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Episode 9
Mary.
That was my name.
It wasn’t my parents who named me, but Aunt Emma—the woman who raised me.
There wasn’t any special meaning behind it. She said the name “Mary” just came to her at the time.
When I turned six, Aunt Emma told me the truth.
That I wasn’t her real child.
That my parents had abandoned me.
“It was a night when the rain was pouring down terribly hard. A young couple came carrying you and asked to stay for just one night. I worried you’d catch a cold, so I let you in… but those ungrateful people left you behind and ran away before dawn.”
That was when I finally understood.
Why had Aunt Emma always been cold toward me?
She gave my older brother the softest bread, meat, and even desserts.
while I only got a single piece of old, hard bread.
She sometimes yelled at me, saying I was useless and only wasting food.
She made me do all the housework, telling me to make myself useful.
I understood it all.
‘It’s because I’m not her real daughter.’
I convinced myself of that.
“If I become a good child, maybe Auntie and Uncle will like me a little.”
Aunt Emma.
Uncle Tom.
And my older brother, Wilton.
I tried hard to become part of their family.
To be loved.
“Auntie, I’ll clean the windows!”
“Uncle, here—have some cold water.”
“Big brother, I picked these strawberries from the mountain. Please eat them!”
Even when I wasn’t asked, I helped around the house.
I always smiled and behaved well.
I thought that if I kept doing that, one day they’d come to like me.
When I turned seven, Aunt Emma said to me,
“You’re old enough to work now. You should earn your own food.”
“…What?”
“Why? Don’t like that? Are you going to be ungrateful like your parents?”
“N-no, Auntie.”
I started working at a restaurant near our house.
The owner, Uncle Homan, hesitated because I was so young, but after hearing my situation, he let me work there.
The work was hard—but it wasn’t all bad.
“Mary, try this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a jelly called ‘Fluffy Jelly.’ Kids love it these days.”
Uncle Homan sometimes gave me sweet treats.
He also made sure I had breaks and even set up a small resting space in the storage room so I could relax.
And it wasn’t just him.
“Little miss, here. This is a tip.”
“Thank you!”
Regular customers often gave me fairy tales as tips.
Thanks to that, I earned quite a lot for a child.
Of course, all the money I earned went straight into Aunt Emma’s hands.
for rent, food, and all kinds of other reasons.
Then, when I turned thirteen.
By accident, I overheard Aunt Emma and Uncle Tom talking late at night.
“Honey, I’ve got good news.”
“What is it?”
“Count Octus Heldmons has taken an interest in Mary!”
“Octus? That old man?”
“Watch your mouth! He just looks old because he’s bald. He’s still healthy.”
“Fine. So what, you’re going to marry her off to him?”
“Of course!”
My heart dropped at Aunt Emma’s immediate answer.
Count Octus Heldmons was thirty years older than me.
And he had already been divorced more than ten times.
I didn’t want to marry someone like that. Never.
“Isn’t she too young to marry?”
“So what? She’s not even my real child. Besides, his previous wife was only seventeen. He’ll probably like her.”
“Well… that’s true.”
I stood there, frozen, listening to them laugh together.
I wanted to burst out and scream that I didn’t want to get married—but my feet wouldn’t move.
Would anything change if I spoke up?
“Yeah, try negotiating well. Ask for a big dowry.”
“Of course. They say good deeds bring blessings. Taking in a parentless child really paid off.”
“Didn’t you say before that you wanted to throw her away? That she was useless and only ate food?”
“That was then. Now she earns money. And with that decent face of hers, we hit the jackpot.”
At that moment, my hope of becoming their real family was shattered completely.
I couldn’t listen anymore. I ran away.
Not long after that, I quietly left the house.
With nothing to my name, I wandered from place to place.
That’s when I heard the Hamilton family was hiring servants.
They said they’d accept anyone—regardless of age, gender, or status—as long as they were passionate about working.
So I came here without hesitation.
If there was one thing I had confidence in, it was passion.
“I want to save money, buy a house, marry someone I love, have cute children, and build a happy family!”
Just like I said in the interview.
I had a dream of creating my own happiness with my own hands.
I only told the young master a softened version of that story.
He was still a child. Stories that dark wouldn’t be good for him.
“Sometimes it was sad. They gave all the tasty food to my brother.”
I smiled as if I were just complaining about something small, and left out the most painful parts.
The first time the young master spoke seriously was when I mentioned almost being married off to Count Octus Heldmons.
“Are they insane? How could they try to marry you to some old geezer like that?!”
“Well… he was only forty, so maybe not that old”
“He is old. A senile old man. What family did you say? Heldmons?”
“Heldmons.”
“Just wait a few years. When I become an adult, I’ll make that count regret it.”
He was furious—as if it were his own problem.
Seeing him so worked up eased my sadness a little. I smiled without realizing it.
“Thank you, Young Master.”
“I’m not joking. I’ll use the name of Hamilton and make that old count too ashamed to show his face.”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”
Honestly, I didn’t expect much.
By the time he grew up, he probably wouldn’t even remember saying this.
Still, just knowing he cared made me happy.
After that day.
The young master sometimes shared his desserts with me.
“Eat this cake.”
“Huh? But that’s your dessert, Young Master.”
“I’m full.”
“Then why did you ask for it?”
“Because I wanted to. Got a problem?”
“No, not at all. Hehe, thank you.”
It seemed my words about not getting to eat sweets as a child had stayed with him.
I’m just a maid… Is it really okay for me to eat the young master’s dessert?’
I worried Lisa would scold me if she found out.
But the temptation of the sweet desserts in front of me was too strong.
The young master said he’d throw them away if I didn’t eat them.
“Do you know how precious sugar and cream are? You’d throw them out?”
“If it’s waste, then eat it.”
Food is precious. The chef worked hard to make these. I can’t let them be thrown away.’
Pudding.
Macarons.
Tarts.
Mille-feuille.
Éclairs.
Every day, I ate desserts with names I could barely remember, learned how to read, and spent happy days.
Then one day.
“Mary, after you serve dinner, please come to the main house.”
“Huh? Why the main house…?”
“Her Ladyship has asked to see you.”
Why would Lady Lianne call for me?
Did she find out that I ate the young master’s desserts?
They say a guilty conscience makes your heart race.
My heart pounded as I walked to the main house, feeling like a criminal being dragged to prison.
I stood before Lady Lianne, trembling.
Just like the first time, she wore a veil, so I couldn’t see her expression.
Before she could even speak, I bowed deeply and shouted,
“I’m sorry! I just couldn’t stand to see the desserts thrown away! I won’t do it again, so please—please don’t throw me out!”
