Chapter 2 – The Woman Known as the Dowager’s Jewel
Chapter 2.1
The maids of the annex were starting their morning as ordinarily as ever.
They scattered to various parts of the estate—kitchen, laundry room, and elsewhere—chatting idly while their hands busied themselves with sweeping or mopping.
“Yawn… So Liz slapped that man across the face and said, ‘Hey!’—”
“Hey, hey! Over there…!”
At someone’s sudden outcry, the drowsy-eyed maids cleaning the area all turned their gazes in one direction. Soon, the sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed throughout the space.
Walking down the corridor connecting the annex to the main building was none other than their lady of the house, Madame Solnia Trovill.
“Looks like she’s returning from the main building?”
One of the maids muttered as she glanced at her lady of the house.
The master and the lady of the house they served were known for their peculiar arrangement.
Due to their emphasis on personal space, the husband, Luette, resided in the main building, while the wife, Solnia, lived in the annex.
They only dined together occasionally, about ten times a month. On days when they didn’t share meals, they never visited each other’s spaces.
The staff assumed it was because both were raised in such privilege that their privacy was of utmost importance.
Even though they only saw each other once or twice a week, the couple always made sure to close the dining room or study doors when they met, spending time alone together. If that wasn’t love, then what was it?
However, it was unusual for Madame Solnia to visit the main building so early in the morning.
“What’s she doing at the main building at this hour?”
“Does that even matter right now?”
The maids, without anyone having to say so, lined up in formation near the entrance of the annex, brooms in hand.
Much time passed in that state.
The faint clack of low-heeled shoes echoed through the hall, and soon the hem of a white indoor dress came into view.
“You… You’re awake, Madame…?”
The maids, who cautiously asked, were visibly tense, fearing they might be criticized for something.
The Madame, who was as beautiful as a painting depicting a wedding scene, was also known to be a bit intimidating.
And sure enough, the sound of her shoes came to a halt.
Even with their heads bowed, the maids could feel her cold gaze piercing their crowns.
A moment of icy silence stretched on.
The maids instinctively knew—the Madame was scrutinizing them, looking for something to pick apart.
As a member of a prestigious family well-known across the Kingdom, the Madame never overlooked even the smallest flaw.
Her personality was no less exacting. Within just a month of moving into the annex after her marriage, she had dismissed two perfectly competent maids.
“……”
The tension was palpable as the Madame’s gaze swept over the lineup of maids, finally landing on the one standing at the end—Angie, the maid in charge of her meals.
“Angie, bring my meal. No bread.”
“Yes, Madame.”
It was only after Angie respectfully curtsied and left that the Madame resumed walking.
The chilling sound of her shoes receded, and only then did the maids let out a collective sigh of relief.
“How are we supposed to live like this?”
“What can we do about it? Sigh…”
Their words weren’t entirely lost on Solnia. She had sharp ears, and the annex was eerily quiet most of the time.
However, Solnia didn’t storm back to grab anyone by the hair. Instead, she calmly walked toward her private drawing room.
The annex received better sunlight than the main building. Particularly, her private drawing room adjacent to the bedroom had large windows that allowed the morning sunlight to pour in by 8 a.m., filling the room with a warm glow.
Solnia loved this view.
The dazzling scenery before her eyes, coupled with the faint sounds of the staff beginning their day behind her, created a serene moment.
Sitting quietly on the sofa with her eyes closed, she could feel the warmth of the sunlight on her eyelids.
After taking a few deep breaths, a maid would bring her warm soup, bread, and tea.
Solnia had already decided to recreate this same atmosphere in the estate she would inherit. Since the Lipton Estate was located on elevated land, it would likely offer an even more spectacular view.
She planned to build a private drawing room in a sunny spot and enjoy breakfast there as the sun rose.
Perhaps she could even convince Luette to let her bring along a few obedient maids and a skilled chef who could make delicious soup.
She had wanted to live a simple, peaceful life like that. To live and die without any regrets.
But…
「To my beloved granddaughter Solnia.」
That damned letter had shattered everything.
As she recalled the opening words of the letter, Solnia’s eyes flew open. Yet, the voice lingered in her mind.
‘Stand up straight.’
The voice ground out the words, accompanied by piercing blue eyes that didn’t even blink as they stared at their fallen granddaughter.
‘Now!’
“Ma… Madame.”
‘I knew this would happen. That filthy blood of yours couldn’t be hidden forever.’
“Madame…?”
‘I won’t repeat myself. Stand up. Or I’ll break your legs myself.’
“Madame!”
Startled, Solnia gripped the armrest of the sofa tightly. When a hand touched her shoulder, she flinched and turned around.
