Ariel suddenly awoke from her sleep.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, a thought forming in her mind.
‘Was it a dream?’
If not, why was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling?
Her mornings usually began with the familiar sight of her old, worn ceiling.
‘Ah.’
Ariel remembered nursing Luen through the night.
Since the fever hadn’t easily broken, she had stayed by Luen’s side until dawn.
The fever had finally subsided around daybreak, and she must have drifted off while intending to rest for just a moment.
‘In that case, Luen…’
Had her condition worsened while Ariel slept?
A sudden wave of anxiety prompted Ariel to quickly sit up.
As she moved, the luxurious duvet covering her body softly rustled and slid away.
‘What is this?’
The unusual texture made Ariel glance down.
She gasped in surprise at the sight of the duvet.
‘Why am I… with this?’
She was certain she had fallen asleep face down.
Come to think of it, where had she been lying?
Something was definitely amiss.
Just as Ariel was about to fully stand, an irritated voice echoed through the room.
“Just a mere maid. Are you rising later than your mistress?”
“…!”
Ariel’s eyes snapped open, and she looked towards the source of the voice.
Luen stood with her back to the sunlight streaming through the curtains, gazing down at Ariel.
A faint, wry smile played on her lips.
“Ah, young mistress. It’s not that.”
Ariel immediately got to her feet.
As she started towards Luen, she remembered the disheveled bedsheets.
She quickly turned and tidied the bed.
In less than a minute, the bed was as pristine as if it had never been slept in.
“Hah.”
Taking a ragged breath, Ariel hurried over to Luen without a moment’s pause.
Luen was seated at a table, legs crossed, watching her.
Though young and slender, Luen’s presence hinted at the aura of a Grand Duke.
Gulp.
Swallowing once, Ariel offered an awkward smile.
“Are you feeling any better?”
“Better than before.”
“Th-that’s a relief.”
Ariel replied with a somewhat hesitant tone.
Not that she meant anything by it.
It was just that the memory of waking up in Luen’s bed kept replaying in her mind.
Luen, however, seemed to interpret her reaction differently.
Luen frowned and spoke.
“Why, did you wish for me to remain ill?”
Ariel gasped in surprise.
“N-no, of course not. I am truly overjoyed that you’ve recovered, young mistress!”
Luen then asked with a listless expression.
“How overjoyed?”
“Pardon?”
“How overjoyed, I asked.”
‘What kind of ridiculous question is that?’
Ariel barely managed to control the twitching of her facial muscles.
She then tilted her head, pondering, and replied.
“As vast as… the universe?”
A faint scoff.
Luen, her lips twisting into a smirk, murmured softly.
“You must be quite overjoyed indeed.”
She then abruptly rose from her seat and brushed past Ariel, who stood rigidly frozen.
‘Where is she going?’
As Ariel hastily turned to follow her, something whizzed through the air.
Without thinking, Ariel caught it.
‘This is…’
It was a small, round container, about the size of a thumb.
There was something inside, but…
With her limited knowledge of this world, she had no idea what it could be.
Ariel tilted her head, looking at Luen.
Luen spoke brusquely.
“Now that you’ve received it, leave.”
“W-what? What is this?”
“Go open it and see for yourself.”
‘True, but…’
“Should I really leave?”
“Why, do you not wish to leave?”
“It’s not that…”
Ariel glanced at Luen for a moment, then spoke softly.
“The punishment for sleeping in your bed earlier…”
“Hah! Do you wish to be punished?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then get out.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, get out.”
Her voice was chilling, as if she might throw a dagger at any moment.
Ariel hastily bowed her head.
“Th-then, I’ll prepare breakfast and return to see you.”
“…”
‘She didn’t tell me not to come this time.’
With that, Ariel fled the room as if escaping.
****
“Hoo.”
After taking a moment to steady her breathing.
Ariel examined the container Luen had given her from all angles.
Inside was a gray solid, but she had no idea what it was.
To discover its contents, she would inevitably have to open the lid.
‘It couldn’t be poison, could it?’
‘Should I just throw it away?’
‘No, that would be impolite, given it was a gesture.’
Though a part of her worried, she dismissed the thought as unlikely.
Ariel cautiously opened the lid.
At once, she realized her worries had been utterly baseless.
What lay within the container was none other than…
‘Medicine?’
She couldn’t tell precisely what kind of medicine it was, but given its appearance and the circumstances, it seemed to be an ointment for wounds.
‘Come to think of it.’
Ariel untied the plain cloth wrapped around her neck.
It seemed she had bled quite a bit overnight, as the wounded area was stained red.
‘I should wash up before going to Luen.’
And apply the medicine she’d received.
Therefore, Ariel headed to her own room before going to the dining hall.
****
The medicine was indeed an ointment.
Having cleaned the blood and applied the ointment, Ariel left her room and headed towards the dining hall.
Today, no matter what, she was determined to procure a hearty meal.
‘Because she just recovered from being sick.’
Overcoming the illness must have consumed an immense amount of energy, and failing to replenish it could lead to serious consequences.
‘Today, I absolutely must get meat.’
However, Ariel’s plans were brutally shattered not long after.
“Hey! You’re Ariel, aren’t you? The half-wit’s exclusive maid.”
