Chapter 6. The Fallen Noble Lady Ella's Resolve
The Fallen Noble Lady Ella's Resolve
The laundry room was sweltering under the afternoon sun.
Amid the steam and the scent of soap, the maids' chatter was in full swing.
"Ugh, my back..."
Nancy groaned as she scrubbed wet sheets against the washboard. Every time she rubbed her back, her maid's skirt swayed.
"Did you get summoned again last night?"
Maria teased with a mischievous grin.
"Don't even ask. This time, it was on the terrace! The guards were patrolling right in plain sight, and he bent me over the railing..."
Nancy glanced around before lowering her voice, though she couldn't hide her excitement.
"He flipped my skirt over my head and took me from behind—I thought I'd lose my mind. He just laughed and said, 'Stay quiet. If we get caught, the soldiers might join in.' That man is a real pervert."
"Oh my, how bold!"
"Afterward, I had to clean up my love juice and the Count's semen dripping down the railing. You have no idea how much trouble that was."
The maids burst into giggles.
In the corner, Ella (Victoria), who had been clumsily washing clothes, froze.
On the terrace... where the guards could see...?
The Lucian she knew wasn't that kind of man. He had been rough, yes, but he had whispered sweet nothings to her in the secrecy of their private moments.
But Maria's next words shattered her illusions even further.
"Mine was in the kitchen yesterday. He bent me over the dining table while I was cooking. I got flour paste all over me, and the Count licked it off while he... Ugh, I had to scrub myself raw afterward."
Even Maria, who always spoke formally and seemed so strict, blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl.
"You're lucky, sis. The Count's tongue skills are legendary."
"True. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the dish being served."
The maids' conversation was graphic—tales of lovemaking without regard for time or place.
To Victoria, their words weren't just crude gossip. They were a cacophony trampling over her memories.
He wasn't... just mine.
Every maid here was a stunning beauty.
The thought struck her—Lucian hadn't held her because he loved her. He had simply taken her because she was pretty, just like all the others.
Was I just another trophy in his collection?
"Hic..."
The sorrow she had been holding back burst forth.
Victoria's shoulders trembled as tears dripped into the washbasin.
"Oh? Ella, are you crying?"
Startled, Maria rushed over and wrapped an arm around her.
"H-Hic... sob..."
"Oh dear, you must be terrified! Of course, a noble lady like you would be scared, suddenly thrown into this kind of rough work... And with the Count's reputation, no wonder you're frightened."
The maids assumed Victoria was crying because she feared being taken by the Count.
Nancy clicked her tongue sympathetically.
"Don't worry, Ella. The Count might be a bit wild in bed, but he's not a bad man."
"Exactly. Honestly, where else would you find a master who treats us this well? Sure, nights can be rough, but afterward, he's sweet. And during the day, he's a perfect gentleman."
"Plus... his technique is so good, you'll start enjoying it once you get used to it. You'll see."
Their comfort was no comfort at all.
It was just cruel proof that Lucian shared the same tenderness and pleasure with these lowly maids as he had with her.
Then Ari, who had been rinsing laundry nearby, piped up eagerly.
"She's right! I was scared at first too, but the Count is really kind."
Ari puffed up proudly.
"Once... he even took me in the back."
"Ari, not this again!"
Maria tried to stop her, but Ari wouldn't be silenced. She wanted to flaunt the "special treatment" she had received from Lucian.
"The Count told me, 'You're the first one I've done this with.' He never did it with Maria or Nancy—only me!"
"...!!"
Victoria's head snapped up.
Her tear-filled blue eyes shook with shock.
First? You were the first?
The confession he had given her—"Be my woman."
The whisper he had given Ari—"You're the first."
What was the difference? In the end, weren't they just the same sweet lies?
How dare this vulgar little maid stand on the same ground as her and speak of love?
"SHUT UP!!"
CRASH!
Victoria hurled the washboard across the room.
"Eek!"
"E-Ella?! What's wrong?"
