Erica roughly rubbed her face with dry hands to remove eye mucus, combed her tangled hair, and tied it tightly with a ribbon.
I felt a little uncomfortable about not being able to wash my face, but I couldn’t help it.
After that, I took out the least cumbersome and simple everyday clothes among the clothes I brought with me.
All the other clothes were obtained from the real Lady Blanche that she had never worn, but this one was provided by the girl’s mother, Julia.
The clothes that she managed to pack secretly from BonPiju when she left were also the neatest and best clothes that Erica originally had.
“good. Then shall we go out?”
After changing her clothes, Erica took a deep breath with a solemn expression, strengthened her body, and carefully opened the door.
* * *
Erica came down to the first floor at high speed.
The quiet Marquis’s daughter remembered the teaching that she should not run, so she walked almost as if she were running.
I thought this would be okay since I had no eyes to see in the first place.
In fact, Erica planned to immediately talk to anyone she encountered along the way and ask for help. But what was really surprising was that we didn’t encounter anyone.
‘How can this be?’
I kept tilting my head because I thought it was strange.
Anyway, the castle-like mansion was so large that I found myself out of breath the moment I stepped on the last step and came down.
‘But why is there no one?’
Tilt, tilt.
The head was tilted alternately to both sides.
‘Where is everyone?’
Erica stood in the middle of the entrance hall and thought about places where other users might be.
“Maybe in the kitchen?”
Usually, the workers gathered there.
Because there was a lounge nearby and there were a lot of things to pick up and eat, everyone was wandering around nearby.
Although it was an unfamiliar place, Erica soon found the kitchen.
As expected, there were loud voices.
“Excuse me?”
Because it was an unfamiliar place, Erica hesitantly said hello, sticking out only her face.
The people inside stopped chatting and paid attention to the girl.
Three or four maids were sitting at a long table on one side of the kitchen.
“Oh my, my.”
“What kid?”
“Is this your first time seeing her?”
Was it because she was wearing casual clothes provided by Julia instead of Lady Blanche’s dress, and her hair was tied up tightly?
I suffered an unexpected misunderstanding.
“ah! Are you the one who came from the capital this time with your little madam?”
“yes? Oh, that’s… … .”
Erica was a bit slow to speak and suffered from a compulsion rather than a compulsion to be careful with her words and actions, so the words of correction did not come out right away.
“It looks like you came here to collect the little madam’s face wash.”
When someone spoke decisively, everyone nodded as if they understood.
“But aren’t you still too young to be a helper?”
“Couldn’t you have brought me here as a companion?”
“Well, that might be true.”
“Did you hear anything from the guys on the night shift yesterday?”
“They’re busy sleeping right now.”
As a result, the maids’ misunderstanding became even stronger without any way to resolve it.
Fortunately, there was no warning light.
The maids were accustomed to giving Erica a wooden tray, an empty silver bowl, and a clean water container.
“Ugh!”
Erica’s arms, which had been caught off guard by the weight that was suddenly applied, went down.
If the maid who handed it to me hadn’t hurriedly picked it up, I would have dropped it.
“Are you okay? Is it very heavy? “Do you want me to listen?”
“Oh, no… … .”
I completely missed the moment to correct my identity.
If it was revealed here, it was obvious that the blood would drain from the maids’ faces.
Moreover, from what I heard, it seems like the people who came to meet me when I arrived yesterday were people who worked the night shift… … .
I thought it could be like this before I was officially greeted.
‘You’re just mistaken.’
In some ways, I just made a mistake, but I didn’t want to point it out.
Erica may have felt that way even more because she herself had lived as a servant at the Marquis de Blanche for a long time.
So Erica didn’t want to cause trouble.
‘This is okay. So I’ll just take this and go.’
I was so embarrassed that I almost missed it, but in fact, I just heard it.
“Then I’ll go.”
The girl nodded briefly at the maids, tried to turn around, but started crying again.
“ah. however… … .”
“huh?”
Erica hesitated for a moment about how to refer to herself, but ended up giving a vague answer.
“that… … I think the string is broken. “Could you please speak for me?”
“Oh, really? okay. Thanks for telling me. “I almost got into big trouble.”
“Thank you.”
But even though she said hello, Erica’s body didn’t move.
