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Chapter 44
“Jane, just once? Huh? It’ll really only be for a moment.”
“No, it’s not allowed.”
“I won’t even be a minute late, just once. Okay?”
“Miss, absolutely not.”
“Whaaaat? Why notttt! Stop saying no all the time.”
Iba flopped onto the bed and struggled, frustrated by Jane’s rock-solid stance.
“Miss, you must behave with decorum.”
“What’s the point of decorum if I can’t even go out? Why would I bother being proper when I’m alone?”
“Decorum isn’t for when someone’s watching…”
“Noooo!!”
Iba flailed even more dramatically on purpose.
Used to Iba’s antics, Jane opened the window to dust off the room.
“You once said it was fine to stay in the mansion and have honey water—or honey itself. Why do you suddenly want to go out?”
“At that time, I thought it didn’t matter if I stayed in. But now that I’m being forced not to go, I really want to go out! It’s already been four days!”
“You always want to do more when someone tells you not to.”
Jane had expected that Iba wouldn’t last more than a few days, but seeing it exactly as she predicted put her in a tricky position.
“If you want to go out, try asking the master for forgiveness. Then you can go freely.”
At the mention of her parents, Iba stopped struggling immediately.
“…How does father seem lately?”
“Of course, he’s low on energy. Leaving his only daughter confined in her room has been hard on both the master and madam.”
“Really?”
Hearing that even her parents were struggling didn’t sit well with Iba.
“If you tell them you’ve changed your mind, they’ll forgive you right away and lift the restriction on going out.”
“I won’t change my mind. I’m really going to the countryside.”
Her determination to leave in order to save everyone was unwavering.
Since Iba had no intention of backing down, Jane had nothing more to say.
“Jane. Can’t I just go out for a little while?”
“No. I am your maid, but I belong to Lady Blanche. If anyone sees you going out, I would be expelled from here and left wandering the streets.”
“That won’t do. What fun would life be without Jane?”
“So please stay in your room.”
“No! It’s boring! I feel like I’ll suffocate from boredom!”
It was unbearably dull. She tried all the hobbies Jane suggested to pass the time.
Sitting still to do embroidery. Drinking tea while sitting. Drawing objects without moving.
All were static hobbies, torture for energetic Iba.
“This is all so boring. Completely boring.”
“Excuse me? Are you asking for bread without jam?”
“…No. Give me plenty of fig jam.”
“Understood.”
Hoping some food would boost her energy, Jane headed to the dining room.
As soon as Jane left, Iba rose from the bed and approached the window.
She opened it, peeking outside to look at the sky for a sign from Zizi.
But only clear clouds were in sight; there was no sign.
“Ahem, no letter today?”
When Lai first sent her a letter via Zizi, Iba hadn’t replied. She thought that would be the last one.
“I thought of you all day today, Iba.
How have you been?
I hope you’ll think of me even just for a moment.
I want to see you.”
But Lai continued sending letters daily afterward. Each day, one letter, at varying times—sometimes early morning, sometimes late at night.
The hurried, scribbled handwriting suggested the letters were sent at the slightest opportunity.
“Since I never replied, maybe he’s stopped sending them…”
Iba had never once responded, always sending only empty ring necklaces via Zizi.
Perhaps she found his unconditional affection unexpectedly pleasing. She smiled to herself as she closed the window.
Then something outside caught her eye.
“Then I’ll run an errand.”
“Go quickly!”
Mansion maids were coming and going freely outside.
At that moment, Iba’s eyes lit up.
“That’s it!”
“Miss, I brought the sandwich with plenty of fig jam…! Hah!”
Jane nearly dropped the tray in surprise.
No wonder—because Iba was standing there wearing a maid uniform just like Jane’s, not a dress.
“Wh-what are you wearing? Why are you dressed like a maid?”
“Jane, put on my dress.”
“…What?”
“I’ll only be gone for exactly two hours. Until then, pretend to sleep in bed like my maid. That way, no one will notice I’m out.”
Jane pressed her hand to her forehead.
“No! How dare I wear the Miss’s dress!”
“Jane, it’s my last wish. My last in life!”
“Miss, you said that last month too.”
“Ahem… then this time, it’s the once-in-a-lifetime last!”
