Chapter 1.2

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.

***

[Employees hired must reside permanently in the estate.]

This was a common clause in the employment contract for servants at Rivette Estate. The work of a maid was so grueling that this clause was universally applied.

Yvonne’s mother had managed to maintain a household and, when her employer showed leniency, she was allowed to live outside the estate. However, Yvonne was alone. It was only natural that her residence became the servants’ quarters of Rivette Estate.

At the time, she had accepted this arrangement, thinking it was convenient. But now that she sought to escape, the situation felt overwhelming. Everywhere she turned, there were watchers—if not outright spies. If Yvonne acted even slightly out of the ordinary, the news would surely reach Philip immediately.

Yvonne tried to behave as usual while secretly planning her escape. However, this was merely her assumption.

“Are you planning to escape?”

The question came from Emma, the head maid, who had summoned her. Although Yvonne believed she had acted discreetly, it seemed her intentions had been noticed.

Yvonne instinctively tried to deny it outright, but Emma, reading her intent, admonished her sternly.

“Don’t even think of lying. I’ve watched you since you were young. Do you think I wouldn’t know? You might fool others, but you can’t fool me.”

“……”

“You first came to this estate holding Mirabel’s hand when you were six years old.”

Mirabel was Yvonne’s mother. It wasn’t particularly odd for Emma to mention Mirabel; after all, they were peers and shared the common experience of working at Rivette Estate.

However, Yvonne feared Emma might report her plan to Philip. The Emma Yvonne knew was a cold and rational head maid. She wouldn’t look favorably upon someone trying to break the rules.

“I’ll help you.”

“W-What? You’ll… help me?”

“I need to have some dignity when I meet Mirabel in the afterlife. We were friends, after all.”

Yvonne was stunned. 

My mother and Emma had been friends?

She had seen them converse occasionally but had always assumed they were merely colleagues bound by work—people who wouldn’t meet again once they quit their jobs.

Emma had never shown any signs of friendship, and her attitude toward Yvonne had always been somewhat aloof, reinforcing Yvonne’s belief. Yet now, faced with an unexpected truth, Yvonne felt relieved. She could also accept Emma’s goodwill with ease.

“May I ask how you intend to help me?”

“There will be a grand party at the estate in ten days. A member of the Conrad Marquisate will be visiting.”

“A member of the Conrad Marquisate? Why would such a high-ranking noble come all the way here…?”

“Bertrand is a vassal family of Conrad, so it’s only natural. Even when you were younger, they visited once. Back then, His Lordship the Marquis himself came.”

“……”

“The party will last late into the night, and everyone will be busy. I’ll make sure the other maids and servants are especially occupied. Understood, Yvonne?”

Emma waved her hand to dismiss Yvonne. Bowing deeply, Yvonne expressed her gratitude.

The grand party in ten days.

That would be her last chance to escape from this place.

Yvonne began preparing for her escape step by step. While she hadn’t decided on a specific destination, she had a clear goal: to go somewhere beyond Bertrand’s influence.

Though she wouldn’t be able to immediately work as a maid for a noble family in a foreign land without a recommendation letter, she had saved up a considerable amount of wages as a maid.

With this money, she could start a household, work in a village restaurant, build up her experience, and eventually obtain a recommendation letter to re-enter noble service.

She had endured thus far, lamenting the loss of her career, but she had reached her limit. Now that she had made up her mind, she wondered why it had taken her so long to make this decision—it felt liberating.

At this point, Yvonne was filled with hope, consoling herself.

On the day of the party ten days later,

“Ah, stop it, ugh…!”

Until she was pinned beneath the grip of a stranger.

***

The preparations for her escape proceeded smoothly. Had she been preparing alone, it would have been difficult, but Yvonne had the head maid as an ally. She thought that once she fled during the upcoming party, everything would be over. Even Philip’s advances seemed bearable for the time being.

As the day of the party approached, Philip became busier and called for Yvonne less frequently. Time passed, and the day finally arrived when the member of the Conrad Marquisate visited Rivette Estate.

Located in Bertrand territory, Rivette was a rural estate in a relatively remote area, so visitors from other regions were rare. Especially someone from a prominent noble family like the Conrad Marquisate—it was an extraordinary occasion.

Perhaps that’s why information about the visitor spread quickly. The third son of the Marquisate was rumored to be young, incredibly handsome, but also a notorious libertine.

Upon hearing these rumors, the first thing Philip did was take precautions regarding Yvonne. He warned her not to wander around the estate and not to appear at the welcoming event for the third son of the Conrad Marquisate.

Naturally, he also forbade her from attending the party. Yvonne was the most beautiful maid at Rivette Estate. Moreover, she was still very young—only twenty years old.

It was obvious that if the libertine third son of Conrad noticed her, nothing good would come of it.