“This is where the maids eat. It’s a bit cramped, but everyone eats quickly and leaves, so seats open up fast.”

After exiting through the back door of the Delgado mansion and walking for about 5 minutes, a small brick building came into view.

The Delgado Duke’s residence was so large that there was even a separate building for the maids to stay in.

Marie grabbed my hand and led me into the building, heading straight for the dining hall at the end of the first floor corridor.

She then pointed her chin at the maids eating and whispered.

“Let’s hurry and eat too. The food might not be to your taste though.”

On the long table near the dining room window were plates filled with food.

Marie picked up a tray from the side table and handed it to me.

“Just choose and take the food you want to eat.”

‘Oh no, this isn’t right.’

I needed to reveal that I wasn’t a maid, even now.

But I wondered if they would believe me even if I said I wasn’t a maid.

‘If I say I’m from a distant relative’s family of Dietrich, would they think I’m crazy?’

Marie already seemed firmly convinced that I was a maid.

“What’s wrong, Heidi? Are you feeling awkward? Should I get the food for you?”

I should say something…

But my thoughts were brief.

Moved by Marie’s kindness, I accepted the tray as it was.

…To be honest, more than being touched, I just wanted to eat first because I was so hungry.

I was so hungry that my head was spinning and I felt dizzy.

In the end, unable to overcome my hunger, I approached the table.

And I couldn’t help but open my eyes wide.

The food laid out on the table was of much higher quality than I expected.

I thought there wouldn’t be anything particularly delicious in the maid’s dining hall, but it was completely different from what I imagined.

There was no expensive meat, but aside from that, it was a perfect menu.

Meatballs marinated in tomato sauce, salad topped with peanut sauce, and vegetable soup.

As my mouth started to water, I stared blankly at the food. Seeing my silence, Marie must have thought I was disappointed with the menu, as she quietly comforted me.

“Still, the food here is quite good compared to other noble houses. We even get white bread instead of rye bread.”

Marie picked up a white bread and placed it on my tray.

Then she pointed to the salad and meatballs and explained.

“These salad vegetables are grown in the nearby fields. The meatballs are quite tasty too.”

Without saying much, I used the tongs to scoop a lot of salad onto my tray.

Then I added plenty of meatballs covered in tomato sauce.

Seeing this, Marie smiled brightly.

“You like the food!”

“Yes! Do they really give such delicious food to maids?”

“That’s good. It’s hard to work if the food doesn’t suit your taste. Eat as much as you want!”

No, how could such perfect food not suit my taste!

After ladling some soup as well, I sat down in an empty seat and started eating.

Although it wasn’t the Korean food I had been craving, eating a meal after starving was tearfully satisfying.

As I patted my full stomach and left the maid’s dining hall, the world couldn’t have looked more beautiful.

Until Marie brought my maid uniform.

“Heidi! Here! I talked to the head maid and she gave it right away. Hurry and put it on.”

“…Um, Marie.”

“It’s not new, but it’s been washed clean so you can wear it without worry. It’s better than what you’re wearing now.”

Marie, who had unintentionally delivered a harsh truth, pushed my back urging me to put it on quickly.

Unable to resist Marie’s urging, I entered the room and ended up wearing the maid uniform.

And then everything was a blur.

It didn’t matter where things had gone wrong or how.

I just ran around busily doing as I was told without a moment’s rest.

“Hey! Come wipe the top of this cabinet!”

“If you’re done with that, follow me. We’re behind on washing the bedding.”

“Have you cleaned the reception room floor? Hurry and clean it, the young master might bring guests.”

As soon as one task was finished, a new one would come up, and then another.

“…Save me.”

But not a single person listened to my words.

It was understandable, as numerous maids and servants were running around non-stop to clean this huge mansion.

“Did you mop here?”

“Yes! Then I’ll be going…”

“Where are you going? Quickly, bring a feather duster.”

Oh no. This is a disaster.

I can’t escape!

I had been looking for a chance to run away, but when told to go tidy up the reception room, I thought ‘This is it!’ and headed to the reception room alone.

Working under the supervision of the head maid was too stressful and exhausting.

The joy of finally being alone was short-lived, as the reception room was enormously spacious.

‘They want me to clean all this by myself?’

Left alone, I grumbled while scrubbing the reception room floor with a rag.

“Giving me one meal and making me do such labor. What cruel people.”

“Who are you calling cruel?”

“Oh my!”

Startled for a moment, I looked up at the woman smiling and gently fanning herself.

I hadn’t noticed when she came in, as there was no sound of footsteps.

The woman was clearly a great beauty at first glance.

Her golden hair, shimmering as if melted sunlight, and the exquisite features below it caught the eye.

A woman with such dazzling looks that the elaborate pattern of the dress she wore barely registered.

‘Ah, it’s the Duchess.’

