12

Even without knowing that she was completely deceived by Elena's performance.

"As I said before, we have a banquet for the birthday of Duke Rosette, who is a founding contributor to the Empire and the first Grand Duke in ten days. Until then, be a perfect princess."

"Yes, I'll try."

While suffering from Leabrick's nagging under the guise of advice, the carriage crossed the empire's millennium capital to reach the mansion. As it crossed the garden, she could see the gothic-style mansion. It was not long before the door of the carriage opened.

"Welcome, Princess."

The butler, servants, and maids standing on this row each greeted her in one voice.

"..."

Elena raised her chin haughtily and looked at them one by one. No one could think of raising their heads at the authoritative gaze that made their hair stand on end. Rather than simply taking on weight, the air was overwhelmed by the presence that drifted in and out of it.

"Veronica!"

She could hear the excited voice of Grand Duke Friedrich in the mansion. Leaving the mansion with a quick walk, he welcomed Elena with open arms. She managed to hold back her laughter from the pretentious performance.

"It wasn't easy to treat, but I'm so glad you came back so healthy."

"Thanks to your concern."

Grand Duke Friedrich laughed loudly as Elena responded appropriately.

"How can that be due to my concern? It's thanks to Goddess Gaia. Come on, don't stand like this. Let's go inside."

"Yes, father."

Elena and Grand Duke Friedrich, who directed a friendly father-daughter relationship as if they had been reunited for the first time in years, moved the venue to the drawing room. Leabrick followed quietly and sat down. Savoring the deep-boiled tea of the East, the three began their own conversation.

"... You have changed a lot. I can see it in your appearance."

Grand Duke Friedrich was surprised by the atmosphere of Elena that changed from the first meeting. It wasn't simply because of the resemblance of face, but because of the dignity of a noble born from the beginning.

"I still have a long way to go to meet father's expectations."

"I'm proud of you. Again, you're like my own daughter. The Great House is your home, so enjoy it."

"I will, Father."

Elena responded in a gentle tone and showed submissiveness. In just a month, Grand Duke Friedrich was satisfied when she threw off her vulgarity and gave birth to a noble.

"It's okay to say hello, but you must have been tired from coming a long way, take a rest."

"Thank you for your consideration."

When Elena stood up from the sofa, Leabrick did not forget to give her advice.

"You remember the inside structure of the house, right? Go to your room."

"Of course, don't worry, Liv."

Elena, who smiled reassuringly, was polite and left the drawing room. Grand Duke Friedrich, who was watching the scene, opened his mouth after a while.

"As expected, you don't disappoint me. Don't you think she's a decent little aristocrat?"

"It's just an appearance. She has no foundation, so even a small conversation will reveal everything."

Grand Duke Friedrich was impressed by Leabrick's concern.

"Then isn't it a big deal? It'll be the birthday soon."

"I'm going to use the sickness as an excuse to block contact with the aristocrats as much as possible."

"I see. You'll do well on your own."

Grand Duke Friedrich sat languidly and answered back. He trusted Leabrick so much that he wouldn't say anything once he entrusted her to something and left it.

"More than that, Your Excellency, the movement toward the palace is unusual."

"They must be poking around like rutting puppies again. Tell me the details."

In-depth conversations had been exchanged over the handling of accumulated agendas. Since most of them are directly related to the actions of the Grand Duke, none of them were not important.

At that time, Elena left the drawing room, and the maids stood in a line and bowed their heads. She lowered her eyes and checked, and all four of them were familiar faces.

'Jane, Misa, Lunarin, and...'

Elena's eyes, which had been moving from each name in her memory, were drawn to the freckle-faced girl standing at the end.

'Anne.'

Elena's eyes over Anne became cold. Anne, who had yet to take off from her girlhood, was the maid Elena gave her heart to in her previous life. Although she may be young, she was quick witted and told sweet lies, always satisfying Elena.

'Out of everyone, I didn't expect you to betray me.'

As she found out later, Anne was a spy planted by Leabrick. As soon as she was kidnapped by gunmen who had been ordered by the Grand Duke, Elena saw it clearly. Anne, who cold-heartedly turned a blind eye to her, who was asking for help. Only then did she realize that Anne was not her own person. Presumably, it was Anne who stayed around her and monitored every move and reported it to Leabrick.

Standing in front of Anne reminded her of that feeling again.

'Look forward to it. I'll make you feel the same despair I felt.'

Elena, who issued a warning that she couldn't speak, stared at her silently. Anne, who was burdened with her gaze and silence, opened her mouth carefully.

