Chapter 56
56. Julius’s Top-Class Maid2022.03.13.
Brody looked at Tristan, whom she had run into in the corridor. His expression, as Sir Arthur’s loyal subordinate, wasn’t very good.
“…….”
Brody had already noticed that Tristan didn’t like Reina much. Well…… considering the circumstances, it made sense. What Sir Arthur had gone through was a sham marriage, after all. But Brody felt bitter and unjust on her behalf.
“……Sir Tristan.”
Tristan, about to brush past her, only shifted his eyes to look down at Brody. His attitude wasn’t friendly, but Brody opened her mouth for Reina’s sake.
“……She probably didn’t do it because she wanted to.”
“…….”
Not that her words would make much of a difference. Still, recalling how Reina had covered for her, Brody continued.
“She’s not a bad person. Please don’t hate her too much.”
And Brody gazed at him with eyes that carried some of her inner thought: ‘If you just think about it a little, couldn’t you pity her too?’
“…….”
Brody said no more, gave him a quick bow in greeting, then turned and headed back to where she belonged. Tristan’s gaze, left behind her, turned icy. Brody had been talking about Reina standing in as the bride, but to Tristan, it sounded like she knew all about the note Reina had been passing along. * * * As the Marchioness headed to inspect the bridal chamber newly being prepared for Christina, she spotted Brody and Tristan exchanging words near Sir Arthur’s quarters and frowned. The conversation was brief, and the two soon turned in different directions, but it soured her mood.
‘……That maid, so careless. What does she think she’s doing, chatting away like they’re friends?’
Irritated, as she withdrew her gaze, the Marchioness then saw one of Sir Arthur’s knights stepping aside on the stairs ahead to let some maids pass. Even though there was plenty of room to pass each other, the knight had retreated to allow the maids to go first. The maids hesitated upon seeing the knight yield the way, then gave him slight bows of thanks before hurrying up the stairs. The knight gave a curt nod without lingering and passed by them. After he had gone, the maids turned their heads to sneak glances at his retreating figure. The Marchioness gripped her fan tightly and glared. The knight’s manners were quite refined, but that very point irked her. As was common in most great estates, romance among the household staff at Julius Mansion was an unspoken taboo. The matriarchs of noble houses never wanted their maids entangled in scandals. It was a matter directly tied to the family’s reputation. Yet Sir Arthur’s knights were certainly the kind of romantic partners to make any maid’s eyes light up. The money poured out by the marquis. The honor of being Sir Arthur’s knights who had returned triumphant. Some among them would even receive titles commensurate with their achievements at the triumphal procession. Above all, they were young, handsome men constantly crossing paths in the same space. Compared to the butlers, footmen, or coachmen typically considered as marriage prospects for maids, they brimmed with imposing dignity and striking valor. * * *
“He’s the one. The redhead!”
“Sir Lukan?”
“It’s Sir Lukan? How do you know his name? God, even his name is cool.”
“His smile is so charming! Like a red black panther!”
“Then isn’t it a red leopard?”
“No. Red black panther fits perfectly.”
“Yeah. That name suits him better somehow!”
The maids chattered away in their own little world, giggling. The knights were quite popular among them. For maids who rarely left the mansion, these suddenly arrived prime specimens of handsome men filling up space in the estate were an unexpected treat for the eyes and a windfall. Maids’ romantic partners were almost always someone from within the mansion. But with the severe gender imbalance, even that was a long shot, and most maids had no time to meet outsiders, so they mostly gave up on romance or marriage altogether. But now, with these ‘real knights’ overflowing with overwhelming, unfamiliar allure swarming the mansion, it was inevitable they’d catch the maids’ attention. The maids were truly reaping the greatest benefits of the ‘Arthur special.’
“He’s the one! The one who got slapped by the marquis!”
“Sir Lionel!”
Two or three maids cried out his name at once, making a fuss.
“He’s so handsome! He seems like he has a story.”
“Yeah! There’s something poignantly beautiful about him.”
“Ah. When I saw him stand up to the marquis, I thought he was so cool I might faint…….”
One cheeky maid among them immediately mimicked his voice.
“‘The only reason I’m not executing you on the spot right now is not because you’re Marquis Julius, but because I respect Sir Arthur. If you don’t step back immediately, even for Sir Arthur’s honor, I will execute you under my own authority!’”
“Kyaa!”
Happy squeals erupted among the maids. Lionel, who had impressively stood up to the marquis and had that handsome, story-laden vibe, was enjoying no small popularity.
“I like the intellectual type! I never imagined there’d be one like that among the knights…….”
“Sir Kay? No, Arthur. He’s the son of Count Ford’s family. A high-ranking noble.”
“Tch. Who said anything about getting involved? I just said he’s my type.”
“I’m into Sir Tristan! Honestly, excluding Sir Arthur, isn’t Sir Tristan the handsomest face among them?”
“Then why bother? He’s married.”
“What?! Sir Tristan is married?!”
“He has a five-year-old kid. Total family man, they say.”
Even amid their busy work, the maids bloomed with smiles over talk of the knights. Following the twin leads of Lukan and Lionel, all the other knights were enjoying hot popularity. In particular, Sir Arthur’s four closest knights were the objects of fervent interest from most of the maids.
“You’re all smitten!”
The Marchioness snapped her fan open irritably and fanned herself.
“They whine about being swamped with work, but they can’t do their jobs and are ogling knights instead? No pride at all.”
