Chapter 75
"Keep talking."
“She is a woman who has lost herself in power to the point that she has become the wife of an elderly duke! When I was there, she was a low-ranking servant, but now she probably has more power than she did when I was dismissed!”
Marsha was breathing heavily and was angry, but there was no evidence that she was lying.
"What was the relationship between Linnea Crisis and that woman?"
“When I was there, Lady Linnea also suspected that woman. She hated her because that woman was trying to seduce her brother. But after she seduced Idéal with Count Crisis and expelled me and Lady Linnea, she herself fell under her influence…!”
"Does that mean that Count Crisis and his sister were sympathetic to Idil?"
“Yes, they were both deceived. You must be careful, sir. If you seem more attractive to yourself than Count Crisis, that woman will stick to you immediately.”
Edmund nodded slowly, then made a suggestion to Marsha.
"Can you testify in front of others as you are doing now?"
"What? If I do that, Count Creers's mercenaries will kill me! That man doesn't hesitate to kill people!"
“Do you think I would ask you for that without offering you protection? I will provide you with protection and a place to stay. I will give you a generous wage, and if you want, I will find you a good job after it’s over.”
This was a very tempting offer for Marsha, who was in dire need of money.
Marsha stopped moving her hands, swallowed hard, and asked:
"Who, who will be present to give testimony?"
“Actually, there is no need for an official certificate. I will have you work as a disguised maid in one of the noble families, and when guests visit, you can bring up some topics about the Crisis family. It will just be casual conversation…”
But when Marsha hesitated, Edmund continued in a gentler voice.
“You don’t have to say anything definitive. Just give hints. The truth will be judged by the listeners themselves. And when you are questioned later, you can simply deny it, saying, ‘I never said that.’”
In short, Edmund was asking her to spread rumors in a subtle way.
But since Marsha had nothing to lose, she didn't mind spreading the rumors. In the end, she nodded.
"Okay, I'll do my best!"
Her eyes sparkled with more excitement than ever before.
***
The day of the ceremony that many had been waiting for at Crissis Palace arrived.
Crises' servants worked hard, but they were not afraid.
While Laszlo and Linnea were busy with their dance rehearsals, the servants were practicing their behavior in front of the nobles and how to provide service.
Thanks to that, their performance became much better compared to what it was before Idell became the head of the servants.
“The day has finally come!”
“I think it’s best to finish it quickly for peace of mind.”
"What if we make a mistake in front of important people?"
“We’ve practiced a lot. I don’t think we’ll make a mistake. I think if the butler asked me to serve champagne while I was asleep, I would be able to do it easily.”
The hall where the servants gathered was filled with laughter.
Their new, high-quality clothes and well-made shoes, along with increased salaries and improved working conditions, greatly enhanced their sense of belonging and loyalty.
Thanks to this enthusiastic atmosphere, the servants would laugh even at simple jokes.
But when Idil appeared, a sudden silence fell over the place.
"Is everyone here?"
“Yes, the lady of the house.”
The head maid, Margaret, answered in a measured voice, while the rest of the servants watched Edel with determined looks.
Edel kept a close eye on each servant individually, who never complained despite the rigorous training. There was a sense of comfortable tension among them.
“Today you all look fantastic. You are truly servants of the Crisis family.”
Everyone smiled proudly upon hearing those words.
But it was Edel who was the most beautiful. She wore nothing but the usual maid's outfit with small dangling earrings, yet her presence inspired a sense of automatic obedience.
Then, with a serious expression, Idil opened her mouth again.
“I know very well what it is like for the servants of noble families. They have always been close to me since I was born.”
When Edel suddenly brought up the subject of being from a noble family, it was something she had never mentioned before. Everyone was puzzled when she heard them speculating about this hint.
As the servants exchanged glances, Idil smiled slightly and added.
“Therefore, I can tell you with confidence that you are no less than any servants from noble families. Today, you will achieve success.”
