24. The Elegant and Fiery Private Life of a Noble Lady…?

“Why? Are you finally going to confess and come clean?”

Despite Judith’s sneering remark, Annie wasn’t intimidated like usual. Her typically gentle brown eyes locked onto Judith’s, and she spoke firmly.

“I’ll say it again—I’m not a thief. That day, someone framed me, and I foolishly fell into their trap.”

“But there’s no proof that you aren’t a thief, is there?”

Judith pressed her, but Annie didn’t falter. She calmly responded,

“And there’s no proof that I am a thief either. Unless you, Judith, have some new evidence to show?”

“Well, no, but still…”

Judith trailed off, unable to argue back against Annie’s direct rebuttal.

“And more importantly, I was found not guilty at the trial that day. Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, approved it, and Her Grace the Grand Duchess vouched for my innocence.”

Annie turned to face the group of peers who had long scorned and bullied her.

“If you still treat me like a criminal after all that, then you’re ignoring the judgment of the Empress Dowager and the Grand Duchess. Don’t you think that’s quite serious?”

“….”

“Annie! You did it!”

Linda, fired up by Annie’s uncharacteristically bold stand, shouted with glee.

“Those nasty girls didn’t even squeak and just walked right out! Ugh, that felt so satisfying!”

“It’s nothing. I just said what needed to be said.”

Annie smiled bashfully and turned to look at Hailey.

“If it were you, Hailey, I bet you would’ve put them down even more decisively.”

“Definitely. If it were Hailey, she would’ve crushed them so hard they’d never show their faces in the palace again.”

“Linda, was that supposed to be a compliment? Because it really didn’t sound like one…”

Hailey raised an eyebrow, and Linda just chuckled.

“This whole ordeal made me realize something… I can’t keep living like this.”

Annie whispered as she looked at her fellow trainee maids.

“Now I think I finally understand what it means to make a choice that’s truly for myself—and what happens when you foolishly just endure everything.”

Annie’s firm declaration felt strangely unfamiliar to Hailey.

‘After going through something like that, it’s no wonder she’s changed.’

Once you enter the Imperial Palace, change is inevitable. It’s the only way to survive the coming disaster that looms over them all.

“Still… thanks to you, I’ll probably be able to get something good for my little sisters to eat.”

Hailey suddenly felt a twinge of bitterness as she recalled Annie’s gentle smile from before—how she’d been so kind in return for something that wasn’t even a big favor.

***

In front of the sunroom where Grand Duchess Eleonora spent her afternoons, Hailey took a deep breath and knocked.

“Your Grace, it’s Hailey. I heard you were looking for me, so I’ve come.”

“Come in, Hailey.”

As the door opened, the sunlit room welcomed her with warmth and brightness. Unlike usual, the Grand Duchess was alone—no attendants around. Hailey, holding up her skirt, bowed politely and glanced subtly around the room.

“It’s rare not to see Senior Maid Emily here.”

“Emily had some matters at her family’s estate, so she’ll be away from the palace for a few days.”

“Then… shouldn’t Your Grace summon another attendant?”

“No need, Hailey. I can spend a few days on my own. I’m not a child, after all.”

“But still…”

“Well then, would you like to fill in as my attendant in Emily’s place?”

Hailey’s heart skipped a beat at the Grand Duchess’s unexpected offer.

‘Wait… is she really considering making me her personal attendant?’

If that were the case, there was no reason to hesitate.

“Yes! I’d love to try.”

Eyes sparkling, Hailey answered eagerly. The Grand Duchess smiled softly in return.

“Hehe. Alright. One day, when you become a senior maid, I’ll entrust you with the role.”

“….”

Hailey’s lips stuck out before she could stop herself.

‘No, but… can’t you just let me do it now instead of “one day”?’

But as a mere apprentice maid still stuck in that frog-like uniform, Hailey knew she couldn’t yet become the Grand Duchess’s personal attendant.

“Then, please promise me that when I do become a senior maid, I can serve as Your Grace’s personal attendant.”

“Of course,” the Grand Duchess replied warmly. “You’re a clever girl. I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job.”

With a gentle smile, she reached for the teapot to pour the tea herself. Hailey, flustered, quickly stretched out a hand.

“Ah—Your Grace, please allow me.”

“No, just this once, let me do it. I worked so hard to learn tea ceremony etiquette—gotta put it to use sometime.”

“You studied tea ceremony, Your Grace?”

“It was considered an essential virtue for any noble young lady of marriageable age. Honestly, I doubt there’s anyone on the continent who learned as strictly as I did.”

Drip, drip, drip.

True to her word, the tea poured into Hailey’s cup tasted exquisite. The temperature and strength were perfect—‘flawless’ didn’t even begin to cover it.

‘How in the world can someone brew tea this well?’

