TYLWLQ 09

Chapter 09

Even a maid had her pride and dignity.

Who was the master she served?
How important was his position?
And how long had she worked under him?

The career built within a prestigious family was the trace of the life they had lived—and their pride itself. But the order Butler Müller had just given was clearly an act that trampled all over that pride.

Cecile simply could not accept it.

“Cecile, whether she is the rightful heir or not is for the Master to decide. Are you saying you intend to go against his will?”

“It’s not that, but…! I don’t want to. The person I serve is the Master, not some girl whose background we don’t even know!”

“…A mere maid saying she’ll choose whom to serve? How arrogant. Everyone in the mansion knows how devotedly you’ve worked for the Master. That’s exactly why you’re being entrusted with this.”

Butler Müller continued without even blinking.

“Cecile, who is the one you should devote your loyalty to? Only the Master? Or this mansion—and the name Einhardt itself? Think carefully.”

Faced with that cold, firm tone, Cecile bit down hard on her lip and stepped back. Just as the butler said, a maid had no right to choose.

“You haven’t even spoken with the young lady yet, have you?”

“But still…”

“One month. Just try it for one month.”

As if declaring the argument over, Müller turned and left the maids’ quarters without another word.

Today was the day my parents were leaving for Flugelberg—the region commonly called the North, and the homeland of the Einhardt family.

I’m sleepy…

My eyelids kept drooping. I had fallen asleep with my parents and then been forced awake in the middle of the night to move rooms, so I was even more sleep-deprived. But I didn’t have the luxury of looking around the room.

Even without checking the clock on the wall, the dim darkness outside the window made it clear it was still dawn.

I forced my eyes open and lightly slapped my cheeks with my palms to stay awake.

If I wanted to leave a good impression on the people of the mansion and on Grandfather, I absolutely had to wake up early and say goodbye to my parents. Even without that reason, it was only natural for a child to see off their parents before a long journey.

And there was another reason I had to wake early.

When I pulled the bell rope, Müller soon opened the door and entered the room.

“Young lady? You’re already awake?”

“I should at least see them off.”

“In that case… perfect timing. Would you wait a moment? There are people I should introduce to you.”

“Introduce?”

People?

Who could that be?

Müller hurriedly added another log to the fireplace, then left the room saying she would return shortly.

Not even five minutes later, she returned—with three maids following behind her.

Cecilia…?

I recognized her at a glance. Even if I hadn’t remembered reading the original story, the clear, distinctive look in her eyes would have caught my attention immediately.

Unlike the other maids, who still looked sleepy, Cecilia stood perfectly composed in her uniform despite the early dawn. Just as described in the original story, her deep garnet-red eyes were staring straight at me.

Her nickname was Cecile.
The maid who remained loyal to my grandfather until the very end.

She had been a baby abandoned in front of the mansion. My grandfather had taken her in personally and raised her as a maid. Because of her natural talent, she would later grow up to succeed Müller as the head butler and become my grandfather’s closest aide.

By the time Grandfather was executed… she was already dead.

When the imperial army attacked Grandfather’s final refuge, Cecile sacrificed herself to help him escape.

Don’t worry. In this life, you won’t have to sacrifice yourself!

I made that promise silently to myself and smiled.

But Cecile’s expression—clearly displeased—showed no sign of softening. It was completely different from the cheerful and optimistic Cecile in the original story, and honestly, it caught me off guard.

“These will be the attendants serving you from today. The tall one is Emma, the blonde is Nina, and lastly, Cecile.”

Emma and Nina bowed politely.

Cecile, on the other hand, made it obvious she was greeting me only because she had been ordered to. Even as she bowed, she stared straight into my eyes in a way that bordered on rude.

Did I somehow get on her bad side before we even started?

It was entirely possible.

Grandfather had always been fond of the clever Cecile, and Cecile had served him with the utmost devotion, almost like a real granddaughter. What she felt for him couldn’t be described as mere loyalty.

It probably wasn’t much different now. In fact, because she was still young, she likely resented me even more for being the “real granddaughter.”

I could understand it—but that didn’t mean I wanted to sympathize.

“Come downstairs once you’re ready.”

“Thank you.”

“Will you have breakfast with the Master?”

“If Grandfather doesn’t mind.”

“Understood. Afterward… ah, the Einhardt family’s physician will be visiting. Before he arrives, I will show you the room you’ll be using.”

