“They’re all busy.”
“Then… is Brother busy too?”
“Of course.”
Madam Howard firmly drew the line.
Then she added smugly,
“Well, perhaps if you tried a little harder, your family would naturally start seeking you out, Miss.”
“T-That…”
“I’ve told you over and over again, haven’t I? The honorable daughter of House Lucerte must be perfect in every regard.”
Cecilia fell silent.
Madam Howard slowly curved her eyes into a smile.
It was a smile brimming with malice.
“‘The real Cecilia’ was truly angelic…”
“......”
“If you wish to fill even a fraction of her absence, shouldn’t you at least become a refined lady?”
Cecilia bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
At the same time, Madam Howard glanced toward me.
“And who exactly is this ill-mannered child glaring at her superiors?”
At that moment, my head went completely white with anger.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Well, personally, I don’t think you’re in any position to say that.”
“What?”
“I mean, you clicked your tongue right in front of the young lady you serve.”
Tilting my head crookedly, I continued,
“Do you really have the right to call me disrespectful?”
“How dare you speak to me like that?!”
Madam Howard’s face twisted like a demon’s.
“Milena, stop—”
Unable to bear it anymore, Cecilia hurriedly tried to interrupt.
But at that exact moment—
Madam Howard suddenly raised her hand high.
“You insolent little brat who doesn’t know her place!”
Hearing that shrill scream, I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut.
But even after several seconds passed, the pain I expected never came.
‘Huh?’
Slowly opening my eyes, I stared in silent shock.
Because Cecilia was gripping Madam Howard’s wrist tightly.
“M-Miss?”
Madam Howard called out in disbelief.
Cecilia straightened the body she’d instinctively shrunk back moments earlier and stood tall.
Her turquoise eyes looked directly at Madam Howard.
“She’s the attendant maid I personally chose, Nanny.”
At that moment, I noticed it.
Cecilia’s slender shoulders were trembling violently.
“I… know I’m lacking in many ways. But.”
Cecilia forced herself to finish.
“She’s my person. If anyone punishes her, it’ll be me.”
“......”
I knew exactly how much pressure Cecilia must be feeling right now.
The original story described it countless times.
How deeply Cecilia had been controlled by every single word from her nanny.
How terrified she was that Madam Howard might say something bad about her to the duke, duchess, or Elias—
And that her family would hate her because of it.
Yet even so—
‘She stepped forward for my sake.’
A strange feeling rose inside me.
Frustration, guilt, gratitude, pity—all tangled together into something impossible to describe.
Meanwhile, Madam Howard stared at Cecilia in shock.
And understandably so.
Up until now, Cecilia had almost never openly defied her nanny.
“Miss. Of course, I understand that choosing your personal maid is ultimately your decision.”
Madam Howard spoke in a soothing tone.
“However, shouldn’t you at least seek advice from your elders before bringing someone into your service?”
“......That…”
“In my opinion, it’s precisely this kind of selfishness from you…”
Looking disapprovingly at Cecilia, Madam Howard finally let out a deep sigh.
“…that causes the Duchess to feel distant from you.”
At those words, Cecilia’s face darkened like a sky covered in storm clouds.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t even hide my disbelief.
‘What kind of absurd nonsense is that?!’
Unable to hold back any longer, I unconsciously opened my mouth again.
“What exactly is that supposed to—”
“Milena.”
But before I could finish, Cecilia called my name firmly.
I looked at her with trembling eyes.
“Miss…”
“You should go inside first.”
“But—!”
“Now.”
Cecilia urged again.
I clamped my mouth shut.
Honestly, I wanted to snap back at Madam Howard at least once more.
But when I saw Cecilia’s completely shaken turquoise eyes, I couldn’t keep arguing.
“Yes, Miss.”
In the end, I quietly stepped back.
Because somehow, I felt like I understood how Cecilia felt.
In her own way, she was trying to protect me.
And also—
‘…She probably doesn’t want me seeing her cower in front of someone.’
No matter what, Cecilia was still the empire’s one and only young lady of House Lucerte.
Having someone witness her being scolded by her nanny would inevitably wound her pride.
Yet she couldn’t openly rebuke Madam Howard either.
Because—
‘She’s afraid of being disliked by the duke, duchess, and Elias.’
That was exactly how it had been in the original story.
Madam Howard constantly drove wedges between Cecilia and the Lucerte family, badly damaging Cecilia’s reputation.
‘Still… do I really have to just stand there and let her take this?’
At that moment, my gaze drifted toward the third-floor balcony of the annex.
‘Wait a second.’
My eyes gleamed wickedly.
If I play this right…?
After Milena left,
Madam Howard only became even more overbearing as she continued pressing Cecilia.
“Miss. How long do you intend to continue acting so immaturely?”
“......”
“You simply stood there and watched your maid behave rudely toward me! The faults of one’s servants reflect the shortcomings of their master. Do you intend to disappoint the family forever?”
“......”
“No wonder the Duke and Duchess avoid you!”
At that moment, Cecilia’s shoulders jerked stiffly as though struck by a whip.
Madam Howard muttered deliberately loudly enough for her to hear.
“‘The real Cecilia’ would have handled things far more wisely.”
At that instant, Cecilia barely managed to swallow down the burning emotion rising into her throat.
Would anything really change if I tried harder?
Mother, Father, even Brother…
None of them have ever truly looked at me even once.
How long do I have to keep struggling and begging for someone to notice me?
No… if only they would at least answer my pleas…
And then—
Suddenly, two arms holding a bucket appeared over the third-floor balcony.
Splash!
With a refreshing crash, filthy dirty water poured downward.
And every last drop landed squarely on Madam Howard.
“KYAAAAAH!”
Gone was the woman who constantly lectured others about maintaining elegance and dignity.
Madam Howard screamed loudly enough to shake the entire annex.
“W-What is this?!”
Unfortunately, some of the dirty water had splashed into her eyes, leaving her unable to open them properly.
With her eyes squeezed tightly shut, she shrieked furiously,
“Who did this?! Who dares do such a thing?!”
Black murky water dripped from her entire body.
Her neatly styled hair was completely ruined, and her luxurious dress was soaked and filthy.
“Miss! Did you happen to see who did this?!”
Cecilia’s lips twitched.
Then she subtly glanced toward the third-floor balcony from the corner of her eye.
“…No, I didn’t.”
She answered with a perfectly innocent expression.