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~Chapter 4~
Lily always felt uncomfortable when male nobles gave her things.
They would hand her gifts and say,
—“I give this only out of kindness, so don’t feel burdened.”
If she refused, they’d force the gifts on her. Sometimes, they sent them to her house so her parents would know.
But then, if Lily danced with another noble, they’d act betrayed:
‘I did so much for you, how can you give your first dance to someone else?’
One time, three men who loved Lily even fought at a marchioness’s garden party.
—“Lily Hedwick is my woman!”
—“Nonsense! Do you know how many diamonds I’ve given her? How can you even compare if your family can’t do the same?”
They argued about who “owned” Lily and how much money they’d spent on her.
In the end, it led to a knife fight, and after that, Lily felt uneasy about gifts from others.
So, even though she had asked to stay, it felt strange to live in Blake’s castle for free.
She’d clearly asked to help with work when she arrived, but no one mentioned anything yet.
She didn’t think Blake had any hidden reasons. He was rude and rough, but at least he was better than those nobles who hid their true selves behind masks.
Still, it would be best to repay his kindness somehow.
If she just avoided him, things would be fine.
Lily rested in her assigned room, then sat up.
It was dawn.
It had only been a few hours since she arrived late at night.
She’d washed in warm water, but her body was still tired.
Still, she couldn’t sleep.
She felt she’d be more comfortable if she helped around the castle right away.
“They gave me such a nice room… I should do something to help.”
She looked around.
It was the same room with the attached bathroom where Blake had carried her earlier. It was high in the castle, with a view of the snowy mountains.
It was nothing like the fancy houses in the Empire’s capital.
There were no famous paintings or expensive dried roses.
Still, the room showed someone tried their best to make it a noble’s room, even in this remote, winter castle.
There were even some magic items, which were symbols of luxury in the capital.
‘I guess most of the magic items in the Empire are mined here. I wish Blake would let me help with magic, but maybe he doesn’t need it.’
Lily knew a little magic.
She wasn’t very strong, but enough for daily life.
Magicians were always in demand, but she didn’t mention it—Blake seemed annoyed by her presence already.
‘Rumors say I can use magic, but since Blake says nothing, maybe that’s a silent “no.”’
Actually, it was a misunderstanding.
Blake never read the palace newsletters delivered to the castle—he just threw them away or used them for the fireplace.
So he didn’t even know Lily’s secret.
‘I even said I used magic to get here. Maybe he thinks I just used a magic item.’
He misunderstood.
Anyway, Lily left her room, looking for something to do.
Outside, the castle halls were cold and rough. She heard people in the kitchen.
Dishes clattered, water bubbled, and people joked around.
Lily peeked into the kitchen.
“Giana?”
She called the name of her assigned maid.
Warm steam from a pot brushed her cheek.
Outside was harsh and cold, but the kitchen was warm and lively.
“Ahahaha! That’s really funny!”
A loud, red-haired woman looked up.
“Oh, Lady Lily? What brings you here at this hour?”
Giana glanced at the window. Snow had stopped, and a full moon hung over the winter mountains.
“It’s still dawn!”
Most of the castle’s staff were big—just like all people from the duchy, who were once the Uffus tribe.
Imperial people called themselves “pure-blooded” and looked down on the Uffus as barbarians.
Giana was clearly Uffus: tall and strong, with light bronze skin.
She wiped her rough hands and stood in front of Lily, making their height difference even clearer.
Lily thought the maids here were more like hunters than the gentle servants she was used to.
“Are you hungry? Even if you came at dawn, it’s better to eat before you sleep.”
“No, I said I’d wait for breakfast, so I’ll keep my promise. What are you all doing?”
Lily peeked past Giana’s strong shoulders at the other maids.
Not everyone here was a perfect Uffus descendant, so their skin tones varied. And there was no set “maid uniform”—everyone wore comfortable clothes.
‘Even the maids who helped me bathe wore everyday clothes. It makes sense in a place where survival matters most.’
The maids were sitting in a circle, cutting dried meat.
It looked different and fun to Lily—like a gathering of hunters.
One maid awkwardly bowed.
“H-hello… Good morning.”
The staff still felt awkward around Lily.
Only two maids had helped her with her bath, and neither was here.
The others just exchanged glances with each other.
‘Are pure-blooded Imperial ladies always so pale and thin?’
‘You don’t see many in the duchy.’
‘Even Il Dexter, the aide, is big even though he’s from the capital. But this woman is really a noble.’
It felt like a little chick had wandered into a wolf’s den.
They were all used to living rough, but they were scared they might hurt this delicate girl by accident.
At least Giana felt a little more comfortable—she’d shown Lily around earlier.
Giana tried to avoid using rough words as she explained.
“We’re making preserved food with… uh, my fellow maids. In this season, snowstorms cut off all the roads.”
“That’s cool. Is there anything I can help with?”
Lily really wanted to lend a hand. She wanted to work!
The maids looked at each other, unsure.
Could a noblewoman from the capital really help?
They’d heard nobles lived in luxury and looked down on workers.
Sometimes, when their master Blake had to go to the capital, he heard the worst stories about nobles.
Gentle-looking Lily might suddenly get angry and slap them for asking her to work.
“…Well, maybe you can try a taste?”
A freckled maid handed her some dried meat.
Lily crouched with them and took it without hesitation.
“Oh!”
She’d expected it to be as hard as a brick, like something from the slums, but it was easy to chew and not smelly at all.
“It’s not as salty as I thought.”
It even tasted like something she remembered from long ago—as if a child had shared a precious snack.
It was a nostalgic taste, making forgotten memories float to the surface.
The tense maids finally relaxed.
They’d been worried she might complain, but instead, Lily Hedwick was just lovely as she chewed with her cheeks moving.
“Right! The snowstorms aren’t that long here, so we don’t salt it too much.”
“Try this part—it’s from near the back legs, it’s more tender.”
Lily was hungry after her long journey, so she ate whatever they offered, smiling prettily. The maids were delighted.
They rolled up their sleeves and offered her the best pieces of jerky.
“But am I really helping right now?”
Lily wondered this as her small stomach was about to burst.
It felt like she was just eating, not helping. But the maids seemed so happy, she just went along with it.
“Haha! Of course you are!”
The maid who was most awkward before now laughed the loudest.
Now, all they wanted was to feed Lily. They brought more meat to her lips.
Lily looked around—she needed to find a real job!
She noticed an old wooden bucket by the sink.
“What’s that bucket for?”
Giana answered,
“A horse is about to give birth. The master’s favorite. We change its water every hour with warm water and check on it.”
“Were you about to go now?”
“Yes, as soon as we finish this jerky, I was heading to the stables.”
“Then I’ll go. All I need to do is bring warm water to the stable, right?”
Lily quickly got up and hugged the bucket. She was happy to finally have something to do.
