Chapter 32

“What’s the matter, Milady? Why do you look so serious?”

“Huh? Does it look that way?”

I didn’t realize, but I guess I was frowning. Realizing that, I quickly relaxed my features and donned a smile.

“Yes, just now.”

Rona nodded.

“If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

“It’s nothing you can help with, really.”

I shook my hand in the air as if to dismiss her, but I suddenly felt a chill.

“Milady…”

In front of me, Rona suddenly burst into tears.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

“I can’t be of any help…”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” I said, taking out a handkerchief and wiped away Rona’s tears.

“I’m always ready to help you, Milady, but you think I’m useless…”

Whimpering, Rona sniffed and blew her nose on the handkerchief.

“That’s not it, Rona,” I said, trying to calm her down. “Would I ever think of you like that, hm?”

Nevertheless, her sobbing continued.

“I just thought that Milady is finally being so confident and energetic, so I wanted to help you somehow…I want to help you become the real madam of this house.”

“…How come?”

It didn’t feel like she was lying, though, at the same time, I couldn’t fully believe Rona’s words.

In this vast mansion, the only person I could trust was myself.

“Milady, y-you saved me.”

“…You still remember that?”

That happened a relatively long time ago. It was when I first entered this household, and during an outing given once a month so I could see my siblings. As I passed through an alley in the carriage I was riding, I could hear someone screaming.

When I tried to see where it came from, I saw Rona there, being dragged away by her hair. And then, she was thrown into a black carriage that sped away quickly.

[ Follow them. ]

Without thinking about it, I instructed the carriage driver to do so, and sure enough, the black carriage arrived at what looked like a slave market where debtors lurked.

In the end, I bought Rona from there with the money that I was supposed to bring home for my siblings.

It was a highway robbery, except I did it to myself. Come to think of it, what I did was extremely reckless, though I couldn’t just turn a blind eye.

[ I needed a maid, so I brought her here. Please give me some money I could send home. Please. ]

It was the first and last time I asked something for myself from Camilla.

Camilla was initially annoyed that I took the initiative to bring Rona in as a maid since she was from the slums, but she eventually relented after she looked into some things.

That night, Rona and I held hands and cried all night, overjoyed that we could stay together in the mansion.

‘That was so long ago, though, goodness.’

Truthfully, it was only two years ago, although the memory felt rather distant now…

Firstly, it’s because so many things had changed.

“You are my benefactor, Milady, so I’m ready to do anything that you ask of me. My life belongs to you! If you didn’t save me back then…”

“Well, it was an impulsive decision on my part, so…”

I had been so nervous handing over the money that was supposed to be for my siblings. Still, I really couldn’t just let slave traders have Rona. Nobody else would have helped her.

“You should thank Mother, too. In fact, I couldn’t have brought you into the mansion without her permission.”

The Duchess’ attendants, maids and other servants all had verified identities, their origins proven to be clean—Which was why I couldn’t believe it when Camilla said she’d allow Rona to stay in the mansion, considering her background.

Besides that, I was shocked when she heeded my request and paid for my siblings’ child support again as well.

I was a little touched, really. Camilla acted so uncharacteristically that I thought she might have been sick that day. And I berated myself for a little why, thinking that I misunderstood such a benevolent person.

However, of course, Camilla turned back to normal after that.

“But, it was Milady who saved me. Thank you, once again,” Rona said firmly, wiping her tears away.

“Then…can I ask you for a favor?”

I gazed at Rona, my heart skipping a beat as I considered a gamble.

* * * 

“Milady.”

Gently opening the door, Rona came into the room and called out to me quietly.

Although No one else was there to listen, there was a reason why she was being so cautious like this.

“Did you get it?”

My voice was equally as discreet as Rona’s.

“Of course.”

She grinned and reached into her apron pocket.

“Who do you think I am, Milady?”

There, in her hand, were the pills I asked her to get.

“And this, too.”

Taking out another thing, it was the potion that Amoide regularly took.

“Good job.”

Rona huffed up her chest at the praise she received.

“Just how did you manage to get these?”

“All thanks to my capabilities, Milady.” She said as a proud smile hung on her face.

“Capabilities?”

“Aah, yes. I have something like that.”

