Chapter 1.1 – The Maid Yvonne

[To a powerless woman, beauty is like a poisoned chalice.]  

This was a phrase written in a book Yvonne had read as a child. At the time, she found it difficult to understand and tilted her head in confusion, but as she grew older, she came to deeply comprehend its meaning.  

Yvonne was the daughter of commoners. Although not wealthy, she was born as the eldest daughter in a harmonious family and lived a happy life.  

Her beautiful and intelligent mother, despite being a commoner, was unusually literate and assisted the wife of the lord. Her father, skilled in horse management, earned the trust of the lord.  

However, happiness did not last long. When Yvonne turned twelve, her father died in an accident caused by a newly acquired horse that went wild.  

The lord and his wife compensated Yvonne’s family with a consolation payment. But the shock of losing her beloved husband in an unexpected accident caused Yvonne’s mother to grow weaker by the day.  

Yvonne attended the church she had visited with her parents since childhood and prayed daily to God for her mother to regain her strength. However, her mother ultimately passed away within two years.  

Thus, Yvonne became an orphan. Before passing away, Yvonne’s mother, worried about her daughter being left alone, revealed the address of her twin sister.  

She told Yvonne that the address was written in letters exchanged with her sister and instructed her to go there if she passed away.  

However, the address her mother provided was too far for a young girl to travel alone. Although traveling by train would supposedly be quick, Yvonne had never ridden one before and was overwhelmed with fear.  

‘But I still have to go…’  

While Yvonne was contemplating, the lord and his wife intervened. They took pity on Yvonne’s circumstances and willingly hired her as a maid.  

Thanks to her diligent nature and the literacy skills taught by her mother, Yvonne took over the tasks her mother had handled.  

The Baroness Bertrand, the wife of the lord, took a liking to Yvonne, who resembled her mother, and cherished her. Yvonne soon became the Baroness’s exclusive maid.  

Not only the Baroness Bertrand but most of the staff at the Baron’s estate thought highly of Yvonne—except for Emma, the head maid managing the entire Rivette estate.  

Emma warned Yvonne out of concern.  

“Madam cherishes you now, but you should find a match and quit working before it’s too late. A young and pretty girl like you will only lead a tragic life if you stay a maid for too long.”  

At the time, Yvonne didn’t realize that Emma’s warning wasn’t just idle talk. It was akin to ignoring the phrase she had read in the book as a child.  

‘Marriage? That’s too early for me.’  

Sixteen-year-old Yvonne dismissed Emma’s advice. She believed the lord’s wife would remain healthy.  

But three years later, when Yvonne turned nineteen, the lord suddenly passed away. The Baroness, grieving the loss of her husband, decided to spend the rest of her life at her family’s estate and left Rivette.  

Though the Baroness wanted to take Yvonne with her, her son Philip opposed the idea.  

“Please reconsider, Mother. Aside from Emma, there’s no maid who has worked here as long as Yvonne. I don’t have a wife yet, so I desperately need the staff’s help.”  

Philip’s words were somewhat true. Managing the large estate was exhausting and demanding.  

Thanks to Yvonne being particularly favored by the Baroness, all the other maids had left after marrying.  

In the end, the Baroness departed without Yvonne. Though she regretted leaving Yvonne behind, there was nothing more she could do.  

No matter how much the Baroness cherished Yvonne, she was still a maid. To the Baroness, her son Philip and the estate and lands he would manage were more important than a maid.  

Thus, Yvonne remained at the Rivette estate. It wasn’t long before she understood the meaning of Emma’s warning and the phrase from the book.  

After the Baroness left, Philip, who inherited the title of Baron, began to show interest in Yvonne.  

Initially, it wasn’t very noticeable. Most of the work was handled through Emma, and he occasionally summoned Yvonne to ask questions about the tasks the Baroness had prepared or managed.  

