Chapter 118
That evening, when Aiden returned home, he asked about Raylenne’s day as usual.
Raylenne, as always, replied that nothing had happened.
“Please tell me if anything occurs. I worry about being away for so long.”
Aiden’s eyes reflected genuine concern. Raylenne responded with a gentle smile.
“I understand, darling.”
“…”
Despite her playful tone, Aiden stiffened.
He usually changed his speech pattern when others were present, but he always felt awkward with the term of endearment and formal speech.
“When we’re alone… it’s better to speak comfortably.”
“I’m just afraid of slipping up in front of others.”
Raylenne’s teasing formal speech quickly reddened Aiden’s ears.
“…It’s fine if you slip up.”
Even if Aiden said it was okay, the knights and employees wouldn’t be. They’d surely glare at her with fierce eyes.
Especially the knights. They already disliked her for coming from a rival family.
Thinking this, Raylenne flopped onto the bed. Or rather, she tried to.
Aiden caught her head before it could hit the mattress.
‘Oh, Aiden…’
He always seemed reluctant to let go when they were alone…
“There’s something on the bedsheet.”
…So there was another reason.
Embarrassed, Raylenne sat up in Aiden’s arms and looked back.
Where Aiden’s gaze fell, there was a yellowish liquid stain.
Aiden rubbed the liquid with one finger. As his finger rose, the sticky substance stretched, clinging to it.
Raylenne thought, looking at the liquid, that if she had lain down without noticing, it would have been quite troublesome to get out of her hair.
Aiden sniffed the liquid and said to Raylenne,
“It smells like adhesive.”
Adhesive…?
Frowning, Raylenne suddenly looked up at the ceiling. What appeared to be the same adhesive was dripping from above.
‘Ah… right.’
“It must be because of the ceiling construction.”
“Construction?”
“Yes. There were many old parts, so we decided to renovate the ceiling for a while. The adhesive probably dripped through a gap because of that.”
Aiden silently stared at the ceiling, as if something was bothering him.
But he soon turned his gaze away and nodded.
“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”
* * *
As soon as dawn broke, Raylenne went to inspect the bedsheets.
But what greeted her were the same dirty sheets lying on the ground from the day before. They hadn’t been cleaned at all.
Looking at the bedsheets, Raylenne called for Anna. Anna approached leisurely from a distance, wiping her hands on her apron.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“Of what?”
Unlike yesterday, she seemed not at all intimidated, as if she had steeled herself.
“I clearly told you to rewash these bedsheets.”
“This is washed.”
It was an obvious lie.
The dirt from rolling on the ground yesterday seemed to have been shaken off, but the stains remained.
Raylenne surveyed the bedsheet with indifferent eyes and asked,
“So to your eyes, this looks clean?”
“What can I do if the stains won’t come out even after rewashing? This is the best I could do.”
Anna was triumphant.
For a moment when their eyes met, Anna flinched, but she quickly remembered that this delicate-looking mistress was an outsider who hadn’t been in the duchy for even a month.
And not just any outsider, but someone from the Ergen family that everyone despised if they were associated with the Bedeusians.
“Well, if you think this bedsheet is clean, there’s nothing to be done.”
Anna inwardly giggled.
She had expected more scolding or orders to rewash, but the white flag was raised earlier than anticipated.
‘Of course, even if she had ordered me to rewash, the result would have been the same.’
It wouldn’t be easy to dismiss her.
Knowing the maids were tightly united, firing one would only worsen the staff’s morale.
That must be why she tried to appease them at first.
Anna had to hide her smirk that threatened to appear.
That is, until an unexpected order fell from Raylenne’s lips.
“Then use these bedsheets for the maids’ beds.”
Anna, who had been secretly mocking Raylenne, parted her lips as if she had misheard.
“Pardon…?”
“I said, use these bedsheets for your and the other maids’ beds.”
“What do you mean? How can we use such dirty…”
Anna responded loudly in confusion, then hastily shut her mouth.
But Raylenne had already heard her true thoughts.
