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Chapter 3
A group of maids glared meaningfully at Hider as he passed by in the distance.
“Hasn’t he changed lately?”
“Right? His clothes aren’t even short anymore. And did he get taller? Did someone give him new clothes?”
That was me. I didn’t buy them—I made them. But since my skill level is low, I could only make poor-quality clothes.
“Did someone sneak him food?”
That was me, too. Hider really did start to look prettier, didn’t he? Gained a little weight, too. I worked hard making sure he got a balanced diet—protein, carbs, fats.
Still, my mouth naturally spewed lies.
“Absolutely not! You’re not saying you secretly gave that filthy thing new clothes and food, are you? Are you trying to get scolded by the duchess?!”
I raised my voice just enough to sound convincing. I even stamped my feet and trembled with indignation. The other maids responded.
“No way! That’s ridiculous! If we did that, we’d all be in trouble! We don’t know who gave them to him, but we need to deal with it first! If we see any food or new clothes, we just take them. Rani, you can do that, right?”
I nodded gravely and declared with determination.
“Of course. That dumb young master believes everything I say anyway.”
“Yeah, Rani. You’ve gotta do your part so the rest of us don’t get punished.”
I could take them away—no problem. I could always make more.
I could even take his food—because I could just make more of that too.
With one skill in my skill window, I could craft almost anything within 10 minutes.
Socks? One minute, tops. Even those clothes—gather the materials, press the skill, and done. Though the materials were a bit pricey…
I had to sell all the fruit I’d worked so hard to grow just to buy them.
Seriously, how’s a maid supposed to afford high-quality thread? Why does making one outfit for a boy even require expensive thread?
Unbelievable.
Totally inefficient, honestly.
While I was mulling over my crafting skills, one of the maids lowered her voice as if about to share a big secret.
“Hey, did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“About the duchess’s favorite emerald necklace. The one she got as a wedding gift.”
That necklace sounded familiar. Wasn’t it mentioned in the novel?
“They say it’s gone missing.”
“What?!”
“Oh my, you scared me! Rani, why are you so shocked? Don’t tell me—you?”
A maid narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously.
What nonsense. Why would I steal that? It’s not like I could sell stolen goods. It’d be more productive to grow crops!
“Do you think I have time for that? I have to stick with that filthy thing all day. If you switch shifts with me, maybe I’ll go try to steal it.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
The maids cleared their throats awkwardly and turned away.
Yeah, they didn’t want to get demoted either.
They avoided my eyes and changed the subject back.
“The duchess suspects that filthy one.”
And just then, it hit me.
That damn emerald necklace! The one the duchess lost, then blamed Hider for, forcing him to spend a freezing winter in an attic without even a fire.
The room he’s in now is shabby, but that attic was even worse!
Insane. How could anyone send a child to a place like that?
Where was that necklace again?
“…Do you really think that filthy thing stole it?”
I subtly tested the waters, and the maids burst out laughing.
“Oh wow. You seemed smart, but I guess you’re still young—so innocent.”
“That’s not the point, Rani. Don’t act like an amateur. It’s just that time again… the time when that illegitimate child was born. The duchess always loses it around now. She just wants him gone. No one knows where the necklace is. And even if someone had it, could they sell it? The moment it’s sold, it’ll be tracked immediately.”
“Oh my, the duchess is scary.”
That vixen!
Does being a duchess make everything okay? Really? The duke was the one who cheated, so why take it out on a child?
Ugh. So no one knows where it is? I guess it wasn’t revealed in the original story either.
Am I going to have to search the whole mansion?
With my stealth skill, sneaking around wasn’t hard. The problem was that this mansion was unnecessarily huge.
I’m doomed. It’ll take forever to search the whole place. Just confess already, would you? Don’t make me suffer.
…As if she’d confess.
Sigh. I’ll find that necklace, no matter what.
At least I found out in advance. This is why I can’t cut off contact with the other maids.
There’s no better place to get information.
As they moved on to another topic, I tuned them out. I could only think about that necklace. Where was it?
I spent the last three days tearing through every room, but I couldn’t find the emerald necklace.
And on the last day, the one who finally found it—was me.
It was in the duchess’s room all along.
Should’ve started there from the beginning.
“Stupid vixen of a woman.”
I muttered, touching the dark circles under my eyes. She framed an innocent child just because she wanted to get rid of him.
Even with Hider right in front of me, I couldn’t stop thinking about that necklace.
I let out a deep sigh and started tidying up the laundry.
I wanted to clean Hider’s room before the search started.
There were quite a few things in here that could cause trouble. Oh dear, when did I even make all of these?
I put the fuzzy bear slippers into a basket. I’d take them to my room for now and bring them back later.
“What are you doing?”
Hider asked, curled up like a cat on the sofa. His innocent expression made me feel suffocated.
Adults should act like adults. And yet they vent their anger on a child like him. It made me sigh.
He hadn’t done anything to deserve being thrown into an attic in the middle of winter.
Sigh…
I walked over and knelt in front of him to meet his gaze. Hider blinked in surprise.
Maybe because I was too close, he seemed a bit wary.
“The maids say they’re going to search the rooms today. Something about the duchess’s necklace going missing.”
Hider asked plainly, like it was nothing new.
“…They think I took it? Do you think that too?”
“No? Of course not!”
That necklace was in the vixen’s room. And after all the trouble you went through, not even knowing that… ugh.
Hider had gotten sharp after years of having to read the room. He murmured quietly.
“…They’re trying to send me back to the attic again.”
The bitterness in his voice made me feel bitter. Seriously, the duke’s the one who cheated—why punish this sweet child?
Maybe it was because I saw my past self in his sorrowful face.
Whenever Hider was wronged, I couldn’t help but feel angry.
“You’re right. But don’t worry. You’ve got me. The all-purpose maid—Rani! You believe in me, don’t you?”
Hider looked at me quietly, then gave a bitter smile.
“…Not really.”
“You’re so mean.”
“…I mean, I believe you a little, but not completely. That’s all.”
He hurried to correct himself.
I quickly reached out and patted his head. He didn’t pull away anymore.
I’d been taking care of his hair lately, and it had really softened and grown full.
“I saved your old clothes. You should wear these today, okay?”
Hider nodded, like he understood exactly why. Smart kid.
I hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
There was a lot I could do for him—but some things I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop the unjust violence. I still had to act like I was one of them.
“And if the servants hit you, curl up like this. I’ll heal you right away. Okay? And whatever happens, don’t talk back to the duchess. You can do that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“…Sorry for making you do this.”
I whispered an apology. Hider tilted his head at my words. Then, as if it was strange, he said:
“It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
