4. The Maid
Emily stood before the guest room door. Even at this hour, the room might not be empty, so she decided to knock just in case. She balled her fist and rapped lightly. There was movement from inside. The door creaked open slowly.
Standing there was Lotte, running one hand through her disheveled hair. Their eyes met, and Emily hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
The window was open to the dark night outside, letting in a chill. The room was a narrow sitting area with a long sofa and table at the center, and beyond it lay the bedroom. Two beds stood apart. These weren't the worn, utilitarian furnishings of the overseer's quarters—no, everything gleamed with fresh polish, luxurious in a way that matched the count's refined tastes, much like the study furniture.
The opulent room, crammed with lavish pieces, held no one but Lotte.
"Finally here? Did you enjoy the party outside?"
Lotte leaned back on the long sofa as she spoke. She didn't seem to expect an answer. When Emily simply stood there silently, Lotte smirked, lifting the corner of her mouth. She reached for an elegant wooden box on the table, pulled out something like a tightly rolled brown stick, placed it between her lips, and lit it with a match from beside it.
Chiiik.
The red flame touched the end of the little stick. Lotte inhaled deeply, shaking out the match with one hand to extinguish it. She drew the smoke in long and deep, then exhaled with a soft whoosh. Lazily, blue smoke curled from her lips.
Her eyes narrowed to slits as she sank deeper into the sofa, savoring the taste with a drowsy expression, puffing out more blue haze.
"...Want some? It's cannabis. A little comfort, at least."
Her voice was low and husky. Emily shook her head.
Lotte's lips twitched upward just a fraction. Her heavily painted red mouth glistened.
"Eleanor handed this over before heading to the ballroom. Do it, and she'll take care of this and that. She knows it's one-sided service."
Lotte stuck out her tongue long and slow, licking her lips, then raised her middle finger and wagged it teasingly. She inhaled again, cheeks hollowing, and blew the smoke into the air. The thin coil of blue unraveled slowly, dissipating into the void.
Through the drifting haze, Lotte fixed her gaze on Emily.
"...You're tighter-lipped than I expected, Emily."
She spoke, her drowsy expression unfocused as she stared somewhere around Emily.
"A fine quality. For a maid."
Emily stood silent.
Lotte eyed her, then smirked again.
"When Olivier decided to take you on for her insomnia, you have no idea how flustered Eleanor was. You should have seen her face... I first helped Eleanor when I was even younger than you. Or maybe just your age?"
Lotte rose from the sofa. For a brief moment, she swayed unsteadily, then made her way to the open window and perched on the low sill. She took another long drag from the cannabis between her fingers and exhaled toward the black sky outside. The smoke scattered slowly on the gentle breeze.
"My mother was Eleanor's wet nurse. I was born when Eleanor turned three. We grew up together, naturally. Lady Ikrit had a gentle nature—she didn't replace the nurse just because she had a child of her own. Instead, once I was old enough, I started attending Eleanor. She had one older sister and three older brothers. The age gap with her eldest sister was wide, so she spent all her time with me. Every moment."
Lotte's eyes narrowed, her face distant, as if strolling down a faded memory lane. She pursed her lips, arched a brow, then spoke.
"Shall I tell you why the viscount's daughter married Baron Belpharos? As you know, noble ladies prefer marriages to equals or higher. Eleanor was a beauty—look at Olivier, but young Eleanor was even more stunning. She couldn't show her face at the marriage market, though. One of her brothers got drunk at a social club and bragged that her ass had been tight since childhood. Said it still had spring after the three of them took turns, one after another."
Blue-tinged white smoke wafted ethereally from Lotte's red lips. Her unfocused eyes bored into Emily.
"The first time the second young master came looking for Eleanor, she didn't sleep for days. That's when I started helping her. She has no interest in cocks. Her three brothers kindly taught her all about their violence... Baron Belpharos was just a country bumpkin—no social clubs for him."
Lotte stood by the window, peering out. Far off, near the side door and stables, bright lights flickered with lively music and raucous chatter. Women's high, seductive laughter carried on the wind now and then.
"Hmm... so here's the thing. Eleanor won't help Olivier. She's ignoring it completely. It's a memory even she doesn't want to face. So, no matter what happens, what you witness, what you endure..."
Lotte trailed off, walking slowly from the window toward Emily. She leaned close to Emily's ear, her red lips brushing near as she whispered.
"...keep silent. That's a maid's virtue."
Emily's eyes widened as she stared. Lotte's mouth curved faintly. She placed a hand on Emily's shoulder and patted it lightly.
"I'm heading out to that little party by the kitchen. Coming? If you weren't a virgin, it'd be a riot. Plenty of thick mushrooms to go around."
Emily shook her head. Lotte brushed past her, grasping the doorknob. Before stepping out, she glanced back at Emily and mouthed the word silently.
Silence.
Kkiiik. The door shut, leaving Emily alone.
She scanned the empty room in bewilderment, then collapsed onto the long sofa.
She had finally spoken with Lotte, whom she'd faced so anxiously before, but far from easing her mind, it only made her more uneasy. And then there was what happened with Killian in the study... Her thoughts were a tangled mess.
Emily slowly took in the room. Glaringly luxurious, not a thing out of place. When the maid offer first came, how thrilled her mother had been at the chance to share in noble life. And Emily, just a mining village girl helping clean these guest rooms, had envied the lives of those who used them daily—those lofty nobles.
But the things that happened in this lavish, indulgent space surpassed imagination. And like this glossy exterior, noble society hid secrets, lies, and hypocrisy beneath a veneer of elegance.
And now she was a maid who had to seal her lips about it all.
Silence... Lotte's hushed whisper echoed in her ear.