Chapter 136
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 136
Of all the people in the Duke’s estate, the maids assigned to Lady Rohanson were the most relieved by Canna’s arrival. Rumors had been circulating that Lady Rohanson possessed a fearsome temperament, especially after she had dismissed the gentle Hazel in a single day. The maids had been trembling with anxiety, terrified of displeasing the young lady, but now her personal maid had finally arrived.
Canna’s presence brought peace to the servants of House Hosaquin.
Furthermore, thanks to Canna, several wild rumors about Lady Rohanson simply vanished. The most prominent was the claim that Evangeline Rohanson did not eat. Aside from the tea she had on her first day, the staff whispered that she hadn’t drunk a single drop of water since. No one had ever seen her eat, and they were beginning to treat her as if she weren't human at all. When Canna heard this, she burst into giggles.
"My lady has a small appetite and prefers snacks," she explained. "Before I came to the Duke's estate, I packed a whole armful of treats for her. She's been skipping meals because she's eating those alone in her room. But she shouldn't skip proper meals, so from now on, I'll make sure to coax her into eating."
After that, whenever Evangeline did something out of the ordinary, the staff went to Canna for an explanation.
"I heard Lady Rohanson wanders the mansion in the middle of the night… Is she sleepwalking, or is it a ghost like the Madam…?"
"A ghost? Oh my, no! My lady just enjoys night walks. You know how pale her skin is, right? Many noble ladies are very particular about avoiding the sun, afraid of getting sunburned."
"True, her skin is incredibly pale."
It had been over twenty years since Amaranth left the mansion. Having not served a young noble lady in all that time, the staff of the Duke’s estate fell hook, line, and sinker for Canna's smooth reassurances.
"Actually, I was once very sick, but my lady cured me completely with holy water," Canna would say. "I respected her so much that I went to the Rohanson mansion on a whim and begged to work there. She made me her personal maid and has doted on me ever since."
Every word from Canna's mouth was enough to completely overturn their perception of Evangeline.
"If my lady weren't a kind person, why would I have followed her all the way here of my own free will?"
Canna had already won over the servants of the Rohanson mansion, whose fear of Evangeline was engraved in their very bones. The staff of Duke Hosaquin’s estate, whom she had only just met, were laughably easy to persuade.
Once their guards were down, Canna casually let slip how Evangeline planned to use the holy water she had procured.
"Holy water? Lady Rohanson is giving out holy water?"
"Shh, I only overheard it by accident. You know how rats have been running rampant lately? My lady was worried they might spread some plague, so she went out of her way to procure holy water for everyone."
"If she procured holy water, it must be thanks to Sir Gabriel! I heard that noble knight is completely head over heels for the young lady!"
"Ah…"
Even Canna hesitated for a moment at the unexpected mention of Gabriel's name. She quickly wiped the displeased expression from her face and nodded.
"Sir Gabriel does like my lady very much."
Then she added in a small voice, "But my lady likes me more."
It was a small, fact-based assertion of her territory.
Thanks to Canna’s efforts, the staff’s perception of Evangeline changed drastically. After all, wasn't Lady Rohanson staying here for the sake of the Duchess? A friendly rumor even began to circulate that Duke Hosaquin, who had initially not even treated her as a granddaughter, was now so moved by her filial piety that he chatted with her every day.
"The rats have been bad lately, right? To think Lady Rohanson is even looking out for lowborns like us. She truly is a wonderful person."
"I feel so guilty for misunderstanding her because of some rumors. If she were really the wicked witch people claimed, the Temple would have dragged her away long ago. Indeed."
"And would Sir Gabriel have fallen for her in the first place? If you ask me, Lady Rohanson looks like an angel. A total angel."
Those who had fallen for Canna's whispers even managed to reinterpret the terrifying, chest-tightening pressure they felt in Evangeline's presence, convincing themselves it was merely a profound sense of respect. It also helped that, not being directly involved in high society, they hadn't heard the full extent of Evangeline’s atrocious reputation.
Of course, what touched the servants' hearts most was the news that she would distribute holy water to everyone in the household. Soon after, Evangeline did just that. However, instead of handing it out publicly, she ordered them to enter her room one by one, drink it, and then leave.
It was a baffling method, but those already charmed by Evangeline simply assumed she had some profound reason for it.
A few skeptics, huffing that she might be tricking them with regular water, went so far as to intentionally cut themselves beforehand. They quickly shut their mouths when they saw the wounds heal cleanly.
