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Episode 7
Dolores seemed to want to talk about the 100 million gold check Charlotte had sent through Mary yesterday.
Charlotte was careful. She didn’t want Dolores to think she was pitying her.
Besides, she felt this was the perfect chance to make another proposal.
There was still something she wanted to ask Dolores.
The next moment, Charlotte put on the brightest, most harmless smile she could.
“Actually, Dolores, that 100 million in gold was a bribe.”
“A bribe?”
Dolores narrowed her eyes sharply. She clearly didn’t believe a word of it.
Well, that was understandable.
Usually, bribes were given by people in lower positions to people above them.
This world was a strict class society. Charlotte was the employer, and Dolores was the employee.
“Dolores, since you’re becoming the Arista family’s lawyer, how about becoming the head butler too?”
Dolores’s wrinkled hands twitched in surprise.
“The head butler?”
“Yes. I’d like you to take that position as well. Don’t worry, though. I’m not asking because I need someone to manage the mansion. I need a capable secretary.”
Even though Charlotte answered confidently, Dolores still looked confused.
Then, being as smart as she was, she seemed to realize why Charlotte wasn’t hiring her as an official secretary.
If Charlotte hired her as a personal secretary, people would gossip that Dolores was helping Charlotte steal power from Bliss.
Dolores shook her head.
“But, Madam, the servants won’t like me becoming the head butler.”
“Don’t worry about that. Not a single servant liked the previous head butler anyway. Honestly, anyone who survived working under my late husband couldn’t have been completely normal.”
“The previous head butler? Don’t tell me you already…”
“Yes. I fired him.”
Dolores’s mouth dropped open.
“Madam! What would you have done if I had refused your offer?!”
Charlotte waved her hands.
“I think you’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t trying to pressure you.”
“Whether you accept it or not, I had to fire the head butler and the head maid.”
“You fired the head maid, too?”
“Yep.”
Charlotte remembered their nasty faces.
She hadn’t told Dolores because it was embarrassing, but those two had never respected her since the day she married into the family.
Her husband hadn’t married her because he loved her.
He had only remarried because he didn’t want society to see him as a flawed man.
Because of that, he never cared when the head butler and head maid ignored Charlotte’s orders.
As time passed, she became more and more isolated inside her own home.
If servants like Mary hadn’t secretly helped her out of pity, she might have starved.
“Actually, neither of them even showed up to the Marquis’s funeral.”
“Now that you mention it, I don’t remember seeing the head butler there.”
“Exactly. They weren’t fired because of you. They were fired because they were terrible employees.”
Even so, Dolores still seemed hesitant.
“I don’t understand why you think so highly of me.”
“Because I’m good at recognizing talent.”
Charlotte straightened her back proudly.
“Trust me, Dolores. I’ll never be a master you’ll be ashamed of. Despite the rumors, I’m not some timid, pitiful woman.”
Dolores blinked rapidly in surprise before returning to her usual poker face.
“You’re right. You’re not an embarrassing master.”
“Dolores…!”
Charlotte clasped her hands together emotionally.
Immediately, Dolores shot her a sharp look.
“That is, if you fix the way you speak.”
“Haha…”
It felt like being scolded by a strict teacher.
Charlotte could only laugh awkwardly.
In her previous life, speaking down to people had been normal.
But after regaining memories from Earth, talking down to employees felt incredibly uncomfortable.
People here probably wouldn’t understand.
How could she not feel uncomfortable after learning about democracy, equality, and basic rights?
She couldn’t be the same person anymore.
Even if she wasn’t a revolutionary, she didn’t want to take her privileges for granted.
After glancing nervously at Dolores, Charlotte tucked some hair behind her ear.
“So if I stop speaking politely, you’ll become the head butler?”
“Only temporarily. I’ll use the position to write recommendation letters for people who need help.”
Yes! Success!
“Thank you, Dolores!”
“I said temporary.”
“Still! Just wait and see. I’ll make the Arista family estate your lifelong workplace!”
Charlotte answered confidently, but Dolores didn’t seem impressed.
She sighed.
“Madam. Considering your age, it’s understandable, but I’d like you to show more elegance and composure befitting a noblewoman.”
“At this rate, people will think you’re an immature widow.”
