“...Greetings, Lady Lucerte.”
The great Lady Cecilia of House Lucerte had personally requested me as her attendant maid—there was no way I could refuse.
And so, I ended up reassigned to the guest annex.
Before I knew it, I was already bowing politely before Cecilia.
“Raise your head.”
The Cecilia I met again today was every bit the elegant noble lady.
There wasn’t even a trace left of the red, tear-swollen eyes she’d had the day before.
“Take this.”
Cecilia suddenly held something out to me.
Without thinking, I accepted it and widened my eyes.
‘This is…’
It was the cardigan I had lent her.
But then—
‘Huh?’
Something hard and round brushed against my fingers inside the cardigan pocket.
I pulled the object out.
A silver round coin gleamed brightly in my palm.
“M-Miss… this silver coin is…?”
Startled, I looked up.
Cecilia shrugged with a composed expression.
“It’s repayment for lending me the cardigan. I have at least that much decency.”
Good heavens, this lady is unbelievably generous…
One silver coin was nearly two full days’ wages!
Carefully cupping the silver coin in both hands, I looked at Cecilia with moved eyes.
At the same time, Cecilia spoke calmly.
“Listen carefully. From now on, you are my attendant maid.”
Her serious tone made me immediately straighten my posture.
“You’ll serve me until I leave Baron Trancier’s territory.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Remain by my side every day. Unless I specifically send you on an errand, do not leave the guest annex.”
“Understood.”
I obediently nodded.
At least one fortunate thing was that the rest of the Lucerte family was staying in the main mansion with the Trancier family.
Cecilia alone was using the guest annex.
‘If I’m careful, maybe I can avoid running into the ducal family altogether.’
I tried to think positively—but only for a moment.
‘…So Cecilia’s living apart from her family all by herself.’
For some reason, I suddenly felt a little sorry for her.
After all, the original story described in painful detail just how desperately she tried to earn her family’s love.
Then Cecilia suddenly turned to look directly at me.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been glancing at me this whole time.”
Hmm, I guess I’d made her misunderstand something.
Still, there really was something I was curious about.
“If it’s not rude of me to ask, may I ask one thing?”
After hesitating briefly, I carefully spoke.
“Why me, specifically?”
“What do you mean?”
“To be honest, I’ve never served someone of high status before. Wouldn’t it be much easier for you to choose a more experienced maid instead…?”
I mean, really.
Why me of all people?
If she needed an attendant maid, there had to be countless better-trained servants in either the ducal household or the baron’s estate.
At my question, Cecilia’s previously expressionless face stiffened slightly.
Seeing that reaction—as though I’d hit the mark—
I suddenly felt like I understood why she’d selected me.
‘Don’t tell me… she wants to keep an eye on me?’
So this is where the heroine’s meticulous personality starts showing itself!
At the same time, Cecilia shot back sharply,
“How am I supposed to trust you?”
“Well…”
“What if you start spreading rumors to the other maids that I was crying?”
So that was it after all.
She wanted to keep me close and monitor me.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure it was something she needed to worry about that much.
But still, if it helped Cecilia feel at ease…
“I understand, Miss.”
“......”
I bowed my head once more.
Cecilia narrowed her eyes and abruptly muttered,
“You really are carefree.”
“Huh?”
“I’m openly saying I suspect you. Doesn’t that make you angry?”
Her voice was sharp as a needle.
But those turquoise eyes still couldn’t properly meet mine.
…Was it just my imagination, or did she seem like a child afraid of being disliked?
“No, I’m not angry.”
“...What?”
Cecilia blinked her long eyelashes in confusion.
I shrugged lightly.
“You were in a very difficult situation yesterday, Miss. Of course, you did threaten me to keep quiet, but even then, I can understand why you’d still feel anxious.”
“T-That’s…”
“So please don’t worry too much. I’ll do my best not to cause you any distress.”
I smiled brightly to reassure her.
For a moment, Cecilia simply stared at me blankly before murmuring softly,
“Come to think of it, you have blonde hair and green eyes too.”
