IHRS 06

Chapter – 06

People didn’t really know who Marsha was.

That her father had been a minor lord, or that her childhood dream had been to become a knight—none of that was common knowledge.

Of course—it was all a past she had meticulously hidden.

The only reason she had entered the Lauweiz marquis household was simple: revenge.

The Lauweiz marquis family was a long-established, wealthy household, but from an employee’s perspective, it was far from a good workplace.

The wages given to the maids were average for the industry. But the work was endless and the treatment terrible. Naturally, there were always vacancies and job postings.

It wasn’t hard to get in, and the vetting process wasn’t strict.

Even if someone were hired, they would probably quit or be driven out under the pressure from the marquis or Zeppeto.

The same applied to the head maid.

“Name?”
“Marsha. As for experience… it says I’ve worked as a governess, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect. You’ve had experience taking care of children. You’ll be in charge of the young lady, then.”
“Excuse me?”
“Answering without a moment’s hesitation—ready for the role of a servant. I like it.”
“Excuse me?”

The young lady she was to serve: Laura.

“You’re Marsha?”
“Yes. Please call me Marsha.”

Surprisingly, she bore no resemblance to the marquis.

Always sharp, irritable—well, that was because of the harsh environment she had grown up in.

It turned out she was adopted, and one of the rare cases: a spirit mage.

“So, how long will you be staying? Tonight? Or just until lunch?”
“Excuse me?”
“You may leave anytime, but make sure to take care of my meals first. Otherwise, I might go hungry all day.”

The position directly serving the mistress of the house was coveted among the staff. It was the seat of power in the household. One often appeared in important social events, gaining experience and visibility.

But Laura didn’t care.

‘I see,’ Marsha realized. She could tell how Laura’s position in this house was perceived.

The Lauweiz marquis treated Laura like a mere pawn. If the master treated her that way, the servants certainly wouldn’t respect her.

Subtle contempt and disregard were commonplace. They would deliberately neglect her meals or misappropriate her budget.

Laura herself endured it—but how they treated Marsha, her attendant, was even worse.

Yet Marsha endured. She had infiltrated this place to become a harbinger of revenge.

If her goal was to wait for the right moment, there was no better position. No one else wanted to be Laura’s personal maid, after all.

Exactly. She wasn’t here for Laura, either.

She was using the marquis’s household just like the marquis used others.

You weren’t foolish. You knew everything.

And yet, you…

[So what does that matter?]

[After all, you stayed by my side.]

You came to me.

[I was just doing what I could.]

You saved me.

[So, will you take revenge together, or not? I hold a grudge against the marquis too.]

You needed me.

‘How could I…’

Even though it was you.

“I forgot—”

“Marsha?”

The warm voice gently checked on her. Marsha could not meet Laura’s eyes and lowered her head.

“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry for getting angry earlier at the handkerchief. I didn’t want you to suffer any loss on my account.”

She knew how much Laura had longed for the position of the marquis’s heiress.

Even if she couldn’t remember everything, the moment their eyes met, she had already given her heart.

‘But isn’t that natural?’

Aside from family, the only one who accepted her as she was—was Laura.

“Are you alright?”
“Yes, of course.”

Yes. She was this lovable.

The rustling sound came from peeling an apple.

Though not officially experienced, Marsha peeled the apple neatly.

“Please, have some. I bought it at the market today, and it’s still good.”

And it wasn’t just the apple.

Marsha also brought cleaning supplies and tidied the shrine. The old shrine didn’t become brand-new, but it looked much better.

Though…

“Who told you to clean?!”

That wasn’t why she had been brought here.

“I feel more comfortable being active than idle.”

Marsha said,

“Actually, I was always worried. Leaving the young lady alone in that haunted house while you stayed in the comfortable shrine… I wondered if she ate properly, if she was safe. Even now, I worry.”

She was speaking of events from two years ago.

That day, I had kicked away Zeppeto and brought Marsha out with me.

Of course, I didn’t just take her away carelessly. I arranged a separate place for her to live and helped her get a job so she could thrive.

Then, when I learned of Marsha’s dream, I gave her a position as a paladin.

And Seraphina was already growing into her role as a saint, so I needed a trustworthy protector.

“Don’t worry. I beat Zeppeto and got out that day—you know that.”

Marsha and I shared a smile.

The apple Marsha had peeled wasn’t just for me.

Naturally, I didn’t eat it all alone. Marsha had some, and Seraphina got some too.

She was still young, so it was cut small to avoid choking, but it seemed to suit her.

“You eat well. As expected, the saint has no picky habits.”

“You… Ah, can you tell?”

“Well… anyone could tell you’re a saint.”

With her memories restored, Marsha recognized not only me but also Seraphina.

So I spoke freely. I told her everything about the marquis’s death.

“I thought Seraphina had lost her powers after failing to lift the curse and had reverted to a child… but it seems it was only temporary. Some of her energy still comes out, so it hasn’t disappeared.”

‘Truly, a saint is a saint.’

Had Seraphina noticed I was speaking about myself? She lifted her hand.

“Apple?”

“Yes, here. Eat.”

Seraphina tried to gobble the apple whole. She was still messy, but it seemed to suit her.

“Do you have a next plan? Something in mind?”

I did.

‘From here, this is as far as I can go from my current position.’

After that, I would need a bigger stage and more leverage.

‘I am no longer the marquis’s heiress, but I am still the fiancée of the first prince.’

To leverage that, certain steps had to be taken.

“From now on, I…”

I declared,

“I will take all of the marquis’s inheritance.”

Part of me secretly hoped for success.

The household was doomed anyway, but if I could bring it down faster with my own hands, wouldn’t that count as a righteous act?

‘The Lauweiz family is inherently harmful. The sooner they disappear from the empire, the better.’

Of course, I couldn’t do it alone.

“Will you help me, Marsha?”

Marsha smiled brightly.

“Of course.”

Meanwhile, at that moment, Asel was…

“The marquis household? Not there?”

He was in the imperial capital, discussing with his aides.

The topic: locating Laura.

He believed that now, with the marquis dead, it was the perfect opportunity to break the engagement.

“She hasn’t attended any social events. She hasn’t visited any jewelers or dressmakers either.”

Laura, as the prince’s fiancée, enjoyed showing off her status. She delighted in dressing up and collecting flattery from followers in high society.

So Asel had been caught off guard. He assumed she would eventually appear, even if momentarily startled.

“Perhaps she is being cautious now, since her father is dead.”

That could be true, but Asel could not be certain.

[Do you see me as someone who secretly leaks information for the marquis behind your back, slaps those who speak ill of me in front of you, and excels at sowing discord?]

At the very moment he had mocked her, the faint look of being hurt crossed her face.

‘Strange.’

He should have been able to ignore it. Why did he even care about this irritating woman’s feelings?

Yet…

‘That face of seeming injustice looked genuine.’