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Chapter 14
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
At Janette’s worried gaze, Julieta asked sharply.
“My lady.”
“What.”
“You’re not… feeling unwell, are you?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Why would I be sick?”
“Well, yesterday your complexion—”
“My complexion was perfectly fine. Nothing hurt, and I was completely healthy.”
Her overly firm reply practically screamed, Take the hint.
After hesitating for a moment, Janette obediently nodded.
She does look fine today, at least.
Besides, Julieta had even returned her morning greeting.
Maybe she was simply in a rare good mood. It would be disastrous to pry further and ruin it.
“Prepare me some tea.”
“Me?”
“Then who else? Aren’t you my maid?”
That was true.
But ever since Janette had begun copying manuscripts, all of Julieta’s personal service had been handled by Sien.
Naturally, preparing tea was included in that, so Janette hadn’t gone near a teapot in quite some time.
What’s this all of a sudden? Why is she asking her to do it?
Standing quietly in the corner while awaiting Julieta’s orders, Sien was just as shocked.
Narrowing her eyes, Sien glared at both Julieta and Janette.
She quickly lowered her head before anyone noticed.
“Then… may I stop by my room for a moment?”
“Your room? Why?”
“There’s a special tea I’d like to recommend to you, my lady.”
A special tea?
Watching the two anxiously, Sien hurriedly interrupted.
“W-Wait a moment! Bringing tea from your room?! Lady Julieta’s tea should be brewed with the leaves in this annex kitchen! Who knows what dangerous thing you might bring—!”
“That’s true in principle, but if my lady permits it, there’s no problem. Besides, the tea I want to serve her was a gift from the head butler. So there’s nothing dangerous about it.”
At Janette’s calm response, Sien’s eyes widened.
“T-The head butler gave it to you…?”
“Yes.”
Answering firmly, Janette turned to Julieta.
“He gave the tea leaves to me, but the flavor is so good that I wanted you to try it as well.”
“Hm. What kind of tea is it?”
“It’s made from the leaves of a flower called Frost Snow Tale, which grows in the North. Its color and fragrance are very unique.”
Sien shot Julieta a desperate look.
You promised you’d take my side!
But Julieta didn’t even glance at her and simply nodded.
“A tea from the North? Now I’m curious. Go bring it.”
“Yes, my lady. I’ll return as quickly as possible.”
Replying brightly, Janette hurried out of the room.
The moment she left, Sien rushed toward Julieta.
“M-My lady, are you really going to let her do as she pleases just because you loosened up a little—?!”
“Sien.”
“…Yes?”
“What do you mean, her? Janette is still the daughter of a noble house. She’s not someone you can refer to so disrespectfully.”
“T-That’s…”
“And also. About that thing you said before, about helping me.”
“Yes, I did! I’m glad you haven’t forgotten!”
Sien answered excitedly.
As expected, my lady remembered!
But—
“Stop doing that from now on.”
“…?!”
At the unexpected response, Sien blinked rapidly. Julieta glanced sideways at her and continued,
“I’m getting tired of childish games. I’ll deal with that girl myself, so leave her alone.”
“But—”
Just as Sien was about to protest—
“I’ve brought it, my lady.”
Janette entered with a bright smile, carrying the tea leaves.
Sien had no choice but to step back, biting down on her lip.
After all, she couldn’t exactly shout, We agreed to drive that woman out together! right in front of Janette.
“I’ll prepare it right away.”
“You’d better do it properly. You know what happens if it tastes bad, right?”
At Julieta’s haughty remark, Janette nodded.
Truthfully, she was rather confident.
She had practiced brewing tea little by little on her own, and the butler had also taught her useful tips about steeping tea properly.
After brewing the tea with fairly practiced hands, Janette lifted the teapot and was about to carry it to the table when—
“Oh my!”
At some point, Sien had quietly approached and pretended to slip, shoving Janette from behind.
If she gets drenched in boiling water, she won’t be able to keep working here!
Though Janette clearly came from some insignificant noble family, she was still technically a noble lady.
If she got injured even slightly, she’d burst into tears and run away saying she didn’t want to work as a maid anymore.
Even if my lady told me to stop…
People’s hearts didn’t change that easily, did they?
Once it happened, surely Julieta would approve as well.
And then she would once again monopolize Julieta’s favor!
However—
“W-Wha?!”
Even Sien hadn’t expected the spilled water to fly toward Julieta instead.
“Kyah!”
Startled, Sien screamed at the horrifying sight unfolding before her eyes.
Julieta also widened her eyes as she watched the boiling water rushing toward her.
They said that when danger struck, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
That was exactly how it felt now.
Janette stumbling.
The loose lid of the teapot flipping open helplessly.
The liquid pouring toward her.
N-No!
Frozen in shock, Julieta could only squeeze her eyes shut.
But strangely enough—
Even though she had clearly seen steaming water pouring toward her, she didn’t feel hot at all.
In fact, she couldn’t even feel a single drop of moisture.
W-What…?
Julieta slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a back shielding her.
Black clothing, with dark blue hair cascading down over it.
As she lifted her gaze, she saw Janette’s profile, her brows tightly furrowed.
“Ugh.”
With a small groan, the teapot clattered across the floor.
Most of the water had already spilled out, so not much remained in the shattered pot.
“J-Janette!”
Startled, Julieta jumped to her feet and caught the staggering Janette.
Her face was twisted in pain, and beneath it, the sleeves and stomach area of her clothes were soaked.
Don’t tell me…
Did she hug the teapot itself to stop the water from splashing?
To… save me?
Through the wet sleeve, Julieta caught sight of Janette’s arm, already turning red and swollen.
“Sien, you…!”
“M-My lady, I-I didn’t mean to—!”
“Enough excuses. Go get a doctor! Right now!”
At the fierce command, Sien burst into tears and ran from the room.
“…My lady.”
“Janette, are you alright? Are you really alright?”
At Julieta’s urgent question, Janette forced a smile.
“Yes. I’m fine—”
But before she could finish answering, Janette lost consciousness.
It was the result of days of sleep deprivation combined with unbearable pain.
The unconscious Janette dreamed a dream.
In the dream, she was lying on the ground, staring up at the sky.
A brilliantly blue sky without a single cloud.
Yet beneath that horribly clear weather, the earth below was pure chaos.
Arrows flew through the air, piercing people.
Heads severed by swords rolled across the ground, and blood spraying from bodies soaked the dirt red.
Lying in the middle of that hell, Janette could barely twitch a finger.
Haa…
Every breath she released felt like another step toward death.
And truly, it was.
A sword larger than her forearm was embedded in her abdomen.
Am I… dying?
Faced with death, she was terrified beyond words.
I don’t want to die…
She wanted to live. She didn’t want to die like this.
Just once—someone, please, just once, save me.
That was when it happened.
A faint light began leaking from the inside of her wrist, scraped raw against the dirt.
At the same time, a streak of light flashed across the piercingly blue sky.
Light…?
The light drew closer and closer to her.
Like a falling star, it descended toward Janette.
And the instant the light touched her—
“Gasp!”
Janette awoke from her sleep with a ragged breath.
