Chapter 11

The maid assigned to Rafaella was Helen, one of the younger servants.  

Fortunately, Helen was quite similar to Paula, who was favorable toward Lia.  

Helen thought of her own mother, who had raised her children alone, when she looked at Lia, and she was reminded of her younger sister when she looked at Rafaella.  

Of course, Rafaella was a noble lady.  

“You must stay there while I clean the door, Lady Rafaella.”  

“Yes!”  

Although Helen had many tasks to complete besides looking after Rafaella, she tried her best to handle everything diligently.  

However, Helen was too busy, and Rafaella was a restless child who couldn’t sit still.  

While Helen was preoccupied and unable to pay much attention, the curious Rafaella gradually wandered farther away from her.  

The young Rafaella began to roam around, walking wherever her feet took her and wherever her eyes were drawn.  

Having spent the past ten days almost entirely confined to a room with her mother, she couldn’t resist exploring the fascinating Ducal estate.  

‘…I’ll just take a look at that and go back.’  

Though she thought Helen might worry, Rafaella was still a simple-minded six-year-old.  

It was while she was admiring a statue near the window that it happened.  

A dark shadow loomed over her.  

Startled by the shadow, Rafaella turned her head.  

“So it’s you, commoner!”  

The shadow belonged to Marco, Carolina’s son.  

With a mischievous expression, Marco began to pick on Rafaella.  

At that moment, Rafaella recalled something her mother had said before.  

“Raffy, do you remember the great-aunt we met last time?”  

“Yes!”  

“And the boy who was with her?”  

“Yes!”  

“If you ever meet those two while I’m not around… make sure to avoid them, okay?”  

Lia had hoped such a situation wouldn’t arise, but it was almost inevitable that the wandering Rafaella would encounter Marco, who was notorious for his mischievous pranks.  

‘…Mom told me to avoid them, but how?’  

As Rafaella fell silent, lost in thought, Marco grew irritated.  

“Hey, hey. Why aren’t you answering?”  

He began tapping Rafaella’s head with his finger.  

“Commoner, can’t you talk? Are you stupid?”  

Rafaella felt a lump in her throat but didn’t know how to respond to the provocation.  

So, she decided to follow her mother’s advice exactly as it was given.  

She had been told to avoid them at all costs.  

Without saying a word, Rafaella turned and started running.  

If there was one thing Rafaella, who had grown up in the mountains, was confident in, it was running.  

As Rafaella fled, an enraged Marco chased after her.  

“…Hey! Just wait till I catch you!”  

Though it seemed like he might catch her, Rafaella never let Marco get close enough.  

Rafaella dashed up the stairs, with Marco following close behind.  

‘How long is he going to keep chasing me….’  

Hearing the thudding footsteps behind her, Rafaella kept climbing the stairs.  

After running for some time, she found herself on the fourth floor, a place she had never been before.  

Catching her breath for a moment, Rafaella was startled by the sound of Marco’s footsteps drawing closer. She quickly opened the nearest door and slipped inside.  

By the time Marco reached the spot where Rafaella had disappeared, he hesitated before taking a step back down the stairs.  

‘Mom told me never to go up to the fourth floor.’  

The adults in the family had made it clear that, above all else, going to the fourth floor was absolutely forbidden.  

Even Marco, who was a little devil and often acted recklessly, knew how to tread carefully in front of those stronger than him.  

‘Anyway, she went up to the fourth floor, so she’s definitely going to get scolded by the room’s owner and the family elders. That’s good enough for me!’  

With that thought, Marco cheerfully descended the stairs.  

* * *

Lia, having finished her conversation with the Duchess Dowager, began walking to pick up Rafaella.  

From a distance, she noticed Helen looking anxious and searching for something.  

‘Isn’t that the maid I left Raffy with….’  

Curious about what was going on, Lia approached Helen.  

“Excuse me.”  

“Oh, Miss Lia!”  

“What’s going on? Where’s Raffy….”  

“…I’m so sorry!”  

Helen immediately bowed and apologized.  

“I lost sight of the young lady while I was working.”  

Helen looked as though she was about to cry.  

Seeing her expression, Lia couldn’t bring herself to scold her.  

Besides, there was a chance that Rafaella had wandered off on her own while Helen was busy.  

“…Calm down for now. Let’s look for her together.”  

She gently patted Helen’s shoulder.  

“…Understood.”  

Helen nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.  

They decided to split up to search for Rafaella more quickly.  

Just as Lia was about to start walking, she spotted Rafaella coming toward them from a distance.  

“Rafaella!”  

At her shout, the maid, who had been about to walk in the opposite direction, also noticed Rafaella.  

“Young Lady!”  

Rafaella, who had been walking toward them innocently and without a care, suddenly realized that her mother had left her in the maid’s care and had briefly stepped away, during which time she had disappeared, causing them both trouble.  

