Chapter 51

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Head Maid Steps Down?
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Marin returned to the annex and dove onto the bed with her weary body.

“I don’t want to do anything...”

“Miss Marin. Shall I prepare bathwater for you?”

Yuria, who had followed her in unnoticed, kindly slipped off her velvet shoes.

Marin peeked her head up from the bed and looked up at Yuria.

“Yuria, doesn’t ‘Miss’ sound a bit too natural coming from you?”

“Hehehe. I’ve always wanted to call you that. Actually, I figured out ages ago that you’re a noblewoman.”

Marin sat up in surprise.

“How?”

“Nobles just have a different air about them.”

“You noticed right from the first time we met?”

“Yes. The other servants probably knew too. Those maids who used to badmouth you before? They likely realized it and wanted to tear you down even more, so that’s why they talked like that.”

Marin nodded, lost in thought.

She had thought she’d done a pretty good job pretending to be a commoner all this time, but had they just been playing along?

Even when she’d disguised herself as a boy? She’d plopped right down on the floor and everything.

“Thanks for telling me.”

Marin quickly pushed away the thought, as if glimpsing a new dark chapter in her history.

“Oh, right. The Head Maid asked when you’d have time tomorrow. She said there are things to discuss for the party preparations.”

“I don’t want to do anything.”

Instead of answering, Marin flopped back onto the bed.

“But you’re not doing anything right now?”

“Yeah. I’m not doing anything, but I don’t want to do anything even more intensely. I just want to breathe.”

Yuria tilted her head, staring at Marin as she rolled around energetically on the bed.

She says she doesn’t want to do anything, so why is she rolling around on the bed?

Her young lady was truly lovable, but sometimes so peculiar.

* * *

The next day, early in the morning, a knock sounded, and Yuria quickly responded.

Marin, who had been having tea with Roanna, silently set down her teacup.

“Good morning. Viscountess, Miss Marin.”

The Page Head Maid entered the room, her hands full of things.

“Hello.”

Roanna greeted her kindly, but the Page Head Maid bowed slightly with a somber expression.

“Viscountess, please speak comfortably with me.”

Seeing Roanna hesitate, Marin gave a small nod.

She had already decided to do so herself, so her mother couldn’t very well speak formally to the servants.

“Alright, I will.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

As the Head Maid bowed her head politely in thanks, Marin asked curiously,

“I heard you wanted to see me?”

“Yes.”

***

The Page Head Maid set the catalogs she was holding down beside the tea table.

“What’s all this?”

Marin flinched preemptively, recalling how Idre had worked her to the bone.

“Catalogs for the party preparations. Since it’s an engagement celebration party, your opinion matters too, Miss. This one’s for tablecloth colors, this for curtain colors, this for party food, this one...”

“W-Wait a minute.”

As expected, it was tedious and exhausting. Faced once more with a slew of choices, Marin looked plaintively at Roanna.

Help me, Mom.

“This is your job from now on, dear.”

Reading her eyes, her mother patted her hand encouragingly.

No. It’s not. The female lead will handle this stuff from now on.

Marin swallowed her inner complaint and sent Roanna a desperate look begging for help.

“Fine. I’ll help.”

“Head Maid, you heard that? Just consult with my mom.”

Marin turned to the Head Maid with a happy face.

Roanna stared at her daughter in bewilderment.

“I said I’d help, not take it all on myself?”

“Mom, I haven’t even picked a dress yet. You know I’m bad at choosing. You have way more experience hosting parties, so I’ll go with whatever you decide.”

Marin clung to Roanna’s arm and acted cute.

“Good grief, you’re impossible.”

Roanna gave her daughter a fond glare.

“I’ll learn a lot by watching from the side. Please?”

“Fine.”

The Page Head Maid, who had been listening silently to their exchange, slid the catalogs toward Roanna.

“Would you like to take a look?”

“Sure.”

“Then I’ll leave you two to discuss slowly. I have work to attend to.”

Marin rose naturally from her chair.

“Marin, weren’t you going to learn by watching?”

“Hehe. It’s not just for today.”

Roanna shook her head.

But then, the Head Maid straightened up and faced Marin.

“Miss Marin. I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“This party is being prepared in a rush, so I feel I need to be here, but once it’s over, I plan to step down from this position.”

The Head Maid mentioned her resignation with a calm face.

Marin, Roanna, and even Yuria standing behind them all looked at her in shock.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“As the person in charge of the maids, I was negligent in my management and caused harm to you, Miss.”

“That was settled long ago.”

The Page Head Maid spoke with steadfast eyes.

“Yes, it was. But I’ve been agonizing over how to take responsibility ever since. You’re His Grace the Duke’s fiancée. That makes it even more imperative that I take responsibility for letting such rumors spread.”

Marin looked at the Head Maid with frustrated eyes.

She was as rigid as her straight-backed posture.

Marin was a fake fiancée anyway, and she didn’t want the Head Maid to lose her job over a fake engagement.

“Head Maid.”

Marin met the Page Head Maid’s eyes.

“Yes.”

“Do you know what Yuria did after dinner last night?”

The Page Head Maid’s face stiffened slightly.

“I’m sorry. I don’t.”

***

Marin watched the Page Head Maid while calling to Yuria behind her.

“Yuria.”

“Y-Yes.”

Tensed by the serious atmosphere, Yuria stuttered again.

“What did you do after dinner last night?”

“I-I embroidered in my r-room.”

Hearing Yuria’s answer, Marin smiled brightly at the Head Maid.

“Head Maid, do you know what Yuria did a week ago in the morning?”

“I’m sorry.”

“And you, Yuria?”

“I-I don’t know either. I-I’m sorry.”

Frightened, Yuria bowed her head, not knowing where to put herself.

“No need to apologize. I can’t even remember what I did a week ago in the morning. Yuria, one more question. Do you know how many maids there are in the Duke’s Castle?”

Marin asked Yuria kindly.

“I think around 200...”

Yuria thought hard, then answered uncertainly.

“Head Maid?”

Marin turned her gaze back to the Page Head Maid.

“252.”

“You can’t know every single move of 252 maids. You get what I’m saying, right?”

The Head Maid, grasping the intent of Marin’s question, bowed deeply.

“Yes.”

“I like your strong sense of responsibility. But dragging up something I already forgave and using it to quit—does that mean you’re indirectly saying you don’t want to serve under me?”

Marin gazed at the Page Head Maid with a beaming smile.

“Absolutely not.”

Her trademark composed expression crumbled, revealing her flustered face.

“I almost misunderstood. I’ll be counting on you as Head Maid from now on too.”

“Yes. I will serve you with all my heart.”

At Marin’s gentle yet pointed words, the Page Head Maid bowed deeply.