Chapter 20
“So you’re saying you can really debut Victoria successfully into high society? What would a maid know about noble etiquette?”
“I was taught etiquette by my aunt, who was born into a baron’s family. Also, the lady of the Benton duchy placed great importance on the conduct of her maids. While serving as an attendant, I had the opportunity to study noble manners as well.”
It was all a lie, but Anne replied with a completely straight face.
In truth, she had desperately mastered those manners during the time when she was the duchess in name only—just to avoid being belittled.
Hannibal, unaware of the truth, scanned Anne Perot from head to toe with a polite demeanor and lowered gaze.
As she said, her posture was impeccable, not a hint of slackness.
He’d already gathered accounts from the butler and various other servants, and none of them had anything negative to say about her.
On the contrary, many male servants said she seemed like a graceful and dignified lady and was quite popular.
Only the head maid, May, had called Anne a fake and cunning maid from the capital, but that was clearly a judgment born of jealousy and insecurity.
Why would a perfect maid like that be driven away from the duke’s household to a remote estate?
And hadn’t she tamed Victoria—who was more savage than a demonic beast—into a docile pet in mere moments?
Hannibal stared at Anne thoughtfully before speaking.
“Victoria’s twenty-first birthday party is in July. If you can get even one noble young man to court her at that party, I’ll make you head maid.”
If he doubted her, he could simply test her.
As Hannibal looked down at her tightly tied-up hair, she suddenly raised her head and met his gaze with clear, brown eyes.
“I’ll definitely make it happen.”
Whatever Hannibal had been calculating internally, Anne accepted the proposal with pure delight.
Because the head maid earned twice the salary.
“And another thing.”
Just as Anne bowed and turned to leave, Hannibal’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Perform your duties as a maid of Clayde Castle too. Being a tutor doesn’t mean you get to lounge around sipping tea with the young lady all day.”
So he had noticed. Anne had heard he didn’t concern himself with household affairs, yet he was being unusually meticulous when it came to her.
“Yes, I’ll do my utmost to fulfill my duties faithfully.”
With the image of Hannibal Clayde’s striking features overlaid by the promise of double pay, Anne answered with energy.
* * *
A hard life of working all day and enduring hardship?
It was still far better than the anxious, idle life of a noblewoman who never knew when she’d fall from grace.
A relaxed and happy life? A day spent in elegance, surrounded by people praising her?
That was never Anne Perot’s life anyway.
Since her meeting with Hannibal, Anne’s days had become twice as busy—but she didn’t complain in the slightest.
“Anne Perot!”
Even if it meant grabbing a broom and rushing out to sweep the front yard at the head maid May’s roar the moment she woke up.
After finishing the outside cleaning, Anne immediately headed to Victoria’s room.
“Anne! Can’t I just skip breakfast? I want to sleep in today.”
“Even if you skip the meal, you still need to learn table manners. Please, miss, take a seat and hold still.”
While coaxing and feeding Victoria a sandwich, Anne carefully inspected her disheveled outfit and posture.
Anne herself had gone all morning without food. By the time she was dizzy from hunger, she finally managed to gulp down a chunk of bread with water.
With no time to digest, she scrubbed and swept the kitchen, then helped with Victoria’s lunch while assigning her reading and study goals.
“Miss, imagine a handsome young nobleman reaching out to ask you for a dance. Can you picture it?”
Noble girls typically had their debutante ball at sixteen and started receiving marriage offers by eighteen—Victoria needed to find a groom soon.
Spurred by Anne’s encouragement, Victoria reluctantly picked up the book she had just thrown toward the fireplace in boredom.
Watching this with a satisfied expression, Anne gently closed the door and moved on to her next task.
Thus began another busy day—Anne darted around the estate running errands, assisted with dinner preparations, returned to Victoria’s room to teach her tea etiquette during afternoon tea, and even played conversation partner during dinner.
“It’s good to start with light topics, like the weather,” Anne said kindly, meeting Victoria’s eyes.
