Time Healer Ceres
Chapter 4
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“Haa.”
My family.
The Elercia County, the place I poured my everything into.
Surely the family hasn’t vanished entirely, has it? Could they have gone bankrupt in the last 300 years…!
“Ah, whatever.”
Not my problem. I won’t know a single soul there now anyway.
Ceres, sprawled out on the ground, stared blankly up at the clear, cloudless sky.
She felt hollow and thoroughly disgruntled. It was as if she’d been toyed with by some unknown entity only to be stabbed in the back.
‘If Enoch were here right now, he would’ve run away immediately.’
That usually dim-witted and gentle fellow was incredibly quick on the uptake when it came to reading the room. Perhaps that was why he always fled faster than anyone else whenever she was in this state. He knew all too well how exhausting things became if he got caught at a time like this.
“Hey, wash this too.”
It was then.
“This as well.”
“You can at least do this much, right?”
Faint voices drifted from a distance.
Wondering what was going on, she sat up and saw a few people gathered to one side, talking. Among them was a face Ceres knew well.
‘Jay?’
It was Jay, the maid who looked after her. The others surrounding her also appeared to be maids working here.
‘What are they doing?’
Ceres decided to watch the situation for a moment.
“These clothes are very precious to Madam, so handle them with care.”
“Wash them thoroughly and with a grateful heart.”
“You should do that much if you have a conscience. You know very well whose grace allows you servants of the Drow Barony to live without starving right now, don’t you?”
Madam, huh…
She had a rough idea of the situation. Unless Ceres’s mother, who was said to have passed away in an accident years ago, had been resurrected, there was only one person here who could be called ‘Madam.’
‘Was her name Agne?’
The name of the woman who was her aunt. Those three were likely people Agne had brought along.
As she had guessed, Seres Drow was a noble lady. To be precise, she was the ‘acting Head of the Family.’ Because the young Seres had been in a state of severe shock following her parents’ deaths, her official appointment as Baroness had been delayed day after day. It was said that Agne had wailed loudly, asking how they could place such a burden on the poor child so soon.
“By the way, look at the color of her clothes. How long has she been wearing that…? Has it even been washed?”
“It’s like that because it’s worn out. No amount of washing will help something like that.”
“Haa, seriously, if it weren’t for our Madam, everyone in this house would have starved to death.”
“Exactly. You should have served a better master.”
That’s true. No matter what job you do, life only gets easier when you serve the right person…
‘Wait a minute.’
Ceres, who had been nodding in full agreement with the maids’ words, suddenly stiffened as a fact dawned on her.
If we’re talking about Jay’s master, isn’t that me?
‘…Did those wretches just insult me?’
The corners of Ceres’s mouth slowly curled upward as she watched the three maids.
‘Gah! Grace-nim, please don’t smile like that!’
For some reason, she felt like she could hear her disciple’s scream, but it must have been her imagination.
* * *
“What are you doing? Hurry up.”
“We’re very busy. Move it.”
“Wash them clean. I’m telling you again, these are clothes our Madam truly cherishes.”
“…Understood.”
Jay, who had been standing with her head bowed, finally accepted the laundry the three maids handed her. This wasn’t a one- or two-day occurrence. There was nothing new about it.
‘At least they aren’t hitting me today.’
Usually, they would pretend to make a mistake and drop something sharp on her foot or intentionally throw heavy luggage at her. Brushing past her and shoving her shoulder was a daily routine. But being used to it didn’t make it okay.
When she let out a sigh without realizing it, exhausted by the grueling reality, the three maids’ eyes flared up.
“Wow, look at her. Did you just sigh?”
“This is ridiculous, really. Did we ask you to do something impossible? We just asked for help because we’re busy, and you’re giving us such an attitude.”
“Ah…”
“Seriously, you’re so slow! We said we’re busy. Don’t dawdle and just hurry up and—”
Splash!
“Kyaaak!”
“A—Ack!”
“Wh—what?”
Jay, who had been biting her lip while recalling past grievances instead of arguing back, quickly raised her head at the sudden scream. Her mouth slowly fell open. All three maids were soaking wet.
What just happened…?
“Hmm, is there not enough water?”
