The maid carefully opened her lips.

“But surely the master said to treat the young lady with utmost care.”

‘Zen said that?’

Deborah couldn’t easily believe those words. Not only the term ‘young lady’, but the phrase ‘treat with utmost care’ didn’t suit Zen.

However, it was also Zen who had fed Deborah precious desserts yesterday. Whether that aligned with treating her with utmost care, she wasn’t sure.

‘What on earth is he thinking, doing this…’

Swallowing a sigh inwardly, Deborah said,

“But I’m not a bourgeois, and I’m someone who will leave soon. So you don’t need to be so attentive.”

Deborah mixed fact and her own wishes in her words.

“Ah, I see…”

The maid, who had been slowly blinking her large eyes, soon smiled gently and said,

“But the fact that the master told us to take good care of the young lady remains unchanged.”

Deborah was at a loss for words. In truth, this maid had no right to think that her master might have made a mistake. After all, a maid was supposed to move as ordered, not to measure and judge on her own.

‘No matter how wrong it seems, I can’t speak out carelessly.’

Remembering a past incident, Deborah felt a bitterness in her mouth.

Seeing Deborah’s expression darken, the maid spoke in a playful manner,

“Young lady, why don’t you just enjoy this fortune? If it were me, I’d enjoy it happily without thinking about tomorrow.”

Realizing that the maid had deliberately spoken jokingly to make her feel comfortable, Deborah smiled softly.

“Yes, I’ll try to do that.”

At Deborah’s response, the maid’s eyes crinkled with relief. Deborah hoped for this uncomfortable morning to pass quietly. But soon, seeing the breakfast tray the maid brought, it seemed it wouldn’t pass so quietly.

“This, this is…”

“The chef has shown off his skills! Not only because of the master’s order to take good care of you, but you’re also the first official guest of the Baker family.”

It is the chef’s pride and joy to please the guest’s palate on behalf of the master. Moreover, this guest had apparently defended his desserts to that ill-tempered master.

“He’s been sharpening his knives since last evening, you know? It’s bound to be delicious.”

“Haha. I’m sure it will be.”

Deborah swallowed tears inwardly as she moved the food to her mouth. It was delicious. Truly excellent. She thought there were such foods in the world. But, there was too much.

‘Am I really going to burst?’

The maid, who had been unconsciously watching Deborah bring food to her mouth, came to her senses and said,

“Please enjoy your meal comfortably, and call me anytime you need me.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The maid, who had just left Deborah’s room, thought as she walked down the corridor.

Is that young lady really a commoner? She didn’t look like one at all. Her behavior was extremely elegant.

‘If she hadn’t said she was a commoner, I would have naturally thought she was the mistress of the new house.’

The future mistress of the mansion was said to be the daughter of Count Blaise. So this commoner woman couldn’t be their mistress.

However, it was also unlikely that she was just an ordinary guest as Deborah claimed. Not only had that picky master ordered to serve her wholeheartedly, but Deborah’s own attitude was also quite extraordinary.

‘It doesn’t seem like she’s someone who will stay in this Baker house only briefly.’

* * *

Zen had told Deborah she could go anywhere. As long as she didn’t cross the fence, that is. But Deborah had no intention of leaving the room until Zen returned.

‘Why should a guest wander around when the host isn’t here? There’s no need for that.’

She clearly thought that, but now Deborah was in the garden. It was because of the maid’s suggestion after witnessing Deborah pacing in circles in her room due to her full stomach.

[If you’d like, why don’t you take a walk in the garden? The Baker family’s garden isn’t in the latest Geman style, but it’s very beautiful. It’s not at all inferior compared to other noble families’ mansions.]

Unable to refuse the maid’s enthusiastic suggestion, Deborah followed her out to the garden.

‘I couldn’t see the garden properly yesterday because I was so flustered, but it really is beautiful. It’s worth boasting about.’

Soon winter would come, and the trees on the streets had already shed their leaves, which had turned from red to brown. Yet the garden was still colorful and beautiful. As if it knew nothing of seasons.

‘Money even conquers the seasons, I see.’

The Baker mansion was a place plastered with money on all sides. Such a beautiful mansion.

Originally, she should have been overwhelmed with admiration, but Deborah still felt this place like a prison. She vividly remembered what Dia had gone through here.

‘It’s cold, by the way.’

Deborah, with a shawl draped over her shoulders, was fine, but the maid following closely behind her probably wasn’t. Deborah spoke kindly to her.

“I’ll look around by myself. You can go inside, it’s alright.”

“Oh my. No, I can’t. Yesterday, the master specifically ordered me not to leave your side at all.”

