“What? Why?”

Harriet frowned. Eugene let out a hollow laugh.

“Does a husband need a reason for not wanting to divorce his wife? I’m happy right now. I’m confident we’ll be even happier in the future.”

Eugene approached Harriet. It was an elegant stride for a husband who had just received divorce papers from his wife.

“Harriet, I know how difficult it’s been for you. You’ve never shown it, but you must have struggled because of my stubborn grandmother. But grandmother is no longer here.”

“…It wasn’t because of your grandmother.”

“Then who is making you do this?”

Could it be because of other nobles? But Harriet didn’t interact much with other nobles. She would only see them occasionally when grandmother invited them.

‘Then…’

After briefly wondering who could have been around Harriet, Eugene chuckled at his absurd thought.

“Surely the servants haven’t been giving you a hard time?”

At that moment, a fresh voice echoed in Harriet’s ears.

“Madam! Look at this flower. It’s as lovely and beautiful as you are!”

‘Donna…’

It was about two years after their marriage. She heard a small cough from the end of the corridor.

‘What’s that?’

When she went toward the sound, she found a young maid sitting in the corridor, vigorously applying wax. Her small, white hands were reddened and raw.

“Child, why are you cleaning all by yourself?”

“Ma-Madam…”

The startled young maid bowed her head flat to the ground. Harriet realized that the girl hadn’t been here long. The maids who had served the Usra Earl’s family since before Harriet married didn’t fear her and treated her like an ignorant country woman.

“I-It’s my assigned duty.”

The child answered with a sniffle.

‘This isn’t a place people frequently visit.’

It was a place that didn’t need immediate cleaning, especially by a sick child like her.

“Just leave it and go. Do it later.”

“N-No, I can’t. The senior maids will be angry… oh!”

The young maid quickly covered her mouth. She looked worried that she might have misspoken.

Harriet was troubled. If she told the girl to leave it, the other maids would be angry with her. Would it help if Harriet intervened directly? Even now, the maids didn’t acknowledge Harriet as the Countess.

‘They might bully this child even more behind my back.’

It might be better if Harriet pretended not to have seen anything.

“…Alright.”

As Harriet was about to leave the child, the sight of the girl shivering from the cold stopped her.

‘She’s so small.’

Harriet recalled her own childhood. Harriet’s father was practically unpaid. The previous Earl Usra had said there was no need to pay a knight who didn’t work. If there had been work available nearby, he could have at least done odd jobs, but in Demons where Harriet lived, there was no suitable work for adult men. Moreover, knights couldn’t move to other regions without their master’s permission, so he couldn’t go far to look for work.

Because of this, Harriet had to work from a young age. Her frail mother’s sewing work wasn’t enough to put bread on the table for the three of them.

‘…This child must also be working here for her family.’

Swallowing the emotion welling up inside her, Harriet firmly held the young maid’s hand.

“Your hands are cold.”

“M-My hands are dirty, Madam!”

The child said hurriedly. After organizing her thoughts, Harriet said to the child:

“Go inside and rest.”

“But…”

“I’ll make sure you won’t get in trouble. Don’t worry, understand?”

“…Th-Thank you.”

After the young maid left, Harriet pondered for a moment. How could she resolve this issue without causing harm to the child? And in a manner befitting the Countess of Usra.

‘Ah!’

With a good idea in mind, Harriet immediately called for Pendleton. From what she knew of him, he wasn’t the type to turn a blind eye to maids bullying each other, dismissing it as their culture.

“I’m sorry to hear about this incident. I apologize that you had to witness such a thing, Madam.”

“I’m fine. But I’m worried that if I intervene directly, the child might suffer more bullying when I’m not around…”

“I understand what you’re saying. Please don’t worry, I will resolve this matter.”

Pendleton immediately gathered the maids and scolded them severely.

“I’ve served the Usra Earl’s family for decades, and there has never been a case of bullying new maids, yet you dare to do such a thing?”

