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Chapter: 11
“I don’t know. I’m curious too. He kept going on about his mother, so I thought she’d be beautiful like a witch or something—but that’s not it either.”
“Faces like that are everywhere in the village.”
The maids glanced sideways at Miliana, then snickered as if that explained everything.
“If it really is because of her looks… how low are the young master’s standards? Or maybe it’s just a face he’s used to seeing, so it feels familiar? Either way, I just hope she doesn’t disgrace the Grand Duke’s household. She’s nothing like His Grace.”
“But really—don’t you think it’s strange whether he’s even the real young master?”
After checking their surroundings, one maid whispered. The others burst into giggles, agreeing with her.
‘What’s so funny…?’
Miliana stood up with a loud slap as she tossed the wash water aside. The water splashed against the ground, cutting off the noisy chatter in an instant. The maids turned to stare at her.
“The laundry’s finished.”
“……”
She lifted the empty basin and casually stood beside them, hanging the clothes out to dry. Then she spoke lightly.
“They say birds hear what’s said during the day, and mice hear what’s said at night. Shouldn’t you be careful?”
“What did you say?”
The maids snorted and continued talking, even more openly than before. Miliana let out a small sigh.
“I really thought His Grace would drive the boy out. No one believed him from the start. Back then, the Grand Duke was busy searching for the late Emperor’s scattered bloodlines. And he despised the late Emperor for sowing his seed everywhere.”
“That’s why royal authority weakened. A man like that secretly having a child? I can’t imagine it.”
“And the Grand Duchess turned out to be a witch, didn’t she? What if it was all fabricated?”
“That’s entirely possible. Then the young master would actually be someone else’s—”
Trying to calm her discomfort, Miliana shook out the laundry and hung it up.
‘If they have time to gossip like that, they should work harder. The young master and His Grace resemble each other so much—their gaze, their ether…’
Ever since Miliana had started working here, she’d heard countless stories about Heos. Gossip and family rumors were the servants’ favorite topics.
Even before Erpilsi was revealed to be a witch, Heos had been suspected. Once the truth came out, the disdain became blatant.
“Maybe she made him because she’s a witch.”
“You read too many novels. How would you even make a person?”
The way they spoke so carelessly made Heos’s standing among the servants painfully clear. Even at the well behind the Grand Duke’s estate, they spoke without any sense of what should or shouldn’t be said.
‘Now I understand why the young master dislikes the other servants. And why he thinks His Grace hates him too.’
As Miliana stepped back to shake out more laundry, she bumped into another maid. The water from the basket she was holding poured entirely onto Miliana.
Splash—
Miliana was soaked, while the maid she collided with remained perfectly dry.
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I was just trying to dump the water and—oops.”
It must have been leftover wash water; the ground was slick with soap suds. Miliana felt a sharp sting along her back.
Covering her mouth, the maid mocked her instead of apologizing.
“You look like a drowned rat.”
“Stop it. That’s just cruel.”
Every face around her was laughing. It was deliberate.
‘No matter where you go, people bully others the same way.’
Her calm reaction wasn’t what they wanted.
“You really think that was an accident?”
“She sure had a big mouth earlier. Hey, let’s go—we’ll be late.”
Declaring their business finished, they walked off. Miliana stared at their backs.
“Sigh… all that laundry…”
In situations like this, ignoring it was best. If you gave no reaction, they’d eventually lose interest.
She brushed off her soaked clothes, water dripping steadily. She rolled up the hem of her wet skirt and wrung it out tightly, water splashing onto the ground.
What hurt more than her wet clothes or the stinging on her back was how Heos was constantly mocked and ridiculed. Shaking her head in pity, Miliana focused on finishing her work.
“Ah! The soapy water—!”
She slipped. The freshly washed laundry was drenched again in dirty water. The thought of having to rewash it was miserable.
At least some of it had already been hung up—that was the only consolation.
She washed the dirty clothes again, spread them neatly to dry in the sunlight, then wiped the sweat beading on her forehead.
The sky was vividly blue, blissfully unaware of her feelings.
Maids, knights, attendants—everyone was the same. They kept their distance from Heos and never treated him as their master.
Kaiden’s attitude earlier that day only encouraged such behavior. Since the true authority of the estate was Kaiden, and since he didn’t seem to acknowledge Heos as his son, the servants treated the boy like a discarded child.