A familiar voice rang out at that moment. The three maids, who were dazed by the sudden situation, snapped their heads around. Only then did they see the person standing behind them, and their eyes bulged with fury.
“Seres-nim!”
Ceres stood there, holding a large empty bucket, looking deep in thought. The three women realized who had made them look like this and lunged toward her.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
“Did you just throw water on us? Ha!”
“My goodness! What is the meaning of this…!”
The three maids were flabbergasted. They couldn’t believe that Ceres, of all people, had thrown water on them. Had she gone mad after coming back from the brink of death?
How could a person who usually couldn’t even lift her head despite their blatant disregard and contempt suddenly commit such an outrage!
“Why? Didn’t you say you wanted the laundry done?”
“Pardon?”
“I was going to wash the clothes you’re wearing too. You have to soak them first, right? I’m a bit confused since it’s my first time doing laundry.”
“What kind of…!”
“Are you saying you’re going to do laundry right here?”
“Yeah.”
…Yeah? Did she just nod her head?
“Is there a problem?”
There are too many problems! The three maids, who had so much to say that they could only gape, watched as Ceres tilted her head as if she genuinely didn't understand why they were so bewildered.
Soon, Ceres stepped forward and picked up a bar of soap from the laundry tub.
“You said you were busy, right? It’s faster if I wash them while you’re wearing them.”
“…Excuse me?”
“The sunlight is good today, so they’ll dry in no time.”
“Th—that makes no sense!”
“How can you wash clothes while we’re wearing them…!”
“Stop joking around!”
“What? Joking?”
Flinch!
The corners of Ceres’s mouth slid upward.
“Were we on such terms that I would joke with you? I had no idea.”
“…!”
The three maids gulped. What was with that expression…?
Had she really lost her mind? Was she truly going to wash their clothes right here?
Her indifferent eyes, devoid of any trace of a smile as if she meant every word, were terrifyingly chilling.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“O—of course not!”
“Is that so?”
Ceres tilted her head, still appearing not to understand why it wouldn’t work, and took a step toward them.
“Then take them off.”
“…What?”
“I said, take them off.”
Step.
Flinch!
The three maids hurriedly backed away in unison. It was an action they themselves couldn’t understand.
‘Why did we retreat?’
Could they possibly be scared just because Ceres approached them? The very person they had always looked down upon so easily?
“If you don’t want to be washed while wearing them, you have to take them off.”
“Th—that…!”
Step.
Flinch!
The three maids had no choice but to admit it. They were currently afraid of Ceres. Their minds couldn't grasp it, but their bodies were reacting first.
‘Her eyes…’
They were definitely not the eyes of the person who was always discouraged, the one they had treated as a pushover. Just locking eyes with those indifferent eyes, where no emotion could be read, made their skin crawl with goosebumps.
“You asked for the laundry to be done. So…”
Step.
“Take them off.”
“Th—that…!”
“N—no!”
“We’ll—we’ll wash them ourselves!”
The three maids scrambled away from Ceres as fast as they could. They felt like if they were caught by her hands, they really would be scrubbed like laundry right then and there.
“Why? Didn’t you say you were busy?”
“No! We’re not busy at all!”
“That’s right! We’re not busy in the slightest!”
“Hmm, not busy?”
“Yes!”
Watching the three maids nod their heads vigorously as if it were the only way to survive, the corners of Ceres’s mouth slid up again.
“Then you were dumping your work onto someone else even though you weren't busy?”
“Th—that’s!”
“W—we thought we were busy, but now that we think about it, we don't think we’re busy at all.”
“Yes! We were mistaken!”
The three maids poured out incoherent excuses, not even knowing what they were saying.
“Is that so?”
After staring indifferently at the three maids for a moment, Ceres clicked her tongue as if she were deeply disappointed. She pressed the soap she was holding into the hand of the maid standing closest to her. Then, she snatched the laundry Jay was holding and gave it back to the three maids.
“Then, keep up the good work.”
Leaving them with the instruction to wash the laundry clean, she left the scene as leisurely as if nothing had happened.
“Se—Seres-nim, wait for me!”
Jay, who had been cautiously watching the situation, also hurriedly followed after her.
“…”
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence lingered for a long time in the spot where the two had left.
