‘Let’s deal with the urgent matters first, find out more about this and that, and then talk to father.’

“Good, good, understood.”

Hippolytus, as if he had no choice, snapped his fingers and called Maletta closer.

“Okay you, carry my luggage up and lay it out in my room. Father, I’ll go upstairs first.”

“Alright.”

“Sleep well.”

Smiling as if he was a good person, Hippolytus followed Maletta, who was straining to carry his heavy suitcase up to the second floor.

The maid, as if she knew the lord’s mind, exaggeratedly shook her large buttocks left and right.

San Carlo, which he had returned to after a long time, was indeed a great place.

Hippolytus and Maletta certainly hit it off in the blink of an eye.

The two didn’t come out of the room much, and when they were out of the room fulfilling their duties as servants, they fooled around away from people’s eyes. They whispered and laughed, teased each other with finger games or brushed each other’s legs with their toes.

Even though they hid it, all the household staff, no, not just the staff but even the household items knew about their romance.

Even if you asked the table at the residence of Cardinal de Mare or the horse pulling the carriage, they would answer that they knew about the relationship between Hippolytus and Maletta.

The two were so attached to each other as if they would die without the other. However, there seemed to be a slight misunderstanding about what kind of ‘relationship’ it was.

“Lord.”

At Maletta’s nasal call, Hippolytus answered cheerfully.

“Yes, yes, my beauty.”

“Please buy Maletta a ring.”

“Huh? What kind of ring?”

“A sparkling, big one. Ideally, it should be a clear gem.”

She was asking for a diamond ring.

Hippolytus looked at Maletta with his eyes wide open, pretending not to understand.

In the end, bored with her persistence, what he brought was not a diamond ring with a symbol of engagement but a simple decorative South Sea pearl necklace.

Still, Maletta was unwavering in her belief that she would become the next Mrs. de Mare. This was due to Hippolytus showering her with gold coins without restraint.

Maletta became increasingly bold. Strictly speaking, Hippolytus was also a bastard and, regardless of his father’s position, he could not inherit it. He was essentially a commoner.

Then, why wouldn’t he, who is not a noble anyway, marry her, who is also a commoner? With this logic, Maletta aimed for Hippolytus’ side.

As soon as Maletta received the lord’s favor, she became extremely arrogant, causing trouble with all the household members. The biggest victim was Sancha.

“Why do I have to do this?”

Maletta puffed out her ample chest, crossed her arms, and scanned Sancha up and down. Sancha, the acting head maid, took a deep breath at Maletta’s disrespectful protest. Sancha steeled herself and scolded Maletta.

“Maletta, what’s with your tone?”

“Why, just because you’re acting as the head maid, do you think you’re really a superior?”

Maletta gave Sancha a scornful look from head to toe.

As she was promoted to the temporary position of a head maid, Sancha took off the gray uniform that all the maids at the de Mare mansion wore, and wore a black velvet vest and red coat that only the head maid and executive maids could wear.

“Regardless, a maid is a maid. How long will you live like this?”

Malita was still wearing a gray uniform, but she had modified it to suit her taste. She had adorned the maid’s dress with silk, which added a lustrous sheen.

“I’m a maid, that’s true, but you’re still a maid, Malita.”

Sancha pursed her lips and stared at Malita, who wore an outfit that was hard to tell whether it was a maid’s dress or not.

“And as a maid, your duties include taking care of Master Epolito’s meals and cleaning his room. That includes bringing leftover dishes to the scullery. Why do you make others do your tasks?”

Malita twirled her red hair, exposed under her loosely tied headscarf, with a playful smile.

“If one person is busy, anyone can do the job. Why are you being so rigid?”

Malita, as if she were not a maid but a pet, did not properly wear her headscarf, exposing all her hair.

“Dishwashers can find dishes too. I have a much more important job taking care of the young master.”

Malita shook her protruding chest proudly.

“What will you do if the master doesn’t let go?”

Even though Sancha didn’t know much about relations between men and women, she understood that disgusting nuance and scowled. But Malita didn’t stop there and even tried to lecture Sancha.

“Sancha. You should think straight. Do you think Miss Ariadne’s prestige will last forever? This house ultimately belongs to Master Epolito.”

Sancha couldn’t contain her anger at Malita’s arrogance and slammed the bunch of keys she was holding onto the desk.

“You! Shut your blasphemous mouth! I’ll tell the lady and get you kicked out for negligence!”

“Try it if you can.”

Malita threw a sluggish smile and walked away, leaving Sancha behind.

Sancha was trembling with anger, but all she could do at that moment was vent her grievance to her lady.

However, Miss Ariadne only pacified Sancha, saying it was not the right time, and asked her to be patient.

“Ah, I’m so angry!”

Indeed, because Epolito favored Malita, it seemed difficult for Ariadne to kick her out immediately. However, it was unclear whether Epolito agreed with Malita’s future plans.

He gifted Malita with luxurious silks, furs to keep out the cold, and even a pearl necklace that did not fit a maid’s status, but he did not whisper about the future.

Whenever Malita whined, he just showered her with gifts.

And the money for those gifts came from his father’s purse.

Now, that purse was in Ariadne’s hands.

“Ariadne, why did you only send 15 ducats (about 15 million won) this month?”

Epolito brazenly barged into Ariadne’s study. He stood tall in front of Ariadne’s desk, looking down at his younger sister with a haughty attitude. The way he addressed Ariadne was also arbitrary.

“Big brother.”

Ariadne closed the account book she had been looking at with a thud and stared back at Epolito.

The late afternoon sun filled the study, casting a golden glow, and the golden seal on the ring finger of Ariadne’s right hand glinted, stinging Epolito’s eyes.

Epolito was bothered by that object. The backlighting made it hard for him to see Ariadne’s face.

“How much more do you think you should receive?”

The cool voice echoed calmly in the study.