#14
Returning to her room before sunset, Elysia was the first to do her homework for tomorrow's class. Since she was weak at memorizing, it was clear that this alone would take a considerable amount of time.
Elysia, who has no interest in magic or talent, had to take a magic class tomorrow. All she had to do was keep in mind how powerful the mages were in the empire and even on the continent.
(Isn't this enough brainwashing?)
Elysia thought as she anxiously wrote down the praises of the mages.
Time had passed.
As she was doing her homework she didn't want to do, she heard a sharp knock behind the door.
— Miss, it's Rachel.
In a quieter voice than usual, one suspected that Elysia was out of the room again today; however, she answered in a confident voice, as if she were a child who had not been caught hiding by her parents.
— Go ahead.
As soon as Elysia allowed it, Rachel opened the door and walked in.
— ... Miss Ariel is waiting.
— Is it time for dinner already?
When she looked at the clock on the wall, it was a little past dinnertime.
— Yes. If you're busy, should I tell Miss Ariel to eat first? I'll take her food to her room.
Rachel spoke one after another, as if she had one set manual after another. Recognizing that it was lunchtime only after listening to Rachel, Elysia felt hungry late.
— No. I'm going to eat....
— Miss Elysia! Miss Elysia, are you in?!
Unlike when Rachel was knocking on the door quietly, there was a loud noise coming from outside. Both Elysia and Rachel knew the voice.
It was also the voice of the person who visited Elysia the day before.
—Don't open the door until I lower my voice. —
Rachel said in an angry voice.
When she was younger than now, it was clear that she was not happy with the maid, who showed the same attitude of ignoring Elysia. On the other hand, she replied, ignoring Rachel's words as if they were insignificant.
— Go ahead.
She looked like a bad eater.
***
As soon as the door closed, Fiona, the maid, snorted.
Fiona, with white hair among her brown hair, looked old at first glance, though not as old as Eddie. She was a maid who had worked before Isabella married the Duke of Partin. Fiona was also one of the most dissenting figures among the servants of the Duke of Partin and Isabella.
— Even if you say you are a small master, this is too much!
That was what she suddenly came in and said.
As Fiona had a very loud voice, Rachel frowned unknowingly. Soon, when she realized that the maid was a superior person to her, she immediately relaxed her expression. Of course, Rachel was behind Fiona, so it didn't matter if she teased her facial muscles at will.
— This year alone, there are more than 20 people.
— What?
Elysia, who looked at Rachel's face grimacing in the back, asked in an indifferent voice. It was in the original and it's the same thing.
Fiona's voice was great.
— There are more than 20 of our servants you expelled this year!
— I know. I didn't know I'd put up with it while cutting more than 20 people.
Elysia straightened her slumped body. The last maid cut was a maid cut a few days after Eden's arrival. However, it was amusing to see him suddenly running now.
— When do we measure the wages of our employees?
From Elysia's recollection, it was yesterday.
So, the reason Fiona is like this is probably because Elysia could no longer tolerate the total amount of money that decreases every time she cuts one or two maids.
The more money, the easier it is to steal from behind.
It was clear that she was angry that her share was reduced, even though she divided the group into her own close ones.
— Your children?
Elysia, who had long known Fiona's insidious intentions, deliberately caught the end of her words and stretched.
— When did the maids become your children?
— That's not the point I'm talking about?
— Since when can you...?
Leaning over the desk, Elysia put her chin on her hand and touched her cheek with her finger.
— So you can knock on my door without asking my permission?
At Elysia's words, Rachel in the back breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Elysia would not pass up Fiona's rudeness to come without contacting her beforehand and yelling. Now Elysia wasn't the wimp who had to put up with Fiona's behavior as a child.
— Eh.
Fiona laughed in spite of herself.
— 30 years.
Not exactly, but Fiona had worked for the Duke of Partin for over 30 years, or even less. Every wrinkle on her face was a vestige of her years at the Duke of Partin.
Regardless of whether her background was appropriate in the eyes of others, Fiona had no doubt that she did it herself. However, a girl born in the womb of a ragged woman tried to take her place by showing her presence.
(She is only 12 years old.)
— If that's all you have to say, go away.
