Rene, still holding the teacup, leaned back leisurely.

“It’s not easy to change when you’ve become so rigid.”

After leisurely sipping the tea, she suddenly asked.

“You thought I wouldn’t come?”

“I knew you would.”

Liz chuckled and added.

“I just didn’t expect you to come so late.”

One corner of Rene’s mouth lifted deeply.

“You better not think I hired you.”

“…….”

“I only chose you out of necessity.”

“Okay, whatever you say. Thanks for coming.”

Liz didn’t act arrogantly. Having already experienced intense suffering, she didn’t care who asserted dominance first.
“I won’t do things like putting away your clothes, boiling tea, and serving meals.”

“That’s not originally a maid’s duty.”

“I won’t do things like following you around like a dog or reading books for you. I won’t even engage in conversation.”

“I have no intention of demanding such things from you.”

“You promised to provide me with tasks suitable for my abilities, and I will only do that.”

“Sure, do it that way.”

Liz accepted everything willingly. However, she had to add a condition.

It was a necessary condition.

“I don’t care about anything else; you can do as you please. However, you must stick with me for about two hours a day. Because I hired a maid, not a corpse. On the surface, at least.”

“……”

“A maid is the empress’s aide, and an aide should be by the side of the person they serve. If you don’t play that role, people will look at you with suspicious eyes. Your Majesty will be even more so. You know that Her Majesty won’t end her suspicions with just suspicions, don’t you?”

Rene had no rebuttal.

She had heard and seen for herself that the Emperor was a sharp person.

On that day, after bidding farewell to Liz in the Calier Outskirts Village, Rene was surprised to learn that the Imperial Guards had abandoned the portrait contrast and were identifying the lady in a different way.

And she couldn’t help but be amazed at its accuracy.

It was because she had seen Liz Berium’s forehead scar, which she thought she might award a commendation, remained the same even after her face changed.

“Then… I’ll just pretend to be by your side. Don’t expect any courtesy from me.”

Rene was unable to retort. Liz accepted this time without any conditions.

Then, suddenly, Liz became curious.

“But how did you leave your house?”

The fuss of Mrs. Esmond and the children still lingered in her eyes.

‘They probably didn’t let her leave easily. How on earth did she manage to leave? Well… Did she break an arm or something?’

Liz looked at Rene with curious eyes sparkling.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“……”

“Even if it’s like this or that, they’re still my family. My family can ridicule only me.”

“It’s quite mature of you. I thought you didn’t have any family affection.”

Although her tone was mocking, it didn’t ridicule her deep inside. It rather evoked respect.

‘Who could scold me for my family?’

It was a question with no positive answer expected.

‘Even though I worked hard to help my unruly daughter who couldn’t act right and returned, all I got was insulation. It was pitiful.’

After Seira became her person, Liz could inquire and hear a little more detailed story from her.

That she was famous for being wayward since childhood and that she always said she would cut ties with her family once she became an adult. When she tried to run away with a male servant, her mother stopped her, preventing her from doing so, and thanks to that, she’s now sitting in the position of an empress.
When Liz first heard it and even now, she could only let out a bitter laugh.

Lifting her head, she suppressed the mocking self-deprecation that trickled out. Rene was looking at her.

Her gaze narrowed as if trying to penetrate Liz’s inner thoughts.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I have something I’m curious about.”

As if trying to focus, she narrowed her eyes even more and asked.

“How much do you know?”

“…?”

Not understanding the meaning, Liz remained silent for a moment, and Rene explained.

“I took you to Mount Tenerife, promising to show you a sight you can’t see even if you pay. That event didn’t happen, but originally, it was supposed to. And you stared at the night sky, so it must have been related to natural phenomena. However, only astrologers can interpret natural phenomena.”

Rene stopped speaking and stared at Liz. It seemed as if she was trying to see if Liz was considering the possibility of being an astrologer.

“No, you’re not an astrologer.”

The conclusion came quickly.

“Then it’s one of two things. Either you came from the future, or…”

Putting down the teacup with a clink, Rene continued.

“You vaguely know about the future.”

“…?”

Liz swallowed her saliva audibly. The act was too revealing that there was an answer in one of the two options.

With a sly smile, Rene said, “I’ll tell you in advance, I hate doing things where I don’t know anything and just follow orders.”

“…?”

“Tell me everything you know. Otherwise, we can’t work together.”