Chapter 33

The season of cicadas was fast approaching, their piercing cries soon to pierce the sleepy afternoons. The sunlight filtering through the leaves had grown noticeably hotter, transforming the Grüsewald Duchy’s garden into a vibrant tapestry of colorful blooms amidst the lush greenery.

Odelliana and Matthias began their studies using the knight’s manual Malena had brought. As the rainy season drew near, it marked three weeks since Malena had started working as a maid in this estate. She was gradually acclimating to the boy’s silent presence, yet her discomfort with it grew daily.

Malena increasingly found the young master, who lived alone in the quaint annex, peculiar. It amused her that someone living in such a serene place, enjoying a comfortable life without lifting a finger, would still be so on edge.

Why was she so easily agitated, like a cat? There was nothing in this place to threaten her. The sight of her bringing an unusual boy servant to watch over her while they studied was absurd.

Five gallant knights guarded her annex. Surely, the Grüsewald Duchy would not fail to provide her with a dedicated knight. Seeing them waste their time trying to turn a street urchin into a knight, Malena thought they must have nothing better to do.

Malena found her young master utterly insufferable. She attributed her paranoia and her obsession with her leg disability to a deep-seated insecurity. It was unfair, she thought, to be watched so closely for no reason. But blaming it on the young master’s narrow-mindedness, twisted as it was, provided a measure of comfort.

She decided to maintain a strict distance. Doing only what was asked of her and keeping their relationship strictly professional was her goal. There was no benefit in getting involved with a young master who was so ignorant of the world and so prickly.

Now I understand why the other servants avoid the master, she mused. There’s always a reason someone is disliked.

Despite her resolve, Odelliana and Matthias naturally drew others’ attention. It seemed they were simply born with a unique aura that made it hard not to notice them, even when she tried not to.

“A sly fox,” Malena muttered. 

She gasped when the boy, who had been pretending to practice swordsmanship with a rough, unsharpened wooden sword, suddenly collapsed, feigning a twisted ankle.

Where did he learn to pull off such a pathetic act…?

Malena, recognizing the boy’s little trick, was taken aback, while Odelliana calmly examined his ankle.

“Oh dear, it seems you’ve twisted it,” Odelliana said, her pale, delicate hand wrapping around Matthias’s ankle. She gently felt around, checking for any displaced bones. “You need to be careful. Does it hurt much?”

“It hurts a little,” Matthias replied, supporting his limping teacher despite his supposed twisted ankle. Watching him assist his teacher without showing any sign of pain was utterly astonishing.

“Matthias, lean on me if you’re struggling,” Odelliana insisted.

Even the master, who was limping herself, seemed to forget her own leg disability, acting as if she could support a boy much larger than herself. It was almost comical to see her trying to help.

The two of them were strange—far too strange. So much so that Malena found herself asking the staff at the annex about her mistress and her peculiar servant, completely forgetting her resolve to distance herself from them.

“The young lady? Don’t even mention her. She’s utterly insane. You should stay far away. You should’ve seen what she did to Lady Adella… That day is etched in our memories as the most terrifying experience. She’s brutal and violent.”

“Matthias? They say the young lady brought him back from Köbeck, and as you can see, he’s quite handsome. Even in her madness, her eyes seem to work just fine, since she keeps him close all the time. I bet he’s been in her bed more than once. The master even sends down contraceptives regularly.”

“But the young lady is rather pitiful too. Born with a leg disability… It’s a serious flaw in a noble family, so she was never officially recognized by the household. She grew up far away, raised by Lady Adella and the other maids. Aside from the young master, no one ever visits her.”

“She wasn’t always mad, you know. She lost her mind. Abandoned at birth, treated like she didn’t exist by her own family… Honestly, it’s a wonder she didn’t lose her sanity sooner. The young lady is truly a pitiful soul.”

“The reason Lady Adella had her mouth torn apart was because she had been abusing the young lady since childhood. It seems the young lady changed completely at some point. It was hard to believe she was the same person who once couldn’t even speak back to Lady Adella.”

“I can understand why she keeps her distance from us. After everything she’s been through, it’s no wonder she can’t trust anyone in this household. Maybe that’s why the young master brought you in from the outside.”

As Malena delved into the life of the young lady, which had initially seemed so comfortable and peaceful, she uncovered one tragic story after another. While everyone carries their own burdens, the life of Odelliana that Malena glimpsed was particularly tragic. Beneath the veneer of a noble lady living under the protection of the Grüsewald family was a lonely soul, abandoned by her family and deprived of proper care, growing up in isolation.

“The truth is, the young lady is practically imprisoned here. She can’t freely leave, and she’s forbidden from even approaching the main residence. She’s destined to spend her entire life here. The master didn’t keep her out of parental love but out of concern for the consequences.”

“Why not just kill her then? Malena, I didn’t realize you had such a cruel side. No matter what, how could a parent kill their own child?”

“Isn’t this treatment worse than death? Who knows? I can’t pretend to understand the master’s mind. One thing is certain, though—the master and mistress have been watching the young lady for a long time.”

“Please deliver this letter to Brother Blair.”

Malena, lost in thought, snapped out of her reverie.

“Malena?”

“Oh, yes.”

Taking the letter, Malena quickly regained her composure.

“You’ve been daydreaming a lot lately. Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing at all. Shall I deliver this right away?”

“Yes. And make sure to remind him not to delay with the knight exam registration.”

A hint of doubt crept into Malena’s voice.

“…Are you truly planning to make that boy a knight?”

“Of course. Making Matthias a knight isn’t that big of a deal.”

Hiding her mixed feelings, Malena rose with the letter clutched to her chest.

Now that she understood the young lady’s situation, Malena began to comprehend the peculiar behavior she had witnessed. Born into this place, yet just as much an outsider as herself, the young lady was a thoroughly rejected and isolated figure, struggling to survive within this vast household. The bitter taste in Malena’s mouth grew as she reflected on it.

To be born into such a grand family yet be treated worse than the daughter of a lesser noble… Even Malena, who had spent her life rolling in the dirt as a mercenary, at least had her freedom. But this young lady didn’t even have that.

It was almost laughable, a lowly mercenary with nothing to her name feeling pity for a noble lady of such a grand estate.

“Stop right there.” 

A towering man with a massive build blocked her path.

It was their first encounter, yet Malena quickly recognized him as the eldest son of the renowned Grüsewald family, thanks to a few distinctive features. She hastily corrected her posture and bowed in respect.

“I don’t recall seeing your face before. Why are you coming out of the annex?” he asked.

“I’ve been working there for the past three weeks,” Malena replied.

“Are you from outside?” he inquired.

“Yes, I am,” she answered.

“Who brought you here?” he questioned.

“The young master,” she said.

“…Blair, that fool,” he muttered.

The eldest son’s eyes narrowed, his already stern and keen demeanor becoming even more intense as he scrutinized Malena. Then, he gave a command to the knights who accompanied him.

“Search her,” he ordered.

The eldest son of Grüsewald was quick-witted. He easily deduced that Malena was acting as a messenger between Blair and Odelliana, given that the path she was on led directly to Blair’s quarters and that she had come from the annex, where Blair’s external recruits were known to stay.

Malena was searched by the knights, and the letter that Odelliana had entrusted to her with great care was snatched away right before her eyes. As Hermann tore open the letter and his expression twisted with anger, Malena, for the first time, felt a twinge of worry for Odelliana.

“That damn woman! I warned her repeatedly not to stir up trouble with Blair….” he cursed.

Hermann, seething with rage, turned on his heel and headed toward the secluded annex that he usually paid no mind to.