Following Fiona, who was smiling vainly as if in a swoon, he ordered Elysia with a single smile.
A soothing voice gently scratched Fiona's temper. When the Duke of Partin became a member of the family, his birth mother, who died early and was left alone, was in charge of domestic affairs.
Unfortunately, her birth mother died soon after, unable to do anything with her weakened body. The younger brother, left home immediately after the death of the former Duke of Partin.
Since then, Fiona and Edick have been in charge of the manor until the lady was born. The Duke of Partin, who was only concerned with outside work, was indifferent to the family situation because he did not have to take care of the house.
The same thing happened after he married Isabella.
In any case, Isabella's marriage was purely because she wanted to have a child, so she did not have to establish herself as a duchess. As such, the duchess, who could not exercise power, did not naturally follow her.
— I came to see her unannounced. Yes, I am sorry. I'm sorry, Miss...
Fiona, who understood faster than expected, has been apologizing with a deep sigh as if she was in trouble. For a sorry woman, both her manner and tone were irreverent.
Elysia's eyebrows were slightly raised.
— But ma'am. I think you should also reflect on yourself.
Then she suddenly gave Elysia a tip in the advice guide.
At first glance, it was plausible advice. But whatever Elysia had done wrong, she shouldn't have heard such a thing from Fiona. That's when Rachel, who stayed quiet so as not to join the conversation, opened her mouth.
Elysia looked at Rachel again as if to ask her to be quiet.
— You cut a job that is important to the maids' livelihood because you are angry?
— .........
— What you did simply out of anger could bring others to the brink.
— What?
Fiona has now openly treated Elysia as a person who cannot control her anger.
In fact, it was Elysia and Isabella who were driven to the edge of the cliff.
Isabella was a mother who played with her daughters even though she was overworked because of the servants who looked at Elysia and Ariel with annoyance. Then, when they often got sick, all the employees treated Isabella like a childish girl who couldn't take care of her body.
They said you were just trying to increase their work.
— Unfortunately, the duchess died early and you didn't learn how to deal with things downstairs, so I understand?
— What are you talking about?
— What does that have to do with Isabella?
Besides, telling Isabella's story to Elysia was like a taboo spread in secret among the servants.
There's no way she didn't know it was Fiona.
— Are you telling me she didn't receive training at home?
This time, Elysia almost laughed in vain.
— What nonsense is that!
Rachel, who held her fist in Elysia's wink and forced her to contain her anger, eventually screamed in anger.
Rachel's expected scream startled Elysia.
— How dare you talk about the lady! How dare you!
With her hand on her chin, Elysia covered her mouth and thought. When she heard Fiona's voice, she thought she should have sent Rachel right to where Ariel was.
— Rachel, where did you learn that attitude? Tsk. You look so...
— Bred!
— Did the baron teach you that?
When she visited Isabella's house, Elysia's eyes naturally narrowed.
Elysia knew.
Why do all the servants ignore Isabella?
Isabella was out of sight of her husband, the Duke of Partin, but the main reason was that she was a baron. With an entrenched and prestigious duke, just allowing the young baroness to become a duchess would have undermined her status.
No matter how competent Isabella had once been.
No matter how good she was, Isabella ended up being just a "mage."
Even if mages are scarce and valuable resources in the country. It would have been a different story if she had become a "tower mistress", but as she said before, Isabella resigned as a candidate to marry the Duke of Partin.
So, whatever she was at the time, Isabella was just a "wizard".
A young baroness, she became ill as soon as she gave birth to two daughters who were out of her husband's eyes after marriage and could not place herself in the future, and became unable to use magic.
That was the label left for Isabella dead.
— Rachel. Tell Ariel I think she'll have to dine alone tonight.
— What? -Ha, but....
Rachel hesitated differently than usual because she was worried about leaving Elysia alone with Fiona.
— That's okay.
Elysia decided she'd rather talk to Fiona alone than be blamed for Rachel being easy.
— .....
— Quickly.
— ... Okay.
Rachel's face was as red as when Fiona walked in earlier, as if her anger hadn't been relieved.
However, she forced her anger to calm down to comply with Elysia's orders, opened the door and left the room.
When Rachel left, Elysia and Fiona were left alone in the room.
~TRANSLATION: YUKI~
