Chapter 27………………………………………
“Young Madam!”
“Have your legs turned to stone?”
“……!”
The gatekeeper belatedly dropped to his knees with a thud.
“So now that you’ve confirmed who I am, I may enter, yes?”
He shoved his head down against the ground.
“I—I have committed a grave offense. I never imagined you would return without notice in such a shabby carriage… Th-then, um… where is the young duke?”
At the icy glare that returned, the gatekeeper slammed his slightly raised face back down.
“Do I have to report every little thing to you? I, Idel ‘Cassius’?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Then stop babbling and open the gate.”
“I will open it immediately!”
Without even having time to wipe the dirt from his forehead and nose, he scrambled up and hurried to operate the main gate.
As the gates opened, Idel glanced inside and asked,
“Where is everyone? I don’t see even a single ant crawling around.”
“They have all gone to attend Lord Percy’s birthday banquet currently being held in the grand hall.”
“Tch.”
Idel clicked her tongue.
“So after whipping Laura and driving her out, they’re throwing themselves a damn dog’s birthday party?”
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the word “bastard” had been flying around a lot today. The gatekeeper, burdened with guilt, felt as though he might die of fear.
“Is the grand hall far from here?”
It was the masked man who asked.
“No. Since outsiders come and go there often, it’s just up ahead.”
“Then we won’t need a guide. Please, get in.”
Soon, the man and woman climbed into the carriage, and the gatekeeper flattened himself to the ground once again.
“My deepest apologies once more!”
He was uneasy about who that strange man might be, and whether it was truly alright to allow him into the castle, but he dared not open his mouth.
Though he was only a low-ranking servant and had rarely encountered her, this was the first time he had ever seen the young madam so furious. She usually kept such a low profile within the family that he had thought of her as someone with little presence at all.
“Pfft.”
As he remained in his pathetic posture until the carriage disappeared, he thought he faintly heard the coachman’s mocking laughter.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Banquet Hall of Cassius Castle
“Lord Percy, happy birthday!”
“Congratulations!”
The birthday party for Riena’s pet dog, Percy, was in full swing.
The congratulatory song had ended, and the servants were just about to make Percy blow out the candles on his cake—
BANG!
Suddenly, the banquet hall doors flew open, and the gust of wind from outside extinguished the candles.
“What the—!”
The servants turned to see which clueless latecomer had ruined the most important moment—
And their faces drained in horror.
“Y-Young Madam!”
“How could you be here…?”
“I thought the young duke said he would remain in the capital…”
Watching their reactions—so completely unaware—I became certain.
It seemed the commotion over our divorce still hadn’t reached Cassius Castle.
Given Leandro’s pride, he likely hadn’t bothered to spread such shameful news to distant servants.
And no one here would be reading third-rate gossip papers from the capital.
Rumors passed by word of mouth were also tightly controlled—limited only to the upper circles of the capital because of the Cassius family’s influence.
I slowly swept my gaze across the room.
Among the flustered servants, a single dog wagged its tail at me, and beside it stood an awkward servant holding a small box.
Just as I expected.
The necessary piece for the plan I’d been forming on the way here was already in place.
I turned my head slightly and asked behind me,
“Are you alright?”
“Y-yes! I’m fine. I begged to come along!”
Laura stepped forward from behind me.
Originally, I intended to leave her in town.
It had only been a few days since she’d been harshly mistreated here, and I didn’t want to drag someone as soft-hearted as her back into this place.
But once she learned I was returning to Cassius, Laura insisted on following.
“My lady values me so much… I can’t just stay still. And I won’t keep letting them walk all over me!”
Though I tried my best to protect her, the pressure she’d endured from Cassius servants had quietly lit a small flame in her eyes.
She was no longer the woman who only endured in silence out of fear of conflict.
It was a good change.
Just as I had decided to divorce, Laura was changing too.
With raised brows, I glared at the servants gathered around the long table and asked her,
“So… who was it that not only tried to hang a portrait in my room without permission, but also ran straight to the head maid to tattle on you?”
Laura lifted a trembling finger and pointed out three maids among them.
“Come forward.”
The three maids hesitated, glancing around, before slowly approaching me.
