Chapter 53: Volume 11 - CH 4

“Lydia, you knew Earl Ashenbert right?”

While Lydia was about to return to the mansion from the rose garden, Lucinda smirked as she stood in her way. 

“Eh… um, I guess…”

"Then, the residence you previously served at was the Earl's friend's household? So you became the Earl's mistress?" 

Mi--mistress….?  

What on earth is she talking about?, thought Lydia, as her cheeks grew red. However, Lucinda remained indifferent.  

“What a pity, was that why you were fired? How could he fool around with a maid? Although these things happen quite often, it’s why undisciplined maids aren’t welcome in any household wherever they go.” 

"No, it’s not like that.” 

“No need to hide it, you know.  I won’t report this to my aunt. ” 

It seemed that Lucinda hasn’t discovered that Madame Oughtred isn’t in the mansion yet. Lord Constable didn’t want his daughter to worry, which is why he decided not to tell her.  

Since she specifically said that she wouldn’t tell anyone, this meant that Lucinda had a plan. She smiled as she drew closer to Lydia.   

Then, as if to tell a secret, she whispered:

“You see, my father doesn’t approve of my engagement with the Earl. That’s right, it seems that he won’t forgive the Earl as he wrote a letter to him, that I secretly received, saying that he proposed without his permission.”

Then, it wasn’t Edgar.

“So that’s why my father doesn’t want to meet him. He didn’t even want to sit and have a meal on the same table with him. Besides, I can’t depend on my Aunt because she’s ill.”

“I see...” 

“So in saying that, Lydia, can you please explain to my father how much the earl adores me?” 

“What!” 

“It’ll be good if you say something like that. If he listens to someone else, maybe his viewpoint will change. ” 

As a weakness, Lucinda was planning to take advantage of Lydia’s role as a maid. Having a love-rival was a nuisance to Lucinda, so she wanted Lydia to bring Lucinda and Edgar together. By doing this, Lucinda was attempting destroy the relationship between them. Lydia remember that originally, she was only being fooled around by Edgar. 

Lydia fell silent and this time, even she felt unconvinced.  

Despite how she was clearly the one getting married, she was being perceived as someone who was being played with.

Was it because of her current identity as a maid?

Just for how long will she need to endure this?

But Madame Oughtred also wasn’t here.

If Lydia resigned as a maid arbitrarily, she won’t be able to earn the Madame’s support and that may disappoint Edgar as well. 

Moreover, she wanted to save Virginia the gardener and was also concerned about Madame Oughtred whose whereabouts were unknown. At any rate, since fairies were related to that situation, she can’t simply leave. 

However, she didn’t want to obey Lucinda.   

“He said that I’m the only one in his heart…” 

Lydia accidentally blurted out.

As Lydia is now, she could only rely on Edgar’s words. Regardless of whether she should believe it, as long as she held onto this, she will not allow Lucinda to do as she pleases. 

Immediately, Lucinda face turned red. Furious, she quickly raised her hand and slapped Lydia’s face.

“You’re just a maid, remember that.” 

Originally, the noble daughter was a commoner. Lydia was confused as her face was distorted because of hatred. 

Then, Lucinda and the silent maid left.

“Are you alright, Miss Lydia?” 

Just as Lydia began to walk, a voice came from the top of the stairs.  A young man with brown skin was looking down at her from above.

“…. Raven, you’ve been watching?” 

“I was just passing by from here.”  

Since he said that, it must be true. Besides, he must have seen her getting slapped.

“Lord Edgar wants to talk to you, so I was searching for you. ”

“I will not return.”

Lydia walked out and Raven followed her from behind.  

“The dangerous person could perhaps still be inside the mansion. We don’t know if someone, who pretends that there is nothing against you, may unknowingly attack you. ” 

“If it was an intruder coming from outside, they would have fled already, furthermore there’s no suspicious woman with black hair who entered this residence. ” 

“Miss Lucinda also has black hair. ” 

“How is that possible? A niece wouldn’t attack her own aunt. ” 

Even though Lydia remembered her saying she wanted to borrow the Regard necklace or something, there is no reason for her to steal it.

“As relatives, they don’t get along with each other since originally they were on bad terms and as outsiders we do not know what kind of conflict they had with each other.”

“If that’s what makes him so afraid, it’s alright for both of you to return. ” 

“Lord Edgar is only afraid that Miss Lydia might face danger. ” 

Raven thought this sincerely.  Edgar… if he felt that way, then Lydia was very happy despite the stinging pain that lingered from Lucinda’s slap. 

Although Edgar was not at fault, she was not at ease. Lucinda looked down on Lydia and believed that Lydia would never be as noble as she is. 

Even if she wasn’t a maid, entering noble society will surely be difficult the way Lydia is now.

“…. I can’t return. ” 

“Then, please at least quit your job as a maid and reveal yourself as Lord Edgar’s fiancée. ” 

If she made it clear, will Lucinda give up? But by revealing her identity, she will be denied of Oughtred’s education.  

Lydia believed that as long as she was silently diligent, despite how she was unfamiliar with the work of a maid, she would will be able to overcome obstacles once she entered the unfamiliar noble society.

Perhaps Madame Oughtred wants to ascertain this.  

“The Madame isn’t here. I can’t just quit my job as a maid.” 

“Please do not be so stubborn. If you are not close by Lord Edgar’s side, I cannot always keep an eye on you.”

Furious, Lydia stopped in her tracks.

What do you mean stubborn?!

“This is what Edgar wanted, as long as I accept Madame Oughtred’s education to behave as a lady, will he be satisfied? Now he wants me to stop this, what does even that mean!” 

