“Did you sleep well?”

“……”

Arne, who was flushed with heat, barely managed to shake off the memories of the previous night. Penny’s cheerful voice continued, unaware of Arne’s expression.

“Just as you said, I told them you had a mission yesterday, so no one asked any questions. No one knows you came back late last night!”

“Well done.”

Because Arne often carried out missions for the Duke, just saying that was enough for the people at the ducal residence to neither question nor take an interest in her whereabouts.

Moreover, recently, the Duke had ordered her to find the antidote for the Second Prince faster than anyone else, so even the Duke wouldn’t be suspicious.

It was a relief. If she had been interrogated about where she was and with whom last night, it would have been quite troublesome.

“But is your wrist okay? You keep getting hurt just when it’s about to heal. Should I bring some herbs and bandages now? Oh, and you said you were going there today, right?”

“Oh, today, that’s right. It’s the day to go there. I almost forgot because I’ve been so distracted.”

“Lady?”

Seeing Arne’s peculiar expression, Penny asked again. Arne, shaking her head to dispel the memories of the previous night, answered.

“…No need for the herbs. I’ll take care of it after visiting there today. It’s an important schedule.”

“Are you really okay? You were quite restless even this morning. It’s because of your injured wrist, right? Oh my, it’s more swollen than yesterday! How come…”

Seeing Penny’s surprised gaze that followed, Arne blushed, then opened and closed her mouth without saying anything. Penny didn’t ask further.

Although it had been a short time, Arne was different from ordinary young ladies. She seemed to secretly carry out the Duke’s missions, and everyone at the ducal residence accepted it as natural, even when she came back injured like this.

It made Penny feel very sorry for her. But as an ordinary maid, there wasn’t much she could do, which was frustrating.

‘Thanks to Lady Arne, I became an official dedicated maid.’

Becoming an official dedicated maid with the Duke’s permission was a significant change. Her salary officially increased, and those who used to bully her for no reason now only glared at her while keeping their distance.

‘I want to be of help to you, Lady Arne.’

As Penny’s face turned increasingly gloomy, Arne quickly changed the subject.

“It’s not such a serious injury to worry about… By the way, are there any maids bothering you lately?”

“Thanks to you, Lady, no one bothers me!”

“Penny, I’m not saying this lightly. Even within this ducal residence, you’ve just barely started to breathe easy. If the power shifts, the maids might harass you even more severely. I almost wish you weren’t my dedicated maid.”

“It doesn’t matter. No matter how much they harass me, I’ll remain your dedicated maid, my lady!”

Arne paused at Penny’s determined gaze. Penny’s eyes reminded her of herself when she used to look at the Duke as a child. She was as blind as a duckling who’s seeing its mother duck for the first time.

“Take your time to think it over. It might be hard to make a decision in front of superiors. But I promise you one thing. While you are my dedicated maid, I will protect you with the reputation of the Empire’s mad villainess.”

“……”

Penny, who had been about to speak, gazed blankly at Arne’s red pupils. Those eyes had a captivating power.

Penny knew too. Although she was called a lady, Arne had nothing. Just a few days ago, she wore low-quality black dresses that even maids would wear.

If people saw her, they would say that becoming Lady Bianca’s maid would at least get her some discarded trinkets.

But Lady Bianca would never have such eyes or speak such words. To her, discarded trinkets were no different from maids.

Penny knew that very well, having lived a life of constant vigilance.

Arne’s red pupils shone nobly. Understanding Penny’s silence as affirmation, Arne’s lips curved gracefully.

“Could you help me dress up today?”

“…Yes. You said you were going there today?”

“Yes, I want to look the most splendid, dignified, and beautiful.”

“Understood! Oh, by the way, the maids are all whispering that something unusual is happening at the Grand Duke of Renigrad’s residence today. Do you know what’s going on?”

“……”

As the memories she had tried to push away rushed back, Arne bit her lip unconsciously. She needed time to gather her thoughts. Penny busied herself finding a dress and moved about.

Only then did Arne exhale the breath she had been holding and look at herself in the mirror. Pulling at the front of her dress, Arne clenched her hands tightly.

“You don’t need to assist with the bath today. Just help me with the dressing.”

