Chapter 23
“Yes? Well, the maids’ duties are entirely up to the head maid, but…”
It was such a random question. No, as a butler who had served the Grand Duke for years, it was an utterly incomprehensible, unprecedented question.
The division of duties among the maids?
The Grand Duke was a cold and indifferent master. He had never shown even the slightest interest in his employees. Though, that wasn’t unusual even among other nobles.
“Why are you suddenly asking that…?”
“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it—it’s not important.”
Seeing the butler’s puzzled expression, Heivan finally realized his mistake. That question hadn’t been like him. He waved his hand dismissively and picked up the documents he had just set down.
The perceptive butler wisely said nothing more and quietly returned to assisting him. While Heivan was grateful for that, he still felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest and let out a small sigh.
He didn’t know why, but a tinge of irritation flared inside him.
“Oh no, what do we do! All the laundry’s soaked!”
A red-haired maid pulled a piece of laundry from the basket Roze had brought and waved it in front of her.
“This is supposed to be washed? Huh? Roze, does this look like clean laundry to you?”
“It started pouring all of a sudden…”
Roze, arms trembling under the weight of the heavy basket, opened her mouth to respond. But the maid, clearly uninterested in her explanation, tossed the clothes back into the basket with a scornful scoff.
“You call that an excuse? If it looked like rain, you should’ve brought them in earlier. How can someone be so slow-witted?”
“You really are lucky. You’re good at nothing, yet somehow became the young lady’s personal maid.”
Another maid who’d been watching sneered with a pout. Roze, instead of protesting or getting angry at their sarcasm, simply pressed her lips together in silence.
“Anyway, get these rewashed properly—before the head maid finds out.”
The red-haired maid barked the order like a superior and left with the other maid. Only after they were gone did Roze lower the heavy basket to the floor.
She wasn’t unaware of the injustice. Laundry wasn’t even her responsibility—it was theirs. If one were to point fingers, it was clearly the maids who’d abandoned their duties.
But still…
“I have to finish before the lesson ends.”
With a sigh, Roze murmured to herself and glanced at the basket. It was heavy with clothes and now soaked with rainwater, making it even heavier. But more than the weight, she was worried about whether she could finish before Plita’s tutoring session ended.
‘Anyway, I’ll do as much as I can.’
Rather than stand around worrying, she decided to act. She heaved the basket up again. Fatigue clearly showed on her face.
Ever since entering the Grand Duke’s estate, incidents like this were constant. Whether it was hazing by the other maids or jealousy over Roze’s sudden appointment as the young lady’s personal maid, the treatment was clearly harassment.
Yet none of that mattered to Roze. She could have fought back, or complained to the head maid. But she chose to endure it all in silence.
…Because she didn’t have much time left to waste.
She hurried off toward the laundry room, needing to return before the child came looking for her after her lesson.
“Roze, where were you!”
Even though she’d hurried, she was still late. The moment she stepped into the room, the small child ran into her arms. Plita clung to her skirt and looked up, cheeks puffed out in a pout—clearly upset.
“I’m sorry, milady. I was doing something else…”
“But you’re my maid.”
Hmph! Plita pouted even harder. Roze smiled gently at the child’s sulking expression. Seeing that, Plita’s frown quickly melted into a giggle as she tugged on Roze’s hand.
“Come here, Roze!”
“What?”
“Come on!”
Plita glanced at the bedroom door and impatiently stomped her feet while tugging Roze forward. The child’s grip might not have been strong, but Roze still let herself be led.
“I waited so we could eat together!”
Plita shouted as she reached the table in the room and finally released Roze’s hand. Roze followed her gaze to the table, which was filled with all of Plita’s favorite sweets.
Chocolate biscuits topped with fruit jelly. Marzipan served with raspberry jam. Cute little cream puffs.
“Let’s eat before the nanny comes! Hurry!”
Plita once again glanced nervously at the door and tugged on Roze’s skirt. Roze now understood why the girl had been so anxious.
“I’m fine, milady.”
Roze smiled at the girl. She was touched that Plita had waited just to share the desserts with her. But that warm feeling had to remain in her heart. The child knew that too—hence her urgency before the nanny appeared.
“Eat with me! It’s really yummy! And the nanny’s not here right now, right?”
But Plita wasn’t about to give up. She kept tugging on Roze’s skirt with a pleading look. Roze looked at the child, flustered, and Plita’s lips began to tremble as if she might cry.
“…Alright. I’ll eat with you.”
Roze finally gave in. She couldn’t ignore the little girl’s kind heart any longer. The child must have waited, wanting to eat with her, and Roze couldn’t bear to disappoint her.
Suppressing a sigh, Roze nodded. Plita beamed, giggling as she grabbed Roze’s hand and pulled her to the table.
Roze sat Plita down and took the seat across from her. The child gleefully swung her legs and quickly picked up a fork to stab a cream puff.
“This one’s for you.”
Plita held out the fork toward Roze with her small, delicate hand.
…She remembered when that hand had been even smaller.
She remembered the tiny fingers of the newborn baby.
She remembered kissing each little fingertip in joy.
“How can something be so small?”
That day, lying in bed beside the baby, Heivan had stared in awe at Plita, murmuring those words.
She remembered the warm sunlight that had streamed onto the bed.
The softness of freshly dried sheets.
And Plita, nestled between her parents, yawning with her tiny mouth.
“Roze?”
“…Ah! Yes, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
Snapped out of her memories, Roze hurriedly took the fork and bit into the cream puff. The thin crust broke apart, releasing the sweet cream inside.
“Wow, it’s really delicious. It just melts in your mouth.”
Trying to hide her teary eyes, Roze exaggerated her delight. Plita, clearly pleased, puffed up her chest proudly.
“Right? Hehe, have more! Try the biscuits too!”
“You too, milady. Please eat.”
Plita was so excited that she forgot to eat herself and kept urging Roze to try everything. Roze gently stopped her and offered a cupcake topped with rose petals.
“Eating together is so much better! It’s way more delicious than eating alone! We should’ve done this from the start!”
Plita bounced in her seat, cheeks covered in cream. Roze smiled and wiped her mouth, but stopped at the child’s words.
“Roze, what’s wrong?”
Plita tilted her head in concern. Roze smiled again and, as if nothing had happened, finished wiping the girl’s face before speaking.
“Do you always eat alone? Even before I came?”
Now that she thought about it, Plita was always alone—except for breakfast with Heivan. She ate lunch and dinner alone. Even her dessert time was spent in solitude.
“Hmm? Uh… yeah.”
Plita answered casually, but Roze noticed how quickly the child blinked.
“I mean, um, I’m not a baby. I can eat by myself.”
She balled her tiny fists and spoke bravely. Normally Roze would have found her admirable—but not this time. Her face twisted in pain without her realizing it.
“I-It’s true. Really… sniff.”
Seeing Roze’s expression, Plita began to frown, her voice trembling. Roze quickly corrected herself, stood, and hugged the child in comfort. Though she managed to soothe the girl, her face didn’t brighten.
Plita was only five years old. Still at an age where she needed loving hands.
And those hands… should have been her parents’.
But instead, Plita had grown used to doing everything alone. She didn’t know the warmth of a parent’s embrace or what it was like to spend time with them.
‘Heivan… how could you…’
Roze bit her lip to suppress the rising resentment. Even without his memories, how could he be so indifferent to his own child?
