B Chapter 34

'His Grace must be in the study.'

Seeing Chloe, he spoke to her cheerfully.

"Ah, Master Groom. I knocked but got no answer, so I was waiting."

The count's attendant mistook Chloe for a groom.

'Well, dressed like this, it would be funnier to think I'm a maid.'

Dismissing his words, Chloe simply asked about his business.

"His Grace is not in the bedroom right now. What is your business?"

"It's nothing major, but Count Lambut has invited His Grace to dinner. Since there have been some unpleasant incidents..."

"I'll convey the message."

"Yes, then."

Receiving a polite bow, Chloe watched his retreating figure and chuckled.

'He's so respectful even to me.'

This was all because of the Grand Duke.

'That man has probably never been in a subordinate position.'

He was always in the superior position wherever he went. Chloe was newly amazed by his modest personality and the generosity he showed her.

'Not even a beating, let alone a single scolding. Even though I've made mistakes several times...'

In this status-conscious era, could there be a noble so tolerant toward a maid? Chloe had never heard of one.

'I guess this shows how important family upbringing is.'

The Grand Duke's household must have that kind of atmosphere. Of course, she knew his father was a great noble standing at the pinnacle of power.

Was there anyone on the continent who hadn't heard the name 'Duncan'?

Duncan Graham, called the Conquering Lord, was more famous outside the Empire.

'His mother must be... a person of very fine character.'

The Grand Duke's modest and generous nature must have been greatly influenced by his mother.

'She must be quiet and kind. Is his mother in the territory?'

Since she wasn't in the capital, that was probably the case. Lost in such thoughts as she walked, she found herself in front of the study.

The Grand Duke was writing a letter to be tied to a messenger bird's leg. Managing the grand ducal mansion in the capital, the territory, the knight order, and even his father in the imperial palace—he must be incredibly busy.

'I shouldn't disturb him.'

After conveying the count's dinner invitation to the Grand Duke, Chloe headed to the washing area.

'With the good sunlight, everything should have dried quickly.'

Walking lightly toward the stream, she soon froze like stone.

"What... how did this happen?"

All of the Grand Duke's clothes had fallen to the ground. Chloe stared at the laundry with a devastated expression.

'They're covered in mud...!'

Looking around, all the other clothes hanging on the line were fine—only the Grand Duke's clothes were like this.

"You must not have hung them properly."

Someone passing by said.

"You should have spread the clothes out well when hanging them. Did you perhaps not learn how?"

It was another maid from the ceremony.

"You act like you know everything else so well, snort."

The maid left with a sneer. Bewildered, Chloe was about to curse that maid out but barely restrained herself. The obvious behavior was too childish.

'How dare she? No matter how much she dislikes me, still.'

How could she dare do that to the Grand Duke's clothes?

'She's crazy, really.'

The clothes were completely ruined. They hadn't just fallen to the ground—it looked like mud had been deliberately smeared on them.

'Ugh, such expensive clothes too.'

His clothes were all made of the finest fabrics with jewels attached.

'I washed them so carefully...'

No matter how she looked at it, they couldn't be worn again.

'What am I going to do about this?'

Saying that other maids had done this would sound like making excuses to avoid responsibility. There was no way to prove that maid's sabotage.

'In any case, it was my responsibility.'

The Grand Duke hadn't even requested separate service from the castle.

'He trusted me that much...'

How disappointing. Quickly becoming dejected, Chloe suddenly remembered the count's dinner invitation while examining the clothes.

The tailcoat he needed to wear to dinner!

'It's tonight!'

Pale-faced, she rummaged through the clothes and found the ruined tailcoat. Its condition was terrible. Since the clothes he needed immediately weren't available, she had no choice but to tell the Grand Duke the truth as quickly as possible.

'This is really a disaster...'

This time he would surely be very angry. No matter how generous he was, this wasn't something that could just be overlooked. As Chloe gathered the mud-stained laundry, tears welled up from the injustice.

'I've lived kindly, so why is my life like this?'

