Erwell of the Lutek family, which had produced many famous scholars.
Krishina of the Ferni family, renowned as a lineage of artists.
Lisi liked the two of them.
Erwell appeared to be around the same age as Lisi. She had red hair, green eyes, and cute freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose.
Krishina was a married woman with a child, possessing jet black hair and bright blue eyes.
Erwell said she did not mind staying at the Green Count Estate.
Krishina explained that because of her child she would need to return home two or three times a week.
"Thank you for coming despite being daughters of such distinguished families."
"Not at all, Countess. It is I who am honored. To be able to meet in person the Flower of the Whitlow Ducal House, and even serve at her side."
At Krishina’s words, Erwell’s eyes widened into perfect circles.
"The Flower of the Whitlow Ducal House? Wait, that means you were really that Iris?"
Krishina jabbed Erwell sharply in the side with her elbow.
"El."
"Ah! I am terribly sorry, Countess. I was so surprised that I committed a discourtesy."
Erwell hurriedly lowered her head. Her voice was far calmer than when she had just blurted out whether this was really that Iris.
"It seems the two of you already know each other."
"Yes. Our family has long had ties with the Lutek family, so we have been in contact with this child since she was young."
Erwell pressed her lips tightly together while Krishina answered in her place.
"Erwell tends to be rather quiet, so if I occasionally answer on her behalf, I would appreciate your understanding, Countess."
Krishina’s added remark struck Lisi as strange.
Quiet?
In Lisi’s eyes, Erwell looked more like someone itching with curiosity but forcing herself not to ask questions. Still, Lisi did not point it out. Since it was the first day, they exchanged only brief greetings before leaving the reception room.
Jamie, who had been waiting in front of the reception room, quickly approached Lisi and whispered softly.
"Miss Gillette is waiting in Lady Iris’s room."
Lisi gave a light nod and instructed the two women, who were now maids, to be shown to their rooms. As Lisi walked toward her own chamber, her eyes sank into a cold calm.
+++
After guiding Erwell and Krishina to their rooms, Jamie told them they could rest until Lisi gave further instructions. The moment Jamie left, Erwell looked at Krishina and spoke.
"Wow. This is insane. Wow, Sini. Seriously insane."
"El…"
"No, I mean it’s seriously insane. Wow. Iris, the Flower of the Whitlow Ducal House. I thought it was all exaggerated rumors… but wow. She’s actually unbelievably beautiful. I was shocked. Did you see her smile at me? Wow. I almost melted. My heart almost stopped."
Krishina let out a sigh.
"El, please change the way you speak. You are already twenty five years old. What kind of manner of speech is that? That is why no man appears who wants to take you."
"Ah, whatever. I told you I do not need a man to take me anywhere. I would rather die than live pretending to be refined."
Erwell collapsed onto the sofa and propped her feet up on the table. Deep wrinkles formed between Krishina’s brows.
To behave like that while wearing such a beautiful dress. If the elegant Countess saw Erwell acting like this, she might faint.
"Erwell, I do not ask for much, but I have one request."
"What is it?"
Erwell scratched her head as she asked.
"Please throw away those hideous concealed weapons you are hiding inside that dress."
+++
The moment Lisi entered the room, she discovered Gillette sitting comfortably on the sofa.
Gillette looked as though she were the mistress of the room. She must have heard Lisi come in, yet she did not rise. She merely turned her head and stared directly at Lisi.
Without saying anything, Lisi walked over and sat on the sofa opposite her, quietly studying Gillette.
Thick brown hair. White skin. Large eyes with green irises.
The features packed neatly into her small face were harmonious.
Her beauty was enough to rival Brittany’s.
Because of that, Lisi understood what Gillette relied on to behave so arrogantly.
At first Gillette accepted Lisi’s gaze with a mocking expression, but when Lisi said nothing, she seemed unable to endure the silence and began fidgeting with her fingers.
In the end, it was Gillette who broke the silence.
"Why did you call me?"
"It seems the Merdi family lacked the money to hire proper tutors and entrusted your upbringing to a beggar from the marketplace."
"What?"
Gillette lifted her brows.
Only a moment later did she realize it was an insult directed at her, and her face flushed red.
Lisi simply watched her without speaking.
Gillette clearly wanted to refute the remark, but she would find it difficult to respond. After all, she had indeed behaved rudely toward the mistress of this estate.
Gillette merely bit down on her lower lip and clenched both fists. The hands that had rested casually on her thighs were now so tight they turned pale.
'She probably wants to hit me.'
Lisi had already finished assessing Gillette.
If Gillette had been a wise person, she would have shown courtesy to the lady of the estate while quietly seducing Kay’s heart behind the scenes.
But Gillette was displaying all her emotions openly.
An opponent like that was easy to handle.
"If you called me just to say something like that, I will leave!"
Gillette suddenly jumped to her feet.
Lisi kept her gaze fixed forward and spoke in a low but firm voice.
