Chapter 1.4

When Yvonne opened her eyes again, it was dawn. She regained her senses upon hearing the sounds of servants and maids returning to the quarters.  

Footsteps and faint voices echoed above her. These were the sounds of workers returning home after a long night of partying.  

Startled, Yvonne tried to get up but couldn’t due to the pain. Her inner thighs were unbearably sore, and her discomfort extended to her upper legs, where something had dried and hardened.  

“Ugh…….”  

Yvonne let out a faint groan of pain and slowly raised her arms to remove the blindfold.  

Her vision, which had been obscured, gradually returned.  

Though the surroundings were dark, the outline of objects was visible. One item stood out more clearly than the rest.  

Descending from the bed, Yvonne reached out slowly. Her fingertips touched cold metal.  

It seemed to glint faintly in gold. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a gold coin.  

Yvonne carefully read the amount engraved on the coin.  

“Gold 1 Mina…….”  

It was larger than she expected, but 1 Mina nonetheless.  

Her hands trembled slightly. Even though it was just one coin, 1 Mina held immense value.  

The average daily wage for a commoner was one tiny silver coin, a Denarion.  

As Baroness Bertrand’s personal maid, Yvonne earned slightly more than that.  

But even so, she rarely, if ever, had the chance to handle gold coins worth 1 Mina.  

1 Mina was equivalent to 3,600 Denarion in silver.  

In other words, it was roughly nine years’ wages for a commoner—or six years’ wages for Yvonne.  

It was an excessive price for a single night. 

Yvonne held the gold coin tightly, her sobs muffled as she cried quietly. After a long while, she managed to gather her clothes and leave the room. She hadn’t had time to check her appearance, but she knew it must have been a mess.  

If anyone saw her in this state, rumors would spread like wildfire. After all, people didn’t care about the emotional scars of the victim.  

Yvonne walked carefully, doing her best to avoid running into anyone. Her thighs ached terribly, but she ignored the pain, forcing herself to keep moving despite her limping steps.  

‘Thank goodness. I didn’t run into anyone.’  

Feeling a sense of relief, Yvonne opened the door to her room. However, the moment she saw the glow of a light that shouldn’t have been on, she realized she’d let her guard down too soon.  

“Why are you back……!”  

Inside her room stood Emma. The older maid, who had started to say something upon seeing Yvonne, immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.  

Emma’s face was rigid as she quickly shut the door and bolted it. Only then did she take a proper look at Yvonne.  

“You……”  

Disheveled hair, a swollen face, and clothes that were torn and out of place in several spots.  

Emma, hoping her suspicions were wrong, asked in a small voice,  

“Don’t tell me it was the master?”  

“…….”  

Yvonne shook her head slowly. Emma pressed her further in an even lower voice.  

“Then who did this? Who dared……?”  

“…….”  

“Yvonne.”  

Yvonne bit her lip hard. She didn’t want to talk. Yet, at the same time, she did. Emma was the only person she could confide in about this.  

After hesitating for a long time, Yvonne finally spoke in a small voice.  

“I ran into Monsieur Conrad……”  

“What? You ran into that scoundrel? Then the one who did this to you was……?”  

Instead of answering, Yvonne nodded. Emma gasped in shock.  

“How could this……! No, I’m not blaming you. You must have been even more frightened. I’m sorry.”  

Emma, usually composed and level-headed, was visibly shaken. She was someone who had served as head maid for a long time and had dealt with similar situations before. Yet, whenever something like this happened to one of the younger maids, her emotions always got the better of her.  

She felt especially sorry for Yvonne, who had been trying to escape Philip’s advances. How could her luck be this terrible?  

After calming herself, Emma gently patted Yvonne’s back to comfort her.  

“Let’s get you cleaned up first. I’ll prepare a bath for you. Wash up and get some rest. I’ll also give you a sleeping pill.”  

“Thank you……”  

That was all Yvonne could say. She accepted Emma’s kindness and cleaned herself thoroughly. She deliberately avoided examining the marks on her body. It wouldn’t change anything, and it would only make her feel worse.  

