Chapter 66

About that person from before.

Is there anyone who remembers?

Anna's beloved young lady is a wonderful person.

Although she is terribly naive about the world, she possesses an extraordinary eye for talent.

She transforms and cooks existing foods into something incredibly delicious in ways no one has ever thought of before. At times, she creates beautiful dresses and jewelry, sweeping the noble world. On other occasions, she comes up with and produces a wide range of things, from seasonings to paper and stationery, and sends them out into the world.

She believes that it is all thanks to the instructions she received from Julius and the financial power of the Latzche family.

Indeed, Julius is an excellent talent, no doubt.

Duke Latzche is undoubtedly a multifaceted person, but Albertina is multifaceted in a different direction.

The vast fortune she created with a single idea is skillfully managed by her father, the Duke, to ensure it does not connect to Albertina. The Duke, who dotes on his only daughter, is meticulous.

He selects the best servants and merchants to be involved in the business, and the Duke rigorously examines them.

However, the name on the assets is properly under Albertina's name.

The management of the now large Rose Trading Company is entrusted to the butler and servants selected by Grail, as well as to Sebastian, Julius, and the Latzche family's merchants.

Every time Anna leaves the Vayu palace to procure supplies, various people appear. Anna, as the only maid who can meet Albertina, is a very important figure. The only people who can meet her without prior notice are the palace guards, ministers, or high-ranking civil servants.

(Most of them didn't seem trustworthy. They all had the look of wanting to get a taste of the sweet life.

... But it was fortunate that Count Kroytz was in the castle. Did the Duke foresee this...? No, given his condition, it's also possible he forced himself into the gap where the Duke was absent.)

Grail's younger brother, Zephir, has often been called by Grail to fill in the gaps.

He is a prime example of someone who is overused due to his exceptional talent and good nature.

This overuse has been happening since he was a young age. Grail, who is not particularly sensitive to human emotions, has kidnapped Zephir several times to learn how to please his wife, Christina, after a rare argument.

Grail's natural sadism has been present since then, whether he was in the student dormitory, at home, at the castle, or in his territory.

At the time, as the third son of Duke Latzche, Zephir was a spare of a spare. With his two older brothers alive, the likelihood of him inheriting the duchy was low. He was an excellent student, obtaining credits in both the knight and civil servant courses. He had a gentle and honest personality, and that beauty. Many people wanted to take him as a son-in-law or adopt him as an heir.

The selection of his fiancée was fiercely contested.

Despite his exceptional abilities, his marital life is complicated. His eldest brother ran away, his second brother usurped the duchy, and he was forced into an unbalanced marriage for the family's sake.

It's easy to imagine that those around him were putting pressure on the gentle Zephir, saying, "You must listen." With a runaway eldest brother, a ruthless second brother who stole a woman from the royal family, and a gentle third brother, it's obvious who would bear the brunt.

If Grail couldn't do it, Zephir could.

Grail is terrifying, but Zephir is kind. A devil and a saint. Young maids falling for Zephir was a rite of passage for new hires.

However, even Zephir, who is so favored by Grail, has never met Albertina directly. He knew her before the kidnapping, but probably not now. His memory is muddled, and he has even forgotten his mother's face.

(But, his appearance resembles Grail's... Albertina might not be too afraid of him.)

But I don't want to use him actively.

There's a possibility that unnecessary people will come along.

When Kistaria and Julius tried to come to the palace, they were accompanied by unwanted extras.

Outside the Vayu palace, there are many people waiting to catch a glimpse of Albertina.

I will absolutely protect her.

Anna is not suited for combat. It's natural; she is a maid.

She is knowledgeable about food, beauty, and medicine to manage Albertina's health.

Nobles are sometimes targeted from various directions. The Latzche family, one of the leading noble families after the royal family, is no exception. Until now, Albertina has been well-protected by her father, the Duke.

However, the extremely unlucky Albertina suffered a terrible experience on a rare outing.

At the academy, she was once subjected to unreasonable violence by Lucas.

The person behind it was a terribly nasty and vile girl, but at the time, Anna couldn't even be a meat shield.

Despite putting herself on the line, she was easily knocked down by a strong knight.

In the end, Albertina was dragged out of the carriage and subjected to harsh words.

She felt ashamed of her failure, but her unwavering loyalty was recognized even by Grail. While Albertina was in considerable danger, Anna, unlike Raven who was slightly away from the scene, received no reprimand.

(... Perhaps because it was the second time.)

The first time was with Dora.

A senior servant who was originally Christina's attendant.