“W-We never did such a thing…”

“Are you contradicting what I saw with my own eyes?”

When Pendleton claimed to have witnessed it himself, the maids’ faces turned pale, and they admitted their wrongdoing.

“We’re sorry. We acted childishly.”

“I’ll be keeping an eye on the new maid from now on, so don’t do such things again.”

The maids, who feared Pendleton, stopped bullying the young maid after that. The young maid immediately knew that all this was thanks to Harriet.

“Madam, thank you so much. I’m so fortunate to serve someone as warm-hearted as you.”

Harriet’s heart fluttered. With her lack of power, all Harriet could do was offer small kindnesses. And even that help had come in a foolish way, yet the child smiled with such gratitude as if she had received a grand gift.

“I should be thanking you.”

Harriet felt a warmth spreading in her heart. It was the first warmth she had felt since entering the Earl’s household.

Afterward, the young maid volunteered to be Harriet’s personal maid, a position everyone else avoided.

“From now on, I, Donna, will work hard to serve you, Madam!”

Donna was such a kind and cheerful child.

“Madam. It’s another lovely morning, isn’t it?”

She would wake Harriet up pleasantly in the morning.

“Madam prefers her eggs simply fried rather than scrambled, don’t you?”

“How did you know?”

“Hehe. I can tell just by looking!”

She was a child who matched even the smallest things to Harriet’s preferences. Donna was always with Harriet, teaching her what a peaceful day could be like.

One day, as those peaceful days continued, Elizabeth’s indoor garden party was approaching. Donna stood by the window, looking sullenly at the busy maids.

“Why is Lady Elizabeth preparing for the party without asking Madam anything? The right to host parties belongs to you, Madam.”

Harriet was startled and said:

“Donna. You shouldn’t say such things. Grandmother is the elder of this household. She can host parties whenever she wants. Besides, grandmother is an excellent host. The Usra family’s solid position in society is thanks to her.”

At Harriet’s stern words, Donna lowered her head dejectedly.

“I’m sorry. I spoke without knowing better.”

Seeing her face, Harriet felt uneasy again and smiled faintly.

“I know you said that out of concern for me. But for both our sakes, be careful in the future.”

Donna’s eyes widened as if she had realized something, and she nodded vigorously.

“I’ll keep that in mind!”

Finding her cute, Harriet’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

The next morning, Donna, who would normally come to wake Harriet, didn’t arrive. This had never happened before.

‘Is she sick somewhere?’

Just as Harriet was worrying about Donna, someone knocked on the door. Harriet’s face brightened, thinking it must be Donna. But it wasn’t.

“May I come in?”

The haughty tone was unbelievable for a maid speaking to her mistress. She was clearly Elizabeth’s direct maid.

‘What’s going on?’

Swallowing her anxiety, Harriet answered:

“Come in.”

The maid who entered the room gave a perfunctory greeting and said:

“You know Lady Elizabeth is hosting an indoor garden party, right?”

“…Of course I do.”

“Then do you also know that last night Donna ruined the indoor garden that Lady Elizabeth had prepared with such care?”

The maid said with a grimace, tilting her chin up. Harriet’s eyes widened in surprise.

There was clearly a misunderstanding. Harriet hurriedly went to Elizabeth’s room.

“Grandmother…”

As she entered the room, Harriet covered her mouth in shock. All the household maids were gathered, and in the center of the room, Donna, her face a mess, was crying and begging.

“I-I really didn’t do it!”

“Are you saying all the maids here are lying!”

Elizabeth shouted angrily and gestured toward Donna. Two maids held her arms on either side. Then another maid fiercely slapped Donna’s cheek.

Slap! With a harsh sound, Donna’s head turned to the side. Her already swollen face turned even redder.

“Ugh…!”

Donna groaned. Yet the maid paid no attention and raised her hand again.

“Stop it!”

Harriet ran toward Donna.