Afterward, with the help of the sleeping pill, Yvonne finally fell asleep.  

***

The next day, Emma brought her a potion with a rather unpleasant smell.  

“Drink this.”  

“May I ask what it is?”  

“It’s a potion to prevent pregnancy. Just in case.”  

Ah.  

Only then did Yvonne realize that she hadn’t thought that far ahead.  

“But I’ve heard that terminating a pregnancy is a grave sin. They say God will never forgive it……”  

“Yvonne, you’ve been attending church since you were young. You still go every weekend to pray.”  

“…….”  

“I understand that a devout girl like you fears breaking the commandments. But think about it the other way around. If God is so merciful, why would He let something like this happen to you?”  

“…….”  

“If you don’t want to drink it, you don’t have to. This is your decision to make. But.”  

Emma’s tone turned firm.  

“I believe you’re not a foolish girl.”  

“…….”  

“Don’t betray my trust in you.”  

Though it sounded like a suggestion, it was more of a demand. Yet, Yvonne didn’t feel any resentment toward Emma.  

Emma was right. If there were a God, He wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.  

When her mother died, Yvonne had accepted it as a test of her faith. But this…… This was too much.  

What had I done to deserve this……?  

The man’s words as he tossed the gold coin echoed in her mind.  

“Take that, and if you get pregnant, deal with it yourself. Don’t come looking for me.”  

To him, Yvonne was nothing more than a meaningless existence. A plaything for one night. A maid he could violate and forget, paying her off with a single gold coin.  

And just as she meant nothing to that man, she likely meant nothing to God either. That must be why He allowed her to lose both her parents and be trampled on by that beast. Yes, he was a beast.  

Yvonne took the potion from Emma. Her hands trembled, but she drank every last drop.  

“Is there anything else I need to take?”  

“That’s enough. It’s a very strong potion that will wipe everything out, so you’ll be in a lot of pain for a few days. Rest as much as you can.”  

“…….”  

“If the master asks for you, I’ll tell him you’re bedridden with a cold and your monthly cycle. Don’t worry.”  

Emma left after promising to check on her periodically.  

***

Yvonne fell gravely ill afterward, just as Emma had warned. The pain was so intense that she couldn’t even dwell on her misfortune.  

For two days, Emma cared for her as she suffered. By the time Yvonne had grown used to Emma’s care, something unexpected happened.  

As usual, someone placed a cool hand on her feverish forehead. Half-asleep, Yvonne felt the soothing touch and slowly opened her eyes.  

“Head maid……?”  

“It’s me.”  

A low voice echoed in her ears. A voice she shouldn’t have been hearing.  

Startled, Yvonne sat up abruptly.  

“M-Master? How did you…….”  

“I heard you were very sick, so I came to check on you. You look so pale. Your cheeks are hollow.”  

Philip acted as if he were her lover, speaking tenderly as he brushed her cheek.  

“I wanted to come sooner, but Monsieur Conrad just left a short while ago.”  

“Ah……”  

Yvonne sighed softly. She hadn’t been curious, but hearing that the man had left brought her some relief.  

“And I heard from Emma why you’re sick. They made you work in the kitchen during the party? That’s absurd. I’ve reprimanded Emma, so this won’t happen again.”  

“What? No, please don’t. The head maid did nothing wrong. It’s my fault……”  

“I knew you’d say that. I only docked her pay for this month and ordered her to stay in her quarters for a week. Don’t worry. Emma has served my mother for a long time. I wouldn’t dismiss her over something like this.”  

“No, really. The head maid did nothing wrong. She was only thinking of me……”  

“My bride is too kind for her own good.”  

“That’s not it……”  

“It’s the head maid’s duty to care for the maids. She let you get hurt, so she had to be held accountable.”  

Philip whispered as he tucked her hair behind her ear.  

“Once you’re better, move your things to the main building. Quit being a maid immediately.”  

“Ah……”  

Yvonne was at a loss for words. She hesitated, her lips trembling, as she tried to find a way to refuse. But before she could, Philip took her hand.