Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 112

Episode 112

"What is the meaning of this?"

Clink.

Setting down her teacup, the Grand Duchess glared at the person before her.

A faint contempt lingered at the edge of her cold gaze.

"Did I not repeatedly entrust you with this task? I even gave you my most precious asset."

"The hunting party incident was unfortunate."

"Unfortunate? Un-for-tu-nate?"

Ha!

At the Grand Duchess's scoff, Princess Evadne of Yuperion raised an eyebrow lightly.

"Since you promised to take care of Kendrick at this hunting party, I dragged that brat out of hiding, yet……"

The Grand Duchess and Princess Evadne had joined hands for mutual benefit.

Grand Duchess Merian wanted to make her son Zephyr the undisputed successor to the Grand Duke.

Evadne wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Ludwig family—both to save face for her father, the King of Yuperion, and to become the future Grand Duchess of Ludwig.

Though their goals differed slightly, ultimately their desires aligned.

'I had to reluctantly accept something I didn't like.'

Princess Evadne was confident that her exceptional magical abilities would help make Zephyr the Grand Duke's successor.

By using her powerful magic to eliminate Zephyr's rivals.

The Grand Duchess couldn't readily accept the princess's proposal.

Zephyr was her most precious treasure. For the future Grand Duke's wife to be merely a princess from a defeated nation—surely there were better matches that would benefit her son.

But——

'Things have been feeling uneasy lately.'

Oscar, who had long irritated her nerves—well, that was one thing.

All the informants she'd planted near Julietta had been dealt with, and Julietta's villainous reputation had all but disappeared.

Rosina had called off her marriage with Mateo sha Yuperion and was now starting a business.

The youngest, Geron, had also noticeably recovered his health and was rapidly overcoming his stutter.

The Grand Duchess couldn't help but feel anxious.

Everyone except Zephyr was a nuisance.

She'd spent a long time carefully working to destroy them all.

'It's all been in vain.'

At this point, she couldn't help but worry about Kendrick.

Though he'd been in seclusion so far, he might emerge and attract attention at any time.

Just like when he'd crawled back from the battlefield she'd sent him to die on with the title of 'youngest hero.'

"Can you eliminate both Kendrick and Oscar?"

"Of course, Your Grace. Trust me."

In the end, the Grand Duchess decided to join hands with the princess.

Their first plan was to eliminate Kendrick at the hunting party.

So the Grand Duchess, despite raising suspicions, forced Kendrick out of hiding for the first time in three years.

She had to end Kendrick's seclusion with her own hands.

It was distasteful, but unavoidable.

There was no better opportunity to eliminate Kendrick than this hunting party.

Yes, she'd thought so.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Tsk.

At the Grand Duchess's disapproving click, the princess quietly sipped her tea.

Though the Grand Duchess's ostentatious sighing was irritating, something else bothered her even more.

'Again, that woman.'

Janet Ortega.

The woman the Marchioness of Ortega had recently registered into his family registry.

'She was the one who interfered with Mateo and the Ludwig princess's marriage arrangement.'

And now she'd interfered with her plans.

The mutated beasts and the humans trapped in hallucinations were the result of her considerable efforts.

She'd used precious magic stones and poured out her magic without rest.

But——

'To think she'd undo all of that in one go.'

Even now, it was absurd.

Watching her creations fall one by one along the trajectory of the light as she wielded that gleaming sword.

The scene vividly replayed in Evadne's mind.

A faint crease formed on the princess's normally smooth brow.

"Your Grace."

"What is it?"

"Do you know much about Lady Ortega?"

"Lady Ortega?"

The Grand Duchess asked back with disinterest, then gave a small nod as if recalling something.

"Ah. You mean that fool's handmaiden."

"Could she be the Marchioness's real daughter?"

"Real daughter? I wouldn't know that, but I do know one thing."

"What?"

"That woman is extremely irritating. Come to think of it, it's always been her ruining my plans."

Already annoyed, recalling Janet's face made the Grand Duchess's anger boil over.

"Anyway. Everything is insufferable."

"……."

Evadne glanced briefly at the fuming Grand Duchess, then returned to her thoughts.

'That woman was definitely holding the Sacred Sword.'

Evadne also knew the legend of the Ortega family, passed down through generations.

That a child born with a Blessed Phrase would become the master of the Sacred Sword and inherit the fate of Veronia.

'I heard the Marchioness had a lost daughter.'

This was a little-known secret even within the Empire—meaning the Marchioness and his wife had deliberately hidden their daughter's existence.

Evadne had learned of this information near the end of the war between the Empire and the Magical Kingdom.

It had been discovered through extensive investigation to find a weakness in Liam Ortega, who led the Imperial forces at the front.

The war had ended soon after, so she'd never had the chance to use it.

In any case—

'Why did the Marchioness hide his daughter?'

Soon, one corner of Evadne's mouth twitched upward, then dropped.

It seemed she'd found an answer, but it was not a welcome one.

'If Janet Ortega truly is the Marchioness's real daughter……'

And not just any daughter, but one born with a Blessed Phrase.

It would explain why she could wield the Sacred Sword so freely.

'Which means Janet Ortega carries the fate of Veronia.'

Veronia's duty was to stand at the forefront and vanquish evil whenever the world was in crisis.

To become the salvation of the people.

But that was only beneficial to the Empire.

In other words, Janet Ortega would……

'Become a troublesome opponent for us.'

Evadne decided she must inform her father of this news immediately.

And—

'She must be eliminated before she becomes an even bigger problem.'

Just as Evadne made that resolve—

"So, you have a next plan, don't you?"

At the Grand Duchess's question, the princess composed her expression and smiled.

"Of course. I've already been preparing—there's no need to worry."

"……That remains to be seen."

Despite the Grand Duchess's sarcasm, the princess only smiled.

---

It was a bright, sunny day.

In the garden of the Ortega townhouse.

Under a large awning, Kendrick and Janet sat across from each other, a well-prepared tea table between them.

For a moment, they silently gazed at each other.

Kendrick's lips, in particular, trembled as if struggling to speak.

He reached for his teacup with trembling hands, then gave up.

"Hoo."

Letting out a light sigh, he ran a hand over his face and asked in disbelief.

"Are you really, truly…… saying you are Leon?"

"Yes. I am the real Leon."

"……How. How is this possible."

At Kendrick's truly incredulous muttering, Janet gave a wistful smile.

"But Leon died back then. The charred clothes, the sword stuck in the ground, even the dog tag—I retrieved all of them……"

Kendrick paused mid-sentence, realizing the error in his own words.

That was right.

He had never directly witnessed 'Leon's body.'

He'd merely assumed Leon's death from the circumstances.

'So, Janet really is Leon?'

With trembling eyes, he looked at Janet's face.

Back   Next