“So you do think they’re dirty.”
“…”
“Then go rewash them.”
Saying this, Raylenne once again dropped the bedsheets hanging on the clothesline one by one.
The already stained sheets became even dirtier as they hit the ground.
“If you don’t wash them properly next time, you’ll really have to sleep on these sheets.”
With those words, Raylenne walked away between the fallen bedsheets.
Left alone, Anna’s hands trembled. She hadn’t expected things to go this far at all.
‘Why on earth did the master marry such a woman…!’
When she heard that Young Master Aiden had ousted the previous Duke Bedeusian and become the master of this castle, she had been overjoyed.
He was known for his excellent character and admirable qualities. His virtues were renowned not only among the knights but also among the maids.
But that joyous news vanished like smoke with the appearance of this woman called Raylenne.
Anna had cried for days upon hearing the news. Until her eyes were swollen like a fish’s.
‘I prayed every day for Lord Aiden to be freed, and he gets married right away!’
The truth was, Anna secretly admired Aiden.
She hadn’t harbored grand dreams.
She was just a maid here, and although Aiden had been a prisoner, his noble bloodline remained unchanged.
So she had prayed he would find a match worthy of him.
‘Not such a tyrannical woman.’
The image of Raylenne’s ice-cold expression flashed in Anna’s mind.
She never expected her to act like this.
After all her efforts to incite the maids, a few more instances of such forceful behavior might cause the timid girls to quickly turn back.
Though her heart boiled with anger, there was nothing she could do for now.
She didn’t want to sleep on such filthy sheets, after all.
Of course, this didn’t mean she was giving up.
For now, she would pretend to go along with it while carrying out the plan she had set in motion.
No matter the political reasons for the marriage, surely his affection would fade the moment that pretty face was marred.
‘Just you wait and see.’
With these thoughts, Anna twirled a lock of her bright red hair around her finger.
* * *
Raylenne scrutinized the pristine white bedsheet like a strict examiner. Unlike yesterday, the bedsheet appeared immaculate. However…
“There’s a stain,” Raylenne said, mercilessly dropping the blanket to the floor. The freshly washed bedsheet once again tumbled onto the ground. The maids watching widened their eyes in disbelief. Anna, who had been responsible for this laundry, was no exception.
“Why…!”
“It’s exactly as I said. There’s another stain, isn’t there?”
Anna picked up the fallen bedsheet. “Where on earth is it stained?”
“Since you’ll have to wash it again anyway, what good would it do for you to know where the stain is? And…”
Raylenne tilted her head slightly. “Do I really need to point that out for you?”
Anna immediately fell silent. The gaze from beneath her mistress’s long eyelashes felt piercingly cold once again.
Raylenne withdrew her gaze and looked around. Some maids were biting their lips as if suppressing anger, while others nervously averted their eyes.
“It seems Anna thinks there’s no reason to rewash this bedsheet, and I feel uneasy, as if I’m forcing unnecessary work.”
Though it sounded like the mistress was showing mercy, her tone remained utterly frigid.
“Is there anyone who would like to rewash this laundry?”
Her tone suggested she was offering an opportunity. The maids exchanged glances at Raylenne’s question. Then, a young maid with brown hair raised her hand high.
“I-I’ll do it…!”
As soon as one raised her hand, other maids belatedly followed suit. Only then did Raylenne remove the coldness from her face and offer a gentle smile.
“Very well, you may go and wash it.”
About half of the maids had volunteered to do the laundry again. As they left to wash, Anna and the other maids remained.
“Do you think that bedsheet isn’t dirty?”
“…”
“Or are you defying me?”
The maids blinked rapidly at the direct question. Then, a small maid standing in the corner spoke up, her lips quivering.
“D-defying? Never…”
“If not, then tell me why you didn’t go to do the laundry with the others.”
Raylenne slowly walked in front of the line of maids. They remained silent.
“Shall I take this silence as confirmation of your defiance?”
With those final words, Raylenne stood still.
“You’re all fired, effective immediately. You may return home now.”
