AWML 10

Chapter 10

As I came out of the bedroom, I ran into Lady Sophia.

Seeing my messy, disheveled state, she rushed over in alarm.

“Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! You really… Are you alright? You’re not injured anywhere, are you?”

“I’ll probably get some bruises, but I’m not seriously hurt.”

“Hoo… The Grand Lady has quite a strong temperament. She wasn’t like this before. She used to be the most fair and kind-hearted elder.”

“I can imagine that.”

That must be why the long-serving staff of the mansion still stayed and served her, holding onto those memories of the past. They never left.

“You’ve worked hard today. Did she take her medicine?”

“Yes. She took it just a moment ago.”

That was my final task of the day.

Lady Sophia looked at me in surprise.

“Is caring for patients not too difficult for you? This may be rude to ask, but you seem oddly experienced.”

“This is my first time caring for a dementia patient, but I’ve taken care of patients before.”

That was exactly why I had the courage to take this job.

Because I had experience taking care of Roella.

Roella had been in poor health since childhood. She needed special medicine to recover, but making it was not easy.

I had acted as her friend and helped her obtain and prepare her medicine.

I thought it was a good opportunity—becoming the childhood friend and benefactor of the female protagonist.

Roella had been such a sharp, prickly child back then.

Anyway, I did have some experience.

“Thank you very much. I’ve doubled the daily wage we promised you today. Please accept it without hesitation. And I hope you can come again tomorrow.”

“Yes, Lady Sophia!”

I answered brightly.

Double pay! It felt like all the hardship of today vanished.

Meanwhile

Seeing Milena standing blankly, the carriage driver tapped him.

“We’ve arrived.”

It was unfamiliar speech, but he understood it meant they had reached the destination. Kaia looked around and stood up to get off the carriage.

Kaia only accepted jobs that could be completed within a single day.

Because he couldn’t speak the local language, staying outside overnight or at an inn felt dangerous.

And he didn’t like leaving Milena alone in a land where no one knew her.

So today too, he had volunteered for a wild boar extermination mission in a nearby village.

A boar the size of a house kept coming down from the mountains, destroying crops and causing severe damage.

But there was no one in the village capable of dealing with it.

As always, he planned to finish quickly and return as soon as possible—so Milena wouldn’t have to wait.

Waiting.

It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling.

Kaia had been alone since losing his parents. No one had ever told him they were waiting for him—or that they had waited for him.

Milena was the only one who said such things.

He didn’t want her to wait for him. And even if he was late, he didn’t want her to worry.

But Milena was sometimes unstable, emotionally.

She didn’t fully remember what happened on that day—the accident. As if she had erased the fear herself, she remembered it only as a storm-related incident, forgetting the enormous shadow they had seen.

Kaia didn’t want to leave her alone.

But today…

“Sorry, I might be late today. I don’t think we can leave work together.”

“Why? I can come pick you up anywhere. If you finish late, I’ll just wait.”

“It’s fine. Instead, can you come home and prepare dinner? It’s my first day, so I don’t know when I’ll finish.”

“The official working hours are 6 p.m.”

“Still. Our goal isn’t just to become maids and care for the Grand Lady, right? If we want to impress them and rise quickly to meet the Count, we should do this much.”

Her eyes had been shining with determination.

He didn’t understand why it bothered him so much, even though she was clearly at work and safe.

Was it because she told him to go home alone if she was late?

No. Why should that matter?

Kaia rubbed his face.

“Is something wrong?”

The carriage driver seemed to be asking that.

“…Nothing.”

Kaia shook his head.

The driver still looked concerned.

Then Kaia suddenly jumped down from the carriage.

If Milena said to go home and prepare dinner, then he should do exactly that. She would return.

With her usual bright smile.

Back at the mansion

Now I finally understood why Lady Sophia had reacted that way—and why I was the only applicant.

The Grand Lady was a thin, stick-like old woman.

Her mind was not intact due to dementia, but her stubbornness and strength were extreme—and she was violent.

I had heard she once trained the current Count herself. She had been a knight who wielded a sword.

That explained her strength.

She had raised the Count from the age of five after he lost his parents.

