UDBL~64

Chapter 64

Thanks to getting the hang of things quickly, Riana figured she wouldn’t cause Daniel any trouble. At the very least, she could handle the cleaning properly.

She picked up the last mop with her own hand—not because she lacked the creativity to name it, but because sometimes it was just easier to do things the old-fashioned way.

Scrub, scrub.

She polished the window until it gleamed.

Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed people passing below on the first floor.

Kim, Bastian, and…

A man in a black suit embroidered with subtle gold trim.

The Duke…

Riana’s lips almost called his name before freezing.

“Try saying my name.”

Normally, she would’ve mentally cursed, mocked, and ripped that name to shreds, but this time it felt strangely different.

Would that man actually be pleased if she said his name aloud?

—What a ridiculous thought.

She told herself his reaction meant nothing to her, but her heart was already pounding out of control.

The three men with their long strides disappeared into the building.

And as soon as the Duke vanished from her sight, Riana’s breath finally burst out.

“…I must be crazy!”

She threw the mop down and pressed her hand over her racing heart.

Thump-thump. Flutter-flutter.

It felt like butterflies were flying in her stomach, flower petals spinning through her head, and electric sparks running through her veins.

This feeling…

Riana clutched her head and collapsed to the floor.

Yes, this must be…

After a short pause, she exclaimed:

“It’s definitely the caffeine! I can’t handle it!”

Come to think of it, this was the first time she had ever dumped caffeine into “Riana Efindor’s” body.

And not just any caffeine—Extra-Caffeine Special Oat Milk Latte! A deceptively sweet drink hiding an enormous dose of caffeine.

And I chugged the whole cup on an empty stomach with no buffer? I really have lost my mind!

Yes. This was the punishment for forgetting her Korean college-student days and pushing herself too far.

Her heart raced wildly, her brain felt like it was hosting a festival inside her skull, and her blood boiled hot.

Even her hands were trembling uncontrollably.

“What a mess… No wonder I felt so weird!”

Dusting herself off, Riana forced herself back to cleaning.

“Malsook, what are you doing? Just because I sat down doesn’t mean you get to slack off!”

The broom stayed silent.

“…Sorry, Malsook, my dear friend. I mean—I was just startled by the dust, that’s all. Could you please start cleaning again?”

And so, in her second life, Riana remained as pitifully humble as ever.

Now that the tools are trained enough to handle the cleaning…

With Chulsoo, Younghee, and Malsook mostly under control, Riana quietly slipped out of the hallway.

Daniel’s duties were finished. Now it was time for Riana to handle her own task.

X told Deborah the potion experiment failed. That means X must be a maid working near the laboratory.

Riana prowled the halls, eyes sharp, watching only the maids in uniform.

She chatted with a few, but found nothing suspicious. Not surprising—if she could fake it, surely that damned X could too.

In the end, the only option is to deliberately trigger a villainess flag…

She didn’t like the idea of getting tangled up in Deborah’s affairs, especially since she was already hanging by a thread under the prince’s suspicion.

The only relief was that the prince seemed too busy with state affairs these days. He hadn’t come to the estate recently.

And if he had come to bother Deborah, his glittering head would have made a flashy entrance she couldn’t possibly miss.

Besides, even when I’ve “tormented” Deborah in the past—unwillingly!—the prince never reacted. And Deborah isn’t the type to ask for revenge on her behalf. So this time too…

Whatever happened, the prince probably wouldn’t interfere.

In fact, Riana thought she might even be able to explain things to Deborah about Gray and end it on good terms.

“Alright. I’ve decided.”

She would embrace the villainess role—just this once.

For the first time, Riana chose to accept her fate and took a step toward Deborah.

But right away, she hit an unexpected obstacle.

“Got time to spare, huh?”

A young noble-looking man—his whole appearance screaming “arrogant aristocrat”—leaned against the wall and called out to her.

“…Sorry? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

“You’ve been wandering this floor aimlessly, chatting with maids instead of working. I asked if you’ve got time to waste.”

“Ah…”

Riana blinked, weighing her options.

Should she snap back that she was busier than someone lazing around watching maids all day?

But if Daniel got in trouble, that would be bad. Best to let this pass quietly…

Before she could decide, the man smirked and reached out his hand.

Riana instinctively stepped back, startled, as his fingers brushed her hair.

“New face. Must be a new maid. Looks like you need some training.”

“…What kind of training?”

“Just know that yours is the kind of face that gets caught when you’re slacking off. Understand?”

Now she got it. He wasn’t here to correct her work attitude. He was harassing her.

And the more uncomfortable she looked, the more amused he became. A textbook example of a Droche estate parasite.

One of those worthless types who didn’t care about research at all—just coasting on his parents’ name to build social connections, practically paying his way to hang around.

For Daniel’s sake, Riana forced herself to stay quiet. No backtalk, no snapping.

Pleased by her silence, the man jerked his chin.
“Training works best when it’s physical. As punishment for slacking off, carry all of those.”

Riana turned her head.

There were about ten wooden crates stacked neatly, each filled with shimmering experimental potions.

Those crates explained why the estate employed so few maids. Moving such things wasn’t normal servant work—it was a mage’s job.

In other words, this task was supposed to be his responsibility. But instead of doing it, he was dumping it on her.

“These don’t look like things a maid should be touching.”

At her words, the man’s face twisted.
“Are you talking back? Then make it two crates at a time. That way, the punishment is fitting.”

Unbelievable.

It wasn’t the weight that worried her. She wasn’t afraid of heavy boxes.

The problem was time. She needed to get to Deborah quickly.

But because she was covering Daniel’s shift, she swallowed her anger.

Fine. Just think of it as wasting time on some pitiful loser.

At least carrying two at once meant she could finish faster.

So Riana nodded without complaint.
“Alright. Where do you want them?”

“To the 4th floor, second conference room. I’ll be watching here until they’re all gone, so don’t even think about running off.”

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

Grumbling inwardly, Riana stacked two crates and lifted them.

With a little magic, they felt light as feathers. Once she was out of his sight, she could sprint and finish quickly.

“Your arms are shaking. If it’s too hard, say so. If you beg politely enough, maybe I’ll let you off.”

Clearly, what he wanted was to see her collapse, crying and begging.

But her trembling arms weren’t from struggle—it was just the caffeine. So his wish would never come true.

“I’m fine.”

“Hmph. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

He dragged over a chair and settled in to watch. But as time passed, he began to wonder just how long it would take for her to break down.

Two, four, six, eight…

Soon, only two crates remained. Riana carried them steadily, hands shaking but never slowing down.

Not once did he see her face twist in pain or even a bead of sweat fall.

I never imagined she’d be so strong…

He had thought she was fragile, delicate, just as she looked. But he had chosen the wrong victim.

“These are the last two. Once I set them down, I’ll move on to my next task.”

“…Fine. Do that.”

As she carried the final crates up the stairs, Riana bit her tongue hard.

I’ll remember your face. You’re dead meat, bastard.

Still, she felt her mood lift. At last, she could finally go to Deborah.

But the thing about villainess flags was… they always appeared when you least expected them.