~Chapter 22~
Leah was worried about how she could explain everything to Raphaella before leaving,especially since her daughter hadn’t been letting her out of sight lately.
But thankfully, she had nothing to worry about.
“So, Mommy has to go out for a bit.
Will you be okay?”
“Will Helen stop being sad if you go?”
Raphaella had held back her tears earlier when she saw Helen crying so hard.
It broke her heart to see Helen, who had always been kind to her, crying like that.
She didn’t want to be away from her mom—but she also didn’t want to see Helen cry again.
“Yes, I think she’ll feel better.”
“Okay, then go and come back quick, Mommy.”
So, for Helen’s sake, Raphaella accepted being apart from her mom for a while.
“Thank you, Rafi.
I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Leah hugged her daughter tightly as she clung to her skirt.
Then, she left through the back servant’s entrance with Helen.
“First, we need to go to Rupolt Jewelry Shop to pick up a diamond that was sent for engraving,and then take it to Ottilie Dress Salon.”
“A diamond?
To a dress salon?”
“Yes.
I think it’s a tiny diamond meant to be used as a decoration on a dress.”
All this, just for a diamond to decorate a dress—was that really more important than visiting Helen’s injured mom?
‘It must be Carolina’s dress…’
Surely decorating a dress with a diamond could wait until another day.
‘Is this how servants in noble houses are usually treated?
Or are Carolina and the head maid just especially cold-hearted?’
It felt really unfair, but since Leah was technically just a guest, she didn’t say anything.
“There’s a bit of distance between the jewelry shop and the dress salon,
so please be careful not to run into any thieves on the way,” Helen warned.
“The ones in the capital are especially good at spotting easy targets in shopping areas.”
“Got it.
I’ll be careful.”
Leah had been robbed once before, so she silently agreed with Helen.
“There are a few more errands too…”
Leah tried to memorize everything Helen told her.
“…Lady Leah, what if my mom’s really badly hurt?”
Helen explained that her father had passed away early,and her mother had raised her and her siblings all by herself.
Leah was genuinely impressed by Helen’s mom.
“Helen, we don’t know yet how bad it is.
Try not to worry too much.”
“Still… what if it’s serious and something really bad happens…?”
Leah could tell that no words would truly comfort Helen right now.
All she could do was gently pat her shaking shoulder.
“Sorry for crying so much…”
“You don’t need to apologize.
If I were in your shoes, I’d be crying too.”
Leah truly understood Helen’s fear.
She had felt the exact same way when her grandmother, who was like a parent to her, had suddenly fallen gravely ill.
She had felt totally lost and overwhelmed—but the villagers had supported her and helped her not be swallowed up by grief.
“They let me cry as much as I needed, but didn’t let me drown in sadness forever.”
“Helen, I really hope your mom isn’t seriously hurt.
But even if something terrible happens…”
Leah took a deep breath.
“You have people who care about you.
You’ll get through it.”
“…You think so?”
“Of course.
I’ll be here to help you too.”
“Thank you, Lady Leah.”
Soon, they arrived at the central plaza with the big clock tower.
Helen waved goodbye and ran off toward her village,while Leah started walking toward the jewelry shop.
‘I wonder if Rafi is doing okay… Maybe she’s having a snack right now…’
—
Not long after the butler started watching Raphaella, Carolina called for him.
He didn’t know why, but it seemed he’d be stuck serving her for a while.
So he called a maid and asked her to watch Raphaella instead.
The maid grumbled that she had too much work to do.
The butler promised to explain things to the head maid and handed Raphaella over anyway.
Raphaella glanced at the unfamiliar maid,
then went back to quietly playing with her blocks.
The maid noticed that Raphaella didn’t need any help and was keeping to herself,
so she plopped down on the sofa and relaxed.
‘This brat doesn’t even care if I eat her snacks or sit on the sofa.
What an idiot.’
The maid crunched on cookies meant for Lady Raphaella as she stared out the window.
Then, she suddenly blushed, like she’d seen something.
“Miss Raphaella, would you like to go for a walk in the garden?”
“The garden? Sure.”
Raphaella now knew how to speak to servants more like a noble and answered curtly.