"Sit down, Gillette Merdi."
Gillette flinched.
Lisi still did not look up at her. She sat upright, facing forward with calm dignity.
No matter how much Gillette behaved as though the estate were her own world, Lisi was still the Countess of the Green Count House.
As long as Gillette remained in this estate under the qualification of a maid, she could not completely ignore Lisi’s command.
Gillette sat down again.
Once more, Lisi said nothing and simply watched her.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly."
"Gillette. From today onward, you are my maid."
Gillette’s eyes widened.
"What… I am the Count’s personal maid!"
"Not anymore. From today onward, you are my personal maid."
"Ha! That is ridiculous. I did not enter this estate to serve you. Do you think I, the Merdi family, are a family meant to attend upon a Countess?"
"Then are you a family meant to attend upon the Count?"
"That is different."
"It is not different. They say husband and wife are one body."
"But…! This is a political marriage. Everyone knows that."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Lisi’s lips.
"I thought you were old enough to know that whether a marriage is political or romantic, a marriage is still a marriage."
Gillette gritted her teeth before speaking.
"The Count will never allow it."
"I wonder. My thoughts are different."
Gillette suddenly stood up and left the room.
This time Lisi did not stop her.
Gillette strode down the corridor irritably. Her chest burned with anger, as though she wanted to scream.
'So irritating.'
She hated the way Lisi looked down at her as though she were beneath her.
She hated the unwavering calm in her demeanor.
She hated the even, steady tone of her voice.
She hated the beauty that seemed almost insufficient even for the praise of being called the Flower of the Whitlow Ducal House.
'Iris is just some woman he married for politics. The Count would never send me to serve her.'
Gillette was Kay’s only personal maid.
She was the only woman in this estate allowed to enter Kay’s study.
Kay had told her that whenever he was absent she could freely enter the study and read books if she wished. Even when she burst through the door pretending not to know he was inside, Kay had never once scolded her.
'The Count is only lenient with me. That woman is nothing but a political wife. We are different.'
Gillette believed without the slightest doubt that Kay would never send her to become Lisi’s maid.
This time she could not pretend ignorance and burst through the door. She had come to inform Kay of Lisi’s outrageous behavior.
Gillette composed her expression, took a deep breath, and knocked on the study door.
"Who is it?"
"My lord, it is Gillette."
"I am working."
"I have something urgent to tell you…"
"I said I am working."
At Kay’s firm refusal, Gillette could not bring herself to open the study door and merely stood there awkwardly.
At that moment, Lisi appeared beside her.
"Kay."
"The Count is working."
The moment Gillette said it, the study door opened.
Kay had refused Gillette because he was working, yet at a single call from Lisi he personally opened the door.
Gillette could not believe the situation and stared up at him in shock.
Kay’s gray blue eyes were directed entirely toward Lisi, as though Gillette were not even present.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
It was a smile he had never once shown to Gillette.
"Did you come to show off your dress, Lisi?"
Kay’s voice flowed from between his red lips, calm and sweet.
Gillette had never heard that tone either.
"Does it look that way?"
"If someone looked that splendid, I think they would want to show it off."
Kay reached out and lightly wound the end of Lisi’s hair around his finger before letting it fall.
"Wearing a green dress, you look like an elf standing among the forest."
"Do elves really exist?"
"I just said so. One is standing right in front of me."
Kay and Lisi looked at each other and laughed, as though there could be no more amusing joke than this.
Gillette felt as though she might faint watching them exchange playful words as if they were alone, despite her standing right beside them.
Yet the atmosphere was impossible to interrupt, so she could only bite her lower lip.
'Who is this man?'
Kay did not resemble the Kayvrant Green Gillette knew.
Kay was a cold man who showed almost no emotion, like a fortress of ice in the far north.
He sometimes laughed when he was with his subordinates, but ordinarily he was taciturn and his expression barely changed.
Yet with Lisi he behaved like a puppy basking in the warm spring breeze.
It was impossible to believe.
"So what brings you here, Lisi?"
"I really like the maids Jamie brought. Erwell of the Lutek family and Krishina of the Ferni family. I never imagined it."
Gillette also knew the Lutek and Ferni families.
They had produced countless scholars and artists, families that even the Merdi Viscount House could not treat lightly.
"But two maids are not enough."
"I see. If you give me time, I will find daughters of families as respectable as the Lutek and Ferni."
"No. I do not need daughters of such excellent families."
At last Lisi’s eyes turned toward Gillette.
Only then did Kay seem to notice Gillette’s presence.
"This will do."
If Kay had not been standing there, Gillette would have screamed.
Lisi had just placed the Merdi family below the Lutek and Ferni families, while at the same time lowering Gillette herself to a status beneath the other two maids.
Kay’s response was Gillette’s final straw.
Desperately hoping he would refuse, Gillette stared only at his lips.
Kay glanced briefly at her and answered indifferently.
"Do as you wish, Lisi."