Chapter 5
After returning to her room, Orte lay quietly on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
What filled her empty mind were memories of the past.
Memories of smiling and clinging to people who hated her. Memories of acting kind to them.
In some memories, she was crying. In others, she was smiling. And in others, she was desperately holding on.
Until dawn, Orte made a plan.
A plan for how she would live this life—perhaps her last.
Stay quiet, do nothing… and leave when Yvonne returns.
The plan was simple.
Even if she acted like before and clung to them, nothing would change.
And now—she was tired.
Tired of seeking love from people who treated her like a parasite.
More than anything, she no longer loved them.
There was no reason to waste her energy clinging to them anymore.
They weren’t even worth that much.
Of course, Orte didn’t suddenly throw away her feelings in a single moment.
She had already been exhausted when her third life began.
Orte was just an ordinary person.
No one could keep giving love endlessly to people who never returned even a bit of it.
Compared to her second life, her third life had been calmer.
Or perhaps, because she couldn’t accept things at all, she had acted even more extreme on the outside.
Her life had always revolved around them.
But she had done many things.
As the only daughter of the Weekend family, she learned etiquette, participated in social circles, and never missed a single day of training her blessing.
Now—
She planned to stop most of it.
In her first life, she worked without even sleeping.
In her second life, she worked herself to death.
In her third life, she lived with constant pain in her heart.
Knock, knock.
A precise two knocks sounded, and before she could respond, the door opened.
Orte didn’t move her gaze from the ceiling.
“Miss.”
From the voice, it was the butler.
There were people Orte had treated especially kindly to gain her family’s affection.
The butler and the head maid were among them, as they were close to the Duke of Weekend, Clef, and Ellen.
Even though they were supposed to serve her, Orte had acted as if she needed their approval instead.
At first, they pitied her.
But gradually, they began to treat her carelessly.
And when they bowed to Yvonne—
Something they had never once done for Orte—
She had wanted to tear apart her past foolish self.
“Miss! The butler is here!”
Another set of footsteps overlapped—it was Anna.
“Miss!”
At the sharp voice ringing in her head, Orte frowned slightly and only turned her head.
“Ahem… have you woken up?”
The butler looked down at her.
Orte glanced at him briefly, then turned her gaze back to the ceiling.
“Why are you here?”
“…Pardon?”
The butler blinked at her informal tone.
Orte had always insisted on speaking politely.
Thinking she might be talking to the maid, he looked at Anna.
But Orte clearly pointed at him.
“I’m talking to you, butler. Why are you here?”
Realizing she was speaking to him like that, the butler couldn’t hide his surprise.
Orte slowly sat up and leaned back, looking at him.
“This is the third time I’m asking. Why are you here?”
The face that once always smiled kindly at him was now cold.
There was even a hint of annoyance.
“What?”
Orte tilted her head.
“Does it bother you that I’m speaking down to you?”
“…The reason I came is about Anna.”
Unable to say “yes,” the butler ignored her question and continued.
Anna had come to him yesterday.
Soaked in cold water, trembling and crying—
She said Orte had done it and had fired her.
Hearing that, the butler came early in the morning, planning to scold Orte first while she was still asleep.
But Orte being awake at dawn—and speaking like this—was beyond his expectations.
“Even if you are the young lady, you cannot decide to dismiss Anna.”
“You came all this way just to say that?”
Orte let out a deep sigh.
Then she looked at Anna.
Anna stood proudly beside the butler, her chin raised.
“…Butler. It seems Anna didn’t tell you what she did to me.”
“…Pardon?”
“She brought me cold washing water every day.”
The butler turned to Anna.
“Th-that was because Miss asked for it! She said she had trouble waking up, so she told me to bring cold water on purpose!”
Anna waved her hands, making excuses.
But seeing her flustered expression, the butler realized Orte was telling the truth.
The problem was himself.
He had come without checking the facts, intending to scold Orte.
He couldn’t back down now.
“…Is what Anna said true?”
Even though the lie was obvious, Orte’s face remained calm.
“Well.”
She blinked slowly.
“If you want to believe it, then it’s true. If you don’t, then it’s a lie.”
She left the choice to him.
The butler realized that everything depended on his decision.
He looked between Anna and Orte.
“…Even if Anna is lying, you should let this matter go. She has served you for three years. You cannot dismiss a maid of the Duke of Weekend’s household on your own authority.”
“I see.”
Orte replied calmly, as if she hadn’t just fired someone.
The butler, surprised, continued.
“Then we will assign you a new maid.”
“Do that.”
She answered indifferently, as if it had nothing to do with her.
“Then I will take my leave—”
“But, butler.”
Orte stopped him.
“I’m worried that the servants of the Duke of Weekend’s household might not know proper manners.”
It sounded like a quiet murmur.
Just as the butler was about to ask what she meant—
Orte waved her hand lightly, dismissing him.
Still looking at the ceiling, she didn’t spare him another glance.
The butler had no choice but to leave.
Anna’s complaints beside him didn’t even reach his ears.
“I’m worried that the servants of the Duke of Weekend’s household might not know proper manners.”
Only after leaving did the butler understand.
He rubbed the back of his stiff neck and looked back at the door.
He felt something strange.
But one thing was certain—
The young lady had changed.
After resting a bit more, Orte held her stomach.
I’m hungry.
Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.
The moment she realized it, she got up.
The butler had said a new maid would be assigned, but not today.
So she simply threw a shawl over herself and left the room.
Not wanting greasy food, she headed to the kitchen instead of the dining hall.
“Miss?”
The assistant cook was startled to see her.
“Why have you come here?”
“I’m hungry.”
“The Duke of Weekend and the young masters are already eating. We’ve used up all the breakfast ingredients.”
Orte ignored him and looked around.
“Miss, are you listening to me? Do you understand?”
She found what she wanted.
Walking over, she took an apple from a basket and turned around.
“I don’t see why I should listen to you.”
