Chapter 15
'Adele only shed tears in front of me once, when she told me about her marriage to the Duke of Lancaster.'
How many times have you regretted not stopping it then?
No, I didn't have to give Idil a choice in the first place.
She couldn't choose to "escape" herself, so why did I offer her that option? I should have kidnapped her and hidden her away. This marriage ultimately destroyed Idil.
Even if she hadn't married the Duke of Lancaster, the noblewoman Edel would never have been attracted to an ordinary soldier.
Barbara took a deep breath and opened the letter again.
“…I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine.”
Lord Crisis is harsh but courteous… (short for) I work as a laundry maid here. Literally just a laundry maid, with none of the lowly chores others might imagine.
I am trying to get used to it quickly, as my clumsy behavior causes trouble for those around me.
…(in abbreviation) It is not appropriate for me, a mere laundromat maid, to send you a letter directly, but on the advice of Lord Crises, which will reassure you, I convey my greetings in this way.
I also pray fervently for your health and well-being, Madam.
With endless respect and affection, Idel.
Barbara wiped away the tears that had suddenly appeared and read Edel's letter again.
She examined the matter carefully, wondering if she had missed any subtle requests for help.
But Idell's tone was very similar to hers, measured and calm. There was no hint of the horrific events she must have endured.
The only thing that bothered Barbara was the frequent thanks to Lord Crises.
“She may have expected her message to be intercepted, but it doesn’t appear that she wrote it solely to persuade Lord Crises.”
Barbara did not trust him, nor did she consider him noble, for fear that her letter would tarnish his judgment.
However, the fact that he did not lay a hand on Idyll made Barbara reconsider her assessment of him.
“Of course, using Edel as a laundry maid is outrageous, but treating her like a noblewoman would also be problematic, given her status as the wife of a cheater.”
Especially since it was Laszlo Criscis himself who overthrew the Duke of Lancaster.
"How can I save Edel? What can I do?"
Barbara could not bear the thought of seeing Edel, with all her extraordinary abilities, growing old as a laundry maid.
“If Laszlo Crisesz had any sense, he wouldn’t keep Edel as a maid forever, but the question is, how far can he see?”
Laszlo was still an unproven figure.
His military prowess was certainly fully demonstrated in the final war of conquest or in the subjugation of the Duke of Lancaster, but his personal character was still shrouded in mystery.
Therefore, countless rumors spread, and it was difficult to find someone who really knew him.
Barbara held Edel's letter tightly and pondered for a while before coming to a conclusion.
“I may have to meet Laszlo Krejcis in person.”
But as someone currently favored by the Emperor, he wouldn't allow a meeting to take place without some benefit to him. Therefore, she needed to prepare bait that would make Laszlo want to meet her.
Perhaps the most fitting bait would be an announcement of support from Lord Celestine Forrester, who has maintained a neutral stance.
“I will discuss the matter with my son and his wife.”
In general, her son was receptive to her views, but if it was about Idil, the wife of a rebellious family, it might be different.
With a heavy heart, Barbara rose from her seat and headed to her son's office.
Although her left leg was tingling, she was limping.
“Humans’ ability to adapt is truly amazing.”
**
Not so long ago, Edel had been a duchess, and now she found herself getting used to the job of a laundress, laughing at herself. Piles of washed clothes were stacked beside her.
It may have been too soon to feel proud, but right now she feels like she's squeezing herself into the laundry room.
Marsha was still trying to find the fault, but since Edel's only task was doing the laundry, there wasn't much to criticize.
“The change in my waking hours since I became a duchess hasn’t changed, and the work isn’t complicated, so it’s not difficult.”
In fact, the time it took her to finish the work was much faster than when she was a duchess. Back then, it was common to struggle with ledgers and documents until dawn.
Moreover, building some close friendships with the other maids was one of the factors that helped her endure this life.
Her closest friend was Daisy from the next room.
“Oh, my shoulder. I’ve been rubbing so much today that my arm hurts all over.”
As usual, Daisy brought a small loaf of bread to share today and they chatted.
Edel felt sorry for Daisy, whose shoulders were so thin, and asked her: “Do guests come here suddenly? Today’s cleaning was like a complete house cleaning.”
“Guests don’t come here.”
In Daisy's informal response, Idell paused for a moment.
'Come think about it, it's true. It's been over a month since I arrived here, and I haven't seen a single visitor.'
Although it was winter, a time when people's movements were slow, the palace of the great nobles, the emperor's assistant, always received guests regardless of the season.
Of course, Barbara knew why there were no guests at Crissis Palace.
'Perhaps it's due to Lord Crises's unfavorable reputation. It must be because of his background…'
In fact, Barbara herself did not have a good impression of Laszlo at first.
His disheveled hair, sparse beard, old clothes, stern expression, and the terrifying rumors about him.
“Because mercenaries in the empire were considered criminals if they were not mercenaries.”
It was difficult to look favorably upon someone whose profession involved killing people for money.
Although he achieved many military victories, some nobles said that giving him a title was an exaggeration, given his reputation as the “mercenary king.”
'I don't know what kind of deal took place between Count and Emperor, but anyway, he doesn't seem like a bad person…'
If Laszlo were as cruel and evil as the rumors say, Idil would not have been able to live in such a one-piece, while preserving her entire body.
“My sister! My sister!”
"Huh, yes?"
“What’s on your mind? I’ve called you several times…”
"Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"
Edel felt a little embarrassed when she realized she hadn't heard herself being called. But Daisy continued her story, believing Edel had simply been dreaming.
“I was talking about why we’re cleaning today. Not because of the guests, but because of Miss Linnea.”
"Miss Linnea? Do you mean Count's younger sister?"
“Yes, that’s right. Haven’t you heard of her, sister?”
Edel laughed nervously, unsure of what to say. She had only ever heard Marsha speak of Linnea with disdain.
“It’s just… I’ve only heard stories about several maids who quit because of Miss Linnea.”
“That’s right. It’s really difficult on days when Miss Linnea is in a bad mood. Today was a little easier because the Count left the palace early.”
Daisy spread a small piece of butter on her bread, trembling slightly. Thanks to her friendship with the kitchen maids, Idil could sometimes enjoy butter like this.
When she rediscovered how much butter enhances the flavor of bread, Daisy continued to speak indignantly about Linnea.
“Although the Count and the Lady come from commoner backgrounds, it is clear that the Count amassed a great deal of money from a young age, so Miss Linnea never suffered.”
"Is this correct?"
“She was never hungry, and that says it all. But then she goes on to pretend she knows everything about the work of a maid and gives us ridiculous orders…”
Daisy's lips curled in frustration. She looked so bitter and unfairly treated.
“In short, she is weak. Honestly, if her brother does not do his best to make her noble and allow her to live comfortably like this, she should just be grateful and live without complaint. I don’t understand what makes her so unhappy.”
Daisy recounted the instances in which Linnea harassed the maids one by one.
It was routine for her to have them polish the stairs and railings until they shone, and she even ordered them to make every fabric in the house, including clothes and bedding, wrinkle-free.
If there is a speck of dust on the window frames, she bursts into anger and cleans them until dawn, and if she is not satisfied with the washing, she stands aside and watches the washing process.
Hearing the stories made Idil feel hurt.