Me, a Princess? My Lord! - Chapter 111

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 111

“Housekeeper, it’s me. Mabel. May I come in for a moment?”

Mabel knocked on the housekeeper’s door and carefully stepped inside. Housekeeper Jane, with her pale complexion, sat up in bed.

“Yes, Mabel. What is it?”

“I was worried because I heard you skipped meals all day today.”

Mabel set down a steaming bowl of soup and a spoon on the table. She pulled out a chair with a scraping sound and made eye contact with the housekeeper.

“It’s pumpkin soup. I prepared soup instead of bread on purpose so it would be easier for you to eat. Please have it while it’s warm.”

“…Thank you.”

“Please have at least one spoonful for my sake. Go on.”

When Mabel coaxed her with an affectionate voice, the housekeeper’s expression softened. She sat down and took a spoonful.

“It’s delicious. But it tastes a bit different from what the chef usually makes?”

“You really are a gourmet. I made it myself.”

The housekeeper looked at Mabel with a surprised face.

“You made it yourself?”

Mabel smiled and nodded.

“I may not know much about other things, but I make an amazing pumpkin soup. In my family, pumpkin soup was like a cure-all.”

“A food you eat whenever you’re sick.”

“That’s right. We ate it when we were physically ill, and when our hearts were hurting too. It’s warm and sweet…”

The housekeeper took another spoonful and nodded. Her eyes curved into gentle crescents.

“It has a comforting taste.”

After a moment of silence, the housekeeper spoke up.

“The reason you’re being so considerate to me must be because of what happened that day.”

“…”

“The day Lisa got hurt in the Viscount’s study.”

The housekeeper looked intently at Mabel and asked.

“Did you happen to hear what the young master said that day?”

“Well, that’s…”

“You can be honest. I’m not trying to scold you.”

“I didn’t mean to listen, but I heard it.”

Mabel awkwardly pulled up the corners of her mouth.

“I haven’t been working at Pretium for very long, but… I know well how much work you handle in this house, Housekeeper.”

“…”

“Even to my eyes, having worked only a few months, I can see your sincerity… It may be disrespectful to say, but I was so angry while listening.”

Mabel’s voice gradually grew stronger and louder.

“I don’t know what the Viscount thinks of the maids. Ruby, who worked before me, served the Viscount for seven whole years, but he didn’t even know her name. He didn’t even notice at first that the maid had changed!”

“Don’t even mention it. I’m not even sure he remembers my name correctly.”

The housekeeper, who had eaten a few more spoonfuls of soup, put down her spoon. Leaning back against the chair, she made a cynical joke and continued.

“The Viscount truly doesn’t know the value of his subordinates. To him, we’re no different from livestock that can talk.”

“That’s terrible!”

“All nobles have some degree of arrogance, but the Viscount is excessive.”

Unlike her usual neat, strict, and composed demeanor, she appeared very relaxed and down-to-earth. It seemed like her heart had opened wide due to Mabel’s warm attitude and delicious food.

“That suspicious and sensitive man somehow doesn’t care about the maids’ eyes and ears… It amazes me every time.”

“He seems to regard us as shadows or air.”

“That’s why he always buries important things in front of the maid’s quarters.”

Mabel’s eyes widened slightly. The housekeeper sighed deeply and said.

“You didn’t know yet, I see.”

“No, I didn’t know.”

“Most servants who have worked long at the estate know this story. You can see it right from the window of the maid’s quarters.”

Mabel asked in surprise.

“What if someone steals it…”

The housekeeper shrugged.

“If what he buried was money or gold, maybe. But if it’s documents like ledgers and papers, how could we read and understand them?”

“Ah…”

“That’s probably why the young master buries things there.”

One corner of the housekeeper’s mouth twisted upward.

“He seems meticulous and flawless, but the Viscount is really nothing more than a know-it-all. When people become arrogant, they always get into trouble.”

“What about the younger master?”

Mabel casually asked about Lawrence. The housekeeper thought for a moment and then spoke.

“He appears easygoing on the surface, but he’s surprisingly meticulous and thorough. He’s also someone whose true intentions are hard to read.”

The housekeeper rested her chin on her hand and became lost in thought. As if recalling old times, her eyes narrowed.

“The master actually intended to pass the family headship to the second young master. Everyone didn’t understand at the time, but I secretly knew. That it was the right decision.”

“…”

“But I wanted the Viscount to inherit the family headship. It was because of my affection for the late mistress. I also felt sorry for Lord Clovis, who lost his mother early.”

The housekeeper’s eyes became moist. She continued as if talking to herself.

“I wonder what would have happened if the master had treated Lord Clovis just a little more warmly. If he had given him just a few more chances despite his shortcomings, the young master wouldn’t have done such a terrible thing…”

The housekeeper’s mouth snapped shut. Her face looking at Mabel turned pale in an instant. As if she had revealed something she absolutely shouldn’t have said.

The housekeeper said urgently.

“Pretend you didn’t hear what I just said. I must be talking nonsense because I’m so tired.”

“I didn’t hear anything at all, Housekeeper.”

Mabel smiled brightly, calmed the housekeeper, then took the half-empty soup bowl and left the room.

‘A terrible thing…?’

* * *

“Who got you out?”

That was the first thing Anastasia said when she faced Sheila after a long time.

Sheila’s eyes trembled slightly. She hadn’t expected to be welcomed with open arms, but she thought she would at least get a greeting saying it had been a while.

“I understand that Viscount Pretium worked hard for it.”

“Why did Clovis do something I didn’t even ask for…”

Anastasia looked up and down at Sheila’s gaunt appearance. Her noticeably graying hair and hollow cheeks looked pathetically pitiful. Just looking at her was depressing.

“He said you needed a maid who could serve the Princess attentively.”

“…That’s true. I was frustrated because there wasn’t a single maid who could earn her pay. I don’t know if they deliberately selected only stupid ones as maids, or if all lowly people are naturally stupid.”

“I’m someone who can do anything as long as I can stay by the Princess’s side. Just entrust it to me, Princess.”

“Think before you speak. How can a governess stay by my side? Everyone in the Royal Palace knows you went to prison…”

“…”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to dismiss you entirely. There’s work for you to do outside the palace, Governess.”

“What is it, Princess?”

Anastasia shrugged.

“I’ll start with simple tasks, so don’t worry too much. You need to continue the work you did before. It’s about time to fill the money chest.”

Anastasia’s purple eyes sparkled and gleamed.

“By now, quite a bit of money should have accumulated. Go to Pretium Trading Company and collect all the overdue herb payments.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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