Christina smirked as she let Marina help her undress. The Marchioness’s complaints continued.
“Maids are such a headache anyway. You’ll have plenty to manage with them! Of course, I’ll help keep an eye on things too.”
The Marchioness soon tossed her fan aside with a sullen face, no longer fanning, and lifted her teacup to gulp down the tea. Now stripped down to a white chemise, her hair pulled out and cascading down, Christina replied.
“Well……. The knights must seem like the perfect match for the maids. Can’t be helped. They want to get married too.”
So bold of her. The Marchioness scowled.
“This isn’t something to take so lightly, dear. With enemies everywhere jealous of us and waiting for any excuse to pick fights, if a scandal erupts like this! There’ll be an uproar about the lax discipline in Julius Mansion. Why give those hyenas such fodder?”
Christina nodded for Marina to leave, then spoke.
“The maids will know better than to act foolishly.”
The Marchioness gave a short snort and sighed.
“Don’t count on the maids’ judgment. You’ll get stabbed in the back for sure.”
Christina laughed.
“That’s why we have Doctor Lorenson.”
The Marchioness pressed her forehead as if her head ached.
“It’s not something you can leave entirely to Doctor Lorenson. Things are different now. There are too many eyes on the mansion.”
“I know.”
Christina continued nonchalantly.
“But it doesn’t seem all that bad.”
“What?”
Christina spoke from across the mirror.
“I mean the maids and knights getting together.”
The Marchioness looked at Christina. Her words, paused while lighting her cigarette holder, resumed.
“A Julius Mansion maid with one of Sir Arthur’s knights. Doesn’t that paint a nice picture? It might even elevate Julius’s status. Make the alliance look more solid.”
Christina exhaled a puff of smoke and said.
“Most will end up just slobbering over nothing. But who knows? Anyway, our mansion has plenty of useful girls. Of course, as long as it doesn’t turn into dirty scandals, and we package it prettily.”
Hearing her daughter, the Marchioness’s eyes widened. Christina crossed her legs leisurely, propping her elbow on the vanity.
“If there’s quick results, we can use them to get news from their side right away. Or conversely, spread good word about us to their side.”
At a loss for words, the Marchioness finally managed to speak.
“……No, dear. No matter what, we’re a prestigious house! Electors, no less! Society values face so much—how would it look from the outside……!”
“We can turn it into our strength depending on how we play it publicly. Show some distinctive tolerance. We’re the house that embraced an illegitimate child no one else acknowledged, aren’t we?”
The Marchioness grimaced and protested in a quieter, dissatisfied voice.
“No, that’s different from this.”
Christina smiled with elegant, aristocratic poise as she toyed with the cigarette holder in her hand.
“Bothering to meet others’ standards on dignity, history, refinement—we’ll just hear we’re still inferior to the other electors. We need to show something boldly different.”
The sleek black cigarette holder danced gracefully in her hand.
“Encourage it. As long as no scandals break. I like it, actually.”
Delicate smoke rose like silver thread into the air.
“Of course, since it requires self-control and discernment, it has to be the obedient ones who can be managed well.”
“…….”
Christina brought the cigarette holder to her lips. Matilda stared at her daughter with her mouth slightly agape. Maids yearning for marriage and romance, and the men trailing them, were always headaches for noble ladies managing estates and reputations. Yet to encourage the maids to pair off with knights…… She knew her daughter was extraordinary. But sometimes it was hard to keep up. Matilda fidgeted anxiously with the end of her fan.
“…….”
But Christina’s advice had never led to bad outcomes. Trusting her daughter’s abilities, the Marchioness pondered carefully. Christina tapped her crossed leg once and shook ash into the ashtray.
“Reina would have been perfect. But since she’s with the most important person, can’t be helped.”
“…….”
What incredible nerve. That’s my husband, and she doesn’t bat an eye.
“……I wonder how I gave birth to someone like you when I carried you inside me.”
At the Marchioness’s mutter, Christina puffed on her cigarette and chuckled. Propping her chin, the Marchioness took in her daughter’s appearance. ……Stunning beauty, frighteningly quick wits. The only blemish was inheriting her father’s utterly unmanageable temper. But without that temper, she couldn’t have stood up to that father as she did. Then House Julius wouldn’t have reached this day. Christina shook off more ash casually and said.
“Of course, to spread good word about us to their side, Mother, you’ll have to treat the maids ‘well’ too. You know.”
“…….”
Christina leaned forward in her seat to slip off her shoes and smiled calmly.
“Like what we do for Reina.”
The Marchioness was dumbfounded by her daughter’s words for a while, but somehow feeling like Christina could make anything work, she ended up nodding with a sigh.
“……All right. We’ll do as you say.”
Christina smiled.
“Thanks, Mother.”
The Marchioness set her fan down on the table, sighed, stood, and retrieved a gold-covered secret ledger from the safe hidden under the bed. It was a ledger classifying ‘useful’ maids with leverage over them. The heavy, gold-shimmering hardcover ledger thudded onto the table. Christina’s gaze followed hers there. 【 Maid Ledger 】 Flip. The open ledger listed grades for the most tight-lipped, obedient ‘special maids,’ along with the ‘special favors’ the Marchioness bestowed upon them with meticulous calculation. Among the top-grade maids, right at the very top, was Reina’s name. Below Reina’s name. All the other names classified as top-grade alongside her had red ink X marks over them. They were maids no longer working at the mansion. Reina was the only one left.
