However, she doubted whether there would be someone to use as a spy. They were all people related to her uncle. They had worked here for a long time, and, above all, to her, they were all perpetrators.

‘…Will they cooperate and betray their master for someone they had tormented?’

Riley first thought of Maedalyn.

Come to think of it, it had been a very long time since she last saw her. After the reception and the marriage were confirmed, she hadn’t shown herself.

She remembered Maedalyn instructing her subordinates, hiding herself as much as possible and restraining her movements.

So, she hardly saw her even when she briefly stayed at her uncle’s mansion.

“Didn’t Nunui say? The strong survive.”

On the day when she was dismayed by the decision to marry Ermainz, Maedalyn smiled and said those words. The strong survive.

How cruel those words sounded at that time.

Realizing that she was the lowest in that household, she had to acknowledge and accept her wretched situation, worse than a bug.

The time when she had to admit and accept herself as someone worse than a bug came to her mind.

The strong survive, but I am not strong.

But now it’s different.

Back then, Riley Eadalin was in a more wretched situation than a bug, but now it’s different.

‘Maedalyn, like a bat… Who would she attach herself to now?’

Maedalyn is Riley’s long-time follower, but she inherently has a strong vampire nature.

It is not clear whether someone like her would betray more easily.

‘…But she’s too risky.’

If she makes a mistake, she might step on her uncle’s tail. Maedalyn needs to be observed more carefully.

“Have you come, Miss?”
A maid whose name Riley didn’t know suddenly appeared.

From Riley’s memory, she recalled that the maid wasn’t someone who stood out much. Since she mainly worked in the kitchen, Riley rarely encountered her.

“What brings you here?”

“…Do I need a reason to come to my house?”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant! If you had informed us in advance, we would have prepared to welcome you…”

“I came to deliver a message. Is everyone at home?”

“No, everyone is out… but Miss Claire will probably be back soon. Will you wait?”

“Yes.”

Following the maid’s guidance, Riley entered the mansion, where she saw familiar faces.

“Can I look around? Last time, I couldn’t explore properly; I was only busy eating.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Of course! Feel free to look around, Miss.”

While touring the mansion, she encountered the servants. Even though she didn’t know their names, there were hardly any unfamiliar faces.

When moving to a distant place, it’s common to leave only a few servants behind and dismiss the rest. However, seeing that the same servants were brought along without hiring new ones suggests that they didn’t want to waste money on recruiting.

Considering the burden of leaving their families behind to come to a different place, they probably received higher wages or some other form of persuasion.

Of course, the wages they receive here might be only half of what they were accustomed to.

The cost of living and wages in Blessing is incomparable to Rupra.

“Here is a separate building used by the maids.”

In front of each maid’s room, there were names attached. Unlike the Eadalin mansion, it seemed like private rooms were provided here.

Riley matched the names attached to the maids’ doors with the images that came to her mind, looking around the building.

Several familiar names caught her eye. In the corner was Maedalyn’s room.

“Is Maedalyn not at home either?”

“Huh? Oh, no, she went out with the Madam.”

“That’s a shame.”

I wonder what kind of expression Maedalyn will make when she sees me.

“Here is the room of the young lady.”

Living to see the day when Claire’s room would be under scrutiny was quite surprising.

Claire’s room was much larger and more elaborately decorated than the previous one she stayed in.

Seeing a gigantic bed that could easily accommodate five people in a room for one person made Riley burst into laughter. Well, she had insisted on a three-person bed even in the past.

The shelves were full of cosmetics. It was a vanity table that reflected Claire’s liking for makeup.

There were so many different kinds, and there were also unopened cosmetics, enough to last a lifetime. Seeing that she had collected products from expensive brands that she wouldn’t dare to touch under normal circumstances, it seemed like nothing had changed.

Thinking that all this money came from Givean’s pockets made Riley feel uncomfortable.

“You bought a lot.”

“The Second Miss is so extravagant…”

“Indeed. So many jewels and accessories… enough to last a lifetime.”
Examining Claire’s jewelry box, Riley picked up a brooch that looked familiar to her.

Compared to other accessories, the quite old pearl brooch was a gift from her uncle on Claire’s 17th birthday, a brooch that Claire treasured deeply.

Riley had some unpleasant memories associated with this brooch.