To My Arrogant Master - Chapter 12

Recognizing it as an urgent knock, Harriet hurriedly helped Claude put on the jacket he was holding while continuing to speak.

“In my opinion, it would be best to send her away now. What if she really kills someone?”

Harriet added that he agreed with Mrs Melady’s opinion. Claude let out what must have been his umpteenth sigh.

“Or, this time, you should really teach her a lesson. She shows no signs of remorse at all, does she?”

As he fastened the cuff buttons of the jacket, Claude frowned. Was it a problem that he had let it slide once last time?

Even at his aide’s suggestion to scold her harshly, Claude still delayed giving an answer.

In fact, it shouldn’t even be a matter of concern. Was there any reason that he should give such extensive attention to that woman?

There was already a messenger from the imperial palace waiting outside, asking to stop the emperor who was running around with a sword, killing and sparing courtiers as he pleased.

When there was still no response despite saying all this, Harriet, feeling anxious, couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth.

“A pay cut is far from enough this time. Even when I was caught touching Your Grace’s sword at 12 years old…”

“Tell the head maid to handle it as she sees fit. Whether it’s confinement or doubling her workload.”

As Harriet was about to bring up old matters again, Claude waved his hand dismissively, speaking in an annoyed tone.

“You’re not going to call her in and scold her yourself?”

“It’s ridiculous for me to be involved in every maid’s affair.”

As he said, even if the head maid had previously asked him for instructions out of courtesy since he had brought Flora in, the management of servants was originally the head maid’s responsibility.

It wasn’t proper for the busy duke to interfere in every servant’s matter either.

This time, Claude had no intention of shielding Flora. He needed to correct her tendency to attack for trivial reasons somehow.

Well, she wasn’t the type to be fired over a few lashes of the whip along with a scolding.

“Once is enough for leniency… Do as you please.”

Harriet pouted, seemingly dissatisfied that this was all, feeling the duke was unusually lenient towards that maid.

“Go tell Flora too. I’ve instructed her to obey the head maid’s words quietly.”

“Understood.”

Claude glanced at his dejected aide before leaving the office. In the room without its master, Harriet grumbled once more before going to find the head maid.

* * *

At first, Flora had no intention of reacting to the malicious rumors that had started from an unknown source.

In fact, even soldiers from other divisions who praised her to her face would whisper ‘murderer’ behind her back, and she often felt contemptuous gazes in her unit, so it was nothing new. As always, she could just ignore it and move on.

Today was the same. She passed by the servants who were snickering about how many soldiers she had dealt with.

But suddenly they got upset, accusing her of ignoring them, and threw a long stick they were holding from the statue they were sitting on. If she hadn’t dodged in time, it would have left a scar on her face.

She tried to endure it for the master’s sake, but in the end, Flora couldn’t let it slide this time either.

Hearing such words dozens of times a day and being provoked, things only got worse when she didn’t react.

So she changed her approach and tried to scare them by throwing a nearby basket. But those startled by her counterattack stumbled and fell, breaking an arm.

Clearly it wasn’t her fault, but the head maid who appeared just then seemed to judge differently based on the result alone. It was natural that the head maid’s gaze, already unfavorable towards Flora due to her recent conflict with Celine, grew even colder.

“She must have gone to the master…”

Even someone as oblivious as her could tell that Mrs Melady was desperate to get rid of her.

This time, they wouldn’t let it slide. What would they say? Would they tell her to leave?

As Flora was sighing with these thoughts, about to push open the main building’s door, her feet suddenly stopped. Five or six maids blocked her way.

Mrs Melady, accompanied by the maids, began to speak with a face full of authority.

“Seize her.”

At that command, the maids approached and grabbed both of Flora’s arms. Seeing Mary stomping her feet anxiously behind them, Flora had some idea of what was happening.

“You didn’t need to go this far. I was planning to go to the master on my own.”

She meant to say ‘So don’t waste your energy,’ but to Mrs Melady who heard it, it only sounded like an insolent tone.

“Impudent girl.”

“You want to use me as a pretext to make a request to the duke, don’t you?”

Just as Flora thought the situation was obvious, she saw one corner of Mrs Melady’s mouth curl up crookedly.

Suddenly, a chilling sensation brushed her nape.

“Before the master left, he entrusted me with your education.”

Ah. Was that so?

At those words, Flora relaxed her body instead of resisting. Come to think of it, it was only natural, but somehow she felt a bit disappointed.

“Lock Flora in the Room of Repentance right now. No, lock her in the wardrobe inside that room!”

Flora’s eyes weakened at the word ‘wardrobe’ that was said following a room she didn’t even know about. A wry smile escaped her at Mrs Melady’s stern voice, determined to correct her manners this time for sure.

Flora gave a slight nod to the restless Mary as if to say it was alright, then allowed herself to be dragged away.

The Room of Repentance turned out to be a place Flora had never been before. The room they unlocked and entered was dusty as if unused for years, without a single window.

Her prediction that they wouldn’t let it slide this time was spot on. Before she could properly look around the room, Flora was shoved into the wardrobe by rough hands.

Clank.

After placing a large padlock on the latch and checking it several times, they left her in the darkness and went out.

She faintly heard the head maid’s voice as she was leaving.

“An ill-mannered maid has no right to be here, but I’ll show mercy and do just this much. Don’t give her a single drop of water until she begs for forgiveness.”

The inside of the wardrobe was barely big enough for one person to lie down, and a damp smell stung her nose. Still, this much was bearable.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see what looked like scratch marks on the inside of the wooden door. Clearly traces of someone who had desperately clawed at it to get out.

Calmly thinking that there must have been another maid like her, Flora hugged her knees and rested her forehead on them.

“Hah.”

Flora quietly steadied her breathing and slowly closed her eyes.

Bringing her here telling her to trust him. The afterimage of the man who made her do maid work and occasionally gave strange sermons flashed by for just a moment.

* * *

It was four days after Flora was locked in the wardrobe that the duke who had been away returned to the mansion.

He looked for Flora as soon as he arrived.

“Bring Flora here.”

“Flora… you say?”

Mrs Melady was visibly flustered at his order. The change was clearly noticeable on her usually expressionless face.

“Did I say something wrong?”

He asked, wondering if she had caused trouble again while he was away, but Mrs Melady remained silent, her eyes darting around uncertainly.

Seized by a strange feeling, Claude strode past her and abruptly opened the door. Among the maids waiting in the corridor, Flora was nowhere to be seen.

“She’s not hanging from the roof in some bizarre cleaning posture again, is she?”

“Forgive my impertinence, but Flora is currently under discipline.”

The duke narrowed his eyes, gauging the time he had been away.

“Still? What kind of discipline?”

“It’s nothing much. Just having her reflect on her actions.”

“So she’s reflecting in her room now?”

As the questions continued without pause, she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Well… She’s reflecting in the Room of Repentance.”

Mrs Melady barely managed to answer, realizing that he had noticed something was amiss during her slight delay, but it was already too late.

Before she could stop him, the duke strode out into the corridor. The quiet floorboards creaked continuously under the weight of his large frame as he walked briskly.

Just as Claude reached the so-called Room of Repentance on the 5th floor and was about to fling the door open, he heard women’s voices from inside.

“She’s so stubborn. Why is she being so difficult when a simple apology would suffice?”

“Flora, are you dead in there?”

It was the voice of some maids mocking someone.

Claude, who had assumed only Flora would be inside, couldn’t hold back and entered. He found maids giggling in front of a wardrobe in the dirty room.

“Y-Your Grace.”

The maids who turned their heads at the sound of the roughly opened door all looked shocked.