NRAL | Chapter 02

Chapter 02

The Maid Who Looks Like Me

It was a day when spring rain was falling silently.

As Eleanor sat in front of the mirror getting dressed to meet her fiancé, Arlo, Nora suddenly handed her a pair of earrings. They were gold earrings with large diamonds set in them—one of the more valuable pieces of jewelry Eleanor owned.

Eleanor slowly turned her eyes to look at Nora. Seeing this, Nora suddenly looked guilty and waved her hands in a fluster.

“Oh! Don’t get the wrong idea, Miss! I was just trying to… for you.”

“A misunderstanding?”

Eleanor tilted her head slightly. What is there to misunderstand? Her calm expression seemed to say just that.

Even though her maid seemed to know more about her fiancé’s tastes than she did, Eleanor didn’t doubt or question Nora. She simply held the earrings up to her ears to try them on. This action showed how much she trusted Nora, but for some reason, Nora didn’t seem too pleased by that trust.

“Hmph.”

Nora let out a short sound—something between a scoff and a sigh—through her twisted lips, then shook her head as if it were nothing. Soon, her plump lips curled into a sly smile.

“Oh, Miss. Now that I take a closer look, I don’t think those earrings suit you.”

Saying this, she stepped forward and snatched the earrings from Eleanor’s hand with a quick motion.

She didn’t stop there. Nora held the glittering earrings up to her own ears.

“How about now? Don’t they look better on me?”

Nora asked, flashing her signature charming smile.

Eleanor was left momentarily speechless, staring blankly at the earrings dangling under Nora’s earlobes.

With her short jawline and cute, chubby cheeks, Nora really did suit earrings that hung down long.

Just like she said, they seemed to suit her better than Eleanor.

But now wasn’t the time to be thinking about jewelry designs.

Eleanor’s cool gaze fixed itself on Nora’s face.

As the mood suddenly turned cold, Nora instinctively flinched but quickly regained her composure. She knew from years of experience that even if she crossed the line, Eleanor would only look at her like this and never really get angry. Even her cold gaze would soon melt with a bit of Nora’s sweet talking.

“Miss, can’t you give these to me? Please?”

Nora pleaded with an innocent face, batting her big eyes and tilting her head like a cute, young animal. As expected, Eleanor let out a small sigh and lowered her gaze.

“No, I can’t.”

“Why not? You barely even wear them.”

“They’re a birthday gift from my father. And they’re from the royal family, too.”

It wasn’t the gift she wanted, but that didn’t mean she could just give away something the royal family had gifted to Astria.

Even if that weren’t the case, Eleanor wasn’t the type to give something so valuable to Nora. Owning something precious meant taking on that much risk.

“I’ll buy you something similar soon.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Nora added, “I don’t need something similar,” and set the earrings down on the vanity. Then, as if she wasn’t bothered at all, she smiled brightly.

Still grinning, Nora bent down and brought her face close to Eleanor’s. So close, their cheeks nearly touched. Turning her head slightly, she gazed into the mirror.

“Miss, now that I think about it… don’t we look alike?”

It was an abrupt change of topic. Eleanor raised one eyebrow and followed Nora’s gaze to the mirror.

Reflected in the mirror were Nora, smiling brightly, and Eleanor, looking somewhat bewildered.

The two women looked remarkably similar. While the differences between a noble lady and a girl from the slums used to be obvious, now they seemed as similar as sisters.

If you really tried to find differences, Eleanor’s skin was a bit paler, her hair and eyes lighter in color, and Eleanor’s features were slender and elegant, while Nora had a more bubbly and cute vibe and a lively charm to her looks.

‘Where did she get that dress?’

Suddenly, Eleanor noticed Nora’s outfit. The indoor dress she wore seemed too fine for a maid. It wasn’t something you could buy on a servant’s salary.

Now that she thought about it, Nora’s clothes had been especially luxurious lately. She had new jewelry as well.

Had someone given it to her?

Eleanor blinked, staring at Nora in the mirror.

“Even our hair and eye color, our age… even our names are the same, right?”

