Chapter 28
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28
“Your father told me to change your maids, so I came to see for myself, but…”
Aubrey’s bronze eyes were gleaming with a predatory light, like a boss who had just sniffed out a traitor.
“Seeing them like this, they truly lack both grace and dignity. They are completely ill-suited for a young lady of a Marquess’s house like you.”
“M-Madam!”
“Shut up!”
Slap!
Sensing instinctively that things had gone south, Lilda reached out and grabbed Aubrey’s sleeve without thinking. She was rewarded with a sharp blow to the cheek.
“Oh my. Auntie.”
I spoke with a look of pure shock on my face.
“What could Lilda have possibly done to deserve such harsh words…? Did she do something to greatly offend you, Auntie?”
Aubrey, who had been seething, flinched. She reflexively checked behind her.
Of course, since I was facing Aubrey, I had been looking behind her from the moment we met.
I knew exactly who was standing there.
Luc Kelposher.
Grand Duke Asis Frezier’s chief aide, along with several other aides, had accompanied her.
Aubrey quickly smoothed her expression.
“It’s nothing, Tulia. This servant suddenly grabbed my sleeve like some madwoman on the street. I was simply startled and raised my voice.”
Despite her words, Aubrey was glaring at the ‘traitors’ with eyes burning with rage.
The maids, of course, looked like they were dying to scream that it wasn't true—that they hadn't betrayed her.
In fact, one or two of them were already shaking their heads frantically with expressions full of desperate innocence…
‘But what’s the point? I already called out each of your names so precisely.’
Aubrey was already beyond convinced that she had been betrayed.
“Take them all away. I shall have them re-educated properly from the very beginning!”
“Yes, Madam!”
With voices still thick with lingering anger, the senior maids under Aubrey’s command dragged Lilda and the rest of the maids away.
“M-Madam!”
“Madam! Please, have mercy!”
‘Even if she calls it “education,” the end for a traitor is usually…’
I didn't need to see it with my own eyes to know that Aubrey was quite ruthless when she wanted to be.
Having finally, and legally, kicked those spy-like girls out of my room, I would finally be able to enjoy my nights and mornings in peace.
“Then, Tulia. Get some rest. I shall…”
“Oh, Auntie.”
I caught Aubrey just as she was trying to hurry away after leaving a hollow pleasantry.
“I overslept today, so I haven't heard the news yet. What happened to Tedric?”
Aubrey’s face froze, her forced smile turning into a stiff mask.
“Tedric isn't the type of boy to do such a thing, but it seems he did something bad because he felt inferior to me regarding our grades…”
“…”
“…Right?”
“Why would my son feel inferior to the likes of you?!”
Aubrey barked out the words, only to check Luc Kelposher’s reaction a beat too late.
And hilariously, she even spared a glance at my reaction now.
I wiped the smile from my face and asked back.
“The likes of me?”
“No, that’s not… This aunt of yours just misspoke for a moment. As you know, I’m just so upset…”
“Aunt Aubrey.”
I smiled again. Like an airhead who had neither pride nor a care in the world.
“I’m just so curious about the punishment Grandfather gave Tedric.”
But I never said the words coming out of my mouth were foolish.
“I’m sure it was a very heavy punishment.”
“…!”
“What happened, Luc?”
Aubrey, who looked ready to keep her mouth shut tight like a clam, trembled.
Luc Kelposher answered as he always did—neatly and politely. However, unlike usual, there was a faint smile on his lips.
“By the Grand Duke’s command, Young Master Tedric’s residence has been moved.”
“His residence? To where?”
“To the place where Lady Tulia stayed previously…”
‘Huh?’
“The Randelleur Warehouse.”
“There? Goodness.”
I was genuinely surprised this time. I hadn't expected Grand Duke Asis Frezier to hand down such a severe sentence.
“That warehouse is no place for a person to live. Especially in winter, your hands and feet practically freeze off… For how long?”
“Young Master Tedric has been sentenced to an indefinite confinement order.”
“My goodness.”
I looked at Aubrey and smiled thinly.
“Poor Tedric. He’s really in for it, Auntie.”
