Chapter 09
Leaning against the closed door, I grinned.
They must have clearly seen me bowing and scraping to Charlotte.
They must also have clearly seen my disheveled face—so messy that I hadn’t even washed—and the large ring on Charlotte’s hand.
Charlotte, blinded by the jewels, probably hadn’t even noticed the other maids.
But the moment I sensed movement in the hallway, it had been worth pushing Charlotte out at exactly the right timing.
Now, the next step.
I glanced at the clock. It was about time for lunch.
Since I had told Charlotte to go home immediately, it was technically my responsibility to order someone else to bring the food.
But instead of pulling the bell cord to call a maid, I slowly looked around the room.
Then I grabbed the edge of the messy blanket and shook it out roughly.
Whoosh.
Dust that had settled overnight floated up into the air before slowly settling again.
Hmm. Looks dirty enough.
Satisfied with the scene, I clutched my hungry stomach and left the room.
Looking as shabby as possible, I headed toward the library building, which stood separate from the main mansion.
My goal was to show as many people as possible what a miserable wreck I looked like.
Coincidentally, to reach the library I had to cross the eastern garden, where many servants usually passed by.
I’ll attract attention—and read some books too.
That was why I chose the library as my destination.
Sure enough, many eyes glanced my way as I walked toward it.
Feeling satisfied, I finally arrived at the library.
Alright, time to study.
Since I had decided to truly live as Roella, I needed to learn more about what kind of world this was.
And while I was at it, I also wanted to find information about the system window that had suddenly appeared.
Knowledge is power—and wealth.
I roughly tied up my stiff hair and started reading every book I could get my hands on.
A Few Days Later
After several days passed, a strange rumor began spreading throughout the mansion.
“The young lady is being blackmailed by Charlotte.”
At first, many people didn’t believe it.
The ill-tempered young lady being threatened by a mere maid?
But over the next few days, more and more people claimed they had witnessed something themselves.
“I’m telling you, the young lady’s room is a mess. Maybe Charlotte isn’t even cleaning it.”
“And her hair and clothes too. It looks like the young lady is doing everything herself.”
“Yeah… I saw it too. It was kind of pitiful.”
“But we can’t just serve her without being told. What if she thinks we’re insulting her?”
“That’s true. She might get angry and take it out on us.”
The maids all nodded in agreement.
Considering the young lady’s personality, it was definitely plausible.
Still, seeing her in such a defeated state made them feel uneasy.
She had always been difficult to deal with, but seeing her looking so subdued made them feel strangely sympathetic.
“And lately she’s always in the library. People say when someone’s emotionally distressed, they escape into books…”
“Then the rumor must really be true.”
Just as someone murmured this while shaking her head—
“What rumor would that be?”
A sudden voice interrupted from behind.
The maids froze at the familiar voice and quickly looked up.
The speaker was a well-built middle-aged man.
“C-Chief Butler…”
As they bowed their heads, the butler, Graham, smiled faintly.
“I’d like to hear that rumor myself.”
Meanwhile
“A strange rumor has been circulating in the ducal estate lately.”
At Graham’s words, the Duke stopped working and raised his head.
“A rumor?”
“Yes. They say the young lady is being blackmailed by a maid. Apparently the maid has some sort of leverage over her.”
The Duke raised an eyebrow and scoffed.
“That child… being obediently blackmailed?”
Even a passing dog would laugh at that.
Though spoken lightly, there was a hint of sincerity in his voice.
As expected, he doesn’t believe it.
Graham sighed and shook his head.
It was understandable.
Even he found it hard to believe. The young lady was far more likely to blackmail someone else than be blackmailed herself.
However—
“Didn’t she run through the hallway in her nightclothes a few days ago and faint after hitting a pillar?”
“What does that insane behavior have to do with this rumor?”
“Some say she did that because she was shocked after being blackmailed. And since then, the young lady has suddenly become much quieter.”
