Chapter 40
She then shot a glance at her maid standing beside her—Mei.
Picking up on the cue, Mei quickly pulled a silver coin from her pocket and offered it to the staff member.
“My lady didn’t mean any harm, so please don’t take it personally.”
The staff member stared at Mei in disbelief at her contradictory attitude—like giving the disease and then offering the cure—and shook his head.
“…No. This isn’t necessary.”
But Mei, acting as though she knew better, forcibly pressed the coin into his hand and clung to Lily to comfort her.
“Don’t you worry, my lady. I’ll personally look into whether that Rosie girl is really here or not. Honestly, there’s no way someone like her could be in a place like this anyway.”
Lily seemed pleased with Mei’s attitude and smiled faintly. She removed one of the rings from her index finger and handed it to her maid.
“Good. Then take care of it, Mei. And this is for you.”
“Thank you…! Leave everything to me, my lady!”
Mei bowed deeply, grinning from ear to ear. Watching this repulsive exchange, the staff member bit his lip, troubled. Why were these kinds of people looking for a guest of the Rose Room?
They seemed nothing like her.
The staff didn’t know what methods that maid planned to use to dig up information, but neither he nor any other employee of Vine Rose would give that woman anything about Rosie.
Hmph.
“Well then, I’ll escort you to your room.”
Snorting inwardly, he led Lily away—toward the direction of the standard rooms, the complete opposite of the Rose Room.
Not long after, news arrived: Rosie and the manager who had boarded the cruise had returned to the hotel.
The staff member immediately went to Ainar and reported about the guest who had checked in earlier that day.
Normally, as an ordinary employee, he would never speak to the manager directly. But Ainar had always been attentive to those connected to the Rose Room, so he expected him to take interest—and he was right.
“…So, you’re saying there’s a woman looking for Rosie?”
“Yes. The daughter of Count Kikkern, accompanied by a maid. She arrived today. The moment she got here, she asked if we knew someone named Rosie… I did not answer.”
Just then, someone knocked on the manager’s door.
“Come in.”
At Ainar’s command, the door opened—and in walked Jerome, his aide, who had not been seen for some time.
“I have completed all the orders you gave me.”
The confident declaration made the staff member swallow dryly, a wave of tension rising within him. It felt as though a new wind was about to blow through the hotel.
“Rosie? Ah… She was competent enough. Why? Did she cause trouble?”
“She didn’t seem like a bad girl, though…”
“Oh! I heard she caught the eye of some foreign nobleman and became his concubine!”
“Really? I heard she was basically sold off to some old man in marriage.”
“She was popular with men from the start, you know.”
Jerome had worried it might be difficult to get information, considering Rosie’s connection to the Rose Queen. But to his surprise, once he reached the capital, he heard countless stories about her.
He couldn’t return quickly—he had to verify what was true and what wasn’t—but one thing became certain.
Jerome dismissed the staff member from the office, then finally opened his mouth.
“She was…”
Ainar’s gaze followed the movement of Jerome’s lips.
“A servant in the capital. A commoner.”
Silence fell. Only after a long pause did Ainar speak again.
“Are you sure there wasn’t a mistake?”
He knew Jerome wasn’t the type to work carelessly, but he still couldn’t believe Rosie had been nothing more than a servant doing menial chores.
But Jerome seemed prepared for that reaction. He placed a worn sheet of paper in front of Ainar.
“Please see for yourself.”
Ainar studied the paper. It was clearly Rosie’s resignation letter—crumpled, stained, and poorly stored.
“She submitted this when she left her previous workplace. The date aligns exactly with the time she came to Vine Rose.”
“…I see.”
After confirming the date, Ainar nodded. Not only the date but even the handwriting was unmistakable—identical to the one he’d seen in her bucket list.
Jerome continued.
“That’s not all. The rumors surrounding her aren’t exactly favorable…”
“Rumors?”
Ainar’s tone sharpened. He recalled the woman on the cruise who had hurled insults at Rosie just days ago.
*What exactly had she said about Rosie…?
“She’s said to have complicated relationships with men.”
Ainar tapped his fingers against the desk, his fingertips growing cold. He always did that when deep in thought.
“Apparently, she sought to elevate her status through noblemen. Rumor has it she didn’t care about age, nationality, or anything else—as long as the man had a title.”
It was similar to what the woman from the cruise had said.
Still, Ainar didn’t believe all of it. The Rosie he had come to know felt entirely different.
He lifted his hand, stopping Jerome.
“Enough. I’m not interested in the gossip of people who like to hear themselves talk.”
Jerome immediately closed his mouth.
“Instead, tell me what matters. I know she worked as a maid in the capital. Where exactly?”
“She served in the household of Count Kikkern.”
“Count Kikkern…?”
The name struck something in his memory. Ainar tilted his head, trying to recall. He knew the major noble houses well, so it wasn’t strange that it sounded familiar…
And then it clicked.
He didn’t have to think far—the hotel staff had mentioned it moments ago.
A woman named Lily Kikkern had checked in today… asking for Rosie.
“Oh, no.”
Ainar clicked his tongue quietly in annoyance.
“So you’re telling me—the lady of the very household Rosie worked for has just checked into our hotel?”
Jerome frowned slightly—he had just returned and didn’t understand the significance.
But that didn’t matter.
“Notify the staff immediately.”
“…Sir?”
“Under no circumstances are Rosie and Lily Kikkern to meet. Do you understand?”
If Rosie really was a maid who resigned and left that house, she would not want to meet the young lady she once served.
Ainar suddenly felt like he didn’t recognize himself. Every kindness he had shown Rosie—he’d justified it by assuming she was some noblewoman, perhaps someone of significant rank.
But even now, knowing her truth, all he could feel was concern—and that alone compelled this order.
“And one more thing: her status as a commoner stays secret.”
He did not want to see Rosie distressed because of Lily’s arrival.
If my father or brother heard about this, they’d faint.
He had been raised at the top—bred to rule.
For someone like him to issue such an order for a woman who was once a mere servant?
Anyone who knew him would think it impossible.
Servants existed for his convenience. Maids were never objects of affection, much less desire.
Until now.
