Chapter 15
The bluish tint of the sky had faded, now proudly boasting a warm orange glow.
Although Ella had not slept a wink since Diashi’s visit, she strangely felt light and refreshed.
The traces of illness still lingered on her face, yet the servants of the duke’s mansion warmly welcomed her for stepping outside her room for the first time in a while.
The first to rush over were Rina and Eve, who had been the most shocked when Ella collapsed.
“Madam! Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes. I heard from Ariane that you two were very worried about me, right?”
Her tone was playful, as though teasing children, but warmth lingered in her smile.
“It’s true. We were really scared.”
“Please don’t get sick again, Madam.”
Seeing the deep worry on their faces, a gentle smile spread across Ella’s lips.
“Then I guess I can’t afford to get sick—if only for your sakes.”
“It’s a promise!”
“Alright. Thank you for worrying about me.”
After Rina and Eve left, the head maid, Roze, and the head butler, Lane, came one after another to check on Ella’s condition.
And not only them—servants and even knights whose names she didn’t know would stop to ask after her whenever they met her.
It seemed that everyone in Duke Myers’s household had been concerned for her while she was ill.
She recalled the peach purée too. She had once casually told Ariane that she liked peaches.
After that, she had never mentioned peaches to anyone, yet somehow the servants had prepared peach purée for her, as if they had known.
Did Ariane tell them?
Ella felt awkward about this kindness. Peaches were not impossible to get this season, but they were certainly hard to find.
Still, the peach purée was welcome, especially since she had struggled to eat other foods.
But it didn’t have to be peaches—any fruit purée would have been fine.
Even so, they had gone out of their way to make it from her favorite fruit.
She couldn’t truly understand why they treated her so kindly.
Why go to such lengths for me? Was it because of the incident with Rina and Eve?
The only thing she could think of that might have earned her such praise was the way she had treated those two.
But that was just Ella’s misunderstanding.
She had never acted kindly as a calculated move to impress anyone—so she didn’t realize that her natural behavior had already made people view her positively.
As the young lady of the de Meyer family, and soon to be Duchess Myers, she greeted everyone with a smile.
The effect of a smile was greater than one might think. Moreover, Ella treated even those of lower status without discrimination.
If she had something good, she wanted to share it. If she had delicious food, she wanted others to enjoy it with her.
She was gentle with servants younger than herself and respectful to those older.
Her considerate nature had been there since the very first day she came here—and it never changed.
Who could possibly dislike such a person?
The incident with Rina and Eve only fanned the flames of her already glowing reputation.
A duchess’s dress was worth as much as a dozen maids’ annual salaries.
Yet when dirt got on hers, Ella hadn’t even raised her voice, let alone gotten angry.
On top of that, she had rolled up her sleeves to her elbows and planted flowers alongside them.
Servants who caught a glimpse of that scene had all widened their eyes and thought the same thing:
My goodness… to think such a person is our madam…!
Ella’s kindness came entirely from her innate nature, though she herself didn’t realize it.
Like a natural law, everyone in the mansion had grown fond of her, and now they were all happy to see her out again.
Everyone—except one person.
Diashi Russell Myers, master of the house.
It wasn’t that Ella was waiting for him, but she was curious when he would return, having been summoned by the Pope at dawn.
Perhaps her curiosity showed.
Though she hadn’t asked about his whereabouts, Ariane quietly approached her and whispered:
“His Grace hasn’t returned since he left early this morning.”
For a brief moment, surprise flickered over Ella’s face.
…Do I look like I’m waiting for him?
Pondering over her own behavior, she soon shook her head.
Ariane must be misunderstanding, thinking my relationship with him is good.
Well, that misunderstanding might actually be useful for her future plans.
So Ella didn’t bother correcting Ariane and headed for the dining hall instead.
The head chef had pleaded with her earlier to please come eat.
Apparently convinced she would come, the table was set with enough food to feed three grown men.
Ella’s expression turned awkward at the sight.
“I can’t eat this much.”
“You must! You have to eat it all!”
