The Maid Hates Childcare - Chapter 43

‘Why is that person here?’

It was the first time I’d seen that face since the Olroge party.

I was just puzzled to see them here, when they’d probably want to avoid me after losing to makgeolli.

‘Ah, they probably don’t know it’s my store.’

While makgeolli might be well-known, they may not know about the choco pies.

As I stood there blankly, the voices kept getting louder.

“Clearly Lady Carft was standing behind me, wasn’t she?”

“Oh my, was that so?”

Moreover, Jeiana wasn’t the problematic one.

‘Lady Sissy Carft?’

Jeiana and Sissy were famous rivals in social circles.

Sissy was holding a well-packaged choco pie in her hand.

“You’re being petty over one dessert. Go complain to the staff about the number tag issue.”

She waved it in front of Jeiana provocatively.

“Even if the numbers are the same, the person who came in first should get it!”

“Well, I told you to talk to the staff, not me.”

At Sissy’s words, the staff member in charge of tags became visibly uncomfortable.

“There certainly weren’t any duplicate tags, but…”

“Then why are there two of the same tag? Look, they’re both number 15!”

Sissy showed off the tag she was holding.

It was a waiting tag for receiving a choco pie.

Not to be outdone, Jeiana also took out her tag.

“They really are the same number.”

The staff member looked confused.

At this rate, the tag staff would have to take all the responsibility.

I finally stepped forward, putting the staff behind me.

Even with my robe on, our eyes met. Jeiana’s pupils dilated as she recognized me.

“Excuse me. Could both of you show me your tags?”

While Jeiana hesitated, Sissy snapped at me irritably.

“Who are you to interfere?”

‘What a temper.’

Still, they were customers for now.

I put on my business smile and lit up my face.

“I’m the owner of this store.”

“The owner? The proprietor here?”

“Yes, that would be me.”

At my words, Sissy looked visibly flustered, but Jeiana seemed even more shocked.

“Come on, hurry. We need to check.”

I waved my open palms at both young ladies.

Finally receiving the tags, I examined them side by side.

The result.

“This one isn’t from our store.”

The fake turned out to be the tag Sissy was holding.

“What are you talking about? The numbers are identical!”

Sissy retorted in a sharp voice.

“Are you saying I’m lying?!”

“Look closely.”

I first held Jeiana’s tag up to the light.

Then, the transparent word ‘Jung’ became visible.

“This is…”

“It’s our store name. It’s on all the choco pie waiting tags. But.”

When I held Sissy’s tag up to the light, there was nothing written on it.

In fact, this paper was specially made.

We chose it to give customers a more luxurious feel, but I didn’t expect it to be used like this.

“You see this writing, or rather, image? It’s stamped on all the choco pie waiting tags.”

I had a staff member bring the number tags collected today.

As I said, the same writing was in the same position on all of them.

It was an obvious lie. But Sissy insisted to the end.

“The clerk from this store definitely gave it to me!”

“I’m not so sure. Lady Enders, you said you were definitely the last one to enter, right?”

At my words, Jeiana nodded.

“Yes. The Marquis’s daughter was standing behind me. As the sixteenth person.”

The choco pie waiting tags and store entry tags were different.

Then Sissy should have received an entry tag.

“Then you should have been given a store entry tag. Ah, we can check the surveillance footage.”

“Sur-surveillance?”

“It’s installed at the entrance. For store security. If we check together…”

“That’s enough!”

Sissy hurriedly tried to leave. She was still holding the packaged choco pie.

“You can keep that. But you’re banned from my store from now on.”

Bang-! The door closed with a loud sound.

The store became quiet again.

It was after the brief commotion ended.

Emma burst out from the hallway connected to the staff door.

“Eileen!”

Emma had left the ducal residence and was now the manager here.

I’d heard she was doing well, given the hefty salary, but her response seemed a bit slow today.

“You should call me ‘boss’ here.”

“Ah, right. I was at the ingredient supplier when a staff member came running. Said two young ladies were causing a scene.”

Emma was panting, having apparently rushed over.

“It’s fine now. Instead, could you sprinkle some salt outside?”

“Salt?”

“Yes, you need to sprinkle salt after kicking out a troublemaker.”

“Got it!”

Emma filled a sack with salt and opened the door to sprinkle it liberally.

Passersby glanced curiously at the sparkling salt.

Now Jeiana was the only customer left to deal with.

I had a staff member bring a packaged choco pie.

“Here, take it. Luckily we had one spare left.”

She hesitated visibly.

But seeing her finally accept it, she must have really wanted to try it.

“I’ll repay this debt!”

“What debt? It’s my store after all… Wait a minute.”

