TLDH~24

Chapter 24

‘Hah, I really can’t just do as I please.’

Moreover, sticking close to Letitia right now was how I made money.

‘The order was to stick right by Lady Letitia’s side and report back on her every move and action.’

‘You know what kind of opportunity this is, right?’

No, this wasn’t an opportunity; it was a nightmare.

To know her every move and action, I had to be stuck right by Leticia’s side. What Lady Bellia wanted wasn’t just simple information.

‘What her ability is.’

‘She’ll take good care of you, you know how she is. She’s strict about rewards and punishments.’

Remembering Ellen’s subtle pressure, I clasped my hands together.

In short, it meant that if I had no information to give to Lady Bellia, everything I had enjoyed up until now would come to an end. And not just that, but everything I was currently enjoying too.

The sweat seeping from my palms felt unpleasant, making them stick together unpleasantly.

But Letitia was keeping her distance from me; she didn’t even like me coming near her.

If this continued, I could clearly see myself gradually losing even my duties to Haile.

It felt like I could see everything I had been clutching onto slipping hopelessly through my fingers. I swallowed dryly.

On top of that, if the Family Head himself had mentioned qualifications for succession, then her going to the capital was a given.

Which meant, if I were to become the attendant maid going to the capital with her…

‘The ways to extort money would be endless.’

Then—

‘Is that really the only way, after all?’

Arina gnawed on her lip.

Frankly, I hadn’t wanted to use this.
It was very tricky and dangerous to use on a child.

But I’d only need to use it a little.
‘I’ve used it a few times before.’

Having steeled her resolve after much deliberation, Arina rose from her seat.

“That foxy young lady is probably acting all sweet and clingy because she thinks she’ll be the heir, right, Arina?”
“Huh? Yeah.”

While Arina was lost in her own thoughts, Lindy, who hadn’t stopped talking, looked up at her.

“Where are you going?”
“Uh, I’ll be right back, going down a floor. I need to check on the meals too.”
“Me too.”
“No, you stay here and tidy up. I can move alone. No need for both of us to trouble ourselves.”

At Arina’s surprising words, since she usually delegated most tasks to Lindy, Lindy furrowed her brow.

“Suddenly? Why are you acting like this?”
“What do you mean.”

At Lindy’s words, Arina, who had been glancing at her, gave an awkward smile and left the room. Lindy watched her retreating figure intently.

* * *

How should I ask her?
I couldn’t just outright ask, ‘Are you a trustworthy person?’

And if I asked that, a hundred out of a hundred people would say yes; who would say no?
Unless they were a fool.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out how to broach the topic properly.

“Haile.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”

So, like a fool, I decided to just ask directly and bluntly.
The right answer was often simple.

“By any chance… have you worked as a maid somewhere else before?”
“Yes.”
“!”

Whoa.
I was momentarily flustered by the admission that came out without any hesitation, and I stopped dead in my tracks.
Of course, Haile, following my pace, also stopped.

“Wh-where?”
I spun around so quickly it felt like a pop, facing her as I asked again. She seemed briefly taken aback, staring at me intently, then soon smiled and relaxed her shoulders.

“My own home, miss.”
“Haile, were you… nobility?”
“No, miss.”

At my surprised, foolish follow-up question, Haile laughed and shook her head.
“I’m the eldest daughter from a poor family.”

“…….”
“Both my parents worked for a merchant guild ever since I was little. Their work involved traveling all across the Empire, so they weren’t home for even a month out of the year.”

Haile, smiling as she thought of her family, bit her lower lip.
“They got along so well that whenever they came home, they’d bring me a total of five younger siblings. So, I had to be good at all sorts of household chores. We couldn’t afford to hire help, you see.”
“Ah.”
“Since I was so good at watching kids—enough to open a daycare—and managing the house, Mrs. Marsha saw me and recommended me for this position.”

At Haile’s words, which even explained the part I was curious about, I looked up at her.
If her parents weren’t home due to work, and she had to handle all the household chores and take care of her siblings all by herself since she was young…

‘She really was the homemaker type.’

I let out a stifled laugh, realizing my second, more awkward assumption had been correct.
It was something I’d thought of because I wanted to see a positive side—

‘Strangely enough, it was right.’