“Did I ever ask you to hang a portrait in my room before I left?”
The maid with short hair—seemingly the leader—answered,
“…No.”
“Then is there some law in Cassius that allows a mere maid to rearrange the mistress’s room however she pleases?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why did you try to hang a portrait there?”
“I thought you would be pleased, my lady…!”
“That is not for you to decide.”
Most people in Cassius were like this.
Thinking back, perhaps it wasn’t strange that Riena truly believed everyone in the world must adore her.
These Riena fanatics.
Not only the Duke of Cassius and her two brothers—
Nearly everyone surrounding Riena was convinced that others must love her too.
How could anyone with eyes and a sane mind not love such an adorable creature?
That kind of thinking ruled their minds.
At this point, it was practically religious.
That maid probably truly believed she was doing something for my sake.
Seeing lovely, cute, beloved Riena day and night would surely fill the young madam with energy too—something like that.
People like this couldn’t be reasoned with.
Have you ever seen blind faith compromise with logic?
“Regardless of your reasons, you acted recklessly without my permission. You ignored my personal maid’s attempts to stop you. Therefore, I will deliver an appropriate punishment.”
If words didn’t work, then action would.
“From this moment forward, all three of you are dismissed. And no, I will not write recommendations.”
The maids went pale.
To them, being fired wasn’t just losing a job—
It meant being separated from the goddess they worshipped: Riena.
“Young Madam!”
“N-no, please!”
“Anything but that!”
“There will be no reversal. Pack your belongings immediately.”
Just as expected, someone stepped in to stop me.
“Enough.”
It was the head maid—the one who commanded all the maids in Cassius.
I looked at the woman with her gentle appearance.
Usually, head maids were seasoned women well into middle age.
But Cassius’s head maid was only in her late thirties.
The secret to her rapid promotion was simple:
She had once been Riena’s nanny.
In other words, she had chosen the right side.
The head maid positioned herself protectively in front of the three maids, then bowed properly.
“I sincerely apologize that we were not informed in advance and thus could not welcome the young madam according to proper procedure.”
“Enough. State your business. You’d better have a very good reason for daring to interfere with my actions.”
“Well… the truth is…”
“Wait. You there.”
I cut her off and pointed toward the servant standing beside Percy.
The one I’d noticed earlier.
“Y-yes? Me?”
“Yes. Bring me what you’re holding.”
The servant hurried over and handed me the palm-sized wooden box.
This wasn’t an impulsive move meant to provoke her.
I’d thought of it the moment I heard Laura’s story.
This is going to be an important conversation.
The head maid had ignored me—her superior—and driven out my personal maid, Laura.
And now she was even interrupting my discipline.
The conversation to come would inevitably be tied to the way I had never truly been treated as the mistress of Cassius.
“Oh, continue. Where were you?”
As I spoke, I opened the box and pressed one of the buttons inside.
I knew how it worked from the original novel.
Unable to hold back, the head maid asked,
“That magical artifact was meant to be sent to Lady Riena. Is there some issue?”
“I’ll deliver it myself on my way. I’ll be leaving for the capital again soon anyway.”
“Then why did you return in the middle of—”
“That is none of your concern.”
“……”
Though she tried to hide it, her displeasure showed plainly on her face.
You’ve been living comfortably under Riena’s shadow all this time, haven’t you?
Because she had been the first person Riena bonded with, Riena cherished her greatly.
To Riena, she was nearly a mother.
Even the Duke of Cassius could not treat her carelessly.
Leandro treated her with more respect than an ordinary servant, and though the butler was the highest in title, she held the true authority.
Even I hadn’t interfered with her work, knowing it would bring no benefit.
Until now, she had never crossed the final line.
But now she had.
And, as always, the reason was Riena.
“…The truth is, I ordered those girls to hang Lady Riena’s portrait in the young madam’s room. They committed no crime except following my command. If you must punish someone, punish me.”
“Head maid. A simple maid may make mistakes. But not you.”
“I have nothing to say. I only thought… the madam might also be pleased.”
Really—these people all thought the same way.
After all, the head maid was the very first person Riena won over upon arriving at Cassius…
The founder and first member of the Riena fan club.