“The family physician?”

Müller nodded slightly.

“Yes. There will be a medical examination.”

That was perfect timing. I had been worried about the fact that I was supposedly terminally ill. I needed to ask if there was really no way to cure it.

But wait—the Einhardt family’s physician? Was there someone like that in the original story?

“Well then, have a pleasant day.”

“Oh, wait!”

I almost missed the chance. I quickly called out to Müller as she was about to leave.

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

“A request…?”

I nodded and glanced at the clock.

For a child, it was still an hour meant for sleep. But for someone else, it was already time to wake up and begin the day.

And if it was that person I was asking Müller to summon, then they were probably already awake.

Müller looked surprised at my request. Still, instead of asking why, she simply said she would do what she could.

Once finished, Müller left the three maids behind and hurried off again. As the butler in charge of the entire mansion—and essentially Grandfather’s secretary—she seemed busy even at dawn.

“…Please take care of me.”

I offered an awkward greeting, but the only response was silence.

“I will prepare the washing water.”

I wondered if they had even heard me.

The awkward atmosphere made conversation impossible. The maids kept their mouths shut and focused on their tasks—washing me, combing my hair, dressing me. Their movements were efficient and skilled…

But it was obvious they were doing it purely because it was their job.

And the worst of them was Cecile, who was around my age.

“Ow!”

“You need to stay still!”

Cecile frowned and scolded me.

Hey—how about letting go of my hair first before saying that? You’re the one pulling it!

Even Emma and Nina saw exactly what Cecile was doing, yet they pretended not to notice.

Should I just flip the whole place upside down?

The impulse surged up for a moment.

No. Not now.
To jump high, you have to bend your knees first.

“You don’t expect us to hold your hand just to walk down the stairs, do you? Let me warn you in advance—behave yourself in front of the Master. Otherwise…”

Cecile trailed off, looking me up and down.

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even respond.

No matter how much she disliked me, I was still Grandfather’s granddaughter—someone she was supposed to serve.

Even if I were just a commoner, the head of the house had personally taken me in and raised me. At the very least, I should have been treated as a guest.

But Cecile showed not the slightest hint of respect or courtesy.

Of course, I understood her position. Being told to serve some child whose origins were unknown overnight couldn’t be easy.

But understanding her didn’t erase the anger and unfairness I felt.

When I stared at her coldly without speaking, Emma and Nina poked Cecile in the side.

Only then did Cecile stop glaring at me.

What should I do with these people…?

That thought filled my head as I went outside to see my parents off.

The best option was probably to turn them into my allies…

“Irina!”

“Mom! Dad!”

I pushed the thought aside for now. Sending my parents off safely was more important.

“You didn’t go back to sleep…”

“Mmm… but I still needed to say goodbye.”

When I hugged them, their warm embrace instantly made my whole body relax.

“Irina, wait just one hundred nights. Listen well to your grandfather.”

“I’m not a little kid. What do you mean one hundred nights… Dad, you listen to Mom, okay? Promise?”

Because that’s how you’ll survive.

“Stay healthy. I’ll write letters.”

I didn’t want to let go of their necks.

I wished time would stop right there.

If—just if—the future somehow changed and something happened to them…

I would never forgive myself.

“Now that you’ve seen their faces, that’s enough. Leave.”

A stiff, solemn voice interrupted our final moment.

Grandfather stood on the stairs above us, looking down at the family. He wore a wine-colored velvet robe.

Instead of sighing, he exhaled cigar smoke. Even from afar, the thick smoke surrounded his cold, merciless gaze.

It sent a chill down my spine.

I hadn’t expected him to say goodbye or wish them well.

But I also hadn’t expected something that sounded almost like an order to leave.

Still, at least he didn’t threaten my father with a gun and drive him out like in the original story.

Grandfather looked up at the ceiling with a bored, indifferent expression, as if everything was already finished.

Once they left, we probably wouldn’t see each other again for at least three years.

Knowing that made this moment feel even more precious.

But I didn’t have enough cards in my hand yet to change anything.

So I decided to borrow one from outside.

Please don’t be too late.

My eyes kept drifting toward the servants.

Even if I saw their faces, I wouldn’t be able to recognize the one I was looking for.

But then—

Among the servants, someone with gentle, kind eyes noticed me and smiled warmly.