As Hailey took a sip, she fell into thought. She had won that one contest by making milk tea, but relying on shortcuts like that wouldn’t cut it forever.

‘I really need to study how to properly brew tea.’

In this world, surviving as a maid—especially in the Imperial palace—meant knowing tea was non-negotiable.

‘Ah—!’

Lost in thought, Hailey suddenly snapped out of it and looked up. The Grand Duchess, who was drinking her tea with the elegance of a noble lady straight out of a social etiquette textbook, was now watching her with gentle eyes.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I was thinking about how I might learn to brew tea as deliciously as you do.”

Her excuse, laced with subtle flattery, earned a soft chuckle from the Grand Duchess.

“You’re always thinking, always trying to learn something.”

“Well, I never had the chance to receive a perfect bride’s education like Your Grace!”

The cheeky answer only made the Grand Duchess laugh more.

“The way you brew tea comes down to personal skill. But my belief is that tea tastes best when shared over an enjoyable conversation.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Pleased by Hailey’s energetic reply, the Grand Duchess gave a small nod toward a nearby box.

“Go ahead and open that box over there. I have a gift for you.”

‘A gift?’

Surprised, Hailey lifted her head, only to see the Grand Duchess nodding gently with a warm expression.

“Go on, open it.”

When Hailey opened the blue velvet box, she found a hair ornament adorned with pearls inside.

“I spent the whole morning trying to choose something that would suit a young lady like you.”

“You’re giving me something so precious…”

“Those bright pearls should go well with your hair color. And since they’re small, they won’t get in the way while you work.”

‘But this looks way too expensive for a simple accessory…’

It seemed far too extravagant to be a reward for an apprentice maid, no matter how generous the Grand Duchess Eleanora might be.

“I feel like this is far too valuable for me to accept…”

“If I said it was in return for helping Kassian yesterday… would that sound too obvious?”

Sensing what Hailey was thinking, the Grand Duchess preemptively added with a faint smile.

“Hailey, as you know, the relationship between my homeland, the Duchy of Simodel, and the Empire has been deteriorating for years. If it weren’t for His Highness, the Crown Prince, war might have already broken out.”

A short sigh escaped her lips after she said that.

“Because of that, Lysa and I are in an even more difficult position now.”

“Your Grace…”

“The reason the Marion Company began supplying goods to the palace was because I asked Kassian to help, hoping it might change our fortunes. If Kassian comes to the palace more often, it means we have at least one more person we can rely on.”

If the Grand Duchess, who was known for never asking for help lightly, had gone so far as to seek assistance from her cousin, things were clearly worse than they appeared.

“If you hadn’t helped Kassian yesterday, he probably would’ve fallen out of favor with the Crown Prince. I’m truly grateful, Hailey.”

“Not at all, Your Grace.”

“I hope you’ll continue to support me faithfully, just as you have.”

That was exactly what Hailey had been hoping for.

“Don’t worry. I’ll serve Your Grace with loyalty and dedication.”

Pleased by Hailey’s vow, the Grand Duchess smiled contentedly before speaking again.

“Oh, and Kassian asked me to thank you. He seemed to have taken quite a liking to you.”

“…Pardon?”

At the completely unexpected comment, Hailey’s eyes widened in shock.

“I’ve been watching Kassian since he was a child, but you’re the first person who seems to match him so well, Hailey.”

“Well, I suppose it’s because I’m quick on the uptake.”

“Hmm, is that really all there is to it?”

The Grand Duchess whispered, her expression carrying a significant meaning.

‘If it’s not just that… then perhaps…’

Hailey, confused by the Grand Duchess’s reaction, cautiously asked, 

“Could it be that the head of the merchant company is considering offering me a scout proposal?”

In her previous life, she had occasionally received offers to be recruited by other store owners while working part-time…

“Don’t worry, Your Grace. I will never leave the palace.”

Hailey declared with determination and a serious expression.

“……”

The Grand Duchess’s face showed a faint look of discomfort as she observed Hailey.

Knock knock.

A knock echoed through the peaceful sunroom, and the door opened to reveal the head maid, Baroness Darmang.

“Your Grace, the Marion Company has sent goods and fruits.”

“Already? Kassian must have hurried.”

“He even sent those precious pomegranates. It’s a rare fruit this year due to poor harvests.”

The head maid placed a basket filled with perfectly ripe pomegranates on the table.

“It seems that Lysa particularly likes pomegranates, so he must have sent them specifically for her.”

“And these are the books that were sent along with the fruits. I believe they’re the ones you requested last time.”

The head maid then placed a stack of books on the table. Hailey’s gaze instinctively shifted to the spines of the books, where the title caught her eye.

‘An Elegant and Passionate Affair of a Noblewoman…?’