MAS 04

-chapter 4-

As I was speaking, I felt my body being pushed forward, and I urgently called out to Mary.

Mary widened her eyes and replied nonchalantly,

“Yes?”

“…You don’t like me, do you?”

“You’re mistaken.”

She could at least take her hands off my back before saying that.

Mary, who stubbornly kept pushing me, eventually shoved me out the door. It was obvious—she really didn’t like me.

Once outside, the waiting maid began to guide me toward the dining hall.

Unsurprisingly, the Grand Duke’s residence was enormous. That meant the dining hall was quite a distance away.

And unfortunately, I had a terrible sense of direction, so I often lost my way when heading there.

I gripped my wits tightly, hoping I wouldn’t lose the maid like last time. Just ahead, I heard the whispers of some maids gathered together.

“Master is truly like a monster.”

“How can he have no expression at all? He doesn’t even seem human.”

I paused.

Perhaps it was hearing a familiar name that made me stop unconsciously.

“…Milady?”

Even though I was still young and mostly a figurehead, I was still the mistress of this house and the wife of Cideron.

Perhaps sensing this, the maid guiding me began subtly watching my reaction.

What they were doing was clearly gossiping about Cideron.

“Have you heard that the Grand Duke buried someone when he was four?”

“At four? Well… I guess that sounds like him.”

“What good is a high salary if it’s just a life allowance anyway?”

Listening in, their conversation was strangely interesting.

I giggled quietly and slowly approached them.

“Re-really… Milady?”

One of the maids recognized me belatedly and jumped in shock.

Who told you to gossip so openly? Such audacity.

I twitched my lips, and their Adam’s apples bobbed nervously.

“You….”

I was truly disappointed.

How could they talk about such interesting things without including me?

If it was gossip about Cideron, I should be the one dishing it!

I was just about to say that.

If I hadn’t seen Cideron approaching from afar, I probably would have spent the meal bonding gleefully with the maids, forgetting all about the dining schedule.

Suddenly, my eyes flickered.

‘What’s wrong? He’s usually early—why is he so late today?’

Like a guilty thief, my heart sank even though I hadn’t said a word yet.

Or maybe he had already noticed?

The combination of maids gossiping about him and the Grand Duchess standing among them…

‘This is a complete disaster.’

As I worried about how to handle the situation, the maids simultaneously bowed their heads to me.

“We’re sorry!”

“We must have been out of our minds! Please forgive us!”

…What’s going on?

I tilted my head at the sudden apologies.

At that moment, the maid guiding me spoke softly, just loud enough for me to hear.

“Milady, they seem to be reflecting on their behavior. Perhaps it’s best to finish this with an appropriate punishment…”

Though clearly speaking to me, her gaze was on Cideron in the distance.

From the maid’s blatant reaction, I understood the situation.

In short, they thought I had joined to stir up the gossip.

‘I’m not exactly the type to do something that bold.’

But since the opportunity was presented, why not use it?

As the saying goes, when the tiger is absent, the fox rules.

‘If not now, when would I ever get to act like the top authority?’

Of course, I had a tiger backing me up.

I squared my shoulders and spoke in a strong, confident voice.

“What are all of you talking about right now?”

As my lips opened, tension appeared on the maids’ faces.

One maid beside me seemed calm, perhaps thinking I would follow her lead.

Sorry, but I’m not that obedient.

‘If I step back now, how will the other maids—who already treat me like a ghost—react?’

This was a matter of pride.

I shouted loudly:

“How can a maid, with ties to Astitria, insult the master of this house?”

Their faces instantly drained of color. The maid next to me stiffened as well.

Serves them right.

I turned to glance at Cideron.

More precisely, I looked at the steward standing beside him.

“These people are tarnishing Astitria’s honor—are you just going to watch?”

Mary had said the steward valued Astitria’s honor above all else.

Though he disliked me, he could not ignore a situation where maids insulted their superior in front of him.

Especially since Cideron was observing.

‘You have no choice but to side with me.’

If the steward took my side, the maids would no longer underestimate me.

At the very least, they wouldn’t openly ignore me as before.

This was my reasoning.

I didn’t expect the steward to react like this:

“I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“W-what?”

“Milady, seizing innocent people and throwing a tantrum clearly diminishes Astitria’s honor.”

I was stunned. The steward continued:

“But everyone makes mistakes. Since you don’t know any better, it’s a chance to learn. So don’t blame yourself too harshly.”

Even though he had seen everything, the steward spoke with the confidence of someone who had forgotten what happened.

Cideron nearby seemed largely uninterested, going his own way.

I realized that being dumbfounded can literally make you speechless.

As the situation shifted, the maids’ pale faces gradually regained color.

It felt like a lightning strike hit my household life.

‘This is really a total mess.’

I glared at the maid who had been gossiping.

Perhaps due to the steward’s stance, she remained confidently defiant despite my glare.

That instant, she seemed unbearable.

“We’ll get back to work now.”

She couldn’t hide her excitement. I grabbed her skirt as she tried to leave and glared at her fiercely.

“You clearly said it yourself! Working here is just a life allowance, isn’t it?!”

The maid seemed genuinely surprised by my words.

“W-what are you talking about! Let go of my skirt first!”

Children’s grip is weaker than you think, and the maid’s few tugs only made my strength extend further.

‘It’s so unfair because she’s just a child!’

“I think you misheard! I never said anything to insult the master!”

“Don’t lie! Steward! You heard it too, didn’t you?”

“Well… I see. But one thing is clear: abuse of power by a superior is not good, Milady. We may need to increase the number of etiquette tutors if necessary.”

Ugh.

Increasing them even more? The thought alone was terrifying.

I strongly felt I had acted rashly.

‘Come to think of it, this is my position.’

Everyone was in collusion—what could I do?

‘Seriously, you don’t even care if they insult you?’

I looked at Cideron with that thought.

But he wasn’t the type to intervene.

‘Sigh. Fine. I’ll just live quietly like a mouse and ask for a divorce later.’

I was about to brush it off when:

“This is irritating.”

“…Excuse me?”

The steward spoke.

“All of you are irritating.”

Cideron’s cold gaze passed over the steward and swept across the maids one by one, finally landing on me.

The expressionless look was chilling, and I froze.

But I wasn’t the only one.

“Do not cause a ruckus in my house.”

“Yes, yes! We will remember.”

The steward bowed nervously, and Cideron passed by without noticing.

‘Wow… can a thirteen-year-old really exude that kind of intimidation?’

By the time he disappeared from sight, sighs of relief could be heard everywhere.

‘Are you scared too?’

Of course. Who wouldn’t be? A budding mastermind like him isn’t someone to take lightly.

Once Cideron left, the steward’s reluctant gaze turned to me.

“I will handle instructing the maids. Since you were startled, Milady, you should return to your room and rest. I will have the maids bring your meal.”

Though it sounded considerate, it was really an order to stay out of the way.

I thought about arguing but quickly gave up.

‘Sigh… fine.’

Today I learned: no matter what logic I present, it won’t work on them.

I was a Grand Duchess who came here with no ties, only to potentially damage Astitria’s reputation.

Mary being kind to me was the anomaly; the others treating me with hostility was normal.

‘But I didn’t even want to be here.’

Thinking about that again made me angry.

‘Just wait—once I grow a bit more, let’s see if they can still treat me like this!’