The next day, the carriage sent by the Grand Duke arrived.

Elize, who had gone down happily, stopped in her tracks when she saw the carriage.

It wasn’t the usual lavish carriage of the Grand Duke. The carriage he sent looked like one that wealthy commoners might ride in.

A carriage made of good wood, but without any special decorations.

“Are you not the ones sent by the Grand Duke?”

As Elize became flustered, one of those who had come to pick up the people from the Viscount’s household stepped forward.

Seeing him, Elize’s eyes filled with delight. He was clearly one of those who assisted the Grand Duke.

However, unlike usual, he too was wearing simple clothes without the Grand Duke’s family crest.

If it weren’t for the clothes made of high-quality fabric, no one would have thought of them as retainers of the Grand Duke’s household.

He greeted Elize politely and spoke in a low voice.

“It is the Grand Duke’s wish. He said he was displeased with others gossiping carelessly about your relationship and worried about how much you must have suffered. So he asked for your understanding that this was an unavoidable choice for your peaceful recuperation this summer.”

“The Grand Duke…”

She had already been subjected to finger-pointing due to the rumors spread by Riena’s group. The Grand Duke had been concerned about her wounds.

“Ah, of course. I’m just moved by the Grand Duke’s deep consideration.”

Elize boarded the carriage, escorted by the retainer.

The Viscount and his wife, about to board another carriage after Elize, spoke to Ael, who was standing with her head bowed deeply.

“Manage the house while we’re gone. You should be able to do that much.”

“Yes.”

Seeing Ael respond in a small voice, the Viscount clicked his tongue.

He had wanted to keep that arrogant one confined longer to properly break her stubbornness, but it was regrettable that he had to release her early due to the sudden invitation.

‘The Grand Duke didn’t invite this one either.’

It was rather fortunate. Taking her along in that state would only lower their dignity. Moreover, when they leave the house, only the servants remain.

Usually, in other noble houses, the butler or head maid would manage the house at times like this, but currently, there were no such high-ranking servants in the Viscount’s residence.

‘So, annoying as it is, we have no choice but to leave it to this one.’

At least she wasn’t as lazy as the servants, so that was the best option.

Having heard Ael’s response, the Viscount and his wife immediately boarded the carriage.

As soon as the door closed, the carriage hurriedly left the Viscount’s residence. As if they didn’t want to attract any more attention from others.

Watching the carriage disappear into the dust, Ael recalled that the Viscount had left without giving her anything before departing.

‘How will I manage the food expenses?’

The people who left were the Viscount and his wife, Elize, and Elize’s maid, four in total.

After they left, seven people remained in the Viscount’s residence: Ael, Jena, two maids, and three manservants.

‘They didn’t even say when they’d return.’

From what Elize had happily told her maid, it seemed the Grand Duke intended to keep Elize and the Viscount’s couple at the villa all summer.

‘What should I do?’

For now, she would have to shamelessly ask for credit from their usual suppliers. She also needed to contact the Viscount to receive money.

Fortunately, the Viscount had boasted to Ael about where the Grand Duke had invited them. So she planned to send a letter there directly to request the servants’ wages.

The first few days passed quietly.

Among the remaining servants, except for the elderly couple, the two manservants and one maid were not very diligent.

With the family who usually nagged them gone, they threw aside their duties and spent all day being lazy.

When Ael demanded they work, they mockingly agreed but then continued to giggle and waste time. Ael couldn’t blame them.

Those who had witnessed her being disrespected every day wouldn’t recognize her as their employer just because the Viscount and his wife were gone.

After about a week, the shop that had been supplying food ingredients finally said they could no longer provide them.

Although Ael said she would pay as soon as the Viscount returned from his trip, they flatly refused, saying it was no longer possible. At the same time, they demanded payment for the credit they had extended so far.

Of course, there was no way Ael could pay that. So the shop owner came to the Viscount’s residence, entered the reception room, and left with whatever items seemed sellable.

The servants watched this happen without intervening.

People still needed to eat. Ael searched the mansion as she saw Jena sighing in front of the storage room with only a few potatoes left.