Realizing her mistake, Rafaella lowered her head slightly as her mother and the maid approached.  

“Rafaella, how could you disappear without saying anything!”  

“It’s my fault. If only I had looked after her properly….”  

Helen, standing beside Lia, tried to stop her from scolding Rafaella.  

“…It’s not Helen’s fault! It’s mine, it’s mine….”  

Knowing she was in the wrong, Rafaella defended Helen to her mother.  

“All right, Rafaella. This time, it’s your fault.”  

“…Yes.”  

“From now on, you must stay close to the person looking after you, okay?”  

“…Yes!”  

“And never disappear without saying anything.”  

“I promise I won’t do it again!”  

“Good. Now, apologize to Helen.”  

“I’m sorry, Miss Helen.”  

Rafaella bowed her head as she apologized to Helen.  

Surprised by the noble young lady’s bow and polite apology, Helen quickly waved her hands.  

“It’s all right, Young Lady. But please, you don’t need to speak so formally to me….”  

“She’s still trying to figure out who to speak formally to and who not to, so don’t feel too burdened.”  

“Understood.”  

It had only been ten days since they arrived at the Ducal estate.  

Although Rafaella had been taught about addressing people based on their rank, it was still a bit difficult for a child who had grown up in the mountains.  

“Next time we meet, please feel free to speak casually to me.”  

Helen bowed slightly and spoke kindly to Rafaella.  

After the small commotion, Lia returned to her room with Rafaella and gave her a tight hug.  

Feigning composure, Lia couldn’t deny that she had been quite startled earlier when she was told the child had gone missing.  

She had also worried about the possibility of Rafaella encountering Carolina or Marco.  

‘Thank goodness nothing happened to Rafaella.’  

Lia kissed the crown of her daughter’s head and looked at her.  

If only she could always stay by her daughter’s side.  

“Raffy, I forgot to tell you before, but you must never go up to the fourth floor. Do you understand?”  

“…Why?”  

“On the fourth floor is your father’s younger sister, in other words, your aunt. She seems to be very ill.”  

“Very ill?”  

“It seems so. That’s why you mustn’t go up there and disturb someone who’s sick.”  

“…….”  

“So, never go to the fourth floor. Do you understand?”  

“…Okay. I understand.”  

Lia didn’t realize that this was the first lie Rafaella ever told her.  

* * *

Lia spent a very peaceful winter with Rafaella at the Ducal estate in the Capital.  

Unlike the harsh and long winters of the North, the winters in the Capital were relatively short and warm.  

Despite the warmth and comfort of the winter, they hardly saw Johann during that time.  

Johann didn’t personally go to the Black Mountain Range as the commander of the reinforcements.  

However, the situation with the rampaging monsters was far worse than in the past, so he was extremely busy traveling between the Imperial Palace, the Ducal estate, and the Northern Eisner estate.  

By mid-February, as the Capital’s winter was nearing its end, Johann and Rafaella had shared fewer than ten meals together.  

During that time, Lia worked on building rapport with the estate’s servants by making basic medicinal potions.  

She obtained the materials from a mage she had met by chance, the same one who had conducted the paternity test for her.  

“You need ingredients to make potions?”  

“Yes. Is it possible to get some?”  

“Since His Grace has referred to you as a guest of the Duke’s family, I can certainly provide them.”  

“Thank you so much.”  

“But I must say, I’m surprised that you know how to make potions.”  

“My grandmother taught me, so I just know a little.”  

“Your grandmother taught you? I didn’t expect there to be someone in the mountains who can make potions!”  

True to his nature as a mage obsessed with research, he had many questions, but he provided Lia with a sufficient amount of potion ingredients.  

Using those materials, she made basic remedies for indigestion, headaches, muscle pain, wound ointments, arthritis, and more, which she distributed to the servants for free.  

The response was better than she had expected.  

‘…It seems like their attitude has improved compared to before.’  

At first, they accepted the remedies reluctantly, but a few days later, they returned with softened expressions, even asking if there were more.  

Whenever she had time, she also occasionally helped the maids with their tasks. Initially, they found it awkward, but now they seemed to welcome her assistance.  

‘Living alone and managing a household gave me quite a few tricks up my sleeve.’  

On top of that, she had grown somewhat immune to Carolina’s provocations and was now better at handling them than before.  

The season when everyone could finally take a breather after the monster subjugation was approaching.  

Lia looked out the window at Johann’s carriage returning to the estate late at night.  

‘There was no helping it during the winter because of the monsters, but from now on, I need to make sure that man fulfills his role as a father.’  

Even if he showed signs of discomfort, she had no choice.  

If she kept accommodating him, the gap between father and daughter would remain unchanged until the day she left.  

‘If that happens, Rafaella’s future won’t change either.’  

Starting tomorrow, she planned to take a more proactive approach with her husband.