WBESFL 20

When the gloves sent by the Countess finally arrived, Elinor had Lisa summon the servants all at once.

Only the ones who had been friendly or neutral toward her.

“Wh-What’s going on?”

“Why would the lady call for us?”

They gathered in front of Elinor, bewildered and a little nervous.

Given the prevailing tension among the servants recently—especially those acting disrespectfully toward the lady—they were anxious about being singled out.

“Do you know why I called you today?”

“N-No… What brings you to call for us…?”

Facing Elinor up close, they all shrank in guilt.

Dressed in a soft pink gown, Elinor exuded a noble air that overwhelmed the crowd.

“I’ve called you because I have a gift for you.”

“…A gift?”

They had expected a scolding or punishment, not a gift, so everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Elinor gave Lisa a gentle smile and a nod.

Lisa and Anna, who stood beside her, began handing out gift boxes—each containing a pair of gloves.

“Wh-What is this, my lady?” asked Sally, standing at the front, eyes wide like lanterns.

“Open it.”

With Elinor’s permission, they opened the boxes and gasped in surprise.

“Wow…”

Inside were elegant summer gloves made of high-quality fabric—light, breathable, and absorbent.

“Even in summer, working too much can hurt your hands, right? I was worried, so I prepared these. And to avoid any hard feelings, I made sure everyone received the same kind.”

To unite people, more than generosity, they needed to feel a sense of belonging—something unique to their group.

Elinor chose gloves as the symbol of that unity.

It was a visible and aspirational item, often used by noble ladies and gentlemen—something the servants admired and could now wear daily.

Jewels could be sold off, but gloves were luxurious yet not overly valuable—ideal for flattering pride without encouraging theft.

“See? I have the same pair,” Elinor said, raising her gloved hand.

She wore the same soft pink gloves as the others.

“M-My lady…”

“How could you give something so precious to us…”

A few maids spoke in voices thick with emotion. Though the men’s gloves differed slightly in design, the symbolism of the lady wearing the same gloves moved them.

Just as they had been swept up in Bianca’s rumors, they were now swept up by Elinor’s gesture.

“I heard you were interested in my gloves, so I prepared these. But if you don’t like them, feel free to leave them behind. I know wearing the same thing as me might feel burdensome…”

Elinor added a wistful smile.

Her indirect mention of being ostracized stirred a quiet guilt among them.

“No, my lady! I’ll treasure these!”

Sally, who had secretly liked Elinor even from the beginning, immediately responded.

And then she said something even Elinor hadn’t expected.

“I’m sorry. You’ve been so kind to us, and yet… I did nothing when Bianca spread those awful rumors.”

Of course, Sally was able to say this because, like Anna, she already had some affection toward Elinor.

But Elinor didn’t miss this golden opportunity.

“I knew, Sally.”

Sally jumped and looked at Elinor, startled—not sure whether she was more surprised that Elinor knew about Bianca or that she knew her name.

Elinor, having learned their names in advance through Lisa, approached and took Sally’s hand.

“Thank you for being honest and apologizing. I understand—it happens. Everyone makes mistakes.”

Elinor had always been lenient, but she had learned this strategy—gaining loyalty through forgiveness—from Lydia, the story’s heroine.

Lydia had genuine compassion, and she inspired her servants. Elinor, even if she couldn’t match that impact, could at least plant the seed of a merciful image.

In the rumors, Elinor was a vicious noblewoman who looked down on the people of the estate as backwater bumpkins.

“Regardless of the barony, I want to get along with you all,” she said softly.

The servants’ eyes sparkled with newfound warmth.

‘Good, the carrot worked.’

Time for the stick.

Elinor smiled sweetly at them.

Only half the castle’s servants received the same gloves.

At first, they hesitated to wear them. But seeing others wear theirs—and those without looking envious—eventually encouraged them to show off their gloves.

Even better, wearing gloves meant they couldn’t do heavy cleaning tasks anymore and were reassigned to easier jobs.