Charlotte had absolutely no intention of following that advice.
“Thanks for worrying about me, but I don’t want to spend my life pretending anymore.”
Dolores’s eyebrows twitched.
Charlotte simply smiled brightly.
After all, her soul was that of a seventy-year-old woman.
“I’m going to enjoy every happy moment from now on. Life’s too short to waste worrying about what other people think.”
Other people’s opinions?
They meant nothing in front of death.
She had already spent an entire lifetime pretending.
Pretending she wasn’t hurting.
Pretending she wasn’t happy.
Pretending to be the perfect mother.
“So I want to live honestly. I don’t want any regrets when I die.”
“That’s a very dramatic way of saying you don’t want to speak down to your employees.”
“Ah!”
Charlotte hurriedly waved her hands.
“No, no! Dolores! If you want me to, I’ll do it!”
“Please do.”
“Okay, Dolores!”
The moment Charlotte called her by name, Dolores’s eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction before returning to normal.
Then Dolores changed the way she addressed Charlotte.
Instead of “Marchioness,” she said:
“Madam.”
“Then, Madam, I’d like to hear my first order as the Arista family’s lawyer and head butler.”
Charlotte had been waiting for this moment.
Her answer came immediately.
“We need to prepare a welcome party. A huge thief is about to visit the mansion.”
Dolores frowned as if dealing with a complete lunatic.
“Madam, if a thief is coming, shouldn’t we throw them out? Who exactly is this thief that makes you so happy?”
“Do you know Julia?”
The moment Julia’s name came up, Dolores’s voice sharpened.
“That woman? The late Marquis’s mistress?”
“That’s right. As soon as the head butler and head maid were fired, she ran straight to them. She’ll be visiting the mansion very soon.”
Charlotte smiled sweetly while remembering years of resentment.
“After everything she’s done to me, there’s no way I’m letting her leave peacefully.”
Finally understanding what “welcome preparations” really meant, Dolores nodded seriously.
The curtain was finally rising on Charlotte’s revenge.
Later That Night
Julia was a fairly pretty woman.
She had platinum-blonde hair, blue eyes, a slim waist that fit perfectly in a man’s arms, and soft hands that had clearly never done hard labor.
Those were her weapons.
They made her look innocent and delicate.
In reality, she was greedy, selfish, cruel to the weak, and submissive to the strong.
And she was acting the same way now.
Later that night, Julia visited the home of the fired head butler and head maid.
She wanted information about Charlotte.
Even though the Marquis was dead, Julia had no intention of leaving the Arista family empty-handed.
Inside the sitting room of their respectable two-story house, Julia listened sympathetically to their complaints.
“From what you’re telling me, the Marchioness was far too harsh. How could she throw out such loyal servants overnight? And fire both husband and wife at the same time!”
She spoke as if the couple had been ruined by Charlotte’s cruelty.
It was nonsense.
The proof?
Just like Julia herself, both Wilson and Hazel were wearing expensive silk clothes.
They had been draining money from the Arista estate for years.
But neither of them saw themselves as the problem.
Instead, they pitied themselves.
“Sob, Miss Julia! We knew you’d understand our suffering!”
“We were so upset we couldn’t sleep at all last night!”
“That’s right! Every time we tried to sleep, we remembered that cruel Marchioness throwing us out!
Julia comforted them again.
“Wilson, Hazel, don’t worry. I’ll talk to Bliss.”
Now the real reason they had invited Julia became obvious.
They believed she would eventually return to the Arista estate.
They were certain she still had a place there.
Wilson spoke first.
“Miss Julia, you’re nothing like that awful Marchioness! Young Master Bliss should learn kindness from you!
Hazel quickly joined in.
“I wonder how much poor Young Master Bliss misses you.”
“I know. I’m worried about my son, too.”
Julia sighed dramatically.
“Our Bliss has never been apart from his mother for this long. He must be terrified right now.”
Of course, it was all an act.
She didn’t care about Bliss at all.
Then Wilson, who was quicker than his wife, finally said exactly what Julia had been hoping to hear.
“Miss Julia, why don’t you return to the estate with us first thing tomorrow morning? As long as Young Master Bliss supports you, even the Marchioness won’t be able to treat you badly.”
