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Chapter 7
Following the sound, Rosetta turned her head and saw a wooden storage box lying toppled on the floor.
It had been dropped with such force that the joints of the box were distorted.
“What in the—!”
If it was damaged that badly, then the music box jewelry case inside must be in even worse condition.
Rosetta’s face turned pale.
At that moment, someone let out a small gasp.
“Oh dear. What a disaster. My hand slipped while I was carrying the water basin.”
It was that maid.
The same maid who had broken a cup in the dining room.
“I’m sorry. You’ll forgive me, won’t you?”
Seeing her smiling with the corners of her lips curled up, Rosetta was speechless.
She did that on purpose, didn’t she?
Feeling exasperated, Rosetta looked toward Lady Kirilos—but she was checking her pocket watch.
A clear stance of non-interference.
‘A head butler ignoring a servant’s misconduct right in front of her? So this is deliberate.’
You don’t dodge filth because it’s scary—you avoid it because it’s disgusting.
Swallowing a sigh, Rosetta asked:
“What is your name?”
“Huh?”
“Your name.”
“…Yuri Loren.”
“Lady Loren, then.”
Rosetta smiled sweetly and grabbed the handle of the water basin on the vanity.
—SPLASH!
“Eek!”
Water splashed across the floor and drenched Yuri Loren.
In an instant, she looked like a drenched rat. Her face turned bright red.
Clang!
“Oh my.”
Rosetta looked straight at the reddened Yuri Loren, then deliberately shook her hand as if she had “slipped.”
“As you said, it is quite slippery.”
“….”
“Clean this up. Ah, and don’t touch anyone else.”
With a sweet smile on her face, Yuri Loren trembled violently.
How… how can she be so vulgar…!
Rike is a god.
The living god of Solarium.
As his partner, she should be flawless. Anyone in Solarium would agree.
If she were a princess—or at least a marquess’s daughter—she might barely be worthy of Rike’s glory.
But that woman, Rosetta Pavinu, was nothing more than a count’s daughter.
Worse, she carried countless rumors like a chain around her neck, yet she had the audacity to sit beside Rike.
Know your place…!
Clenching her fists, Yuri Loren shouted with a trembling voice:
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Hm?”
“You did! There’s no way you didn’t aim for me specifically!”
“Hm?”
Rosetta continued pretending ignorance, and Yuri Loren’s face flushed even more.
Rosetta chuckled and picked up the half-broken wooden box.
“Interesting claim. Do you have any proof I did it on purpose?”
“Well, I also—!”
She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she had almost confessed.
If she admitted it, her plan to assert dominance would fall apart.
Grinding her teeth, Yuri Loren tried to recover.
“I’m saying I don’t know where that thing got damaged, so how can you say it was because of me?”
Now that’s impressive.
To insult someone while staring directly at them.
“Hah.”
Rosetta scoffed and looked at Lady Kirilos.
“How exactly do you manage your staff, Lady Kirilos?”
“….”
“A maid’s manners are completely unacceptable.”
At her sharp tone, Kirilos tightened her grip on her pocket watch.
I thought she was a delicate flower in a greenhouse… but she has quite the temper.
Kirilos and Yuri Loren were relatives. She knew exactly how sly Yuri Loren could be.
A girl who even bullied long-serving servants in Solarium.
She had expected Rosetta to be easily overwhelmed.
But—
“Answer me, Lady Kirilos.”
Rosetta pressed again.
“Isn’t staff management your responsibility as head butler?”
“….”
Being directly criticized, Kirilos bit her lip. It was the first time someone had spoken to her like this.
“Lady.”
Rosetta pressed further.
Finally, Kirilos extended a hand to Yuri Loren, who was still on the floor.
“Get up, Lady Loren.”
“Housekeeper…!”
Yuri Loren smiled pitifully as she took her hand, inwardly triumphant.
Just as I thought. Aunt wouldn’t abandon me.
But the moment she stood—
SMACK!
Her head snapped to the side.
“…!”
Covering her cheek, she whispered in disbelief:
“How… how could you hit me?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“Aunt!”
SMACK!
“How dare you act like this in front of me?”
“Eek…!”
Kirilos struck her other cheek. Yuri Loren collapsed.
At that moment, she noticed the bedroom door was open.
“Huh…”
Sol Rike stood there, smiling faintly.
“Oh my. I step away for a moment dealing with annoying elders… and there’s another mess here.”
His blue-gray eyes glinted sharply.
No one dared speak.
The silence dragged on until Rike’s irritated voice cut through:
“Why is no one talking?”
From nine in the morning, he had spent four hours at a breakfast meeting with the elders.
They had questioned his marriage, complained about the Pavinu family, and argued endlessly about how the count’s house was unworthy of being tied to Iglesia.
If he stayed any longer, it looked like they would drag him into lunch too, so he had left.
“So what is this situation?”
Though he was smiling, his mood was clearly foul.
Kirilos quickly knelt.
“It’s nothing serious, Rike. Lady Valerie simply didn’t like the maid and accidentally spilled water on her.”
“Hah?”
Rosetta let out a hollow laugh.
They twisted the story so blatantly it was almost impressive.
Rike looked at her lazily.
“Is that true?”
Rosetta’s chest tightened.
Right… he doesn’t remember me.
The person who once risked his life with her no longer existed.
Biting her lip, she hugged the wooden box tightly.
Rike’s eyes narrowed at the damaged object.
“Because she damaged something precious to me, I spilled water while startled.”
“Precious item?”
“It contains my mother’s keepsakes.”
Her eyes grew moist as she thought of her late mother.
Yuri Loren, still drenched, suddenly widened her eyes.
“Th-that’s not true, Rike!”
She hurriedly knelt.
“She threw water on me even after I apologized!”
“Hm.”
“I’m innocent, Rike!”
“I see. That is unfortunate.”
Rike nodded, meeting her eyes. Yuri Loren flushed red.
Standing so close to him for the first time, she was overwhelmed by his beauty.
But then his blue-gray eyes curved faintly.
“Isn’t it strange?”
“…Pardon?”
“I clearly heard you say she was someone who ‘came from who knows where.’”
Yuri Loren froze.
“I suppose that’s the same as saying I have poor judgment.”
He was still smiling. Her face went pale.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant!”
“When did so many people start questioning my decisions?”
His tone turned cold.
Kirilos immediately stepped in.
“I will handle this.”
At her signal, the maids quickly restrained Yuri Loren.
“No—let me go! Do you know how I got here?! Aunt! Aunt, please save me!”
Kirilos ignored her screams.
“I apologize, Rike.”
She bowed deeply, pressing her forehead toward the floor.
