Chapter 35: Hierarchy
In situations like this, taking control from the start is important. There was no need to listen to everything she had to say.
“You are the head maid. Your job is to manage the maids under my command, not to challenge my authority.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I would never dare—”
“When I speak, you stay silent. The only person in this castle who is allowed to interrupt me is the Grand Duke himself.”
“…I understand.”
“Good. Now leave.”
The head maid, Marzella, hesitated, glancing around the room. Realizing that resisting any further would be pointless, she bowed and prepared to leave.
“One more thing.”
Marzella froze.
“From now on, do not enter a room without permission. A head maid who doesn’t even understand basic manners should be ashamed.”
“…I apologize.”
Her face turned pale as she led the other maids out.
Even after the room fell silent, my heart continued to race.
Was it relief? The satisfaction of winning? Or was I afraid that I might have looked foolish?
‘It’s fine. For my first time handling something like this, I did well. I even sounded like someone who’s been a noble their whole life.’
“……”
After a moment, Whitley silently approached and replaced my cold tea with a fresh cup.
Now that I thought about it, neither Whitley nor Norton reacted at all to my outburst. Despite the fact that I, the refined Grand Duchess, had just raised my voice, they showed no surprise.
Meanwhile, I was the only one breathing heavily in frustration.
‘Was I too aggressive?’
Maybe I should have handled it more elegantly. I had worked so hard to maintain my dignity as a lady, but now I had shown my temper.
‘This will only make the rumors about me being a villainess seem true.’
I had promised myself I wouldn’t make enemies in Blenheim, yet I had just clashed with Marzella.
‘Couldn’t I have just stayed quiet?’
Frustrated with myself, I sighed—then I met Leta’s eyes.
Right. The real issue hadn’t even started yet.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
“Now, explain.”
Leta, knowing that delaying would only make things worse, quickly spoke up.
“I was blinded by greed for a moment. That’s why I did it.”
“Greed?”
“I thought I could sell the paper scraps since they looked expensive. I assumed they were being thrown away, so I didn’t think it would be a big problem.”
“So, you stole the paper?”
“I—I’m so sorry, Your Highness. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t resist.”
“Just to sell it?”
She could have stolen jewelry or even silverware if she needed money, but paper?
“Leta isn’t at fault! She was just trying to help me!”
The young girl suddenly spoke up.
“Sister?”
“Morina!”
Leta tried to stop her, but the girl pressed on.
“She didn’t mean to steal it! She just wanted to give it to me!”
“So, you two are sisters.”
I had suspected as much. They looked too much alike to be strangers.
Morina clenched her fists, her hands shaking.
“The paper was too precious to waste, so she wanted me to use it.”
“That’s not true! Your Highness, she has nothing to do with me—”
“Quiet.”
I cut her off.
“If you keep lying to me, I will get angry. Now stay silent.”
Leta immediately shut her mouth.
“And you,” I turned to Morina, “why did she give you the paper?”
“I…I draw,” she mumbled.
“You draw?”
“The paper I usually use tears easily, and it’s hard to get. My sister wanted me to have better paper to practice on…”
I was momentarily speechless.
Leta had taken the leftover stationery not for money, but so her sister could draw?
I let out a slow breath.
“Is the maid’s salary really that low? So low that she can’t even buy a few sheets of paper?”
“The Grand Duke isn’t a stingy man…”
Something wasn’t adding up.
“So, were you planning to take my letters outside the castle?”
“No! I swear we didn’t mean to—!”
Leta and Morina both dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the floor in desperation.
“I just wanted to use the back since it was blank.”
“And the front just happens to have my personal writing on it.”
I knew. It was a letter I wrote to my brother, asking how he was and other small things. Maybe to a maid, it didn’t seem like a big deal.
To be fair, it was also partly my fault for leaving it tossed in the corner of my desk as if I didn’t need it anymore.
“I was thoughtless, Your Grace! But I swear—”
“Enough. I understand the situation now.”
What should I do?
As I tapped my fingers on the armrest of the sofa, lost in thought, both Leta and the young girl remained silent, waiting for my decision.
Finally, I made up my mind and spoke.
“Well then… show me.”
“What?”
The girl’s small eyes widened in surprise at my unexpected words.
Back in the headmaid’s office, Marzella had been silent.
The senior maids sitting before her, sensing her mood, began complaining about the Grand Duchess.
“You have dedicated so many years to this castle, Madam!”
“She hasn’t even spent the wedding night with the Grand Duke yet, and she’s already acting like she owns the place.”
“Honestly, she’s only known for her bad reputation in the capital. Isn’t she just an insignificant noblewoman?”
“The real star of high society is Lady Ladriel, after all.”
“Quiet.”
Marzella silenced them with a cold glance.
Despite their concerns, she wasn’t actually angry.
After all, the Grand Duchess was still a noble.
She had endured much worse in her life to let something so trivial make her lose her temper.
Instead of rage, she felt something else—confusion.
Was I too hasty?
At first, she thought the Grand Duchess was just tied to the Grand Duke on paper.
Even when she followed him to the castle, Marzella assumed she wouldn’t stay long, so she didn’t worry much.
But when she heard that the Grand Duchess had formally introduced herself to the knights, she could no longer sit still.
I need to see for myself what’s happening.
Marzella had tried to meet the Grand Duchess under the pretense of greeting her, but the sly housekeeper kept making excuses and avoiding a meeting.
Then, a maid caused trouble—a perfect opportunity. So she marched in.
But when she finally met the Grand Duchess, the woman was nothing like she had imagined.
She’s completely different from what I heard.
People said she had a soft and easygoing personality, one that wouldn’t cause trouble.
But the way she wielded authority… she truly lived up to the title of villainess. It was clear she wasn’t planning to leave anytime soon.
I need to send a letter immediately.
“Benet, call a messenger.”
Marzella gave an order to the senior maid who had been watching her anxiously.
There was someone who needed to know about this.
This is better than I expected.
I studied the drawing in my hand.
The young girl had just finished it moments ago.
The teapot and teacup in front of me were perfectly captured on the paper.
It almost looks like a really well-done picture.
Now I understood why she had been using letter paper instead of a canvas.
Her drawing style was different from the grand landscape and detailed paintings that decorated the Marquis’ estate.
It was more like a pen sketch, and if anything, it resembled modern illustration.
The details are simple, but the key features stand out. The lines are clean and easy on the eyes.
Most of all, there was something strangely captivating about it.
I had asked the girl to draw for the moment.
If it had been any other maid, I wouldn’t have hesitated to leave the punishment to the Grand Duke.
Managing the maids was the lady of the house’s duty, but taking items out of the castle was a security issue, after all.
But Leta didn’t seem like the kind of person to do something shady.
I wasn’t about to say something naive like she looks too kind to do anything bad.
If anything, I thought Leta had the patience and composure to be an excellent spy if she wanted to.
But that’s exactly why I knew she wasn’t the type to be sloppy.
If she had really intended to leak my letter, she wouldn’t have been caught so easily.
And if it was something important, she would’ve done it herself, not let her sister do it.
So, giving a small opportunity to the younger sister of the only maid I knew by name wasn’t about personal feelings.
Of course, I also had no intention of letting Marzella have her way.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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