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Chapter 27
When Rose returned home, she cried in front of the maids, just as the Countess had instructed. Last time, when the old servants were still around, there had been no need for this, but since everything had changed, another performance was required.
“Sniff… sniff…”
“Miss Rose, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Espin again… no, it’s nothing.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’m fine. It’s my fault for entering this family when Mother remarried Father. What fault does Espin have?”
Rose carefully watched the servants’ reactions.
“Oh dear, you must be having such a hard time, miss.”
The maid who patted her shoulder irritated her. The very idea that a mere maid thought she could comfort her was annoying.
Still, she had to endure this much to get what she wanted.
“Thank you. Actually… I like the young master of the Ameron Ducal House, but Espin twisted my words, so now he avoids me.”
“Oh my, how could she do such a thing?”
“Espin hates me… Still, don’t think too badly of her. She’s sensitive. Last time, she even fired all the servants just because one of them made a small mistake… but that’s only because she’s been hurt.”
At the mention of all the servants being dismissed over a single mistake, the maid’s face stiffened.
“Don’t worry. Mother is here, so Espin won’t be able to fire the maids so easily.”
Only then did the maid relax and offer words of comfort.
“You must be suffering so much, miss.”
“It can’t be helped. I’m an outsider who rolled in from elsewhere, after all.”
“That’s not true. You’re a proper member of this household.”
“Really? Espin says I’m not even a noble.”
“That can’t be. Your name is clearly listed in the family registry. Don’t believe such things.”
Seeing the gazes gathered on her, Rose smiled inwardly with confidence. Once this rumor spread, there would be maids who no longer viewed Espin favorably. If she created a few more incidents like this, Espin would inevitably become isolated.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
At that moment, the head butler appeared. With a displeased expression, he refrained from scolding Rose and instead raised his voice at the maids.
“All of you, return to your duties. And the rumor that all the previous servants were fired is false. They were dismissed for showing disrespect toward Miss Espin and behaving in ways that should never have occurred. Conduct yourselves properly.”
“Head Butler!”
Despite Rose calling out, he gestured for the maids to leave.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I was simply assigning work to the maids.”
“Are you saying everything I told them was just a baseless rumor?”
“I did no such thing. I merely corrected incorrect information.”
“What incorrect information? Everyone knows the maids were fired because Espin said a single word.”
“No. That happened because the maids forgot their place and failed to uphold their duties.”
At the butler’s firm tone, emphasizing the words “forgot their place,” Rose shouted.
“Hey!”
She trembled as she yelled at the butler, who was older than her father.
“……”
The head butler said nothing.
“Do you think I’m an easy target too? With just one word, I could have you replaced. Just like Espin fired all the maids, I could cut you off in an instant. You look down on me, but I’m a daughter of this house too. So if you disobey me even once more, you won’t get away with it!”
Rose screamed at him, venting all the resentment she had built up from being looked down on.
Still seething, she turned sharply—and standing before her was Count Leon.
“What do you think you’re doing right now?”
“Ah… Father.”
When a completely different tone came out of her mouth, the count’s brow furrowed.
“Ah, I mean, not just now—”
“……”
The count remained silent. Frightened by that silence, Rose hurriedly poured out excuses.
“The head butler ignored me. I just… please think about how unfair things must have been for me to act like that.”
“What has been so unfair?”
“Well…”
Rose thought this might be her chance.
Her mother had repeatedly warned her not to tell her father anything, to live as if she didn’t exist. But now that things had come to this, she couldn’t stay silent. If she said nothing here, her father would simply see her as a rude child.
“I’m not your real daughter, Father. That’s why I’m being looked down on everywhere. Even Espin… today she said it herself. That she looks down on me.”
There was some distortion in her words, but it wasn’t entirely false. Earlier, when Rose had asked if Espin looked down on her, Espin had answered, “Yes.”
“And at the salon, the nobles looked down on Mother and me as well. Even though we carry the name of House Leon.”
“Is that so.”
At the count’s response, Rose’s eyes widened.
Is that so? Was he believing her? Was he finally taking her side instead of Espin’s?
Her heart fluttered as she waited for what would come next.
“You do carry the name of House Leon.”
“Yes. And yet people treated us with such contempt. We weren’t even invited to auctions attended by nobles. We were humiliated beyond words.”
“Hah…”
The count let out a deep sigh as he looked at Rose.
“So that is why you caused a disturbance at the salon while bearing the name of House Leon?”
“What?”
His voice had turned cold. In an instant, Rose’s hopeful thoughts were replaced with confusion.
His sharp gaze held no trace of affection for his daughter.
“The salon contacted us. They said both of you are now banned from entering.”
“What did we even do?”
“Lack of dignity.”
The count’s words pierced her like a dagger.
Lack of dignity. Were these nobles discriminating against them, saying they weren’t true nobles?
Without reflecting on what she and the Countess had done, indignation rose first.
“This is unfair. It’s all slander.”
“You said you carry the name of House Leon?”
“Yes.”
“Then live up to the dignity of that name. Do nothing that would bring it shame.”
She had so much she wanted to say, but seeing his resolute expression, Rose swallowed her words.
“And apologize to the head butler immediately.”
“What? Why should I?”
“Will you refuse?”
In Rose’s understanding, a noble never apologized to a commoner.
She had never received an apology from a noble when she herself had been a commoner.
And now she was being told to apologize to a commoner butler. Even as a noble, this felt like being insulted.
“I won’t do it.”
“Very well.”
The count calmly walked past Rose to the butler.
“I will apologize in her place.”
“No, my lord. There is absolutely no need for you to apologize.”
“This is my failing. And as an apology, reduce that child’s allowance.”
“Yes. However, Miss Rose has already spent nearly all of her budget, so there is little left to reduce.”
“Then provide her with no further support from now on.”
“Why… why are you doing this? What did I do wrong? I’m the victim!”
“One more time.”
The count took a deep breath, as if suppressing his anger.
“If something like this happens again, you will no longer be allowed to use the name Leon.”
“……”
Only then did Rose fall silent.
This was no joke. The fear she had always carried in her heart—that this might someday happen—suddenly felt terrifyingly real.