The Duke’s expression turned serious at Graham’s words.
Now that he thought about it, it sounded plausible.
Normally, he would receive reports every other day about something Roella had done.
But she has been quiet lately…
“Actually, I didn’t believe it at first either. But…”
“But?”
“There are many witnesses connected to this rumor.”
“Witnesses?”
“Yes. More than just one or two. So I thought it might be worth investigating.”
The Duke thought for a moment.
He still didn’t quite believe it, but if Graham had personally confirmed witnesses, it was different.
After all, Graham was one of the people he trusted most.
“Then bring that maid here immediately.”
His voice was cold as he gave the order.
Noticing the subtle change in his tone, Graham smiled faintly and left the office.
Shortly After
Charlotte stood stiffly with her head lowered.
It was her first time entering the Duke’s office, and she felt intimidated.
Perhaps it was also because she had a guilty conscience.
Did they find out what I did?
Realistically, what else could she possibly be summoned for?
At that moment, the Duke spoke.
“I hear rumors that you’ve been blackmailing the young lady and extorting valuables from her.”
Charlotte’s body trembled at the cold voice.
Her heart dropped.
How did they find out? No one should know that I have the young lady’s weakness.
Because everyone had whispered about it only behind her back, Charlotte herself didn’t know how widespread the rumors were.
She was extremely confused.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out how the secret had leaked.
Did the young lady tell them?
No… that couldn’t be it.
The young lady had bowed to her every day, begging her to keep the secret.
Someone like that would never reveal it herself.
Right. It couldn’t be her. Then someone else must have said something…
Thinking that far, Charlotte felt slightly relieved.
She didn’t know how the rumor had leaked, but there was still a way out.
The young lady will prove my innocence.
No matter what others said, if the person involved denied it, what could they do?
Finally feeling relieved, Charlotte raised her head and spoke loudly with an aggrieved tone.
“N-No! I don’t know where you heard such a thing, but it’s unfair.”
“Unfair?”
“Yes! Please call the young lady. She will prove my innocence.”
Just then—
Bang!
Without even knocking, the office door burst open.
The young lady!
Charlotte’s eyes sparkled when she saw who it was.
The person standing there was Roella, breathing heavily.
“What kind of manners is this, Roella!”
At the Duke’s scolding, Roella flinched and replied with a pale face.
“I’m sorry, Father. I heard Charlotte had been summoned, so I panicked…”
“M-My lady…”
Charlotte murmured as if she had seen her savior.
“Enough. Be more careful next time. Actually, it’s good that you’re here—I had something to ask you as well.”
“You wanted to ask me something?”
“Yes. There’s a rumor that this maid has been threatening you by exploiting your weakness. Is it true?”
His voice gradually grew harsher.
Beneath his furrowed brows, his deep blue eyes flashed sharply.
Roella hesitated to speak.
She chewed her lip nervously, looking like someone terrified.
Then—
BANG!
With a loud noise, she suddenly dropped to her knees.
No—
She practically dived onto her knees.
A moment of stunned silence followed.
Charlotte was the first to speak.
“M-My lady?”
She couldn’t believe what she had just seen.
She… just fell to the floor on her knees…
Even the Duke, who normally remained composed, looked surprised.
He had seen many people kneel before him before.
But never someone kneel with this much momentum.
And it was the first time he had seen Roella herself kneel before anyone.
The only person who wasn’t shocked was Graham, who had been quietly standing near the door watching everything.
He had clearly witnessed the entire moment—Roella gaining momentum and then collapsing onto her knees.
“Pff—”
The moment the loud crash sounded, he was too busy trying to suppress his laughter to be surprised.
Meanwhile, the person responsible for creating this scene was extremely serious.
“I’m sorry, Father! It’s all my fault!”
Her desperate voice echoed loudly through the room.
Though, unlike her voice, her eyes—directed toward the floor—were shining with fierce determination.