The maid hurriedly led her into the garden.
It was Raphaella’s first time going that far in, so she wanted to take her time looking around.
But the maid kept rushing her, saying there was an even more fun place ahead.
They arrived where a gardener was tending to spring flowers.
The maid shyly started chatting with the young gardener, who seemed flustered but responded.
Meanwhile, Raphaella was plopped on a nearby bench and left alone.
‘This is boring! She said it’d be fun.’
Raphaella watched the maid and gardener giggling as they moved deeper into the garden.
‘She’s a liar.’
‘I don’t want to be with a liar.’
Raphaella got off the bench and wandered toward a small fountain.
She was admiring the statue in the middle when—“Hey, you peasant!”
Thwack!
Marco shot a stone from a slingshot and hit her arm.
“What, not gonna answer?”
“…I’m not a peasant!”
“Your mom’s a peasant, so that makes you one too!”
Calling Raphaella—a formally registered daughter of House Blumhardt—a peasant was nonsense,but at only seven years old, she didn’t know how to argue back.
Marco walked up and started poking her head with the tip of his slingshot.
“I heard you got in big trouble for going up to the 4th floor last time.”
Marco giggled meanly.
Raphaella remembered—she had seen Marco that day too.
She had been running from him and tripped on the stairs.
She forgot that Penelope told her not to come to the 4th floor after the festival and ended up there anyway.
She’d been trying to open Penelope’s door when she bumped into the butler coming out.
‘Oh… right!’
She’d completely forgotten Penelope’s warning because she’d been so happy during the festival.
And then came that harsh scolding from the Duchess—so sudden and scary, it made everyone in the mansion feel unfamiliar again.
“Just because you’re Sir Johann’s daughter, you think you’re all that?”
Marco started hitting her shoulder now.
‘How long do I have to put up with Marco?’
She hated him so much.
‘Because of Marco, I got hurt—and it made Mommy sad.’
“Stop it!”
She couldn’t take it anymore.
Raphaella shoved Marco with both hands.
Though younger and smaller, Raphaella had inherited her dad Johann’s natural strength—while Marco, who took after his late father, was pretty weak.
Thud!
Marco hit the ground hard.
“Ow! Are you crazy?
Do you know who I am?”
Even Raphaella was surprised by how hard she’d pushed him.
“…You hit me first.”
Marco stood up, furious.
He stomped toward her, his face twisted in anger.
She got scared.
His steps and expression were way scarier than usual.
“I only let it slide ‘cause you’re a kid!”
Marco shoved her back hard with both hands.
Raphaella lost her balance and fell.
Then he jumped on top of her and grabbed her hair.
She struggled wildly as he raised his fist.
‘I don’t want to get hit!’
Raphaella shut her eyes and swung her arms with all her strength.
Smack!
She hit Marco’s face squarely.
He grabbed his nose, shocked.
“…I’m bleeding! Blood!”
He looked at his red palm and frowned in pain.
“Ow! Ow! Waaaaaah!!”
Marco burst into loud, dramatic sobs.
“…I didn’t mean to…”
Raphaella was so shocked and scared, she ran away.
Her legs were shaking, and she fell a few times while running.
‘Mom and I might get kicked out now…’
She’d heard the maids gossip—Marco’s mom Carolina practically ran this house.
Even though she was little, Raphaella understood this wasn’t like last time.
She wouldn’t just get scolded by the Duchess.
And since she didn’t expect anything from her dad,she didn’t think he’d defend her either.
‘If we get kicked out, Mommy will be so sad…’
Raphaella didn’t mind going back to their little cottage,but she knew her mom would be heartbroken.
She needed help.
Someone she could trust.
Only one person came to mind.
Tears streaming down her face, Raphaella avoided the staff and ran toward the 4th floor of the main building.
Usually around this time, “Grandma” wouldn’t be in Penelope’s room.
By the time she reached the 4th floor, Raphaella looked like a mess.
Her dress was dirty with grass and mud.
The hair Leah had neatly tied was now tangled and wild.
Her body was scraped from falling while running.
Shaking, Raphaella opened the door to Penelope’s room.
