Four years later.
The hottest topic recently circulating in the social circles of the Resist Empire is that Ian Serege, the second son of Count Serege was dumped right before their official engagement.
Ian was famous for his good looks and his elegance. Countless ladies from aristocratic families blushed when faced with his refined gestures and his eloquence.
Jeremiah Kelon, Marquis Kelon"s only daughter, was also one of those ladies who fell for his charms.
There was a widespread rumor that Marquis Kelon, who had no sons, was going to take Ian in as a son-in-law and have him continue the Kelon"s family name.
However Jeremiah, who was head over heels in love with Ian dumped him just a day ahead of the summer state ball.
Everybody watched with their mouths shut when Jeremiah came to the state ball holding her cousin"s arm instead of Ian"s.
On the other hand, Ian came to the ball alone. Apparently, he was unable to find someone to go to the ball with in spite of the fact that Jeremiah dumped him the night before.
Ian was always a popular star in every ball but handsome Ian had to withstand the numerous giggles behind his back that day.
The air surrounding him was clearly strange. Everyone kept their distance from him after seeing Jeremiah completely ignore him and walk past him without a glance.
Ian was furious when he came back from the ball.
"Which families were those guys from who made a laughing stock out of me!?"
Crash!
A flower vase was shattered. The maids just stared at the ground, shaking in fear.
Ian chewed on his lips in contemplation. He could not think of any reason why this had happened. He was Ian who possessed perfect cla.s.s and etiquette.
But everyone that day was whispering behind their fans with a strange look on their faces.
He couldn"t figure out why, no matter how he thought about it.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Enraged, Ian took off the gloves he was wearing and threw them across the room. Those gloves were well worth at least three times the monthly wage of the maids standing nearby.
None of the maids made a sound. Everyone knew that making a single noise will make them the target.
The only way to steer clear of Ian"s sharp and explosive rage was to simply keep still and quiet.
So it was written in "The Chatters of the Maids."
* * *
[Mr. A, who was from a family with hundreds of years of tradition, was famous in the social circles for his overflowing elegance and graceful gestures; However, it is said that only his maids knew his true colors.
There were no shortage of maids who quit their jobs after witnessing his change in character the moment he sets foot in his mansion.
Mr. A was in fact an incorrigible playboy. A complete debauchee that words could not fully describe.
Not only did he lay his hands on the maids, but also two-timing several women in social circles using his fame.
Ms. B was the most recent victim who fell prey to his extreme debauchery.
Ms. B opened up wholeheartedly to A after he approached her as if he would do anything for her.
The problem started after B introduced him to her best friend Ms. C.
I trusted my friend as much as I trusted you, and so I had no issues about introducing you to my friend; and after that meeting the three of us got together often and spent good times together; and one day when B was starting to question where this had started to go wrong!
There a sudden rumor across all the social circles that A was being engaged to D.
On top of that, D was from a family that was beyond comparison with that of B.
B, who was quasi aristocratic, couldn"t say a thing to D, and fell ill after keeping it to herself.
B"s friend C is rumored to not even be aware of this and still head over heels crazy about A.
D and her whole family is unaware of any of such qualities of A and is completely in love with him.
Will A"s lasciviousness truly lead to marriage with D?]
"Chatters of the Maids" was a newsletter secretly pa.s.sed around and read by maids working at aristocratic families.
The newsletter only mentioned people as Mr. A, or Ms. B but there was no way that the maids of the capital did not know who the elegant young master from a family of long traditions.
Even commoners admired the Aristocratic society, and tried to get portraits of fair maidens in the rumors. It was only natural that maids in aristocratic families desired to know more.
The maids would tell what they have read to their masters. Ladies would cry out in astonishment, and gentlemen would frown.
Crash!
Ian picked up another delicate piece of pottery and smashed it. The door was locked shut, but the sound of shattering gla.s.s could be heard from beyond the doors.
A maid who was pa.s.sing by shrugged her shoulders back in fear. She asked another maid standing next to her.
"Hey…… You don"t think Ms. Jeremiah Kelon read "Chatters of the Maids," do you?"
"No way. How could she? It"s a newsletter that only maids read. Perhaps someone let her in on some of the details."
"Right? …… Even so, it certainly serves him right."
"Hey, be quiet…… Someone might hear you."
The maids giggled quietly.
The maids thought that their master, who treated them atrociously and would constantly grab their a.s.s, got what he deserved.
* * *
"Lady Lynette, did you hear?"
"What?"
"About Master Ian Serege and Lady Jeremiah Kelon. Their engagement was outright cancelled."
"Really?"
The girl who was lying down shot up out of her bed. Her smooth black hair got tangled up as it slid back down.
