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Chapter 6
The next day, a carriage arrived at the Hess Baron Estate.
A woman with neatly braided blonde hair stepped out, carrying a large suitcase.
A maid who had been cleaning hurried outside to greet her, and the woman introduced herself as Vivian.
“I’m a maid sent with a letter of recommendation from Baron Odelli. I came because I wish to serve Lady Nadia.”
The maid blinked in confusion.
A maid? The Hess Baron family was so poor that they rarely employed more than five servants at a time.
“A… maid?”
“Yes!”
A proper lady’s maid—the kind who stayed closest to a noblewoman, acted as her companion, and assisted with social events and etiquette?
As the maid continued staring blankly, words poured smoothly from Vivian’s lips.
“While Baron Odelli was traveling through the Baldwin Duchy, he was injured near Hess territory. At the time, Lady Nadia treated him using her knowledge of herbal medicine. Later, a physician said that without her emergency care, he might have lost the use of his leg. Such a great kindness must be repaid, or misfortune may follow later, so he ordered me to come and take diligent care of Lady Nadia.”
“Uh…”
“And Baron Odelli will pay my wages personally every month. The Hess Baron family will bear absolutely no burden whatsoever!”
In the end, the maid informed Baron Hess of Vivian’s visit. Baron Hess summoned both Nadia and Vivian together to verify the story.
“Nadia, is it true that you helped Baron Odelli?”
Baron Odelli was the false identity Conrad used for his public dealings.
Nadia glanced subtly at Vivian before answering calmly.
“Yes. I happened to offer him a small amount of assistance.”
Baron Hess examined Vivian carefully before nodding.
“In that case, let us accept Baron Odelli’s kindness. It is such a great favor that I feel somewhat burdened by it, but you are now at the age where you should prepare for your debutante season, so you need a maid. Let us rely on this help only until our circumstances improve.”
“I’ll follow your wishes, Father.”
And so, Vivian became Nadia’s maid.
Claiming she wished to speak privately with Vivian, Nadia brought her alone into her bedroom.
Sitting comfortably on the sofa, Nadia greeted her.
“It’s nice to meet you, Vivian.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, my lady. I look forward to serving you.”
“I doubt Conrad would send me just anyone. What exactly are you capable of? I need to know that so I can use you appropriately.”
Accurately understanding the abilities of one’s subordinates was extremely important.
Vivian smiled brightly as she answered,
“I’m an assassin.”
The moment she heard that, Nadia pressed a hand to her forehead with a groan.
“Even if I needed a maid, he sends an assassin… Conrad truly…”
“The boss ordered me to protect you, my lady. Of course, if you command it, I can eliminate anyone.”
Vivian said such terrifying things in a cheerful voice.
Clapping her hands together loudly, Vivian laid the suitcase she had brought onto the floor.
“The boss also told me to deliver some documents to you.”
Naturally, the documents Vivian pulled out were “keys”—evidence that could be used to destroy criminal organizations and claim bounty rewards.
Nadia quickly accepted the papers and examined them.
Conrad had handled things thoroughly, and the amount of bounty money they could receive was larger than she had expected.
“He said these are only the ones that can be confirmed immediately. More will be sent later.”
“Thank you, Vivian.”
“I only delivered them.”
Vivian smiled brightly.
It was hard to believe someone this cheerful was an assassin. Still, since Conrad had sent her, her skills were surely genuine.
“Then, Vivian, I’ll trust you with your first task.”
“Who are we killing?”
“No one. I have no intention of killing anybody.”
“Then shall I spread malicious rumors?”
“No. You came here as a maid, so I’m giving you maid-like work.”
At that, Vivian looked visibly disappointed.
“The boss said lots of interesting things would happen if I came to you…”
‘That brat Conrad really sent me a troublesome person.’
There was a special way to handle people overflowing with enthusiasm like this. Nadia held out the documents to Vivian.
“Take these to the capital guard and collect the bounty money.”
“Huh? Isn’t that just a trivial errand?”
“Hess territory has absolutely no guards capable of protecting such an enormous reward. This is something only you can do.”
Nadia deliberately emphasized the words “only you can do.”
Immediately, Vivian regained her enthusiasm and quickly accepted the documents.
“Then I’ll leave right away! I’ll protect the bounty money with my life!”
Without even resting from her journey, Vivian departed immediately.
While Vivian was gone, Nadia spent her time reviewing the documents Conrad continued sending.
Meanwhile, Baron Hess diligently handled the work of purchasing magical mining tools and developing the mines.
He was not particularly talented, but he was humble enough to happily learn from his adopted daughter.
