"Haah...."
A maid, tasked with heating whiskey in the kitchen under Duke Embergreen’s orders, let out a sigh and muttered to herself.
"What kind of luxury was I expecting, ending up doing this...?"
Of course, the request—to make heated whiskey with pepper and sugar cubes—was bizarre, but more importantly, her complaint was a statent that no maid of the ducal household was supposed to make.
Ever since redia had taken control, the Embergreen estate had actually beco a surprisingly relaxed place, where personal freedom was respected for each servant.
Even so, there was one rule that had to be obeyed without exception: no complaints or grumbling about orders.
It wasn’t just disobedience that was banned—voicing dissatisfaction with commands was a strict and unyielding offense.
"Hey, Lady redia might hear you..."
"Yeah. You could get fired if you’re not careful."
That said, contrary to the rumors, redia didn’t eliminate disloyal elents in secret. She simply dismissed them through "legal procedures."
But everyone knew that getting fired in this era usually ant being branded in the servant circles, which many considered a social death.
Granted, unlike the tiline where redia beca the final boss and a wrong word really could get you killed, it was still preferable to the Ringaarden household, where one's literal life was at stake.
So most servants chose to stay silent.
"Co on. It's not even Lady redia’s order. Just so nonsense from that decrepit old man in the back room."
"I-Is that so...?"
"Still, isn’t it kind of scary...?"
But just as the angry maid said, the foolish order she was carrying out hadn’t co from redia—it had co from Duke Embergreen, a man already pushed out of power.
"He used to be terrifying, you know."
"I wouldn’t know. I joined recently. Lady redia’s the scarier one to ."
"You... don’t know why Lady redia turned out the way she did—ugh."
Another maid, glancing sidelong at her, started to say sothing but suddenly went pale and clamped both hands over her mouth.
"...What’s wrong?"
"N-Nothing."
She had felt a montary sensation that redia might be watching them—but having survived the “Day of Purge,” the quick-witted maid chose silence over risk.
"Haah... anyway, this isn’t what I signed up for when I applied to serve the ducal house."
"...Then why?"
"I just wanted to fall in love a bunch before being sold off in a political marriage."
At that, her fellow maid gave her a baffled, speechless look.
"...A count's daughter thinking like that is one thing, but why the ducal house?"
"Think about it. Because of that crazy old man’s recent orders, all these nobles ca to propose to Lady redia, right?"
"True..."
"But she turned every single one of them away without letting a single one through the gates."
The maid, now speaking with a sly smile, added,
"Fish crowd around a bait they’ll never catch—but that ans so of them might be secretly catchable."
"...Huh."
"Well, it all went to hell when Lady redia suddenly brought ho a fiancé. Ugh..."
Watching her colleague sullenly stir the whiskey, the other maid sighed quietly. anwhile, a younger handmaid, who had been silently listening in the back, looked up with shining eyes and asked,
"Um, um... so, did you get anywhere with any of them? Or, like, have a favorite?"
Whether noble-born or commoner, won their age couldn’t resist a bit of romance talk.
Even Sasha and Parsha, despite being part of the infamously uptight Ringaarden household, had once been caught sneaking into the library at dawn for romance novels.
Incidentally, Lunelle had been in the next aisle over, holding her breath as she read a warrior novel.
"Honestly? No real progress with anyone. The ones with potential got snatched up by girls even more cunning than ."
"...Could you not talk like that?"
"I had plenty of suitors at my debutante ball, you know."
"Everyone does. I had mine, too."
"Hmph, you’re just so cold sotis, you know."
Anyway, once the girl talk started—even if it wasn’t the refined type you’d expect from noble ladies—it wasn’t stopping.
"So, who was your favorite?"
"Hmm, let think... uhhh... Oh, right."
Just then, another question from the handmaid, and the maid suddenly smirked darkly.
"...The most recent arrival to the mansion. He’s my favorite."
"Who?"
"The Ringaarden Count’s firstborn son."
The room froze.
"Are you insane? He’s Lady redia’s fiancé!"
"I-I heard nothing just now."
"Please. No one’s listening."
Even though she said that, she nervously glanced around the room. Once she was sure no one else was present, she grinned again and continued.
"I know he’s the fiancé. But he’s totally my type."
"...I dunno. He seed too soft for my taste."
"Rumor had it he was as scary as Lady redia... But he actually seed really calm. Though his face was a bit intense..."