“Huh?”
Why was she suddenly talking about my hair and eye color?
I tilted my head in confusion.
At the same time, Cecilia muttered something very quietly under her breath.
“...pretty.”
Hm? What did she just say?
Realizing she’d spoken unconsciously, Cecilia quickly stiffened her expression again and issued her very first order.
“I’m thirsty. I want orange juice.”
“Yes, I’ll bring it right away.”
Nodding, I immediately headed toward the kitchen.
Clink.
Ice shifted gently inside the glass of orange juice.
Tiny droplets of condensation formed on the cold surface.
‘Milena, was it?’
Without even touching the orange juice, Cecilia quietly watched Milena standing in the distance.
Her turquoise eyes narrowed with complicated emotions.
‘…She’s really strange.’
Yesterday, the rest of the family had gone off together to enjoy the hot springs, leaving Cecilia behind alone.
The duke and duchess, who ignored her as though it were natural.
And even Brother Elias, who coldly drew the line between them.
“You must be tired, so you don’t need to come with us.”
It was familiar. She hadn’t expected anything anyway.
But then—
“Ah, h-hello, Duke! Duchess!”
The Trancier baron’s daughter had greeted them awkwardly.
“Oh my, Daisy. That’s not the proper greeting.”
“Haah. We spoiled our daughter too much, so she still has many shortcomings. Please look kindly upon her.”
The Baron and Baroness Trancier lovingly fussed over their daughter.
Watching that warm scene had forced Cecilia to painfully realize her own situation all over again.
So she had hidden herself away in the quiet backyard and finally let out the tears she’d been holding back.
And of all people, Milena had caught her crying.
Honestly, Cecilia had been deeply flustered.
But Milena’s reaction had been completely unlike everyone else’s.
“Let’s say the person crying in the backyard today was me, not you, Miss.”
Saying that, she’d taken off her own cardigan and wrapped it around Cecilia.
The warmth lingering in the cardigan had felt incredibly comforting.
‘Even after recognizing who I was… she didn’t laugh at me.’
The people around Cecilia had never behaved like that before.
Outwardly, everyone smiled sweetly at her, but behind the scenes they constantly scrutinized her every move.
As though testing her, wondering just how far she could manage to go.
And whenever Cecilia showed even the slightest trait unbefitting a “Lady of House Lucerte,” they openly mocked her.
“Well, I expected as much.”
“She’s not the real young lady after all, is she?”
“You can’t hide low-born origins.”
Occasionally, there were people who tried to grow close to her.
But none of them were truly interested in “Cecilia” herself.
What they wanted was simply a connection to “Lady Lucerte.”
In truth, Cecilia already knew that.
She was only a decorative stand-in for the real daughter.
And therefore, shallow feelings like those were the only things she was ever allowed to have.
That was why every word Milena spoke felt so unfamiliar.
“When one person helps another, there doesn’t have to be some grand reason behind it, right?”
The moment Cecilia heard those words, embarrassingly enough, her eyes had started burning with tears again.
Normally, if a servant noticed Cecilia looking close to tears, they would panic as though the sky were falling.
But Milena was different again this time too.
“Then may I leave now? I should probably get back to cleaning soon.”
Milena didn’t ignore Cecilia.
Nor did she desperately try to flatter her.
With a gentle yet calm attitude, she maintained just enough distance so Cecilia wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
That’s right.
In front of that girl, Cecilia didn’t feel like the substitute daughter of the Lucerte family…
She simply felt like a person.
But—
‘Forget it. Even so, her attitude will change soon enough.’
Cecilia shook her head cynically.
Everyone had always been like that.
‘Don’t expect anything.’
After settling her thoughts, Cecilia finally took a sip of the juice.
The refreshing sweetness of the orange juice spread through her mouth.
‘She’s really strange.’
Even though Cecilia held not a single expectation toward her.
Even though she knew very well that this girl would eventually become just like everyone else.
…Still, somehow, it didn’t feel bad.