27

"Greetings to Princess Veronica. My name is May."

Her waist, head-down angle, and polite hand shape were just as good as most aristocrats.

"Madame praised you."

"I'm still not enough."

Elena stared at the humble May. She was slender, and through all her hardships and adversities, she looked like the one who had tried to assassinate Grand Duke Friedrich.

"Don't you wonder? How you ended up in the Great House."

"I know it's because Madame recommended me."

May's answer was formal. In social circles, the maids of Madame de Flanrose were famous. They were educated by the Madame, so they had the right attitude and manner.

May assumed that's why she came to the Great House. Considering the status of the Grand Duke, she would have had to send a particularly outstanding maid of honor among Madame de Flanrose's maids.

"No. I asked Madame. To let you go."

"…!"

May's pupils were shaking. It was because she instinctively felt that what Elena said was unusual. But she couldn't understand her intentions. Elena smiled.

"You didn't ask. Why did I ask her to let you go? How I knew about you."

"That's right. Your Highness has such an idea…"

Elena put her side hair behind her ears and said meaningfully.

"It's said that everyone lives with a single sword hidden in their hearts."

"I'm too dull to understand a word of that."

Just like the maids of Madame de Flanrose, she lowered herself and praised Elena with cultured words. Then, she hoped she learned with a lowly attitude. That is why many aristocrats coveted Madame de Flanrose's maids.

"You don't understand… Then shall I guess who the sword in your heart is pointing at?"

"What do you mean…."

May pretended not to understand the words until the end. But even that pretense was blocked by Elena's words.

"The Grand Duke."

"…!"

May's heart thumped madly as if it would explode. Every nerve in her body sharpened like a well-sharpened sword. Every word felt like a thorn aimed at May. She couldn't make a decision on how to handle the situation, as she had never expected it to turn out like this.

Elena drank the cup of tea while smiling at her. On the other hand, May shed cold sweat on her back.

'What should I do?'

It did not matter how Elena knew about herself. The fact that she was suspected was important.

As long as she knew her impure intention of coming to the Great House, there was no chance that she would escape the place alive.

'It's funny that I wanted to come here and live, right?'

May smiled bitterly. She had finally made it to the Grand Duke's house, but the thought of having to give up here was too distressing to bear.

'In that case, even the great princess…!'

A murderous look came into May's eyes as she tried to leave everything behind. Her revenge had failed, but she decided that she would take his blood relative to her friends in the afterlife, just as Grand Duke Friedrich had killed her parents.

"Is that your choice?"

As if she had read her true feelings, Elena's words that she threw at her didn't keep May from acting.

"You didn't struggle to catch a chicken instead of a pheasant, did you?"

"…"

"Why don't you use me?"

What the hell was she talking about? Was she suggesting that she used the child to try to kill the parents? The answer to the sophomoric question was contained in Elena's words that followed.

"There are some children who hate their parents."

"…!"

Elena put the teacup down on the pedestal and smiled significantly. May didn't leave for a long time, as if she had been fascinated by the smile.

Sect 5. Fate, Evil, and Coincidence

"You're leaving for the academy the day after tomorrow?"

Grand Duke Friedrich laid down his fork and knife gently. Instead, he grabbed a glass of wine, spun it around a few times, and took it near his mouth.

"Yes, father."

Elena answered modestly. She was sitting on the left side of the table in reference to Grand Duke Friedrich at the top of the long table. As it was an official dinner, the maids and the chef attended, there was a reason to be seen as a father-daughter relationship.

"It's been two years since you returned to school. Wouldn't it be hard to keep up?"

"I learned a lot from Liv during the break."

Grand Duke Friedrich's eyes were on Leabrick, who sat on the right.

"I just did what I was supposed to do."

Elena listened to the conversation and cut the steak into bite-size pieces.

'I won't see these disgusting faces for a while.'

As a general rule, students in the academy live in dormitories regardless of status, such as royalty or nobility. Unless there was a special reason, she would never bump into Grand Duke Friedrich or Leabrick. But that didn't mean she was going to relax there to relieve her tension. The plan was to take advantage of the opportunity when Leabrick's surveillance would be neglected to lay the groundwork for the demolition of the Grand Duke's house.

'Considering my early graduation, I was given a year at most.'