As they spoke, the maid who had brought him up narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice.
"Hey. Guys like that always have a hidden talent."
"...Like what?"
"Quiet during the day, wild at night."
Her companions imdiately flushed.
"You saw how Lady redia didn’t resist when he hugged her, right?"
"......"
"With her personality, do you think she’d let that happen if he weren’t capable?"
Still grinning mischievously, she added,
"If you ask , Lady redia’s strong during the day, but weak at night."
"...No way."
"And guys who seem soft during the day are usually wolves at night."
Normally, this is where a friend would step in and cover her mouth—but her tone was so disturbingly experienced, the others just quietly looked away.
"Haah... I want a guy like that to fall for ..."
"Please get your head checked."
"Or maybe... Should I just go back there and say sothing crazy—just try to talk to him...?"
That was when the kitchen’s mood—flushed with excitent—suddenly snapped.
— Zzzzzmmmm...
An icy chill swept through the room, and the air began to vibrate low.
"......!"
"Eek!"
The maid shaking her head at her foolish friend and the wide-eyed handmaid imdiately froze in place.
"Wh-Why is it suddenly so cold...?"
"......"
"A-And, my ears feel like they’re ringing...?"
The clueless maid scratched her head, feeling the strange energy in the air.
"Maybe it’s just in my head..."
"......"
"Whatever. I’ll deliver this and be right back."
She picked up the bizarre drink and left the kitchen, unaware of the eerie stillness that had fallen behind her.
"Um, hey... so..."
"......"
"That was... that, right?"
Monts later, the trembling handmaid asked a question, and the maid left behind stared nervously at the door.
"...Will we see her again?"
The sensation they had just felt had lasted only a mont, but they recognized it well.
"I-I don’t know...?"
"...Haa. I told you to watch your damn mouth."
Having survived the Day of Purge, these few servants knew better than anyone ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) just how unforgettable that feeling was.
***
"...The mansion feels colder than usual today."
The maid, leaving the kitchen with the cup in hand, shivered as she made her way to the guest room.
"It’s not even airing ti... This is weird..."
If she’d known it was bloodlust, she wouldn’t have been so calm.
But as a count’s daughter and not a seasoned soldier or knight, she had no way of recognizing the aura. She simply tilted her head and continued walking.
"Hmm, ahem!"
Finally arriving at the guest room, she cleared her throat and composed her voice.
Why she was fussing over her tone when she only had to hand over the drink and leave... even she might not know.
— Knock knock knock...
After a few coughs, she gently knocked on the door and spoke.
"Excuse , Your Grace. I’ve brought the drink you requested."
Her voice now lacked all trace of her earlier irreverence and instead radiated the poise of a true maid.
"Would it be alright if I ca in?"
Despite her flawless delivery—perfect enough to be common in the ears of nobility—there was no response.
"...Your Grace? Sir Whitney?"
Confused, she knocked again, but still no answer.
"Are they in the middle of a serious conversation or sothing?"
She tilted her head and turned to leave—then hesitated and reached for the doorknob.
She hadn’t intended to force her way in. She just wanted an excuse for later, in case soone asked why she hadn’t gone in.
— Creeeaak...
"...Huh?"
Contrary to her expectations, the door, which she assud would be locked, swung open easily.
"E-Excuse ...?"
Unwilling to retreat now, she stepped inside, her face showing growing unease.
"...It’s dark."
The room was completely unlit—nothing visible at all.
"......?"
As she reached toward the wall to activate the magestone, she realized the switch wasn’t working.
"Where is it... Ah, candles..."
Rembering the decorative candle on the desk, she took out a match and lit it.
"......Oh."
Just as she was about to transfer the fla to the candle, she froze in place.
"...Ah?"
Her eyes blinked in a daze, staring down at the desk. Her face slowly turned pale.
"Hii... hiiiiiek...!"
Just as she stumbled back in panic, it happened.
"Quiet."
"...Mm!?"
Soone suddenly grabbed her from behind and clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Can you be quiet for ?"
She froze, terrified—then widened her eyes as she recognized the voice whispering in her ear.
"Soone might hear us."
Whitney Ringaarden was whispering with a smile, his hand—stained with blood—still covering her mouth.
"...Mmph."
Right in front of them, sprawled over the desk, head bleeding, was the cold corpse of Duke Embergreen.
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