At last, the gloves sent by the Countess arrived.
As soon as they did, Eleanor instructed Lisa to gather all the servants together—those who had always been friendly toward her, along with those who had remained neutral.
"W-What's going on?"
"Why has Miss summoned us?"
The servants clustered together in front of Eleanor, exchanging confused and anxious glances.
Lately, the atmosphere throughout the manor had become openly disrespectful toward the young lady. Being singled out made them wonder if they were about to be punished.
"Do you know why I called you here today?"
"N-No, Miss... Why did you summon us...?"
Standing face-to-face with Eleanor, everyone instinctively shrank back.
Part of it was simple intimidation. Dressed in a pale pink gown, Eleanor carried herself with a grace and dignity that naturally overwhelmed those before her.
"I called you because I have gifts for all of you."
"...Gifts?"
Their eyes widened.
They had expected punishment for their disrespect.
Instead... gifts?
Eleanor smiled gently and gave Lisa a small nod.
Lisa, with Anna standing beside her, began handing each servant a neatly wrapped gift box.
"M-Miss... what is this?"
Sally, standing in the front row, stared at the box with wide eyes.
"Open it."
With Eleanor's permission, they carefully lifted the lids.
A chorus of astonished gasps escaped the room.
"Wow..."
Inside each box lay an elegant pair of summer gloves, folded with care.
At a glance, anyone could tell they were expensive. The fabric was breathable, absorbed sweat well, and was far finer than anything ordinary servants could ever hope to own.
"Even in summer, working so much must damage your hands, doesn't it? I was worried about that, so I prepared these. I made sure everyone received the exact same pair so no one's feelings would be hurt."
If you wanted to unite people, simply being generous wasn't enough.
You had to give them either a sense of belonging or something that made their group feel special.
Eleanor had chosen the gloves as that symbol.
Gloves were something noble ladies and gentlemen commonly wore—items servants admired from afar. They were noticeable, practical, and something they could wear every day.
Jewelry was different. Some servants might simply sell it.
Gloves, however, were luxurious enough to satisfy a little vanity without being valuable enough to turn into quick cash.
They would actually use them.
"Look. I'm wearing the same pair."
Eleanor raised one hand with a smile.
Sure enough, the same pale pink gloves covered her hands.
"M-Miss..."
"How could you give something this precious to us...?"
Several maids spoke through trembling voices.
The men's gloves differed slightly in design, but that hardly mattered.
What moved them was the fact that their young lady had chosen to wear the same gloves as her servants.
Just as Bianca's rumors had swept through them in an instant...
Eleanor's kindness did the same.
"I heard some of you had taken an interest in my gloves, so I prepared these. But... if you don't like them, you're welcome to leave them behind. Wearing the same gloves as me might make you uncomfortable..."
She deliberately smiled with quiet loneliness.
The subtle implication of the cold atmosphere surrounding her lately struck several servants with immediate guilt.
"No, Miss! I'll treasure them!"
Sally, who had secretly admired Eleanor from the beginning despite the rumors—much like Anna—answered without hesitation.
Then, unexpectedly, she confessed something Eleanor hadn't anticipated.
"I'm sorry... You've always thought so kindly of us... and I... I couldn't do anything when that awful Bianca started spreading those rumors."
Ordinarily, only someone who already favored Eleanor could admit something like that.
But Eleanor had no intention of wasting such a golden opportunity.
"I know, Sally."
Sally jumped in surprise.
She couldn't even tell whether she was more shocked that Eleanor knew about Bianca's rumors... or that Eleanor knew her name.
Having already memorized everyone's names through Lisa beforehand, Eleanor stepped forward and gently took Sally's hand.
"Thank you for telling me honestly and apologizing. I understand. Anyone can make a mistake."
Eleanor had always been naturally forgiving toward servants.
Still, learning to embrace someone's mistake and turn them into an ally...
That was something she had learned from watching Lydia.
Like the heroine she was, Lydia possessed genuine compassion, and Eleanor had seen countless maids moved by it.
She couldn't match Lydia's influence.
But she could certainly begin planting the image of a merciful mistress.
After all, according to the rumors, Eleanor was supposed to be a cruel noblewoman who despised everyone in the countryside.
"I want to get along with all of you, regardless of rank."
She spoke as gently as she could.
Most of the servants looked back at her with shining eyes, filled with gratitude and newfound affection.
Perfect.
The carrot worked.
Now it's time for the stick.
Eleanor smiled sweetly.
Before long, word spread throughout the manor.
The young lady had given identical gloves to only half of the servants.
At first, those who received them felt awkward wearing such expensive gifts.