The maids recoiled in shock. Victoria glared at Ari, panting with rage.
"Disgusting... You're all vulgar and revolting! What's so great about sleeping with him? You're no better than whores!"
"W-What?! That's going too far!"
Nancy flared up, but Victoria wasn't listening.
Overcome by fury, jealousy, and misery, she stormed out of the laundry room.
"Ella! Wait!"
Maria's voice called after her, but Victoria didn't stop. She ran down the hallway, her vision blurred.
Lucian... You're the worst.
Her footsteps carried her toward the Count's office.
"LUCIAN!!"
Breathless, Victoria threw open the office door.
Her maid's skirt was disheveled, her hair a mess, but she didn't care. Her eyes burned as she scanned the room.
She wanted to demand answers. Had his love for her been a lie?
Was the lust he poured into these lowly maids the same as the vows he had made to her?
But—
"...He's not here?"
The spacious office was empty.
The mahogany desk was neatly arranged, and the chair sat abandoned.
"Are you looking for the Count?"
An elderly butler spoke calmly behind her.
"His Lordship left for the royal capital just moments ago. An urgent audience with the King was arranged."
"T-The capital? When will he return?"
"Hard to say. At least a fortnight."
Victoria's legs nearly gave out. She barely caught herself on the doorframe.
She felt hollow. With nowhere to direct her fury, a deep sense of powerlessness took its place.
Did he run away...? Did he abandon me?
Staggering, she returned to the maids' quarters.
The reality of her situation weighed on her bitterly.
Just as she was about to collapse onto her bed and cry herself to sleep—
"Huh...?"
A strange envelope lay by her pillow—one that hadn't been there this morning.
The elegant parchment bore a red wax seal and was addressed in familiar handwriting.
[To. Victoria]
Not "Ella." Her real name.
With trembling hands, Victoria opened it. The faint scent of ink mingled with Lucian's crisp fragrance.
To my Victoria,
I apologize for leaving so suddenly.
Since bringing you here as a maid, my conscience has been uneasy.
I am heading to the capital now.
I intend to petition the King—staking the honor of House Eckhart—to restore your family, the Elrheims.
Given the treason charges, it won't be easy.
I may be turned away at the gates. This gamble could even endanger my own title. So don't set your hopes too high.
But leaving you like this is something my conscience—and my heart for you—cannot allow.
Endure this place a little longer until I return.
When I see you again, I want you in a dress, not a maid's uniform.
Stay safe until then.
—From your Lucian
"Ah..."
Tears dripped onto the parchment as Victoria read.
All her doubts and resentment toward the Count melted away like spring snow.
The Count... is doing this for me.
He hadn't forgotten her.
No matter how many maids he took, no matter how wild his nights were—deep in his heart, there was still a place only for her.
He was going to plead with the King for her family's restoration—even at the risk of his own title.
Her heart pounded. The anger that had raced through her veins now surged with overwhelming emotion.
"Sob... I'm such a fool... I didn't even realize..."
Clutching the letter to her chest, she rolled onto the bed.
The scandal with the maids? What did it matter?
He was a healthy man. It was common for noblemen to sate their desires with servants.
But the woman he was willing to risk everything for—the one he was staking his life on—was her alone.
Ari, Nancy, Maria... You're just tools for his lust. His true heart belongs to me.
With that thought, even her jealousy felt petty.
"Ah... Lucian..."
Victoria closed her eyes and whispered his name.
A blazing heat rose in her chest. Even the memory of that day in the forest—when he had taken her by force—now felt like a token of love.
His rough hands, his merciless thrusts, the hot seed he had spilled inside her—
All of it had been his fierce way of loving her.
Her hand slipped beneath her skirt, between her thighs.
"When the Count returns..."
Her face flushed as she murmured dreamily.
"I'll give him everything. I don't care if he wants me as a maid or a slave. I'll do anything he asks..."
Victoria's nights would now be spent in longing—and burning desire—for Lucian.