It was quite an adorable sight. Her brown eyes glowed golden with light and her milky cheeks had a beautiful l.u.s.ter.
However, unlike her pretty appearance, she was quite rough.
The maid - Apple smiled and sat down behind her on the bed. Then she said as she gathered up the girl"s tangled hair and combed it with her fingers.
"Mary from the Marquis"s family told me. Why, Lady Jeremiah apparently completely ignored Master Ian, and pretended he didn"t exist."
"Seriously?"
"Of course. Not a single person talked to Master Ian at the state ball. Evidently, he just stood there like a painting and smashed up all the vase in the house when he went back to the Count"s Manor.
"Ahhhhh, I"m so angry!"
The girl - Lynette collapsed back in her bed as soon as she heard Apple. Lynette"s hair that she had just combed got tangled again, but Apple didn"t seem to care and asked.
"Angry? Not entertained?"
"I should have seen it with my own eyes!"
Apple giggled at her remark. Lynette was also grinning, unlike what she had said.
"That idiot, I was so annoyed hearing about how he was bringing tears to maids all over the city and playing girls everywhere, and pretending to be all modest in front of Jeremiah. He finally got what he deserved."
"It"s all thanks to you."
"It"s not thanks to me, it"s all thanks to his own conduct."
"That"s also true."
The two girls giggled quietly.
Lynette Camelia had become eighteen during that time. Four years had already pa.s.sed since she decided to discard any impossible endings.
She was still the second daughter of the powerful Duke Camelia"s Family.
However, if anyone saw her as she was now, n.o.body would believe that she was the daughter of Duke Camelia.
Her room was the same shabby room that she was living in four years ago. It looked no different from a maid"s room other than that it was slightly larger; but her stepmother had no intention of giving her a nice room.
The reason for her receiving such treatment was simple.
Duke Camelia did not like her who was the result of the single affair that he had.
However, he could not abandon her. It was because she had the "hundred eyes."
The ability to look into someone with a hundred eyes and tell truth from lies.
It was the reason that Duke Camelia"s family had been able to retain its absolute position of power in the country for almost two hundred years.
At least one direct descendent of the Duke"s family had this "hundred eyes" in each generation. Unfortunately, in this generation, she who wasn"t a legitimate child, was the one born with the ability.
Whenever Lynette remembered this fact, she felt like she was chewing on crystals of sugar.
It was because it reminded her of d.u.c.h.ess Imelda, who thought of Lynette as a nuisance.
The biggest obstacle to the d.u.c.h.ess"s wish of her son inheriting the Duke"s vast wealth was Lynette. Lynette greatly enjoyed the d.u.c.h.ess"s frustration.
"I"ve decided to live my life as I please; having some crazy elements like this in life is a big plus, I guess."
Lynette had been living her life for four years according to the principle, "YOLO."
The proof of her living such a life was the mahogany desk in her room. There was a large pile of half-used paper and ink. It was more like the desk of an old scholar than a Duke"s daughter.
For three years, she had been crafting a newsletter at that table.
That"s right.
"Chatters of the Maids."
The newsletter that maids secretly pa.s.s around was created by Lynette.
In reality, it was more like a piece of gossip or tabloid than a newsletter; but to the maids, this monthly issued newsletter was a huge delight.
She made the newsletter based on rumors that she heard from maids. She distinguished whether the rumor was true or false with her "hundred eyes."
The cancellation of Ian Serege"s marriage was also Lynette"s design. Jeremiah Kelon was a woman who walked around with more maids than anybody and Lynette intentionally slipped "Chatters of the Maids" into the Marquis"s mansion. A maid must have let Jeremiah in on the details.
However, Ian did not know anything about this. And he will not, ever.
There won"t be a single maid in his house that would tip him off.
Lynette turned her body around and got up. Her hair was messed up even more as a result.
Apple groaned and held her by her shoulders and sat her down on the bed again.
"No, you have to comb your hair properly."
"For what?"
"The Duke called for you today."
"……Why did the old man call for me?"
She looked toward Apple with a surprised look.
Apple shrugged.
"I don"t know. Maybe he wants to take something out on you."
"Why you silly girl. You better watch your mouth."
She poked Apple"s forehead with her index finger, but with affection.
Apple also let out a smile and gathered up her hair roughly and held up a comb.
"Even if you"re the second daughter who the Duke dislikes, I"ll be shown h.e.l.l if I send you to the Duke looking like this. Do you understand?"
"d.a.m.n it. I have to write the next issue."
"Not now, My Lady. Maybe you can write it in the evening."
Lynette let out a sigh through her nose and quietly sat down on the side of her bed and Apple combed through her hair with a brush, while humming.
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