Chapter 61: Chapter 9. Replacement

As it turned out, my life at the Marquess of Windsor's estate was still full of surprises.After I was finally going to rest after a hard day's work, I was clearly abducted with bad intentions. And I was almost in the room.

I was tied up again, but this time it was not the work of the Marquis, but one of the maids. I couldn't believe that people here were so brazen that they would easily kidnap a person in the middle of the night.

When I was locked in this room, I immediately realized that only one of them was in charge of the whole process. The others only followed her instructions. However, it didn't make it any easier. After all, this girl clearly had a grudge against me.

The maid began to pour accusations, allegedly it was my fault, her mistress turned away from her. Although I didn't understand at all what I had to do with it. It was entirely Maxie's decision, but it was me who made the stumbling block in this situation.

«…Listen,» she tried to negotiate, «If that's what you want, then let me talk to her, and maybe…»

— Shut up! — She growled, — I don't need handouts from someone like you.

— Then why did you drag me here?!

— Revenge.

— what?

— Impudent aristocrat… Because of your position, do you think you can do anything in this house? So today I'll teach you a lesson.

I stumbled.

Is this maid accusing me of coming from a noble family? But does that make sense? After all, none of us chooses where to be born!

If I had my way, I would prefer a quiet life more than the role of the heiress of the Archduchy. After all, in this position, apart from material prosperity, I did not see any advantages. If I hadn't been Leriana Ashford, I wouldn't have had to put in so much effort to survive. And even more so, I would not be in such a situation now.

I have known this truth since my rebirth in this world, and I sincerely envied people who could lead a peaceful life without caring about anything.

This maid doesn't even know how lucky she really is.

However, instead of rejoicing at getting rid of such an unbearable hostess in the form of Maxi, the girl began to plot behind the Marquis' back. It was fraught with not the best end for her.

In the end, I realized that it would be impossible to peacefully negotiate with her. After all, she had already decided everything for herself for a long time.

After throwing a couple more insulting phrases in my direction, the maid moved on to the most real threats.

«…Even though I can't deprive you of your status and money, but… there's something I can take right now.»

The next second, she pulled out and opened a pocket knife.

It's bad.

I understand correctly that I still have nowhere to wait for help…?

Approaching, the girl ran her finger over my face, leaving unpleasant sensations on the skin. The knife was supposed to go next, apparently.

«…Get ready to be the first ugly woman of the empire, Leriana Ashford.»

She grabbed my chin roughly, intending to disfigure my face.

All previous hopes that everything that was happening could only be a warning were instantly exhausted. The maid was about to get down to business.

And at that moment, when there was no way to retreat, it was as if something clicked in my head.

Why should I let a servant treat me like that? Even though we were unfairly in different positions, but isn't this the work of fate? And since I have become the daughter of an Archduke, I must stick to my status. And what was happening now simply did not fit into any framework of the laws of this world.

With this thought in mind, I easily broke the ropes that bound me, a second before the decisive action.

She got up from her chair under the shocked stares of the maids. The main one recoiled from me.

— You… who are you?! — She screamed, — How dare you…?!

— How dare you? I asked coldly, «How dare a maid like you raise her hand against an aristocrat?»

Emotions that I had never experienced before were born in me. At that moment, I didn't feel sorry for this girl at all.

I easily snatched the knife from her hands, squeezing her wrist with the other. Indifferently looked straight into the eyes.

The maid, who had treated me with such contempt before, was scared.

— Let go! I said, let me go!

But I didn't have time to do anything, because Razor and Maxie suddenly burst into the room. Hearing the screams, the latter even broke down the door to get inside as soon as possible.

Seeing the scene taking place, both froze on the threshold.

The other three maids immediately fell to their knees, asking the mistress for forgiveness. But all she was looking at was how I was forcibly restraining her former personal maid right now.

— In my opinion, you made a little mistake who needs help here.

Maxie grinned, turning to Razor, who froze in shock.

He thought I was already a mess. And it turned out to be quite the opposite.

