“‘What should I do?’”

I briefly considered my specialty—telling on people—but decided against it.

“If I did that without proof, it would backfire.”

If I said outright that Rachel hit the maids to scare me, I’d only make myself look foolish.

How could a three-year-old understand that kind of power play?

“If I said she did it out of anger because the maids were hit... no, that won’t work.”

She’d just make an excuse that it was to ‘discipline’ the maids.

According to the maids, Rachel was very kind to her superiors.

“Your daughter’s first party, you say? Then I’ll certainly help. I’ll send the jurisdiction’s maids.”

“I heard you started a flower business. How can I just stand by? I was planning to change the castle’s garden trees anyway.”

“My, the tools are so old! Let me update some of them for you.”

She wasted a fortune of political funds to win favor.

Because of that, the budget for the jurisdiction’s maintenance shrank and the estate wobbled.

But the high-ranking people who benefited from her praised her to the skies.

‘Including the soldiers.’

Father was the Western Army commander, so he cared most about the barracks.

So Rachel would take special care of the barracks to please him.

Even now,

“Oh, Lady Rachel! It’s been so long.”

“Indeed. I hear you did great on the battlefield?”

“Of course! Lady, have you been well?”

“Well... recently, I got into a scuffle with some ruffians when I went shopping for dresses.”

“Oh, if anything like that happens, please tell us! Family sticks together!”

“Hoho, if the Astra elite guard protects me, I feel secure.”

—They seemed very close.

While watching them, Father appeared.

Wearing his uniform, he looked very impressive.

“General!”

Lady Rachel hurried over to him.

“Have a safe trip. We will prepare bathwater and meals so you can rest immediately when you return—”

But Father approached me before she finished.

“Erilot.”

“Yes.”

“Mondooki’s not your name.”

“...Yes?”

“It’s Daimond.”

‘What was he saying... oh.’

I remembered what happened at the manufacturing district.

Pretending to be a child, I wrote my father’s name as [Mondooki]—really.

‘He must have noticed.’

I blinked, and Father continued.

“Practice until I return.”

‘Huh?’

Was he going to teach me himself?

Usually, a noble’s education was the teacher’s domain.

It was rare for parents to do it, so this was a clear sign he cared about his child.

‘Wow!’

My face brightened and I shouted,

“Yes!”

“That’s right.”

Father said, then chuckled.

The soldiers laughed loudly, but Lady Rachel’s face flushed bright red and her hands trembled.

She must have been very embarrassed to be ignored by Father.

“I’ll be back by night.”

“Yes.”

I saw Father and the soldiers off.

Lady Rachel, glaring at me that day, stomped back inside.

I settled in the garden I liked from last night and practiced writing.

“Dae... mon... do.”

Good.

Writing big letters on paper, I nodded to myself.

This much, Father would probably think I wrote quite well when he comes to check.

Just then,

“Why are you so slow!”

A man’s shout startled me.

I looked sideways.

The gardener was yelling at an old man.

“When did I tell you to prune the branches and you’re still doing this!”

The servants whispered after seeing the gardener yell.

“When did he ever tell him to prune?”

“Shh, he’ll hear.”

“Why is that guy in a bad mood at dawn?”

“He’s taking it out on someone. Lady Rachel’s in a bad mood. He talked to her and got hit.”

“Poor old man.”

The servants clicked their tongues and passed by.

I looked at the gardener and the old man.

The gardener snorted and waved his finger at the old man.

“I begged to hire you as a worker to get something done. You should be satisfied!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

The old man hugged his beret and repeatedly bowed.

“Clear out the thicket! I’m going to rest a bit. Don’t slack off.”

“Yes.”

Col clicked his tongue and turned away.

Then, a gust of wind blew, and the old man’s hat flew toward me.

I picked up the hat and approached him.

“Thank you, young lady.”

He bowed to me.

‘Huh?’

His posture was perfect.

Right foot back, left arm between sternum and navel, bowing at 45 degrees.