That woman loved Duke Latzche—Grail von Latzche. Not as a master, but as a man. She burned with a passion that was beyond her station.

That's why she aimed for the position of second wife.

While serving as Christina's attendant, she was likely filled with jealousy.

Her father was one of the four great dukes, Gandalf, and her mother was a former princess, Sistine, who had married into the family. She had a beauty that everyone envied and a distinguished lineage. Her every movement was elegant and refined, befitting a noble lady.

Grail, the young head of the prestigious duchy and a man of unparalleled beauty, was a match for the equally unmatched Christina. It's not hard to imagine the couple as a perfect pair. To Grail, Dora, who was just a moderately beautiful woman, was like a stone on the roadside. Grail showed no interest in her.

There was no need to compare who was more suitable, and Grail only saw Christina.

Even after Christina's death, Grail's affection remained with her. He married Latine later, but only for Albertina, Christina's legacy. His love was directed only towards that daughter.

That's why Dora resented Albertina, who strongly resembled Christina.

Grail's special treatment was for Albertina alone.

Moreover, for Albertina's sake, he adopted a son and his mother from a branch family and made her his second wife.

He went through the trouble of smoothing things over with the surroundings to bring in a woman from outside. Dora's pride must have been severely hurt.

That foolish woman intended to use Albertina to become the second wife. Her shortsighted and foolish plan was quickly seen through by those around her. She never realized that her position was only maintained by the young Albertina's favor.

She repeatedly tried to trigger Albertina's trauma of darkness and confined spaces, and then pretended to be the first to rush to her aid to win her over.

She set up insidious traps for the young Albertina time and time again.

She didn't even notice that the eyes of the maids, servants, butlers, and even Sebastian, the head butler, were becoming increasingly sharp.

Naturally, Anna, who was one of the maids responsible for Albertina's surroundings, was also one of them.

Previously, Albertina, who was more sadistic than temperamental, was honestly disliked.

But after Albertina returned from being kidnapped, Anna didn't hate her.

She often cried out in fear, but she didn't resort to violence. As long as her trauma wasn't triggered, she was a small, angelic lady with a sweet smile.

She would smile and thank Anna when helping her change or pour tea. After crying and thrashing, she would apologize with a cute, remorseful face, and Anna gradually became attached to her.

Albertina, the duchess's daughter, could have reigned as a queen in the Latzche family.

But in reality, she was a fragile and delicate princess from a fairy tale.

Right next to her was an evil witch trying to exploit that gentle princess.

There was no need to hesitate about whose side to take.

At the time, Anna was still a junior servant. She was favored by Albertina, but she wasn't in a position to control the senior maid, Dora.

That woman was adept at taking advantage of the gaps when no one could challenge her. She was a despicable person.

All Anna could do was keep a watchful eye to ensure Dora didn't approach the sleeping Albertina, and patrol at night to make sure nothing strange was happening to her.

Check if a blindfold was placed over her eyes.

Check if the magic stone lamp by her pillow was hidden.

Check if the thick, light-blocking canopy was drawn.

Over and over, every day.

She persistently fought against Dora.

She was determined to find definitive evidence and drive her away someday.

In the end, that woman never changed her ways.

(... I wanted her to apologize in front of the young lady.)

What comes to mind is a dark room.

She saw that woman sneak into Albertina's room with hushed footsteps.

Dora, wearing a nightgown over her maid's uniform, seemed to be cautious of her surroundings, but she didn't notice Anna, who was holding her breath.

At first glance, she might have been seen as a senior maid devoted to the young lady, but Dora's intentions were the opposite.

She moved Albertina's favorite stuffed animal away from the bed, hid the magic stone lamp, and opened the thick, light-blocking canopy. Then, she placed a blindfold over the sleeping Albertina. When Albertina shifted, she carefully adjusted it—watching Albertina cry and scream in the darkness, which Dora always aimed to provoke, was annoying, yet she always did it to shake and weaken Albertina's heart, to make her do as she wished.

Naturally, Albertina, who avoided confined spaces and darkness when awake, was targeted when she was unconscious.

I don't want to wake the young lady. I don't want to involve her in this, and I don't want her to be frightened.

While trying to control her anger, she caught Dora as she left the room.

One of the reasons Albertina became sensitive to the presence of people she didn't trust was due to Dora. Even in the Latzche family, which should have been a safe haven, Dora's persistent harassment made her wary of others.

Anna's anger, which had been building up, reached its peak.

"... What business do you have in the young lady's room, Dora?"

Thank you for reading!