The Villainess's Exclusive Maid Is Too Good at Her Job - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14

“What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?”
Julietta Ludwig responded tartly to Janet’s concerned gaze.
“My lady.”
“What?”
“Are you perhaps unwell?”
“What nonsense is this? I’m not unwell at all.”
“It’s just that yesterday your complexion seemed—”
“My complexion was fine. Nothing ails me, and I’m perfectly well.”
Her answer was so emphatic it practically screamed: read between the lines.
After a moment’s hesitation, Janet simply nodded in acquiescence.
‘She does seem well enough today, at least.’
Besides, hadn’t she even accepted my morning greeting?
Perhaps she was in a rare good mood, and I’d be foolish to spoil it by prying further.
“Bring me some tea.”
“Myself, my lady?”
“Of course you. Who else would it be? Aren’t you my lady’s maid?”
That was true enough.
Yet since Julietta Ludwig had begun her transcription work, all her attendant duties had fallen to Sien.
Naturally, preparing tea was part of those duties, so Janet hadn’t been near a teapot in quite some time.
‘What’s this about? Why is she suddenly asking her instead of me?’
Sien, standing quietly in the corner awaiting Julietta Ludwig’s orders, was equally taken aback.
Her eyes narrowed to slits as she glared toward Julietta Ludwig and Janet.
She quickly lowered her head before her gaze could be noticed.
“Would it be alright if I stepped into my room for a moment?”
“Your room? Why would you need to go there suddenly?”
“There’s a special tea I’d like to recommend to you, my lady.”
A special tea?
Sien, who had been watching anxiously, interjected urgently.
“Wait, just a moment! Fetch tea from your room?! My lady’s tea must be brewed with leaves from the Kitchen here in the Separate Residence! Who knows what dangerous items you might bring—!”
“Technically that’s true, but if my lady permits it, there’s no issue. Besides, the tea I wish to offer my lady was a gift from the head steward. So there’s nothing dangerous about it.”
At Janet’s composed response, Sien’s eyes widened in shock.
“The… the head steward gave it to you…?”
“Yes.”
She answered firmly, then addressed Julietta Ludwig.
“It’s tea leaves the head steward gave me. Since it tastes wonderful, I wanted to share it with you, my lady.”
“Hmm. What sort of tea is it?”
“It’s made from the leaves of a flower called ‘Frost Blossom’ that grows in the Northern Region. It has a unique color and fragrance.”
Sien shot Julietta Ludwig a desperate, pleading look.
‘You said you’d take my side!’
Yet Julietta Ludwig merely nodded without sparing Sien a glance.
“I’m curious about the Northern Region tea. Bring some, would you?”
“Yes, my lady. I’ll return as quickly as possible.”
Janet answered brightly and left the Room with hurried steps.
The moment she departed, Sien rushed toward Julietta Ludwig urgently.
“My lady, are you truly going to leave her be like this? The moment you loosen your grip, she’ll do whatever she pleases…!”
“Sien.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t refer to her as ‘that’ or ‘this.’ Janet is a legitimate noblewoman from an aristocratic house. You’re in no position to address her so dismissively.”
“That is… well…”
“And remember when you said you’d help me before?”
“Yes, I did! I’m relieved you haven’t forgotten!”
Sien answered excitedly.
As expected, my lady hadn’t forgotten after all!
But then.
“Stop that now.”
“…?!”
Sien blinked at the unexpected response. Julietta Ludwig glanced sideways at her and continued.
“I’m growing tired of such childish games. I’ll handle that girl myself, so you just leave it alone.”
“But—”
Just as Sien was about to protest.
“I’ve brought the tea leaves, my lady.”
Janet entered with a bright smile, tea leaves in hand.
Sien had no choice but to retreat, biting her lip.
She couldn’t very well say “We agreed to drive this woman out together!” right in front of the person in question.
“I’ll prepare it right away.”
“Do your best. I’ll know if it tastes poor.”
