Chapter 11
“…….”
Adeline’s small eyebrows twitched for a moment.
She understood Amy’s insolence in her head, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t displeased.
Of course, she didn’t show it. In Amy’s eyes, she was still a harmless little lamb.
For now.
“Hmm. What is it, Amy?”
Adeline stretched lazily, as if she had just dozed off while reading a boring book, then turned around.
“Hah, you’re really carefree, aren’t you? I’m about to get struck by lightning because of you, young lady!”
Amy slammed the door she had thrown open shut with a bang and strode toward Adeline.
Adeline barely swallowed the yawn that was about to burst out.
‘Lightning strike, huh…’
Something that would bring trouble to Amy because of her.
The thought didn’t last long.
‘It’s because of today’s class, right?’
It was probably break time, so Adeline immediately understood why Amy had run over so diligently.
In noble society, the master’s mistake was often considered the servant’s failure in properly attending to them.
This was also the biggest reason why servants serving young masters—especially those who were not yet adults—tried not to stray far from their side.
Because they never knew when or where those children might explode.
That was how noble society worked.
Right now, Amy was afraid that she might get caught in the crossfire because of Adeline.
She had not even tried to stop Adeline from whipping the teacher today, nor was she even present there.
‘But she does have some awareness that she’s a maid, I guess.’
Amy was swept by Adeline’s gaze, slightly different from usual, but unfortunately, she lacked the sensitivity to notice such subtle changes.
Suppressing a burst of laughter inside her mouth, Adeline faced Amy. Then, as if waiting, Amy began scolding her.
“How could you hit your teacher? Are you out of your mind? You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
Adeline widened her already large eyes as she watched Amy’s flushed face, looking like her eyes might pop out.
“On purpose?”
Adeline flapped her small hands left and right with an expression of complete ignorance, and Amy’s face burned even redder.
“Because I complained a few times, you plotted this kind of wicked thing!”
“It’s not like that…”
Adeline mumbled softly, and Amy closed the distance further.
“If you cause this kind of trouble, of course I, the maid, will get scolded. That’s such a malicious thought.”
“It really isn’t…”
“Of course it is!”
Amy shouted again. She looked like she had no intention of listening to anything Adeline said.
At this point, Adeline felt a little wronged.
In the matter with Osphier, Amy was truly not even on Adeline’s mind.
Moreover, she was, in a sense, a time bomb with experience. If you had to describe it, a veteran great king-level bomb with 20 years of experience.
She was not some foolish little noble child who would personally create troublesome situations just to bully a maid.
‘You only use a bomb when it’s worth using.’
This was really just a fly that flew in on its own and started arguing after getting caught.
‘But I’m not going to let go of prey I’ve already caught.’
While Adeline was thinking about how to best digest the fly that had accidentally fallen into a spider’s web, Amy’s anger shifted into anxiety.
The terrifying scene of a strict butler’s interrogation began creeping into her mind like rising anxiety.
‘That man might really use corporal punishment…’
Anxiety surged like a tidal wave.
She scratched her hair irritably and muttered.
“I worked so hard for the young lady… and you go and do something like this…”
Thinking about the money she had secretly given to a shadow scribe to hide the fact that Adeline couldn’t read made her blood run cold.
Plus the communication fees she spent trying to send letters.
She couldn’t endure this any longer.
“I did it for the young lady… Haa.”
Amy mumbled, forcing the surging anxiety back into anger.
She stiffened her lips and finally walked purposefully toward the large dressing table, as if she had made up her mind.
Then she picked up a large decorative fan placed on the side of the vanity.
“Lift your calves.”
“What?”
Adeline almost brought her little finger to her ear.
That was the only thing she had to say after such a long wait?
“I said, lift your calves.”
“…….”
Adeline lost her words before the unexpected and outrageous act of hierarchical rebellion.
“Hurry up.”
Tap, tap.
Amy tapped her palm twice with the fan, ignoring Adeline’s reaction.
After a brief silence—
Just as Amy, whose patience had run out, was about to part her lips—
“T-the teacher…”
Adeline’s ruby-red eyes slowly seemed to ripple like water.
