I felt dizzy.

If I hadn’t pulled myself together, I would have left without properly dressing.

“Are you alright, Madam?”

“I’m alright.”

I thought I read the name wrong.

I was wondering if the owner of that name was someone I knew, or that person, I mean, those people had a level of shamelessness that goes beyond what one would expect in a human being.

“Jane Lotis.”

I glanced down at the already crumpled paper and rushed out. But then I got lost again.

“Nanny, please show me the way to the interview room.”

“Yes.”

Perhaps the nanny sensed my uneasiness, so she led the way without asking any question.

‘Leona…you are really pitiful.’

Some people will never understand despite your best efforts to explain to them. People who live just for themselves. Selfish people who don’t consider other people’s situation.

People whose goal in life was to do crazy things like this.

At last, I arrived at the interview room.

The interviewees hadn’t arrived, and only the duke’s maids were seen preparing for the interview.

“Madam!”

Those who were surprised by my appearance raised their voice one by one.

“Hasn’t anyone come in for the interview yet?”

“Yes. It’s not the time yet. But what is the matter, Madam?”

I showed the paper that the nanny handed to me earlier.

“Will this person be here today?”

“Yes! She’s been here the whole time.”

“I’ve told her to stop being noisy.”

The two maids spoke simultaneously.

“I see. Can you call this person here?”

“Y-Yes!”

“Is there a problem with this person, Madam?”

The nanny immediately asked, perhaps noticing that I was acting differently from usual.

“…I think she’s my sister.”

“What?”

She was Leona’s sister, to be exact.

The nanny hurriedly covered her mouth as if surprised.

“I-I really had no idea.”

“It’s understandable. She intentionally submitted the document using my mother’s last name.”

Jane Selen, a member of the Selen family, who had cruelly harassed Leona.

Jane used her mother’s maiden name, Lotis, instead of her real surname.

I was initially skeptical when I saw the name on the paper. I couldn’t believe that someone could be this shameless and interview for a position as a maid here.

So I still had my doubts until I saw the woman who came in with the maids. It dawned on me that humans always exceed expectations.

“Why are you here?”

Jane, whose hair was whiter than mine, shamelessly stepped inside.

“Who is this? Aren’t you the duchess?”

“….”

“It’s an honor to meet you like this.”

It was different from her arrogant attitude last time. Jane only smiled pretentiously as if she was someone else.

“I asked why you are here. Do you really want to be a maid?”

“That’s exactly why I’m here. Why? Am I not allowed to because I’m your family member?”

“…What are you doing?”

“What am I doing, you ask? My one and only sister doesn’t even care if her family lives or dies, so I’m just trying to make a living here.”

My hands trembled in anger as Jane made up lies.

“I have very old parents. I have no other option. I must work while I can.”

“….”

“But I heard the duke will be interviewing us with you. So why did you come alone? Ah, I think I know why.”

My sister came one step closer to me and whispered in a voice that only I could hear.

“Are you worried I’ll take him away from you? I used to be the one taking everything you have. I’m sure you’re scared that it’ll happen again, right? When you learned that I’m one of the interviewees, you immediately stopped the Duke from coming and came running here, right?”

At that moment, I could see clearly what her intention was.

It was so obvious that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What did you say?”

“I heard rumors that you both still use separate rooms. And that you may not be the real duchess.”

“There seem to be many loose-lipped people in the duchy. But what you said isn’t true at all, unfortunately.”

“You even both go out separately.”

At that moment, I could see a spark of light on a misty road.

“We’re going out separately, you say?”

“Yeah, it must be so judging by how you look right now.”

This will be fun.

I felt like I was going to get an answer from an unexpected person. So I erased my bewilderment and put my hand on my sister’s shoulder.

“Then let me ask you one question. You won’t regret it, right? You really want to be my maid?”

“Normally, when one of the sisters marries into a noble family, the other sisters often become a maid. So there’s nothing to regret.”