But after seeing fellow servants proudly wearing theirs—and noticing the envy from those who hadn't received any—they gradually began putting them on every day.
An unexpected benefit soon followed.
Since cleaning while wearing gloves was inconvenient, they were reassigned to lighter duties.
That had only been possible because Eleanor had also presented gloves to the head maid and the butler, the two people responsible for assigning work.
The gifts fostered a sense of belonging and goodwill, allowing them to make those biased personnel decisions without complaint.
As a result...
The servants aligned with Vanessa's faction found themselves chopping firewood, hauling heavy cargo, and doing physically demanding labor.
The maids, meanwhile, were assigned endless laundry, scrubbing floors by hand, cleaning toilets, and other work that would ruin their hands.
Needless to say...
Their resentment became firmly directed toward Eleanor.
Of them all, the maids hated her the most.
Naturally so.
They worked closest to the young lady.
"If she came from the capital, so what? Who does she think she is?"
When the body grew exhausted, the mind became simple.
And tired people always needed something to vent their frustrations on.
That something...
Was gossiping about Eleanor.
"Did you see her pretending to smile so innocently after pulling something this vicious?"
"She's such a fox!"
"And Vanessa has to give up the barony because of a woman like that?!"
Hidden behind the corner of a wall, Eleanor quietly listened.
When should I step in?
The stick couldn't be used carelessly.
It had to strike when it hurt the most.
"I heard she got kicked out of the capital because of a man."
One of the three maids scrubbing the hallway floor spoke confidently.
Eleanor almost admired their boldness.
Not one of them had even considered the possibility that she might walk past.
Then again...
She had deliberately stationed them in an isolated corner of the annex—a place she rarely visited—just to lower their guard.
Thanks to that, she was hearing insults far cruder than she'd expected.
Just a little more.
If they kept talking, the remarks would only become worse.
"Apparently her name showed up all over the gossip papers because of men."
"Shouldn't we tell the lord?"
"Exactly! What if she's so obsessed with men that she sells off the estate and the title?"
Eleanor peeked around the corner.
There they were.
Bianca, who had spread the rumors.
Grace, who had slammed down the water glass.
Emily, who had mocked Eleanor more freely than anyone else.
And Ivy, whose loose tongue had started everything despite supposedly being neutral.
One more sentence, Eleanor decided.
Then I'll appear.
"A young lady really shouldn't become the lord. Instead—"
"Then who should?"
Eleanor smoothly cut Bianca off as she stepped out from behind the wall.
All four women froze.
The moment they recognized her face, every trace of color vanished from theirs.
"If I shouldn't become the lord..."
She smiled.
"...then who should?"
"M-M-M-Miss..."
Of the four, Ivy had the weakest nerves.
She trembled uncontrollably.
People often claimed they could curse even the Emperor behind his back.
In reality, they could barely criticize an ant when someone was listening.
And these women had just slandered the likely future lord of the estate...
...to her face.
The four of them stared blankly at Eleanor, looking as though they might faint.
"Why are you all so quiet now? You were talking quite well a moment ago."
"W-Well..."
Bianca, who had been biting her lip, suddenly lifted her head and met Eleanor's gaze without flinching.
"I'm sorry for speaking badly about you behind your back."
"You're awfully confident."
Her words apologized.
Her face did not.
As expected.
Eleanor had never believed Bianca would surrender so easily.
Someone who thought things through wouldn't have dared provoke a noble lady so openly in the first place.
"But you favored those other maids over us!"
Bianca protested indignantly.
"We've been treated unfairly! Of course we're angry!"
"I see."
Eleanor tilted her head dramatically, as though she genuinely couldn't understand.
"I discriminated against you? Why would I do that?"
She smiled pleasantly.
Bianca's expression twisted.
"I never did such a thing."
"Don't lie."
"Perhaps you're imagining it. A persecution complex, maybe..."
The deliberately provocative phrase worked exactly as intended.
Bianca exploded.
"A persecution complex?! That's not it! You're treating us like this because we spread what we overheard from your conversation with Lady Vanessa!"
The greatest flaw Bianca possessed...
Was that she was ruled entirely by her emotions.
"What rumors?"
Eleanor widened her eyes innocently.
"What rumors about me did you spread?"
Bianca froze.
Only then did she realize her mistake.
She should have denied everything.
Instead, anger had made her confess it herself.
"W-Well..."
Eleanor narrowed her eyes.
If she pressed now, Bianca would probably regain enough composure to stay silent.
So instead...
She continued pretending not to know.
"So there are false rumors about me going around. Whatever they are, they're completely untrue. I'll have to make sure the servants keep their mouths shut."
To Bianca—who already believed every rumor she'd spread was true—
those words sounded like a declaration that Eleanor intended to suppress the truth.
