“G-Good morning, Miss Hailey.”

Jessie greeted her shyly.

Hailey quietly looked down at her.

This setup was familiar. Whether at school or the workplace, human relationships often followed a pyramid structure. A small group led, while the majority followed.

Breaking free from that structure was no easy feat.

After all, it meant being cast out from the group.

And no one wanted that.

Because a sense of belonging was a fundamental human need.

“The weather is nice today, Jessie.”

Hailey gave her a bright smile. Jessie widened her eyes in surprise, seemingly not expecting Hailey to know her name.

Keeping her back straight, Hailey descended the remaining steps, hoping that the others would take the hint and act with at least minimal courtesy.

“What’s going on this morning?”

“Well, um…”

“Jessie!”

Catherine called Jessie’s name, her tone carrying an unmistakable warning. She had tolerated the greeting, but any further interaction was unacceptable.

Hailey slowly turned her head and locked eyes with Catherine, who was glaring at her with hostility.

Hostility.

Yes, to Catherine, Hailey was an enemy. Apart from Madam Mastis, Catherine was the most influential woman in this household. And now, someone of higher status had rolled in, threatening her position.

If a deeply rooted stone wanted to remain in place, it had to hold firm. Or, it had to push out the rolling stone. Catherine had no intention of relinquishing her influence to Hailey.

The opportunistic maids would keep an eye on the power struggle, and the moment Catherine showed weakness, she would lose her advantage.

So far, she has played her cards well. Hailey was just another noble lady raised in a sheltered greenhouse—she wouldn’t last long. Catherine, who had climbed her way up from the very bottom, was not someone Hailey could easily contend with.

And this time would be no different. A smug smirk tugged at Catherine’s lips.

“…”

Hailey stared at her, reading her expression. So, if she wanted to live comfortably here, she would have to break Catherine’s influence—at least once.

Live quietly. Keep a low profile.

She repeated the mantra like a spell, hoping to be expelled from the mansion before things escalated.

“But Catherine, this is something everyone in the household should know. That includes Miss Hailey.”

Just as Hailey was lost in thought, Jessie spoke up. Hailey instinctively turned to her, surprised. She had assumed Jessie was timid, but maybe she wasn’t as meek as she seemed.

Catherine’s eyes flashed dangerously, but then she suddenly smirked and crossed her arms.

“Fine, do as you wish. But in that case, you’ll have to wake the Duke, Jessie.”

“Me?”

Jessie gasped, covering her mouth as if to stifle a scream. The other maids exchanged amused glances, relieved that it wasn’t their problem.

And Hailey—she disliked this situation immensely.

“Wake the Duke? Where is Madam Mastis?”

She turned to Jessie, who, after a deep breath, answered in a worried tone.

“The Madam is very ill. She collapsed while overseeing the Duke’s breakfast preparations. She can barely sit up due to the fever, yet she still tries to go to the kitchen. Peter had to escort her back to her room. And her coughing—it’s so severe that her voice is nearly gone. I hope it’s not that lung disease that’s been spreading lately.”

“I see.”

Hailey’s eyes widened slightly as she recalled Madam Mastis’s stern face.

If she was too sick to get up, then she must not have been well yesterday either. Yet, Hailey hadn’t noticed a thing. Even late at night, the woman had dutifully attended to the Duke without showing any signs of illness.

Madam Mastis was strict with others—but even stricter with herself.

“Enough chitchat. Go wake the Duke, Jessie.”

Catherine cut in sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument. Jessie hesitated, her face pale.

“If it’s not Madam Mastis… the Duke will be furious no matter who goes. Catherine, you know that.”

“Consider it a punishment for disobeying me.”

Catherine declared, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Punishment for disobeying her.

Hailey repeated the words in her mind, watching Catherine closely.

She was flaunting her authority—the authority of a mere maid who polished silverware. Yet, it was an authority strong enough to command obedience from the others.

Then, suddenly, Hailey smiled.

“I’ll go.”

A brief silence followed.

