“Just because I don’t go around with my eyes wide open like Jocelyn doesn’t mean I don’t know about the years you’ve worked in this house. The Duke… no, no. Let’s stop talking about it. Anyway, be careful. Jocelyn, the house manager, won’t leave you alone.”

Maiana’s expression at Koesha’s advice showed a somewhat awkward light. She wondered how much Koesha knew about the truth. Defining her relationship with Cedilloi was ambiguous.

At least for now… that’s why if Koesha kept asking about this issue, she wouldn’t know what to answer.

Koesha continued, “Jocelyn is Jocelyn, but it’s not something the Duke would do. However, I’ve seen countless young girls crying and leaving because of nobles who pretend not to know after an incident. I haven’t seen it since I came to the Duke’s residence, but when I was young, I saw a lot of those girls. Since you’re worried, remember my words.”

Maiana, who had been pondering for a moment, smiled faintly.

“Yes, Miss Koesha. Thank you.”

She hurriedly climbed the stairs. In the background, she could hear Koesha muttering to herself alone, but she pretended not to hear.

Suddenly, the scenery of Forebeck Manor came to her mind… Maiana rubbed her eyes as if she were a dizzy person. During the two years she worked there, she saw about six maids who left crying after being beaten by Lady Forebeck.

She couldn’t know the details. However, one thing Maiana could guarantee was that none of those girls willingly shared a bed with Lord Forebeck.

“No, that’s different. Completely different.”

Entering Ariante’s room, she saw children sitting in a circle with Ibby in the middle. Maiana recalled a movie she had seen a long time ago, but they weren’t singing.

Ibby was making a flower wreath. Perhaps she had picked it from a vase, each flower petal looked vivid and the stems were skillfully divided and woven in half. The children were almost fascinated by her skillful handiwork.

“They seem like a harmless religious cult for children.”

Maiana had a whimsical thought.
Finally, when Ibby finished making the flower wreath, she placed it on Ariante’s head. The children, especially Chrony and Sisi, sighed enviously. Ariante, wearing the wreath, proudly turned her head in various directions, then handed wreaths to Chrony and Sisi.

“If you have candy, you can make it with candy too.”

At Ibby’s words, Umbrose exclaimed, “Really? A crown made of candy sounds cool! If you get hungry while giving orders, you can eat the crown.”

Swan burst into laughter at Umbrose’s words. At that moment, Ariante suddenly extended her left hand forward, spread it, and said, “I used to have a flower ring that Silas made for me! I dried it well and put it in my treasure box.”

Silas blushed, and Sisi pursed her lips. Chrony twinkled his eyes and said, “You made a ring with flowers? That’s awesome! How do you make a ring?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Silas said in an adult-like manner.

‘They seem quite serious about each other. It’s like Lady Ariante and Silas Master.’

Meanwhile, Maiana was lost in another whimsical thought. Whether it was because of what Koesha said or because of Ibby pulling out all the flowers from the vase to make a new wreath, she couldn’t focus, and her mind felt numb.

“Hey.”

A blunt voice came from behind. It was Vainty. When Maiana turned her head with an exaggerated gesture of shrugging her shoulders, Vainty glanced at her with a sour expression.

“The Duke is looking for you.”

His tone of grumbling was colder than usual. It felt similar to when they first met.

“Sorry, Vainty. That bucket…”

“Oh, don’t say it. It’s not a joke. Don’t even mention it. I don’t want to think about it. If I could, I would just take that memory out and burn it in flames. I won’t say a word to you for three days, so understand it that way.”

Vainty turned away abruptly. Maiana, with a regretful expression, glanced at her for a moment and then left the room.

When she stood in front of his room, located in the western part of the mansion, she heard Alt Viscountess’s voice coming from beyond the door. And there was another woman’s voice that she didn’t recognize. Cedilloi occasionally chimed in the conversation or laughed, but it seemed like he wasn’t leading the conversation.

Maiana knocked on the door. Jemero opened it, and when she entered, through the half-open folding doors of the diagonally opened reception room, she could see people’s backs.

“Oh, Mrs. Dawson, come in quickly.”

As she entered, Alt Viscountess greeted her with a delighted face. Maiana slightly bent her knees and lowered her head.

“Hello, Alt Viscountess. The Duke called for me, so I came. However, it seemed you were in the middle of a conversation, so I can wait outside.”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

Cedilloi’s words made Maiana look at him with a puzzled expression.

“Then, Viscountess, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Don’t worry, Your Grace.”

What does this mean? Maiana, with a puzzled expression, alternately looked at the two people, or rather, the three people, including an unidentified guest. Meanwhile, Cedilloi left the room with an unknown smile, leaving Maiana alone with her puzzled expression.