Romanoff Dukedom: The Heroine (10)

Rather than flabbergasted, the attendants of the tea party were confused as to what really was transpiring.

Still and all, the Duchess wouldn't be reproached for her precipitous decision on ending the party early. It was the leisure given to her, the Duchess of one of the families that held one of the biggest influences in the Empire, its commerce, and its politics.

Left with no choice, the nobles began to prepare for their departure. No one was allowed to stay any further lest gaining the Duchess' ire.

A quiet, albeit tensed, commotion ensued in the garden. Servants began running about, nobles awaiting for their carriages.

~~~

Duchess Freiyana went straight back to her study without much as to a second of interference. She proceeded to sit on the couch by the left side of the room.

The woman didn't mind her dirty clothing as she embraced the quietude in her personal space.

'What a mess.' She thought before taking a look at her shoulder, 'What would be a fitting punishment for the Baroness?'

The Duchess didn't have the slightest intention of blaming her servant. In the first place, no one would have noticed the bloodstain on her crimson dress. But the more unforgivable aspect Duchess Freiyana was the Baroness' attempt at ruining the party she had painstakingly planned for months.

'When are Erwin and Dorothea going to come? I told them to come immediately.'

Fortunately for the Duchess, she didn't have to wait for long because someone duly knocked on the door to her study. Thereupon knocking twice, Erwin pushed the door open and lowered his upper body as a show of respect.

"We've sent all the guests home, madame."

"Good," Freiyana said, blinking twice ahead of resuming her talk. "Erwin, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it, madame?"

"I found a snake in our midst. You need to go hunting." The Duchess said, a smile full of malice making its way to her countenance.

~~~

"Zarya, do you have no awareness? Even though it was not entirely your fault, you still contributed to the chaos in the garden." Dorothea reprimanded Zarya all the while tending to the young lady's wound.

Zarya then lowered her head meekly and responded, "I apologize, mistress."

"You did tell me that it's already taken care of. Why did it bleed all of a sudden?"

"Ah- Uhm, it's just that young master Herkel kind of grabbed my arm. I had no time to redo the bandages since, when I saw you in the corridor, I thought that it would be better if I went back to my post."

Hearing the young lady's excuse, Dorothea sighed. She knew that Zarya was a stubborn individual, but not to an extent that she would stay in pain in exchange for being able to work.

The woman decided to not utter another word until she was finished with her task. Thus, a window of pure quietude descended between the two servants.

After a few minutes, Dorothea tied the two ends of the bandage together and gave it a light pat. She looked at Zarya's face and noticed the remorse on her countenance, displayed on her pouty lips and watery eyes.

Seeing that, the Head Maid felt sorry for Zarya. She held the young lady's hands within hers ahead of saying words of comfort.

"Zarya, I told you already, right? You shouldn't draw the attention of the Duke and the Duchess. You cannot underestimate the hatred that they have for your clan."

"Yes, I'm perfectly aware of that. I might've forgotten my goal for a moment. I was thinking of unnecessary things."

"Do you know that the Orschettas are on the run, right now? You're not one of them, but being one of the snakes will still earn you the suspicions of our masters."

"... I know."

"Well, you're hi-" Dorothea ceased her talk as her muscles stiffened.

The hairs on her arms stood on their ends and beads of cold sweat started to trickle down her back.

The young lady noticed how the woman turned from being relaxed to vigilant. Dorothea's grip tightened, making the wound on her arm even more painful. But she endured the pain. It was more imperative for her to address what was wrong with Dorothea.

"Mistre-"

Zarya immediately sealed her lips when Dorothea looked at her. The young lady could feel it, the fear behind the woman's moistening eyes. The corners of Dorothea's eyes were also beginning to redden.

She knew just what Dorothea wanted for her to do. Zarya had seen that expression on the Head Maid's stress-riddle face countless times already.

Slowly nodding her head, Zarya hampered her breathing.

Soon, the sound of footsteps closing in on the room echoed in the corridor. Zarya heightened her senses as she attempted to identify who their visitor was. She was aware that the individual was coming for them.

Dorothea's room was situated at the far end of the hallway, away from all the other rooms. If Dorothea's room wasn't their goal, Zarya shouldn't be hearing their steps.

Succeeding a brief window, silence enveloped their surroundings once more. A second later, two knocks landed on the door. Accordingly, Dorothea let go of Zarya's hands as she stood up, making her path towards the door promptly.

The Head Maid proceeded to open the door to welcome her guest.

"What might be your purpose for coming here, Mr Erwin?"

"Dorothea, is the young lady still here? I'd like to have a talk with her."

Now, the vague feeling within Dorothea's consciousness became perturbation. At the same time, a myriad of thoughts bombarded her head as she formulated assumptions on top of another.

"She is here, but I just treated her wound. I won't allow her to work until she's fully healed. I hope that you will understand that, Head Butler." The woman said with an apologetic tone in her voice, bowing her head thereafter.

"Don't worry, the Duchess has no intention of making her work. "

The second that she heard the word 'Duchess', Dorothea's worries were finally given a name.