Annabel Cecilia Tate was making fancy knots with the silk ribbon she had received from her master. With the skills she had learned while serving as a lady's maid to so noblewoman long ago, and while managing the forr Countess's clothes at Avondale Mansion, adding lace beneath the ribbon would make a decent accessory. It would look pretty and suit any hat well.
In Nine Holder, she had demonstrated the skill of distributing them to friends to raise her master's reputation and suppress jealousy toward herself, but it was difficult to move freely here.
Annie was already being strangely shunned for being the miss's personal maid, practically equivalent to a lady's maid. She had freedom in her dress, was excluded from harsh work, and her salary had increased. All of that was good, but it was lonely without friends.
So Annie had been keeping an eye on a maid nad Charlotte who cleaned Esperanza's room these days. Judging by how she glanced at Annie sitting on Esperanza's sofa doing needlework, she would probably be pleased if Annie gave this to her and taught her how to make lace.
It was when Annie was humming while having such thoughts. There was a proper knocking sound on the door of the room without its master.
"Mr. Millen? What's the matter?"
Millen looked around the room quickly and asked.
"Miss Tate, has the miss already gone out?"
"She left several hours ago. Count Avondale told her to go out today, didn't he?"
"Well, that's true, but."
Millen swallowed his words. He tried to gauge what his master, who had naturally thought Esperanza would co see him before leaving, would say upon learning that she had actually left without even greeting him. He didn't think he'd hear anything good.
"I understand. Thank you."
Millen bowed his head and closed the door. Annie returned to her seat and attached lace to the ribbon.
Ti passed quickly. During that ti, guests whom the Count didn't welco seed to have co and gone on the lower floor. Lunchti, teati. They were noisy and then receded like the tide.
Annie, like an excellent maid, organized Esperanza's wardrobe and accessories once more and dusted the empty desk. Then she went down to the kitchen to check if the head chef had made extra ice cream.
Since Esperanza was a master who rarely needed a maid's help, there wasn't much else to do. Annie looked down from the window watching people co and go. It seed the guests from earlier were now returning. These guests seed a bit more rough than the people who ca for lunch.
It was almost dinner ti now, but would she be even later?
As soon as she had that thought, Millen knocked on the door again.
"Miss Tate, Miss Esperanza is..."
As you can see. Annie thought that and said.
"She hasn't co back yet."
"It's dinner ti."
"Wouldn't it be better to eat first?"
Then a general maid who had co to bring Esperanza's clothes saw Millen and ran over. The maid raised her freckle-dotted cheeks and said.
"Mr. Millen, if it's about Miss Esperanza, I heard she took everything including dinner with her earlier?"
"Pardon?"
The maid winked.
"I heard from Edith who works in the kitchen. It wasn't anything grand that she took, but unless she was planning to share with soone else, it seed like she intended to eat dinner and co back."
The maid didn't ntion that 'Edith who works in the kitchen' had made a hasty speculation that the miss and Count might have had a fight. One had to be careful with words in front of senior employees.
"Is that so? Thank you."
Millen nodded. Annie was exasperated and snorted seeing that maid give her a smug look. What petty territorial behavior.
"Then Miss Tate, please let
know when the miss returns."
"That's not difficult, but."
But when Esperanza returned, he would probably forget while fawning all over her. Annie lightly wrinkled her nose bridge.
"Please, I really ask this of you."
"Mr. Millen, wouldn't Footman Mr. Gibson know that better?"
The maid suddenly asked. Millen frowned.
"Yes, I understand."
That was the end of it. Millen asked Annie once more and left.
The maid glared at Annie as if it was Annie's fault that she had been embarrassed by the master's closest personal attendant, then left. Annie picked up the ribbon and needle again and snorted.
"Really, ."
The three people from Avondale Mansion knew. Annie's tomboyish miss didn't particularly like using the main entrance. Especially for personal outings. It wasn't the fault of that maid who had only worked at Glailly House that she didn't know this, but not knowing where to butt in and where not to was wrong.
'What does she think she knows.'
Annie didn't even share that trivial secret with Madeline. Even though it was really nothing, she didn't want to share it with others and diminish the secret's value. Like a child. Annie giggled and continued her needlework.
It was when the lace carefully woven behind the ribbon draped abundantly like a veil covering a lady's hair.
Tap.
There was a light footstep sound on the balcony. As if soone had jumped briefly on the balcony. Annie, who had been lighting the lamp, brightened and opened the curtains wide.
When the black hood was removed, hair fell in waves over her arms and back. Esperanza, who had roughly swept back the pretty curly hair that others would need to burn their hair with curling irons for hours to create, smiled toward Annie.
"Miss, would you like this?"
Annie blinked blankly and held out the ribbon she had spent the entire day making.
"Huh? You made sothing pretty."
"I made it to use as a bribe, but just take it, miss."
"If you made it to use as a bribe, you should use it as a bribe. After making it with such effort. I'll make you one later."
Esperanza replied familiarly and headed to the bathroom. Annie, who couldn't hide her disappointnt despite being in the position of giving a gift, hurriedly followed and drew bathwater. Esperanza, who had been about to pull the lever for hot water, sheepishly withdrew her hand.
"Miss, they said there's plenty of ice cream in the kitchen. I'll go get so later."
"I'll go. I need to return the picnic bag too. That thing's heavy."
Esperanza, who had quickly prepared to wash, entered the warmly drawn water and stretched her body. Her voice, which had beco languid, sohow sounded dejected.
"Miss, did sothing difficult happen?"