Even though Emma was the head maid, she didn’t attend to the Baroness every hour. In fact, Yvonne had spent more time serving the Baroness than Emma had. Hence, no one suspected anything at first—not even Yvonne herself.  

It was only a few months later that Philip openly displayed favoritism toward Yvonne. He assigned her as his exclusive maid and kept her by his side at all times.  

By this point, Yvonne and the other staff started to sense something unusual, but no one could stop Philip.  

Soon after, Philip no longer hid his feelings. It happened when Yvonne was serving him tea and was about to leave.  

“Yvonne.”  

“Yes, my lord.”  

“Don’t leave. Come here.”  

Philip called her by her nickname and gestured for her to approach. By then, Yvonne had been working at the estate for five years.  

She had known Philip for much longer, having occasionally encountered him as a child thanks to her mother’s work at the estate.  

But she swore she had no other feelings for him. Philip was the young master of the estate, and Yvonne was a maid. There was no reason for him to call her so affectionately, nor did he have any reason to.  

“Yvonne. Hurry up.”  

Philip frowned and called her name again.  

Feeling uneasy, Yvonne hesitated but couldn’t refuse. She concealed her anxiousness and reluctantly moved closer to him. Just as she was about to speak—  

“There’s more work to be done……!”

Philip grabbed her arm and pulled her. The unexpected force caused Yvonne to fall onto his lap. Though she tried to rise immediately by gripping the armrest of the chair, his firm grip around her waist prevented her from doing so.  

Soon, a strange sensation touched her lips—a soft and moist feeling accompanied by his breath.  

“…!”  

Shocked, Yvonne pushed Philip away with all her might. Fortunately, he let go easily. She immediately covered her mouth with her sleeve and asked, trembling.  

“M-my lord? Why are you doing this to me?”  

“Do you really not know?”  

Philip whispered as he tucked the stray hair from her face.  

“You knew, didn’t you? That I’m interested in you.”  

His gesture, which might have seemed tender at first glance, was horrifying to Yvonne. So was the fleeting sensation of Philip’s lips on hers.  

“N-no…”  

“…”

“Absolutely not, Master, you cannot do this.”

“What’s there to stop me?”

“I am a commoner and a maid, while you are a noble…”

“Hahaha, are we really still dividing people into nobles and commoners in this day and age? Besides, what’s so great about being a Baron?”

“…”

“There’s no need to overthink it. You and I aren’t that different. We’re just the same—both human beings.”

Although Philip spoke as if it were true, there was indeed a stark difference between them. Even though the authority of nobles had weakened compared to the past, and Barons were the lowest rank among the five noble titles, a noble was still a noble.

The law against insulting nobles still existed, only nobles could become lords, and they could accumulate great wealth.

To claim they were “just the same” was absurd.

If Yvonne had liked Philip, she might have been overjoyed at his disregard for their social status, but Yvonne did not like Philip. She had never even considered him as a romantic partner. To her, Philip was merely the Young Master she served.

And because of the very disparity in status that Philip dismissed, Yvonne’s livelihood depended on him, leaving her unable to express her dislike openly.

Whether Philip was oblivious to the reason why Yvonne trembled or merely pretended not to notice, he reassured her in a seemingly comforting tone.

“Don’t worry, Yvonne. I’ll take you seriously. I’ll make you Baroness Bertrand someday.”

If Philip truly intended to marry Yvonne, it wasn’t a bad proposition. Some might even call it an opportunity beyond her station.

Philip was two years older than her and fairly good-looking. While he wasn’t universally acknowledged as “handsome,” he was good enough for people to say, “Well, he’s quite decent.”

Moreover, he was a Baron with considerable wealth, so marrying him would relieve Yvonne of the burdens and worries that weighed heavily on her life.

While her mind understood this, her heart couldn’t accept it. Young Yvonne valued her feelings more than material conditions.

“Master, it’s impossible. If the Grand Madame finds out…”

“Mother will welcome it. She’s always been fond of you.”

Philip grabbed Yvonne’s arm and pushed it aside before leaning down again.