This was because the girl’s eyes were fixed on the bread in the basket.
I obviously didn’t think anything of it until a little while ago, but when I smelled the delicious smell of freshly baked food, my mouth started watering.
“Well, I guess you haven’t eaten yet.”
Someone jumped up and grabbed a piece of bread.
“who! “Give me one spare apron!”
The maid quickly tied an apron on Erica and put bread in her pocket.
“Gwae, it’s okay!”
Erica, who came to her senses, repeatedly declined, but the maid was also stubborn.
“receive. “It’s all about making a living.”
“thank you.”
Erica smiled vaguely and left the kitchen.
* * *
Erica went back the way she came.
Still no one was in sight.
‘That’s really strange.’
It seemed like there was no one there, as if it had been deliberately left empty.
‘Do you and the Archduke prefer this?’
Erica carefully climbed the stairs, thinking it would be a good idea to look into it later when she had the chance.
Erica finally arrived in front of her room and placed the tray she had brought on the floor.
“Ugh.”
The moment I bent down, the bread fell out of my apron and fell to the floor.
Erica quickly picked up the bread and dusted it off with her hands.
Then, I wiped the sweat that had formed on my forehead with the back of my hand and opened the door wide.
I tried to lift the tray again, but my hands lost strength and I just grabbed the end and dragged it in.
And that was when I was about to close the door.
At the end of the hallway, someone saw Erica like that and closed their mouths.
“Hey, it’s a big deal… … !”
The door closed with a thud and the person watching Erica also moved quickly.
“how how! “When did you wake up?”
no! More than that, when did you leave?!
I’ve been guarding here at the end of the hallway all morning!
Then I just went to the bathroom for a moment!
Could it be that you went out during that time?
So-and-so, whose eyesight went dark, began to run like a cat in the night to the room of Alma, the head maid.
The hem of the maid’s uniform was flying.
“Madam Alma! I think I’m in big trouble!”
Vincent, who happened to have some business to do with Alma, heard the commotion and immediately frowned.
“What on earth is this fuss about?”
“Huh, huh. The head deacon was also there?”
The short-haired maid, who had been bending her back and taking a deep breath, shook her whole body.
It was difficult to understand what was being said because it was half voice and half breath.
“no! I’m sorry for running, but the situation was too urgent… … !”
“It’s an urgent situation. “What on earth is that?”
Vincent asked the question half-heartedly, looking at the maid with a look that seemed utterly frivolous.
Madam Alma also took a quick look at the butler’s thoughts.
“Hey. Joanna. “Can you please calm down first and talk?”
Madam Alma, who was worse off, poured a glass of water for the maid named Joanna.
The maid quickly emptied the contents with a brief thank you and immediately poured out her words.
“The little lady took out the washing water herself!”
“… … “What?”
“What did you say just now?”
“Uh, so I’m not sure! Judging from her normal attire, it might not seem like it! Still, considering that you entered that room without knocking, there is a high probability that you will be hit, right?”
“Hey, can you calm down and talk? Tsk, what on earth do you mean?”
Joanna secretly glanced at Vincent’s bruises.
Then, in a much quieter voice, he began to explain the situation, always ending his sentences with excuses.
“Actually, I had a stomach ache so I went to the bathroom for a moment… … . “It looks like the little lady left in the meantime.”
Vincent’s brow furrowed.
Joanna belatedly added a word.
“Oh, and you also picked up the fallen bread!”
“… … I beg your pardon?”
“What if Little Madam eats that?”
Surely you won’t eat it?
Vincent’s face turned pale at Joanna’s worry.
* * *
Chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck!
Vincent crossed the hallway with extremely fast and deliberate steps.
Her hair, which was always neatly pulled back, was sticking out in front of her forehead today.
Just by looking at him, the employees of the Archduke could tell how desperate he was right now.
In fact, Vincent was upset.
‘What on earth is this?’
And Vincent was followed by Lady Alma, the maid, and Joanna.
The three arrived in front of Erica’s room
before they knew it.
After taking a long breath, Vincent knocked politely on the door with a restrained movement.
“excuse me.”
I realized too late that I had not been given permission to come in, but my hand moved first and opened the door.
And Vincent was the flagship.
“Come on, little madam!”
