TDRDH:06

CHAPTER :06

It was already my fourth day working as Cecilia’s personal maid.

Based on my experience so far, Cecilia was a relatively easy lady to serve.

Though she was a bit prickly, she wasn’t completely cold-hearted.

The fact that she didn’t restrict my movements was proof enough of that.

Honestly, if she wanted to keep my mouth shut completely, it would have been far more effective to keep me glued to her side.

“You live alone with your mother?”

“Yes. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her all by herself…”

“I suppose it can’t be helped. Fine.”

Cecilia had readily allowed me to commute from home.

To be honest, life in the annex was much more comfortable.

In the main building, I would have been trapped in an endless hell of cleaning.

But now, I just had to quietly stay by Cecilia’s side and run a few errands here and there.

‘By the way, I haven’t run into the Duke’s family even once.’

At first, I had worried about what I would do if I crossed paths with them.

But over the last four days, neither the Duke and Duchess nor the Young Lord had shown so much as a hair of their heads.

I hadn’t even seen them send so much as a single message.

‘Well, it’s a relief for me.’

It was better not to cross paths with the ducal family if possible.

And thinking about it rationally, even if I did run into them, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

Even though I possessed the blonde hair and green eyes that were the distinct physical traits of their biological daughter.

‘Would they really think I’m their actual daughter based on just that?’

Actually, there was a reason I was so confident.

In the Lucert family, a child with a very rare and special gift was occasionally born.

The only reason Milena in the original story had been accepted as their biological daughter so easily was because she had awakened that gift.

Which meant…

‘As long as my gift hasn’t awakened, they won’t recognize me in a million years.’

And right now, I showed absolutely no signs of awakening any such power.

Which meant there was practically nothing to worry about.

So, all I had to do was hold out for a few more days and then part ways with the Lucert family for good…

‘But seriously, why does Cecilia keep weighing on my mind?’

I paused in arranging the flowers in the vase and turned my head.

Cecilia was sitting by herself some distance away.

Her teal eyes were staring blankly out the window.

‘She’s probably waiting for her family.’

Every day, Cecilia would glance toward the closed door to see if anyone was coming, or ask me every morning, “Is there any news today?”

But there was never any news, and no one ever came looking for her.

“My Lady,”

I said, unable to watch her like this any longer.

“Would you like to go out for a short walk?”

“A walk?”

“Yes. Getting some fresh air will make you feel much better.”

I urged her gently, keeping my voice bright and cheerful.

Cecilia looked slightly reluctant, but she didn’t refuse.

“It’s still a bit chilly out, so please wear a shawl.”

I draped a large woolen shawl over Cecilia’s shoulders.

After fastening it snugly around her neck to block out the cold wind,

I gave her a bright, smiling gaze.

“Shall we?”

Cecilia looked down at where I had secured her shawl.

A faint smile graced her lovely, previously expressionless face.

“……All right, let’s go.”

* * *

Although the air was still chilly since it was only early spring,

the spring flowers were already beginning to bloom one by one.

Cecilia and I strolled along the deserted path, walking side-by-side.

‘Mmh, going outside was definitely the right choice.’

Checking Cecilia’s expression out of the corner of my eye, I nodded with satisfaction.

The tense line of her mouth had visibly softened.

Yes, people need to walk and breathe in some fresh air once in a while.

“Milena.”

“Yes, My Lady?”

Keeping her eyes fixed on a bush of bright yellow forsythias, Cecilia asked in a quiet voice.

“You said you live alone with your mother, right? Isn’t it hard?”

“Hmm, not really.”

I tilted my head in thought.

Her teal eyes flicked over to look at me.

“But you’re working so hard like this.”

A dark shadow cast over her pale face.

“I know that I’m…”

Cecilia trailed off for a moment before sighing softly.

“…not exactly an easy master to serve.”

Wait, what on earth was she talking about?

Reading her expression, I replied cautiously.

“Um, I think you’ve misunderstood. I actually find serving you very easy.”

“Easy?”

Cecilia turned to me, her eyes wide with surprise like a startled rabbit.

What’s with the shock?

I was a bit bewildered.

“Of course. I don’t have to sweep the stairs or scrub the floors anymore. All I really do is keep you company and chat.”

“B-but my personality…”

“What’s wrong with your personality, My Lady? You’re actually very gentle.”

I wasn’t just flattering her, either.

I genuinely felt comfortable around her.

Why did she view herself in such a negative light?

Hearing my response, Cecilia suddenly turned bashful and whipped her head away.

“Never mind that. Just finish what you were saying earlier.”

She’s surprisingly shy. How cute.

I suppressed a chuckle.

“You asked if it was hard earlier, right? It’s not hard at all. If anything, I just want to repay her kindness.”

“Kindness?”

“Yes. My mother went through so much hardship raising me all on her own, especially since I’m not even her biological daughter.”

Cecilia’s ears perked up at that.

“What? She isn’t your biological mother?”

Well, this wasn’t exactly a secret.

It was already common knowledge among the people in our town.

I shrugged and answered,

“Yes. She happened to find me abandoned in the mountains.”

“I see…”

Cecilia fell into deep thought.

But right then,

“My Lady.”

A chilling voice called out to Cecilia.

Instantly, Cecilia stiffened, flinching as if she had been struck by a whip.

‘Who is that?’

I turned toward the source of the voice.

A middle-aged lady was standing there, her posture perfectly erect as she stared at us.

Her brown hair, shot with streaks of gray, was swept up in a tight, immaculate bun without a single stray strand.

Her expressionless face exuded a stern, fastidious aura.

Cecilia spoke in a trembling voice.

“N-Nanny.”

…That woman was Cecilia’s nanny?

A sudden chill washed over me, as if I had been doused in ice water.

The nanny who had raised the Lucert siblings since childhood.

Mrs. Howard.

She was the main culprit behind Cecilia’s abuse in the original novel.

“You must always remember the grace the Ducal family has shown you.”

“How long do you intend to keep disappointing your family?”

“If you were their real daughter, you would have behaved much more perfectly.”

She had constantly berated Cecilia while doting entirely on the Young Lord, Elias.

And when the real daughter, Milena, finally appeared, Mrs. Howard cast Cecilia aside like a piece of trash.

From then on, she had showered only Milena with affection.

“Were you out for a walk, My Lady?”

Mrs. Howard strode over to Cecilia.

I watched as Cecilia, who usually kept her posture so straight, instinctively shrank back.

“Ah, well. I was feeling a bit suffocated…”

“Does that mean you were simply wasting time?”

Mrs. Howard swept a critical gaze over Cecilia from head to toe before speaking coldly.

“I must say, I do not think that is appropriate behavior for a dignified lady.”

Excuse me, what?

My jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.

The entire reason the Lucert family had come here in the first place was for ‘recuperation’!

‘Wow, I can barely control my face right now.’

Reading about her gaslighting like this in the original novel had felt frustrating enough to choke on a million dry sweet potatoes.

But hearing this absolute garbage in person… it was incredibly infuriating!

In the midst of this, Mrs. Howard noticed my gaze and turned toward me.

Right as her eyes began to narrow,

“Um, what about Mother and Father?”

Cecilia mustered her courage and asked.

At that, Mrs. Howard let out a faint click of her tongue.

She just clicked her tongue, didn’t she? Oh, yes, she did!