3.

The bluish sunlight heralding dawn tickled her tightly closed eyes. Green eyes appeared and disappeared several times between her long eyelashes.

“……”

Stella, who had been sleeping curled up in a corner of the wide bed without even covering herself with a blanket, sat up.

Like a lost child, she slowly surveyed the room.

An unfamiliar ceiling, unfamiliar furniture, even the scenery visible outside the window was completely unfamiliar.

It was Duke Rochester’s room.

‘Now it feels a bit real.’

Stella chuckled.

Whether it was because she had been so out of it, or because she had desperately wanted it to be so.

Somehow she had felt like she would wake up sleeping in the house on the street, but it wasn’t so.

Yesterday she had gotten married, and now she would become Stella Rochester and live in this mansion.

Though it was a time-limited marriage with divorce decided from the first day.

‘three years.’

Stella mulled over the period written in yesterday’s contract.

Would something happen within three years? Or would someone the duke liked return from somewhere?

Stella, who had been trying to predict the future in her own way, soon shook her head.

What was the use of her trying to predict the future? Her fate had never been her own anyway. It had always been held by others.

Mainly poverty had held her, and at crucial moments, it was Father.

And now it was in the grasp of the owner of this room, the man who should have been sleeping beside her — Kalian Rochester.

All she could do was organize her heart so she wouldn’t get hurt, so it wouldn’t hurt too much.

How long had she been like that? When the dawn light had turned into bright sunlight, she heard a knock.

Could it be His Grace?

Stella’s gaze turned toward the door. But it wasn’t. What she heard was an unfamiliar voice she had heard for the first time yesterday.

“Excuse me. May I come in for a moment, Madam?”

“Please come in!”

Stella hurriedly covered herself with the blanket as she answered. The nightgown that had been embarrassing even in the dim candlelight was absolutely impossible to reveal under bright sunlight.

Moreover, because several ribbons that had come undone yesterday had disappeared, it seemed she had to do this.

“Did you sleep comfortably, Madam?”

Mrs. Karen, who was in charge of managing the Rochester ducal mansion, bowed politely.

The keys hanging from her waist clinked against each other, making a pleasant sound.

Stella nodded while forcing a smile.

“Yes. I slept very well.”

“That’s fortunate. I was worried that you might not have slept properly because the place had changed.”

“Not at all. It’s been so long since I slept in such good bedding…… I slept well. Thank you.”

Thank you.

At those words, one of Mrs. Karen’s eyebrows twitched. Her gaze swept over Stella from behind her glasses as if something displeased her.

Did I do something wrong?

Stella’s hand gripping the blanket tightened.

“It must be difficult for you to stay like that, so I’ll bring you a dressing robe.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The movement of the lady who had turned to get the robe stopped. Those eyes again.

Eyes that said she very much did not like her.

I definitely did something wrong.

Stella’s head dropped down. All she had done was wake up and exchange a few words.

What among those was so wrong?

Or was her very existence wrong in this place?

“You can wear this.”

The dressing robe Mrs. Karen offered was dark navy blue with frills and lace at the bottom.

Stella, who had received the robe, turned around and put it over her nightgown.

Did high-ranking people have to make all their clothes from silk to be satisfied?

Trying to put the silk robe over the smooth nightgown made her hands keep slipping.

She heard the sound of deep breathing from behind her.

She could guess what kind of eyes were watching her.

As soon as Stella, who had barely managed to put on the robe, sat at the table in the room, two maids began setting up breakfast brought on a trolley.

Four pieces of toast and salad, a dish with meat and beans, soup and richly brewed tea.

It was too much for breakfast.

“Um.”

“Don’t put that down.”

Before Stella could properly speak, Mrs. Karen stopped the maid who was about to set food on the opposite side.

“His Grace isn’t here.”

How should she think about this?

No matter that Kalian had left in the middle of the night, whether it was a servant or a stable keeper, surely someone who had been awake would have informed her, the head maid.

To deliberately bring a meal for two and say such things as if for the maids to hear.

‘She means she hates me, that’s what.’

Stella tore off a corner of bread and put it in her mouth while trying to comfort herself.

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but please listen while you eat, Madam.”

After the two maids took away Kalian’s portion of the meal, Mrs. Karen continued speaking politely.