To the Count, she was both benefactor and his only family.

Normally, nobles would send such relatives away to distant villas—but the Count had kept her close all this time.

“Grand Lady, you can’t lie down here!”

I shouted as loudly as I could at her, since she couldn’t hear soft voices.

“I’m not the Grand Lady! I’m Emily!”

“Yes, yes, Emily. Still, you can’t lie down here!”

“I don’t want to! I don’t want to! Bring my sister! Where is my sister!”

“You were just calling me your sister earlier. Let’s go inside and eat candy, alright?”

It was already well past working hours. Lady Sophia had gone downstairs earlier after promising overtime pay.

The Count was coming home with friends today, so preparations were needed.

So the Grand Lady was left entirely to me.

“Candy? Emily likes candy! I want candy!”

“Yes, yes. There’s candy waiting inside.”

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you. Shall we go check?”

She suddenly jumped up and ran into the room.

Despite her age, she still moved like a trained warrior.

She searched the table.

“Ugh!”

Her hand swung wildly and struck me.

I barely managed to suppress a scream.

Wow. She’s really strong. Stronger than me.

This was probably the third or fourth hit today.

Maybe I should learn self-defense from Kaia when I get home.

She struck me again and I crouched, clutching my side.

“Unni?”

She looked at me cautiously.

“Yes, I’m your sister.”

“Scarlet sister?”

“Yes, I’m Scarlet.”

Scarlet was the name of her deceased older sister.

She was seeing her past through me.

Maybe she was trapped in the happiest time of her life.

Even if she no longer recognized the Count.

I wasn’t angry. She wasn’t doing it on purpose.

She was just sick.

If she wanted to stay in that time, then maybe I should simply play the role.

“Good children listen to their sister, right? You have to take your medicine before candy.”

“I don’t want medicine!”

“You promised to listen.”

She hesitated, watching me carefully.

I gave her the medicine—and then handed her the candy.

Chapter 10

When I came out of the bedroom, I ran into Lady Sophia.

Seeing my disheveled appearance, she rushed over in shock.

“Oh my goodness! Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“I’ll have some bruises, but I’m fine.”

“The Grand Lady is very strong. She wasn’t always like this. She used to be kind and just.”

“I can tell.”

That’s probably why the long-serving staff still stayed.

“You’ve worked hard. Did she take her medicine?”

“Yes.”

That was my final task.

Lady Sophia studied me.

“You seem experienced with patients.”

“I’ve taken care of patients before.”

That was true—because of Roella.

Roella had been sick since childhood, and I had helped her with medicine.

It was my chance to become her childhood friend and benefactor.

“Thank you. We’ve doubled your pay today. Please come again tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

Double pay made everything feel worth it.

Meanwhile, Kaia

The carriage driver tapped him.

“We’ve arrived.”

Kaia got off.

He only accepted jobs he could finish in a day.

Because he couldn’t speak the language, staying overnight was dangerous.

And he didn’t want Milena alone.

So he had taken a boar extermination request.

A massive boar was destroying crops.

As always, he would finish quickly and return.

So she wouldn’t have to wait.

Waiting was unfamiliar to him.

Since childhood, no one had ever waited for him.

Only Milena did.

He didn’t want her waiting.

He didn’t want her worried.

But today…

He couldn’t shake the feeling.

He returned home early instead of going to the job.

He would prepare dinner.

Like always.

Back at the mansion

Now I understood everything.

The Grand Lady was a violent, stubborn former knight suffering from dementia.

But the Count kept her close because she was his only family.

I was being hit again.

“Scarlet sister?”

“Yes.”

I gave her medicine and candy.

Kaia returns

I don’t know why I felt uneasy.

She was at work.

But still…

I hurried home.

Final scene

The mansion changed.

Not because her illness improved.

But because of Milena.

No more screaming servants.

No more chaos.

The Grand Lady still had dementia—but she was calmer.

Instead of forcing medicine, Milena talked and persuaded her.

And now…

The Grand Lady called her “Scarlet” and followed her.

The mansion had become peaceful.

And Lady Sophia smiled as she said:

“We have a new maid.”