‘Nora’ was one of many nicknames for Eleanor. Saying their names were the same was a bit of a stretch, but Eleanor didn’t interrupt and continued listening to her.

“Even our childhood memories are fuzzy, just like each other’s.”

Nora had also said her memories before she was five, before she lost her family, were hazy—just like Eleanor.

There really were a lot of strange coincidences.

“Doesn’t it feel like fate?”

Nora’s large eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.

Eleanor unconsciously bit her lower lip.

If that dazzling smile seemed somehow menacing, was she just imagining things? And if those sparkling eyes reminded her of a predator eyeing its prey…

‘No, that can’t be.’

Eleanor chuckled under her breath and shook her head slightly.

“Does it bother you? Being told you look like a mere maid?”

“No, of course not. I think we’re fated to be together.”

Though not in the way Nora probably thought, Eleanor did agree that their meeting was destined.

Hearing this, Nora’s face brightened with a big smile. It seemed she had already forgotten about the earrings.

Eleanor found her simplicity almost endearing and smiled back.

“I’ll make sure to repay this kindness, Miss!”

Suddenly, the image of young Nora, dirtied and ragged, shouting those words, came to mind.

‘Kindness, huh.’

In truth, it wasn’t Nora who owed a debt, but Eleanor.

She was repaying the kindness she’d once received from her benefactor to Nora, who resembled her. And she would continue to do so for the rest of her life.

‘There’s still a lot I have to do.’

Lately, it seems like Nora’s been showing more interest in marriage, judging by how often she asks about my fiancé. I can’t just leave her be and risk her getting involved with some random guy, so I should have someone find her a good match—a decent-looking man who will treat her well.

But just setting her up with someone won’t be enough. After all, sometimes a woman’s life gets even more miserable after marriage. Even if I secretly give her a large dowry without the Duke of Astria knowing, it might end up causing more trouble. In fact, things like that tend to bring about even more misfortune.

Eleanore was determined to do everything she could to ensure Nora’s happiness. It was her way of atonement and her only source of joy.

However, at that moment, Eleanor had no idea that the girl who had promised to repay her kindness would one day grow up and come for her position.

***

Life-changing events often happen out of the blue. Just like how Eleanor, who had been moving from one orphanage to another, suddenly became the Astria duchess one day. The most important things tend to happen when you least expect them.

Today was no different.

It started as a completely normal day.

‘Something’s off.’

Sitting on a chair in the central garden, sipping tea that had gone lukewarm, Eleanor stared at the empty seat across from her, deep in thought.

It had already been an hour since Arlo excused himself. He’d left, saying he’d be back soon, but he still hadn’t returned.

It wasn’t like him to just leave the palace without even saying goodbye, considering how much he cared about appearances. And he wouldn’t have gotten lost on the way back, either, especially since this was a place he knew well.

‘He did look uncomfortable earlier… Maybe he urgently needed the restroom?’

If that were the case, it would explain why he was taking so long to return.

Dealing with her fiancé’s stomach issues wasn’t something Eleanore wanted to think about in depth.

‘Come to think of it, it’s been pretty quiet lately.’

She suddenly realized that Arlo had been talking less than usual lately. Even when they were drinking tea earlier, he was strangely quiet.

‘Just a few months ago, he was constantly pestering me to go to every party with him.’

If she told him to go alone, he would get upset and ask how the crown prince could attend a party without his partner. And if she suggested he find someone else to go with, he’d demand to know whether she truly saw herself as his fiancée.

Eleanor had been baffled by his reaction. All she’d done was suggest that he might be getting tired of attending every party with the same partner year after year. She must’ve unknowingly hit a nerve, though, because he had gotten so angry.

In the end, she reluctantly apologized to him, and ever since then, she has gone to all the events with him, even the ones she didn’t want to attend.

But lately, he hadn’t made any such requests.

Had he finally found a new partner? Or maybe he’d decided to cut down on attending parties altogether?

No, that couldn’t be it.

‘That’s about as likely as a dog giving up on bones.’

Eleanor bit her lower lip, feeling uneasy.