Even at the manufacturing district, I hadn’t seen such perfect posture.

‘He looks shabby though.’

He appeared like a perfectly poor, ordinary old man.

He looked at the paper I held and said,

“You were studying.”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. But how about you go inside now? The rain will come soon.”

I was surprised.

‘He uses noble words.’

And these were archaic noble words only old men used.

‘Something’s up.’

I pretended to take a deep breath in surprise.

“Grandpa, you’re a wizard! How do you know?”

Before rain, he seemed to know because of joint pain or such, but I pretended to be surprised.

And I subtly asked what I wanted.

“Wizard, please tell me your name.”

He smiled warmly, as if finding me cute.

“Michelan.”

‘Michelan?’

The name sounded familiar...

Did this character appear in Bing.Heuk.Son?

I knew almost all major characters, but not him.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Have a good day, young lady.”

“Mm.”

I watched Michelan’s back, puzzled.

‘Not a common name.’

Where had I seen it...

Just then something dropped.

As Michelan said, the shower began.

‘Let’s go inside.’

I hadn’t been feeling well since arriving at Daimond’s jurisdictional castle.

I must have been tired from many recent tasks.

‘Getting caught in the rain here would be a guaranteed cold.’

I went into my room holding the paper.

Even back in my room, I kept repeating the old man’s name.

‘Michelan, Michelan, Miche...’

After a while, my eyes snapped open.

That’s right, that person!

“Nowadays, it’s hard to even keep servants. This time, one of our servants... (excerpt) ... is there no minion like Michelan?”

That was the Michelan mentioned.

‘Yes. The former head servant of the late Empress Dowager’s palace, Michelan.’

The Empress Dowager hated the late Empress and even disliked her burial in the royal tomb.

She tried to find fault and move the late Empress’s tomb...

‘But Michelan, the late Empress’s head servant, managed to prevent any fault-finding.’

Even though palace officials dug for three months and ten days, not a speck of dust was found.

Loyalty to the deceased master.

Outstanding ability.

So he became the epitome of a minion.

But he himself angered the Empress Dowager and was expelled from the palace, unable to find work anywhere.

‘That Michelan ended up at Astra Manor.’

After all, this was a place even the Empress Dowager couldn’t reach.

A notorious crime city where all kinds of people lived and migration was very easy.

Just as I was thinking this, there was a knock.

“Young lady, it’s Heidi.”

“Mm.”

When I answered, Heidi came in.

“I brought paper since you said you’d practice writing. And this is a pen I used when I was young—”

Heidi glanced at me and giggled shyly.

“My father was a carpenter and made it for me to practice writing. It’s easy for kids to hold.”

“It’s precious to Heidi.”

Can I take it?

Seeing my expression, Heidi quickly nodded.

“I’m grown now and can write well without it.”

“...”

“If it’s okay, would you take it?”

Heidi looked at me cautiously.

‘So kind.’

She wasn’t trying to win favor. She sincerely cared about the child.

I smiled.

“Thank you.”

Hearing me accept it, Heidi was very happy.

Her face brightened as she quickly held out the pen.

“What’s this?”

—I grabbed her wrist.

Because a terrible scar {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} was slightly visible under her sleeve.

“Oh, I was injured by accident.”

“No.”

“While beating laundry with a stick—”

“No!”

That was a whip wound.

Heidi hesitated, so I frowned deeply.

“Heidi, is that true?”

“No, it’s not like that. Um, well...”

“Rachel hit you, didn’t she?”

“Please don’t mind. Really—”

“Betty too?”

“...”

First a slap on the cheek, and now whipping.

It was obvious why.

Heidi and Betty had started getting close to me. They came to my room almost every day.

Rachel disliked that.

‘She bullied Heidi and Betty as an example to other servants.’

Meaning, ‘If you want to get close to her, this is what you get.’

“Where is Lady Rachel?”

“Oh, no, young lady!”

Heidi’s face went pale.