"I'm Anne..."

Anne, who was introducing herself, closed her lips vaguely. This was because Elena's gaze, staring at her, was too cold. Anne held her breath. As she was a maid who lived by her eyes, she felt something was wrong.

"I don't remember allowing you to speak?"

"I-I'm sorry."

"Again? I don't know if you can serve me because you don't have that much learning ability."

Anne, who was embarrassed, quickly shut her mouth up.

She didn't know how to deal with her, and she felt affirmed beforehand. Elena didn't think she would feel better even if she slapped her cheek considering the betrayal she felt at that time.

'Let's stop.'

Elena lowered her hand that kept going up. There was no need to buy Leabrick's suspicion by doing more than necessary. The good was to be kept. She should not cross the line and walk the tightrope. At this point, the Princess who returned would be considered to have caught the discipline of the things below. As Elena turned around, she felt Anne's nervousness slightly eased.

As she walked along the corridor, the maids followed Elena. She arrived across the hall in front of Veronica's room on the floor.

"What are you staring at? Open the door."

Anne, whose shoulders were shaken by her cold tone, ran out quickly and opened the door. Walking through the spacious marble doors, Elena glanced at the familiar furniture, curtains, carpet, shelves, and pictures. For a moment an uncomfortable feeling came over her.

'You want me to use what Veronica used?'

It really made her cringe and shudder just thinking about it. In her past life, she had written these things off as likes without knowing anything about them, but not now. Elena turned away and walked to the closet . Anne stood and opened her jaw, nervous in her haste, but quickly opened the closet door. Inside were dresses hanging all over the place.

"Take it all out."

"What?"

"Do I have to say it twice? Take them all out."

The nervous maids rushed out the dresses and piled them on a carpet in the middle of the room. Since there were nearly 20 dresses, it was so thick that it reached their waists.

"Take off those double-cheeked curtains, too. Get rid of that ugly painting."

The servants did as they were told. They wondered why this was so, but drank in their hearts, not daring to ask if they might offend their master.

"Burn them up right now."

"B-but... Yes, I will follow."

Lunarin, the oldest of the servants, was about to say something, but swallowed quickly. She had joined the Grand Duchy four months ago after working for another noble class. In her experience, the more capricious the owner is, the more they complain and the more they talk, the angrier they get.

"Anne, tell the butler to find the dressmaker who made my dress and the best carpenter in the capital. Right now."

"Yes? Yes!"

Anne was about to turn around in a hurry.

"I'm not done talking to you yet?"

"Oh! I-I'm sorry."

Anne was troubled by Elena's cold behavior.

"Give this word to the butler, too. Bring in all the dresses, embroidered curtains, and carpets in the shops before sunset."

"Yes, I'll tell him."

When Anne hurried out of the room, Elena moved to the second floor reception room as if she had no more business to attend to. The mansion had more than a hundred rooms alone, but Elena liked this parlor, which was connected to the terrace and overlooked the rear garden.

Elena sat on the terrace and savored the black tea and cookies that Lunarin had served.

"In the future, the tea will be Earl Grey, and the first tea water will be discarded. Don't make the cookies too sweet. Make them moist, or the texture will drop."

"Yes, miss."

Elena's eyes were directed at the well-kept patronage.

"The lilies in the patronage, they're very unobtrusive. There's a lot of lively flowers like tulips and daisies."

"... I heard you liked lilies. Did I get it wrong?"

"I did. But tastes change. Do I have to tell you everything?"

"N-no. I'll correct it. I'll pass on what you're saying to the gardener."

"Yes."

Elena picked up the teacup and enjoyed the mellow scent. This was why age and experience could not be ignored. It was the same before, but even if she didn't say it twice, Lunarin moved because she knew what she meant.

'But you'll be run over by Anne sooner or later.'

Anne was young and quick-witted, so she was quick to learn. Also, unlike the sincere Lunarin, she was sly and sycophantic, which made her a favorite of Elena. When she entered the Imperial Palace, she had appointed Anne, not Lunarin, as the head of her immediate household, which should have shown how much she trusted her.

'I'm going to have to have a reliable maid of honor soon.'

In Elena's mind, there was a maid with revenge in mind from the very beginning.

"The enemy is my friend."

Just three years later, the empire was overturned. A maid dared to attempt the assassination of Grand Duke Friedrich, and even Leabrick could not cope with how detailed the plan was. Although the assassination failed, if she had the guts to plan and attempt the assassination, she deserves to be by her side.