Chapter 54

Lady Scarlett, the seventh daughter of the Pigeot Marquis family. She is a woman who embodies the very essence of becoming a maid to find a husband.

The Pigeot Marquis family is famously known for having a large number of children. First, three sons were born, followed by twin daughters the next year, and then three more children (a son, a daughter, and another daughter) the year after that. Then came another set of twins (the fifth and sixth daughters), and finally another set of twins (the seventh daughter and the fifth son). You might think, "How many more can there be?" I thought the same thing.

Isn't it amazing? And this is all from one legitimate wife who gave birth to them. The lady of the house must have worked incredibly hard. The number of wet nurses must have been impressive too.

However, the Pigeot Marquis family does not have a vast fortune. Therefore, the eldest son is the heir, the second son is sent to a branch family, and the rest are expected to find their own paths. With so many children, it's questionable whether there are enough benefits in arranging marriages for all of them. The Marquis family seems to think that the family name is the only advantage they have, and they don't believe their children are so capable that they can bring a substantial dowry. Thus, they expect their children to find their own way based on their individual qualities.

For the daughters, the eldest and second daughters had marriage prospects with noble families they were acquainted with, while the third daughter and beyond had to work and wait for opportunities. The third daughter of the Pigeot family is actually my contemporary, so I've heard a lot about her. When it was decided that the youngest sister, Lady Scarlett, would become a maid, her sister wrote a worried letter. The third daughter, by the way, married a cook who worked in the castle's kitchen. She is now a commoner due to her marriage but seems very happy and has children.

However, Lady Scarlett looks down on her sister for not marrying into nobility, considering her a loser. So, the letter was essentially a plea to take care of her, as she expected her to have a tough time. In the end, I didn't end up being assigned to the princess's palace, so we hardly interacted.

Now, about Lady Scarlett. If she were just one of the many maids in the inner palace, working hard, that would be one thing. But apparently, she has a high awareness in the wrong direction. She takes pride in being a marquis's daughter, which I understand, but now that she's a maid, she must first be a maid. Her job is "maid," and that doesn't change. Therefore, she must follow the hierarchy of the head maid and the deputy head maid, but she doesn't, and she has been reprimanded many times.

When she was assigned, she even told the head maid, "I am a marquis's daughter, and I'm young, so I would be a good match for the Crown Prince. I'm beautiful, so I should be assigned to the prince's palace!" Of course, there's no way she could be a personal attendant to the Crown Prince or a maid in the prince's palace.

If she were a candidate for the Crown Prince's fiancée, she wouldn't be working as a maid. She would have received princess education from a young age. A few suitable young ladies are already chosen internally, but the king hasn't made a final decision. I don't know who they are, but apparently, three candidates are being educated to some extent. Lady Scarlett is not one of them, as the head maid has denied it.

"Lord Aldar Saul, what a coincidence!"

"Ah, Lady Pigeot, are you working? Please do your best."

"Yes, the head maid is making me do such dull tasks because she's jealous that I'm a marquis's daughter! What do you think about that?!"

"Learning the basics is important, regardless of one's status. Please do your job diligently. Come, Lord Yuria."

"Y-Yes... Lady Scarlett, as Lord Aldar Saul said, please do your job seriously..."

"Oh, how rude!"

She clearly gave me a hostile look. I can't stand this girl anymore! As a maid, even though we are in different palaces, I am in a higher position... and to complain about her superior to Lord Aldar Saul, who is from another department, is unacceptable. If we were close, it might be different, but we're not, and we're in a public place. It's just too much. I can't help but show my true feelings.

Since we are in different palaces, I can't really discipline her, but if the head maid of the inner palace heard this, she would be furious. It's that inappropriate.

It's fine if this were a casual conversation between close friends or maids with no prospects, but the time, place, and people matter. T.P.O. is important, you know? By the way, T.P.O. is a Japanese term. In my past life, a bald sales executive used it proudly, and a foreign client tilted their head in confusion. It was a learning experience...

"Lord Aldar Saul, I'm talking to you. Can you spare a moment?"

Old lady.

I felt disappointed that she mouthed this when Lord Aldar Saul couldn't see. It's pointless if he can't see it... Look, Lord Aldar Saul is clearly uncomfortable...

I don't mind when girls like her, who are quite common, lash out, but it's really unbecoming for a maid to pick a fight with us in our uniforms. I think she should realize that her aggressive behavior is driving men away. Probably, she won't listen to anyone, and she might not have any friends... I don't know much about her since she's from another palace.

"Let's go, Lord Yuria."

He smiled.

Yes, he smiled genuinely.

I understood that he was treating her as if she were invisible. But I hesitated to respond, and Lady Scarlett, apparently dissatisfied with his response, glared.

Is this going to be a showdown?

"Lord Aldar Saul, why are you with the Viscount's daughter? I've invited you so many times, and you've never accepted. Why are you with her now?"

"Your treatment of her as 'such a person' is not acceptable. I am with whomever I choose to be with."

"I am a marquis's daughter!"

"Yes, and what of it?"

"You are just a viscount's son, and you can't even inherit! I've heard that you're planning to start a branch family. Wouldn't it help the Baum family if my family supported you?"

"Scarlett!"

I had to reprimand her, even though she is a maid from another palace. As one of the head maids, I couldn't overlook her words.

She looked startled for a moment but quickly became resentful. Lord Aldar Saul clearly showed his displeasure, suggesting that this might be her usual attitude, which is very problematic.

"Do you think it's acceptable for a mere viscount's daughter to address me so informally? That's disrespectful!"

"You are the one being disrespectful, Scarlett. Your position is that of a maid in the inner palace. You have no right to comment on Lord Aldar Saul's status. Understand your place. You have no authority to wield the prestige of a marquis's daughter while on duty."

She has many faults. Of course, the biggest is her attempt to wield the prestige of a marquis's daughter, which the Pigeot family does not recognize. In fact, they have even asked for her to be disciplined to correct her misunderstanding of the noble status.

Next, she is currently a maid on duty. It's not appropriate to abandon her work to follow a man she likes. Additionally, it's a violation of manners to insult the person he is with, especially since that person is a superior.

Most importantly, her condescending attitude towards the Baum family's son is unacceptable. While the marquis rank is higher than the viscount, using "just" to describe him is a grave mistake. In a society that values honor, such an attitude could lead to a duel.

The Baum family, a noble house since the founding of the kingdom, is actually one of the palace barons. If asked what a palace baron is, it's someone who can help prevent the kingdom from splitting in the event of a succession dispute. I don't know much more than that, but it's enough.

This is a well-known secret among the nobility, but "just" is a grave mistake. Moreover, the Baum family is much wealthier than the Pigeot family.

Yet, Lady Scarlett, still in her maid's uniform, casually talks about the Pigeot family's backing, despite having no real power. The phrase "a son who can't inherit" is also inappropriate, as it is disrespectful to someone who serves as a guard.

This is giving me a headache. Even though we are in different departments, I can imagine the head maid of the inner palace is also having a headache. There are so many maids and maidservants in her department, and she can't directly teach them all.

A new character with a lot of flaws has appeared!