“Master, please don’t…!”

Ignoring her reasons for refusal, Philip kissed Yvonne’s lips once more, his determination to disregard her objections evident.

The only words Yvonne could muster were repeated pleas of “No.” 

Fortunately, Philip, who was relatively young like Yvonne, was still enamored with the idea of being a “gentleman.” He didn’t demand more than kisses from her.

When Yvonne managed to escape Philip’s room, she cried and scrubbed her lips harshly with her sleeve.

Her lips, already swollen and bitten, became even more inflamed as she rubbed them with rough fabric. The stinging pain spread, but she didn’t care.

If only she could erase and forget what had happened.

From then on, Philip became even more blatant in his advances toward Yvonne.

He showered her with expensive gifts such as new clothes, shoes, jewelry, and perfume, and even took her out into the city for dates.

Yvonne had to dress up in the gifts Philip gave her and follow his wishes.

On Saturdays, when she didn’t have work or attend church, she accompanied him to operas, though she didn’t understand the content.

After dining at a fancy restaurant, as the sun set, Philip would kiss her passionately until her lips swelled and then whisper sweet nothings.

“On your twentieth birthday, I’ll propose to you.”

“…”

“Your name will be Yvonne de Bertrand. Doesn’t it sound perfect? We’ll have the wedding at the church you attend every Sunday.”

Philip even emphasized that he was a gentleman and would wait until her twentieth birthday, not the first day of that year, to propose.

His remarks about romance were nothing but nonsense and horrifying words to Yvonne.

As time passed, a shadow of gloom deepened over Yvonne’s pretty face. Everyone except Philip knew about Yvonne’s predicament and understood that she didn’t want this, but no one could do anything about it.

There wasn’t a single servant at Rivette Estate who dared to defy Philip’s wishes.

Philip wanted Yvonne to quit her job as a maid, but she worked even harder. Quitting her job would make her feel as though she had truly become Philip’s lover.

Of course, even if she didn’t resist, Philip would inevitably get his way. He made no secret of his anticipation for her coming of age.

Philip’s behavior naturally changed the attitudes of the servants at Rivette Estate. They began treating Yvonne like a future lady of the house, refusing to give her any work despite her protests. Even Emma, the head maid, was no exception.

Yvonne pleaded with Emma to stop treating her this way, but the response was cold and blunt.

“Didn’t I warn you?”

“…”

“Accept it, or run away.”

Yvonne couldn’t choose the latter. The only thing she knew how to do was maid work.

To work as a maid in another noble household, she needed a recommendation letter. Without it, she would have to work at a village restaurant for years to prove her experience.

‘If I run away, I’ll lose the recommendation letter.’

She couldn’t let her years of work go to waste. Yvonne decided to endure it. 

Surely Philip’s infatuation would pass. Surely he didn’t truly intend to make me his wife.

Even when the servants refused to give her tasks, Yvonne sought out work to do.

Thus, she endured for a year.

During that time, Philip continued to call her to his side. His plans grew more detailed and his advances more intense.

After Yvonne reached adulthood, Philip grew impatient and tried to go beyond kisses.

Though he claimed to keep his promise not to consummate their relationship, his touches became far more suggestive.

“Listen, Yvonne. On your upcoming birthday…”

“Master, please…”

“I’ll mark you. Right here.”

“Ah…”

“I’ll be your first.”

Philip’s hand brushed against the thin fabric of her petticoat. Yvonne’s face turned red as she panicked, unsure of what to do. Seeing her flustered expression, Philip kissed her cheek with affection.

“Ah, my adorable Yvonne.”

“…”

“I can’t wait to slide a ring onto your finger and lay you down. You’ll look just as beautiful crying beneath me.”

Every time Philip whispered such things, Yvonne shuddered in disgust.

As her twentieth birthday approached, Yvonne made up her mind. She would leave Rivette, her hometown, to escape Philip’s proposal.