At that moment, Zen’s words from yesterday vividly came back to Deborah’s mind.

[Outside the room, you must always be accompanied by a servant. There are no exceptions, regardless of the situation.]

It seems it wasn’t just idle talk.

‘Why is he going to such lengths for me?’

Feeling frustrated and perplexed, Deborah felt her stomach getting even more upset.

‘Can’t be helped. If I go back right away, this maid will worry again, so I should look around a bit more before going back.’

As Deborah was looking at some unknown, magnificent flower with that thought in mind, she heard a familiar voice.

“Hoho. It’s refreshing to meet you here.”

Deborah’s ears perked up at the familiar voice. She quickly turned her head towards the sound and her eyes widened as she saw Madam Saint standing with her back to the sun, smiling brightly at her.

“Madam!”

Deborah ran towards her, grasping her skirt. Madam Saint happily welcomed her after a few days, but she wasn’t entirely at ease.

She thought Deborah would shower her with reproachful words. Something like, ‘How could you deceive me when you’re a Marchioness?’

‘Hmm. No, this child knows her place, so she might just quietly distance herself.’

As Madam Saint made such bitter predictions, Deborah said this to her:

“How did you come all the way here when you’re not feeling well? And it’s so cold, too.”

Before she even finished speaking, Deborah draped the large shawl she had been wearing over Madam Saint’s shoulders. Madam Saint was surprised for the first time in a while. And for the first time in a while, she laughed heartily.

‘To worry about me in this situation. And to nag like this again!’

Madam Saint laughed, opening her mouth wide without minding etiquette. Seeing this, Deborah felt relieved.

‘It seems her condition isn’t too bad.’

Deborah disliked seeing anyone sick. Weak people always left too easily. Of course, Deborah knew that even normally healthy people could die easily. She had experienced it.

[Debbie. I’ll make you the happiest person in this area.]

As she recalled the life that had been swallowed by rough waves, who had said those words, Deborah didn’t notice that someone was watching her from the edge of the garden.

If gazes had physical power, she would have surely felt pain.

* * *

After taking a sip of warm tea, Madam Saint spoke.

“Were you very surprised to find out I was a Marchioness?”

Of course, she was surprised. If it weren’t for Zen’s whirlwind of unusual behavior, she would have been worrying until now about how to treat Madam Saint in the future.

“It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t.”

“Child, the reason I did that was…”

Seeing Madam Saint hesitate uncharacteristically, Deborah smiled faintly and said,

“It’s alright. To me, you’ll always be Madam Saint. Right?”

“Of course!”

Madam Saint answered quickly with a bright smile.

“I’m relieved. I was so worried you might hate me.”

“How could someone like me make you worry like that?”

“Oh my. ‘Someone like me’? You’re a very important person to me.”

Deborah and Madam Saint’s bond was special.

On the day they first met, Madam Saint was in particularly poor health.

In that state, she had ridden in a carriage and was overcome with nausea due to motion sickness, but the street was full of laborers glancing at Madam Saint’s elegant attire.

As a noblewoman, she couldn’t vomit in such a place. Why should she become a spectacle for others?

So Madam Saint barely held back her nausea while breaking out in a cold sweat.

Having used all her strength to hold back the nausea, she could hardly walk, and Madam Saint’s maid was at a loss, just stamping her feet on the spot.

That’s when Deborah approached.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Madam Saint still clearly remembers. The kind voice. The warm touch that enveloped her suddenly cold body.

And those intelligent eyes that carefully examined Madam Saint’s condition when she couldn’t even respond. They were so impressive that she didn’t even notice the worn clothes Deborah was wearing.

“Excuse me, when I count to three and help the madam up, please grab her shoulders right away.”

Deborah, after assessing Madam Saint’s condition, spoke to the maid.

“Pardon?”

“Don’t grab her waist, make sure it’s her shoulders.”

After firmly advising the maid again, Deborah grasped Madam Saint’s forearm and counted.

“One, two, three…!”

No matter how thin she was, Madam Saint was an adult, and her body was completely limp.

She must have been quite heavy, but Deborah managed to lift Madam Saint up. Even in this situation, the maid just stood there, not knowing what to do.

“Quickly, hold her, quickly!”

Deborah’s voice trembled like her shaking arms. Only then did the maid gather courage and support the madam’s arm.

“Let’s go to that alley!”

Deborah shouted, pointing with her chin towards a less crowded alley. The maid moved her feet as Deborah led. As soon as they reached the alley, Deborah slowly sat the madam down and patted her back.

“No one comes here. It’s okay.”

That firm yet gentle voice. If she had held back her nausea until the end, Deborah would surely have scolded her. Just like her late husband.