* * *

Arne walked down the arch-shaped white marble stairs. As the morning sunlight poured over her white dress, she looked like a saintess who had just finished her dawn prayer.

It wasn’t for nothing that the Grand Duke of Renigrad favored this dress the most and named it ‘Sacred Prayer.’

As Arne moved, the servants below the stairs lifted their heads one by one, and everyone stood still, unable to take their eyes off her.

As she moved, the smooth, high-quality natural pearls clinked softly. The price of premium natural pearls was whatever one was willing to pay. It was only because of Renigrad’s wealth that such pearls could be used so abundantly.

‘The pearls sent by the Duchess before pale in comparison. This must be the power of the Grand Duchy of Renigrad.’

Moreover, it was the first time Arne had worn a white dress. Seeing her in it for the first time, she looked like a saint, which contrasted sharply with her reputation as the Empire’s mad villainess, creating an oddly captivating sight.

As she observed their mesmerized expressions, Arne lifted the corners of her mouth into a graceful smile. The servants hesitated but stepped back to make way for her elegant strides.

Penny followed closely behind, grinning widely.

A maid standing by the door hurriedly opened it and bowed her head. Bianca, wearing a bright yellow dress, was waiting there.

Hearing the door open, Bianca turned and met Arne’s gaze.

The wind through the open door made Arne’s white dress flutter gracefully. It was truly beautiful.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, at that moment, everyone thought Arne was truly beautiful. Bianca bit her lip, her mood twisting unbearably.

‘That should have been my dress. Because of Arne.’

But Bianca quickly lifted one corner of her mouth into a smirk.

“I need to go to a banquet, so I’ll be using the family’s carriage. By the way, it rained this morning. A dress that will get dirty in the mud suits you perfectly.”

“As far as I know, there are no banquets today, sister.”

Arne was right. There was no banquet. But what did it matter?

‘As long as I take the carriage, that’s all that matters. Who would they give the family’s carriage to if not the real Lady of Ronia?’

She had already instructed the coachman to prepare the family’s carriage. The sound of horses pawing the ground was heard from behind.

“A new one came up today. Unlike you, who have no friends, I have many invitations. You said you were going there today. Go and realize your place.”

Facing Arne in her white dress, Bianca’s lips twisted crookedly.

“Arne, just wearing a nice dress doesn’t make you a noble. If someone unworthy wears it, it gets dirty, ruined, and ugly, matching the person. I wonder if the dress will survive while you call for a wagon.”

Penny’s face turned pale. As Bianca said, the ground was muddy from the early morning rain. Moreover, the wagon pulled by the commoners were dirty, and the white dress would quickly get stained.

Bianca’s triumphant smile vanished when she turned to see Cedric leaning against the carriage door.

“Ce-Cedric, how long have you been there?”

She had thought the prepared carriage was from the Ronia family, but it was the Renigrad family’s carriage. Cedric, who had been leaning against the door with his arms crossed, straightened up.

“Since Lady Bianca Sevilia de Ronia said she would use the family’s carriage.”

‘Did he hear almost everything?’

Cedric’s red eyes passed coldly over the pale Bianca. His gaze, which seemed uninterested in Bianca from the start, was blatantly focused on someone else.

“Since there seems to be a shortage of carriages, I will escort Lady Raniarne Freya de Ronia.”

As Cedric approached, Arne’s heart pounded.

When Cedric pulled Arne by the wrist, she was drawn to him like sunlight. Arne bit her lip to stifle a moan as pain shot through her wrist.

Cedric’s low, simmering voice echoed in her ear.

“Were you planning to go somewhere else after that night, instead of coming to me?”

As the servants focused their attention towards them, Cedric lifted Arne into his arms. His expressionless face gave off an inexplicable aura.

“I’m worried about the dress getting dirty.”

Cedric walked past the pale Bianca without hesitation. As the gardeners and maids all turned their eyes to them, Arne’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Put me down. I can walk.”

“Really?”

His low voice in her ear sent chills down her spine. The memory of his voice from the previous night made her face flush with heat.

“You won’t be able to walk.”

His expression, heavily shadowed by the bright light, showed no change.

“Or do you not remember? That your body intertwined with mine last night.”