CH 17

Freya, who defended Lillian, was no different. Just because she was the same age as Lillian, she was invited to the party hosted by Duke Marsetta himself. It was an opportunity that would never come again. So she pretended she couldn’t help it and hung out for a while.

But how could she know that person she was arguing with was the exclusive maid of the little Duchess?

Furthermore, contrary to the rumors, the little Duchess didn’t seem to like Lillian very much.

“I’m sorry, little Duchess. I think there must have been a misunderstanding of something from what I had said.”

“Misunderstanding? Come to think of it, Lady Aretta.”

“Yes?”

“What sin did Lari commit to you?”

In Charelize’s words, Freya had a lot on her mind about what to say. Because it all started under Lillian’s initiative.

“It’s only been a few days since I came to the Duchy…”

“Do you have any concerns, Princess Lillian?”

“Among the servants, there is a maid named Lari… Her eyes always look scary whenever she sees me, and she doesn’t even take care of my meals properly… She treats me like an uninvited guest, so I cry all night.”

“Why don’t you talk about it to the Duke?”

“He’s still busy… I don’t want to cause trouble for nothing.”

Until then, Freya had no idea. She just listened in one ear and out the other.

“If so, can Lady Aretta, who has the highest status here, help me?”

“What do you mean the highest status? Princess Lillian has a higher status than me.”

“I don’t have the strength yet. I can’t even call her and say anything.”

“But…”

“When things are done… I will be sure to pass the words of Lady Aretta to my dad! So please?”

For a moment, Freya was shaken. She thought she would be rewarded by Duke Marsetta.

“What can I do?”

“I’m going to have her bring the tea in a while… Since there are many eyes to see, she won’t be able to say no. Then you just have to gently trip her feet.”

“Princess must speak about me well to the Duke.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Freya looked at Lillian. Lillian, who had wept sadly until before, turned her head away, avoiding Freya’s eyes.

“I… tripped her.”

“Lady Aretta, what do you mean?”

“Everything, everything was Li…”

It was the moment when Lillian’s name was about to come out of Freya’s mouth.

“Sister! It’s all my fault. I wanted to get to know Lari, so I was frustrated about what to do… I only spoke lightly about it to Lady Aretta. I think that’s why it happened.”

“Princess… what do you—”

“Lari, I’m sorry. I think I misunderstood. Come on, get up.”

Lillian, who had ignored her recently, passed the whole thing to Freya. She raised Lari, who was still on her knees.

“Is that true?”

“How dare I lie to Sister. Lari, I apologize once again. I’m really sorry.”

Charelize pondered for a moment on how to deal with this situation. It was difficult to know the full story of the incident, but it was clear that Freya’s actions were made by Lillian. Lillian said she misunderstood. So it was difficult to blame Lillian, who raised Lari by her hand and apologized one after another.

“Having the exclusive maid of the little Duchess is something that shouldn’t be overlooked.”

“I just want to get to know her… I’m sorry, Sister.”

“I will issue a prohibition order for two days, so please don’t let this happen again.”

“Yes, Sister. I will stay in my room and think about what I had done.”

Lillian smiled like an innocent child and nodded her head.

“Lady Aretta.”

“Your Highness, I, I… am sorry.”

Charelize talked to Freya, who had been shaking her whole body for a while. She roughly knew that Freya only did what Lillian had asked her to do. However, Freya went beyond what Charelize could tolerate.

“Martin.”

“Did you call for me, Your Highness?”

“Make an appointment with Count Aretta’s second daughter. She was very smart from what I heard, but I want to meet her in person.”

“I will write a letter to her right now, Your Highness.”

When Charelize punished who offended her, they had one thing in common. Charelize slowly took what they had.

“Your Highness! I’m sorry, I… I was wrong. This will never happen again… so…”

“I don’t think I will ever meet you again.”

“Your Highness…”

“If I can give you one piece of advice,  I think it would be better for you to be careful with your words and not open your mouth recklessly.”

Freya knelt down on her knees and begged. What Charelize did was like giving her younger sister the strength to become the next countess.

“Just once… just once… please forgive me, Your Highness…”

“You made fun of your mouth again this time.”

“…”

“It’s not me who you should apologize to.”

“…”

“It was Lari.”

Freya’s mother agonized over whether she should give her younger sister the successor’s position as her younger sister is already prominent in politics. Her father often threatened to take that position away from her.

“Ah… ah…”

Freya looked back at Rosetta, Viscount Rebetty’s daughter, and Luwis, Barone Jeron’s daughter. She also saw Ririn, Count Barnett’s daughter, whom she had been friends with since her childhood. But no one was helping her.

“Your Highness, do you really want me to write a letter to the second daughter of Count Aretta?”

“Yes. Did you think I was joking?”

“Still… I’ve talked to her a few times, and she’s not that smart.”

Martin asked, following Charelize as she turned around and left, supporting Lari.

“Rather than someone who can’t even tell the difference between what to say and what not to say…”

“…”

“She will be better. It’s not that I’ve never heard of her being smart.”

“But, Your Highness.”

“At least I know what will benefit me, so there will be no harm to me. No need to worry, Martin.”

I smiled gently.

“Lari, is your body okay?”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness… because of me—”

“Don’t say that. You didn’t commit any sin that didn’t even exist. It’s just they are paying for the price.”

Charelize said in a friendly voice, stroking Lari’s hair.

“Come to think of it, Martin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Meanwhile, Charelize seemed to recall something she had forgotten for a moment.

“It came last night. I found one of the knights on patrol committed suicide by biting his tongue.”

Martin replied with an astonished expression on her face, “Did something like that happen… Your Highness, are you all right?”

“I’ve been vigilant since the incident of a guy thrusting a dagger to my neck to kill me. But something is strange.”

Charelize pointed to the scar on her neck as if speaking of someone else’s story.

“I think there’s a servant who opened the door.”

“If that’s true…”

“That’s right. It’s correct to cut off the seeds that will become the seeds of trouble in the first place. Call the butler and the head maid right now.”

“I will obey your orders, Your Highness.”

Martin bowed her head and went outside after listening to Charelize.

“Lari, don’t do anything today. Just stay in bed. Don’t go back and forth again if you haven’t gotten over your cold yet.”

“Your Highness too…”

“It’s a command, so it would be better not to think about breaking it.”

Charelize said that with a firm expression as they arrived at Lari’s room. She then lay Lari on the bed, covered her with a quilt, then left her room.

When Charelize returned to her office, the butler and head maid were waiting in front of her.

“I see the little Duchess. May Goddess Resina’s blessing reach you.”

“May all of your honor be protected by the Goddess Resina.”

The head maid was still distracted, and her eyes were out of focus.

“Butler.”

“Yes, young Master.”

“Recently, a lot of servants have left, and new ones have come in.”

“There are five servants who have quit after madam’s funeral, and there are three new ones.”

Charelize, who was listening to the butler, opened her mouth, “You know better, butler. About the spy last night.”

“…yes.”

“Hasn’t the security been strengthened since there was someone who thrust a dagger into my neck when I was 16?”

“…”

“I think there must have been someone who had a connection with them among the servants. They must have opened the door to the spy who came in last night.”