Chapter 33
The person who entered the bedroom was a young woman with orange hair tied in two braids.
The unfamiliar maid greeted Alice with sparkling brown eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Aileen, and I’ll be attending to the Young Mistress from now on.”
“Attending to me?”
“Yes. The butler ordered me to serve the Young Mistress well starting today.”
Alice looked at Aileen with slightly surprised eyes.
She didn’t expect a maid to be sent so quickly.
It was unexpected, given how difficult it must have been to assign a maid due to Lady Quillian’s pressure.
Moreover, surprisingly, this new maid seemed very kind, unlike Maris.
Just looking at her brown eyes, there was no hint of hostility.
Maris, on the other hand, would frown just from making eye contact with her.
If it’s not a maid who’ll torment me, there’s no reason to refuse.
Alice gave Aileen a faint smile.
“I see. I don’t know how long it’ll be, but I look forward to working with you, Aileen.”
“The pleasure is mine. I’ve brought water for you to wash up, Young Mistress. Please freshen up first.”
Aileen carefully placed the silver tray she was carrying on the table.
When Alice finished washing her face, Aileen handed her a dry cloth as if she had been waiting.
Alice nearly shed tears of emotion at the perfect service.
This is what attendance should be like, she felt, while also realizing anew how problematic Maris had been.
“Where would you like your meal prepared? Shall I prepare it in the dining room? The butler said to do as the Young Mistress pleases.”
The butler seemed to be considerate of her, given the recent commotion.
“Is… Mother not coming to the dining room?”
“Ah, the Lady had breakfast in her room.”
Perfect, with Lady Quillian not there.
After a moment’s thought, Alice said,
“I’ll go to the dining room.”
* * *
Contrary to her worries, breakfast ended in a peaceful atmosphere.
Perhaps due to the butler’s consideration, the servants didn’t make her uncomfortable at all throughout the meal.
Moreover, no one else came to the dining room until breakfast was over.
Thanks to this, Alice was able to finish her meal comfortably alone.
Alice, who had neatly polished off even the dessert, rose from her seat feeling satisfied.
However, the peace granted to her was shorter than expected.
As soon as she left the dining room, she encountered Lady Meltain in the lobby.
Oh no.
Alice, who had been smiling with a full stomach, hesitated upon seeing Lady Meltain before her.
While it was better than Lady Quillian, Lady Meltain wasn’t comfortable either.
Thinking of the sacrificial lambs who had died by her side, she was someone Alice wanted to avoid even more than Lady Quillian.
As Alice was hesitating, Lady Meltain spoke first.
“Good morning, Duchess.”
Lady Meltain greeted her as if nothing had happened.
Come to think of it, she wasn’t too surprised when Kylus regained consciousness yesterday either.
Is it some kind of female protagonist buff that gives her unusual composure?
But to say that Lady Meltain looked completely serene would be an overstatement; the way she looked at Alice was somewhat strange.
Is there something on my face? Why is she staring so intently?
Alice wiped her mouth with her hand just in case, but there was nothing there.
Alice cleared her throat and responded to Lady Meltain, who was staring at her intently.
“…Yes. It seems Lady Meltain is on her way out for a walk?”
“Ah. No, I was about to go out for a while on some business.”
“Going out? I heard Mother had forbidden anyone from leaving the duchy…”
“Duke Kylus gave permission.”
Lady Meltain answered firmly, as if Lady Quillian’s orders were of no concern.
“Ah… I see. Well, have a safe trip.”
Finding it odd to continue the conversation, Alice was about to leave.
She tried to pass by, but to her surprise,
Lady Meltain suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Just like a male lead grabbing the female lead’s wrist in a drama, it was such a forceful action that Alice looked at Lady Meltain with a bewildered expression.
“My Lady?”
“I have something to tell you, Duchess.”
Lady Meltain was looking at her with a serious expression.
What could she want to say, to set the mood like this?
Alice swallowed hard and replied.
“…Please, go ahead.”
Just as Alice’s mouth was going dry under Lady Meltain’s intense gaze, a shrill voice echoed through the lobby.
“My, what a commotion we have here.”
Both Alice and Lady Meltain turned their heads towards the source of the voice simultaneously.
The owner of the unwelcome voice was none other than Lady Quillian.
Lady Quillian quickly descended the stairs.
Standing in the lobby, she snorted derisively while looking at Alice.
Should I have just stayed cooped up in my room today?
Alice felt sweat forming on her back at the situation unfolding so quickly after her peaceful breakfast had ended.
