Chapter 17 – Part 3

“Do you think it’s funny to see me like this?”

“What?”

“Why are you pretending to be so kind? Is it because you’re a real noble, and throwing me a jewel-like charity makes you feel better?”

Elena threw the jewel onto the floor.

Even though she needed money and jewels more than anything, her pride was deeply wounded by the realization that this was all she was worth now.

Moreover, Kristin’s face showed no signs of hatred towards her.

Seeing Kristin speak as if she were a pristine embodiment of kindness made Elena throw the jewel away, even though she needed it.

She hadn’t expected to feel so pathetic being pitied by Kristin, whom she had always looked down on. Elena wanted to deny her current state.

“Do you have any plans to get your life together?”

“What?”

“You need to live differently from your mother, don’t you? How long are you going to keep throwing tantrums like a spoiled child? Before, you could live in this house because your stepmother was here, but now I’m the head of this family. You’re no longer in a position to take me lightly, Elena.”

“Live differently? Have you ever lived as a commoner to say something like that?”

“No, I don’t know much about the lives of commoners. But at least I can understand. Lenci, who lived a life much harder than yours, is a commoner, yet she’s living much more diligently than you are.”

“Lenci? How dare you compare a maid to me?”

“Elena, enough.”

Kristin cut Elena off.

At that moment, Lenci and Cindy returned from the academy, smiling brightly, only to freeze in fear upon seeing Elena. This confirmed for Kristin that Elena could no longer stay in Edith Mansion.

When Elena saw Cindy standing close to Lenci, even linking arms with her, she became furious.

No matter what, Cindy had once been her maid. Seeing Cindy now clinging to Lenci like a bat, trying to find a new path after Elena had left, filled her with anger.

“Fine, take Lenci if you like her so much. I’ll take Cindy with me.”

“What?”

“Cindy, you didn’t switch sides after I left, did you? After all, I took such good care of you. Come with me. Let me stay at your house. Remember how many things I bought for you?”

Elena directed her words at Cindy, who, speechless, slowly unlinked her arm from Lenci’s.

Lenci, holding Cindy’s hand, turned to Kristin and spoke.

“My Lady, today was our first day at the academy. We just registered and met our classmates, but if Cindy leaves like this, what will happen with the academy?”

Lenci’s voice wavered as she spoke, almost on the verge of tears. Cindy patted Lenci’s shoulder and then addressed Kristin.

“My Lady, I think I should go with Lady Elena.”

“No, there’s no need for that, Cindy. You will stay at Edith Mansion until you finish the academy.”

“What?”

Cindy, overwhelmed with gratitude, repeatedly thanked Kristin.

Seeing this, Elena looked at Cindy with disbelief.

“A commoner like you going to the academy? Did you stick to her for that reason? Have you forgotten everything my mother and I did for you? You used to act like such a little bird, and now you’ve become my sister’s bird?”

“Don’t you think you’re being too harsh on Cindy? She was your maid, Elena.”

“I only kept her around because she was pitiful. There’s no one else in the world as dumb and obedient as her. And now this idiot is going to the academy? It’s ridiculous.”

Elena’s words made Cindy collapse on the spot.

All this time, Cindy had believed that everything she did was for the sake of Elena and Lady Rose. She thought that pleasing them was the only way to survive in Edith Mansion and that gaining their favor would lead to a better life.

So she had flattered them, reported everything that happened with Kristin, and lived that way. But hearing Elena say that she had only kept her around out of pity was a shocking blow.

Cindy sat there in a daze, staring blankly at nothing, unable to respond.

“Right. So all the servants in this mansion are on your side, huh? Even the butler, Alberto. And I’m sure the head maid is too. After what I did for all of them, how could they ignore me like this?”

Elena glared at Kristin and spoke again.

“Fine. I’ll see how well you live without me. If your family falls into ruin, then you’ll understand how I feel. I’ll curse you with everything I have, so just wait.”

With those words, Elena spun around and walked toward the front door.

Even though she still looked disheveled, she seemed to have made some kind of decision, slamming the door behind her as she left.

Elena had acted the same way at Raphael’s mansion, with no plan or strategy.

Because of this, Kristin didn’t take Elena’s actions too seriously.

Instead, she spoke gently to Cindy, who was still sitting on the floor.