"I'll discipline everyone thoroughly."
Eleanor emphasized each word.
"So that no one ever speaks of it again."
The three maids standing nearby grew increasingly nervous.
They desperately wanted to drag Bianca away before she made another mistake.
But Eleanor's icy gaze rooted them in place.
Without saying a word, it warned them:
Move... and you'll become my next target.
"...It's not fair."
Ignoring the silent prayers of the others, Bianca gritted her teeth.
"What isn't fair?"
Eleanor folded her arms.
"Let's hear it."
Fire practically blazed from Bianca's eyes.
Again...
Her greatest weakness was emotion.
If she had been calm, she never would have dared spread rumors about the lord's own niece.
"Lady Vanessa was supposed to inherit this estate! It's because of you that she's losing her place!"
There it was.
A catastrophic mistake.
"And you treated Lady Vanessa terribly to push her aside! If you hadn't done that, we never would've acted like this!"
The instant Bianca's voice echoed through the corridor...
The air turned ice cold.
Seeing Eleanor's frigid stare, Bianca instinctively flinched.
"If you're going to eavesdrop like a rat..."
Eleanor walked toward her with graceful, silent steps until she stood directly before her.
"...the least you could do is listen properly."
Bianca shrank beneath Eleanor's height and the overwhelming dignity that seemed to radiate naturally from every noble.
"You say Vanessa lost the inheritance because of me."
Eleanor looked directly into her eyes.
"Has Lord Pomfury ever once declared Vanessa his heir?"
She already knew the answer.
If such a declaration had existed, her aunt would certainly have told her.
Just as expected...
Bianca couldn't answer.
"That's right."
Silence.
"He never said so."
She smiled.
"So if all of you decided among yourselves that Vanessa was the heir..."
Her smile widened.
"...isn't that the equivalent of treason, if this were the Imperial Family?"
Bianca's eyes grew enormous.
"You're saying you placed Vanessa at the front because you wanted her to take the lord's seat."
"N-No!"
Bianca shouted in panic.
Eleanor's smile disappeared.
"Who gave you the right to decide who should or shouldn't inherit the barony?"
She disliked relying on status to crush people.
But sometimes...
It was necessary.
"You have no authority to interfere in the succession. Yet you slandered me through underhanded means."
Her gaze slowly swept across all four women.
"Who was it that eavesdropped on my conversation with Vanessa the day we returned from Levin?"
She already knew.
Still, she deliberately asked.
The maids exchanged nervous glances before giving Ivy a shove.
Stumbling forward, Ivy collapsed onto her knees.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, Miss!"
When she'd casually repeated what she'd overheard to Bianca...
She had never imagined things would come to this.
Even when Bianca began spreading rumors based on her words, Ivy had only been a little worried.
She had never truly feared consequences.
Because the Eleanor she knew...
Was gentle.
Calm.
And Lord Pomfury himself was known for his kindness.
She'd assumed a mistake like this would simply be overlooked.
"Do you know what His Majesty values most when choosing people?"
"N-No..."
"The weight of their words."
Eleanor's voice became cold.
"Whether their mouth is light... or heavy."
This wasn't a mistake.
It had been deliberate.
Eleanor could forgive accidents.
Intentional malice...
Never.
"Not only is your tongue incredibly loose, you spread things you merely overheard as though they were fact."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
"You deliberately defamed me."
Her smile sharpened.
"A maid who slanders her master's family... what use is someone like that?"
Ivy's face turned deathly pale.
"According to Imperial law, when a servant falsely accuses their master, the punishment is flogging, confiscation of all possessions, and expulsion."
The words Imperial law, flogging, and confiscation drained every last drop of color from Ivy's face.
She desperately grabbed the hem of Eleanor's skirt.
"Please forgive me, Miss! I have four family members depending on me!"
"Ivy."
"Y-Yes!"
"You actually have three."
Eleanor smiled sweetly.
"And every one of them earns their own living."
Ivy stared at her blankly.
Eleanor already knew that servants facing dismissal loved to exaggerate how many relatives depended on them.
She had investigated every one of them beforehand.
The servant with real dependents...
Wasn't Ivy.
It was Emily.
"Please forgive us!"
Emily dropped to her knees beside Ivy.
Five mouths depended on her wages.
Out of pity, Baron Pomfury had even paid her a higher salary than the other maids.
If she lost this job...
Her family would have nowhere to go.
"We were wrong. We won't do it again."
"Please forgive us."
Bianca and Daisy also fell to their knees, begging for mercy.
Eleanor looked down at the four women in silence.
Then she asked one quiet question.
"Does Vanessa know about this?"