The maids stared at her, dumbfounded, as if they hadn’t heard correctly. None of them noticed how her tone had subtly changed.

Seriously, if only people acted properly when given the chance.

Hailey sighed inwardly as the realization hit them, and the maids collectively gasped.

“But—!”

Jessie yelped, her face stricken with panic, while Catherine bit her lip. Hailey simply looked around, still smiling.

Live quietly. Keep a low profile.

That mantra had failed her yet again.

Oh well. The Duke already had his eyes on her, anyway.

If she was going to get kicked out, she might as well do something worthwhile first—like putting Catherine in her place for the next person’s sake.

She shrugged nonchalantly. It wouldn’t make much difference whether she was kicked out for one offense or two.

Looking around at the maids, she asked casually,

“What exactly do I need to do?”

No one was quick to answer. They were too busy gauging Catherine’s reaction, trying to predict the fallout of this unexpected turn of events.

The flow of the air was gradually changing.

****

Standing before the grand and ornate door, Hailey finally swallowed a silent sigh. Why did I do that? A belated regret washed over her, but the water had already been spilled. There was no way to take it back.

But even if she were to face that moment again, she would probably make the same choice. This was not an act of consideration for them. It was a declaration that she was not someone to be trifled with.

A proclamation that even the cursed duke, whom everyone feared, meant nothing to her.

Even if others failed to notice, Catherine would have understood its meaning. She was a sharp and clever woman—of course, she would.

That left only two possibilities. Either Catherine would lower her head and submit, or she would reveal even greater hostility.

“It will probably be the latter.”

Things might get even more complicated from now on.

Muttering gloomily to herself, Hailey recalled the task at hand and lifted her chin once more. She gazed at the grand double doors before her and took a deep breath. Then, as if making up her mind, she knocked.

Knock, knock.

No response came.

“Am I supposed to just walk in this time as well?”

Swallowing dryly, Hailey cautiously reached for the golden handle. But then, suddenly, she stopped.

What if the duke beyond this door wasn’t wearing his mask?

She was curious about what lay hidden beneath it. At the same time, if it was a secret he wished to keep, then peeking without permission felt like a violation.

The duke’s mask was akin to the locked room in Bluebeard’s Castle. A secret so heavy that it had to be guarded with one’s life.

Curiosity, after all, had a way of killing the cat.

Knock, knock.

Hailey knocked again, this time raising her voice so it could be heard inside.

“Your Grace, it’s Hailey Salmon. May I come in?”

No answer. But inside, she could sense movement. Hailey counted to ten in her head.

Enough time for the duke to put on his mask.

“I’ll be coming in.”

And then, she counted to three.

Three, two, one.

Only then did she tighten her grip on the handle. The door opened soundlessly, revealing the duke’s bedroom little by little.

“……”

It was vast.

That was her first impression. It was so spacious that she wondered why a room meant solely for sleeping needed to be this large.

White silk wallpaper, a beige carpet. Likewise, pale cream-colored curtains. The duke’s bedroom was meticulously neat, almost to the point of feeling empty.

At the center of the room stood an enormous bed. Its size was so grand that it could easily fit three of Hailey’s own.

White fabric draped over the canopy, and on the mattress sat a man with an unpleasant gaze.

A man in a black mask.

Only his eyes were visible, yet his expression was startlingly clear.

Well, it wasn’t surprising. With how openly he was expressing his displeasure, one would have to be inhuman not to notice.

She had no idea what the duke’s face looked like, but there were probably deep wrinkles between his brows.

He frowned so often—there was no way he didn’t have wrinkles. Perhaps his cheeks sagged in a perpetually grumpy manner as well.

“Good morning, Your Grace.”

Hailey greeted him as she pulled back the curtains with a swish. White sunlight poured into the room. A moment ago, Brutus had been perched on the windowsill, tilting his head as he peeked inside.

Hello, Brutus. At least having you here puts me at ease.

“Where is Marty, and why is Miss Hailey Salmon here in her place?”