Appearing beside her without her noticing, Roze spoke in a serious tone and led her to a chair.
When Ella didn’t scold her, other servants in the room gained courage and chimed in.
“That’s right! You’re already slim, but you’ve lost too much weight in just a few days.”
“Of course! You’ve hardly eaten anything except peach purée lately!”
“You must eat at least half! You can’t leave until you do!”
Encouraged by their agreement, Roze looked triumphant.
“Haa…”
Ella found herself seated at the table, gazing reluctantly at the food before her.
Most of it was light and easy on the stomach—clearly chosen to be gentle on her after days without proper meals.
She sighed softly and took a spoonful of soup.
Instantly, all eyes in the room fixed on her.
Even the head chef, pretending not to watch from the kitchen, was nervously awaiting her reaction.
Ella felt the weight of their stares.
I can’t give you the reaction you want…
She hid a wry smile, lowering her head slightly so they wouldn’t notice.
The truth was—she couldn’t taste anything.
Ever since losing her parents and being imprisoned in Mason’s house.
Even the bread she’d forced down before her death had no flavor—but at the time, she hadn’t thought much of it.
Given the situation, she hadn’t cared about taste at all. In fact, she hadn’t even realized she couldn’t taste.
But even after waking in this unfamiliar body, nothing had changed.
Whether eating the rare food Ariane procured at the de Meyer estate or the fine meals at the Myers mansion—there was no flavor.
It’s probably the result of all the shocks I’ve been through.
She had never felt sad about losing her sense of taste—after all, appetite had been a luxury since losing her parents.
So she had made no effort to recover it, assuming time would heal it.
But now, faced with the eager eyes around her, her mouth felt uncomfortably dry.
Swallowing hard, Ella forced a bright smile.
“Wow. This is delicious.”
At those long-awaited words, the servants’ faces lit up.
Ariane, who had been watching her most closely, beamed and offered more dishes.
“Really? Then please try this too, Madam!”
“Thank you.”
Though she didn’t want to, Ella couldn’t refuse their kindness, and so she pushed herself to eat more—forcing down mouthfuls with sips of water whenever they stuck in her throat.
Enduring their constant, affectionate stares, she finally finished the meal and returned to her room looking exhausted.
Her chest ached. She discreetly pressed a fist to her sternum and told Ariane,
“I’m tired. Prepare my bath—I’ll sleep right after.”
“Yes, Madam!”
Unaware of Ella’s true feelings, Ariane answered brightly, happy simply that Ella had eaten more than usual.
Ella sank into warm water at just the right temperature, satisfaction showing on her face.
The more time she spent with Ariane, the more she liked her.
She never overstepped, and she was quick to pick up on Ella’s thoughts.
Even now—though Ella had no memory of it, her body still bore scars from Lillia and Logan’s abuse before she inhabited it.
Since Ariane bathed her daily, she must have seen those scars often.
Yet she had never once asked or commented about them.
It was the proper decorum for a maid—but not all maids possessed it.
Even without words, certain reactions could still be felt.
If Ariane had flinched whenever she saw the scars, Ella would have grown self-conscious about showing her body.
But Ariane acted naturally, as if the scars didn’t exist, and that pleased Ella.
That sense of satisfaction lasted until after the bath, when Ariane dressed her in a slip-style nightgown and dried her hair.
Perhaps the warm water had helped—her tight, heavy chest felt a little lighter now.
Unfortunately, the magic circuits damaged by the restraints remained as they were.
After checking her bed, Ariane gestured with both hands.
“Madam, please lie here. Since you’re still not fully recovered, I’ve prepared a thicker blanket than usual.”
“Thank you, Ariane.”
“Hehe. It’s nothing.”
Ella smiled at the blushing maid.
After that, Ariane said she would sleep in the servants’ quarters for the night and left.
Once she was gone, Ella lay awake, her expression unreadable.
Then—
Knock, knock.
An uninvited guest arrived, ready to sweep away all the satisfaction she had felt until now.