This time, instead of grabbing the spoon and fork chaotically, Victoria obediently followed Anne’s guidance and began the conversation.
“Today’s weather is cold enough to freeze even the demonic beasts, right?”
A pretty face, a friendly smile, and then—talking about demonic beasts? Anne’s lips twitched slightly.
“No, miss. Let’s try this: ‘Though it’s a bit chilly today with the wind, springtime in Tegenes is usually peaceful and beautiful. It’s a lovely time to visit. Many travelers start arriving around now. If you’re ever in the area, please let me know—I’d love to show you some scenic spots.’ If you put it that way, the noblemen will be curious, don’t you think?”
“Oh! That way, I can naturally invite them and even meet them again. Anne, you’re amazing! You’ve dated a lot, haven’t you? How do maids meet men?”
Flustered, Anne gave an awkward smile.
“Maids run into the male servants all the time. The more you see someone, the easier it is to grow close. So miss, you should host and attend more parties going forward.”
“What if no one comes? What if no one invites me?”
Clang. The fork clattered against the plate. Victoria’s suppressed temper flared up.
Anne calmly picked up the fork and placed it back in Victoria’s hand.
“Miss. Then you make them come. You make them invite you.”
“Can I really do that?”
“Of course. You’re a Clayde.”
Anne had firsthand experience of how the former duchess wielded power.
Though she was no longer part of that world of noble power struggles, she was willing to use her painful memories to help if needed.
Though those memories bled out like fresh wounds without her trying, instead of pretending they weren’t there, Anne chose to sometimes look at the pain, sometimes wipe the blood away—and keep walking her path.
“What’s the point of forcing things with power?”
They usually didn’t run into each other due to separate meals, but Hannibal had appeared in the drawing room.
“Do you think that’ll make a young man fall for her?”
“Brother…”
Victoria’s confidence visibly deflated.
Anne was frustrated to see Hannibal knock her back down to the insecure child she had just helped build up.
Without revealing her feelings, Anne stepped forward from Victoria’s side.
“We’re simply creating an opportunity. The young lady is beautiful and kind-hearted. So surely, a nobleman who appreciates her will—”
What she meant was: to start, use the Clayde family’s influence to host parties and bring people together.
That would naturally create more chances to connect—and eventually, someone would fall for Victoria’s charm.
“Heh.”
Hannibal scoffed as if mocking Anne’s naivety.
“You talk like that because you don’t know anything. Maybe those pretty words worked well in the Benton duchy, but not here. Don’t even think about faking your abilities.”
His condescending suspicion finally made Anne snap.
“Could you please clarify what it is I don’t understand?”
Her gaze stayed low, but her tone was unmistakably sharp. Hannibal smirked at the cracks forming in her polite mask.
“The one who gave Clayde its bad reputation was none other than Victoria Clayde. Why don’t you ask her yourself? If you can win a nobleman’s heart after knowing that truth—not just head maid, I’ll grant you one wish. Anything you want.”
Anne slowly lifted her head.
Despite rumors that the lord of Tegenes spent half the year fighting demonic beasts and the other half guarding the border, Hannibal had a surprisingly gentle and refined appearance.
If she didn’t have memories of her past life, perhaps she would’ve been swayed by that handsome exterior too.
But Anne could see the contempt in his violet eyes.
Victoria might be simple and honest for a noblewoman, but she had temporarily forgotten—
How people like them looked down on maids.
And even more so, how they scorned illegitimate children.
In her previous life, Anne had thought Hannibal at least held a sense of responsibility as a brother—after all, he had married off his half-sister into a noble family.
But judging by his attitude now, it seemed more like he had just cast her aside like luggage.
Of course, Anne already knew from Grey how the duchess treated illegitimate children—this kind of situation was all too familiar.
“I will take your words to heart, Lord Clayde. And please, do not forget your promise.”
At this point, it was pride.
Anne was determined to make Victoria into a beautiful, beloved lady and marry her into a good family.
And just maybe—she wanted to knock that arrogant man down a peg or two, even if just a little.
