Chapter 13: The Reason Bliss Stepped In

Whether she knew why he was there or not, what mattered was that Caelan was watching. When his gaze swept from Jerian to her, Bliss quickly turned her head away. For reasons unknown, she felt it was better to pretend she hadn’t noticed his presence.

‘Why does he keep appearing out of nowhere?’

Bliss clenched her fist to conceal her unease.

She hadn’t intended to be a mere bystander to the maid’s predicament after the girl had tripped on her skirt—especially not with Jerian, who was already on the verge of exploding. It was clear that Jerian’s aimless anger would be directed entirely at the maid.

‘But Latte is here now.’

Bliss observed the person shielding the maid. Latte’s slender frame stood between the maid and Jerian, her delicate figure looking as though she might topple over from the slightest touch. Her gentle nature was evident in her stance.

An unexpected opportunity had presented itself for Latte to catch Caelan’s attention.

‘Then I should probably stay out of this.’

Bliss held her breath.

“Let’s step outside. We can finish this conversation there.”

Latte, appearing to share Bliss’s thoughts, urged everyone to leave. The maid, recognizing Latte as her only salvation, clutched tightly at her skirt.

Jerian looked at Latte and the maid before letting out a scoff. Her eyes held nothing but disdain for Latte’s protective stance.

“I see no reason why I should leave?”

“Jerian.”

Jerian’s gaze bore into Latte with intensity.

“Release that maid and back away now. Otherwise, who knows what might happen to you too. Don’t think I’ll spare you just because you’re Bliss’s friend.”

Jerian openly mocked Latte’s attempt to take control of the situation. There had been no reason to leave in the first place. The maid was at fault from the beginning, and Jerian had every right to be angry. Even if Jerian were to punish the maid, no one could object.

“Must you go this far? Punishing this child for such a small mistake…”

“Who says it’s a small mistake?”

Jerian cut Latte off mid-sentence. As more onlookers gathered, Jerian’s smile grew more pronounced.

“I had this dress specially made for this occasion. Not only did she soil my dress, but now she’s making me look like I’m bullying a maid.”

“That’s… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I just felt sorry for this child…”

Though Latte apologized, seemingly aware of her misstep, she maintained her grip on the maid. She appeared to know what fate awaited the girl if she stepped aside.

The maid seemed to share this understanding, as she gripped Latte’s dress hem even more tightly. The fabric would surely retain the creases from her desperate grasp.

“Feeling sorry? Anyone watching would think I’m the one tormenting an innocent child.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Stop it.”

Jerian’s sharp voice cut through the conversation as she glared at the maid. As if having her clothes soiled wasn’t enough, now with the maid’s pitiful crying, she appeared to be the villain. Jerian’s expression grew even more menacing.

“You’ve not only ruined my skirt but turned me into a spectacle. You won’t leave until you’ve paid for this.”

“Hic, I’m sorry… please just this once…”

“Jerian.”

As the maid sobbed, seemingly about to faint from Jerian’s threats, Latte raised her voice in protest.

“I told you not to interfere, Latte.”

Bliss glanced between Jerian and Latte. Their familiarity with each other’s names suggested this wasn’t their first encounter.

“No wonder you lost your fiancé, tsk.”

At Jerian’s words, the watching crowd erupted in laughter. They made no attempt to hide their mockery, not even bothering to cover their faces. Latte, who had stepped forward to defend the maid, had become the target of their ridicule. Her sad eyes threatened to spill tears at any moment.

Observing the scene quietly, Bliss released a discreet sigh. Jerian clearly had no intention of backing down.

“Jerian.”

“Who dares to interfere now… Bliss?”

Seeing Jerian’s surprised expression, Bliss offered a bitter smile.

‘I had hoped Latte would resolve this.’

That hope had been misplaced. As Bliss stepped forward, Jerian’s eyes flashed with anger. Her good mood from cornering Latte had been disrupted by Bliss’s intervention.

“What do you want?”