Strangely, after the day the holy water was distributed, a few people went missing. Rico, the butler, explained that they had tried to run away with the holy water. Others, he said, were fired after trying to secretly resell it instead of drinking it.
"They betrayed Lady Rohanson's grace, so of course they were fired. Indeed."
"So that's why she had us come to her room and drink it in front of her."
The servants of the Duke's estate didn't bother looking for those who had disappeared.
* * *
Is Canna some kind of cheat code?
As expected of the novel’s female lead, I couldn't help but think.
Three days had passed since Canna began staying at the Duke’s estate. In just three short days, she had completely conquered the staff. It had reached a point where they would probably believe her if she pointed at the sun and called it the moon. They were so thoroughly won over that I wondered if everyone except me had spent time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The speed was utterly absurd.
I’d had a theory that Canna was destined to push me, the villainess, aside and become the adopted daughter of House Hosaquin. It seemed I wasn't wrong. She must have a special gene that made every character in the novel view her with immense favor.
The way the staff looked at me had also completely changed. Before, they saw me as a plunderer who came to steal the Duke's inheritance or as the wicked villainess from the rumors. But now, they saw me as "kind and gentle Canna's lady." I had essentially become Canna's accessory, but my reputation had actually improved.
The servant who had been terrified of me on the first day even sent an apology through Rico for misunderstanding me. I had no idea what on earth Canna had been telling them. Hearing them praise me as an angel was actually starting to get a little scary. Could someone's reputation really shift this drastically?
"Canna, what on earth did you say about me to make everyone react like this?"
"I just cleared up a few misunderstandings and told them about the things you've done for me, my lady. How you saved me, fed me, and took care of me."
Ah. So they found out that someone they thought was wicked was actually doing good deeds behind the scenes. That's just how people are. If a good person does good deeds their whole life and then commits a single sin, everyone curses them, calling them the worst person alive and claiming their true colors have been revealed.
On the other hand, if a notoriously wicked person is seen holding an umbrella over a stray cat on a rainy day, people are completely won over. This had to be the same principle.
"Was I of help to you, my lady?"
"Of course."
"I'm so glad everyone finally recognizes your brilliance, my lady! At first, I wondered if they even had eyes in their heads."
It seemed Canna’s mouth had gotten a bit foul, undoubtedly due to the influence of the foul-mouthed Jelly. Should I sue Jelly for damages?
Unaware of my worried gaze, Canna clasped her hands together, her smile beaming. It looked exactly as if she were praying to me.
"I hope the day comes when everyone realizes your true worth and worships you, my lady. You are the guiding light of this world, so everyone should follow only you without hesitation."
…Had Canna secretly changed her class to a cult leader? Her affection for me seemed to have crossed a line; at this point, it was no exaggeration to call it idol worship. If Bishop Marik decided to purge us for heresy, we wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Now I understood how Canna had won everyone over. Cults are always great at marketing, after all.
I can't believe I turned the female lead into this… Still, my mind was at ease knowing she would never slice me up. Canna, I'm sorry for being selfish! Hena, I'm sorry for turning your sister into this! Gabriel, I'm sorry to you too, for similar reasons!
After a brief moment of repentance, I left my room. It was time for my chat with the Duke.
Wondering if the Duke would also take a liking to Canna, I decided to bring her along. It helped that the Duke had softened significantly since our last major argument.
"So this is the maid you brought from that Rohanson bastard's mansion."
"My name is Canna," she greeted him with a bow, her face a mask of innocence.
"Are you not going to send her out?"
We usually dismissed everyone when we spoke, as sensitive topics often came up, but I hadn't told Canna to leave. The Duke shot her a subtle look.
"She's someone I trust."
"You do?"
"I cherish her the most."
I laid the lip service on thick. I could see Canna practically vibrating with joy beside me.
"Yes. My lady cherishes me deeply. I am very special to her," Canna replied, brimming with pride.
Of course, my affection was shallow and highly calculated. In front of Gabriel, Gabriel was the best; in front of Pudding, Pudding was number one. But Gabriel was at work and Pudding was busy with Mavka, so right here, right now, Canna was the best.
"Do you know about Evangeline?" the Duke asked Canna, looking somewhat displeased. He was clearly referring to the rumors about me.
"I know everything my lady has shown me."
"...It is truly fascinating that you stay by her side even knowing that."
The Duke looked at Canna with genuine surprise, a hint of admiration in his voice. As expected of the female lead. I had to clean up rat corpses just to earn a sliver of the Duke's recognition, but she won his favor with just a few words.