Chapter 4

 

 

 

After finishing the laundry, Anette neatly hung the sheets on the clothesline and headed to the headmaid.

The head maid, seemingly impressed, gave her a compliment. She also declared that from now on, she would speak more casually with Anette.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, Anette eagerly nodded.

She was given a short break.

She had her meal in a dining area next to the kitchen, which seemed to be a kind of staff cafeteria for the servants.

Eating the warm soup made her feel drowsy, but the dry bread reminded her of Korean food, making her a bit homesick.

After finishing her meal, Anna introduced Anette to the other maids.

Although they all looked exhausted from work, they greeted her warmly.

A young maid around Anette’s age introduced herself as Lucy.

Holding Anette’s hand, Lucy shyly said she had never seen such a beautiful person before.

Anette, now living in this new body, felt the same way.

Her beauty was almost unreal, but her appearance didn’t matter much to her now.

If she had lived as a noble lady, she might have enjoyed dressing up, but as a commoner, that was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

Now that she was Anette, she had to work hard and save money.

After washing dishes with the other maids, evening approached.

Anette helped the head cook prepare dinner for the knights.

By the time the knights finished their meal and returned to their quarters, the head maid, Anna, approached Anette.

“The captain of the First Order of the Holy Knights hasn’t eaten yet. Take this meal to his room.”

“Yes, I understand!”

“After delivering it, you can return to your room and rest.”

“Yes!”

Was her work already done for the day?

This job was turning out to be a dream. The people were nice, and she even got off work on time.

She smiled brightly at the head maid.

But this was Anna’s second test for her.

The captain of the First Order was infamous for his sharp temper.

If Anette could endure his scolding and continue working, she might be worth keeping.

The captain of the Second Order could have been another good test subject, but he was away.

Even Anna found the First Order’s captain intimidating, but she had no choice.

Since she wouldn’t be the one getting scolded, it was worth trying.

Unaware of this, Anette picked up the wooden tray with the meal and walked toward the large door.

The knights’ quarters were much more spacious and comfortable than the maids’ rooms.

There was even a private bathroom.

Lucky. If she were stronger, she might have become a knight… Anette sighed.

She placed the tray on the table in the center of the dark room.

‘No one’s here. I can just leave it and go, right?’

As she turned to leave, she heard a voice from the bed.

“…Mother…”

Startled, Anette flinched.

She thought the room was empty, but someone was there.

Cautiously, she stepped closer to the bed.

“Um, Sir Knight? The head maid asked me to bring you dinner.”

“…Haah.”

There was no response, only the sound of heavy breathing.

Anette moved even closer.

‘Wait… isn’t that the guy from earlier?’

Seeing his face, Anette frowned.

It was the rude man from the laundry area—the one with the perfect body but a terrible attitude.

‘Ugh, what a shameless guy.’

He was still shirtless.

Did he enjoy showing off his body?

Well, since this was his private space, he could do whatever he wanted, but in her mind, he was already a narcissistic exhibitionist.

Still, this was a rare opportunity. She took a moment to admire his impressive physique.

His abs were perfectly sculpted, and his broad chest looked… touchable.

But something felt off.

‘Wait, is he sick?’

He was breathing heavily, almost panting.

Was he having a nightmare? Or was he seriously ill?

Anette cautiously placed her hand on his forehead.

‘Oh no! He has a fever!’

She quickly wiped her hand on her apron—she couldn’t afford to catch a cold right after getting a job.

His forehead was burning hot.

‘I should tell the head maid.’

She glanced at him once more before turning to leave.

Then, she heard a soft, heartbreaking voice.

“…Mother… sniff.”

Anette turned back to look at him.

Even rude people miss their mothers, huh?

But she couldn’t relate. She had never called anyone “Mother” before—she was an orphan.

‘Why does this bother me?’

Feeling annoyed, she looked around.

A white handkerchief lay on a large desk.

She headed to the room’s bathroom, dampened the handkerchief with cold water, and wrung it out before returning to the bed.

Folding it neatly, she placed it on his forehead.

That should be enough. Now she could leave with a clear conscience.

‘He looks peaceful when he’s asleep.’

Actually, more than peaceful—he exuded a kind of sensuality.

Unlike his arrogant demeanor earlier, he looked surprisingly calm.

His hands curled into fists and twitched slightly.

Without thinking, Anette gently took his hand.

Like a baby grasping an adult’s finger, he instinctively held onto hers.

But the size difference was the opposite—his hand was huge, while hers was tiny.

Realizing what she had done, Anette quickly tried to pull away.

‘Uh… let go.’

His grip was too strong.

What was this situation? She needed to leave and rest.

If she yanked her hand away, he might wake up.

Carefully, she pried open his fingers one by one.

But they wouldn’t budge. His grip was incredibly firm.

He was sweating, groaning softly, and his grip tightened again.

Anette sighed.

‘Fine, let’s calm him down first.’

She carefully sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her aching lower back.

Then, she placed her free hand on his chest, stroking it gently.

His firm muscles felt nice under her palm.

Okay, maybe she was using this as an excuse to touch them, but still—his well-built chest was quite satisfying to the touch.

“It’s okay,” she whispered soothingly, patting his chest.

Gradually, his breathing evened out.

His fingers loosened.

Finally, she freed her hand and shook out her numb fingers.

Now she could go back to her room and rest. She was exhausted.

But before she could move, a strong hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“Ah! What the—?!”

Startled, she lifted her arm.

What was this, a horror movie? Why couldn’t he just speak instead of grabbing her out of nowhere?

She shot him an annoyed look.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat up, staring at her.

“You… you’re that maid from earlier.”

“…”

He recognized her immediately. Impressive.

“What are you doing in my room? Did you forget that I told you to stay out of my sight?”

“The head maid told me to bring your dinner. I was just leaving.”

“How dare you talk back to me? How insolent.”

“…”

Anette’s mood soured instantly.

If she hadn’t answered, he probably would’ve scolded her for ignoring him.

What a pain.

She thought she had a short workday, but it turned out to be unexpected overtime.

Annoyed, she frowned.

“Hah… You dare make that face at me?”

“…”

Ugh, what a jerk.

“Do you even know who I am?”

“You’re the captain of the First Order of the Holy Knights. Is there more I need to know?”

“…”

“You were crying for your mom just now…”

Anette muttered under her breath, too quietly for him to hear.

He frowned as if trying to catch her words.

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing. I’m leaving now.”

Shrugging, she quickly walked out before he could grab her again.

Left alone in the quiet room, the man removed the now-dry handkerchief from his forehead.

He stared at the small piece of fabric in his large hand and let out a small chuckle.

Lucas Roiental.

He was the captain of the First Order of the Holy Knights.

Lucas was the eldest son of a noble family, but he couldn’t inherit the dukedom.

His mother had been a commoner.

His father, the duke, had loved her enough to marry her, but she died when Lucas was still young.

Because she was a commoner, Lucas couldn’t inherit the family title or land.

His younger half-brother, born from the duke’s second marriage to a noblewoman, became the rightful heir instead.

That brother was useless, but there was nothing Lucas could do.

So, he had left the estate and joined the Holy Knights.

His mother had once been a maid.

That’s why he had always kept his distance from young maids.

But now…

The gentle voice and touch from his dream resurfaced in his mind.

It reminded him of his mother’s warmth from long ago.

It was the first time he had felt such comfort from a stranger.