“Told him to hit himself… sob…”
Tears poured down from her deer-like eyes like a waterfall.
Amy’s previously angry expression turned into pure bewilderment.
He told her to hit him?
“Explain in more detail.”
A faint hope quickly took root in her ash-colored eyes.
Amy even bent her knees to match Adeline’s eye level.
“Hurry. Who told whom to do what?”
She lowered the fan she had been holding and grabbed Adeline’s shoulders with both hands, urging her.
While the small body fluttered like a paper doll, Adeline’s tiny brain worked without rest.
‘Nothing can be done. Since it’s come to this.’
Adeline finally recited the first line of a scenario she had tightly woven in a short moment.
“I-I don’t know. The teacher said he had to receive a happy bonus, sob…”
“…Happy bonus?”
What was that? Amy’s brain began spinning fiercely.
“To pack generously… hic! And buy something delicious.”
Two words struck her mind strongly.
“Generously” and “bonus.”
If it was a happy bonus for someone who got beaten…
The two words wandering in Amy’s mind suddenly clicked into one.
“…Don’t tell me, compensation money?”
“Huh? I don’t really know.”
Grin.
The little devil inside Adeline quietly laughed.
Amy kept nodding.
“…I see, I see.”
The puzzle pieces that had just settled in Amy’s mind began fitting together rapidly.
What a sly person.
‘You want to act like a victim and take money? No way.’
Amy’s thoughts now even extended to the butler.
‘No wonder. It felt too easy when they agreed to bring in a home tutor. Where did they bring a fool who can’t even distinguish who pays them?’
Sure, they might just get angry after losing a few coins, but she had almost been wrongly beaten.
At that moment, Adeline, who had her head lowered, muttered softly.
“I promised not to tell anyone…”
Adeline tried to squeeze out more fake tears, forcing her eyes tight.
‘I should cry a little more. Why aren’t they coming out? Tch.’
After thinking like a detective for a long time, Amy suddenly hugged Adeline tightly when she saw her lowered head.
“You don’t need to blame yourself!”
She even stroked Adeline’s back as if comforting her.
Goosebumps rose on the child’s skin, which was pale white.
‘Ugh, disgusting.’
But Adeline was experienced.
“Because it’s Amy. Because only Amy thinks of me…”
The brainwashing-like words she had heard so many times throughout the week.
When Adeline said it exactly as it was, Amy became completely confident.
“Our young lady is such a good child.”
“You won’t be angry at me anymore, Amy?”
“Since when did I get angry?”
Feigning kindness, Amy released the arm that was hugging Adeline and gently placed her hand on Adeline’s cheek.
Amy’s false warmth was mocked by the hand, which was colder than ice.
Adeline shuddered from the cold spreading from her cheek.
“From now on, young lady, we are going to meet the butler.”
“Butler?”
Adeline’s eyes widened. This was outside her calculation.
More precisely, she didn’t expect Amy to suggest meeting the butler directly without checking anything else.
‘I thought she’d just throw me something to eat and say thanks.’
Adeline habitually touched the ends of her hair and then casually tore a sheet from a nearby notebook, folding it neatly.
Normally this would have been criticized as restless behavior, but Amy’s attention was elsewhere.
“…Will it be okay, Amy?”
Adeline asked while holding the neatly folded paper in one hand.
“Don’t worry. I’m here. You can repeat what you said just now in front of the butler, right?”
“Is that what Amy wants?”
“Yes. You will do it, right? For this Amy?”
“…Yes, I understand. For Amy.”
With the answer, the cold touch on her cheek disappeared. Adeline quietly recalled the sensation.
“We’re going to the main house right now, young lady.”
“The main house?”
“Yes. Since it’s still afternoon before duties, the butler should be there.”
Amy, who casually suggested that the servant should go directly to the master, grabbed Adeline’s small hand.
The cold, creepy sensation traveled from the hand to her entire body.
But Adeline did not pull away and instead gripped the hand tightly.
“Alright. Let’s go to the main house.”
