Chapter 9

Rabi picked up the broken teacup handle. It was slender, with a cute red edge, and it was her favorite cup. What a waste, she sighed quietly.

How much would this single cup be worth? The more escape funds, the better. There were several other cups specifically for Rabi, but the more complete the set, the higher the value. How much of a loss was this single missing piece? She clenched her teeth, but now was not the time for such thoughts.

At this moment, Rabi should have become the villain. She ran her long, unkempt hair through her fingers and glared at the maid, not just a glance, but a fierce one. The girl tensed, suspiciously. She was connected to Nella. It was probably her who spread the rumor that Rabi was a witch. She must have observed Rabi's behavior even after her work was done.

"Miss, have I done something to offend you?"

"Yes, very much so."

Rabi's magic was limited to the amount of a teacup. And since this country faced the sea, many people had water-related magic. Rabi was no exception. This meant that with just a sip, she could understand what was in the tea. She recognized this taste. It was the tea Nella often prepared, containing a drug that made thoughts hazy.

The first time she drank it, she felt dazed, pleasantly relaxed, and almost euphoric. As this repeated, she eventually realized. Rabi was controlled by Nella, but only on the surface. In her heart, she was constantly searching for a way to escape. In the end, there was no such way, and she could only wait for the day she would be free. But from Nella's perspective, there were contingencies. To make Rabi more like a puppet, she took various measures.

Rabi didn't just cry into her pillow. She was allowed to "bully" Nella in public. As much as possible, she splashed the tea in front of her, and sometimes even poured it on her head. Seeing this, her father, mother, and Fehr covered their mouths in disbelief and scolded her.

"It's just that the fool's face was right in front of me. I felt like splashing the tea on her."

With a cackle like a chicken bone, they gradually distanced themselves and treated Rabi as if she didn't exist. Rabi managed to act so convincingly that she was judged to be an incomprehensible madwoman.

So, Nella shouldn't know. Rabi had been desperately trying to escape from her "drug" and resist it.

"This is something Nella prepared. It's so smelly, I can't even drink it."

With a snort, a small spark of fire flickered in Mari's eyes. She was irritated and made no effort to hide it. With a bitter smile, Rabi understood. Mari didn't know this was "poison."

"It was given to me for my nourishment, but I drank it out of habit. You're leaving the manor, taking this trouble with you."

She had never heard such a thing before, but she wondered. As expected, Mari clenched her fists and bit her lip, exclaiming, "Nella!" forgetting her place. "Nella always thinks about you!" If she was deceived to this extent, it was refreshing.

Rabi knew Mari. Though they had never directly interacted, she occasionally saw her gather the children of the servants and laugh joyfully. She understood that Mari was a kind and righteous girl, which was why she stubbornly followed Nella's instructions.

(Nella is an "angel," she wouldn't ask to give poison.)

She must have claimed it was "for Rabi's sake." It wasn't hard to imagine.

"Do you know the phrase 'unwelcome kindness'? I'm really tired of that woman. I feel relieved that she's gone."

It wasn't a lie. But she didn't like these words, which deliberately hurt Mari's feelings. And she hated Nella even more for using Mari. "You used to like books, didn't you? Are you writing letters to her? Could you write that you refuse her stinky tea?" Rabi spat out, trying to hide her feelings.

Mari's face turned red. She flipped her skirt and headed for the door. "Wait. Your mistake has made a mess. Why don't you clean it up? And you should compensate for the broken cup from your salary." She was surprised at how smoothly the words came out. This time, Mari rushed out of the room.

"Well, I guess that should do it."

She felt sorry for Mari, but if she let her guard down, she might be given that drug again. Of course, Mari wouldn't actually compensate for the cup. Even if she told the head maid or Rabi's parents, considering the situation, she would be the victim. Servants weren't usually held responsible for accidental damage during work.

Mari would write to Nella. She had stirred her up enough. To avoid upsetting the kind Nella, she would try to soften her words. Even if she wrote the truth, Rabi had acted in a way that wouldn't cause problems.

"Tiring..."

She sighed involuntarily. By the way, would it be her job to clean up the spilled tea on the floor? It might be good exercise, so it was fine.

***

Mari clenched her skirt in frustration. She first met Rabi a few years ago.

When she became a maid at the Heathfen household as a trainee, her trembling fingers wouldn't stop from the anxiety. Her mother gave her a book, saying it was something she shouldn't bring, but it gave her courage. Her father often told her that literate women weren't favored as brides and that it was best if women couldn't read or write.

Still, the book her mother gave her gave her courage. The Heathfen manor had a terrifying girl. She had silver hair and always narrowed her glaring red eyes, and sometimes her throat was hoarse from shouting. The first time she saw her, Rabi was yelling at a girl with brown hair and hitting various things in a fit of rage.

Is this the duke's daughter? She shuddered. It seemed she wasn't the only one to feel this way, as none of the servants tried to interact with her. Among them, only Nella was close to Rabi. Despite this, Rabi always belittled her, mocking her lack of beauty and cuteness. Over time, Mari learned to hide her true self and kill her feelings towards Rabi. But Nella was different. She was always kind to the young lady.

When Nella left the manor, she gently held Mari's hand and said, "Please take care of the young lady." Mari was surprised by the beauty of her hand, considering how long she had been a maid, but she believed that such a lovely girl must be perfect in every way.

Becoming Rabi's attendant was something Mari wanted. She thought it was better than seeing someone else being bullied. Surprisingly, taking care of Rabi was easy. She dressed herself, was quiet, and there was nothing to do. Still, she sometimes left the room, so Mari quietly observed and found her bullying a servant.

As expected.

Mari hurriedly warned the others. The word "witch" spread, though she didn't intend it, and she didn't deny it.

The beautiful, red tea was given to her by Nella. The young lady was weak and couldn't eat nutritious food, so Nella asked her to give her this drug once a week. To avoid resistance, she asked Mari to mix it with a strong-smelling tea and keep it a secret.

Despite her intentions, Rabi's attitude was like this.

"Oh, come on!"

She kicked the floor in frustration. Mari didn't know she was being deceived. She was given poison by Nella. Without knowing this, she was caught between her sense of justice and her actions, which only made her more frustrated. Rabi was right; Nella wanted letters from her, asking for regular updates on the young lady. Since she was one of the few maids who could write, she was the one to do it. But how could she write? The tea she gave was spilled, and the medicine she prepared wasn't even drunk. She couldn't write that.

She would probably write something to avoid upsetting her. It was pitiful. In the midst of this, a strange feeling struck her.

"You used to like books, didn't you? Are you writing letters to her?"

(Why does the young lady know I like books?)

Once, while secretly reading a book in the shadow of the garden, she accidentally met Rabi's eyes. She couldn't resist the desire to read a book in the bright sunlight. That day, Rabi was unusually walking in the garden. She had learned that Nella and Rabi's fiancé, Bald, had secretly gone to town, and she was crying, seeking solace.

Being in the bright sunlight felt a bit more comforting than crying in a dark room.

But Mari didn't know this. She screamed when the young lady's shadow suddenly appeared. She couldn't yet kill her feelings.

Rabi's large eyes looked down at her. Realizing her book was being glared at, she hugged it and tried to hide it.

Would she be hit, attacked, or have the book taken away?

Scared, she couldn't run. But Rabi only whispered softly.

"Interesting."

And then she disappeared. She felt like a ghost. Over time, she forgot about this. Could Rabi remember such a small incident? No way. It must be different.

But she thought.

(I am the young lady's attendant.)

No matter how bad or scary her personality was. She huffed and turned around, heading back the way she came.