“First, let me apologize. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? Don’t tell me you also thought I was bullying that child? Is that why you’re apologizing in advance to stop me?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

Jerian glared at Bliss, clearly warning her against any attempt at mediation. The tension in the air heightened with Bliss’s intervention. Everyone watched intently, wondering how she would handle the situation. In this delicate moment, Bliss displayed a broad smile. Then, as if to make a point to Jerian, she lifted her own skirt.

“I should be the first to hold this child accountable. She tripped on my skirt first. So I get priority.”

The maid stumbled backward, her face draining of color at Bliss’s words. When Jerian realized Bliss wasn’t trying to stop her, a smile spread across her face.

“Yes, that’s more like you, Bliss. I’ll yield.”

Jerian stepped back willingly, giving Bliss the first opportunity to confront the maid. Bliss began speaking, pretending not to notice Jerian’s relief at no longer being the sole villain in this situation.

“Shall I handle this to the end then?”

“That would be fine.”

When Jerian readily agreed, Bliss responded with a smile. Ignoring the increasing murmurs around them, she called out to the maid.

“Will you look at me?”

Despite Bliss’s gentle tone, the maid trembled more violently, clutching Latte’s dress as if it were her lifeline.

“I just…”

The maid attempted to explain herself. Though she had been unable to speak to Jerian, she seemed to have something to say to Bliss, suggesting there was more to her story. However, she couldn’t continue. Seeing her distress, Latte tried to comfort her.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you.”

Bliss hadn’t taken any action yet, but she was curious to see how Latte would proceed.

“Bliss, please forgive this child. It wasn’t intentional.”

“Whether it was intentional or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that my skirt was soiled.”

“Bliss!”

When Bliss displayed an attitude no different from Jerian’s, Latte called out her name reproachfully.

“This child is just an employee here. Working at such a young age with calloused hands, how can you treat her so coldly?”

“Latte. The more you speak that way, the less inclined I am to forgive this child.”

“Why…”

“If we let this situation slide, we’ll have to forgive similar incidents in the future. That would be necessary to avoid being seen as cold-hearted. Should we just understand and overlook everything?”

Bliss made a show of brushing her skirt, but the mark where the maid had stepped remained visible. Meanwhile, fresh tears continued to stain the maid’s face.

“Bliss is right.”

Jerian, who had been listening from the side, lifted her chin proudly. While people’s gazes had been critical when she had stepped forward, now some were nodding in agreement with Bliss’s words.

“So… you’re really going to hit this child?”

Latte shielded the maid behind her, fearing Bliss might strike.

“Don’t do this. Bliss, please forgive her just this once.”

“Latte, we need to talk, so would you step away from that child?”

“If I step aside? Will this child be safe?”

Latte gestured at their surroundings to emphasize her point.

“When no one else will help this child, what will happen if even I leave?”

“Are you going to cover for everything?”

“…What?”

“Are you going to excuse this maid’s mistake just because she’s weak? Is blindly protecting her the only answer?”

“That’s…”

“Latte, this matter will be settled between the parties involved.”

When Latte struggled to respond, Bliss silently demanded she step aside. If she didn’t move now, she would only make herself look foolish.

As Latte reluctantly stepped away, Bliss and the maid faced each other. Bliss released her skirt and studied the maid. The small figure trembled, tear stains slowly drying on her young face.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Jay.”

“Alright Jay. About stepping on my skirt…”

“I didn’t mean to do it…”

“Shouldn’t an apology come first?”

Caught off guard by this unexpected turn in the conversation, the maid was flustered. After being asked her name and told to apologize, she bowed her head in confusion.

“I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Alright.”

“Never again… What?”

The maid looked at Bliss with startled eyes.

“I said alright.”

“You’re not going to hit me?”

“When did I ever say I would hit you?”

Though Bliss hadn’t mentioned anything about hitting, it was Latte who had been insisting she shouldn’t strike the maid.

“Never.”

The maid shook her head.

“But I need compensation for dirtying my skirt. What should we do about that? You couldn’t afford it even if you worked your entire life.”

The maid covered her mouth with both hands.

Jerian had threatened to beat her, but she hadn’t mentioned lifelong debt. The maid’s face filled with despair as she contemplated a fate worse than physical punishment.

It was then…