They say that even when the sky falls, there is a way out. It seemed that saying described this exact moment. It was only a one-week job, but she could earn money and see his face, so was that not killing two birds with one stone? Moreover, if she became close to him, she would likely gain a chance to seduce him.

Annette knew how to win Kynel over.

He never passed by people in need. He fell for Princess Rachel after saving her from royal family members who tormented her out of jealousy.

That was not all. Princess Rachel was kind to everyone regardless of their status. She possessed the generous heart to embrace even people with bad reputations. That beautiful nature also captured Kynel’s heart.

Therefore, Annette still had a chance if she imitated Rachel’s actions. It was not an impossible plan.

Moreover, even though Annette was a noble lady, she did not need to worry whether she could work as a maid.

Whenever she bathed or looked in the mirror, she felt a subtle oddness in her body. Annette possessed a sturdier build than most noble ladies.

Her body was slender but full of lean muscle. It was enough to make no one surprised if they learned she trained like a knight.

She seemed healthier than most women, so there appeared to be no outward issue with working as a maid. As long as she hid her status well, there would be no problem.

To achieve her goal, Annette asked Emily, a maid who worked at the Bathurst estate, for help. Emily sent her a letter saying she recently began working at a herbalist’s shop, along with a message that Annette could contact her anytime she needed help.

[You can use my name as much as you want.]

Annette worried Emily might refuse, but Emily readily wrote back that she would lend her name. It seemed situations like this were common, since she did not even ask which household Annette would work for.

Annette immediately applied for the temporary job at the Howard household and passed after a simple interview. It was a relief.

As soon as she received the notice, Annette told Mrs. Granville the good news.

“Mother, I found a job.”

“Where did you decide to work?”

“I will work at the Howard Ducal household. The wages are quite high even for only a week of work. If I save money little by little like this, I will be able to attend an imperial ball, right?”

“Do you truly intend to work at the Howard Ducal household, attend an imperial ball, and search for a marriage candidate?”

“Yes. I plan to find a groom suitable for me so our lives can improve.”

“Is that truly what you want?”

Annette thought she would be pleased, but storm clouds gathered on Mrs. Granville’s face. Since a small amount of money would not be enough to attend a ball, she seemed skeptical.

“Do not worry. I have a plan.”

“You still want him? Will you be all right?”

Annette smiled, but unexpected words came from Mrs. Granville’s lips.

Huh? How does Mother know that I have feelings for Kynel?

Annette wore a bewildered expression at Mrs. Granville’s unexpected statement. She asked the maids to keep the fact that she was after Kynel a secret from Mrs. Granville. Did they secretly tell her anyway?

“Yes, I’ll be all right. I’m actually confident.”

“If you say you are all right, then I have no right to stop you. You will not be able to become close to him, but….”

Annette could not keep listening to Mrs. Granville’s words that seemed to say there was no possibility. She cut her off and spoke.

“Please trust me.”

“…All right.”

Mrs. Granville looked unconvinced, but she did not oppose her to the end. She did not approve, yet she seemed willing to respect Annette’s wishes.

I know. I know Kynel is not a man I can desire so recklessly.

Annette did not fail to understand Mrs. Granville’s feelings either. Still, what did she have to lose?

If she did not even try, hope would not exist. She needed to do something, anything. Besides, now that she entered the world of the novel, was it not a waste not to use this knowledge?

Of course, her greatest desire was to marry Kynel somehow and fulfill her selfish wish. Still, she honestly wanted to form a deep connection with her favorite character. It was also worth trying, so she had no intention of backing down.

* * *

“This way. Please place the bed over here. Ah, put the table there!”

The Howard Ducal household was busy from the morning onward. They hired people for a week to change the interior of the estate.

They changed the estate’s interior once or twice a year, so the servants were overwhelmed removing the old furniture and arranging the new pieces.

Annette’s work was to wipe the dust piled up in the spaces where furniture once stood. Dust accumulated when furniture remained in place for too long, so they seemed to replace it and rearrange its position to minimize dust in the house.

As a result, Annette had no choice but to live amid dust every day while working at the Howard estate.

They even gave her a maid uniform despite it only being a one-week job. Once she wore it, Annette did not look remotely like a noble family’s daughter.

Perhaps it was because she lacked elegance and gave off such a gloomy impression from the start. The maid uniform might even suit her better.

No one was likely to recognize Annette’s face, but she could not let anyone discover that she was a noble lady. She currently wore a cheap wig and glasses. That disguise might make her seem even further removed from a noble lady.

She succeeded in entering the ducal household, but actually seeing Kynel’s face was not easy. He was an imperial knight and spent most of his time at the imperial palace, but she expected to encounter him at least once at the estate. Was it not too much that she could not see him even once?

At first, she thought she failed to see him because she was too busy changing the furniture in every guest room, but that was not the case.

This was already her third day working here, yet she could not even catch a glimpse of him. It seemed he was staying and eating at the imperial palace altogether.

“Was the second young master an imperial knight? It seems he barely comes to the estate.”

With no other choice, Annette directly asked the maid beside her.

“He usually sleeps at the estate, but it seems something happened at the imperial palace, so he has been staying only there lately.”

“Ah, I see.”

Of all times, why did something have to happen now? This made working here pointless….

There was no reason to go to such lengths as hiding her status just to work here. Of course, the wages were high, so she did not regret it, but she could not help feeling disappointed.

Once she finished the work right in front of her, she needed to think of another way to approach Kynel. The job only lasted one week, so could she extend it?

Would they think well of her if she worked hard? For now, would it not be better to diligently focus on the work assigned to her?

Annette devoted herself wholeheartedly to cleaning. Watching a dirty room gradually become clean filled her with a thrill.

“It seems I am better suited for this kind of menial work than being a noble.”

Just as she considered abandoning her noble title altogether and finding work as a maid, the head maid called Annette and the maid beside her.

“You two, come here. The duke ordered you to clean his study.”

“Yes, understood.”

They answered politely and were about to head to the study when the maid assigned to work with Annette lightly tapped her arm. Did she have something to say?

“Why?”

“Do not make a mistake under any circumstances.”

“Are you telling me to be careful because the duke is inside?”

“Yes. He is calling us back because he was unhappy with the cleaning, so he will watch us closely. If we make even the slightest mistake, he will explode in anger on the spot. In the worst case, he will fire us immediately.”

“He must be a very frightening person.”