If she had to smile in front of the duke for that, she would gladly do so thousands of times.

Bianca shuddered at Arne’s mad smile.

But she quickly felt her pride hurt by being intimidated by Arne.

“You’ll have to brace yourself for talking back to me so boldly. I’m going to tell Father about today. Can’t you let go of me?”

But the hand Arne had caught did not move at all.

Bianca bit her lip, becoming increasingly anxious.

“Bianca, I’m warning you for the last time. If you grab my hair again, those beautiful hands of yours will be completely destroyed.”

“What? I’m being serious. I’ll tell everything to Father.”

“I’ll break them and then heal them. And break and heal again. And again.”

The madness in Arne’s eyes truly shined, making Bianca realize the sincerity and feel like she was suffocating with a deep resentment in her tone.

It was entirely possible for Arne, a grand mage, who may not be as physically strong as a knight but capable enough with magic. What if Arne, who’s being tormented every day, was really someone like that?

“It would hurt a lot, wouldn’t it? Tell Father if you want. Will he believe your words, seeing your intact hands and how desperately you try to catch me every time?”

Arne leisurely let go of Bianca’s arm.

Finally free, Bianca was unable to do anything.

Arne turned around with a smirk, leaving only the elegant sound of his shoes echoing in the hallway.

Bianca, regaining her senses too late, screamed in anger.

“Just you wait! I’ll tell everything.”

Arne shrugged.

‘As if you could say anything out of fear.’

If Bianca had been more observant, she would have realized that Arne was just scaring her.

If she had even the slightest bit of interest, she would know that Arne had a mana surge today, and as a result of that mana surge, she’s in a state where she can’t cast any spells.

Yet, Bianca was scared because she had convinced herself of her usual behavior.

‘You reap what you sow.’

Seeing those truly frightened eyes, it would be a while before she dared to grab Arne’s hair again.

Arne left the hallway humming a tune while Bianca was throwing a tantrum.

* * *

Upon reaching his room, Arne immediately took out parchment and a quill pen.

He knew that Duke Ronia was planning an invasion of the Grand Duchy with the Second Prince and Kale.

The Second Prince wished to become the Emperor, and in exchange, Duke Ronia would be made a Grand Duke.

But how this deal came to be, or how Arne came to know the secret about the demon of the Grand Duke’s family, which even he was unaware of, remained unknown.

To counter Duke Ronia’s plans and prevent an attack on the Grand Duchy of Renigrad, it was essential to first understand the Duke’s thoughts.

His plans, weaknesses, and everything about them.

‘For that, gaining the Duke’s trust is necessary.’

Not as one of Ronia’s dogs who does whatever he commands but as an advisor worthy of discussing future plans with Arne.

‘How should I do that?’

Arne was pondering recent events while spinning his quill pen when someone burst into his room.

“Where have you been, Lady Arne? Weren’t you supposed to be up and waiting before I arrived? You must attend the banquet hosted by the Wayne family today.”

The maid yanked his hair irritably and began roughly brushing it with a dusty comb.

Such behavior was not fitting for a maid towards a noble lady.

‘This was my situation.’

Bianca tormented Arne, and the master of the Duke of Ronia’s household turned a blind eye. Thus, it was common for the maids to disregard Arne.

Another maid who followed in leaned against the doorframe and muttered,

“You can wear what you’re wearing today, right? It’s all the same black clothes anyway. Honestly, they’re not fully laundered.”

The apprentice maid muttered cautiously,

“I did get up early this morning and ironed everything.”

But when the two maids glared at the junior maid, she bowed her head deeply and shut her mouth.

Arne sighed deeply as she dropped a cheap, broken quill pen to the ground due to the maid’s rough handling.

‘What needs to be sorted out? I remember everything.’

Even if it were organized, the maids would just sneak a peek at the parchment and run off to tattle to Bianca.

It seemed that the first thing Arne needed to do to swallow up the duke’s estate was to get new clothes and a new quill pen.

Arne, looking tired, twisted her body and asked,

“What are your names?”

The two maids exchanged glances and then snickered as if they couldn’t believe it.

“Lady, you should hurry and get ready. Isn’t it the day you first meet Sir Kale de Wayne?”

Even at this time, Kale, her former fiancé from a previous life, was slowly becoming the talk of the social circles. Known as a troublemaker and a playboy.