At that moment, feelings of pride surged in their hearts until they were speechless. Many of them had been born into poverty, worked in backbreaking jobs, and had no hope for the future.
Today, for the first time in their lives, they felt appreciated and were able to decide that they wanted to put in more effort.
Idil, who was very familiar with these feelings, asked them gently.
“Do not exert yourselves too much, or you may make a mistake. Just do what you are used to. And if you do make a mistake, do not be too afraid. Your master, Count, will protect you.”
“Yes! We will not behave inappropriately!”
"We'll do as usual, Madam Maid!"
When some of them answered loudly, laughter filled the hall once again.
"So, go back to your places now. Today, let's do our best!"
After encouraging the servants once again, Idil headed to Linnea's room, who was about to finish her preparations.
'Linya shouldn't be too nervous.'
Attending a family party was completely different from organizing one. While Laszlo, who owned a huge mercenary guild, wouldn't be nervous about such things, Linnea was different.
Although she had improved a lot from before, Edel was worried that she might be suffering alone, as she could not visit her case as frequently as she had when she was her own maid.
“Miss, Idil is here.”
“Edil! Come here!”
But contrary to Idil's expectations, Linnea greeted her with a bright smile.
"Have you finished the preparations?"
“Yes! Today, Colette gave it her all.”
Indeed, Linnea looked radiant. Her makeup was perfect, and her neatly curled hair was perfectly tidy. She wore a set of earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet that Laszlo had recently bought for her, and they were perfectly suited to her age: simple yet glamorous, and her apricot dress suited her perfectly.
But perhaps it wasn't those things that made her stand out, but rather her confident facial features and straight back.
Perhaps the most important thing was her eyes! Unlike her previous depressed state, her bright blue eyes were sparkling with vitality, reflecting the great change that had occurred in her.
"You are truly... beautiful."
Edel felt something stuck in her throat, so with difficulty she composed herself and said a simple compliment, then pressed her hand against her chest.
Linnea was a little surprised by that, but she quickly laughed and turned her nose away in a sarcastic way.
“What is this? You look like a mother saying goodbye to her daughter for her wedding.”
"Don't say that, I feel like I'm actually going to cry."
"Hahaha! Idil can sometimes be surprisingly funny."
Idell laughed in turn and approached Linnea, then carefully examined her clothes to make sure that no details were missing before looking into her eyes.
"Are you nervous?"
"no."
Linnea answered quickly, which surprised Idil. However, Linnea was being truthful.
“When I observed the nobles closely, I discovered that they were no better than others. There was no reason for me to be afraid.”
"correct."
“Besides, I’m learning from the Duchess. There’s nothing to make me afraid of these ordinary girls.”
Linnea raised her chin proudly. Idil smiled and nodded slightly.
“I am no longer a duchess, but the knowledge I possess I can share with you. As far as the level of that knowledge is concerned… yes, I am confident.”
"I think I'll fall more in love with you every time I see you like this. Don't you, Colette?"
“Don’t talk! All the maids adore the lady of the house! They all imitate your steps and the way you talk. It’s truly embarrassing.”
Both Linnea and Idil laughed at Colette's frank words.
But suddenly Linnea stopped laughing, fixed her eyes on something, and then approached Idil with a scrutinizing look.
"My lady?"
“Edele. Are these earrings, did you buy them?”
Linnea's gaze was fixed on the diamond earrings dangling from Idil's ear, which were in the shape of a water drop and sparkled remarkably.
Idil was taken aback for a moment and began to repeat unintentionally.
“Oh, no, I received it as a gift from someone I know.”
Suddenly, Linnea stopped smiling and said frankly:
“My brother, isn’t that right?”
"What? Oh, no… that…"
“Oh, who else but my brother could buy you something so expensive? Or maybe you have a secret lover and I don’t know about it?”
Edel was frightened by this misunderstanding, so she shook her head quickly, while the earrings swung and made a sound with every movement.