Just then,

When Jane took a step back as she spoke brazenly, the nanny was startled.

“You’re still a candidate. Even if you become a maid, you shouldn’t talk to Madam like that.”

A shrill voice that I had never heard before escaped from the nanny’s lips.

“It’s a matter between siblings. Is that not allowed, Leona?”

“If you’re an interviewee, act like one.”

“I think I’ve already passed. You even came out like this. Or are you eliminating me out of fear that I’ll take your husband away? If you eliminate me, I’ll make sure to tell the world about your secret.”
My sister acted confidently as if she just discovered a big secret, but it didn’t affect me in any way. Instead it just made me happy.

‘I’ll let this idiot keep dreaming that she’s holding a large jewel in her hand. And I’m going to thank her for giving me a clue.’

I wondered who spread false rumors about my family, but I could somewhat figure out who it was thanks to my sister.

To be really honest, I wanted to make my sister throw up all the stories she had heard, but it wasn’t the right time for that.

A fool is bound to spit out important things with her own mouth anyway.

‘And when that light mouth finally vomits everything, I will kick my sister out of here empty-handed.’

So I smiled and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll pick Jane Lotis as a maid of the duke family.”

“I knew this would happen.”

“But there’s one thing you have to promise me.”

“What is it?”

“You should not reveal the fact that only you know under any circumstances.”

“Do I have to promise you that? Don’t worry, I won’t ever reveal it.”

The older sister shrugged her shoulders and even waved her hands.

“But this is not a place where words can be thrown around carelessly. So I need you to fill out a document.”

So I sat down and quickly wrote on paper.

The content was roughly like this :

No matter what happens, you will not reveal what you know to the outside world. If you fail to comply, you are obligated to compensate for any damages.

“You want me to write this down, too? What do you mean damage compensation?”

“Don’t worry. I know that you don’t have money. I have no intention of asking for the damage compensation in that way.”

“Then you should write that down, too.”

My sister smiled haughtily and tapped the paper with her long, well-maintained fingernails.

“Why don’t you write it?”

“I will.”

I delayed it on purpose to make my sister more impatient. So that she would think that she won the fight, and to make her believe that I was stupid.

As anticipated, I could see her smug face.

‘Unfortunately, you are the stupid one. Because this clause will bind you forever in this place, but I will make sure to torment you to the point you want to run away.’

After a long consideration, I added another clause with a smile on my face and signed on it.

My sister signed there without any hesitation.

“From now on, you are a maid of the duke family.”

Jane raised her eyebrows as if expecting this to happen, but the nanny’s face turned white.

“M-Madam?”

“Don’t worry, nanny. I’ve already thought it through.”

“Ah…”

“What are you saying? Can you just guide me to my room now? I’m a little tired because I woke up early in the morning. Bring a meal to my room, too.”

Looking at her arrogant attitude, the maids and the nanny had stiffened upright.

They moved their mouths as if they were going to speak, but they couldn’t do so due to the fact that she was my older sister.

Ignoring them, I gently swept my sister’s shoulder.

“You must have had a hard time.”

“Isn’t that obvious? I’ve been working hard since early in the morning.”

“I understand. Of course, I’ll give you a room, food and new clothes. By the way, what do you think is a maid’s job?”

“Of course, a maid’s job is to be a companion.”

As expected, I wondered why she applied to be a maid, but this was the reason.

“A companion? You probably aren’t aware that every family’s maid carries a different responsibility.”

“What a stupid thing to say. Of course I don’t know about a maid’s job since I haven’t learned anything. Dear sister, from now on I’ll…”

Suddenly.

Slap-

Jane’s face turned to the side with a strong slapping sound.

As if she couldn’t grasp the situation, she stuttered while holding her cheeks.

“What is the meaning…”

“How dare you talk back? And a maid dares think that her master is stupid? Are you asking for a beating, huh?”