Elinor had gifted gloves to the head maid and butler as well—both of whom had authority to reassign staff—winning their favor.

By giving them a sense of belonging, she broke down their emotional barriers, allowing such favoritism to happen.

Servants who had sided with Vanessa were now assigned to labor-intensive tasks like chopping wood and hauling loads.

Maids were tasked with toilet cleaning, laundry, and floor scrubbing—chores that damaged hands.

Naturally, their resentment sharpened, and much of it was aimed squarely at Elinor.

The more direct anger came from the maids—understandable, as they were closer to the lady.

“Just because she came from the capital, she thinks she’s all that?”

Physical labor dulled the mind, and gossip became the only relief.

And so began the backbiting.

“Did you see her smile like nothing happened? So fake!”

“Such a sly fox!”

“We’re supposed to give up the barony to her?!”

Elinor listened quietly from behind a wall.

‘When should I step out?’

You had to strike with the whip at just the right moment.

“When you’re most hurt.”

“I heard she got kicked out of the capital because of a man.”

One of the three maids mopping the hallway declared boldly.

Elinor was impressed by the confidence—so sure they wouldn’t be caught in this remote wing she rarely visited.

‘Just a little more…’

The gossip grew more crude.

“I heard her name showed up in all kinds of tabloids—because of some guy!”

“Shouldn’t we tell the lord?”

“Exactly! What if she sells off the land or the title for some man?!”

Elinor peeked around the corner, confirming the speakers: Bianca—the one who spread the rumor, Grace—who slammed her glass down, Emily—who mocked Elinor openly, and Ivy—neutral, but started the rumor.

She decided to wait for just one more line.

“The lady can’t become baroness. It should be someone like—”

“If not me, then who?”

Elinor cut Bianca off and stepped out from behind the wall.

All four froze at the sound of her voice—and went pale when they saw her face.

“If not me, then who?”

“A-A-A-My lady…”

Ivy, the most timid of the bunch, trembled.

You can insult the emperor when he’s not around, but even a bug can’t be cursed when present.

They had insulted their potential future lord right to her face.

The four looked like they were about to faint.

“Why so quiet? You were so chatty just now.”

“Th-That’s…”

Bianca suddenly lifted her head and met Elinor’s gaze—shockingly bold.

“I apologize for saying bad things behind your back.”

“So bold,” Elinor said, smiling coldly.

Despite the words, Bianca’s face showed no regret.

Of course. Elinor never expected a real apology. If they’d truly thought it through, they wouldn’t have dared badmouth a noble lady so brazenly.

“But you did favor some of the maids!”

Bianca shouted in frustration.

“We were so angry and upset by the unfair treatment!”

So that’s what it was—resentment.

Elinor tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.

“I discriminated against you? Why would I do that?”

She gave a sweet smile.

Bianca’s face twisted.

“I never did such a thing.”

“Don’t lie.”

“Aren’t you just mistaken? Like… being paranoid or something.”

Eleanor deliberately used a provocative word, and as expected, Bianca, who was quick to anger, immediately exploded.

“Paranoid?! This is about you blaming us for spreading rumors after overhearing your conversation with Lady Vanessa!”

Bianca’s biggest flaw was her excessive emotionality. She easily got swept away by the emotions of the moment.

“What rumors?”

Eleanor widened her eyes innocently and asked again.

“What rumors did you spread about me?”

Bianca, who was convinced Eleanor was retaliating because of that matter, faltered. She realized her mistake far too late.

She should’ve denied it flatly no matter who questioned her, but she had blurted it out in a fit of anger.

“W-Well…”

Eleanor narrowed her eyes at Bianca, who was mumbling, and began calculating.

If she pressed further and directly asked what rumors, Bianca—now slightly more composed—would likely not confess so easily.

So, Eleanor pretended not to know anything to make Bianca say it herself again.

“Seems like some strange, fake rumor about me is going around. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never done anything like that. I guess I’ll have to shut the servants’ mouths.”

To Bianca—who had already convinced herself the rumor was true—those words sounded like Eleanor was trying to suppress the truth.

