Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 62

Episode 62

"What is this—wh-who is it?!"

At Audrey's nervous shout, the playback stopped.

Instead, someone emerged from the direction the voice had come from.

"You……"

"Janet?"

Appearing with a blank expression, Janet held a small round orb in her hand.

"Audrey Hailson."

"How did you get here……"

"I heard the Hailson family has been struggling lately. Your trade investments went wrong, and the household is in a bad way."

"……!"

Struck squarely, Audrey flinched and stepped back.

Janet was right.

Recently, the Hailson family had faced a dire financial crisis. For the proud Audrey, admitting the family's troubles was difficult.

She'd kept it hidden from her friends, still pretending to be wealthy, but she was anxious that the truth might be exposed at any time.

She'd wanted to become Julietta's handmaiden precisely to help with the family's financial crisis.

'Being a handmaiden to a Grand Duchess would also protect the family's honor.'

As a member of the Theology Department alongside Julietta, Audrey had easily approached her.

But things hadn't gone smoothly.

She'd succeeded in sticking by Julietta, but Julietta was harder to win over than expected.

What's more, her resolve not to increase her handmaidens was firm, so Audrey had resorted to the final method—'threat.'

But—

"Do you know that among your father's other investments, many are connected to Ludwig?"

"W-well……"

She knew, of course.

After all, finding noble businesses untouched by Ludwig was harder in the first place.

"Knowing that, you threatened a direct descendant of Ludwig. Whether to call you brave or foolish."

Her flat voice betrayed no emotion. Unlike Audrey, who instinctively lowered her gaze, Julietta stared fixedly at Janet.

It reminded her of the incident with Joanna.

Whenever there was a conflict, Janet would step into the fight with that quiet fury.

And she always won.

Even without seeing the result of today's matter, she could guess the outcome.

"Hand over that recording artifact, Audrey."

This time too, the winner would surely be Janet.

---

As Julietta had expected, the winner was Janet.

After taking Audrey's artifact, Janet stomped on it right in front of them.

With just one stomp, the palm-sized device was crushed nearly to powder.

Audrey was handed over to the disciplinary teacher for handling.

Two weeks of suspension and a month of school service.

There were harsher punishments available, but Julietta didn't want them.

After the eventful day ended, inside the carriage on the way home—

"……"

"……"

An awkward silence hung between Janet and Julietta.

After both staring out the window, it was Julietta who first found the courage.

"……How did you get there?"

The conversation between Audrey and Julietta had taken place in a secluded spot behind the auditorium.

Audrey had called Julietta there, saying she had something to say.

Now it seemed she'd chosen that isolated place to carry out her threat.

'……Maybe I shouldn't have handed her over to the disciplinary teacher.'

For a moment, she regretted not showing Audrey the fiery side of Ludwig instead of resolving it within the Academy, but she pushed the thought away.

Anyway—how had Janet found her?

And with such perfect timing?

Julietta's question was answered by Janet's calm reply.

"I followed you, of course."

"Ah, of course you followed—wait, you followed me?"

"Yes. I followed you."

At the second bold answer, Julietta blinked.

How could she say something like following someone so casually?

Catching her gaze, Janet glanced at Julietta and added.

"I was worried about you."

"Why were you worried about me?"

"A few days ago, I overheard Audrey and her friend talking. They said they were deliberately trying to drive a wedge between us to get close to you."

She'd heard a few days ago that Audrey had approached her with malicious intent?

"Then why didn't you tell me right away? Why follow me instead?"

The fastest way to solve this would have been to tell her the truth.

So why hadn't Janet done that?

This time, the answer didn't come quickly. Hesitating, Janet turned her gaze back to the carriage window.

"Well, that's……"

After a moment's hesitation, a barely audible mutter followed.

"What if I ran and told you, but you took Audrey's side instead of mine?"

"……What?"

Julietta opened her mouth to ask if that made sense, then closed it.

On reflection, Janet had every reason to worry. After all, she herself had been completely fooled by Audrey's manipulation and had unilaterally pushed Janet away.

But—

"Janet."

"Yes, my Lady."

"To be honest, I still haven't changed my mind about keeping my distance."

At that, Janet's expression showed shock.

"A-are you serious?"

"Yes. As long as I'm by your side, people will avoid you. That much, Audrey was right."

At Julietta's words, Janet held her breath. Then, calmly, she began.

"My Lady, I don't need a lot of friends."

"……."

"The reason I studied hard to come to the Academy was because I wanted to enjoy Academy life with you."

"But, Janet—"

"No. There's no 'but,' my Lady. My feelings won't change."

At Janet's firm words, Julietta felt a lump in her throat.

"Even if I order you as your mistress?"

"Inside the Academy, status doesn't matter."

"It matters after school. You're someone who has to follow my orders."

"Yes. Then after school, I'll follow your orders. But at the Academy, I'll do as I please."

"You really……"

Julietta paused mid-sentence.

Janet's eyes, turned toward her, were glistening with unshed tears.

"I truly don't need friends. So please don't keep pushing me away with unwanted consideration, my Lady."

Though the tears didn't fall, her voice was choked.

Julietta had never seen Janet so upset before.

Emotional turmoil and tears had always been her own domain.

But—

"D-don't cry. Janet. I was, I was wrong…… sniff."

Flustered, Julietta's apology was cut off as tears streamed down her own face.

Somehow, since meeting Janet, her anger had decreased, but her tears seemed to have increased.

"I, I was just trying to do what's best for you……"

"If you want to do something for me, then do something else."

"……What?"

In the midst of all this, she was asking for something else.

Julietta blinked at the sudden shift in tone.

"Please be my friend. Let me proudly say that you're my friend—please allow me that."

Word by word.

At the careful request, Julietta bit her lip.

Drop, drop. Her vision blurred with tears. She felt embarrassed, but then again—so what?

"Fine. Do whatever you want."

Among friends, it's alright to show tears.

"Really? Truly?"

"Yeah. Don't come crying to me later."

"I won't regret it. To be honest, I've been so lonely these past few days."

"Lonely, my foot. You've been with Theo every day."

"It's only reassuring when you're with me too."

"Good grief. Where do you come up with such things?"

Their tearful voices chattered back and forth.

The carriage passed through the streets and arrived at Ludwig's grand townhouse.

Until the moment they headed to their rooms together, the tearful conversation continued.

"By the way, I'm curious about something."

"What?"

"Why did you forgive Audrey?"

Handing her over to the disciplinary teacher for punishment was essentially an act of forgiveness.

After all, she could have made the matter much bigger.

"Well, you know……"

"……?"

"It reminded me of you."

"Reminded you of me?"

"Yes. The reason you became my handmaiden was probably because of the Grahams' circumstances too. When I heard she wanted to become a handmaiden for the same reason, it reminded me of you, and I felt generous."

……Oh, that's touching and all.

But Julietta seemed to have a very wrong idea about something. Janet hesitated.

'Well, I never explained the full story, so it's understandable she'd misunderstand.'

Wondering whether to let the misunderstanding stand, Janet carefully began.

"Um, my Lady. The reason I became your handmaiden was—"

Back   Next