It was Angie, the maid who had brought her meal, looking even more startled than Solnia.
“Are you alright?”
“……”
Solnia barely managed a nod.
“I… I’ve brought your meal. Today, it’s a gently simmered broccoli cream soup.”
“……”
“You asked me to leave out the bread, so I’ve paired it with peppermint tea instead…”
Angie trailed off nervously, unsure if she had done something wrong despite following instructions.
But Solnia simply looked at her.
The fifteen-year-old girl with brown hair and a gentle demeanor wore a uniform embroidered with the Trovill family crest on her wrist and neckline.
For some reason, that sight calmed Solnia. The nervous blinking of Angie’s eyes and the sunlight falling across her face added to the effect.
Yes. This was Melfir.
‘And I am the Madame of Trovill.’
Solnia Rose Trovill. Even if her divorce was imminent, the name was still valid for now.
That name would protect her.
Solnia touched the ring on her left ring finger with her right hand. She could feel the smooth oval sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds. The indifferent face of the man who had placed it on her finger was still vivid in her memory.
Though hastily arranged without even an engagement, the wedding ring, along with the Trovill name, was her most powerful shield.
Solnia took a deep breath and looked up at Angie with a slightly more relaxed expression.
“Angie, go downstairs and start packing.”
“P-Packing?”
“We’re heading to the capital.”
“T-The capital?”
“My grandmother is having a birthday party. I’ll be taking you with me, so prepare your things in advance.”
Solnia was well aware that the maids didn’t particularly like her. Some even feared her.
However, it was wise to bring at least one person along, just in case.
‘This girl may not be on my side, but she’s the best option I have.’
One thing was certain: Angie was more likely to be on her side than Luette Trovill.
“Go now.”
“Yes, Madame!”
Angie, who had been momentarily stunned, hurried off downstairs. Solnia turned her gaze back to the meal prepared in front of her.
Beside it lay the crumpled letter.
「To my beloved granddaughter Solnia.」
She laughed at the unreadable lines that followed.
Her grandmother had never once addressed her so affectionately.
***
The following morning.
At Melfir Estate, all the staff had gathered at the entrance.
“Is this the first time the two are traveling together?”
“What could have prompted Madam to go to the capital?”
“Liz said that Madam visited the study early yesterday morning.”
Although the conversation didn’t continue, the maids exchanged knowing smiles, their thoughts aligned.
And as if to confirm their suspicions, the master and the lady of the house appeared, looking as affectionate as ever.
The couple merely descended the stairs side by side, yet to the eyes of the staff, they looked like a perfect picture.
“No matter how many times I see them, it’s breathtaking, isn’t it?”
“I’m so curious about the child they’ll have someday. With those faces, how beautiful will the child be?”
“We’ll be the ones raising that beautiful child.”
“Maybe we’ll meet the child sooner than expected?”
While the maids busied themselves naming the couple’s yet-to-be-conceived child, the pair passed through the lobby hall.
Angie, the maid, followed behind them with an expression that was neither a smile nor a frown.
“Oh dear, what’s going on with her?”
“Was Angie the maid Madam decided to take with her?”
Admiring beauty was one thing, but fear was another.
The maids, well aware of the beautiful Madam’s temper, cast sympathetic glances toward Angie.
Soon, the couple boarded the carriage, with the butler and housekeeper seeing them off.
“Travel safely, Master.”
“I’ve packed plenty of fruit. Please make sure to have some if you feel dizzy or thirsty, Madam.”
The couple maintained their smiles until the end. The butler stepped back after confirming that Angie had climbed into the luggage carriage at the rear.
“We’ll see you in four days.”
With those words, the carriage doors closed. At Luette’s light tap on the ceiling of the carriage, the coachman cracked the whip.
Snap—snap—
As soon as the carriage began to move, the first thing the couple did was lower the window curtains.
Then, as if rehearsed, they wiped the smiles off their faces.
“Phew…”
Luette let out a long sigh, already bored with the journey.
Solnia felt the same way.
Even after all this time, it was still awkward to face her husband, whom she met only about ten times a month. Their meals together were always silent, which was why they always closed the doors during their meetings.
Now, being stuck in a cramped carriage, staring at each other, was unbearably uncomfortable. And surely, he felt the same way. Luette, as if to prove it, kept his eyes glued to the curtain-covered window.
Without a word, Solnia took a small medicine case out of her bag.
She could feel Luette glancing at her from the corner of his eye, but she didn’t bother explaining. It wasn’t as if he would care.
Solnia swallowed a sleeping pill and closed her eyes.
Since her grandmother’s letter had arrived, she hadn’t managed even a few hours of proper sleep, so drowsiness came quickly.
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