Elysia was finally able to return to her room after finishing her evening report.
It had been a chaotic day, and more than anything, she had spent the entire afternoon struggling to keep her composure after speaking with Yulias.
In fact, she could barely remember what kind of expression she had worn while working.
"Big sis! Big sis!"
"Hm?"
"Why do you keep ignoring me when I call you?"
Joshua was staring at her with a sulky expression.
Elysia forced an awkward smile.
"I'm just tired. Let's wash up and go to bed."
She naturally brushed it off and took his hand, but Joshua suddenly stopped walking.
"Oh, it's Silver-Haired Sister."
Standing in front of Elysia's room was Laviena.
"Laviena."
When Elysia called her name, she noticed the bundle in Laviena's arms.
Bandages and medicine.
"The Head Maid told me to bring these to you."
"...Thank you."
"Are you hurt, big sis?"
"No, it's not that. She's just helping me."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
Joshua looked back and forth between them in confusion.
Elysia patted his back.
"You can wash up by yourself, right? If anything happens, call me."
"Of course! Bye, Silver-Haired Sister!"
"R-right. Goodbye..."
Laviena awkwardly returned his energetic greeting.
Joshua quickly disappeared down the hallway.
Now only the two women remained.
"Do you want help?"
Laviena offered immediately.
Instead, Elysia hurriedly waved her hands.
"I can do it myself."
"You aren't hurt in just one or two places."
It seemed Laviena had noticed more than Elysia realized.
There was no way to argue with that.
"Then call me if you need help. My room is over there."
Laviena pointed toward a room at the end of the hallway.
Before Elysia could properly thank her, Laviena had already walked away after handing over the supplies.
Entering her room alone, Elysia placed everything on her desk.
There she found the spare maid uniform and shoes Laviena had mentioned.
"So there really was a spare uniform."
Sighing, she sat down.
The wounds on her calves and knees were bad enough, but the injuries on her arms were even worse.
Her wrists and the backs of her hands needed medicine and bandages as well.
But wrapping them herself proved more difficult than expected.
Knock. Knock.
The sound at the door made her look up.
Had Joshua already returned from his bath?
The room was still messy.
Worried that he might be waiting outside, Elysia quickly stood up.
She hurried to open the door.
Then froze.
Standing there was someone she hadn't expected.
"Your Grace."
"Were you treating your injuries?"
Yulias's gaze dropped downward.
The half-finished bandage dangled awkwardly around her arm.
Only then did Elysia hide both arms behind her back.
It was late at night.
And if the head of the household casually visited the servants' quarters, rumors would spread instantly.
Especially when she was already unpopular among the staff.
Elysia desperately tried to figure out how to respond politely.
But Yulias spoke first.
"My apologies for coming so late."
"...Pardon?"
"I said I'm sorry. I wanted to speak with you privately, but... it seems I've interrupted something."
As he awkwardly trailed off and stared elsewhere, Elysia wondered if she had heard him correctly.
In the end, she gave up and opened the door wider.
"Only until Joshua comes back. I think we can talk until then."
"That's fine."
After a brief hesitation, he stepped inside.
Maybe it would have been better to meet in his office.
Or outside.
But Joshua could return at any moment.
"What is it, Your Grace?"
"Let's sit first."
He pointed toward the bed.
Without thinking, Elysia obediently sat down.
The unfinished bandage still hung loosely from her arm.
"Your Grace, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yulias dragged over a chair and sat in front of her.
Then he began wrapping the bandage himself.
His movements were neat and practiced, as if he had done it many times before.
"Does it hurt when I tie it?"
"N-no. I'm fine."
The situation itself felt awkward.
Fortunately, she had already treated the injuries on her legs.
Otherwise this would have been even more embarrassing.
Yulias calmly continued examining her arms.
The silence stretched endlessly.
"...The person responsible for the incident has been dismissed."
As he wrapped her other arm, he finally got to the point.
"And not just dismissed. She had no recommendation letter either, so finding work as a servant elsewhere will be difficult. The others had half of their wages cut for the next three months."
Elysia kept staring at her own arm while he worked.
"The one who was dismissed... you mean Branda?"
"Yes. According to the Head Maid's report, similar incidents happened many times before. Branda was always the one leading them."
"I don't know much about it, but isn't she still a noble? Couldn't she object to being dismissed? Or even file a complaint?"
"You're mistaken about something."
"Huh?"
"Branda isn't a noble."
Yulias finished tying the final knot.
As his hands moved away, Elysia carefully tested her arm.
The bandage was secure and comfortable.
She lowered her sleeves and folded her hands on her lap.
"I thought she was a noble. I heard that to work as a maid in a noble household, you usually had to be at least a minor noble."
Yulias naturally began tidying up the medicine and bandages.
"To be precise, she's a commoner. She graduated at the top of her class from the Academy. That's why she was able to work for the Grand Duke's household."
Even while cleaning up, the conversation continued.
Only after noticing this did Elysia wonder if she should stop him, but everything was already neatly arranged.
Trying not to appear uncomfortable, she asked another question.
"It's rare for a commoner to enter the Academy in the first place, isn't it?"
"Not if their family has enough money. A title isn't the only thing that matters."
Yulias quietly studied her.
"Does that answer your question?"
"Yes... Ah! You said earlier that you had something to tell me."
Elysia's eyes widened as she remembered.
Yulias answered casually.
"Actually, I have a favor to ask."
"...A favor?"
"A favor?" she repeated.
The Grand Duke?
Asking her for a favor?
Pointing at herself, she looked completely bewildered.
"Me?"
"Yes."
Even while asking a favor, his demeanor remained as calm as ever.
Elysia, meanwhile, looked thoroughly confused.
For him to visit the servants' quarters this late at night...
She couldn't imagine what he wanted.
Could it be something dangerous?
Something improper that couldn't be known by others?
Sweat gathered in her palms.
"What kind of favor...?"
Yulias raised an eyebrow.
Apparently noticing how nervous she looked.
He had even helped treat her injuries as a gesture of goodwill.
Yet from his perspective, Elysia looked like a small animal trembling before a predator.
Had he misunderstood something again?
Yulias pulled a folded piece of paper from his inner pocket and handed it to her.
"Open it."
With tense eyes, Elysia unfolded it.
Then she immediately recognized it.
"You still have Lady Sheyla's note?"
"Why do you sound happy?"
Yulias asked after noticing the brightness in her voice.
"Because you folded it carefully and kept it with you."
Though his usual cold expression remained unchanged, he didn't deny it.
Instead, he changed the subject.
"Just look."
He gestured toward the paper.
Clearly urging her to read it.
She had already seen the note before.
Had she missed something?
Then she noticed it.
A hidden message beneath the scribbled-out markings.
Words deliberately written over the scratched-out section.
[Don't go.]
"...This..."
Elysia's voice softened.
Yulias noticed the change immediately.
"You said you wanted to do your job better."
"...I did."
Elysia tried to meet his eyes but found it difficult.
His deep orange gaze was fixed directly on her.
Then he finally said:
"I don't know how to treat the young lady anymore."
