Chapter 9
The warm morning sunlight shone into the bedroom, and birds chirped cheerfully outside the window. A fresh new morning.
And for me, it marked the beginning of yet another battle.
Bang.
An uninvited guest barged in, ignoring the need for something like knocking.
Still buried under the covers, I slowly blinked my eyes open. My vision was blurry—still not fully awake.
I curled up like a caterpillar, eyes half-shut again, when someone—presumably a maid—slammed a washbasin onto the bedside table. The golden-rimmed basin rattled, and water splashed out from the impact.
“Ah, it’s cold!”
The maid grumbled when some of the water splashed onto her hand. As if it wasn’t her fault for setting it down so hard.
Despite the commotion, I was still too groggy to tell dream from reality. My response time was slower than usual, and I found myself more tolerant of everything. Even when the maid complained at me, I let it slide.
That is… until she crossed the line.
“Do you really think it makes sense for a beggar to suddenly become a noble lady overnight?”
“It’s not that it doesn’t make sense. I mean, it already happened. First case of the impossible becoming possible…”
It seemed there was more than one person in the room, as another voice joined in.
“What’s your deal? Are you taking this beggar’s side? Whatever. Anyway! The head maid told me I had to serve this beggar. Just hearing that made me so depressed, I bought cookies.”
“She’s not a beggar anymore.”
“But she used to be. Why are you nitpicking? Anyway! I bought cookies because I was so upset about this beggar!”
“I was just correcting facts. What kind of cookies?”
“Butter—wait, does that even matter?!”
What the hell is this? A classic T (Thinking) and F (Feeling) argument?
“Then what does matter?”
“I said I was upset! So I bought cookies because I was depressed!”
“So that’s why I asked—what kind of cookies?”
“Ugh, forget it. Why do I even try talking to you?”
One of the maids, exhausted from arguing over cookies, sighed and began wiping up the spilled water on the table. But her frustration reignited quickly, and it soon turned toward me.
“Are you seriously still sleeping? Do you even know what time it is? Who else in this ducal house would be this lazy?”
“What if she hears us?”
“She’s clearly still out of it from sleep. Can’t even think straight. And come on—what sense does it make for a beggar from who-knows-where to become a lady overnight? They should’ve adopted me instead.”
She clicked her tongue in irritation.
“I don’t care about being adopted—just raise my salary already.”
“This is so unfair. Some of us are hauling washbasins around while others are lounging in luxury beds.”
“Well, we’re getting paid, so we gotta do it. Doesn’t matter if she was a beggar or a homeless bum.”
“You’re right… but still. Serving a beggar as a lady? My pride just can’t take it!”
Listening to them call me a “beggar” over and over, it became too awkward to keep pretending I was asleep. There’s a limit to faking it. My eyelids even started twitching from the effort.
So, I finally opened my mouth.
“I’m not asleep.”
The maids jumped in shock, clamping their hands over their mouths.
Did they really think they could take back what they said just by covering their mouths? After spilling every inappropriate word, now they wanted to pretend it never happened?
“Hi. It would’ve been a good morning… but thanks to you, it’s ruined.”
“Ah, Lady…!”
“Yeah, I’m your lady now. I was a beggar yesterday, sure, but things change.”
I opened my eyes and grinned. Their faces went even paler. Maybe I looked scarier because I was still lying down, staring up at them upside-down.
“I think that’s enough about me. Should I hear your introductions now?”
“……”
“Why so quiet? Is it that even introducing yourselves to a beggar-turned-lady is beneath you?”
“N-no! Please forgive us!”
“I—we’re sorry, my lady!”
Instead of answering my question, they looked down and nervously picked at their fingernails.
I hate it when people repeat themselves.
“From the left. Name, age, your duties, and how long you’ve worked here.”
The startled maids looked up at me.
“My name is Mari. I’ve been working as a maid at House Delphinium for three years. I’m ten years old.”
One of them, quicker on the uptake, went first.
“Next.”
“I’m Anna. I’ve been working here as a maid for four years. I’m eleven years old.”
Ten and eleven? Isn’t this child abuse? Or more accurately, child exploitation?
“Ten? Eleven? If you’re being exploited, wave a carrot next time, okay?”
“C-carrot?”
My sudden mention of carrots clearly confused the girls. They exchanged glances, but of course they had no clue.
“Should I report this?”
“R-report?!”
Mari and Anna misunderstood and thought I meant them, and immediately dropped to the floor in a deep bow.
Their overreaction was enough to make me flinch and tell them to get up—but then I remembered what they’d said earlier and added one more thing.
“So why were you saying things behind my back you wouldn’t say to my face?”
“I’m sorry, my lady. Truly sorry. Just please don’t report us…”
“Waaahhhhh!”
Their knees folded like paper at the mere mention of money. Anna even burst into tears.
What am I supposed to do with these two?
The proper response would’ve been to punish them harshly, establish my authority, and nip any future bullying in the bud. But honestly?
I couldn’t be bothered.
It wasn’t that I lacked reasons—it was just too much of a hassle. I didn’t have the energy to care about anything outside my bed.
Still lying on my back, I waved them off with a flick of my hand.
“Even if you don’t like me, what can you do? I’ve already been adopted into House Delphinium. And the actual family members have no complaints.”
“……”
“Unfair? The world’s always been unfair. There’s no such thing as a fair world.”
“……”
“I won’t tell the Duke. So… see you around, Mari. And you too, Anna.”
The two trembling maids bowed quickly and scurried out of the room.
Every good rofan (romance fantasy) needs a minor villain or two to keep up the tension.
Once they left, I continued lying in bed, completely drained. I had no strength to lift a finger. I was exhausted and sluggish.
Guess I’ll sleep a bit more.
I mentally filed away the situation and closed my eyes again. Chilled by the morning air, I curled under the blankets, warmed up, and quickly drifted off.
Just as I was wandering dreamland again, a knock interrupted my sleep.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
Ugh, who is it now… I don’t even want to answer…
“Laetitia, it’s your eldest brother.”
“……”
“May I come in?”
…No.
Bang.
“Sorry for entering without a reply. I really wanted to come in, but thought maybe you couldn’t respond, so I just came in anyway.”
“Mmm…”
Someone gently pulled the half-fallen blanket back over me. Then he sat on the bed, smoothing my messy hair and speaking softly.
“Laetitia, time to get up. The sun will set soon. If you want to buy everything you planned, you need to get moving.”
His cool hand touched my face, and I slowly opened my eyes.
Through my blurry vision, I saw Theodore standing there with his usual stoic expression.
“…Oh. Theodore…”
“Big brother.”
“…Why are you here?”
Seeing a man first thing upon waking freaked me out a little, but Theodore kept calling himself my brother.
“As I said, I really wanted to come in. I thought maybe you couldn’t answer, so I just entered.”
Is he joking? Who does that?
“Theodore-oppa.”
“Yes, I am your—”
“Still. Is it okay to barge into your younger sister’s room without a reply?”
He blinked, a bit surprised at my scolding, and then wilted like a puppy getting scolded by its owner.
“Answer me, oppa.”
“…No…”
“And next time?”
“Well… it could be an emergency, so I should enter…”
“No.”
“Then maybe use a projection stone first to see if it’s safe—”
“……”
This lunatic.
