“I-I’m sorry! Please forgive me just this once……”

“Forgiveness? You dare to touch the lady’s sacred body and ask for forgiveness!”

“It, it was truly a mistake! Please forgive me.”

The maid prostrated flat on the floor, dropping tears drop by drop.

The lady had disliked the maids of the Vandermir mansion from the start. While her son was suffering from insomnia in the duchy, she was irritated that the servants of the mansion serving those culprits seemed to be doing well.

She scolded them over trivial matters, causing three maids to burst into tears just today. Yet the lady was not satisfied.

‘Our Alex has dark circles under his eyes from emotional distress, but these ones have fair complexions like their shameless master.’

Merely making them cry from scolding was not enough. The lady’s mouth opened slowly as she stared impassively at the maid looking up at her with sobs.

“Jessie, go and bring the cane.”

“Yes, my lady!”

The maid’s face turned pale at the mention of the cane. Physically caning maids was an old-fashioned method, but unfortunately, Lady Vandermir was an old-fashioned person.

She rolled up her sleeves as her maid brought the cane. The young maid knelt down and desperately pleaded.

“My lady, please forgive me. I will never make a mistake again. Please……”

“Quiet! If you’re truly repentant, you should willingly hold out your palm.”

At the lady’s signal, her maid firmly grasped the young maid’s hand and pulled it forward.

The young maid struggled in fear of what was to come, but could not escape from the strong grip.

Eventually, she was made to spread her small palm in front of the lady.

“Hold it tight.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The sound of the cane cutting through the air was unusually loud. The lady began to strike the maid’s palm with the cane with brutal force and speed.

Even as multiple lines formed on the skin like straight lines and blood burst forth, the caning did not stop. When her arm got tired, she handed the cane to her maid to continue the beating instead.

The young maid’s low groans and cries echoed around the guest room where the lady was staying.

It was no coincidence that Arasila returned home early from work.

There was an order from the lady to return home before 3 PM to receive household education from her.

Arasila, who was trying to go up to her room to change clothes before being seen by the lady, noticed the subtle atmosphere flowing among the maids.

“Did something happen?”

When she asked while climbing the stairs, the maids who came out to greet her hesitated. Arasila opened her mouth again in a gentle voice.

“It’s alright, tell me. Did something happen?”

“Well…… Cindy is being caned by the lady right now.”

Once someone broke the ice, another quickly added.

“It’s been 10 minutes already.”

Even being caned for 3 minutes would be difficult and painful, let alone 10 minutes. Arasila’s expression hardened instantly.

“Do you know why she’s being punished?”

“They say she accidentally touched the lady’s skin while trimming her nails……”

“I see.”

So she’s been beaten for 10 minutes over such a trivial matter.

Arasila immediately changed her plan to change clothes and headed towards the guest room. Audrey quickly followed behind her.

Knock knock, Arasila entered before permission was given. Her glass-blue eyes scanned the interior.

The mansion maids standing as if being punished, the lady’s maids holding down the young maid and wielding the cane, Lady Vandermir watching from the sofa.

Lastly, the young maid looking at her with a face and palms all red and swollen.

“Who told you to rudely enter without permission? Are you so poorly educated that you lack even basic manners?”

Lady Vandermir rebuked Arasila in a sharp voice. However, Arasila paid no mind and approached the young maid.

“Let go.”

A quiet command fell upon the lady’s maids who were tightly holding the young maid.

At the chilling gaze, the maids were about to follow the order unconsciously when.

“Don’t let go.”

The lady stopped them. Her gaze clashed with Arasila’s in midair like a battle of wills.

“If you want to order my maids, come back when you have the proper qualifications.”

“I already have all the qualifications. So considering it permitted, I will order the maids. Let go of those hands right now!”

At the loud voice, the lady’s maids were startled as if touched by fire and withdrew their hands at once.

Arasila glanced at them and took out a handkerchief from her bosom, wrapping it around the young maid’s palm.

“You’ve been through a lot. I’ll take care of the rest, so you can step back now.”

“Hic, hic, my lady……”

“Audrey, take Cindy out.”

Audrey wrapped her arm around the shoulder of the maid who burst into sorrowful tears. Watching this disapprovingly, the lady erupted in anger.

“Who said you could dismiss her! I forbid it!”

“You’ve already vented your anger more than enough, so please let her go, my lady.”

Arasila said, hiding Audrey and the maid behind her back. Using herself as a barrier, the two quickly slipped out of the guest room.

The lady glared at Arasila while fuming, but suddenly paused.

The eyes like an autumn sky without a single cloud were clear and full of intelligence. Until this morning, her downcast eyes had seemed quite intimidated.

Seeing her looking straight at her with both eyes open like this, it seemed that was not the case.

‘To recover so quickly, she must have tenacious vitality like a weed?’

The lady’s expression immediately turned fierce. She spoke in a frosty voice.