“Miliana, you were here—! Why are you soaked?!”
Merlin, who had been looking for her, gasped at the sight.
“Ah… I slipped while doing laundry.”
Miliana laughed awkwardly, scratching her cheek. Merlin sensed something was off, but there was something she needed to ask first.
Miliana’s reassignment had reached Merlin before anyone else.
She’d been chosen as the young master’s personal attendant.
From Merlin’s perspective, Miliana didn’t seem like someone who could endure schemes or intrigue. Worse, becoming a personal attendant straight from being a maid would invite jealousy from other maids and contempt from senior attendants.
She would end up standing alone.
The soaked uniform looked like proof of harassment. Could such a gentle child endure it?
Merlin studied her with concern.
“Miliana, I heard. You’re becoming the young master’s personal attendant?”
“You heard already?”
The news had spread fast.
“This might just be unnecessary worry, but if things get hard, please tell me.”
“I’m fine.”
Miliana answered confidently, but Merlin’s unease didn’t fade.
“The young master’s condition is unstable. It’ll be especially difficult for you, since you’ve never served a noble before. You might upset him unintentionally, and there’s always the risk of a rampage. You know the previous attendant had her leg broken, right? If you accepted because you couldn’t refuse, I can speak to His Grace for you.”
Merlin had witnessed half the annex collapse. The ruins left behind were gruesome enough to amplify the servants’ fear. With attendants resigning one after another due to his rampages, the concern was justified.
Miliana understood Merlin’s worry—but she was fine.
“A rampage can happen anytime, anywhere. I already have wounds on my back. If you’re afraid—”
“Auntie.”
“…Yes?”
“He’s still just a child. And recently, he’s been more anxious because of everything he’s been through. You know rampages are unavoidable for transcendents—it’s just a matter of degree. His is simply more severe. It’s not his fault, so there’s no reason to avoid him. And I can do this!”
Miliana flexed the arm muscles she’d built through labor.
She knew the cause of Heos’s rampages all too well—and she couldn’t bring herself to abandon a child yearning for affection.
Children are perceptive, especially ones who’ve grown up rejected. To Miliana, Heos was like an eight-year-old boy—stubborn in his own way, yet desperate for recognition.
She’d seen many people carrying emotional scars at the orphanage. That was why her powers had first awakened—because she wanted them to have a happier future.
Merlin’s eyes widened at Miliana’s resolute words.
“…You’re right. I was being foolish.”
She covered her mouth. As the head maid, she’d spoken poorly of the Etelhardt heir.
“I see now why the young master likes you.”
“Pardon?”
Miliana hadn’t heard her murmured words, but Merlin waved it off.
Merlin thought of Heos.
The sudden arrival of the lady and the child. To servants who revered the Grand Duke, they were intruders. The lady wasn’t treated as a lady, and the young master wasn’t treated as a young master.
When it was revealed that the Grand Duchess was a witch who’d come with a purpose, it felt like everyone had been granted absolution for their behavior. Perhaps that was why they distanced themselves from the boy even more.
But Miliana was different. Perhaps because she’d arrived recently. Though she knew his mother was a witch, her attitude never changed.
‘That’s right. What fault does a child have?’
Merlin reflected quietly.
“Since your resolve is firm, I won’t say more. Once you become a personal attendant, you’ll be assigned a room near the young master. Pack your things in advance.”
“Yes!”
Miliana answered energetically.
“It’ll be difficult at first… but I think you’ll do well.”
“It’s okay. Adaptability is my strong point.”
“That’s a relief. You may rest for today. Tomorrow, you’ll need to wake up earlier.”
* * *
The next morning, Miliana stretched and got up.
The sun had just begun to rise, but her day started early.
After tidying her hair, she put on the clothes prepared for her—not a maid’s uniform, but something new. Ian had delivered it late the night before, tailored precisely to her size.
“It really is different.”
It finally felt real. She was no longer a maid, but a personal attendant.
Whether because of the title or not, the design and quality were clearly superior.
Maid and attendant uniforms usually included aprons to protect against dirt during cleaning. But this outfit was completely different.
A personal attendant was responsible for their master’s entire daily life. The clothes emphasized mobility while maintaining a neat, dignified appearance suitable for being seen by others.
