ICMMF | Chapter 7

Episode 7

Lady Audrey seemed satisfied as she lifted the corners of her mouth.

No one in the mansion was unaware that Emma was her maid.

It was also no secret that if she frequently entered the annex, it was of her own will.

Thus, she needed someone to quietly investigate.

How was Aicel’s condition? And what about the child?

Amelia, who had just left the madam’s room, put the ruby necklace into her pocket and headed straight to the annex.

How much could such a necklace be worth?

The heavy pocket made a clinking sound every time she took a step.

At least it would be enough for several months of comfortable living expenses at the knight academy where her son was studying.

If she added more money, it would be possible to secure a room in the capital after graduation.

She hummed softly as she entered the annex.

“Hum hum.”

Before entering the young lady’s room, Amelia adjusted herself.

She pressed her hair, tightly tied with a net, ensuring no strands were loose, and checked her skirt for any wrinkles.

Amelia, adjusting her glasses that had slipped down slightly, knocked on Lucy’s door.

A child’s clear voice invited her in.

With a slight smile, Amelia twisted the doorknob.

“Miss Lucy, I greet you. I am the head maid, Amelia.”

“Amelia…?”

“Yes, Miss.”

As the child ran toward her, smiling in recognition, Amelia instinctively opened her arms.

“Amelia, you’ve become head maid. Congratulations!”

“Haha!”

Amelia also smiled broadly at the cheerful congratulations accompanied by a laugh.

It had been eight years since she became head maid, but the child’s congratulations were special.

When she was first appointed, she had been afraid she wouldn’t be able to do well, but now she could fully enjoy the moment.

However, she was puzzled by the young lady’s warm welcome.

Had Aicel mentioned her?

Was it something good she had said?

It was nice to know that Aicel still remembered her.

“Ah, I was so happy to see you that I acted a little improperly. Forgive me, Head Maid.”

Lucy, realizing she had been overly casual for their first meeting, blushed and quickly pulled away from Amelia.

Amelia had been kind and gentle with Melody, just as she had been with her mother.

However, for being kind to her mother, Amelia had been punished.

Thankfully, she hadn’t been kicked out and had secured her position, so Lucy was truly happy.

“I’ll be even happier if you continue to treat me this way, Miss.”

Amelia said regretfully as Lucy pulled back quickly.

“But I shouldn’t behave like that with an adult.”

Lucy had been too familiar, thinking only of her mother’s memories.

She pressed her warm cheeks with both hands to calm herself.

“I am your servant, Miss. You should feel comfortable around me for my peace of mind.”

Amelia bent down towards the bashful child, smiling as she tucked the hair that resembled the young lady’s behind her ear.

“I was so happy to be welcomed by you, Miss Lucy, as if I had gained a daughter.”

‘I only have two sons.’

Amelia pouted her lower lip as if lamenting that fact.

Her expression made Lucy feel like she was speaking to a friend, and she smiled brightly.

“Then I’ll treat both you and Melody as my friends.”

“Of course, that’s what you should do.”

After receiving such a warm welcome, Amelia looked around the room with a cold, calculating gaze.

Emmet had directed it, and Melody had decorated it, but Amelia checked carefully to see if anything was missing.

The child was eight years old. Since Miss Aicel had been ill, Lucy must have spent much time alone.

It was unimaginable how she had gotten by during a time when she needed an adult’s care.

She was the daughter of the lord, after all.

Even in places untouched by the Duke’s family, she had cared for her sick mother without any help.

Just thinking about it made Amelia’s throat tighten.

Yet, the child didn’t seem depressed at all.

The young lady must have raised her brightly. How much hardship had she endured without a father?

Amelia, knowing how hard Aiselle had suffered in this mansion, swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape.

“Is there anything uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. I’m living so comfortably that it’s almost scary.”

Lucy, saying there was nothing to worry about, held Amelia’s hand and gave her a bright smile. Amelia lowered herself again.

“If anyone makes you uncomfortable, you must tell either Grandfather Emmet, Melody, or me.”

Lucy, understanding the meaning behind Amelia’s words, nodded vigorously.

She seemed worried that what had happened to her mother might happen to her too.

“I’m so curious about how you’ve been, I have so many questions.”

Lucy’s hesitant inquiry was filled with concern.

Lucy had thought of speaking to someone about it, but she hadn’t decided yet who would be the right person.

Whether it was Emmet or Amelia didn’t matter, but she was unsure if she should first talk to her father.