There was almost nothing worth selling except for the items the Viscount couple had bought on credit, but fortunately, she found an antique candlestick deep inside that might fetch some money and sold it.

Thanks to that, they had enough money to get by for a while, but they would struggle again afterward.

‘I did write a letter, but…’

At first, she had sent a letter to the Grand Duke’s residence, but they seemed unwilling to reveal that Elize was staying there and returned Ael’s letter.

So Ael paid extra to send a letter to the forest villa the Viscount had mentioned. But still, there was no reply.

Anxious, Ael reduced her own food intake.

She was already eating very little, so it wasn’t a significant amount, but she thought that the less she ate, the more Jena could eat.

The problems troubling Ael weren’t just the servants and meals.

‘What should I do about the torn book?’

Although it was borrowed in her father’s name, she was the one who had borrowed it. So she had to take responsibility for the damage to the book.

At that moment, a voice echoed in Ael’s mind.

The voice of Kalon speaking from beyond the door.

Of course, she didn’t intend to ask him for money.

‘If I teach ancient language to the branch manager, I could receive a salary.’

Could she do that job?

Ael rubbed the bruise that still hadn’t disappeared, lost in thought.

* * *

That night, Ael lay in her bed with her eyes wide open, unable to fall asleep.

‘I want to accept Mr. Kalon’s offer.’

She wanted to do the job of teaching ancient language. But if rumors spread, her father wouldn’t leave her be.

‘But if I hide it well and move around carefully, I might not get caught. Hardly any nobles would recognize me anyway.’

Maybe it would be possible to work while her father was away.

But she would have to quit as soon as her father returned. Would it be possible to work for such a short period?

‘And going there looking like this…’

Her face and limbs were still covered in bruises. Because of that, even in the early summer weather, she wore clothes that covered her arms and neck completely when going out, desperately hiding her face with a wide-brimmed hat and shawl.

‘I don’t want to go looking like this.’

It was an embarrassing appearance to others, but especially to the people at Ash Trading Company, particularly Kalon.

She didn’t know why, but she felt it would be better to die than to stand before him looking pitiful and miserable.

“Hah…”

In the end, Ael got up from bed, unable to sleep. She felt hunger in her stomach, which hadn’t eaten properly all day.

‘I should at least drink some water.’

It was when Ael came out of her room and was about to pass the third floor.

“This is nice, isn’t it?”

“…!”

Voices of people came from the direction of Elize’s room.

At first, she thought thieves had broken in. But as she listened closely, holding her breath, they were all familiar voices.

They belonged to the servants who remained in the mansion.

Ael watched them silently, suppressing her presence. Thanks to the lamps they were holding, it wasn’t difficult to see what they were doing.

‘Oh, no.’

Ael was shocked by what was revealed in the lamplight. They had entered Elize’s room and were freely putting on things from inside.

As she approached quietly and peeked inside, they were sitting or lying on the sofa and bed, chattering away.

Moreover, somehow they had managed to pilfer the expensive liquor that the Viscount had kept in the display cabinet in his room.

“When else would we get to enjoy something like this if not now?”

“I know, right? Look at this. Doesn’t it suit me? I think I look better in it than that Elize girl.”

The maid’s laughing voice was heard. Then another servant clapped and said,

“Nice. Just take it. With so many things here, who’d notice if one went missing? They’d have to be pretty stupid not to.”

It was the voice of the servant who usually bowed so low his head almost touched the ground and blushed whenever he saw Elize.

“Besides, what if they do notice? It’s not like that woman’s going to catch us. She’ll probably just catch the one she always beats up.”

At those words, Ael bit her lip. It seemed they planned to pin their crimes on her.

A moment later, the sound of drawers opening was heard, as if they were ransacking Elize’s room. She couldn’t stand by any longer.

Ael immediately entered the room.

“Pffft! Wha-what the!”

As Ael entered, the servant who was drinking straight from the bottle sputtered in surprise, spitting out what he was drinking. At that sound, the other servant and maid also looked up in shock.