CH 101

I’ve Been Exiled, But I’m Alive and Well - Chapter 101

Giselle’s Point of View

It had been a week since the day I decided to become Lady Elle's personal maid.

I was not allowed to work.

As far as I was concerned, my master did not allow me to work because I was too underweight. As a result, I was treated courteously.

I was accustomed to living a poor life as a commoner, so the generous treatment made me itchy every day.

“Lady Elle…”

“What is it?”

“When can I begin to work?”

“As soon as you are in a good health.”

No matter how many times I experienced the mysterious composition of the maid in bed and the master sitting on the side on a chair, I could not get used to it.

The scene is unsettling to watch.

“Lady Elle, can you let me do it?”

She brought me an apple as a gift for her visit, but she was so bad at peeling it hurt to watch.

I held out my hand to take it, but she refused, saying, "No!”

“I feel uneasy watching you. What will you do if you get hurt?”

“I will treat it with magic.”

Even though she said that, I still felt uneasy, as I didn't know much about magic. When I stared at her, she groaned and began to look at between me and the apple alternately, "Hmm...".

As I continued to stare at her, she let out a deep sigh and gave me a look of resignation.

“I will give you the apple, but don’t get out of the bed.”

“I understand.”

Lady Elle is usually by my side, and when she’s away undergoing lady’s education, the other servants took turns watching me.

“You seem used to it.”

“I used to help my mother.”

I soon found out where my mother's remains were.

The Duke had moved it to a safe place so that no one could tamper with it.

I can only thank Lady Elle and the Duke for courteously letting me mourn.

“Umm, Lady Elle…”

“What is it now?”

“What happened to my debt?”

That's what I've been wanting to ask for the past week.

I don't know how much more debt I have left to pay myself.

That's part of the reason I want to work as soon as possible.

Lady Elle looked puzzled, but then she exclaimed, "Oh!”

“S, sorry. I forgot to explain to you properly.”

“Pardon?”

“You have no debt to pay.”

I didn't understand what was being said.

When I was confused, Lady Elle told me everything in plain.

The nobleman who had framed and killed my father had pushed his huge debt from his gambling onto us. In order to pay off the debt, he had repeatedly set up commoners and exploited them.

My father was not the only victim. There were many commoners whose homes were destroyed because of the nobleman.

He targeted the commoners because he knew that it would be difficult to set up the nobles. He was preying on the weak.

“Unforgivable.”

I felt hatred for the nobleman who had killed my parents.

I wanted to kill him with my own hands if I could.

“I’m sorry, Giselle.”

Lady Elle apologized as she grabbed my hand that was clutching the blanket.

“Why are you apologizing…”

“Because we, the nobles, have ruined your family.”

I didn't really understand Lady Elle's strong sense of responsibility, so I was overwhelmed by her words.

I shook my head and said, "It's not your fault, Lady Elle," but she just looked sad.

"I wish I could have helped you sooner.”

My parents are dead. But I'm still alive.

She saved my life and gave me a place to stay.

Lady Elle is my savior.

“Oh, yes. Let’s go out together tomorrrow.”

“Go out?”

“There’s a place I want to take you.”

I tilted my head at Lady Elle, who smiled at me.

The next day, Elle took me to a hill with a great view.

It overlooked the town and was the cemetery of the commoners. I had never been there before.

The grave of my father, who was treated as a criminal, was not allowed to be built here. We had built a small grave near the house where I and my mother lived.

"Giselle, this way."

I followed behind Lady Elle and stopped in front of one of the graves. I looked at the grave and saw what it was inscribed with.

“Dad and Mom’s names…”

Carved on the gravestone were the names of my mother and father.

How could there be two graves?

It was Lady Elle who grabbed my confused shoulders and smiled at me.

"I really thought I should ask for your permission, but I wanted to get it ready for you as soon as possible. Was it unnecessary?”

I shook my head at Lady Elle's anxious question.

There was no way I would be bothered.

If I had been alone, I would not have been able to put them in the same grave, let alone build two.

“Thank you so much…”

I don't know how many times I should thank this person.

How can I express my gratitude?

There was not much I could do now.

I got down on one knee, put my hand over my heart, and looked up at Lady Elle.

“Lady Gabrielle de Olivier. I, Giselle, swear by my late father and mother that I will be loyal to you for the rest of my life."

It was a poor way of declaring loyalty, like a child's game of make-believe that I had learned from a servant at the Duke's mansion.

Even so, Lady Elle seemed to understand my seriousness and gave me a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Giselle.”

The hand stroking my head was so gentle that I felt the tears I had forced myself to stop coming out.

"Then I'll return the favor.”

"What?"

She took off a pendant with a small jewel from around her neck.

It looks like a luxury item even for a child, and from what I was told later, it has a magic nullifying effects on it.

It was said to be worth enough to buy a noble title.

When I tried to refuse to accept it, she opened her mouth.

“This is a proof of being my personal maid. It also has a different meaning, though.”

“A different meaning?”

“Today is your eight birthday, right?”

“How do you…”

“You are being employed by a Duke’s household. I apologize, but there was a lot of investigation about you done.”

There was no way they could hire someone whose identity they didn’t know.

Even a child could understand that.

After my mother passed away, I thought I would never be able to celebrate my birthday again. I was so happy to have my birthday celebrated by someone more important to me than myself that I started crying again.

“Happy birthday, Giselle.”

She smiled at me and I made up my mind that I would always be loyal to her no matter what.

I made up my mind once again.

This is how I became Lady Elle’s personal maid.