The bird’s form was completely hidden. At the same time, the pitiful fluttering and faint wing beats also stopped.

Like it had frozen in terror.

Roderick also closed his mouth and quietly held his breath.

“……”

He had crossed his master’s mood twice over the same matter. It was a foolish mistake he rarely made.

Thud, thud. At the sound of his master approaching, he bowed his head and stepped aside diagonally to clear the path.

Passing by him, the duke spoke.

“I’m in quite a good mood today.”

He couldn’t miss the clear warning contained in that low voice.

This was the last time.

There would be no next. Roderick forced his tongue, which was stiffening with tension, to move and answered.

“If you permit it, I would like to wait outside the greenhouse from now on.”

The duke glanced back briefly. Soon a short laugh escaped his lips.

“Do what you like.”

* * *

As the two left the greenhouse, they saw servants moving busily.

Among them was a middle-aged man with a menacing face who had just arrived today.

Georg, wasn’t it?

Roderick felt no sympathy for him at all. However, he did think the man was unlucky among the many villains.

Once he became the duke’s target, his demise was practically decided.

“Let something tempting slip by him.”

Sure enough, a vicious pleasure spread across the duke’s face upon spotting the man.

“Make him so tempted that his eyes roll back. Make him go crazy unable to resist devouring it immediately.”

Roderick was certain.

That man would collapse miserably. He would roll around pathetically before perishing in agony.

Because his master had decided to make it so.

…Then what about the other one?

At the sudden thought, his spine went cold.

Even though he had heard nothing about it, no, precisely because of that. The fact that he couldn’t guess anything at all stirred a strange fear.

The bird in the golden cage. A nightingale with one broken wing and chains around its ankle.

That bird’s ‘disposal’ would also come.

No longer confident in his imagination, Roderick unconsciously shook his head, then suddenly drew in a breath and stiffened his body.

He had noticed his master’s gaze.

Dantalion asked in a leisurely tone.

“So, are you done thinking?”

It must be a reproach for not answering despite being given an order.

Yet somehow, feeling like all his thoughts had been read, Roderick’s spine went cold.

“I apologize, Your Grace.”

He hurriedly moistened his parched mouth and answered, but couldn’t hide the tension and subtle trembling within.

“I will prepare as you commanded.”

The man’s smile deepened.

* * *

Aila woke before dawn and opened the clothing chest to take out and put on the maid uniform.

The sturdily made clothes were clean without tears or severe stains, aside from slight signs of use.

At least among the clothes she had worn so far, these were remarkably high quality. She even felt a little excited at the touch of the crisp fabric against her skin.

Even though she had become a laundry maid doing the hardest and most menial work, Aila wanted to work here for a long time without being driven away.

Last night had been so sweet.

Then, a brief rattling sound came from outside, followed by the sound of footsteps moving away.

Aila carefully opened the door. In front of the door sat a basket of laundry and a bowl of soup with bread half-soaked in it.

Naturally raising her head, she saw maids looking this way from a distance.

“Don’t even think about crawling out to the dining hall. Eat there by yourself.”

“We don’t want to sit at the same table as a smelly cleaning maid.”

After the maids giggled at each other and left, Aila quietly closed the door and came inside to sit on the edge of the bed.

She couldn’t help feeling intimidated. The thought that she was being ostracized right after arriving made her a little sad.

“It’s fine…”

At least no one was getting angry or hitting her. She didn’t have to starve like before.

Trying to think positively, she ladled the soup. Still, warming her insides with hot barley bread and soup improved her troubled mood somewhat.

After finishing her meal, she put the bowl back in its original place. She wanted to take it to the dining hall but couldn’t muster the courage.

Instead, she picked up the laundry basket, passed through the corridor, and came out through the back door.

“It must have rained last night.”

The thick smell of grass rising from the damp ground moistened her nose.

Aila looked for the stone path that continued like stepping stones. She had heard that following it would lead to the lake.

But the rain-soaked stone floor was extremely slippery. Eventually she moved her feet to the dirt path beside it.

The mud was deep enough for her shoes to sink in, so her old shoes quickly became dirty. The weeds that had grown wildly here and there, heavy with moisture, brushed against her ankles.

On the way, she nearly slipped and fell on a steep downhill slope.

“Phew… that was close.”

Just as Aila, having barely regained her balance, was patting her chest in relief,

Whistle!

Suddenly a whistle sound burst from somewhere.

Looking up, she saw three men with swords at their waists standing there, grinning slyly at her. They were castle guards.

“Everyone’s been talking about the new maid who came yesterday.”

Greedy, gleaming gazes passed between them.

“What do you know. First time since the head maid, isn’t it?”

“She’s quite pretty.”

When Aila tried to bow her head and pass by quietly, sensing some unpleasant atmosphere.

“It’s your first time, so do you know the way? If you’re scared, shall we escort you to the lake?”

One of the guards spoke to her.

His gaze swept over her face and neck, then blatantly roamed over her forearms where she had rolled up her sleeves.

From those sticky gazes and lewd smiles, Aila realized they had been having unpleasant fantasies about her.

An instinctive revulsion rose from deep in her heart. Along with it came a sense of crisis that she should hurry and avoid them.

Because even if something happened, there was no one around here who would help her.

“No. I, I can go by myself.”

Having barely managed to utter one word of refusal, Aila hurriedly left through the back gate.

“Playing hard to get.”

“Come back early! If you’re late, we won’t open the door for you!”

“Then the forest wolves will eat you up, won’t they?”

The guards’ giggling shouts followed behind her, but fearing they might harm her, she pretended not to hear and hurried her steps like she was fleeing.

‘…I just need to be more careful.’

It was only because our eyes met by chance today.

Trying to think that what happened to her was nothing serious.

* * *

From the back gate to the lake was quick.

When she arrived at the flat rock used as a washing place, the still-unfrozen lake sparkled with silver ripples before her eyes.

Aila briefly admired its beauty before setting down the laundry basket. She was about to take out clothes and bedding, soak them in water, and start soaping them.

Swoosh.

At a suddenly felt gaze, her head snapped up. Large, round green eyes anxiously surveyed the surroundings.

She was sure she had heard some presence…

A strange sensation like someone was watching her.

No one would dare come to the lake where the ducal castle was located, yet she strangely had that illusion.

She looked around for a long while, but the scenery was no different from before.

The lake’s ripples were still calm, and swoosh, only the sound of wind passed through the leaves in the silence.

While her movement stopped, the soap bubbles covering both her hands quietly swelled and then collapsed.

Shaking her head, she focused on the laundry again.

Comforting herself that it was because her mind was a little disturbed from being harassed by the guards.

Fine, soft shirts and pants, cravats… excluding the bedding, they were all one man’s clothes.

‘The duke must be staying alone in the castle…’

At the thought that came to mind carelessly, Aila started.

She also recalled Brigitte’s cold face as she sharply warned not to be curious about their master.

“…The head maid was right. I just need to do my job properly.”

She had no other desires.

She only desperately hoped to get through her time working here without incident.

‘Who would pay attention to a mere laundry maid? If I just stay out of sight… and work quietly, it’ll be fine.’

Aila quickly dipped her hands back into the lake. Thanks to the water cold enough to snap her to attention, her idle thoughts were quickly forgotten.

Her hands soon began moving busily.

Winter days were short. She had to hurry to finish work before it got dark.