IWPSTVB 08

~Chapter 8~

Her reply came faster than any before. The fear that had dimmed her eyes moments ago was replaced with a faint gleam of hope.

I should have known, I thought, remembering when she’d confessed she stayed by the infamous villainess for the sake of money.
So, you’re sincere when it comes to money? Good. I like that. We’re the same, you and I.

“If you’ve been the only one attending me for over a month, you must know about the theft, don’t you?”
“Wh-what?”
“Tell me everything you know.”

Penny flailed her hands in panic.

“My lady! I—I truly know nothing! I swear I never said a word to Lord Etienne! Please believe me!”

“Then you don’t know where I hid the stolen item either?”
“Truly, I don’t! Until now, I’ve barely even spoken to you, my lady. I couldn’t stay by your side day and night—it was too much for one person…”

Her words didn’t sound like a lie. A sigh escaped me.
If even my personal maid knew nothing, then where on earth was I supposed to start looking?

“All right. I believe you, so stop trembling like that. Anyway, I’ll be counting on you from now on. You’ve already done well, I’m sure—but suddenly, I feel the urge to be friends with you.”

“W-with me…?”

Poor Penny looked utterly terrified, despite my best attempt at warmth.

Okay, fair, I admitted inwardly. If your tyrant of a boss suddenly tried to be friendly, you’d be terrified too. Especially if she’d been a monster before.

Smiling as gently as I could manage, I crinkled my eyes in what I hoped was a trustworthy way. Penny’s expression only stiffened further.

The next few days passed in quiet satisfaction.
From the moment I opened my eyes each morning, I was giddy with joy.

Honestly, I’d feared Etienne might continue to torment me even here at the mansion—but apparently, he wasn’t that petty.

“Steak!”

At the mere shout of the word, a perfectly cooked steak would appear on a silver platter. I wandered around my spacious room, chewing blissfully on juicy meat, humming like a satisfied cat.

My chamber alone was larger than my entire old apartment.

And the view—oh, the view! A sweeping landscape that could put the Han River skyline to shame. I could spend all day watching the gardens below and never grow bored. Even if I made a mess, someone else cleaned it up for me.

It was paradise.

“No way I’m getting divorced. I refuse to give up this luxury.”
“Pardon?”

Penny blinked as I suddenly shouted mid-walk through the garden.

“Where’s Etienne? I need to see him. Right now.”

If I couldn’t find the missing item, the next best strategy was to win him over. Yet since arriving, I hadn’t glimpsed him even once—driving me half-mad.

“He left on business, my lady. He’s expected back today.”
“Ah, that explains all this frantic cleaning. Guess everyone’s nervous.”

I gestured toward the maids scrubbing furiously nearby.

“They already cleaned, but I think they’re doing a deep polish in case anything looks dusty.”
“Mm, I get that. I used to panic-clean whenever guests came over too.”

I strolled leisurely, observing the servants at work. They bowed hastily whenever my gaze brushed past them. Spotting a young maid sweating over a stubborn stain on the marble floor, I stopped.

“You’re doing that wrong. You’ll never get it clean like that.”
“E-excuse me?”

“Give me that.”

I took the scrubbing brush from her trembling hands.

“See, you need to press harder—like this. You’ve got arms like twigs; how can you scrub properly with no strength? How much do you weigh?”
“F-forty kilograms…”
“Forty? Unacceptable. Gain five more and report back to me. Penny, give her the same meals I eat. In fact, from today, send all maids under fifty kilograms to my room. I’ll toughen them up myself! Youth these days don’t value their health. If you don’t eat, you get gastritis; if you eat, you hurt. It’s misery either way!”

The servants stared, bewildered.

“Well? Don’t just stand there. Go fetch some hot water. It loosens the grime faster and saves your wrists. Be careful of your back.”

The maid, flustered, scurried off.

“My lady, please! You shouldn’t be doing such things!”
“Nonsense! I’m teaching you my secret technique. Back in my world, I was so good at cleaning, my clients begged me to come back!”
“Your… what?”
“It means I’m excellent at this.”

I felt all eyes on me—astonished, incredulous eyes. Their cruel mistress, scrubbing the floor? Miraculous.

Good, I thought. Let them see how much I’ve changed. Maybe word will reach Etienne.

With renewed energy, I scrubbed until the marble shone. The satisfying swish of water made my heart lighter than it had been in days.

When I finally stepped back, I smiled proudly.

“See? Look how it gleams. That’s how you clean properly.”
“It does look clean,” came a voice.

But the voice came from behind me, not from Penny’s direction.

I turned. Etienne stood there, head tilted, watching.

Oh no, he saw all that?

I straightened, smiling demurely.

This is me, the reformed Dahlia—helpful, tidy, capable of surviving even on a deserted island!

Etienne approached slowly, a wall of presence blocking out the light. Without warning, he snatched the brush from my hand.

“What exactly are you doing?”

His voice was cold enough to freeze water.

What—am I not allowed to clean? Is that undignified for nobility?

Sneaking a glance at his face, I saw the storm brewing in his eyes. My gut twisted.

“The maids looked tired, so I helped them.”
“Helped them?”
“Yes! It’s faster if we all work together. Look—see how shiny it is? I think I have a talent for this.”

He didn’t even look.

“Stop playing games.”
“G-games? I’m not playing! That’s offensive—to dogs and to me! I was honestly just trying to—”
“This is my final warning. During the one month you’re in this house, stay out of my sight. The only time I want to see you is when you’ve found what you stole.”

He hurled the brush to the floor and turned sharply away.

Then, to the servants, he added,

“Keep her inside. She doesn’t leave this room.”

I glared at his retreating back and unleashed every silent curse I knew.

You arrogant jerk! You think I’m fawning over you because I like you? Ha! It’s your money I’m after! Take my middle finger as a token of affection!

Eventually, I collapsed onto the floor, defeated.

I’d hoped that if I stayed out of his sight, he might cool down and soften—but seeing that face again, I realized just how hopeless that dream was.

“Now what? No clues, no leads. Should I just sneak into his bed? …No, absolutely not.”

My upbringing, conservative to the bone, refused such drastic measures.

So the days dragged by in frustration.

My only small achievements: helping the maids gain weight—Lisa up two kilos, Finesse three and a half—and curing a footman’s chronic wrist pain.

At least now, the servants no longer feared me. They even smiled sometimes. But winning over the staff wouldn’t save me from divorce.

“At this rate, the month will end before I find the item… That can’t happen.”

Muttering to myself, I shoved another bite of steak into my mouth.

Today’s sauce was whole-grain mustard—perfection.

“Beef is beef. How could it ever go wrong?”

I devoured a portion the size of my face, then immediately ordered seconds. If I was going to end up back at the monastery, I’d stockpile calories while I could.

Thanks to days of indulgence, the once-bony curve of my waist had begun to soften slightly.