‘I had given permission so that Lady Janet would only recognize my usual appearance.’
He meant the version of “Theo” she had been speaking with.
And yet… how had she pierced through the magical artifact’s resistance and recognized him like this?
“Still, is it really okay for you to be walking around like this? What if someone recognizes you?”
“That won’t happen.”
Kendrick answered firmly.
“First of all, no one would look at me like this and think it’s me.”
“Oh. Is that so?”
“Yes. In fact, you’re the first person who has ever recognized me in this state, Lady Janet.”
“Oh my.”
Janet let out a small sigh and muttered,
“People’s instincts must be pretty bad.”
Instincts. Was that really something she could dismiss so lightly?
“Anyway, I never imagined the Illinia who infiltrated Ludwig would be Theo. I really couldn’t have guessed.”
“Yes, well…”
“And you’re a deputy commander, yet you personally go on infiltration missions?”
She lowered her voice to a whisper.
Kendrick also lowered his.
“Ludwig is a house of extremely high-ranking nobles. If I were discovered after a careless infiltration attempt, it would become a major incident. So I have to act personally.”
“The deputy commander has quite the heavy responsibilities.”
“In a way, yes.”
“Still, it’s kind of nice seeing Ludwig like this. It feels new.”
Deciding to stop worrying about unnecessary things, Janet reached into the small bag she had brought.
“Actually, the reason I asked to meet you today is because I have a request.”
She took out two neatly folded handkerchiefs.
Something was wrapped inside them—the centers bulged slightly, as though concealing contents.
Kendrick accepted them and opened the cloths.
“These are tea leaves?”
“Yes. One is from the tea stored in the princess’s cabinet, and the other is from the supply kept in the warehouse.”
No matter how she thought about it, the only suspicious cause for the sudden appearance of the word “salvation” had to be those tea leaves.
“Please check whether there are any impurities mixed into them.”
“Impurities… do you mean someone tampered with the princess’s tea?”
Theo asked, his expression turning sharply angry.
Janet nodded calmly.
Before she had arrived, the management of the tea had been Sien’s responsibility. Even the remaining stock in the warehouse had been ordered by Sien.
‘If Sien really did tamper with the princess’s tea…’
Given how easily she stole others’ belongings without hesitation, suspicion was natural.
But something didn’t sit right.
‘Why would Sien do something like that to the princess’s tea?’
What possible benefit would she gain?
After thinking it through, Janet reached only one conclusion.
“Yes. That’s what I think. It seems more likely that someone ordered Sien to tamper with the princess’s tea.”
“Sien? You mean the maid who left a scar on you, Lady Janet?”
A scar?
It was barely even visible anymore.
Enough time had passed since the incident, and the medicine Kendrick had given her had worked remarkably well.
At this point, nearly three weeks later, there wasn’t a trace left.
But this wasn’t the time to argue about that.
“Other than me, Sien was the only one who could freely access the tea leaves.”
“But why would that maid…?”
Mid-sentence, Theo’s face stiffened coldly, as if realization had struck him.
‘There is someone behind Sien.’
Someone with another purpose.
And there was already a suspect that came to mind.
“The head maid. I suspect Nova Morgan.”
“So do I.”
While Sien was being dragged away by the guards, hadn’t she screamed, “Call the head maid!” over and over?
‘I thought it was just a bribery connection.’
They had also suspected that the missing yellow diamond might have ended up in Nova’s hands.
They had considered tracing it back to expose her crimes, but the matter had seemed too large to pursue, so they dropped it.
However—
‘If Nova truly ordered Sien to harm the princess…’
Then this could not be ignored.
As the princess’s exclusive maid, it was her duty to ensure her safety.
Meanwhile, Kendrick was barely suppressing his simmering anger.
‘That woman… how dare she.’
He already knew Nova was using her subordinates to line her own pockets.
He had simply ignored it because she had been Julieta’s nanny, and Julieta still trusted and relied on her.
More than anything, he had no desire to interfere with what happened in Ludwig anymore. Ludwig itself had become unbearable to him. If not for his younger sister Julieta, he might have abandoned the family long ago.
And yet, to think his negligence had led to this outcome.
“Lady Janet.”
“Yes?”
“I’m truly glad I made a contract with you.”
At the sudden remark, Janet blinked in surprise.
But Kendrick remained completely serious.
‘At first, I only thought I should place someone trustworthy beside Julieta.’
If an incompetent maid were appointed and further tarnished Julieta’s already poor reputation, that would be unacceptable.
That was the only reason he had hired Janet.
If it hadn’t been her, he would have hired someone else anyway.
But now that he looked back—
“If I had taken the hand of someone other than you, I would have regretted it. I promise you this: I will take responsibility for your future.”
‘He’ll take responsibility for my future?’
Janet drew in a sharp breath, startled by the grand declaration.
At the same time, a question she had buried deep in her mind slowly resurfaced.
‘What exactly is the relationship between Theo and the princess?’
Swoosh, swish.
A large brush glided through dazzling golden hair. Janet had now become skilled enough to comb Julieta’s hair with practiced ease.
“Haah…”
“Did you not sleep well again last night?”
“…Mm. A little.”
Yaaawn.
Julieta let out another yawn, squeezed her sleepy eyes shut, then opened them again.
“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
She waved her hand lightly as if brushing it off, but Janet couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy.
It had been nearly a month since the incident with Sien, and since Julieta had begun opening up to her.
In that time, Janet had come to understand several things about her.
That the princess felt extreme anxiety and fear about exposing her flaws to others.
And that, perhaps because of this, she suffered from chronic insomnia.
‘Well, most people are like that when it comes to their flaws…’
No one liked having their vulnerabilities exposed.
But in Julieta’s case, it seemed far more severe.
Judging by her previous-life medical knowledge, it resembled moderate anxiety disorder or even paranoid tendencies.
Perhaps this was even the reason she had been rumored to be a “villainess.”
Fear, when unchecked, sometimes turned into anger.
“Princess.”
“Mm?”
“If you ever feel unwell, you must tell me.”
At Janet’s words, Julieta narrowed her eyes slightly.
Really—who was worrying about whom here?
Still, it had been a long time since someone fussed over her like this. It wasn’t unpleasant.
“I’ll think about it.”
Her haughty reply made them both laugh softly.
Knock, knock.
A knock came at the door, followed by a maid’s voice from outside.
“Princess, Head Maid Nova has invited you to have tea with her. What should I do?”
“What? Nova?!”
At the name, Julieta’s eyes lit up brightly.
“Tell her I’ll come right away—no, tell her I’m going immediately!”
Her face broke into an excited smile like a child’s, and Janet couldn’t hide her complicated feelings.
“Welcome, Princess. And Lady Graham.”
Nova greeted them with a bright smile.
“I haven’t been able to visit you often, have I, Princess?”
“It’s alright. You’re the head maid now, so you must be busy. I understand.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
Nova covered her mouth with a soft laugh, then glanced sideways at Janet.
“How are you, Lady Graham? Are you adjusting well to your duties as a maid?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I have adjusted well.”
At Janet’s polite reply, Nova’s brow twitched slightly.
“Thanks to me? I didn’t do anything.”
The words, sharp and pointed, hung in the air.
Janet simply smiled as if she had not heard the undertone.