Aubrey, who had been listening while trembling, finally let out a small shriek and bolted out of my room.
‘No wonder her eyes were bloodshot from the moment she walked in.’
If I could, I would have hummed a tune and raised a glass in a victory toast.
The brat who used to mock Tulia for living in a dump of a castle was now going to live there forever.
Until he got married and moved out, he wouldn't even be able to dream of the main castle, let alone a nice annex.
I turned my gaze toward the few maids lingering awkwardly by the doorway.
“Why aren't you following my aunt?”
“We are the maids newly assigned to you by the Madam.”
I had to respect Aubrey’s tenacity in another sense—she still had the presence of mind to plant new spies on me even in this mess.
“I don't need you, so all of you go back.”
“Pardon? But the Junior Madam strictly…”
“Are you all planning to defy me?”
When I shook the Glory of Frezier’s Necklace hanging around my neck, the maids looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.
But in the end, they retreated with pale faces.
Once all the outsiders had left and the room grew quiet, Luc spoke in a level voice.
“Lady Tulia. I have a small piece of news to deliver.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“This morning, His Grace the Grand Duke…”
“Yes, yes.”
“…decided to revoke all of Junior Madam Aubrey’s Sovereignty Over Internal Affairs.”
“Whoa.”
“Oh my.”
Even Adel, who was usually quiet, looked startled. I was quite surprised myself.
‘But is it okay to tell me such important news in advance?’
Perhaps Grand Duke Asis Frezier had given his silent permission for them to tip me off.
Once Luc and the other aides left my quarters, Adel brought in a cream cake made with figs.
She said it was a snack.
“Oh, Lady Tulia. They say the weather is going to get colder, so I brought a few new pairs of sheepskin slippers.”
“Thanks, Adel.”
“Don't mention it. Are they fluffy?”
“Yeah.”
“They seem to fit your feet well. Please let me know if they’re uncomfortable.”
“I will, Adel.”
Contrary to Adel’s worries, the white sheepskin slippers that snugly wrapped around my feet were warm and soft.
The combination of sugar, cream, and figs that melted on my tongue like snowflakes was pure bliss, too.
The original Tulia in The Milk Bread had lived enjoying such luxuries—no, even greater luxuries than this.
The only difference was that she had been deceived by Viscount Lilius the whole time.
‘Not anymore.’
I’d mostly cleared out the people who looked down on and tormented Tulia. Of course, I’d keep clearing them out in the future.
‘And now, it’s about time… to go see the male leads.’
First, the Crown Prince.
The one with the highest difficulty level in the game.
The one whose route required meeting him and clicking his choices before any other male lead just to see the ending.
‘Otherwise, there was no mercy.’
Since I had to achieve an A-Rank, I needed to raise the favorability of all the male leads to nearly the maximum.
While the order didn't matter for the others, I had to meet the Crown Prince first.
Even though I was a direct descendant of Frezier with the Glory around my neck, I was still at an age where I hadn't had my debutante yet.
Leaving the Frezier territory to go to the Imperial Palace alone was nearly impossible.
‘But soon, someone to help me will come walking in on their own.’
* * *
Lunch that day consisted of a salad with fresh orange sauce, sweet pumpkin cream soup, and chop steak that gave off a savory aroma of sautéed onions and butter.
It was accompanied by freshly squeezed fruit juice.
“You seem to really like meat, My Lady.”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s because I haven't had much of it?”
Especially expensive stuff like beef.
Back when I was Han Ina, I felt awkward reaching for the meat dishes, so I mostly just ate the greens.
Adel paused at my words, spoken while I was munching on the steak.
However, she soon gave a soft smile and made my heart flutter by saying that lobster salad and tenderloin steak would be served for dinner.
Just as I was happily finishing off a chocolate dessert after the meal…
Knock, knock.
I heard a knock at the door.
“Who could it be at this hour? I’ll go see.”
Adel went to the door and returned with a slightly surprised expression.
“Lady Tulia. The teacher… I mean, Schuls Schmidt Pneuma is here to see you.”
“The teacher, suddenly? Show him to the drawing room.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
As expected.
I knew it was about time for him to show up.
The very important link who would take me to the Crown Prince.