When my name was mentioned, Sarah, who had sat apart, turned her head sharply. Sarah glared at the two as if she were going to kill them.

However, there was no more commotion like last time. This was because getting a penalty for the same reason resulted in double the deduction.

Mila and Bess were thoroughly ignored by the group of Sarah. Other maids who did not take Sarah’s side also did not come over to talk.

Challenging Sarah would only lead to more headaches. In such situations, it was best to pretend not to notice and ignore it.
If Bess didn’t have a personality that enjoyed meddling in others’ affairs, Mila might have really been alone.

Mila was sincerely grateful for Bess, who came like this every time to take her side, even though Mila didn’t treat her warmly. But expressing that gratitude was difficult.

Bess, for some reason, had a lot to say, and even if Mila didn’t respond much, the storytelling continued without a break.

“Ugh, I hate looking at the maid’s oath now. I won’t write a reflection essay again. I thought my finger was going to break.”

As if the pain of that day vividly came back to her, Bess spread her fingers like a fan and shivered. Mila couldn’t help but fake a smile because of Bess, who liked to exaggerate her words.

As Mila’s expression, which had been as stiff as a statue all along, loosened, Bess felt relieved.

“Yeah, just laugh like that. You’re too serious. If you keep wrapping your heart so tightly, you’ll get sick.”

“Wouldn’t it make you sick to speak without hiding like you do?”

“Well, there might be some side effects.”

Bess shrugged as if it was funny even if I said it and chuckled. Bess knew that Mila was a person with a warmer heart than anyone else. She was having difficulty expressing it, probably because of some story she didn’t know.

Mila liked that she wasn’t as talkative as me. She could chatter freely without being interrupted.
No matter how much Beth thought about it, she couldn’t shake off the idea that Mila was like the soulmate of her soul. There was no one else who listened to her as well as Mila did.

So, when the Sara group made absurd comments, Beth naturally had to take Mila’s side.

“Princess Annette and Princess Caitlin are coming out.”

It was the time when the party was getting lively. However, when the news of the princesses’ departure suddenly reached Sara and Hanna, they stood up like people on fire.

Without understanding what was going on, they looked at each other with wide eyes, then hurriedly left the lounge.

“What’s going on? Why did Princess Annette come out first?”

It was a good opportunity to approach Lady Melissa. Annette, who went out first with a separate gift, was never a good sign.

Knowing that, the expressions on Sara and Hanna’s faces as they went outside inevitably showed a sense of defeat.

After the two left the lounge, the remaining maids quickly stood up, exchanged glances, and rushed to the entrance of the lounge. They tried to stick out their heads and listen to figure out what was going on, but there was no sound to be heard.

Annette and Caitlin, as soon as they came out of the Ruby Hall, didn’t say a word, just got on the carriage and returned to the castle.

“What’s going on?”

Beth, as curious as a four-year-old child, couldn’t resist her curiosity.

“I’ll go out and find out.”
Unable to endure any longer, Mila gently pulled Beth, who had stood up abruptly, back down to sit.

“Why? Aren’t you curious?”

“Oath of the maids, Article 13.”

“Alright. Stop talking about the oath. I feel like my fingers might cramp again.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

When Mila raised one side of her lips and smiled lightly, Beth grumbled with curiosity but remained seated until the end of the party. However, the events inside the Ruby Hall quickly spread to the lounge.

“Oh my goodness! Does that mean Princess Stella has become friends with Lady Melissa?”

“Well…”

Although Beth spoke in excitement, Mila remained calm. In fact, her heart was pounding more than anyone else’s, but as always, Mila adeptly concealed her emotions.

“Lady Melissa even lent her a dress. That means they’ve become really close. Princess Stella is truly amazing. Who is Lady Melissa, anyway? She’s a close aide to the Emperor. Now, Sara’s nose will be flattened. It’s really amusing.”

Beth laughed excitedly as if it were her own affair. Other maids who had been slightly apart due to the unexpected news from the party slowly approached the table where Mila was sitting.

Unable to immediately side with her during Sara’s troubles, they felt sorry and hesitated to speak. Finally, they opened up.

“Mila, we didn’t believe Sara’s words.”

“I didn’t believe them either. I just didn’t want to complicate things by confronting Sara, who is too sharp-tongued. It might make things even more complicated.”