Chapter 22

Candice turned her head with a puzzled expression, only to be startled and quickly bow at the waist.

“Head Lady.”

The Head Lady, Marchioness Marzel.

One of Grand Duke Kredel’s most loyal retainers, she had stood by his side since before the North was unified, back when he was still just a Grand Prince.

The Marchioness was known for her strict and unyielding nature, with a reputation so formidable that it was said not a single drop of blood would spill if she were cut. Now, she stood before Candice, looking down at her with sharp eyes.

“Inform Lady Ophelia that I request a meeting.”

Typically, maids were of common birth, while ladies-in-waiting came from noble families.

Under normal circumstances, a mere maid like Candice would never be directly addressed by a duchess, let alone the Head Lady.

However, since Doha had neither a personal lady-in-waiting nor any other designated maid, Candice was the only option.

“…….”

Candice remained silent. The Marchioness simply turned on her heel, as if there was nothing more to discuss.

Candice spoke to her retreating figure.

“Forgive my rudeness, but may I ask the purpose of the meeting?”

“What?”

The Marchioness turned back, her face hardening even more.

“The Young Lady has endured much hardship. She has yet to fully recover, both in body and mind.”

“So, you’re refusing my request?”

“If it’s something that would trouble her, I believe it is my duty to filter it out.”

“…….”

Candice’s voice remained firm.

She had spoken with full knowledge of the consequences, prepared not just for a slap but for a full beating.

The Head Maid never tolerated impudence from a mere maid.

Back when Angela had still been around, Candice’s back and calves had rarely been free of bruises.

And now, she had dared to speak so boldly in front of someone even the Head Maid feared—the Head Lady herself.

She wouldn’t be walking properly for a while.

But instead of punishing her, Marchioness Marzel merely looked Candice up and down in silence, as if assessing her.

Their gazes met.

‘Did she just smile?’

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes curved ever so slightly. It was gone in a blink, but Candice had seen it.

“I heard your younger brother nearly died but was saved.”

Instead of reprimanding her, the Head Lady finally revealed her reason for coming.

“I only wondered… if my son might have a chance as well.”

Her voice carried a quiet bitterness.

* * *

“I’m sorry.”

Doha shook her head.

“I don’t know how to heal someone.”

“I see.”

The Head Lady responded without much reaction.

She had only come grasping at straws, so she wasn’t particularly disappointed.

“But… hmm, your son was born frail and might not live a long life, but…”

Doha tilted her head.

“He won’t die young, either.”

“What?”

“He’s sickly, but he’ll outlive you.”

“…….”

“Oh, wait, was that rude?”

Realizing how blunt she had been, Doha scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“Sorry.”

She quickly added, “Not that I mean you’ll die soon or anything.”

The Head Lady suddenly lowered her head and shook it, as if suppressing something.

Then, she pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. Her voice was strained with emotion.

“That was the answer I wanted to hear most.”

Is there anything in the world more painful than farewells?

But of all farewells, nothing could compare to the agony of losing one’s own child.

She had lived every day fearing that possibility, waking up each morning with the weight of a nail driven into her heart.

Now, at least, she could breathe a little easier.

Even if Doha’s words were just comforting lies, she wanted to believe them.

“Head Lady.”

Doha’s voice was calm as she called her.

“Your son has grown up to be intelligent, wise, and righteous, all thanks to having a good mother. He is considerate of others and will surely be well respected.”

“…….”

“If he has lost something due to his weak body, then he has also gained something because of it.”

“And what would that be?”

“Goodness.”

Of course, not all weak people are inherently kind.

It was part of his nature from the beginning, but because his body was exceptionally frail, his benevolence had been further amplified.

Benevolence was the heart—one’s capacity to love and to embrace others.

“Acts of kindness done with sincerity bring fortune.”

“…….”

“I’m serious.”

Doha propped her chin on her hand and chuckled softly.

“So don’t ever think, ‘Why was he born with such a weak body?'”

At those words, the Head Lady flinched slightly.