When Annie carefully asked while ventilating the steam from the bathroom, Esperanza propped her arms on the bathtub edge and shook her head.
"It's not that."
"It's not that?"
"Just. How does Lord Avondale seem to you?"
Annie briefly made a face that said 'why are you insisting on that uncomfortable title when both you and I know better,' then shrugged and answered.
"In what sense? As a master? Or as a potential husband for you, miss?"
Hot water droplets splashed on her skirt. Her slumped back straightened.
"Potential husband... that's not what I'm talking about!"
"Yes."
So that's what it was about. Annie smiled broadly as if giving in. Annie's Miss Esperanza definitely had feelings for Count Avondale, who was both the mansion's master and Annie's employer. It had seed that way before, but this was different from then. Now she seed to know that fact herself.
It made sense. When the two were together, even the air was different. It was rather surprising that she had only now noticed that fact.
Glancing at Esperanza's cheeks, which had turned red like rose petals, Annie slowly began to speak.
"If you're asking about reputation, I have nothing to say. You would know better, miss. From a maid's perspective, he's a master who gives little work and lots of money and is easy to serve, so I'd like him to employ
for about a million years."
Esperanza giggled.
"At first I thought he'd be a tyrannical master."
"He does have aspects that make him seem that way. But unless you're a close aide like Mr. Millen, there's no better master for maids like us. Jobs at houses where young male masters live alone are usually avoided by proper maids, but job postings for Avondale Mansion are filled as soon as they're posted."
This was the first ti she'd heard this.
"Really?"
"First of all, he pays a lot of money."
The two burst into laughter together.
"Money is important."
Annie thought it was a bit funny that a miss like her would seriously empathize about money problems with a maid like herself, but instead of saying that, she nodded.
Actually, the best thing about this mansion's master was that he didn't lay hands on the maids. But she couldn't tell such stories to a precious young lady. Nor could she ntion that she had received a letter of introduction and left because the son of the noblewoman she served at her previous mansion had been making advances on her. Or that if you were unlucky, you'd often get beaten instead of receiving a letter of introduction.
Hiding all such shadows behind her smile, Annie spoke brightly. With sincerity.
"An indifferent master is the best kind of master."
"That's also true."
Esperanza shook off her wet hair like a puppy after a bath. Moving from the bathtub to the sofa with her roughly dried hair hanging down, Esperanza propped her chin on a cushion and lay on her stomach. Annie, gaining montum, spoke enthusiastically.
"The world is full of n who only throw around empty promises! At least Count Avondale is devoted to you, miss, and never turns his eyes to other won, so isn't that trustworthy enough?"
Annie could think that way. Instead of laying out all her inner thoughts, Esperanza buried her lips in the cushion and mumbled.
"I just wonder what he's thinking."
The enthusiastic advocate closed her mouth like a shell. Then answered a beat late.
"You can't know that without asking."
That's true. In the end, it all circles back to the starting point. There was no point in continuing to worry. Rather than waste ti on questions without answers, it was better to at least move her body. Esperanza sighed deeply and got up.
"Where are you going?"
"To return the picnic basket."
"Miss, then wear this!"
Annie had reached the point where she was more concerned about Esperanza wearing a sumr dress that exposed her shoulders in the chilly autumn weather than about her hands being empty when going to return the basket.
Annie, who had draped a shawl over her, whispered that there were plenty of autumn dresses tailored in Nine Holder, so she should gradually start changing into them. Esperanza shrugged and went down to the kitchen wearing the shawl as Annie had arranged.
"Annie was just checking if there was ice cream for you to eat, miss."
Mrs. Denver, who had been talking with the head chef, imdiately said this upon seeing Esperanza. Whether Annie's request was amusing, she kept talking endlessly about it even while putting ice cream on a tray.
"The way she acts all grown-up but still insists on checking is quite devoted, I must say. Though Count Avondale had already asked us to make sure you have so at least once a day."
Why would Cider...
Esperanza wasn't that obsessed with ice cream. She just liked it when it was available. Everyone seed to have so misunderstanding. But since Mrs. Denver was handing over the tray with a bright smile all over her face, there was no choice.
"Why is there so much?"
"Count Avondale didn't eat dinner."
"But why are you giving this to ?"
"Weren't you going to see Count Avondale?"
"I wasn't."
"You've always been together at this ti, haven't you?"
Mrs. Denver hit the mark with a calm tone.
...That's right. Every day, almost every day, every hour was spent together. It wasn't quite to this extent in Nine Holder, but at Avondale, if there was no reason to be apart, they really stuck together constantly. Without feeling anything strange about it at all.
That was the problem. Not for a single mont did that space where she was alone with Cider beco uncomfortable or boring. Being together was good. Without feeling either lacking or fully satisfied, like finding the right piece.
She had known. She had known, but...
"...Mrs. Denver, weren't you surprised?"
"About what?"
"When Cider introduced
as his fiancée to people. He definitely first said I was a ward, then changed his words."
Mrs. Denver smiled with a troubled face. Esperanza had seen that kind of expression on servants' faces several tis during quest progression. Servants always made that face when talking about their master's insignificant sha.
"Anyone could see that the ward part was a lie."
"Ah, anyone could see that."
That ant not only Cider but Esperanza had also been quite obvious about it. There was no way the perceptive Cider Claiborne hadn't known this all along. It was doubly embarrassing.
"Miss, are you alright? Your face..."
"I'm fine. I'll be going now."
She was fine except for her face feeling a bit hot. Esperanza took the tray and left the kitchen.
So what is she acting like that for? Mrs. Denver tilted her head in wonder.
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