Who Was Julia?

"Huh! Did you forget that Julia was your exclusive maid? She used to serve you when Edgar retired?" how could she forget the name of the woman who dragged her out and threw her on the streets.

She was the one who told Cassey that Tyrone had a new lover. She would have still waited for Tyrone but she was afraid that the argument might hurt their child in her womb.

Tyrone frowned further, he tried to recollect but the name never clicked.

"You must know that I never take women as my personal maids. I took Ben when Edgar retired." That was what she had thought too.

But everyone was listening to Julia as if she held the highest authority in the absence of Tyrone.

"Forget it! Why did you need the maid?" he asked with impatience laced in his voice when she paused.

If she would tell him that she was looking for Julia to investigate the matter, he would only flare up.

"I.. just needed a few helping hands." she sighed at the end when he scoffed.

"You were doing just fine in your half dead state while managing your house without any help and even working as a designer, leaving my daughter alone. What happened, can you not act as a brave independent woman anymore or have you finally tasted luxury again and could not let go of it?"

She flinched at his taunt. It hurt her so bad to not tell him that he was a fool! Everyone was a fool to not see the truth.

If she would have been such a shallow and greedy woman, why would she have been suffering for so long, but she endured it. For him and for their child!

As if feeling guilty by her cold glare which she was trying to repress, he coughed and looked away.

"I have already asked Ben to arrange a few new maids. You can interview them tomorrow. But.. I want you to not tell them about your identity. It would be better that you act as a guest here."

Though he tried hard to hide, now that Cassey knows the reason behind his actions, she could see worry in his cold eyes.

It must feel like walking on eggshells.

"I will tell them that I am the count daughter of the vassal family who has returned after four years. I am here for the treatment of my ill daughter." she nodded when his eyes flared up.

"Why would my daughter act ill?"

"......"

"Umm, then I am here for my treatment?" he finally nodded at her words when she muffled her laughter.

"You are ill anyways." he blurted out as he left the room in hurried steps. Cassey sighed! She walked towards her daughter's bed and kissed her cheek.

"You are the only weapon I can hold now, daughter. Please help your mother in winning your father back." she had to make sure that he did not marry that saintess until she found out the truth.

The night was silent. Cassey tried to sleep but she just could not. Where was julia? Why did he not remember her!

The thought was creeping her. She stood up and walked towards the basement where the maids rest at night.

After hesitating for a second, she walked towards the room she had often visited when she was new here.

She knocked on the door a few times when it was finally opened.

Wendy was shocked to see the duchess standing at her door. But when it faded, anger returned.

"Did you need anything, my lady?" she asked in a polite but cold tone when Cassey sighed.

She took a step closer as if she wanted to hug the woman but Wendy took a step back and glared at Casey.

"Did you need anything, my lady?" she repeated with a colder look when Cassey finally nodded.

"I need my friend back."

"........"

"Wendy, I know that you are angry but…"

"Ha! Did you just say I am angry?" as if she had heard a joke, Wendy laughed out loud.

The room was shared by two to three maids, so she took a step out and closed the door behind her.

"What made you think that I am angry? Or what right do I have to be angry? I am just a maid here while you.. You are the runaway duchess who sold all of us. It still did not change the fact that we are beneath you." Her voice was full of cold and poison just like others but Cassey could feel the resentment in it.

"You can curse me all you want. But I am here for my daughter. I can not trust other maids. I am afraid she would be harmed in my absence. Please Wendy, you are the only one who has treated me warmly since the start, I have no one but you." Wendy looked away. She did not want to trust again. But thinking about the young child, she cursed.

"Tsk! I will take care of the child since she is the daughter of my lord. What does it have to do with you? If you are here only for this, you can leave now." she turned but Cassey held her hands.

"I was looking for Julia too. Do you know which room she had been assigned to?" Cassey noticed the same confusion on her face when Wendy paused but then shook her head.

"I did not remember anyone with such a name? In which department did she work for? No! Even if it is the kitchen or the pantry, at least I would have heard about her." Wendy was appointed five years ago as her exclusive maid when she married Tyrone.

It was to make sure that her needs were treated by someone who did not mistreat her because of her low origin.

"When I was.. Left! Where were you at that time? I have been looking for you till the end?" she had even called for Wendy so many times when other maids were snickering at her.

"Ha! So you are here to spew nonsense at last! You ran away in the middle of the night. Of course, we all were sleeping in our rooms. You even attacked the knights on the guard."

"......"