Under the guidance of his daughter—who was also an exceptional teacher—Baron Hess slowly learned things one step at a time.
A week passed like that before Vivian finally returned.
She carried both a massive bounty payment and a golden invitation.
Without even glancing at the invitation, Nadia immediately summoned a maid and instructed her to call a physician at once so they could pay for Baroness Hess’s medicine.
Watching this blankly, Vivian held out the invitation again.
“My lady, aren’t you going to check the invitation?”
“Ah, right, there was an invitation. But there’s no one who would invite me anywhere. Who sent it?”
Nadia extended her hand with clear disinterest and mild annoyance. Placing the invitation onto her palm, Vivian answered,
“It came from the Baldwin Ducal House.”
Startled, Nadia immediately opened the invitation.
The sender was not Heinrich, but rather his mother—the Dowager Duchess of Baldwin.
Before winter ends, I have prepared the gardens one last time, and I wish to host a social gathering with the neighboring territories.
‘Our relationship was businesslike, but she was always polite and warm.’
The Dowager Duchess of Baldwin had been close to Libenya’s birth mother, and so she had always treated Libenya faithfully and kindly.
Ten years ago, she had been deeply troubled in spirit, but if she was hosting a party now, then she must have recovered considerably.
Nadia gently traced the familiar handwriting on the invitation several times.
She did not wish to return to being Libenya.
But it would be a lie to say she did not miss the most meaningful period of Libenya’s life.
As Nadia stared silently at the invitation for a long while, the impatient Vivian spoke first.
“Are you going to attend the party?”
“Yes. I should go. If I hadn’t been invited, it would be different, but she personally sent this invitation.”
The Dowager Duchess had been a kind mother-in-law to Libenya, but to everyone else she was a strict noblewoman. If she did not want Nadia’s presence, she would never have sent an invitation at all.
“I’ll need to alter a dress. We must save money, but I can’t commit a social offense.”
“If you ask the boss, he could get you an excellent dress.”
Nadia shook her head.
“If I suddenly appear wearing an extravagant dress, everyone will find it strange. It’s enough if I simply look like I’m doing my best within our circumstances. I wonder if there’s an old dress in storage that can be repaired.”
Holding the invitation, Nadia rose to her feet.
The Hess Baron family was still a noble household, so naturally they possessed several outdated dresses. It would probably be best to alter one with a timeless design.
Following behind her, Vivian muttered,
“I thought Baldwin never participated in social circles. Why would they suddenly decorate their gardens and host a party?”
“Baldwin doesn’t participate in social circles? They’re the only ducal family in the North. That makes no sense.”
“You didn’t know? The Duke of Baldwin never attends parties unless summoned by the imperial family. Ever since the former Duchess died, it’s always been like that.”
At those words, Nadia abruptly stopped walking.
Turning around stiffly, she stared at Vivian. Her golden eyes gleamed sharply, so intensely that Vivian instinctively became wary, as though Nadia might attack someone at any moment.
“My lady?”
“It must be a coincidence. He would need someone to manage the household, wouldn’t he? If anything, that means he should attend social gatherings even more.”
“Uh… I suppose…”
Nadia’s voice was so firm that Vivian could not even argue that it might not be true.
As Nadia walked forward again, she did not speak a single word.
‘It’s already been ten years since my death, yet he still refuses to attend parties because of me? At an age where he should be seeking a new companion? How could that be possible?’
A memory from the past crossed Nadia’s mind.
A still-young Heinrich, cheeks slightly red, had once said:
‘My father wasn’t very talkative, but he was never cold. He was actually very kind. Someday, if I have children, I want to become that kind of father too.’
To Nadia, who had never once thought about children herself, those words had felt unfamiliar.
Heinrich had lost his father young, but he had also been deeply loved. Because of that, he had dreamed of building a family of his own.
Nadia had even been quietly searching for a suitable young lady so Heinrich could remarry immediately after their divorce. She had wanted his dream to come true as soon as possible.
And yet Heinrich still had not remarried.
Nadia’s face had become pale as a corpse, and her fingertips stiffened coldly.
‘Could it be because I died in that accident on the way to the academy? Is that sensitive child blaming himself?’
It did not seem impossible.
Pressing her hands against her head, Nadia sighed deeply.
‘No. Perhaps he simply hasn’t met the right person yet. Hiini’s status and qualifications are too overwhelming, so the other side may feel pressured… There’s no guarantee it’s because of me.’
Even while thinking that, Nadia quickened her pace.
If she truly wanted to know whether Heinrich was doing well, then she absolutely had to attend the party.
