Rivalries among maids or bullying by the head maid were common. Mel had also lived in such a world. Mel had experienced similar bullying in the Kingdom of Reibritton. The head maid who disliked her would deliberately pile on other tasks, leaving no time to attend to the princess, resulting in scoldings. Whether in the royal family or a ducal family, this typical bullying was very similar.

“Do you think I’ll quietly keep you in the mansion?”

“You might not care because you have wealthy families backing you up, but I’m not like that. My family is depending solely on me. The moment I leave here, they’ll all starve to death.”

The maid said, clenching her fists tightly and gritting her teeth.

“So I absolutely can’t leave.”

It was after hearing the maid’s words that Mel, who had been hiding and listening to their conversation, decided to move.

“What’s all this commotion about?”

Mel, wearing the mask of an arrogant princess, revealed herself in front of the two.

“…Princess?”

The head maid looked at Mel, narrowing her brows. Even in a situation where the princess might have overheard their conversation, she showed no sign of embarrassment. Only a faint trace of annoyance briefly appeared and subsided in her angular eyes.

“I was heading to the kitchen, but there was an uncharacteristic disturbance, so I came to see.”

Mel’s eyes curved like a bow, creating a gentle eye smile. However, as she slowly withdrew her smile, her clear green eyes were gleaming coldly.

“It seems my name was mentioned as well.”

“……”

The head maid tightly closed her mouth and only now showed a troubled expression.

If Mel had been a true princess, even if she killed the head maid right here, the Duke of Ivanstein would have no justification to protect her. Especially if the princess herself caught the servants not only mistreating a royal family member of the kingdom but also being overheard by the princess in question.

However, because Mel’s position was ambiguous both within the mansion and in social circles, the head maid merely showed a troubled face rather than trembling in fear.

“The princess might remember that child as well.”

“Of course. She attended to me in Harttenberun.”

“This child, who should have attended to the princess not only in Harttenberun but also in the mansion, wasn’t doing her job properly, so I was scolding her a bit.”

“Scolding… From what I heard, it seemed like you were trying to chase her away.”

“Whatever method I choose, it’s my responsibility, and I won’t bother the princess with it.”

At the head maid’s words, Mel frowned and tilted her head sideways. Her face showed that she couldn’t understand at all.

“Do you think I don’t know anything, or are you pretending that I don’t know?”

“……”

Being a head maid required quick wit. It was right to judge that Mel had heard most of their conversation since she stepped forward here.

The head maid acknowledged that she had deliberately made it impossible for Mel to receive proper attendance. Nevertheless, she intentionally omitted that part and used language that excluded Mel.

Usually, when it gets to this point, people end the conversation because they don’t want to be insulted anymore. But the head maid didn’t know. Mel was a princess of a defeated country who didn’t even have the honor to be insulted.

“I understand your desire to quickly wrap up the conversation because you don’t like mentioning unpleasant things. It’s a method typically used by those with timid and cowardly hearts.”

“……!”

Mel very explicitly criticized the head maid’s words. The only person who could give such an insult in the Ivanstein mansion was Genoa. All the vassals and knights of Ivanstein found the head maid difficult to deal with.

“Pfft.”

A scoffing sound came from the maid who had been quietly listening to Mel’s words. As if it wasn’t intentional, she hurriedly covered her mouth and tried to maintain a blank expression, which looked ridiculous.

The head maid’s face turned a dull red with unbearable humiliation. Mel smiled slightly at the maid before continuing.

“Is it a basic qualification in the Ivanstein ducal family to distort and convey the master’s intentions?”

To Mel’s question, the head maid narrowed her brows and replied.

“What are you saying? Ivanstein is not a place that the princess can casually mention.”

“Why can’t I? The name Ivanstein is constantly on the lips of not only the imperial citizens but also those who live on this continent.”

“Princess, there are situations where one has no choice. You are currently staying in Ivanstein as a guest, but not quite. As an intelligent person, if you know your place, you should have a somewhat more respectful attitude……”

Slap.

