12. The Maid Who Used to Work
Trishy blushed shyly. The young ladies around her raised their eyebrows, exchanging glances. They decided to speak gently so as not to hurt the innocent young lady who hadn’t yet faced reality.
“Um… There are going to be a lot of gentlemen attending today. It’s good to keep your options open and see who’s out there.”
“Ah… yes.”
That’s how she responded, but honestly, Trishy had no doubts about the time she’d spent with Damion.
After all, it was Damion who had gone out of his way to get her invited to this party.
The invitations for this ball had been sent out long ago. Then, three days ago, she had suddenly received a call from the Baylis family.
A gentleman had apparently said he was awaiting her attendance and told them to pass on that if she hadn’t forgotten their meeting at the beach, she should attend.
‘Sir Damion, honestly…’
Trishy struggled to suppress the smile curling at her lips.
The day Damion came to the South to see her—how delightful their conversation had been!
“What do you like most about the South, sir?”
“Chocolate.”
“You like sweets! Me too. The South is famous not only for chocolate but also for its amazing chocolate cake. The Ziden family’s personal chef is a very talented pâtissier. Would you like to try some?”
“No, I hate sweets.”
“…”
The conversation had gone slightly awry, but maybe he was just tired?
Recently, that woman, Rain, had suddenly quit her job, and her father had insisted that she be given the peace of mind to leave. It had all been very irritating—but as soon as that woman left, this stroke of good fortune came.
Maybe that woman really was just bad luck.
‘Sir Damion…’
Trishy had been losing sleep thinking about Damion every night. Just the thought of him made her face warm.
“Did you hear? They say Ansi de Lubelsa is on today’s guest list.”
That caught Trishy’s ear.
‘Ansi de Lubelsa? The daughter of that ruined house?’
It wasn’t a topic she cared much about. She’d rather be talking about herself. But since the other ladies were excited, Trishy half-heartedly listened in.
Lady Nize asked curiously,
“Really? Where has she been all this time?”
“She must be shameless.”
“Right? She probably thought everyone had forgotten and just came back—so brazen…”
“But to be honest, I always felt bad for Lady Lubelsa.”
Lady Henji suddenly changed the tone of the conversation. The others widened their eyes, wondering why she’d say such a thing, but Henji continued without hesitation.
“Even if her father did wrong, for Lady Lubelsa it must’ve been like lightning from a clear sky.”
She shook her head with a pitying look.
The reason for her behavior soon became clear.
“Thank you for coming.”
A woman, resembling spring, smiled and passed by. Her white dress was adorned with bright pink lace.
It was Elise de Baylis, the host of the party.
“Lady Elise was the closest to Ansi, wasn’t she?”
“Oh! So that’s why she was invited?”
They whispered as they watched Elise’s back disappear. But Trishy wasn’t paying attention—she was simply waiting for Damion to arrive.
“How many men do you think will ask Lady Lubelsa to dance today?”
“Probably some idiot who only cares about looks. I heard from my cousin’s club that they were betting on whether she’d step on a guy’s foot if he asked her to dance, since she hasn’t shown up to a ball in a year.”
“How wicked.”
They burst into laughter. Lady Nize casually remarked,
“There’s no way the major would fall for her, right?”
“No matter what, she’s not good enough to be tied to a ducal family.”
“Excuse me? By ‘major,’ do you mean Sir Damion?”
Trishy, who had been quiet until now, asked in surprise.
“That woman… Is she really that pretty?”
“She’s… tolerable.”
“Yeah, kind of. But it’s been a year, she might’ve changed a lot.”
“Oh my! Damn it, she’s still gorgeous.”
Henji peeked toward the main entrance, fanning herself. Trishy, startled, turned to look as well—and dropped her fan.
A woman was entering the hall.
Her exposed shoulders were slender and elegant.
Her skin was as white as snow, contrasting beautifully with her jet-black hair.
A tall nose, full lips, and especially those blue, jewel-like eyes…
Trishy’s expression turned grave.
Strangely, one woman came to mind.
But it couldn’t be. Rain had brown hair. Besides, she was just a servant. There was no way it could be her, and yet…
A calm face. A composed gaze.