“I’ll have to make sure no one ever dares to bring it up again.”

So no one can speak again.

Eleanor spoke clearly and dramatically, aiming to provoke Bianca once more.

The three maids watching from a step back held their breath, fearing Bianca might make another mistake.

They wanted to pull Bianca away immediately, but Eleanor’s icy gaze pinned them in place.

It was a silent warning: if you move, you’ll be next. The three maids could only tremble in fear.

“…This is unfair.”

Despite their desperate prayers that she’d stay quiet, Bianca, thoroughly provoked, clenched her teeth and muttered.

“What else is unfair now?”

Eleanor crossed her arms and raised her chin, as if daring her to speak. Bianca’s eyes lit with fury.

Once again—Bianca’s greatest flaw was her emotional nature.

If she had been more level-headed, she would never have dared to spread rumors or act arrogantly toward the lord’s niece.

“Lady Vanessa was supposed to be the heir, but it’s so unfair that she got pushed aside because of you!”

But Bianca was emotional. And so, right in front of Eleanor, she made the grave mistake of talking about succession.

“And you tried to push Lady Vanessa out so cruelly! If you hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t have done this either!”

As her voice echoed through the hallway, the atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Seeing Eleanor stare at her with icy eyes, Bianca flinched.

“If you’re going to eavesdrop like a rat, you should at least listen properly.”

Eleanor walked toward her without making a sound and stopped right in front of Bianca’s face.

Bianca cowered slightly under her tall frame and the noble aura radiating from Eleanor.

“You say Vanessa was pushed aside because of me… but has the lord ever said that Vanessa was the heir?”

Eleanor was nearly certain the answer was no. If that had happened, her aunt would’ve told her beforehand.

As expected, Bianca couldn’t say a word.

“He hasn’t, has he?”

“……”

“If the lord never said Vanessa would be heir, but you all assumed she was anyway… isn’t that, in imperial terms, the same as treason?”

As Bianca’s eyes widened in shock, Eleanor smiled sweetly.

“That would mean you were backing Vanessa to steal the lord’s position.”

“N-No, that’s not true!”

Bianca jumped up and denied it, but Eleanor’s cold gaze held no trace of a smile.

“Do you think you have the right to decide who should or shouldn’t be the heir?”

She wasn’t a fan of enforcing authority with hierarchy, but when necessary, it had to be used.

“You have no right to speak on matters of nobility. And yet, you tried to defame me in such a lowly way. Who was it that eavesdropped on my conversation with Vanessa the day I returned from Levin?”

Even though she already knew, Eleanor deliberately looked over each of the four girls one by one.

The maids glanced around nervously, and finally someone nudged the trembling Ivy.

Staggering forward, Ivy dropped to her knees.

“I’m sorry! Please forgive me, my lady!”

When she had gossiped to Bianca, Ivy never imagined it would come to this.

Even when Bianca had spread the rumors based on what she’d heard, Ivy had felt a little uneasy but not enough to stop it.

Because she had never imagined Eleanor would react this way!

To Ivy, Eleanor had always seemed like a gentle and calm young lady. Besides, her master, Baron Pompri, was a lenient noble, so she thought this mistake would be overlooked.

“Do you know what His Majesty the Emperor values most when choosing people?”

“N-No…”

“He weighs the words they speak. Whether their mouth is light or heavy.”

But this wasn’t a mistake—it was intentional. And Eleanor did not tolerate intentional misconduct.

“You not only had a light mouth, but you spread things that weren’t even true, claiming you heard them.”

“I’m sorry, I truly am…”

“In effect, you slandered me, didn’t you? A maid who slanders her master’s family… is that kind of person useful?”

Eleanor gave a cold smile.

“According to imperial law, if a servant slanders their master, they are to be flogged, stripped of everything, and expelled.”

At the mention of imperial law, flogging, and confiscation, Ivy turned pale and clung to Eleanor’s dress.

“My lady, please forgive me. I have four family members to support!”

“Ivy.”