Chapter 8

Rabi continued her "moderate" exercise and, as a result, successfully devised a method to completely conceal her presence. After all, if she moved quietly along the wall, swaying and stepping carefully, no one would ever think that "that" Rabi Heathfen would be in such a place.

Her messy silver hair, which stood out, was tied up, and she honestly thought about cutting it all off. She would consider it positively. In the meantime, the mansion, which had been in turmoil due to Rabi's appearances, seemed to have finally regained its peace. Occasionally, the maids and servants would gather, brooms in hand, and engage in lively gossip.

Rabi quietly approached them. She listened intently, "Hmm, hmm." Gathering information was necessary, after all, she didn't know who was connected to Nelra. She was surprised. "Oh my," she placed her hand over her mouth in a rare ladylike gesture.

***

"Miss, why do you always come to the kitchen when I'm here?"

"Perhaps it's because you're the lowest-ranking and stay the latest."

I appreciate your hard work, she said sincerely, and the servant jumped and trembled. She hadn't meant to startle him, but she regretted not saying "thank you" for a moment. However, she didn't know who was connected to Nelra. It couldn't be known that Rabi had become normal. Pretending to be a haughty lady was already second nature to her.

By the way, while stirring the pot, Rabi remembered a rumor and decided to share it with the servant.

"Hey, do you know? Recently, a witch has been seen stirring a pot at night and happily carrying a white, thick liquid."

"Wait, isn't that... Miss?"

The reaction was immediate. His honesty made her wonder if he could survive in the workplace. Nevertheless, the maids also seemed to be evading the issue, saying, "Well, no matter how you think about it, it must be 'that person.'"

She was surprised to be feared for her normal actions, but it was good camouflage for Nelra. The order from Nelra to Rabi was to "act in a manner unsuitable for a lady of the Heathfen family." Therefore, it was better to be seen as crazy rather than to say whimsical things or hurtful words.

However, she was concerned about the source of the rumors. Rabi thought she was secretly and quietly blending into the darkness, carrying porridge to her room using the private spaces of the Heathfen family. She had been discovered by her younger brother, Furu, before, but now they avoided each other.

Thus, the only person who knew that Rabi made this porridge, called "kayu," was this timid male servant.

"Have you ever told anyone that I make this every day?"

"Ah! No, I haven't! If I told anyone about Miss, I'd be cursed. I'm new, so I don't even have anyone to talk to."

"You should be more careful with your words."

Some people might have already had their heads cut off. If he was lying, he would be a bigger catch than Nelra. This meant that someone was deliberately monitoring Rabi's movements. That person must be close to Nelra. Rabi sighed. She was starting to feel tired from standing, but she had to endure it as a trial.

"I think just white rice and salt is a bit too much. I want some protein."

"P-P-Protein?"

Incidentally, the concept of nutrition did not exist in this country. If it did, it was only the vague idea that the more meat you ate, the stronger your body would become. She took eggs from the cold storage and cracked them into a bowl. This was the first time she had cracked eggs with this body, but the yolks trembled satisfyingly. She wanted to try swallowing them raw when her body became stronger. She stirred them with chopsticks and poured them into the porridge. "Ah!" The servant fainted.

"Eggs with rice!? You'll die! It's a demonic combination! My grandmother said many people have died from this combination! If Miss dies... I... I won't be particularly troubled, but I'll have a bad morning!"

"How honest."

It wasn't that he had no one to talk to because he was new; there was another reason.

Or perhaps the "demonic combination" referred to Salmonella. Whether bacteria existed in this world or not, rice and eggs were indeed a tempting combination. It was no wonder many challengers had lost their lives.

"Fresh eggs are fine, and they are being heated now."

The warmth and softness of the rice could be described as gentle. However, no one in this room understood that, and the only one present was a trembling, timid servant.

The next morning, the servant, who had prayed with his hands together that Miss would wake up, was still lively as Rabi opened her eyes. Recently, she had been experiencing a vague muscle pain all over her body. Each time she felt the pain, she smiled faintly. Because it was "muscle pain." The effort was worth it, and she couldn't help but grin.

Knock, knock, knock. "Come in." A girl with her black hair neatly tied up approached. Rabi was still in bed in her nightgown. "Mari, I'm changing. Please step away." She bowed and hid behind the screen.

Nelra had ordered Rabi to change by herself so that no one would see the mark of servitude. Of course, there was no such mark now, but she couldn't risk exposing any flaws. This frail body had no plump fat. She felt a slight, but real, sense of shame at being seen by a girl her age.

So, even without being ordered by Nelra, she had been changing by herself.

Mari quietly placed the morning tea on the table. Her tea was much better than Nelra's. The frozen look in her eyes made her shudder, but that was all. The servants in this mansion had always looked at her with similar eyes.

Until the start of the academy, she had ordered Mari to bring a cup of tea and then leave her alone. As Mari was about to leave, Rabi sipped the tea and instantly understood.

"Wait."

The sharp, piercing voice was one she had used many times before. She had been forced to act this way in front of Nelra. Confirming that Mari had turned to look at her curiously, Rabi slowly lifted the cup in her palm and let it fall. The cup shattered on the floor, losing its handle and rolling away. The sweet, cloying smell of the spilled tea spread across the room.

"Did you prepare this?"

Mari quietly frowned. It was an affirmative response.

—She had found it.