Anyway, the doubts I’d had for days about her competence were resolved, and feeling lighter, I turned my body around.

“Haile, you could easily be a Grade 2 maid even now.”
“I’m just good at physical work, that’s all.”
“Such humility.”

I used an adult word with a completely childish tone. Haile smiled softly, as if finding it cute.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Just because. You’re just so cute, Young Lady.”

Hehe, I am a bit cute, aren’t I?
I shrugged my shoulders up and down as if it were obvious and laughed. Seeing my expression, Haile tilted her head with a motherly smile.

“My youngest sibling is 6 years old this year, and they’re quite the handful. But you, Young Lady, are cute every time I see you, and yet also so dignified. It’s really amazing.”
“Is that so?”

Embarrassed by the continued praise, I scratched the back of my head and smiled awkwardly.
“Yes, how can you be so different? Every time I go home, I end up scolding them.”
“…….”
“You’re really amazing, Young Lady.”

At the sincerity contained in that ‘amazing’ praise, the tips of my ears felt like they were turning bright red. I bowed my head deeply and quickly walked with short, hurried steps.

Even though I had a child’s body, I was an adult, so I thought I wouldn’t be happy at all with this kind of praise.

‘It seems I actually wanted to hear this kind of praise.’

The kind of utterly selfless compliments that could fill the unfilled holes in my heart from childhood. The kind of good words you can only hear precisely because you’re a child.

Not words that felt like constant criticism, but words like ‘cute’, ‘lovable’, ‘how are you so dignified?’. The kind of praise only for children, that only children get.

The kind of praise you get for just taking your first steps, for eating well by yourself.

The kind where you could get a shower of kisses just for playing happily outside and sleeping deeply all night without waking up.

It seemed I had wanted to hear those insignificant words.

Seeing how my nose stung as if tears would fall the moment I turned away.

Somehow, those trivial words felt a little comforting.

Enough that the bittersweet emotion reverberated achingly throughout my entire body.

“Young Lady, let’s go together.”
“Hurry up and come.”

* * *

I rubbed my eyes, which had been reddened, and the class I barely managed to attend was Etiquette.

For me, with the soul of the 20-year-old Letitia, Etiquette was frankly a piece of cake.

In other words, I could do everything from imperial etiquette, the comportment of a Lady, movements, conversational gestures, to dancing, all with my eyes closed.

Therefore, this Etiquette class was an unbearably boring time for me.

‘I should have said I was sick and skipped.’

But that was something that could worry Grandfather.
It would be better to just say it’s too boring to listen to.

“Haam.”

Madame Lishua, the etiquette instructor, noticed me yawning loudly. She closed her book and smiled kindly.
“Are you bored?”

Since she was looking straight at my face, which even had a few tears from the yawn, I couldn’t lie. I scratched the back of my head and smiled awkwardly.

But unlike me, Lillianna, as if she couldn’t understand Madame Lishua’s words, shook her head firmly.
“No, I’m not bored.”

Yeah, good for you.
I propped my chin on my hand and leaned on the desk as Lillianna, sitting like a paragon of correct posture, spoke. If Lillianna wasn’t bored, it looked like we’d have to endure the class until the end.

But—
“Huaam.”

The tactless yawns kept coming out, probably because of the drowsy sunlight beating down.
Seeing this, Madame Lishua smiled faintly and gracefully placed her book on the table.

“The weather is so nice, shall we go outside today?”
“Really?”

I immediately straightened my slumped body at my question. Madame Lishua nodded, and Lillianna hardened her face as if displeased.
“Our faces will tan.”
“We won’t be out for too long. Walking is good for your health. And we can watch the young masters’ horseback riding lesson while we’re at it.”

At Madame Lishua’s words, reassuring Lillianna who was worried about her face tanning in the sun, I nodded my head up and down.
“Sounds good.”

‘Well said.’
Proper photosynthesis and a light walk were good for one’s health.

Besides, I was secretly envious of Chandler and Jason taking riding lessons, so I was thrilled we were going outside.

My spirits lifted instantly.

“Such un-Ladylike behavior. Humming,” Lillianna lightly chided, then stood up as if there was no help for it. The Count’s maids all flocked to her and placed a large hat on her head, and a parasol over that.

Their preparedness was as if they had known we’d be going out all along.

“Shall we go out then?”