Because Doha had struck right at the heart of what she had always wondered in silence.

“If your son cannot wield a sword, then the greatest knight will gladly pledge their loyalty to him. What greater blessing could there be?”

It was said that each person was born with a different light.

Being born under different circumstances didn’t mean one wouldn’t shine—it only meant they carried a special light unique to them.

Doha looked up, lost in thought.

The Head Lady was staring at her intently.

“…What?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

She quickly lowered her head.

“It’s just that… you’re quite different from what I had heard about you. I spoke out of turn.”

For a brief moment, Doha’s heart sank.

The Head Lady was one of the few people who knew that Bunny was not the real Ophelia.

However, they had never been properly introduced.

The moment Bunny arrived at Kredel Castle, she had been sent straight to the annex for education.

The only servants she had regular contact with were Ophelia’s three maids.

‘So there’s no real risk of being exposed.’

Even the direct line of Kredel had no interest in Bunny. No one would suspect that the person inside had changed.

‘But… maybe I haven’t been acting enough like a child.’

If she was too mature, it could draw suspicion.

Doha sighed inwardly.

‘But how does a ten-year-old actually talk?’

Even when she had been twelve, she spoke like this.

Growing up in the Park family, the only person she had deep conversations with was the old fortune-teller, so her way of speaking, vocabulary, and thoughts had all naturally aligned with hers.

“This… is just my personality. I was pushed to the edge before, so I acted extreme.”

Doha decided to act shamelessly.

She had been born and raised in a ruined slum with an end-of-the-world mentality—what was so strange about her being a little mature?

At that, the Head Lady looked at her not with suspicion, but with a touch of pity.

“My apologies. Until now, I have…”

“It’s fine.”

Doha waved her hand dismissively.

They had never been properly introduced, so there was no point in judging whether she had been kind or indifferent.

“Still, it’s true that I was inattentive toward you. If you wish to punish me, I will accept it without complaint.”

Enough.

Doha silently observed the Head Lady, who was sincerely apologizing.

‘She keeps calling me Young Lady until the end.’

She was the Marchioness Marzel, someone who could easily feign respect in front of her while looking down on her behind her back.

Yet, there wasn’t a single trace of condescension.

She was the type to follow orders and uphold principles, even where no one was watching.

She reminded Doha of someone.

“The Head Maid position is vacant right now, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Who is in charge of appointing the next one?”

“I am.”

“Wait… did you appoint the last Head Maid as well?”

Doha asked carefully, thinking that the Head Lady didn’t seem like someone with such poor judgment.

At that moment, a faint crease appeared in the corners of the Head Lady’s eyes, disrupting the gentle expression she had been wearing.

It disappeared just as quickly, but Doha had caught it—she clearly disapproved.

“No. The Madam personally selected her.”

“Ah…”

The Grand Duchess again.

In other words, the Duchess had gone out of her way to strip the Head Lady of her authority, only to appoint a fraud who had stolen another’s identity.

‘She doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with the Duchess either.’

The Head Lady didn’t seem like the type to form factions or maneuver politically.

Judging by her personality, she was likely an outsider in the household.

However, as the former wet nurse of the Grand Duke, she had his unwavering trust. Even the Duchess wouldn’t be able to treat her lightly.

Doha smiled faintly and said,

“Then, to uphold your authority, we should appoint a new Head Maid as soon as possible.”

“And who should that be…?”

“That’s up to you.”

Doha didn’t name anyone. She only urged the Head Lady to make a decision quickly.

Once appointed, it was difficult to remove a department head unless they committed a crime or there was a significant reason for their dismissal.

“I’ve kept you occupied long enough. Go take care of your work.”

Doha turned to Candice, who had been waiting outside the door.

“You escort her personally.”

“Yes.”

She waved a hand at the two of them as they left.

This was as much as she could do.

‘This much is enough.’

Candice was about to receive a stroke of fortune—one so grand that she only needed to keep breathing for it to land in her lap.

Doha had simply set things in motion. The rest was up to Candice.