— Madam, please help! Zelda turned to her in despair.

But Maxie just ignored her requests.

— I didn't think that all this time, such a fool worked for me, — she said irritably, — From now on you will know your place.

— B-but Mistress…! It's for you! I…!

The maid descended into sobs, which, however, in this situation would not have helped her in any way.

«I'm not bothering you,» Maxie interjected casually, «I'll just stand in the corner. You can continue.»

The girl leaned on the door jamb, watching what was happening, as if for some kind of show. But the second prince couldn't just stay away. Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

At the moment when I was about to raise the knife again over the servant who insulted me, the guy intercepted me by the hand.

«Don't,» he shook his head, «she's not worth it.»

— B-but! — I was indignant, — Do you know that this crazy woman almost disfigured me? Can't I repay her in kind?

Razor looked at me seriously.

«Leriana, I know you well,» he said, «even as revenge, you wouldn't do such things.»

I shuddered.

— Come on… — he slowly took the knife out of my hand, — Don't get your hands dirty with blood because of some maid. If you want, you can punish her in another way.

The guy's words convinced me. After all, I just almost did something that I could regret later.

I sighed and turned to her. The maid fell to her knees.

— This time, so be it, I'll let you go, — I chuckled, — But if one of you still dares to do something like that… I really will not disdain to continue what I started.

The blade of the knife hit the floor loudly.

Maxie sighed in disappointment.

— How boring… And I was hoping that something interesting would happen.

***

After the conflict between me and the former maid Maxie was settled, the latter surprisingly did not leave. The girl even escorted Razor out, but she stayed by herself, dragging me into her room.

Really, by the middle of the night, she decided to «reward» me with overtime work?

But after moving to the chambers, Maxie suddenly sat me down in a chair, after which she began to treat the bruises.

Despite the fact that the maid did not have time to leave any wounds from the knife, they still treated me rudely. First they knocked him out with a blow to the head, after which they tied him even tighter than in prison. My wrists still ached.

Maxie was applying ointment, and along the way noticed:

— Wow. And everything heals on you like on a dog.

I was indignant.

— It doesn't sound very nice…!

Maxie grinned.

— We'll have to be patient.

We stayed in this position for a while without saying a word to each other. In the end, I decided to ask:

— You can give it to me. I can do it myself…

«You've got your hands in the wrong place already. Just sit straight.»

I sighed.

Such a gesture of care on her part turned out to be extremely unexpected, and therefore suspicious. But the relaxed atmosphere between us, at this moment, allowed me to ask a question:

«There's something I really want to know.»

— What do you want?

«Why did you make me your maid?»

— Hmm? — Maxie looked up from her lesson and looked at me, — What are you talking about?

«There are plenty of other maids in this house, but you chose me,» I remarked, «even kicked out the girl who had served you faithfully before.»

The heroine's mentor chuckled softly.

— Do you really want to know?

— Yes, — I nodded, — Although, in fact, I guess… it's because I'm the daughter of an Archduke. You just wanted to humiliate me, didn't you?

It seemed logical, and I didn't expect any other answer.

But Maxie looked at me strangely.

«If that's what I really wanted, then you wouldn't be talking to me so freely right now. I know what I'm talking about when I get down to business.»

I was very surprised.

— But then why…?

The girl was silent. The sparkle of fun that had been in her eyes before disappeared somewhere. She thought about something for a long time.

— Just… You remind me of the one I promised to be with.

— What?!

I stared at her in amazement. To be honest, I was waiting for any reason, but not this one.

— Are you saying that I look like your first love…? I asked slowly.

— Don't ask stupid questions. I've already answered you.

Maxie wasn't going to tell me anything else, and just silently finished processing the skin. While I was left completely at a loss.

Why was this fact not mentioned in any way in Maxie's biography? Moreover, for the entire time of the plot, the girl did not have a single love interest. So why such an unexpected turn?

After leaving her room, I smiled strangely.

I never would have thought that they would make someone else's replacement out of me.