“I’m sorry, but a maid to serve you hasn’t been decided yet. For the time being, several maids will take turns being in charge of you. After the meal, I’ll introduce the girls to you.”

“I see.”

Stella nodded while swallowing the piece of bread in her mouth.

“Thank you for your consideration, Mrs. Karen.”

Those eyes again.

The corners of Stella’s mouth, which had been smiling, turned downward.

In this short time, she had already met those eyes for the third time.

“Mrs. Karen.”

Stella put the spoon she had been holding back on the table and looked up at Mrs. Karen.

Green eyes stared straight at her.

“What exactly do those eyes mean?”

“I’m sorry, Madam. I have no idea what you mean—”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Stella continued while looking straight into Mrs. Karen’s eyes.

“You’ve been looking at me with eyes that say you very much hate what I say every time I speak since earlier. Just like now.”

“……”

“And didn’t you deliberately bring up that His Grace was away?”

Mrs. Karen fell silent. Her face showed she hadn’t expected Stella to point this out so directly.

Why did she think I couldn’t do it?

Although Stella didn’t possess the nobility they wanted, she had instead gained tenacity.

There were many times when she couldn’t say anything and just nodded, but it wasn’t like that in all situations.

Stella had been the head of household responsible for House Ambrose’s livelihood for years.

“Surely you won’t deny it?”

“I’m sorry.”

Mrs. Karen exhaled briefly and bowed her head. It was a gesture of surrender.

“His Grace’s meal being brought up was because I failed to inform the kitchen in advance. I’m ashamed to show such inexperience from the beginning.”

“……”

“And regarding my gaze, ahem, may I give you one piece of advice?”

However, this didn’t mean the look in her eyes had changed.

“Yes, I’ll listen carefully.”

“You must not say thank you to the servants.”

“What?”

It was an unexpected statement. Stella slowly blinked her eyes.

She shouldn’t say thank you?

Even when Stella was young, when House Ambrose still maintained the appearance of nobility, she had never heard such words.

House Ambrose was already in a situation where it had declined as much as it could.

Since all those who would leave had already left, the bond and intimacy among the handful of remaining people was indescribable.

Thanks to this, Stella, who grew up in a friendly atmosphere, lived freely saying thank you and sorry to the servants.

Perhaps because of this, even when they eventually sold the mansion and scattered in all directions, didn’t she gain someone like Dorison who continued to care for her?

The power of greetings was significant in helping House Ambrose, who knew nothing of commoner life after selling the mansion, establish themselves among people.

Hello, thank you, I’m sorry.

Just by saying those few words well, people would open their hearts and share even small warmth.

Whether it was because of this, or because she grew up in such an environment.

Not only Mary, but even Sanderson never forgot to greet people around them.

But here she shouldn’t say thank you.

“House Rochester has about 40 servants. The maids under me alone number over twenty.”

Whether she knew the shock Stella had received or not, Mrs. Karen continued speaking slowly.

“This is also because we reduced staff since the Grand Madam mainly stays at the resort mansion and His Grace was in the military. There were no masters to serve.”

But now things had changed. Hadn’t the two masters returned?

Moreover, a new master they hadn’t wanted had come like this.

“Now we’ll need to hire at least thirteen more for the mansion to run smoothly.”

40 people, plus 13 more.

Though she had expected it somewhat after seeing the size of the mansion, it was a scale that easily exceeded her imagination.

“You wouldn’t be planning to say thank you every time you receive service from those people, would you?”

The corners of Mrs. Karen’s mouth rose slightly as she read surprise and bewilderment in the green eyes.

“Rather than feeling good about hearing thanks, they would look down on you, Madam.”

Just like now.

That phrase seemed hidden behind Mrs. Karen’s words.

“I see.”

As if mulling over her advice, Stella nodded for a moment then stared at Mrs. Karen again.

“Thank you for telling me. This isn’t just empty words but thanks for the advice, Mrs. Karen.”

“……”

“However, it would have been better if you had spoken up early rather than continuing to give me hints with those eyes.”

Stella smiled brightly.

“You won’t deny that you deliberately gave me hints, will you?”

Hadn’t she obviously given Stella hints for anyone to see?