“It’s dangerous now that the general isn’t here. He only comes at night. The sun hasn’t set yet—”

Then, a sharp voice came from outside the door.

“Are you still loafing around, Betty!”

Heidi turned toward the voice, face as pale as paper.

“Young lady, I’m going now. Don’t leave here. Absolutely not!”

She spoke to me and quickly ran out.

She seemed very worried about Betty.

I glanced out the window.

Crash! Boom—!

Rain accompanied by thunder pounded down.

When Heidi ran out, Betty was being whipped near the courtyard.

Lady Rachel raised the whip high.

“Lady Rachel, please stop! I beg you!”

Heidi hugged Betty, who had already been beaten several times.

Betty groaned as if her breath would break.

‘So cruel. Really cruel...!’

They’d been whipped yesterday and the day before too.

Because there was a thread on the laundry and they were late responding.

But everyone knew that was just an excuse.

They just disliked Heidi and Betty coming in and out of Erilot’s room.

But no one helped them.

Astra Manor, called a crime city. Daimond’s jurisdiction was the deepest part of it.

Those who could live well gathered near the manufacturing district where security was good, leaving mostly poor people here.

If not here, stable jobs like noble family servants were just a dream.

So despite Lady Rachel’s tyranny, they couldn’t quit and stayed on.

Still, once a maid tried to resist.

But Rachel’s people unanimously drove her away.

Since then, no one dared speak.

Lady Rachel twisted her lips.

“Why are people such a bother?”

“...”

“They used to tremble just at a word from me, yet now they dare block my way.”

“...”

“What happened? Hmm, Heidi?”

Lady Rachel lightly tapped Heidi’s cheek.

“Looks like that three-year-old has some backing. Think the general’s return will change anything?!”

Just as she raised her hand.

“Heidi ma!”

Erilot waddled up the stairs.

Blocking between the maids and Lady Rachel, Erilot spread her arms fiercely.

“Don’t hit!”

“Disciplining the servants is my right. Young lady, please go upstairs.”

“Erilot, this is your master.”

When the master says no, the servant must stop.

Hearing that from a child’s eyes, Lady Rachel laughed bitterly.

“That brat thinks she’s the master.”

She groaned, looking at Erilot.

“Even if you pour noble water, if it mixes with muddy water, it’s just muddy water.”

“...”

“Are you too stupid to understand? Mixing Astra’s noble blood with dirty commoner blood makes it vulgar.”

Saying that, she ordered the servants.

“Take Heidi and Betty to the punishment room.”

The hesitant servants slowly moved.

Just as they were about to seize Heidi and Betty,

Erilot bit Lady Rachel’s calf hard.

“Aaah─!”

Rachel screamed and shoved Erilot away.

Thrown by an adult, Erilot fell flat.

“Young lady!”

“My, young lady...”

Heidi and Betty quickly supported the child.

Lady Rachel shouted.

“Dirty blood—!”

“Rachel, you’re mean. I’ll tell Father everything!”

Rachel burst out laughing.

“Do you have proof?”

She looked around. The servants who met her gaze quickly bowed their heads.

“Even if Heidi and Betty speak, it won’t matter. No one else will side with them.”

“...”

“And between me and the general, there’s something special. Something you can’t even imagine.”

Rachel arrogantly raised her chin.

“You don’t show it, but I know. The warm feeling in the way he looks at me.”

“...”

“He’s too shy to say it, but you can tell by the fact that he returned without ending the war. He missed me.”

“...”

“He remembers my eyes, wants to kiss my lips—”

“Isn’t that crazy?”

That wasn’t Erilot speaking. Nor were the other servants.

Startled, Rachel turned around.

Soldiers and managers returning to the jurisdictional castle looked at Rachel in disbelief.

Leading them was—

“Ge-General Daimond.”

Erilot secretly smirked.

‘If you don’t have proof, just show it yourself.’

Public opinion war? One recording or video ruins that.

‘Fool, would Father keep inspecting while it’s raining?’

I thought he’d return early.

Probably around this time.