In principle, she would have to attend one more year of school, including the two years she had taken off, to graduate, but Elena was an exception. Because she was the only heir to the Grand Duke's family, she had the privilege of receiving a diploma even if she didn't have enough credits. In the end, whether her revenge would be successful or not depended on how she would make use of that year or so of time.

After the formal dinner, Elena and Leabrick had tea time separately. The move was aimed at checking issues that should not be missed before leaving tomorrow.

"As you know, you're not as good as others as you took this year off. I'll tell the dean, so take one more major and one more course."

"Okay."

"I tell you every time, but don't be nervous. You have to keep your head on straight. If there's anything you can't handle, don't try to handle it alone and tell me first. Do you understand me?"

"Of course, Liv, don't worry too much. I can do it."

Elena nodded and showed her will. She was pretty reliable, but Leabrick, who saw Elena, didn't get rid of her troubles.

'Ha, I wouldn't have bothered you so much if you had Lord Lorentz on you.'

If she had been with the experienced man, she would have been able to control her to some extent in the worst situation. But she couldn't. In the end, the best measure was to be reported to periodically by Anne, who was posted as a watchdog.

"Take Anne and Lunarin as your maids."

Leabrick's tone was more of a command. It was because she believed that it was good in many ways to have Anne, who will serve as a watchdog, and Lunarin, who is experienced as the eldest of the maids.

"Liv, you know what… Anne's fine, but can't I take May instead of Lunarin?"

"May?"

"She learned how to work under Madame, so she has very good skills. I like her very much, she's very attentive."

Leabrick wasn't very happy, but considering her friendship with Madame, she thought it wasn't bad either.

'If you just bring Anne, it doesn't matter who you take.'

It didn't matter much whether Lunarin or May went. With Anne, the watchman, she could be regularly briefed on Elena's activities, so that was enough. Leabrick said with good intentions.

"The princess wants it, so take May."

"I thought Liv would understand. Thank you."

Elena gave her a child-like act of joy for doing her a favor.

'I'd like to get her off as well, but if I force her off, it'll only stir up Leabrick's suspicions.'

As long as Anne was accompanying her, there was no choice but to restrict some of her behavior. This part she had to have patience and endure. Instead, she was looking for the reflective benefits from it.

'Relaxation will soon bring about carelessness.'

Leabrick would think that Elena had her under control just by keeping Anne around. Elena was thinking of digging into the crack of the guard that the belief brought. Elena, who had heard enough precautions to be careful at the academy, returned to her room.

"Come on in, everybody."

Lunarin, Jesse, Anne, and May were in line. Elena said, scattering through their faces.

"Anne and May will go to the academy with me, so get ready."

Anne's lips twitched as if she had called for pleasure. May had a complex face, but it was hard to guess how she felt with just her expression. On the contrary, the expressions of Lunarin and Jesse, who were not chosen, showed regret. However, it was not a topic to complain about, so they had swallowed up the disappointment.

"Everyone get out. May's staying for a while."

When the three maids were released, only Elena and May were left in the room. Elena was the one who dug up the awkward but heavy silence.

"Have you made up your mind yet?"

"…"

Elena smiled at May in front of her. That day, May made no choice. It was impossible to determine what was right or wrong with Elena's proposal that broke common sense and prejudice.

Elena told her to leave, saying she would give her time to think, and after May left the room, she realized that the daughter had let go of the man who tried to kill her father. It was an unacceptable shock. What child would let go of those who killed their parents? Unless that child hated their parents.

'Hate.'

May chewed and chewed over the conversation she had with Elena. And today, Elena wanted to hear the answer to her worries.

"I guess you still haven't made up your mind. Okay, we're going to the academy together, so take your time answering. I'll wait."

"…"

"Be sure to engrave this. My hatred is no better than yours. Get out."

May didn't budge when asked to go outside. She stood there like a stone statue, with her two feet tightly attached. May's lips, which were standing discontented, opened.

"… I have no idea. I don't know what kind of person Your Highness is. Why do you say this? Why do you keep me around."

The words that came out of May's mouth with difficulty contained her confused feelings. Elena smiled so that May, who managed to speak out, would not feel burdened.

"You don't have to be in a hurry. You can also judge me by your own eyes."

Elena waited for May to come by herself instead of rushing her. There was a lot of work to be done if she was to go to the academy. For that, Elena needed someone to be her hands and feet in earnest.