I asked Rona to get the medicine that Amoide always drank, though to be honest, I didn’t think she’d actually be able to do it. As I was thinking about how to go about my next move, it was surprisingly easy to do.

“Really, how did you do it?”

I asked her again, but an idea flashed in my mind.

“Was it Robert?”

Rona, who was smiling proudly up to that point, was suddenly taken aback. I grinned at her bewilderment, seeing as my guess was right. Come to think of it, why didn’t I try to approach Robert for this?

“Well… You’re right.”

As if she were confessing a great secret, Rona sighed heavily.

“Robert is usually the one who gets the medicine from Dr. Raymond, so…more or less… one way or another…”

Saying so, her cheeks visibly reddened.

“…More or less? …One way or another?”

A strange thought passed by my mind then.

“You don’t mean—!”

At that, I bounced on my seat and squealed. “What did Robert do to you!”

“Ah, you surprised me, Milady! I-I just kissed him a few times and… nabbed the medicine while he was still dazed!”

Denying the first thought I had, Rona quickly came to Robert’s defense and hurriedly explained.

“…Really?”

“Of course! We’re on good terms in the first place. But, hmm, anyway what will you do with these, Milady?”

Rona’s eyes sparkled with a curiosity of another kind. Instead of answering, I rolled over the pill in my palm. “Rona. I’m going out right now.”

“Yes, yes, of course, but… pardon?”

Rona did a double-take.

“Where will you go, Milady? You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

I nodded nonchalantly.

“Gosh. Oh my gosh. You, Milady? Today’s not a day you’re allowed to go out!”

“Yup. I know.”

I knew why Rona was so surprised.

After getting married to the Duke, I never went out except for the days I was scheduled to go out. I would usually leave the mansion only once a month to go see my younger siblings, who I left at Aunt Ellinda’s house.

“What kind of wind blew today? But, Milady, where will you go?”

“Call a carriage for now.”

“Yes, of course. We’ll also have to get you ready for your outing…”

“There’s no need to make a fuss.”

I stopped Rona.

“I’m not going to my Aunt’s house today.”

* * * 

“Still… For a Duke’s wife’s outing, this is just too much, Milady.”

She grumbled with a grumpy face.

Rona and I were on our way out the estate on a carriage. It was a wide and spacious piece of land, so it would take a long time before we got out of the gate.

And, all the way through, Rona kept grumbling.

“I can’t believe you’re using a carriage meant for servants, Milady!”

“Well, I heard you couldn’t get a proper carriage ready,” I answered in a nonchalant manner.

The servants who managed the estate’s carriages said that there was no carriage available right now, so they just gave us whichever was available, and it happened to be a carriage for servants.

It was all right with me since the carriage’s appearance didn’t matter, anyway.

In fact, it would have been more difficult if I rode a luxurious carriage.

[ Are you scheduled to go out today? ]

Camilla was reluctant to let me go when I asked for permission. It wasn’t exactly a reaction that was unfamiliar, since she was like this once a month whenever I went out.

[ I just really miss my siblings right now. ]

That was the only excuse I had. As I said this, I clenched my hands into fists that were hidden under the folds of my dress.

If I asked for permission like this, then I wouldn’t be able to see my siblings until next month. Regardless, it couldn’t be helped. There was someone I really needed to meet.

[ All right, just be sure to come back quickly. You know the precautions you must take, right? No one should know you’re the Duchess. Understand? ]

[ Yes, of course. ]

[ Consider your actions carefully. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay all that money for breaking the contract. ]

Even though Camilla laughed as she said this, all I felt was a chill running down my spine.

“I thought they’d give you a better carriage since Milady has been getting along with the Duke recently, but…I really don’t know.”

“I wouldn’t have ridden it even if you managed to get it for me. You know the Duchess wouldn’t let it slide. She’ll hate it for sure.”

“Still… This is such a shabby carriage, Milady. Even the carriage that Dr. Raymond uses is much better than this.”

“That’s because Raymond is an important guest of the estate.”

“Then, what about you, Milady?”

Me?

I couldn’t say anything in return.

‘Really, I was worse off than an outsider.’

After being slapped with reality yet again, I felt my heart sink.