“Venting anger? Did you just say I was venting my anger?”

“I heard that the young maid made a mistake while serving. You’ve meted out punishment exceeding appropriate measures, so please calm your anger.”

“Arasila Hugo! How dare you impertinently―!”

“It’s Vandermir, my lady.”

Arasila, who had meticulously corrected the lady’s words even in this situation, gave a gentle smile.

“I apologize if my words sounded impertinent.”

“Ha! Is that the attitude of someone who’s apologizing!”

“Then what should I do? If you tell me, I’ll follow exactly as you say.”

At those words, a cruel smile appeared on the lady’s lips. She had thought she had subdued her halfway, but that wasn’t the case, so this time she intended to deal with her more thoroughly.

Beckoning Arasila closer with a finger, she spoke arrogantly.

“I’ve been thinking for a while that the service of the mansion maids is unsatisfactory. It’s all because of their inadequate mistress, so shouldn’t you learn first?”

“Yes.”

“Starting tomorrow, stop going to work and serve me directly. Only then will you keenly feel how to control and manage maids.”

A momentary disturbance crossed the faces of the mansion maids who remained in the room. They could not be pleased with the lady’s declaration to use their mistress again.

But Arasila was calm.

“I will do so.”

“Good, now withdraw.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Arasila quietly left the room with the mansion maids, moving with an expressionless face.

The lady’s personality was more formidable than expected, which was rather fortunate for her. The more the lady spread her wings, the more sympathetic gazes would increase towards her.

‘The more humiliation she gives me, the more it will only tighten around herself later.’

Of course, reaching that point seemed like it would be a more arduous time of endurance than expected, but the surer the result, the better.

At the entrance of the Eastern Ethar Mountains.

Tents with red hawk flags are lined up here and there. Knights in armor over their uniforms busily move between the mountains and tents.

A visitor came to Demian, who was reading reports submitted by his subordinates in the largest tent.

“Commander, a letter has arrived.”

Isaac held out the letter with an unusually polite attitude. Demian briefly asked without taking his eyes off the report.

“Is it from the imperial family?”

“No, it’s from your wife.”

“……Wife?”

“Yes, Lady Vandermir.”

At the mention of a letter from Arasila, Demian’s gaze immediately left the report. His golden eyes filled with question.

She sent me a letter? Why?

Is it to act out an affectionate couple, or did something happen while I was away?

Demian opened the envelope without delay and unfolded the letter. The preamble read:

「Demian, read this letter alone by all means.」

Following those words, Demian turned away from Isaac, who was peering curiously, and read the letter alone.

「Lady Vandermir has come up.

She’s settled in under the pretext of giving me household education.

It seems she won’t leave until you come. You’ll be seeing grandmother as soon as you arrive.」

Demian frowned at the unwelcome news. This letter seemed to have been sent because something had indeed happened.

「It really is.」

As he calmly read the content below, he paused at the drawing in the middle.

Between ‘really’ and ‘is’, there was an ugly drawing of a small dog. Demian slowly blinked once.

“It really is like a dog?”

“……Y-Yes?”

Isaac, who had been lingering curious about what kind of words his icy statue-like superior would exchange with his wife by letter, flinched thinking the words were directed at him.

He straightened his posture and shouted loudly.

“I’m sorry! I’ll correct myself to not be like a dog!”

Demian, who was too focused on the letter to care what his subordinate was shouting right next to him, chuckled.

How dog-like must it have been for her to send such a letter.

Soon after, his expression turned serious. He knew his grandmother’s personality better. She must be tormenting Arasila terribly under the guise of education.

‘She did the same to me.’

The lady’s abuse disguised as discipline was no less than the duchess’s. Rather, it was worse. She had been wary of Demian even before he grew up.

Demian’s expression darkened.

I should have left Colin behind. Surely, she hasn’t laid hands on my wife.

As his expression grew worse, Isaac glanced at him and slowly backed away. Nothing good would come from being nearby at times like this, only sparks would fly.

Whether his subordinate silently fled or not, Demian continued reading the remaining content.

「Anyway, for this reason, you will return earlier than expected.

So pack your bags in advance. Don’t be late. I’m already enduring a lot, so I don’t want to wait even a little longer.」

What is this about now. Returning earlier than expected.

Demian furrowed his brow. Unfortunately for Arasila, the work of tracking the movement routes of the magical beasts was not progressing very quickly.

It seemed he would use the full fortnight as planned, so why did she send such a confident letter?

Lowering his eyes, he noticed drawings between the letters in the postscript as well and looked closely.

「PS. It really is.」

What did she draw? It looks like some kind of human figure……

“Ah, a beggar?”

Come quickly because it’s really beggar-like?

Demian couldn’t help but let out a low laugh. How many wives in the world would send such a letter to their husband who left on a mission?

‘Well, it’s just like her.’

While shaking his head, Demian neatly folded the letter and tucked it into his breast pocket.