Chapter 129

Leslie sneered, twisting her lips. There were many daughters of noble houses who had entered service as maids to raise their chances of claiming a place at Ivan’s side.

Yet Isabelle alone never entered service as a maid, to the very end.

Recalling how Isabelle, alone in a beautiful dress, had come and gone from the ducal house as if it were her own home, Leslie found the situation satisfying, yet she couldn’t openly mock her.

Because Isabelle’s position and her own were no different.

“I said it wasn’t so!”

Just then, Isabelle screamed it out. It was unimaginable for the Isabelle she usually knew, so Leslie was a little surprised.

Soon hardening her expression coldly, Leslie let out a dry laugh and spoke.

“Yes. Go ahead and thrash about like that. Just stop pretending to be so high and mighty.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Every time you put on this good-girl act, I find you truly detestable.”

“…Don’t take your inferiority complex out on me, Leslie.”

“Hah, who knows. Could you still say that if you saw your own face right now?”

Watching Isabelle’s contorted face, Leslie thought this version of her was actually better. To compete, didn’t they have to stand on the same line?

“Even while we’re standing here like this, that irritating outsider is probably stealing His Grace’s heart.”

“…..”

It was something she didn’t want to hear. Isabelle worried at her lips, looking anxious. Without taking her eyes off her, Leslie continued with wicked words.

“Honestly, I still don’t want to give up on His Grace… but it’s hopeless for me now.”

“…Why are you telling me that?”

“Oh, Isabelle. The usual you would have comforted me in this state… but right now you don’t have the slightest room to spare for that, do you?”

Even at the jab, Isabelle stayed silent. Because everything Leslie said was right.

“Hear me out to the end. I have no chance left now, but even so, I can never stand to watch that rabbit beastfolk become the Duchess. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

“…Don’t tell me you mean to help me?”

She asked as if in doubt, but a trace of hope was visibly welling in her eyes, so Leslie forced down a laugh.

See, she really does think it’s rightfully her place. And still she keeps playing innocent. How thoroughly hateful.

“Yes. Since your own position isn’t looking so great right now, either.”

“How will you help me?”

Like someone who, once pulled from the water, demands their bundle back too,^[1] Isabelle even demanded a plan. Leslie replied, showing her irritation fully.

“The nerve. When someone offers to help, shouldn’t you say thank you first?”

“…Thank you, Leslie.”

“Right. They do say the enemy of my enemy is a friend, don’t they?”

“Yes…”

“For as long as you stay at the ducal house from now on, tell the head maid to assign me as your personal maid. That comes first. After that, I’ll tell you what to do.”

“…All right.”

Isabelle felt uneasy, but she was completely taken in by Leslie’s words. Now that even her father had turned away from her, there was no one she could lean on at the moment.

After staring at each other in silence for a while, the two soon turned away and parted as if nothing had happened.

Leslie ran into Ruby, who had just come into the manor. The maid’s uniform she wore was subtly different from the other maids’ uniforms.

It looked just like the exclusive attire only the duke’s personal maid could wear, and it twisted something inside her. But for now, she couldn’t show it. The reason was not Liam following behind Ruby, nor was it the duke.

She was merely eyeing her chance, like a predator waiting for the moment to hunt. Lost in thought, Leslie flinched when she suddenly met a pair of red eyes.

At the deep eyes that seemed to peer into her very thoughts, her heart dropped, but soon, telling herself that couldn’t be, she quietly bowed her head. She ground her teeth to hold back her fury.

At that familiar sound, Ruby let out a small scoff.

Translation Notes

^[1] ↩

This is a Korean proverb (물에 빠진 사람 구해 주니 보따리 내놓으라 한다): you rescue someone from drowning and they demand you return their lost belongings. It describes responding to a favor with shameless, escalating further demands.