A maid with brown hair and a face full of freckles stopped Ariel in her tracks.
Ariel offered a sweet smile and responded to her words.
“Yes, I am Ariel, the Grand Duchess’s exclusive maid. May I help you?”
As Ariel slowly corrected Luen’s title, the maid’s eyebrows twitched.
She then spoke with a heavily sarcastic tone.
“You’re even more insolent than Rachel described. Talking back to your senior, I see.”
‘Rachel again?’
Ariel sighed deeply at the name, already weary of it.
“Have you come merely to pick a petty fight? If so, I cannot indulge you. I must prepare the young mistress’s breakfast.”
As she turned to leave, the maid seized her shoulder with a strong grip.
“Ugh…!”
Ariel winced at the sharp pain and turned her head.
Had it not been for the patience she had cultivated over the past month, she would have instantly punched the maid in the jaw.
Ariel slapped the maid’s hand off her shoulder, then coldly retorted.
“What is it?”
“It’s the Grand Duchess Consort’s order. From now on, you’ll be responsible for all the duvet laundry in the mansion.”
“But I’m already assigned as the Grand Duchess’s exclusive maid, aren’t I?”
“That’s none of my concern, it’s the Grand Duchess Consort’s order, I tell you!”
‘So this is how they’re going to play it.’
Just as Rachel had said the day before, the Consort had immediately begun to keep her in check.
The harassment would likely continue as long as she remained Luen’s maid.
But.
‘I must endure this to secure my retirement funds.’
According to the novel, Luen would overcome all opposition and become the Grand Duke.
‘Just until then.’
‘If I can just hold out until then, surely…’
‘I’ll be able to achieve my dream.’
Ariel clenched her fist.
****
Ariel’s destination thus changed from the dining hall to the laundry room.
There, duvets were piled high like a mountain.
If she had to do all of that alone, her body wouldn’t last.
“Hoo…”
After taking a deep breath, Ariel began to move her hands.
What followed was a relentless cycle of labor.
‘Damn it!’
She had been told that becoming an exclusive maid would mean less work.
Yet, somehow, it had become much harder than before.
Without even a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow, Ariel scrubbed the duvets vigorously.
But no matter how much she scrubbed, there seemed to be no end in sight.
“Did they… gather all the duvets in the Grand Duchy castle… here?!”
Huff!
Exhaling a hot breath, Ariel straightened her back.
With a cracking sound, an intense jolt shot through her entire body.
“Ugh!”
‘Luen.’
‘Your brother is working this hard because of you.’
Wiping away the tears that streamed down her face from the pain, Ariel refocused on washing the duvets.
As time passed, and when she finally hung all the duvets on the clothesline.
The moon shone brightly in the sky.
“…”
Ariel, her body heavy with exhaustion, made her way to the dining hall.
The lights in the dining hall were off.
Fortunately, the door wasn’t locked.
‘I really want to sleep.’
Nevertheless, since she had to bring food to Luen, Ariel headed to the kitchen without a word of complaint.
Various ingredients remained in the kitchen.
Among them, of course, were foods that could be eaten without cooking.
Cheese, bread, ham, and milk were prime examples.
Ariel stuffed them into her pockets and turned.
Stumbling as if she might fall at any moment, she headed towards Luen’s room.
-Knock, knock, knock.
She knocked on the door, but no sound came from within.
She was used to this by now.
Ariel prepared to knock once more.
Just then.
-Creak.
The old door slowly opened on its own, and Luen peeked her head out.
She scrutinized Ariel from head to toe, then frowned.
Was that annoyance or sadness?
Her face, briefly reflecting a mix of complex emotions, soon returned to its usual impassive expression.
Luen then turned and walked back into her room.
“…”
Ariel, taking the hint, followed her inside.
The room was brighter than before.
A single candle on the table cast a soft glow throughout the room.
However, the candlestick holding the candle was quite unusual.
It was covered in thick, accumulated wax, indicating how long the candle had been burning.
‘It was definitely new this morning.’
‘Was she waiting for me?’
‘Luen, of all people?’
Ariel felt an involuntary smile threatening to form, so she quickly spoke.
“I managed to get some food from the dining hall. You must be very hungry, aren’t you?”
“…”
Luen did not respond.
Since Ariel hadn’t expected an answer, she immediately placed the food on the table.
-Crackling.
The candle burned with a pleasant crackling sound.
Perhaps it was the flickering flame.
Luen’s red eyes shone with even greater depth.
Ariel watched her eyes for a moment, then spoke.
“Young mistress, please eat.”
For some reason.
Luen immediately reached for the bread.
But she didn’t pick it up.
Stopping her hand midway, she clenched her fist and looked up at Ariel.
Then, she spoke in a cold voice.
“Did you.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you eat?”
Of course, she hadn’t eaten a single meal, but…
For some reason, Luen’s voice seemed tinged with emotion, so Ariel quickly fabricated a lie.
“I saved my portion separately. Don’t worry.”
“Really?”
Luen, raising an eyebrow, suddenly leaned back.
Then, she spoke in a cold voice.
“I’m not eating.”
“What…? Why?”
Ariel asked, but Luen did not reply.
‘What’s the problem this time…!’
Ariel truly wanted to cry.