What a prim and proper young lady, I thought.

Then I clapped my hands.

Startled by the sound, Jeiana stepped back.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Perfect. Then why don’t you repay it now?”

“…Pardon? Just a moment…!”

I grabbed Jeiana’s hand and headed outside.

Ludvion followed behind us.

As I linked arms with her and winked, Jeiana looked aghast.

“Where are we going?”

“Shopping.”

And so began a delightful shopping trip with Villainess #1.

[This is the timeline separator]

“This one’s pretty, and that one looks nice too.”

I was torn between the fountain pens and ties on display.

Though they were ready-made, each one was beautiful, but I couldn’t find the perfect one.

Jeiana, who had been watching me, finally spoke up as if she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“…Is it a gift for the Duke?”

“Yes.”

I nodded without hesitation.

Jeiana sighed as if resigned. Then she started recommending various items in earnest.

“This type would be good.”

The first thing she recommended was cufflinks.

The shiny yet elegant buttons were made of various kinds of jewels.

As I was hovering around the cufflinks, an elderly owner came out and provided some explanation.

“I recommend the one with the ruby at the top. Of course, all the items on display are available for same-day pickup. Custom orders are popular, but these are just as good.”

The owner recommended cufflinks with delicate rose vines engraved on gold.

‘That would suit him well.’

I imagined Kashar wearing a jacket with these cufflinks.

The buttons would sparkle over the wrist touching my cheek…

‘It would be so sexy.’

It was the kind of imagination that could make my nose bleed any moment.

I decided on the gift without further deliberation.

“I’ll take the rose set, please.”

“I’ll wrap it up for you right away!”

While the owner was packaging, I expressed my gratitude to Jeiana.

“I think I chose well thanks to you. Thank you, Lady Enders.”

Ludvion wasn’t much help, saying everything looked good.

As I picked up the wrapped gift, Jeiana blushed and muttered softly.

“…I have three older brothers.”

Plus, her mother passed away when she was young, so she grew up with a single father.

Hesitating, Jeiana went to another display case and pointed at some accessories.

“These would be nice too.”

It was a brooch in the same style as the cufflinks I had chosen.

“Lady Enders is right. Many people look for different items with the same design.”

In other words, couple items.

“I’ll take this too!”

Please take my money!

Money is great. Troublemakers are out.

“Ah, that was great shopping!”

I stretched as I left the store.

How wonderful it feels to have something in both hands!

‘And it was fun too.’

It felt like I’d spent time with a newly made friend.

We chose gifts quickly, so there was still plenty of time left.

Jeiana, who had been fidgeting in front of me, raised her eyes sharply.

“We’re done, right? Then I’ll be going now.”

She was just like a cat experiencing discord before becoming close to someone.

“Lady Enders.”

“What now?”

I decided to reach out to this prickly red cat.

“You don’t like Kashar, do you?”

“…Why are you suddenly bringing him up? Haven’t you teased me enough already?!”

As expected, her response was sharp.

Jeiana even thought that shopping together was my way of teasing her.

But strangely, she didn’t deny my words about not liking Kashar.

“I wasn’t teasing, I wanted to become friends.”

Jeiana, who was about to pass me, stopped abruptly.

In truth, Jeiana didn’t like Kashar from the beginning.

She had been pressured by the Enders family for a long time to make a profitable marriage.

‘Being forced to believe it’s real love.’

In the end, Jeiana mistakenly thought she truly had feelings for Kashar and ended up harming the original female lead.

If I hadn’t been possessed as Eileen, I wouldn’t have known this.

“So, want to be friends?”

Jeiana just stared at the hand I offered, then finally turned away.

“…Don’t joke around. My father won’t stand for it if he finds out.”

“Come on, we’re both adults. What does that matter?”

Jeiana flinched at my words.

“Usually people say to repay the family that raised you. These days, just growing up well without causing trouble is enough filial piety.”

Excessive oppression only leaves scars in the end.

‘If she doesn’t want to, there’s nothing I can do.’

Even if she didn’t become friends with me, I hoped she could find someone she truly liked.

How long did I wait?

Jeiana, who I thought would just leave, was still facing me.

“Let’s do it. Friends.”

She took my hand.

It was the moment I made my second friend.

“To celebrate becoming friends, shall we do some more shopping?”

The sun was still high, so we had plenty of time.

As I was about to look up at the sky, I heard the sound of hooves in the distance.

‘Horse hooves?’

The sound gradually got closer, and soon a dark shadow fell over me.

“You two ladies seem to be getting along well.”

Crown Prince Valentid, riding a white horse, was looking down at us.