Whenever misfortune struck in this life, Chloe would unconsciously reflect on her previous life. She had never committed truly evil crimes, but there had been words and actions she couldn't be proud of. Trash carelessly thrown away, selfish behavior to win competitions, small lies, and so on. She feared that the wrongs from her previous life had become karma disrupting her current life. Like the saying about cause and effect.

That's why she lived kindly for the sake of her next life too. She consciously tried to live a righteous life. It was thoroughly selfish altruism.

'I lived earnestly without harming others...'

It was actually she who had saved Sir Rohan. But from no one had she received thanks, let alone any praise for doing well. She hadn't helped to receive thanks, but it still stung. Living each day faithfully, being content with what she was given. She had only tried to work hard and be happy...

'Is there more karma left?'

She resented her unfortunate fate. Feeling dejected, she soon shook her head.

'Being the Grand Duke's maid is actually something I should be grateful for.'

Though she was suddenly dragged into this ceremony, even if she had stayed in the medical ward, the situation would have been similar. Hadn't she received cold stares from the nurses every time she associated with the deputy director?

'At least now they can't openly bully me because of the Grand Duke.'

If she were in the medical ward, there would have been terrible harassment. Thinking this way, she felt weak for having tears well up just now.

'Let me be grateful that I can help others. I have knowledge.'

Chloe pulled herself together and rubbed her eyes. After thoroughly wiping her face, she felt much better. The dirtied clothes were still hopeless, but there was nothing she could do. She had to quickly go and inform the Grand Duke of the facts.

'He'll think I'm a maid who can't do anything properly.'

Usually, the Grand Duke wasn't pleased with how she handled her work either.

'He always tells me to polish armor I've already cleaned again...'

And he made her polish it right in front of him. As if to check how thorough she was.

'This time I really need to prepare to be scolded.'

Sighing, Chloe recalled Anna's advice.

Violence was common in this era. Servants who encountered strange masters faced beatings as a matter of course. When she lived in the royal palace, she witnessed nobles slapping servants for small mistakes at least once a day. Such memories kept coming back, making her steps toward the Grand Duke heavy.

'This time there will be no forgiveness.'

Alessandro in the study heard news that Sir Rohan's attendant Thomas had awakened.

"He just regained consciousness, but his condition isn't bad. The doctor says he should recover completely soon, Your Grace."

It was a quick recovery. Just like when Chloe had treated his horse Howl. His maid had once again performed a miracle.

Could it be magic? Alessandro burst into silent laughter. Chloe being a witch who uses magic—it couldn't be more mismatched if it tried.

'Far from being a witch, she'd be lucky not to get eaten by one.'

He was smiling at his own silly imagination when someone knocked on the door. Knock knock, the small tapping sounds came one after another.

"Who is it?"

"Your Grace, I..."

A voice as small as an ant's. One corner of Alessandro's mouth naturally curled upward.

"I... it's Chloe."

Chloe quickly added, worried he might have forgotten her name.

"Your Grace's maid."

Somehow she sounded even more pitiful than usual to her own ears. Fortunately, the Grand Duke hadn't forgotten her name, as he answered for her to come in before she even finished speaking. He gazed at Chloe as if asking what the matter was.

He must have been looking for a book, standing by the bookshelf. He looked even more massive than when sitting, and with his arms crossed, his muscles appeared more pronounced than usual. Her mouth went completely dry.

'Getting beaten by those hands would really hurt...'

Chloe, who had been staring intently at his thick forearms, realized he was still looking at her. Without any prompting about what the matter was, his silent waiting felt even more frightening. Flustered, Chloe began speaking incoherently.

"Um, I, when I was doing laundry..."

I ruined Your Grace's clothes that you wear often. Eight whole sets.

'There's not even a tailcoat for you to wear tonight. What should I do?'

Her tongue seemed stuck as the rest of the words wouldn't come out. Her lips only moved while the Grand Duke waited silently. Cold sweat broke out on Chloe's back.

"I, I ruined all the clothes! I'm sorry!"

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut tight. Silence fell.