At Julietta Ludwig’s haughty words, Janet nodded.
Janet was rather confident.
She’d practiced brewing tea in her spare moments, and the head steward had taught her useful things to know when preparing it.
After brewing the tea with practiced movements, she was about to carry the teapot to the table.
“Oh my!”
Sien, who had crept up unnoticed, pretended to slip and shoved her from behind.
‘If she scalds herself with hot tea, she won’t want to work here anymore!’
Though she appeared to come from a humble house, she was still a noblewoman’s daughter, after all.
Once injured, she’d surely burst into tears and refuse to do servant’s work, fleeing at once.
‘My lady said to stop, but…’
Could a person’s heart really change so easily?
Once she actually did it, my lady would surely be pleased with the result.
Then I could monopolize the Young Lady’s affection all to myself!
But.
“Wh-what?!”
The direction in which the water spilled toward Julietta Ludwig was something Sien hadn’t anticipated either.
“Kyaaah!”
Startled, Sien shrieked at the vertiginous scene unfolding before her eyes.
Julietta Ludwig’s eyes widened as well, watching the water cascade toward me.
They say that when danger strikes, every moment seems to move in slow motion.
This was precisely that sensation.
Janet stumbling, the teapot’s lid hanging open and limp.
The liquid pouring down upon me.
‘No, this can’t happen!’
Frozen in shock, I could only squeeze my eyes shut where I stood.
Yet something was wrong.
Though I’d clearly seen steaming water cascading down, it wasn’t hot at all.
In fact, I couldn’t feel a single drop of moisture.
‘What… what is this?’
I cautiously opened my eyes.
The first thing I saw was a back blocking my view.
Black clothing, with indigo hair streaming down over it.
Lifting my gaze, I saw Janet’s profile, her brow furrowed in pain.
“Ugh.”
With a small groan, the teapot clattered across the floor with a sharp ring.
Since more than half had already spilled out, the water pouring from the broken teapot was minimal.
“J-Janet!”
Alarmed, I sprang to my feet and steadied the swaying Janet.
Beneath her face, creased with evident pain, her arms and torso were drenched and glistening.
‘Could it be.’
Had she embraced the teapot itself to stop the water from spilling?
‘To… save me?’
Her arm, glimpsed through the wet sleeve, was swelling red.
“Sien, you…!”
“N-no, Young Lady. I didn’t mean to—!”
“Spare me the excuses and fetch a physician at once!”
At the sharp command, Sien sobbed and rushed from the room.
“…Young Lady.”
“Janet. Are you all right? Tell me you’re all right.”
At my urgent question, Janet managed a strained smile.
“Yes. I’m fine…”
But Janet never finished her answer, losing consciousness instead.
It was the result of several days of sleep deprivation compounded by excruciating pain.

***

In her unconsciousness, Janet dreamed.
In the dream, I lay sprawled on the ground, gazing up at the sky.
A brilliant azure expanse, unmarred by a single cloud.
Beneath such mercilessly radiant weather, the earth was nothing short of pandemonium.
Arrows whistled through the air, piercing bodies. Severed necks rolled across the ground, and blood spurted from countless forms, drenching the earth.
Lying in the heart of that inferno, I could barely twitch my fingers.
Haah.
With each breath I exhaled, death seemed to draw nearer. And it truly was.
A blade larger than my forearm was lodged in my abdomen.
‘Am I… dying…?’
Staring into the face of death, terror consumed me.
‘I don’t want to die…’
I wanted to live. I didn’t want to die like this. Just once—please, someone, save me just once.
That was when it happened.
A faint luminescence seeped from the inside of my wrist, scraped raw and battered against the earth.
Simultaneously, a brilliant flash of light streaked across the crystalline blue sky above.
‘Light…?’
The light drew steadily closer to me.
The moment the descending radiance, like a meteor, touched Janet—
“Gasp!”
Janet jolted awake, breathing heavily.

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