Of all times to meet, it had to be when Lady Meltain was present.
Whenever Lady Quillian and Lady Meltain met, she always ended up as the shrimp whose back breaks in a fight between whales.
It would have been easier to face Lady Quillian alone.
“Mother.”
Alice greeted Lady Quillian, freeing herself from Lady Meltain’s hand.
Although they had become adversaries, Lady Quillian was still her superior, so she had to maintain proper etiquette.
And she hoped this situation would pass quietly if possible.
But unfortunately, Lady Quillian seemed to have different thoughts.
“You’ve turned the household upside down, yet you look so at ease. Casually having meals and wandering around the mansion like this.”
She fired words without pause.
“Because of you, I couldn’t sleep a wink last night. My head is throbbing, and every part of me aches. Yet here you are, greeting me so boldly. How shameless, truly shameless.”
For someone who claims not to have slept, your face is quite glowing.
Alice suppressed the words rising to the tip of her tongue.
If she had uttered those words, a fight would certainly have broken out right there.
Let’s try to leave this place as naturally as possible.
But before Alice could open her mouth, Lady Meltain spoke.
“To say the household has been turned upside down, what strange words. Shouldn’t you be saying it’s a joyous occasion for the family now that the Duke has regained consciousness?”
Lady Quillian turned her head towards Lady Meltain.
“Lady Quillian, you seem not at all pleased that the Duke has awakened.”
Intense sparks flew between the eyes of the two women as their gazes met.
…It seems I won’t be able to escape from between these two today either.
Alice inwardly swallowed a deep sigh as she watched the two women glaring at each other as if they would devour one another.
If I had known such an energy-draining event would happen so soon, I would have eaten more dessert before coming out.
As the image of chocolate tart flashed through Alice’s mind, Lady Quillian curled her lips in a mocking smile.
“Lady Meltain, I am the Duke’s mother. What mother in this world wouldn’t be happy that her child has come back from the brink of death? And when did I say I wasn’t pleased that the Duke had awakened?”
Her gaze turned to Alice.
“I said I was uneasy because of a daughter-in-law who suddenly turned the household upside down, saying she would become a priestess. I heard you were intelligent, but it seems you’re quite poor at understanding words.”
“I didn’t realize you had such deep meaning. However, the Duke’s recovery is due to the grace of the gods. And it was the Duchess who always prayed to the gods for the Duke’s well-being. Therefore, such words towards the Duchess seem highly likely to cause misunderstandings.”
“What misunderstanding? How could someone on the brink of death be saved by a few prayers? I don’t have time to listen to such nonsense, so step aside. I have things to discuss with the Duchess.”
Although Lady Quillian openly dismissed her with obvious displeasure, Lady Meltain didn’t back down.
Instead, she stepped slightly in front of Alice, shielding her.
“I apologize, Lady Quillian, but both the Duke and I believe that the Duke’s recovery owes much to the Duchess’s prayers. If you reprimand the Duchess here… people might misunderstand that you’re disregarding the Duke’s wishes.”
Lady Quillian’s lower eyelid twitched at Lady Meltain’s smooth words.
As always, Lady Quillian had never won a war of words against Lady Meltain.
Deep anger could be felt from Lady Quillian’s face, which was turning redder by the moment.
But perhaps unable to roar in the lobby filled with servants, Lady Quillian pressed her lips tightly shut.
“Then I’ll take my leave now.”
Sensing this might be her chance, Alice hurriedly tried to leave.
But at that moment, Lady Quillian opened her mouth.
“Wait, who are you?”
Alice stopped and looked at Lady Quillian.
But Lady Quillian wasn’t looking at her.
Her gaze was fixed on Aileen, who had been following behind Alice.
“Pardon? I’m… Aileen.”
Caught off guard by the sudden attention, Aileen answered nervously.
“When did I ask for your name? Who exactly are you to be following the Duchess? I certainly never permitted an attendant maid, so what exactly are you doing?”
Wasn’t this approved by Lady Quillian?
Alice had a bad feeling about Lady Quillian’s ominous mood.
“Well, the butler… ordered me to attend to the Young Mistress.”
At Aileen’s small voice, Lady Quillian’s face contorted mercilessly.
“Ha! The butler ordered it? How dare you attend to the Duchess on your own when I, the mistress of this house, never gave permission!? Do you see me as subordinate to the butler!?”
Finally, as Alice had feared, Lady Quillian’s angry voice split the lobby.
