Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 99

Episode 99

"Exactly as I said. I don't want to choose any of the futures you wanted for me, Mother."

She had grown up believing her mother's words were always right.

She rose to the center of high society and became someone every young lady envied.

It wasn't bad.

Being respected by others was a happy thing.

But standing before her prospective marriage partner, the gap between her dreams and reality shook her heart.

Was this really what she wanted?

Was becoming the wife of a man with good conditions and a good family—just because those conditions were favorable—really the dream she'd held all along?

'Dreams should be brighter than this.'

Not feeling like she was walking into hell.

Not feeling so miserable and powerless—but like Janet, whose eyes sparkled when talking about business.

Only after facing reality and Janet did Rosina realize her true feelings.

"I don't want to get married."

"Wait, Rosina. What are you saying? What about the Yuperion prince?"

Creak.

At the mention of Yuperion, Rosina bit her lip.

"There won't be a marriage with him. No matter what."

"Rosina. Did something happen—oh my!"

Grace's eyes, rolling anxiously, caught the bruises on Rosina's wrist and gasped.

"How did this happen, my daughter? Who did this…… surely not the Yuperion prince?"

"……It's okay. Fortunately, nothing serious happened."

"Good heavens! Oh my goodness!"

Grace covered her mouth and staggered.

"Mother!"

"To, to dare treat my precious daughter like this……?!"

Grace's eyes welled with tears. The prince she'd considered the best husband had done something so violent to her daughter.

Gently, she stroked the bruised wrist with a sympathetic touch.

"So this is why you said that."

"That's not the only reason……"

"My poor daughter. Yes, you don't need to marry the prince. There will surely be a better match."

A better match?

At Grace's words, Rosina paused. Her face hardened coldly as she withdrew her wrist from her mother's grasp.

"Rosina?"

"Mother. I'm not getting married."

"……What do you mean? Not getting married?"

"I have no intention of living as the flower of high society either. I'm going to live freely from now on."

"Rosina!"

At her mother's uncharacteristically raised voice, Rosina smiled bitterly.

She still pitied her mother.

She still loved her mother.

But now she wanted to live her own life. She was tired of fulfilling her mother's dreams while pretending they were her own.

"Mother. Let's face it."

"Face what……"

"Your investment failed."

And spectacularly at that.

Grace stared blankly at Rosina. Then she asked in a dazed voice.

"What…… will you do now?"

"Janet—Lady Ortega—needs a manager for her café business. So I've decided to take that role."

"You? A Ludwig princess?"

"All the more reason it'll be fine. If I'm running it, nobles will flock to it."

"So you're using your fame to do business?"

"Yes. If my fame can be of use this way, how fortunate is that?"

"……."

At Grace's speechless expression, Rosina gave a gentle smile.

"Mother, I'm going to be happy now."

"……What's that supposed to mean? As if you haven't been happy until now."

"Until now, my happiness was watching your happiness. But I've decided to find my own happiness now."

Finishing calmly, Rosina met Grace's eyes.

Her mother, still as beautiful as a girl. Her happiness, her love.

But children must eventually become independent from their parents.

"……"

"……"

After a moment of silent exchange, Rosina glanced at the time.

"I'm sorry. I have a later schedule, so I should go."

"……."

Even as Rosina slowly rose, Grace said nothing.

'She must be disappointed.'

Perhaps she even felt betrayed.

But even so, Rosina had no regrets about her choice.

"I'll see you next time, Mother."

Bow.

After bowing deeply, she turned away. Resolved not to look back, so as not to leave any lingering attachments.

But—

"Rosina."

She couldn't help but stop at that call.

Grace, her voice trembling, called out and staggered to her feet.

Then she gently embraced her daughter, who stubbornly refused to turn around.

"Don't say the investment failed, Rosina."

"Mother, no matter what you say……"

"You will always be my pride."

At the unexpected words, Rosina gasped.

Feeling her daughter stiffen, Grace smiled softly.

"No matter what life you live, what path you choose. You are my pride."

"Mother……"

"I've never once regretted giving birth to you."

The despair of being deceived by a married man and bearing an illegitimate child—all of it vanished the moment she held the newborn Rosina in her arms.

Though she might resent her own circumstances, she'd never hated or blamed Rosina.

"Giving birth to you was the greatest success and fortune of my life."

At the gentle voice filled with sincerity, Rosina couldn't hold back her tears.

Like a newborn, she sobbed openly, and Grace held her warmly.

---

"I'm glad it worked out."

"Yeah. Me too."

At Rosina's answer, Janet smiled.

"……."

Julietta, caught between the two, quietly watched.

Something had clearly happened, yet they weren't telling her.

"What. Why are you leaving me out?"

"What can I say? This is a secret between Janet and me."

"Tch. I have plenty of secrets with Janet too?"

Julietta pouted and grumbled, glaring at both of them.

"By the way, is this connected to the rumors about the Yuperion prince?"

"Rumors? What rumors?"

At Rosina's question, Julietta shrugged.

"I heard he was found to have some chronic illness and is in seclusion for recuperation. They say he won't be able to leave his room until the delegation returns to the Magical Kingdom."

The rumors about the prince spread quickly across the Empire.

Even in high society, where whispers of a possible marriage between Rosina and Mateo had circulated, news spread that the royal marriage had fallen through due to the prince's illness.

"Chronic illness?"

At Rosina's puzzled murmur, Janet quietly smiled meaningfully.

"So only the princess will attend the hunting party."

"Hmm. Is that so?"

Either way, not having to see that face again was good news for Rosina.

"By the way, you're both attending the hunting party, right?"

At Janet's question, both nodded.

"Yes. The hunting party is one of the Empire's major events……"

Julietta paused mid-sentence and looked at Janet.

"?"

Puzzled, Janet tilted her head, and Julietta curled her lips into a grin.

"I'm giving you a vacation."

"Pardon? A vacation?"

"Yes. During the hunting party, you're on vacation. Don't even think about disobeying—it's an order."

Despite the stern warning, her golden eyes sparkled.

---

Chapter. The Hunting Party

"Sigh. Summer really is hot."

"Right. I wonder if we'll even be able to hunt properly."

"At least the forest interior should be cooler."

The young ladies, arriving early at the hunting party venue, gathered in groups and chattered.

"Ah! Did you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Well, apparently he is coming to this hunting party."

"He?"

At the blank reaction, the girl who'd brought it up gave a meaningful smile.

"The Third Prince of the Grand Ducal House of Ludwig."

"If you mean the Third Prince of Ludwig……"

Recalling the princes of the Grand Ducal house, her companion widened her eyes.

"You mean Lord Kendrick, who was in seclusion?!"

"Yes! Him!"

"Good heavens. He's appearing in public for the first time in three years?"

"Yes, so they say. Ah, I'm so excited. I heard he's incredibly handsome!"

Indeed, he was.

When he'd returned victorious and gone to the Imperial Palace to report, those who saw him described him as a "living sculpture" and said "the divine blessing must have been related to his appearance."

And now they'd get to see him in person!

"Ah, my heart is pounding!"

The excited young ladies all let out squeals of delight.

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