“It’s okay. Really.”

“This too……”

“My bag will burst. Madam!”

Jane’s bag was wide open, showing no signs of closing.

It was Chloe’s fault, who had come into the room, found items of value, and carelessly stuffed them into the suitcase. The bag, which had been thin due to lack of contents, had now become so stuffed that the zipper wouldn’t close.

“What if I get taken to an interrogation room? What do I say if they ask who gave this to me?”

“Tell them I gave it to you. If they don’t believe you, call me. I’ll run to you anytime.”

“Madam, really!”

Chloe’s resolute response even to a joke was cute. Jane laughed heartily and clapped her hands.

Jane made all kinds of excuses to pack as late as possible, taking out valuables from the bag. At first, Chloe pouted her lips but eventually joined in the game.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t delay until the appointed carriage time. Eventually, the time to part had come.

Chloe slipped a bracelet onto Jane’s wrist. It was an expensive bracelet that she cherished, a gift for her coming of age.

“……Please write to me after you leave. I might not be able to read it right away, but I’ll read it someday.”

The two embraced warmly at the door, hoping to feel this warmth again someday.

Jane’s home was in a village on the outskirts, a little further from the estate. It would take at least an hour and a half by carriage.

On the carriage, Jane reflected on many things.

Her reason for coming to the Argen Duchy was simple.

High salary, accommodation provided for maids. It was the best condition for Jane, who had to stand on her own.

But a difficult job was waiting, mocking her simple mindset.

The housekeeper always scolded her, and her colleagues disliked her at first because she was clumsy at work.

She had traveled far to earn money and had arrived here, but she constantly wanted to give up. Her family was so dear to her that every day she felt sad and didn’t want to open her eyes.

‘You can rest if it’s too hard.’
‘……Yes?’
‘Shall we eat some snacks together?’

That day was no different from others.

Jane, who had been scolded by the housekeeper as usual, did the laundry with a dejected face.

Concerned about the young girl sobbing while working, the lady of the house approached her.

Jane initially refused Chloe, who offered a basket filled with snacks. But soon, she was resting under the tree shade with her.

It was scary when the housekeeper came looking for Jane with an angry face.

It would pass for now thanks to Chloe, but she knew she would be embarrassed at dinner without her.

‘Beniats. What’s this child’s name?’
‘Jane. Did she do something wrong?’
‘I like talking to her. If possible, I want to keep her as a talking friend. Can you transfer her to me?’

However, Jane was no longer scolded by the housekeeper. Her workplace changed due to Chloe’s request.

The housekeeper scolded Jane less when she heard that Chloe had taken a liking to her.

Chloe watched Jane alone a few times. The small child falling behind caught her attention.

Normally, small children were given relatively easy chores, but she had been given a tough job as the staff was recruited in haste.

Feeling sorry for her, Chloe brought Jane to her side.

Jane, who met new colleagues there, took care of Chloe with a faint sense of duty.

‘You don’t have to work here now, so go.’

Until Jane returned to her original workplace.

Following the Duke’s words of reducing the staff, all the maids who had been following the Duchess were moved elsewhere.

A few days later, ‘that incident’ happened in the Duke’s house.

‘……I shouldn’t have retreated so easily then. I should have protected Madam from then on.’

Jane snapped her nails in regret. Her throat was dry, so she drank the water that had been prepared in advance in the carriage.

‘Suddenly…….’

Fatigue soon overcame her. It was not easy to fall asleep in the jolting carriage, but her eyes kept closing.

‘I’m so sleepy…….’

She who had been fighting sleep finally collapsed.

“Gasp!”
Jane screamed and rose from her seat. It felt like a great deal of time had passed.

She hurriedly checked the clock, and the time was strange. It was not much different from when she had set out.

‘Could a day have passed?’

No matter how tired and busy she had been lately, she wouldn’t have slept an entire day. Especially not in an uncomfortable carriage like this one, where she couldn’t sleep so deeply.

The carriage was still stopped. The coachman was nowhere to be seen.

She drew the curtain and looked around, and darkness surrounded her. She checked the clock again, just in case, and it was indeed not a time without the sun.

Fearfully, Jane went outside.

“A forest?”

There had been no forest on the way to the outskirts of the village. She sensed something strange and looked around.

“What in the, ah, huh!”

It was only a few steps before someone grabbed her mouth and pulled her away.

She was dragged around, unable to exert any strength, and soon found herself on the edge of a cliff.

“Oh dear, poor Jane.”