”
"Yes, Laura. Come in. Take a seat over here."
Laura, who arrived at Ophelia's room, sat down in the chair opposite her as instructed.
“Why did you call me?”
When Laura asked, Ophelia opened her mouth with a kind smile.
“You must have worked hard taking care of Aila all by yourself. Thank you.”
At those soft words, Laura snorted inwardly. Why is she so trusting?
How could one not laugh at her for entrusting her daughter to someone who only intended to take revenge by using her own daughter, and even thanking her?
“No, ma’am. I was just doing what I had to do.”
“Still... I felt bad for you having to suffer alone, so I hired another maid to take care of Aila with you.”
Ophelia opened her mouth, trying to suppress the anger that was welling up in her at Laura's hypocrisy.
Perhaps she had never been so good at judging people. She was trembling with fear at the thought of her own foolish past when she had rejoiced in saving a good and honest child.
"... Yes?"
Since the second child was born, she was cautious about bringing people in, so she was relieved to think that there wouldn't be any new maids coming in for a while.
Laura was shocked by the sudden bolt from the blue and couldn't control her expression.
"Why are you so surprised? You'd be better off working with someone else than alone."
“Oh, that’s... it was so sudden.”
Ophelia watched Laura's expression change in a hurry and agreed with her story in a somewhat mechanical tone.
"Yes, it's quite surprising. I apologize for not telling you in advance. I've decided to take the daughter of the Baron who helped find Aila as my maid."
'Young Lady of a Baron.'
Laura couldn't hide her impatience and tapped the back of her hand with her finger.
From what Ophelia had said, Lisa was seventeen years old, younger than Laura. Furthermore, she had joined the dukedom earlier, so technically she was her senior.
It was clear that Lisa would be treated as a superior from now on.
Even though she was the daughter of a Baron, she was still a noblewoman.
And besides, she was the 'daughter of the benefactor who found the Princess.' It was obvious how arrogantly she would look down on Laura.
‘...I am also a noble young lady!’
Laura felt like crying from the injustice. If only she hadn't disguised herself as a commoner and entered the country, she wouldn't have had to bow down to a mere young lady from a baronial family.
Had she not been entangled in a treason plot and brought ruin, she would have lived as a Viscountess. That meant she was a noblewoman of a higher rank than that girl named Lisa.
'And who is the benefactor? Who brought that girl Aila to that estate...?'
The thought of how well the Duke and Duchess, who knew nothing of the circumstances, would treat that woman named Lisa made her stomach turn.
And if Lisa were to act all sweet and flirty with Aila, like a tongue in her mouth, wouldn't that make it harder for her to manipulate Aila from behind the scenes?
While Laura was barely able to control her rising irritation, Ophelia smiled and watched the scene as if she knew nothing.
It wasn't exactly fun to deceive someone and scheme behind their backs, but considering how much they'd been fooled before, they felt like they could deceive Laura even more.
“So, please take care of Young Lady Lisa. Can you do it?”
“Yes, of course.”
Ophelia asked with a kind smile, but Laura, unable to reveal her true feelings, had no choice but to suppress her seething anger and act hypocritically.
“By the way, when will that young lady come?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that. I thought it was supposed to arrive tomorrow.”
“Oh my, there’s not much left!”
It was already frustrating to have a maid suddenly come in, but to think she was due to arrive tomorrow? Laura forced a smile on her face, determined not to leave Aila alone for failing to deliver this important news once she returned to her room.
There was no way this could have come up out of the blue. It was clear that there had been a plan in place since she left Herzig's estate with Roderick.
But that reckless woman did not report this important fact to her.
'Do you really think I'm something when I say 'young lady, young lady?'
Aila was nothing more than a tool for revenge, nothing more. She couldn't figure out when the child who had always been so observant and wary of her had started acting so unruly.
“Yes, then you’ll be going now.”
“...Yes, ma’am.”
Laura left Ophelia's room and headed quickly to Aila's. It seemed the only way to vent her anger was to take it out on Aila.
"Miss!!"
And Laura flung open the door. Aila jumped in surprise at her appearance, wondering what she was doing.
“Huh, huh? Why?”
Seeing her stammering and faltering as she spoke made her feel like her stomach was going to burst.
Of course, Aila was just trying to calm her shocked heart because Roderick was in the room just a moment ago, but to Laura, who didn't know about the situation, it seemed like she was just doing it because something was bothering her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What, what?”
"Baron Herzig's daughter is coming as a maid! You already knew, didn't you?"
Laura crossed her arms and glared at Aila with a fearful expression.
“Huh? Yeah. I think we talked about something like that when we left the Herzig estate...”
“But why didn’t you tell me?”
Aila sighed softly. She wondered what on earth her mother had said to make Laura so angry, but it turned out to be nothing.
“I thought you already knew... I didn’t think it was that important.”
Aila looked at Laura and answered in a dejected voice. She wasn't really dejected; she was just pretending to be.
As she bowed her head and trembled, Laura's temper softened. She thought she already knew, so what more could she say?
"From now on, you must tell me even the smallest details! Only then can I report to my Master and respond accordingly."
“Ugh, I’m sorry.”
Aila nodded, trying to please Laura. It was a little frustrating having to constantly watch Laura's every move, even after returning to her parents' embrace, but it was unavoidable if she wanted to avoid arousing Byron's suspicions.
“...But why did you close all the curtains? It’s pitch dark even in broad daylight.”
Laura, who had been grumbling, finally noticed the curtains that were closed when her anger subsided, and asked while opening the curtains.
“Huh? That’s right, it seems a little chilly...”
Aila scratched her cheek and answered awkwardly, and Laura sighed deeply as if frustrated.
"You're indoors, so why are you saying it's cold? You used to live in places colder than this."
The tedious nagging began again. Seriously, it was hard to tell who was in charge.
***
A week had already passed since Lisa Herzig began staying at the Duke of Weishaffen.
Although it wasn't a long time, Lisa had completely adapted to the Duke's household in that week and had become loved by many.
It was partly because she was the daughter of the benefactor who had brought back the precious Princess, but more importantly, it was because she was naturally gentle and kind.
In the Duke's household, there was hardly anyone who disliked Lisa. Except for Laura, it would be no exaggeration to say that everyone loved her.
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