“Cindy, Elena’s gone now. You should get up.”

Lenci quickly helped Cindy to her feet.

After confirming that Elena had walked out, Kristin turned to Cindy and spoke.

“Elena won’t be coming back to Edith Mansion for a while. So don’t worry, Cindy.”

“Yes, my Lady. But… I’m so shocked. I know I wasn’t always the best, but I never expected Lady Elena to talk to me like that. Even when she occasionally belittled me, I thought she still cared.”

Kristin shook her head, indicating that she didn’t believe Elena cared for Cindy at all.

Elena had always been self-centered, never showing concern for others. Kristin had only ever seen her desperately clinging to what she had, always trying to gain more.

So, she spoke to Cindy again.

“From now on, you need to stay strong, Cindy. Elena won’t be allowed back into this mansion. Hearing her speak to you so harshly upset me too. You’re my servant now, and I don’t want to see anyone treating you poorly. So, it’s time to forget about Elena.”

As Kristin said this, Lenci echoed her words to Cindy.

“Just like Her Ladyship said, don’t let yourself care for Lady Elena anymore.”

Even as she spoke to Cindy, Lenci couldn’t help but glance at the door through which Elena had left, still visibly shaken by Elena’s behavior.

She then noticed the butler and the head maid standing there in shock and turned to Kristin.

“I never imagined she would be like this. I thought she came because she needed help.”

Finally regaining his composure, the butler, Alberto, spoke to Kristin.

“Your Ladyship, we’ll take care of Cindy and Lenci. Please, go upstairs and rest now.”

Kristin waved him off.

“I’m fine. I’m just a bit tired, so I’ll go up and rest. From now on, if Elena comes here, don’t open the door or answer her.”

“Of course, Your Ladyship. I understand.”

The butler nodded, and the head maid also spoke up.

“Yes, I’ll inform the other servants as well, My Lady.”

“Thank you.”

Kristin patted Cindy and Lenci on the shoulders and then slowly made her way up the stairs to her room.

As she reached her room, Kristin bit her lip, making a firm decision.

Never again would she be swayed by Elena.

* * *

A few days had passed since Elena’s visit to the Edith Mansion. Although Elena had left after angrily warning Kristin and the other servants, the mansion had remained peaceful in the days that followed.

During this time, Kristin received two letters: one from Raphael and another from Winston.

Winston, after his visit to the Edith Mansion, had sent flowers once again, along with a letter containing the date for an upcoming charity event. Around the same time, Raphael’s letter arrived, inquiring about Kristin’s well-being and informing her of his plan to visit the mansion in a week.

Coincidentally, the date Raphael planned to visit was the same day as the charity event hosted by Winston and other nobles, leaving Kristin momentarily frozen as she glanced at her calendar.

Prioritizing the charity event over a meeting with Raphael was an easy decision for Kristin. It wasn’t just about seeing Winston; she had also promised Selena Scarlet to attend, making it difficult to back out of the event.

Kristin believed it would be rude to withdraw from the gathering on such short notice after agreeing to participate, so she chose the charity event over the meeting with Raphael.

Raphael, as he had in the past, acted entirely on his terms. The letter wasn’t a request for Kristin’s opinion but an announcement of his visit, instructing her to prepare. Although Kristin was grateful to Raphael for his past help, especially concerning her parents’ affairs, she no longer wished to be entangled with him.

It wasn’t just that she didn’t want to see him; she wanted to stop relying on his assistance. In her previous life, she had considered Raphael superior to herself, possessing more power, wealth, and intelligence. But now, as the head of the Edith family, she wanted to handle future matters on her own, not only for her sake but also for Raphael, who would eventually find another woman.

Thus, Kristin decided to write a letter to Raphael. Instead of leaving the Edith Mansion without a word, she would inform him that she had another engagement and wouldn’t be able to meet him that day.

Sitting at her desk, Kristin began writing the letter. After finishing, she instructed the servant responsible for the mail to send it to Raphael’s mansion. Although it would take about three days to arrive, she felt it was better to send the letter than to send nothing at all.

Watching the servant load the letter onto the cart to be sent to the post office, Kristin imagined the upcoming charity event with Winston and Selena Scarlet. She had no idea what the gathering would be like, but she couldn’t help feeling excited.