Chapter 21

“Sister! This brat almost drowned in the river and died! I told him over and over not to go near the water!”

To be honest, Candice didn’t believe a word Doha said. She only followed her orders because she was the Young Lady.

But Joy had secretly sneaked out with his friends to catch fish, avoiding his second eldest sibling’s watchful eye, and ended up getting swept away by the river.

Of all times, it had to be during the rainy season when the river was dangerously swollen from heavy downpours.

Thankfully, because Candice had paid the second eldest to keep an eye on the youngest, he quickly noticed Joy’s disappearance and ran to rescue him.

Candice looked down at Joy, who was sniffling and trembling after being severely scolded, with a complicated expression.

‘If the Young Lady hadn’t advised me…’

There was no way he would have survived.

‘No, what if I had ignored the Young Lady’s words, thinking they weren’t important?’

Just the thought sent chills down her spine. She had received a grace she could never repay, even in a lifetime.

As soon as she returned to the Grand Duke’s castle, Candice rushed straight to Doha. The moment she saw her, she dropped to her knees and bowed deeply.

“Young Lady, you have saved my brother’s life.”

How on earth did she know?

Had she gained the power of prophecy?

As far as Candice knew, the Imperial Power only manifested at the age of fourteen, so how…?

She had so many questions. But Candice didn’t ask a single one.

“How could I ever repay this debt?”

She only felt ashamed that she had nothing to offer the Young Lady in return.

Doha, seeing Candice like this, plopped down on the floor with a thud.

“Y-Young Lady.”

She then placed a hand on Candice’s shoulder, flustering her further.

“Don’t kneel as if you’ve committed a crime.”

“But I owe you my brother’s life, and yet I have nothing to offer you.”

“Why do you say that?”

Candice raised her head with a blank look.

Doha was smiling mischievously.

“Now, you’re finally looking at me.”

Startled, as if burned, Candice quickly lowered her gaze again.

“D-Do you have something you want from me?”

“Be my personal maid.”

“…Pardon?”

That’s it?

The Young Lady’s command was absolute.

Even if she hadn’t saved Joy, Candice would have sworn loyalty at her order.

No matter how much she disliked someone, if she had to serve them, she would do so according to principle.

Even if she gave advice, she would never betray them. That was just the kind of person she was.

‘Yes, that’s just who I am.’

Doha knew that Candice possessed an unshakable conviction that would never change. That she was the kind of person who would even lay down her life to uphold loyalty.

‘Of course, I’ll never let it come to that.’

One day, even if she was no longer Ophelia, Candice would follow her without hesitation.

Candice had the makings of such a person.

“Do you remember? When the Head Maid was rude to me, you were the only one who stood up for me.”

“I only said what needed to be said.”

“I like that you think it was only natural.”

Doha rested her chin on her palm and locked eyes with Candice.

“It was just as natural for me, so don’t dwell on it.”

Then, as if to comfort her dazed figure, Doha patted her on the shoulder before standing up.

If Doha had demanded a price for saving Joy or boasted about it, Candice wouldn’t have been so shaken.

‘Young Lady… No, Lady Ophelia.’

It was the first time Candice recognized her not as a symbol of peace, but as a person.

As someone she would follow for a lifetime.

* * *

Just as Doha was about to leave the room, she opened the door.

“Kyaa!”

A maid, who had been pressed against the door, let out a shriek and fell flat onto the floor.

It was Ruby.

“……”

“……”

Doha stared in silence at Ruby, who twitched on the ground as if she had hit her head hard during the fall, then asked,

“Did you eavesdrop?”

“H-ha… hahaha…”

Ruby awkwardly laughed, rubbing her now-reddened forehead.

“Let me see. You look like you got hurt.”

With a sigh, Doha examined the swelling on Ruby’s forehead.

Ruby had fully expected to be reprimanded, but instead, she was overwhelmed with emotion at Doha’s unexpected kindness.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sniffled in a cutesy, nasal voice.

“Young Ladyyy, you’re the first person to treat me this kindlyyyy…”

Just then, Candice, having finally regained her senses, shot up from her seat, her eyes burning with fury.

“You! How dare you—!”

“Eek!”

Ruby yelped and bolted.

“Stop right there!”

Oh no.

Doha quickly grabbed the hem of Candice’s uniform before she could chase after Ruby. It would only cause more trouble if things escalated here.

“Just let her go.”

“This is unacceptable. She was eavesdropping outside your private quarters. She can’t just run away and think it’s over.”

‘That’s something only a spy would do!’

Candice exclaimed, her voice rising.

