CHAPTER 28………………………………………..
…Riena’s fan club. For me, it was a group that carried a lot of grudges, but it wasn’t immediately important, so let’s move on.
“All right. But before punishing you over this matter, there’s a truly important issue we need to address first.”
“What is it?”
“By what right did you drive out my personal maid, Laura? And beat her, no less.”
“I have something to say about that as well.”
The head maid responded calmly.
“Even if the young lady brought her here, Laura is unmistakably Cassius’ person. The authority over the discipline and employment of all of Cassius’ maids lies with me.”
“That’s wrong.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your authority comes from me, the mistress. You can handle matters proactively only in areas I don’t take interest in, but treatment of Laura, whom I personally control like an extension of myself, does not fall under that.”
I smirked subtly and clicked my tongue.
“For someone who is the head maid, not knowing even this basic common sense is a disgrace to Cassius.”
The head maid’s face flushed crimson. Even Duke Cassius himself couldn’t have said that.
Shall I provoke her a bit more?
“I’m starting to doubt the judgment of Miss Riena, who actively recommended you for the head maid position.”
The head maid flared up instantly.
“Please do not speak about the young lady that way!”
Riena was truly a sensitive spot.
“On the surface, it seems reasonable, but the young lady’s logic also has flaws.”
“What flaws?”
I had barely touched Riena, and yet the woman, now visibly agitated, began to freely reveal uncomfortable truths she would never have spoken before.
“You said the head maid’s authority comes from the mistress. That would be true if the young lady were the mistress. But she isn’t.”
“My husband, Sub-Duke Liandro, is the lord’s official delegate, given authority by the Duke himself. Moreover, the duchess passed away long ago. If not me, then who is the mistress of Cassius Castle?”
Feigning anger, I asked, and her answer came briskly.
“Miss Riena!”
Riena Cassius… that girl had always cast a long shadow over my life, even from afar.
Let’s talk in principle.
“According to Cassius’ family law, even if my mother-in-law were alive, the mistress is me as long as my husband is her lord’s delegate.”
“You know one thing but not the second. That is a secondary rule. Ultimately, whoever holds the treasury key has the status of mistress.”
The treasury key literally opened the vaults holding all of the Cassius family’s treasures, symbolizing authority over the household greater than even the head of the family. And…
“The key’s owner, then and now, is Miss Riena alone.”
I had never even seen the key.
When Riena was about ten, Duke Cassius, who had always gifted her expensive treasures, went so far as to give her the treasury key itself.
“Unlike other children, you like things more the more valuable they are. Practical as you are, even at that age, you can take charge of the household.”
Well, she was practically an adult inside…
In any case, the retainers who had opposed entrusting such responsibility to a naive ten-year-old were either purged or imprisoned, and Riena became the youngest mistress in Cassius history.
Since then, as a reincarnator, Riena had managed Cassius expertly with the help of those around her—even after moving her main activities to the capital.
I didn’t just sit idly by. I had openly asked Riena if she could slowly hand the key over to me. But…
“You don’t need to worry about such troublesome matters. Just do what you enjoy. Oh, if you need money, I’ll make sure your brother gives you plenty!”
…The words were polite. Only the words.
Of course, Duke Cassius and Liandro, who were utterly devoted to Riena, reacted exactly as expected—touched by her kindness toward me.
In the end, I just gave up. What could I possibly do against Riena, who held Cassius firmly in her grip?
Not only the household staff, but even the citizens of the Cassius territory were on Riena’s side.
Riena had made the territory richer, conducted charitable work, and her popularity soared sky-high.
Even the old flower-seller who scolded Terence for confusing her birthday with the dog’s was hardly exceptional here.
Surrounded by such people, the only thing I could do was shout, “Fine, I’ll live lazily and comfortably as you wish!” while enjoying my hobbies or making some side money.
“At the time, living like that—warm, full, and wealthy—didn’t seem so bad…”
Looking back, that’s not true. Right now, busy trying to get a divorce, I feel far more alive and energetic.
Before, I had merely mistaken resignation for satisfaction.
Even as I half-reflected on the past, the head maid’s tirade continued.
“Strictly speaking, the young lady has no authority to discipline us or influence employment. I didn’t want to say this, but since you are taking extreme offense over a portrait, there’s no other choice.”
I deliberately shouted like a B-grade villain.
“You treat me like a puppet! I’ll tell my husband about your insolence!”
That’s how you get the reaction you want.
“Apologies, but the Sub-Duke also said it’s better for Miss Riena to continue managing the household. So, no matter how stubborn you are, the young lady cannot hold authority she never had.”
The head maid asked triumphantly, as if declaring victory.
“You understand, right?”
Oh, I understand perfectly.
From the start, I was not the mistress of this household, and I never intended to be treated as one—and the head maid of Cassius had just confirmed it.
I had been waiting for words like these. Together with the recorder in my hand.
Satisfied, I pressed the button on the wooden box—the recorder—and stopped recording.
“Good thing today is Percy’s birthday.”
Otherwise, the eccentric inventor’s artifact in the room would have come into play.
The eccentric inventor was one of the seven talents Riena had recruited based on her memories from before her reincarnation—a title I’d coined myself.
Besides Tara and Mathis, who assisted Riena closely, the seven talents included brilliant merchants and genius strategists.
The most mysterious among them was the “eccentric inventor,” a magician who produced various inventions.
Riena had obtained several useful and ingenious artifacts from him, using them to make a fortune.
This recorder was one of his creations, still unique to Riena, as mass production hadn’t yet succeeded.
Since Riena loved and missed her home dearly, the staff would record sounds for her on special occasions and send them to the capital. Percy’s birthday was a prime example.
I knew this well, having been half-forced to attend last year’s celebration.
“I’ve been waiting for a chance to use this recorder properly.”
Sure enough, by gently provoking the head maid, she had fully exposed my unrecognized position in this household.
This would serve as strong evidence in the upcoming divorce trial.
It proved that the position of mistress, which should have naturally been mine through marriage to Liandro, had been held by Riena for over two years.
Moreover, the head maid testified that Liandro was fully aware and even complicit.
Rights over the family were highly sensitive matters in aristocratic society.
Unexpectedly, I had acquired excellent evidence.
“These people… worshiping Riena like a goddess is irritating and creepy—but sometimes it works in my favor.”
She was easy to manipulate! Especially to excite her, all I needed was to say a few negative things about Riena.
Who could stay calm when their deity is insulted?
Had the head maid been her usual self, she would never have made such statements in front of me, let alone with a recorder present.
I carefully tucked the recorder into my handbag.
“…So that’s it.”
I held back the expression threatening to spread across my face.
“You’re saying I cannot lay a finger on you, right?”
Only now did the head maid, somewhat calmed, try to soothe me.
“Even so, the young lady is still our superior. If you serve her, as you have until now, properly and without fault…”
Ridiculous. Merely serving politely does not make one the wife of the heir; that makes her just a guest.
Indeed, for the past two years, the word “guest” had perfectly described my position here.
A guest, staying long in the mansion.
Hmph.
“Very well. If that’s how it’s going to be, I have a plan too.”
At my derisive laugh, the head maid and everyone else stiffened, sensing something was going wrong.
“I’m going to my room. If you have any sense, why not work during duty hours? Ah, Percy, finish what you were eating. Yes, Percy, no guilt. Happy birthday.”
“Woof!”
In the subdued grand hall, the only one enjoying themselves was a single dog, devouring a special cake made by Cassius’ chef just for dogs.