“Your father searched for you for so long…”

The man had been searching for her?

Lucy didn’t ask, seeing Amelia’s eyes turn red.

If she thought for just a moment, she would realize he had been looking for her mother, not her.

That realization was surprising, but Lucy didn’t say anything.

“I’m really glad you came now.”

Amelia clasped both of Lucy’s small hands and rested her forehead against them.

She was so happy that Lucy was finally where she belonged.

The child had said that she had appeared in front of the Duke’s family, pulling a cart with Miss Aicel inside.

When Amelia had heard this, she had been shocked and trembled, but she endured the day for the child’s sake.

“Would you like to go see Miss Aicel? I haven’t met her yet.”

“Yes, let’s go together.”

Amelia took Lucy’s hand and smiled as they headed for the next room.

“Where have you been living?”

Amelia asked calmly, as if it were a casual question, trying not to show her concern.

If she let her emotions show, the child would be startled.

“I lived on Flavi Mountain. It’s a mountain full of ginkgo trees.”

“Ah…”

Amelia sighed quietly in response.

Flavi Mountain was only about a three- or four-day journey from the Duke’s residence.

If the master had come, he could have arrived in just two days.

“How long did you live there?”

“Umm, about four years? Something like that.”

They had been so close, yet they were only meeting now. If the master found out, it would be an unbelievable story, one that would make him laugh bitterly.

Moreover, it wasn’t even a village name but a mountain.

Could she really have lived on a mountain? Amelia pondered over her next question carefully.

“If you ever want to see your friends, just tell me, and I’ll bring them to you.”

Had she really lived in the mountains?

Amelia’s worry grew as she tried to figure out which village might be close by, but Lucy stopped in her tracks.

“Amelia, I’m fine. I lived happily.”

Amelia realized that Lucy had caught on to her concern and bit her lip.

She had intended to ask about where Lucy’s friends lived, but the child had caught her out.

“My friends can come whenever I call them, so you don’t have to worry.”

Though the words were ambiguous, Amelia didn’t press further.

She needed more time to get closer, to build enough rapport for Lucy to share on her own.

At least it was a relief that Lucy had friends.

While Miss Aicel had been bedridden, the child hadn’t been entirely alone.

When the master returned, Amelia planned to find out who had been looking after Lucy and express her gratitude.

“Mom, mom. Amelia’s here. She’s become the head maid!”

Upon entering Aicel’s room, Lucy jumped onto the bed first.

Her behavior, chattering away to her mother about her day, reminded Amelia of her own child, and it made her heart ache.

She knew that Lucy’s mother couldn’t answer her.

Amelia already knew from Emmet that Aicel’s condition was serious.

Thankfully, Aicel’s complexion wasn’t too bad, but Amelia was still not at ease.

Given the nature of the illness, she needed to prepare herself mentally.

While Amelia was about to cry, Lucy remained cheerful.

“I guess the head maid who used to bother Mom isn’t here, huh? Isn’t that great?”

Amelia overheard the secretive whisper in Aicel’s ear. The former head maid who had troubled Miss Aicel was Amber.

Had she really told the child such things?

Knowing that Miss Aicel wasn’t the type to confide in others made this unexpected.

Contrary to her assumptions, Lucy babbled on to her mother, talking about the weather, the flowers outside, and the scent carried by the wind. Her actions seemed so familiar.

How many solitary talks had this child had? Just imagining it made Amelia feel as though a heavy stone had been placed on her chest.

Amelia watched Lucy quietly and let out a small smile.

She was truly her mother’s daughter.

Her outward appearance resembled her father perfectly. Even if they had met by chance, Amelia would have recognized her as the Duke’s daughter at once.

But when she smiled, the dimples on her left cheek and the crescent-shaped eyes were unmistakably like Miss Aicel’s.

“Miss Lucy, you take after both your mother and father.”

Amelia commented with a smile, but Lucy stopped whispering to her mother and turned to her.

“Your looks are like your father’s, but your smile is just like Miss Aicel’s.”

“Only the good traits,” she added, but Lucy only widened her large eyes in response.

Had she said something unnecessary?

Amelia closed her lips, realizing that it was probably not the best thing to say to a child who had grown up without a father.

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if Lucy was curious.

She had prepared herself to explain the master’s position and how important he was in the Beraca Empire, but Amelia couldn’t say a word.

“Well…”

Lucy’s ambiguous sigh froze the atmosphere, and Amelia fell silent.