It wasn’t difficult to figure out who she was.

After all, there was only one woman this noble and elegant in the Delgado mansion.

“Surely you weren’t calling me cruel?”

“Ah, no, not at all!”

Fearing she might misunderstand, I quickly stood up and waved my hands holding the rag.

Unfortunately, because I hadn’t wrung out the rag properly, dirty water splashed onto the hem of the Duchess’s dress.

This is bad.

I bowed my head, barely managing to clasp my trembling hands together.

Although I had a motto of ‘Do what you want to do!’, now was the time to be cautious and mindful.

Especially because I knew how cruel the Duchess was in the original story.

She was a cold person who wore a mask of a kind smile.

The type of person who would smile while handing poison to those who went against her will.

“I’m sorry. I accidentally…”

“It’s alright. These things happen. Raise your head.”

As expected, she was faithfully playing the role of the kind Duchess Delgado.

She had decided not to punish the maid who made a mistake.

However, the Duchess’s order to raise my head without punishment was rather troublesome for me.

I shouldn’t let her see my face.

In order to claim later that I was Dietrich’s distant relative, I shouldn’t be seen in a maid’s uniform.

As I stubbornly kept my head down, she seemed to grow impatient and took a step closer.

“I said to raise your head. There’s no need to apologize to that extent. I’m just curious about who made you work so hard. May I ask?”

“Well…”

“What’s wrong? Is there something bothering you?”

The Duchess put her hand on my shoulder and finally made eye contact with me.

I couldn’t help but shudder as I met her blood-red eyes.

Those deep, intense red eyes were examining me as if searching for something.

Yet the smile on her lips was excessively pure and lovely.

“I haven’t seen you before. How is it that I haven’t noticed you until now?”

“I-I’m new, so that’s probably why.”

“New… So that’s why you didn’t listen to me right away.”

She asked me kindly while looking at me.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Heidi.”

“I see, Heidi. I like innocent and kind children like you. That’s why I can overlook small mistakes. But you know.”

I felt more pressure on the hand gripping my shoulder than before.

Her long, sharp nails dug through the maid uniform.

I had to grit my teeth at the pain of nails digging into my flesh. After all, I couldn’t talk back to the Duchess for hurting me.

“Not answering when I ask a question isn’t a mistake, dear. I hope you’ll be careful.”

“…”

“Answer me.”

“There’s no need to answer, so I’m not.”

A low voice was heard at the same time as my shoulder was pulled back.

“…Dietrich. What brings you here?”

I didn’t need to look to know who the owner of the large hand gripping my shoulder was.

I turned my head to the side, deliberately ignoring the piercing gaze.

He looked like he had a lot to say, but seemed to be holding back given the situation.

“I had some business.”

“Is that so? Then carry on with what you were doing. I still have things to discuss with this maid.”

“I don’t think so.”

“…I don’t understand why you’re interfering.”

I clutched the rag tightly and focused on the conversation between the two as the tense exchange continued.

The Duchess closed her fan with a snap and pointed it at me.

“This maid is acting as if she has some kind of relationship with you.”

“Because there is a relationship, that’s why I stepped in.”

The Duchess’s eyes widened in surprise at those words.

Then she carefully examined me, with my disheveled hair and shabby appearance.

She then burst out laughing.

She must have thought of something amusing.

“She looks innocent, but her appearance is shabby and unkempt, so she’s probably not your lover. Can you tell this mother what kind of relationship it is?”

She seemed to naturally assume that I couldn’t be Dietrich’s hidden lover.

But is that really so funny?

I’ve never seen such a mean old lady!

I secretly glared at the Duchess in displeasure, but she didn’t notice at all.

With her gaze fixed solely on Dietrich, she was sparkling her eyes like a mother eagerly awaiting her beloved son’s answer.

“Surely you don’t have a taste for commoners?”

Dietrich, who had remained unmoved by her incredibly rude words, gave a twisted smile.

“Why, am I not allowed to? It could be hereditary to lose one’s mind over a commoner woman.”

“…Oh my.”

Dietrich’s wordplay, determined never to back down, was excellent.

‘Our father also married a commoner like you,’ he had elegantly rephrased.

However, the Duchess was no pushover either.

As if completely unbothered, the Duchess smiled kindly, turning her round eyes into crescents, and opened her fan again to cover her mouth.

It seemed she didn’t want to look foolish in front of a maid any longer.

“It’s time for Yurian to arrive, so I should go now. See you later.”

“…Please go ahead.”

After confirming that the Duchess had turned and left the reception room, I felt completely refreshed and clapped my hands.

While deliberately ignoring the sharp gaze glaring at me.

But it seems that too has reached its limit now.

“You feel like clapping, right now?”

“…”

As I turned my head and met Dietrich’s blue-green eyes, I realized I was facing the greatest crisis of my life.