Chapter 2

As Grace opened the door to her room and stepped inside, she flinched.

“Emily…?”

Emily, who should have been at work at this hour, was already inside. Upon seeing Grace, she quickly stood and approached. Her expression shifted to confusion as she noticed the dirt covering Grace from head to toe.

“I… tripped…”

Grace gave an awkward smile. Emily looked her over with concerned eyes, checking to see if she was hurt.

“I’m… not hurt.”

Grace shook her head, trying to reassure her. She didn’t want Emily to worry.

Without a word, Emily nodded, as if she understood. She walked to a corner of the room and brought over clean clothes. After handing them to Grace, she pointed to the small wooden bathroom attached to the room.

Grace stepped inside, took off her soiled clothes, and poured water from a bucket over herself.

“Ah…”

A sudden stinging sensation made her glance down. Her knees were scraped red, with small drops of blood here and there. Grace instinctively swallowed a groan. If she showed any sign of pain, Emily would definitely worry.

Once she finished washing and changed into the clean clothes, Grace returned to find a meal already prepared on the wooden table. Alongside the usual steaming soup and brown bread was something she didn’t often see: an apple jam pie.

When Grace looked at Emily, she gave a small nod, urging her to eat. Grace eagerly picked up the pie and took a bite. Sweet apple jam filled her mouth.

“It’s… so good…”

She looked at Emily with wide eyes. Emily smiled shyly. She always looked pleased when Grace enjoyed her food.

“E… Emily, you too…”

Grace split the pie in half and offered a piece to Emily. Emily hesitated for a moment, then accepted it. They both smiled at each other as they ate together.

After finishing the pie, Grace moved on to the soup. As the warm broth slid down her throat, it felt like all the pain and stress from dealing with the Reinhardt siblings had faded away.

“Mmm…”

With the soup and bread finished, sleepiness crept in. Grace rubbed her eyes and lay down.

As Emily washed the dishes, her gaze drifted back to Grace. Grace reached out a hand toward her.

Emily finished stacking the dishes neatly in the cupboard and walked over. She sat by the head of the bed and gently placed a hand on Grace’s forehead.

Grace smiled softly at the touch. No matter how hard the day was, Emily’s gentle hand always calmed her down. Before long, she had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

Emily waved her hand in front of Grace’s face. Once she confirmed the girl was fast asleep, she carefully lifted the hem of her skirt.

“…”

Her expression darkened as she saw blood seeping from Grace’s scraped knees.

She went to the drawer in the corner of the room and took out a small green jar of ointment. Returning to the bedside, she opened the jar and scooped out some of the balm with her fingers, carefully applying it to the wounds.

“Mm…?”

Grace stirred slightly at the touch but fell back into slumber as Emily gently stroked her hair again.

“…Whew.”

Emily let out a quiet sigh as she looked down at Grace with pity. Then she put the ointment away.

Grace’s mother, Ennis, had been a maid responsible for cleaning the Duke of Reinhardt’s study.

While the Duke had a respectable public image, inside the mansion, he had a notorious reputation for being a womanizer. Rumors said that every beautiful maid had been touched by him at least once.

Ennis began to show signs of pregnancy about a year after she was assigned as the Duke’s personal maid. About five months later, she gave birth to a baby girl.

Ennis never spoke of the child’s father, but everyone in the household knew who it was. The baby had the distinctive red hair and red eyes that ran through the Reinhardt bloodline.

Ennis named the child Grace and lovingly cared for her. But when Grace was four, Ennis fell ill with a high fever and died after three days and nights.

After her passing, Emily, who had been close with Ennis, took Grace in. Emily was five years younger than Ennis and had always been avoided by the other servants because she couldn’t speak. Ennis had been the only one who treated her kindly and helped her.

Emily, repaying that kindness, cared for Grace as if she were her own daughter. She shared her food, bought Grace clothes with her own wages, and looked after her with all her heart. Without Emily, Grace might have died from starvation or cold.

Thanks to Emily’s care, Grace was able to grow into an average-sized girl.

However, she wasn’t good at speaking. The other servants didn’t interact much with her because she was a bastard child. The only person she could communicate with was Emily, who couldn’t speak. As a result, Grace had learned everything she knew about language by overhearing others since the age of four.

She didn’t know many expressions, and she often stammered. Without any formal education, her way of thinking was also behind for her age.

The Reinhardt siblings mocked and abused her for that. And they felt no guilt.

A dirty bastard, the result of an affair. A presence that disgusted the Duchess. That was all the reason they needed.

Because of their cruelty, Grace often came back hurt. Emily felt deeply sorry for her, but there was nothing she could do as just a maid. All she could do was treat Grace’s wounds and help her heal.

Whenever Grace came back seriously injured, Emily would hold her close after applying the ointment, quietly staying by her side.

Even without words, Emily’s deep sorrow was always clear—and it made Grace’s heart heavy. Eventually, Grace began hiding her small injuries so Emily wouldn’t worry. It was her own way of protecting the only person who cared for her.

Grace’s one wish was simple: for the Reinhardt siblings to stop tormenting her. So she wouldn’t get hurt—and Emily wouldn’t be sad.

But living in this mansion, that wish seemed impossible.

“A monster duke, you say?”

Grace stopped walking at the sound of a familiar voice. It was Diana’s.

The room had gotten terribly stuffy due to the rain that had lasted several days. Unable to stand it, Grace had stepped out to get some fresh air. She had chosen this hour on purpose, knowing that her half-siblings rarely came out at this time of day when the sun was highest.

Grace slowly turned her head. A garden table, rarely used, was now full of people.

On one side sat the Reinhardt siblings. On the other, two girls she had never seen before.

The table was packed with food—bread, salad, fruit, and drinks. The group chatted and ate as they sat together.

Grace quickly ducked into the bushes nearby. Nothing good would come from being seen by her half-siblings.

“Yeah. They say there’s no one more cruel in the Empire than Duke Winstaine.”

“Right. They say he enjoys massacres. He smiles when he kills. Loves blood. He even goes to war just to see it. That’s why he’s called a monster.”