Lydia started to walk quickly again but Raven didn’t give up. He caught up with her and caught her arm.

“Let go of me. ” 

“No, please come with me. ” 

“I’m very busy.” 

“Hey, what are you doing?” 

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The person who appeared from the courtyard was Billy. 

Raven turned to Billy, still not letting go of Lydia’s arm.   

“Who are you? You’re not a servant here, are you?”

“I am Lord Ashenbert’s valet. ”

“So that’s how it is. The Earl who has a reputation for being a womanizer, even his servant is a playboy, unexpectedly pursuing the household’s maid.”

“He’s not like that, Billy... I know him. ”

“Let’s go. ”

Raven planned to take Lydia with him to leave.

Billy casually seized Raven’s shoulder. 

Raven immediately turned around, which resulted in Billy losing his grip and tightly grabbed onto Billy’s arm.

“Raven, stop!”

Lydia screamed, as she was worried that the chief waiter’s arm will instantly break. 

But Billy lifted his knee to kick as a counterattack.

Raven swung around, dodging the kick against his back, Billy hurriedly turned around and they silently glared at each other. 

The tension between them was relieved at last since the housekeeper appeared. 

“Lydia, what are you doing? I was looking for you just then. You don’t have time to rest!”

“Ah… I’m sorry, Mrs. Boyle. ”

Lydia glanced at Raven.

“Please Raven, don’t report this matter to Edgar. ” Lydia whispered and quickly left with the housemaid, so Raven no longer pursued her again.   

*

“Remember that!” Lucinda had said that, not as a mere parting shot. 

From that day on, Lydia was being ignored by other maids, as there had been backstabbing gossip spreading around. 

It seems that the rumour was, “She was fired because she had licentious relationships with men.”   

Lydia was immediately questioned by the housekeeper.  Although she denied it, it seemed the housekeeper didn’t believe her.

“Since I have no authority to fire a maid, I’d have to keep you hired you until the Madame comes back. But I will not allow you to dishonour the dignity of this household.”

She had said it in such a  firm tone, clearly indicating that if she had the authority, she would’ve fired Lydia herself.

However, in spite of what he was doing or whether he was working in silence, he made people think he was pondering other matters. But the matters he thought about were how to promote his own status, definitely wanting to make a huge profit. 

In fact, in order to continue being wealthy, he even boldly took the title at hand. 

“Edgar, even if you plow the fields, you don’t even look like a farmer.”

It was precisely because he was such a person that he had been able to return to noble society. Looking at Edgar, Lydia thought that everyone had their own place in society that suited them.

“It’s like no one would even notice that I’m your fiance.”

Edgar’s hand came to a stop and he looked at her in surprise. 

“We’re going to get married. Regardless whether others believe it or not, is it not real to us?” 

“Real... sometimes, I would think, is this really happening to me? The matter of marriage, I have little understanding of it.”

Lydia was only here because Edgar wanted her to stay by his side. Therefore, she wanted to respond to it with the attitude of accepting his marriage proposal, but her awareness and feelings in becoming a countess were too weak.

Lydia stood up. 

She thought about how she couldn’t just let Edgar do all the washing and wanted to at least lend a hand. Therefore, Lydia dragged away the cauldron that he was washing. 

“You don’t need to do this, you should sit down.”

“I’ve had enough rest.”

“Watch out over there. ” 

“Ah!” 

Not noticing the ground-level difference, Lydia tripped over and fell. 

Ah, what are you doing! You can’t even do the assigned work. 

Lydia was unable to immediately stand up. It wasn’t because of the pain in her foot, but it was because her limbs gave out from exhaustion. However, Edgar who was frightened, quickly ran to carry Lydia and sat her down on the stone wall near the trees.

“Is it a sprained ankle?”

“I--I’m fine..” 

“It’s a little grazed isn’t it?” 

Edgar knelt in front of Lydia. Because his hands were touching her ankle, she became anxious. 

But compared to that, Lydia was suddenly frightened when he looked up and caught her eyes which expressed a hint of resentment.

He was perhaps still angry at Lydia’s excessively weak attitude. 

“I’m sorry....”

“Why are you apologizing?” 

“It’s impossible for me to enter the nobility.  Therefore... there is still some time to annul the engagement...” 

Lydia got scared halfway.

She was afraid of reactions such as disappointing him, disgusting him, truly cancelling the engagement and after feeling regret from speaking of it, her body became tense.

Although he did not reveal the kind of responses Lydia feared, he still stared at her in anger. 

Suddenly, the hand touching her ankle slid upward.

The skirt hem lifted, exposing her fair legs that should not be seen in public. Lydia gasped. 

Edgar’s warm hand wrapped around her knee and stopped. 

A man’s hand moving up from a woman’s ankle to her drawers was a serious matter. It was so unexpected that Lydia was frozen and couldn’t speak. 

He stared at Lydia. 

“What are you thinking about now? Are you thinking of running away from me? Don’t you need me?  So when you are enduring hardship, am I useless?”

Edgar lowered his head, laying a kiss on Lydia’s knee across the fabric. Then, he painfully whispered, “Do these hands only bring you unhappiness? No matter how many times we’ve kissed and touched, I don’t understand how you feel. Although I hope to have more of you, you would not think so, right?” 

Regardless, his words, hands, and once again his gaze toward Lydia all felt passionate. 

Lydia was still unable to withstand the same passion that burned inside her, even if she breathed with all her strength. 

“…No, even if you don’t need me, it doesn’t matter. It’s just that I don’t want to lose you.”

He gently withdrew his hands.

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