The head maid’s head turned sharply to the side. A clear red handprint appeared on her cheek. The head maid, who had never thought the princess would hit her, just blinked silently. It was the same for the maid who had been watching the situation with amusement.

“It is the head maid who should have a respectful attitude.”

Mel calmly put away the hand that had struck the head maid. She had to hide her trembling hand, shocked from hitting someone for the first time. She was now doing her best to imitate her former master.

“I am the princess of Reibritton.”

“……”

The princess’s voice was full of solemn dignity.

“The Duke of Ivanstein guarantees my position, so who are you to mention my place?”

“……I apologize, Princess.”

It was the head maid who took a step back. As befitting a head maid, she quickly hid her expression. Her clasped hands and deeply bowed head showed a level of courtesy that hadn’t been present before.

“Now it seems you’re ready to talk.”

Mel curled one corner of her mouth and sharpened her eyes, putting strength into them. That appearance closely resembled Genoa when he was pressuring her.

Mel still had her chin raised as if it were natural, but she tried to control her rapidly beating heart. She had tried her best to imitate how a real princess would get angry, but she worried that the head maid might not be fooled due to the inherent difference. But it seemed she had managed to pull it off somehow.

Mel swallowed a sigh inwardly and continued speaking.

“The Duke of Ivanstein merely asked you a question in his office. He wasn’t angry at all, and there was certainly no mention of chasing that maid away.”

“……That’s!”

“I heard it clearly from beside him, so it’s better not to try to make excuses.”

Mel glared at the head maid with sharp eyes. The head maid bit her lip hard and trembled. The maid who had been listening to this conversation shouted in an excited voice.

“What? So in the end, you were trying to chase me away with this excuse because I bothered you, Head Maid?”

“How dare you interrupt! Can’t you be quiet?”

“Why should I? Do you think I didn’t know you’ve been waiting for a chance to chase me away all this time?”

“If you weren’t up to the standard to enter the Ivanstein ducal family in the first place, you should have behaved properly. Did you think you were something special just because you entered the Ivanstein mansion, you good-for-nothing pauper?”

“Are you done talking?”

The maid was panting and looked like she was about to lunge at the head maid. Mel quickly grabbed her arm.

“Stop. What do you think you’re doing in front of me?”

“Princess! The head maid just…!”

“I said stop. You’re the maid the Duke assigned to me. So follow my orders.”

“……Yes.”

The maid seemed resentful but soon suppressed her anger and quietly stepped back. Her eyes still glared at the head maid.

The head maid let out a scornful laugh, seemingly amazed at how the maid suddenly became obedient like a well-trained dog.

“Princess, you can’t interfere with the affairs of the Ivanstein mansion like this.”

“This is not an affair of the Ivanstein mansion, so I’m not interfering.”

Mel continued to pressure the head maid with a sharp voice.

“Surely you’re not suggesting that the head maid’s will is the same level as the Duke of Ivanstein?”

“……!”

The head maid’s eyes widened. Mel looked at her calmly and curled one corner of her mouth. Just as Genoa had done to her.

“I wonder if the Duke would agree with your intentions.”

“What……”

“Deliberately diverting the maid to other tasks so that I couldn’t receive proper attendance, and then using that as an excuse to try to chase her away.”

“Are you saying you’re going to report this to the Duke?”

She knew the words ‘Who do you think you are?’ were omitted. But Mel calmly tilted her head and asked.

“Why can’t I? What’s so difficult about something I didn’t do wrong?”

If she were to tell the Duke, shouldn’t the person who committed the wrongdoing be afraid, not her? Fortunately, Genoa didn’t fully trust Mel. When she had barely gained his trust and didn’t want to break even that, it might have been difficult to easily touch the head maid, who was a person of the Ivanstein ducal family. Speaking ill of one’s subordinate could be seen as sowing discord in some ways.