Even though someone was signaling her to stop, she persisted.
“I mean, I get that the Duke was forced into a marriage he didn’t want, but still… my lady is just so pitiful. She came all the way from far away, full of hope, only to be treated like she’s invisible. Ugh, it’s just too sad.”
She shook her head and even dabbed at her eyes, pretending to be emotional.
I leaned in and whispered behind her.
“Even if she was being treated like she’s invisible, don’t you think the Madam would’ve gotten up by now? Maybe you should check on her?”
To that, she sneered as if mocking me.
“Didn’t I tell you? Our Madam wasn’t raised delicately or anything, so she can at least dress herself just fine…”
“Didn’t I tell you? Our Madam wasn’t raised delicately or anything, so she can at least dress herself just fine…”
Molly turned around with a smirk—only to freeze when she saw me standing there.
“Ah… Madam…”
She was at a loss for words.
“No matter what her background was, she’s the Duchess now. You still can’t accept that reality, can you, Molly?”
My face remained calm and serene as usual, but my voice was icy.
Keeping her around had reached its limit. I’d tolerated her because she was useful, but she clearly saw me as a pushover, not a mistress.
“I-It’s not like that! When I went to wake you this morning, you were still sleeping peacefully. I just… felt bad seeing you sleep alone… Please don’t misunderstand, Madam.”
“Felt bad for me?”
I asked, and she looked guilty.
“I mean, I just didn’t want to say it…”
“You didn’t want to say it? You’ve been running your mouth nonstop until now.”
I crossed my arms and casually looked around. The other maids averted their eyes and stepped back.
“You’re acting strange today, Madam. Why are you being like this?”
She forced a pitiful smile, clearly trying to weasel her way out of the situation. She hadn’t expected me to confront her in front of everyone. The look on her face said, “What the hell’s gotten into her?”
“You didn’t just mock me—you dared to insult the Duke in front of others. Molly, you must be out of your mind.”
At that, she jumped in panic. Looks like I was laughable, but the Duke was terrifying.
“W-When did I ever insult the Duke? That’s not true!”
“What difference is there between mocking the Duchess and mocking the Duke?”
My cold rebuke drained the color from her face. Her mouth flapped open like a fish, but no sound came out.
“If you wanted to go back to your hometown so badly, you should’ve come and asked me quietly. I would’ve sent you back without making a fuss.”
“Stella, you… how could you…!”
And then she did the unthinkable—pointing her finger at the Duchess in front of everyone. That ended it.
“Head Maid.”
I called out sternly, and the head maid promptly came forward.
“Yes, Madam.”
“I’m not yet familiar with the rules of the ducal household, so let me ask. What’s the punishment here for a servant who behaves that way toward her mistress?”
The head maid glanced at Molly and replied calmly.
“We beat them within an inch of their life, then assign them to the stables to clean up after the horses.”
At her answer, Molly collapsed to the floor.
“N-No… please…”
Judging by everyone’s frowns, it was clearly the dirtiest and most grueling job in the estate.
“I see.”
I slowly nodded, pretending to consider her punishment. Molly, whose gaze toward me had always been filled with contempt, now looked like a desperate little lamb.
“Well, since you followed me here from my family home, it would be cruel to send you to the stables. Let’s say you simply didn’t know the rules of the household. Beat her until she learns her place, then send her out of the estate. Give her enough money to return to her hometown.”
“Yes, Madam.”
At the head maid’s signal, the nearby maids approached Molly.
“M-Madam! I’m sorry! Please forgive me, just this once!”
I never thought I’d hear Molly beg for forgiveness so easily. She clung to my legs, but it was far too late.
I bent down and whispered so only she could hear.
“Didn’t you say I’d just be used and thrown away? So? How does it feel to be the one used and thrown away?”
Her eyes widened in shock.
“D-Die!”
The maids grabbed her, but she wildly lashed out one last time, swinging her nails at me. I managed to dodge just in time. Had I not, her claws would’ve drawn blood.
“Th-That wretch!”
Even the other servants standing far away stared in horror at her crazed behavior.
Soon, she was dragged off by the servants who had come running to help.
“I warned you to recognize who your real master was, Molly.”
As she disappeared into the distance, I muttered to myself—but it seemed others had heard.
The mocking gazes that had followed me when I first arrived at the estate were no longer visible.
Even if some of them cursed me in their heads for treating a former maid so harshly, I knew they were afraid now. Wondering when they might be next.
And that was exactly the effect I had intended.
Because I had no intention of becoming a Duchess like Kayla—ignored not only by her husband but also by her servants.
At the same time, a few others had watched the commotion unfold from a distance—Ricardo and his men, who had just returned from morning training in the drill yard.
“It seems Madam is quite upset,” Ernart commented, watching with a curious expression.
His sky-blue hair, tinged with silver, fluttered softly in the wind. Despite his delicate features and hair more lustrous than most women’s, he was tall and well-built.
The ducal estate had never had a mistress before, and most of its residents were large knights. Seeing someone scolding servants so early in the morning was a first.
Karun, also watching with bewilderment, asked,
“Could that maid have come with Madam from her family home?”
The surrounding knights looked aghast.
“No way. Who would treat a personal maid from their own family like that? Even a cruel noblewoman wouldn’t go that far.”
“True. I must’ve been mistaken. Still, what could’ve upset the Madam so much on her first day?”
Karun glanced cautiously at his lord. Ernart replied instead.
“She’s simply establishing authority as the lady of the house. It’s not something we need to be involved in.”
Realizing their lord’s expression wasn’t favorable, Karun and Ernart exchanged knowing glances and shrugged. Better to stay silent than stir up trouble.
Then Gerry, who had been watching quietly, spoke up.
“She must’ve done something to deserve it. When we left for training earlier, I saw her whispering to other maids.”
Only Gerry stood up for the Duchess. He wasn’t fond of this marriage, but he also didn’t want petty drama disrupting the household.
He glanced cautiously at Ricardo’s side profile.
Even if he disliked this forced marriage, those weren’t the eyes of a man looking at his wife. That was the look you gave a despised enemy.
‘At this rate, the estate will be walking on eggshells.’
Gerry clicked his tongue inwardly and shook his head.
He and the other knights turned their gaze back to where Stella stood, arms crossed, watching as the disgraced maid was dragged away.
‘She’s… not what she seems on the surface.’
Even Gerry had to admit it now.
As he watched quietly, Ricardo turned and left without a word, leaving his knights behind.
The image of that woman—sleeping innocently the night before, now looking so merciless—overlapped in his mind.
And with that, his contempt for her deepened even further.
Finally, after sending off Molly, who had been like a lingering cavity, I finally felt like I could breathe again.
On my way back to my room feeling refreshed, the head maid approached me.
“Madam, I’ll begin selecting a new girl to assist you.”
I paused. I’d just kicked Molly out—what if I ended up with someone worse?
“Thank you for the offer, but I’d like to take my time. It’s important I find someone who suits me.”
Surprised by my cautious tone, the head maid looked slightly flustered but soon bowed politely.
“Understood. For now, I’ll rotate the maids to serve you until a decision is made.”
“That sounds good.”
As she turned away, I thought to myself.
She may be a maid, but she’d be with me almost constantly while I stayed in this estate.
What if the next maid was one of the empress’s spies hiding within this house?