Steps that radiated dignity, without a trace of hesitation.
“That woman…”
“She’s Lady Lubelsa.”
Ansi de Lubelsa—it was unmistakably Rain, the woman who used to work at the Ziden estate.
* * *
“The Count of Lubelsa’s daughter? How shameless.”
“She devoured her father and brother, and now she’s out to find a husband?”
As soon as Ansi entered the hall, harsh stares and whispers rained down on her. Her eyelashes quivered.
There was soft piano music in the background, and the whispers were clearly meant to be quiet—but for some reason, they sounded as loud as if they were right beside her.
Ansi slowly scanned the hall.
Wherever her eyes landed, people turned their heads as if on cue. Which meant, of course—they had been staring at her.
She had expected this. She was the most eye-catching outsider here. Everyone glanced at her with curiosity, but no one approached.
Unconsciously, Ansi lowered her gaze.
In the past, such petty gossip wouldn’t have fazed her. Ansi could distinguish between fair criticism and senseless slander. She knew that listening to baseless insults was useless.
But a year ago, Ansi realized—
That kind of strength was only possible when she had something to protect.
Now that she valued herself so little, their words pierced her like sharp blades.
To say she devoured her father and brother—it was absurd. But even knowing that, the thought lingered. Could it be true?
Still, Ansi pretended not to hear. She forced her expression into calmness and moved forward. Thankfully, she reached a quiet corner without interference.
She continually checked her posture, her expression.
She didn’t want to look miserable. She had come out with the name “Lubelsa” after a year—she couldn’t appear pitiful. Not tonight.
Then, her eyes met those of Elise, the party’s host. Ansi stepped forward.
“Thank you for inviting—”
“That’s enough.”
Elise cut her off before she could finish. Watching Elise walk away, Ansi forced her lips into a smile to hide the bitterness.
Just then, a group of women by the window moved excitedly toward the entrance. Men who had been chatting nearby quickly scattered and started asking the women to dance.
Ansi looked toward the door.
And the moment it opened, she felt her tense body finally relax.
“Damion.”
She softly murmured the man’s name.
Under the sparkling chandelier, he stood out even more. His sharp navy suit was immaculately pressed, his pale skin and striking features highlighted.
Every gaze in the hall turned to him. Like her, he became the center of attention the moment he stepped in.
“Ansi.”
The crowd parted to follow his gaze.
There was only one path—and at the end stood Ansi de Lubelsa.
He walked straight to her, as if no one else in the room existed.
Ironically, in a room full of people who viewed her as an unwanted guest, the only person who approached her was the brother of her enemy.
“If I’d known you were here, I would have come earlier.”
“You arrived at just the right time.”
“The dress suits you.”
“You have good taste. Thank you for the gift.”
Damion bent down and gently kissed the back of her gloved hand, then lifted his eyes.
“Will you grant me the honor of the first dance?”
His soft voice was followed by a ticklish sensation through the glove. With no one else approaching her, it was only natural for Ansi to nod.
“It would be an honor.”
Damion smiled and straightened up.
Everyone in the hall watched the scene unfold with mixed shock and intrigue.
Damion de Orphet, currently the empire’s most eligible bachelor, had asked Ansi de Lubelsa—a woman from a fallen noble house—for the first dance.
It was a scene no one could look away from.
And someone did, in fact, jump in.
“Rain! Why are you here?!”
Trishy stormed toward them, her face red. She looked between Damion and Ansi as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Why… Why did you choose Rain instead of me, sir?”
“Lady Ziden.”
Damion’s cold voice cut her off. He stepped forward protectively in front of Ansi.
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
Trishy looked like she might burst into tears. She glared at Rain—or rather, Ansi—but Ansi just tilted her head. Her dark blue-black hair slipped to one side.
“Who are you?”
“What do you mean ‘who’? I’m the lady you used to serve!”
“That can’t be. I’m seeing you for the first time.”
Ansi replied with the same unreadable face as always. Trishy began to hiccup.
Still, she didn’t stop.
She screamed, her voice breaking.
“You—hic—you used to—hic—work as a maid—hic—in our house!”
