TMLAM 26

Chapter 26

The Male Lead’s Cherished Maid Is Too Capable

3:00 PM.

Madam Rosette hurried into the office.

“Your Grace the Grand Duke, Aidan. And Miss Roella.”

Her voice trembled more than usual, and anxiety clouded her wrinkled eyes. It seemed the results were out.

Well, the outcome had been obvious anyway. Elisha showing a 98% compatibility rate had already been mentioned in the original novel. Thanks to that, Kristan’s condition would be cured—what a relief.

There was nothing for me to be nervous about.

I wasn’t going to be chased out of here.

“The results are in.”

Despite that, the moment those words were spoken, the air in the office froze.

Aidan gripped the edge of the desk. He was getting nervous for no reason. Regardless of everyone’s reactions, I continued organizing the documents.

Ah, there’s a typo here. I’ll need to retype this later. Is there something like correction tape? No, I probably can’t ask them to invent that.

“Miss Elisha’s compatibility score is……”

Madam Rosette took a deep breath.

“98%.”

A brief silence filled the office.

Aidan’s face turned pale.

As expected. Just like in the original. I nodded slightly. Madam Rosette spoke again in a trembling voice.

“In the history of the House of Acrasia, since the introduction of compatibility testing… there have only been three people who exceeded 95%. And 98% is… unprecedented. Congratulations, Your Grace.”

Yes, it really was something to celebrate. Kristan had suffered so much from that condition—coughing up blood, collapsing, unable to breathe properly from the pain.

I knew all of it from reading the original. Having witnessed that entire process, I felt like I understood how Kristan must feel right now.

He must be happy. As if he were flying.

“Congratulations, Your Grace.”

At my words, Kristan looked straight at me.

“98%—that’s incredible, Miss Elisha. That means Your Grace can now be completely cured. What a relief. Truly, congratulations. That’s a huge burden lifted.”

From here on, the story would accelerate along the original plot. Thanks to Elisha, Kristan would fully recover, straighten out the Northern Territory, implement good policies, and begin earning the people’s trust. While building his reputation as the ruler of the North, he would skillfully manage political relations with the imperial family and eliminate the traitors of the North.

Of course, there would be many episodes along the way—but in any case, this marked the very first step toward a happy ending.

“Now Your Grace will finally be able to focus on work without worry. There’s so much to do. You need to prepare for next week’s meeting, and once the quarry business starts in earnest, the paperwork will increase dramatically.”

Well, I would miss that heavenly chair in Kristan’s bedroom at night—and the late-night snacks we used to share—but still.

“Where is Miss Elisha now?”
Kristan asked Madam Rosette in a low voice.

“She is resting with the temple priests. It seems the test consumed a great deal of her stamina. You should be able to meet her in the bedroom tonight.”

“Good work.”

Madam Rosette bowed.

As she was about to leave, Kristan spoke again.

Now then, from tonight onward, holding hands while sleeping would be Elisha’s role, and my role would be to keep this castle running smoothly during the day. That alone would be more than enough.

Still, I’d have to do even better than before—prove my usefulness beyond measure.

It’s a shame to lose such a sweet position, but I’ll just excel even more in this role.
Let’s go—office worker, fighting!

* * *

The door to the Grand Duke’s bedroom opened. Madam Rosette watched Elisha with a stern expression. On the way here, Elisha had been repeatedly warned about what to be careful of.

Do not get on the Grand Duke’s bed.
Do nothing beyond your assigned duties.
Do not take any action without the Grand Duke’s instruction.

And so on.

In short, there were countless things she was not allowed to do.

Just wait until I become the Grand Duchess.

When that day came, even that haughty head maid would bow her head before Elisha. She could only hope that day would arrive soon.

Elisha stepped inside slowly—very slowly.

Her heart pounded like crazy.

This is it. Right here.

It was the room she had seen in her dreams. The enormous windows, the towering domed ceiling. The myths painted across it, the massive bed beneath, the silver-embroidered bedspread, and the chair placed beside the bed.

Everything was exactly the same. Once again, Elisha felt that the dream had been her destiny.

Her chest swelled with emotion.

It was real. My dream was real!

She felt like laughter might spill out.

Born in the slums, raised amid hunger and cold. Someone who was nothing, whose name was barely ever spoken properly.

Now she stood in the Grand Duke’s bedroom. Someday, she would become the Grand Duchess—the mistress who ruled the North. In her heart, it already felt as though that day had come.

The number 98% proved it. That she was special.

When she saw that number, she had almost screamed.

Madam Rosette quietly closed the door and left. Elisha walked toward the mirror.

A freshly washed face. A soft dress. Hair carefully brushed and arranged. These, too, were things she had gained after coming here.

The person in the mirror felt unfamiliar. She was no longer the woman who had worn rags and wasted away to skin and bones from starvation just days ago.

In the mirror stood a future Grand Duchess.

—

“I love you.”

—

The words Kristan had whispered in her dream rang vividly in her ears. His low, deep voice. The large hands that had wrapped around her body. The affection that had filled them—things Elisha had never dared to dream of in her life.

Elisha carefully sat down on the chair beside the bed.

The plush cushion enveloped her body.

This is the chair where I’ll hold Grand Duke Kristan’s hand.

Perhaps Grand Duke Kristan would recognize her immediately. She could feel a special destiny waiting for her. With these hands, she would save the Grand Duke. And surely, the Grand Duke would come to love Elisha.

Her cheeks flushed red.

The ruler of the North. A powerful lord who inherited dragon magic. A noble even the emperor could not treat lightly. All the titles used to describe Kristan—Elisha would one day share them.

It felt unreal.

The Grand Duchess was the mistress of this castle. She recalled meeting Roella in the dining hall below—how Roella had smiled brightly at her. She’d said she had worked as the Grand Duke’s compatible before Elisha arrived.

—

“Welcome to this place, Miss Elisha.”

—

Roella had seemed genuinely happy.

Seeing that bright smile, Elisha had felt puzzled. How could someone whose position had been taken act so calm?

Growing up in the slums, Elisha had learned that if something was taken from you, you had to take it back no matter what. That’s how she had lived. If someone stole her bread, she strangled them to take it back. If someone took her sleeping spot, she trampled them to reclaim it.

Even in the slums, Elisha had been known as a vicious one.

Some children trembled in fear of her.

Roella, however, seemed completely removed from such competition.

“Is she an idiot?”

But what did it matter. If that woman became an obstacle, she could simply be removed.

Elisha sank back into the chair. Comfort she had never felt before melted her body and mind. She softly hummed to herself.

The Elisha of the slums was gone now.