It wasn’t jealousy over the idea of him finding a new partner. You need to care about someone to feel jealous, after all.

But she couldn’t ignore the strange looks her friends had given her when she mentioned Arlo at a recent social gathering. They seemed to be careful around her, like they were avoiding something.

‘I’ll have to ask him about it the next time we meet. But for now…’

She set the now-cold teacup back on the table. A chilly breeze tickled her arm. It was too cold to be sitting in the garden for hours in early spring.

She looked around but didn’t see who she was searching for.

“Where’s Nora?”

“I’m sorry, Miss. I’m not sure.

The maid attending her bowed her head apologetically.

Eleanor frowned slightly as she looked up at the second floor of the east wing, where her room was located. Nora had gone off to fetch a shawl over an hour ago. It wasn’t as if someone had asked her to do another errand, and there wasn’t a maze inside the house—so what was taking her so long?

Something urgent might have come up, but it was happening far too often lately. Plus, Nora’s mood had been swinging more than usual.

‘She must be dating someone.’

The sudden appearance of expensive items, the frequent absences—it all pointed to that possibility.

‘I thought she liked Sir Ernst.’

Eleanor glanced over her shoulder at the knight standing firmly behind her.

Ernst Pavel. The eldest son of Baron Pavel and Eleanor’s long-time personal knight. With his handsome looks and calm, kind personality, he was often the topic of conversation in social circles. People frequently remarked on how beautiful his pale brown hair, fair skin, and clear green eyes were.

Nora, too, had often cast glances his way, though it seemed Ernst had no particular interest in her. The difference in their social standing was too great, and besides, Ernst wasn’t someone who concerned himself with anything outside of his duties as a knight.

“My lady, should we head inside? It’s still quite cold.”

Ernst cleared his throat softly when their eyes met and spoke in a worried tone.

“No, I’m fine.”

She didn’t want to hear more complaints from Arlo later. He would definitely throw a fit if she wasn’t there waiting for him.

Ernst’s neatly groomed eyebrows furrowed slightly as if he had similar thoughts.

“Aren’t you cold, Sir? Your clothes seem a bit thin.”

“I’m—”

Just as he was about to respond, a voice called out urgently from nearby.

“Miss! Lady Eleanor!”

“Mary? What’s the matter?”

Seeing the head maid, Mary, running toward her, Eleanor quickly rose from her seat. For someone like Mary, who always carried herself with poise and elegance, to be rushing like this, something serious must have happened.

“You need to go to the study right away! The Duke has summoned you urgently!”

“My father?”

Eleanor didn’t ask any further questions and quickly made her way to the study.

Had there been some sort of accident? Was there a problem with the wine business they were pursuing? Had the royal family finally declared they wouldn’t grant permission?

Or could it be…

With each step, countless worries and worst-case scenarios flooded Eleanor’s mind. The pale look on Mary’s face only added to her unease.

But when she arrived at the study, the scene she encountered was something she had never, not even for a moment, imagined.

Inside the study stood the Duke of Astria and Arlo.

And standing between the two of them was Nora.

It was strange enough that Arlo was there in her father’s study without having said anything to her, but what was even stranger was Nora’s presence.

What possible reason could there be for her maid, who had disappeared to fetch a shawl, to be standing between her father and her fiancé?

And wearing a dress Eleanor had never seen before, with an expression like she was about to burst into tears.

‘Did my father bring her here because he was angry about her outfit? Both he and Arlo have always hated it when servants act above their station…’

Had Nora changed into fancier clothes to meet a lover, and then her father caught her in thata act? Perhaps he had brought her here to scold her for forgetting her place and dressing too extravagantly.

It wasn’t anything that warranted Mary’s panic, but it was the only situation Eleanor could imagine right now.

‘Still, how could they summon my maid without even asking me?’

Eleanor frowned and began walking toward Nora, intending to pull her behind her and protect her from her father and Arlo.

But then Nora’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“It’s me.”

Nora, looking as beautiful as any noble lady, with large teary eyes, shouted out.

“I’m the real Eleanor!”

As she clung to Arlo’s arm.