It was decided that she would attend today’s banquet following her stepmother’s wish to engage her with Kale.

The duke agreed because the Wayne family was closely associated with the second prince.

In simple terms, the maids knew and mocked that she was being sold for the family’s sake.

“There is news that the Renigrad Grand Ducal family and the Leverun family will also attend the Wayne family’s banquet. Since Lord Cedric will be there, Lady Bianca needs more hands for her preparation. So, let’s finish this quickly.”

‘Cedric is coming?’

Arne, who had no intention of going to her former fiancé, Kale’s banquet in her previous life, changed her mind instantly.

“Bring new clothes.”

“There’s no time for that.”

“And a new quill pen too.”

“I said there’s no time!”

The maid who was holding Arne’s hair pulled her roughly to seat her in a chair, but Arne fell backward and landed on her bottom.

Luckily, she didn’t suffer a concussion because she reflexively put her hands on the floor.

But seeing her right foot and left hand swelling up, Arne’s sense of humanity faded.

“You should have done it when I told you verbally. Isn’t this what happens when you don’t listen?”

The maids burst into laughter. Then, their laughter was abruptly stopped by a slapping sound.

The maid’s cheek swelled up quickly.

“So you should have listened when I told you verbally.”

The maid glared at Arne with narrowed eyes.

“If Lady Bianca hears about today’s incident…”

Slap.

The maid couldn’t continue because Arne slapped her other cheek too.

The maids secretly delighted in looking down on Arne, the orphaned noble lady, because it gave them a peculiar pleasure to see her unable to make even a peep despite their disregard.

But then wasn’t Arne looking down on them as if she truly were a noble lady of the duke’s family?

With a dignified look, as if she was the mistress of a grand ducal family.

“Do you think you could remain in the duke’s estate if the duke hears about today’s incident?”

Slap.

“How dare you harm the body of a noble lady.”

Slap.

The maid who was slapped four times screamed out loud.

“Do you think you’re a real noble lady like Lady Bianca? Do you think the duke would even care?”

“What would the duke say if I couldn’t walk and missed the banquet because of you? He has high hopes for my meeting with Sir Wayne.”

At that moment, the maid froze. Duke Ronia might have been indifferent to Arne getting hurt, but he wouldn’t overlook anything that hindered him from achieving public recognition.

Even if it tarnished the reputation of the Ronia ducal family, they had taken in Arne, a talented individual, and he couldn’t miss out on the rewards.

‘So if it interferes with the duke’s plan to strengthen ties with the second prince through an engagement with Sir Wayne….’

The maid’s face turned pale.

Arne then lazily crossed her legs and sat on the chair. Her red lips moved slowly.

“I’ll ask one last time. What’s your name?”

The maid, with her swollen cheek, stood there as if she had lost her mind.

Then, a maid leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed straightened up and bowed her head.

No matter how much Bianca backs up the maids, the owner of the duke’s estate is Duke Ronia.

“My name is Agatha, and this is Betty. The junior maid is Penny.”

“Penny will be my personal maid from today. Bring freshly ironed clothes and a new quill pen at dawn.”

“Yes.”

Agatha glanced at Betty, bowed politely, and then gestured to Penny.

“Agatha, you bring them.”

“Me?”

“Penny is my personal maid now, where are you going?”

Agatha blinked and finally understood.

A personal maid assists the lady with her dressing, while a general maid does other miscellaneous tasks. Appointing a personal maid is a privilege of the lady or the mistress.

Arne had used the privilege unique to a lady. That Arne.

“…Yes.”

Agatha couldn’t believe the change in Arne’s demeanor overnight.

It wasn’t the usual Arne who used to act servilely, worrying that the maids might say something bad about her to the duke.

Agatha dragged Betty, who stood there as if she had lost her soul, to get the clothes.

Penny, left alone, examined Arne.

“Shall we start with treating your ankle and wrist?”

“……”

Arne couldn’t respond for a moment. The only person who had asked her such a question in the ducal estate in her previous life was Millie.

‘Come to think of it, she resembles Millie.’

Millie was a maid who took her mother’s place in Duke Ronia’s estate after her mother died in an accident.

Millie, who lost her mother, felt sympathy for Arne, who was an orphan, and took good care of her.

Enough to follow Arne alone to the grand duchy cursed by a demon.

Enough to stay by Vivian’s side until the end.