“You said that last week too.”
“Then just please, this once!”
Seeing her already in a maid outfit, Iba clearly intended to go out.
Though she wanted to stop her, Jane recalled Iba’s gloomy expression lately and nodded reluctantly.
“You’ll really be back in exactly two hours.”
“Yeah! Exactly two hours! I’ll be back on time!”
Iba nodded like a little rabbit, so Jane couldn’t help smiling.
“If you’re late, I won’t grant any more requests like this.”
“Promise. I’ll never be late!”
As Iba prepared to dash out, Jane grabbed her hand.
“Wait. You’ll get caught if you go like this.”
“Really? I’m dressed exactly like a maid.”
“Even in maid clothes, your beauty isn’t hidden.”
“Really? The aura is totally different. What if someone notices?”
“Wait a moment.”
Jane placed her black lace headdress on Iba, partially covering her red hair and face, making her unrecognizable as a noble.
“This should be fine. Even if someone outside offers you something tasty, don’t follow them.”
“Jane, do you think I’m a child?”
“To me, you always feel like a child, Miss.”
Jane laughed along with Iba’s bright smile, tying the headdress securely.
“You’re sure it’s okay without a guard?”
“Yes, it’s daytime. What could possibly happen?”
“Still, be careful.”
“Got it. I’ll be super careful!”
Iba waved both hands as she left the bedroom.
Jane watched with a motherly smile and sighed at the dress she had taken off.
“I never thought I’d see the day you wear the Miss’s clothes.”
Shaking her head, Jane admired Iba’s bold idea.
Avoiding the maids, Iba first made sure to get as far from the mansion as possible.
“It’s nice not to have to worry about being noticed in maid clothes.”
Being outside in a different outfit for the first time in a while made Iba excited.
When wearing a dress, she had to be careful about her steps and shoes; now she could walk freely.
No one paid attention to her, whether she walked awkwardly or ate on the street.
“It feels like I’ve reincarnated as a different character. I should buy Jane a gift while I’m out.”
Excited, Iba headed toward the boutique street, then abruptly stopped.
“Oh, right. I almost went to the usual boutique. They don’t let anyone in unless it’s a noble’s errand or escort.”
Boutiques enforced exclusivity, only allowing nobles inside. Even maids running errands without a noble token were often turned away.
“Then I’ll go somewhere completely new!”
Iba turned and headed to the traditional market.
“Wow. This place is bigger and has so many things. And so many people.”
Unlike boutiques selling high-quality fabrics, dresses, or jewelry, this market offered daily necessities, food, and small services like portraits or fortune-telling.
Excited, Iba thought she’d come back in maid clothes with Jane and play pretend sisters.
“So that’s why Claude in the original story often visited the market. It’s fun to explore.”
While choosing gifts to bring back, Iba blended naturally with the crowd.
After wandering for a while, someone tapped her shoulder from behind.
Thinking she might have been recognized, she pulled her hat down further and turned.
“Ah, another maid from that mansion today.”
“Huh?”
A woman spoke to Iba, her face familiar but not quite.
“If someone changes, you should tell me. Otherwise, I get confused.”
“What?”
“What, no paper with you?”
Confused, Iba tried to recall where she had seen this woman. The woman sensed something wrong and quickly turned her head.
“I must have mistaken you for someone else.”
She passed by, and Iba suddenly remembered.
“Ah! Julian’s maid!”
She had come for Iba when summoned to the royal palace.
Iba realized the woman must have thought she was an informant from Blanche Mansion.
As she tried to follow while keeping her hat down, she suddenly bumped into someone.
“Ugh!”
Her face collided with a broad shoulder.
Grabbing her nose, she looked up irritably.
“Are you alright?”
Startled, Iba quickly looked down, but even in that instant, she recognized him.
The owner of the broad “Pacific shoulder” was Lai.
Why was he here? Wasn’t he confined at the royal palace?
“You bumped hard, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, really, don’t worry about it.”
Iba answered in a clumsy dialect, not wanting to be recognized and still irritated.
She kept her head down, waiting for him to leave.
“No, I should check your face since we collided. I can’t just let it go.”
“Eh? N-no, it’s fine, just go.”
“Lift your head.”
But Lai had no intention of moving aside.