“I can’t believe it. A maid of the Grand Duke’s household behaving so carelessly? She needs to be disciplined properly.”

“Calm down.”

“This isn’t a situation to be soft about. She’s too loose-lipped. She’ll undoubtedly go around spreading—”

Ah.

Candice had unconsciously raised her voice, and when Doha widened her eyes in surprise, much like a startled rabbit, Candice sighed and rubbed her temples.

“…I apologize.”

“Don’t dislike her so much.”

“This isn’t about like or dislike.”

“But you do dislike her.”

“…….”

At first glance, they seemed like complete opposites, but their fortune readings said otherwise—their compatibility was actually quite good.

Candice had immense potential but lacked the drive to grow, carrying out her duties quietly.

Ruby, on the other hand, had boundless curiosity and bright energy, capable of finding and polishing hidden gems buried in the dirt.

“Look closely. She’s a pretty child.”

‘That one?’

Candice barely stopped herself from blurting it out loud.

Sure, Ruby had a decent face, but Doha didn’t seem to mean it in that way.

“When you look closely at any life, it shines like a raw gem. Everyone is precious. Everyone is beautiful.”

“……”

‘Is the Young Lady perhaps a fairy or something?’

Candice thought of the mystical beings who were said to live in harmony with nature, separated from the human world.

Doha was so unpredictable that such absurd thoughts almost made sense.

“Of course, I’m still human. I can’t find beauty in those who treat me cruelly.”

Doha shrugged and continued.

“But Ruby isn’t just careless and loose-lipped. She’s a little candle that burns to brighten those around her.”

‘That one?’

This time, Candice actually said it out loud.

“Yes. Even if she melts away into nothing, she might throw everything aside for the sake of her people.”

Had anyone else said such words, Candice wouldn’t have taken them seriously.

But these were the Young Lady’s words.

Even though Candice felt the urge to object, she found herself listening intently.

“You’re like solid steel, resistant to fire. But her flame might warm you and forge you into a fine blade.”

‘Be kind to her. She’s someone who gets lonely easily.’

Doha smiled, her eyes crinkling like spring blossoms before leaving just those words behind.

Left alone, Candice stared after her and muttered in disbelief,

“She really might be a fairy…”

* * *

As Candice had expected, Ruby was loose-lipped.

She eagerly spread everything she had overheard, and rumors spread like wildfire.

“Wasn’t it the Young Lady who exposed Melissa, Sarah, and Emma’s crimes?”

“I heard she also revealed the Head Maid’s wrongdoings.”

“Wasn’t it the Second Young Master?”

“No, they say the Young Lady was the one who figured it out.”

“Well, that makes sense. If it weren’t for her request, why would the Young Master bother with such a hassle?”

Under Salvier’s orders, the tortured Head Maid had confessed everything, even how she had faked her own death.

Her real name was Eva.

She had been a notorious con artist who, amidst the chaos of war, had assumed the identity of a deceased merchant’s daughter.

“Serves her right. Do you know how many times she slapped me?”

“She gave me a broken bucket and told me to fetch water.”

“I had to do laundry in a frozen lake in the middle of winter.”

“Melissa took money from me!”

“Are you complaining about a few coins? Sarah scammed me out of my entire salary!”

Everyone ousted by Doha had committed countless misdeeds and had no goodwill among the staff. They had left behind only bitter resentment.

And the deeper that resentment ran, the higher Ophelia’s popularity soared.

Not to mention, the Young Lady had personally delivered high-quality meals to the servants, asking them to take care of her people.

“She really is the symbol of peace, huh? Ever since she arrived, things have been so peaceful.”

“And she even saved someone’s life.”

“Doesn’t that make her a saint?”

“Could she actually have divine power?”

Ophelia, who was already beloved, had now become practically worshipped among the household staff.

Their admiration went beyond mere fondness—it was on the verge of exploding.

“Hey, but what if it’s true? A saint only appears once a generation, right?”

“Since the Madam lost her divine power, the next saint hasn’t appeared yet. What if… it’s actually Lady Ophelia?”

Overhearing the maids’ gossip, Candice pressed her fingers against her aching temple.

‘Young Lady, you said to look closely because she’s pretty.’

No matter how closely Candice looked, she couldn’t see a single charming trait.

Forget burning herself to brighten others—Ruby would melt away completely, leaving only her mouth behind to chatter endlessly.

She wouldn’t sacrifice everything for her people. She’d blabber everything about them instead.

Candice swore that the moment she caught Ruby, she would lecture her until she fully understood, even if it took hours.

Fuming, she was marching down the hallway when—

“Are you Candice?”

A stranger’s voice called out to her.