Chapter 11
“Unnie.”
When Elysia stopped moving, Joshua tugged at the hem of her clothes.
I have to endure it for my little brother.
They were openly whispering unpleasant things that could clearly be heard.
“Excuse me.”
The maids gathered around the table lifted their gazes.
It seemed they had not expected her to speak to them first, because they exchanged sidelong glances.
“Yes?”
One of them asked back.
She curled one corner of her mouth as if she felt no guilt at all, even tilting her chin in a gesture that seemed to say, Go on, then.
Elysia clenched her fist tightly, then released it and smiled.
“You all look finished, so could you clear your seats for a moment? The food is going to be brought out soon.”
“Huh?”
“What’s she talking about?”
For a moment, they stared at her in disbelief, as if they had misheard her.
Elysia politely gestured toward their bowls with her hand.
“I asked because you were still sitting there even though you seemed to be done eating. Ah, or perhaps—”
She turned her body and raised her voice toward the direction where Greta was sitting.
“Is it fine to stay seated even after finishing a meal?”
Unlike the maids, Greta sat at the center of the room. Around her were people of different ranks, including the cook and the gardener.
Greta quietly set down the spoon she had been holding and said, “Since shift work is frequent, the basic rule is to stand up as soon as you finish eating. Is there some issue?”
Elysia answered with a smile that seemed practiced in social settings.
“No, I was just curious.”
Her gaze slid sideways toward them.
The ones who had been whispering so openly a moment ago were gone. Afraid the fire might spread to them, one by one they stood up.
Muttering to themselves as though displeased, they each picked up their bowls and passed by Elysia.
I’m glad Joshua didn’t hear any of that.
Elysia stayed close behind the little boy in case he might bump into someone as she waited for them to pass.
“You’re not bad.”
That was the remark tossed at her by the last maid to walk by.
She had clearly been the same one who had first challenged Elysia and then lifted her chin arrogantly.
Elysia held her gaze without backing down, then smiled.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
At Elysia’s unwavering stance, the woman let out a short scoff.
Only after watching the group leave the dining room was Elysia able to go into the kitchen with Joshua.
Fortunately, there was still enough food left.
The two of them were satisfied with nothing more than slightly cooled soup and sandwiches.
Joshua, swinging his legs while seated, exclaimed in admiration the moment he tasted the soup.
“It’s delicious!”
“Shh. Be quiet while you’re eating.”
“Okay!”
Joshua answered energetically and ate with great enthusiasm, clearly hungry.
Watching him, Elysia slid the bowl of soup she had barely touched toward him.
Because she had started eating late, one by one people were standing up and leaving the dining hall.
The two of them emptied their bowls almost until the very end.
“Joshua, can you sit here and wait?”
“Got it!”
At his cheerful answer, Elysia smiled instead of replying.
Carrying the dishes, she went back into the kitchen, where a mountain of bowls had already been stacked.
Beyond the door leading to the back yard, a faint acrid smell drifted in.
She leaned slightly back, and as expected, the cook had gone out to smoke after finishing his meal.
Elysia moved quietly so as not to draw attention.
The stacked dishes looked as though they might topple at any moment, so she separated them into smaller piles. She wiped the bowls that still had scraps on them with a wet cloth.
As she was neatly placing the dishes into the washing tub, the cook came back in.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, I thought the dishes might break if I left them like that, so I just organized them. I didn’t touch anything else…”
Fearing she might offend him, Elysia took a step back.
The cook stroked his beard, then made a clicking sound with his tongue as if noticing what she had done.
“I heard you were a greenhorn, but you’re pretty quick on your feet.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s my job, so don’t waste time doing unnecessary things. Go on.”
He waved his hand dismissively.
Before leaving the kitchen, Elysia said to him, “Thanks to you, I was able to enjoy the meal. My little brother loved the soup a lot.”
“Well, who do you think made it? If it isn’t enough, say so. Soup usually leaves leftovers, so I can give you more.”
Elysia bowed her head and left.
However, the only person left in the dining room besides Greta was no one.
Joshua, who had promised to wait obediently, was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did he go?”
She worried he might have gotten into trouble or caused some kind of incident, but Greta was already approaching.
Since the meal was over, she needed to hear the rest of the job explanation.
As Elysia anxiously looked around, Greta, who noticed it first, asked, “Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s nothing…”
With her brother missing, she could hardly ask Greta to wait.
Greta rubbed her ear and explained, “The lady’s attendant is basically responsible for helping her with waking up and going to bed, and making sure she eats on time. Since she doesn’t usually call for you separately, your room will be the same as the maids’ quarters. When the young lady goes out or moves around inside the mansion and needs assistance, you should be the first one to step in. And as for bathing duties…”
Greta’s explanation continued briefly and only with what was necessary.
But Elysia’s missing brother was so distracting that none of it properly entered her head.
Trying her best not to show it, she kept nodding along.
“If anything happens to the young lady, you’ll be the first person mentioned, so be especially careful with your conduct.”
“Understood.”
“And also.”
Greta looked at Elysia in silence for a while, then exhaled slowly.
“Children are curious about even the smallest things and often wander off on their own, so please don’t leave your little brother alone if possible. This mansion is larger than you think, and once someone gets lost, they’re hard to find.”
“Yes, Head Maid.”
It seemed Greta had noticed that Elysia was having trouble focusing.
Instead of pressing or scolding her for it, Greta merely gave a look that said she should go now.
Elysia bowed deeply and hurried out of the dining room.
Where on earth did he go?
She searched for Joshua with her head turning this way and that as she half-ran, and then a familiar voice came from around the corner.
“Did you see her face just now? The way she lifted her eyes and smiled so shamelessly was unbelievable.”
“For a country girl to rise all the way to being a personal maid, I guess she needs that kind of face.”
Elysia stopped in her tracks as she approached the corner and listened in silence.
“Do you know how girls like that get here?”
One of them suddenly asked in the middle of their conversation.
It was a familiar voice.
The very maid who had spoken directly to Elysia earlier.
“Seriously, how else would she have the money to get in?”
The voices kept coming, as if they were trying to make the new girl into gossip.
“Obvious, isn’t it? The back pocket.”
“The back pocket? She really has money?”
“No, not money. This.”
“Oh my, hey! That’s disgusting!”
Laughter erupted.
Back pocket? What does that mean?
Elysia did not understand their slang, but she could tell at least that it was an unpleasant phrase.
Still, it was not something she needed to worry about right now.
Besides, if she kept hiding here and listening and got caught, it would only be more trouble.
Just as she turned to go back the way she had come—
[Looking for your brother?]
Sheila was standing behind Elysia, holding up a sheet of paper.
When had she appeared? Elysia had not sensed a thing.
Elysia glanced toward the corner, then nodded.
Sheila crooked her finger, motioning for Elysia to follow.
