Chapter 12
#Chapter. Gifts and Bait
The next day.
A freight wagon loaded with luggage pulled up in front of Julietta’s annex.
"These are items that have arrived for Ms. Janet Graham."
At the words of the coachman and the porters, the annex servants looked troubled.
"What should we do? The lady-in-waiting is away for a moment."
"Should we report this to... the Young Lady?"
"I don't know. These are personal items, so it feels a bit... odd to report it."
Normally, there would be no need to report a servant’s personal belongings to their master.
However, this was the first time such a large quantity had arrived.
Moreover, most of the items loaded on the wagon were rare ornaments, jewelry, and dresses.
The servants were hesitating, feeling uncomfortable about even touching them, when someone spoke up.
"What is it? Why are you all gathered like that?"
"S-Sien."
It was Sien who appeared with a majestic air.
Crossing her arms in a haughty, showy manner, she gasped when she saw the wagon filled with valuables.
"What is all this?"
"These are all items that have arrived for Ms. Janet Graham. Where should we unload them?"
"What? Items for that woman—no, for the lady-in-waiting?"
Lies.
Expensive things like this arrived for that shabby, stupid lady-in-waiting?
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't believe it.
'Something is strange.'
Sien, who had been staring intently at the wagon, sighed briefly.
"I see now. These aren't for the lady-in-waiting Janet; they must be items that arrived for the Young Lady."
"Pardon? But it clearly says for Ms. Janet Graham—"
"Believe me! Janet is Lady Julietta’s lady-in-waiting. I’ve heard that sometimes, for the sake of anonymity, they write the lady-in-waiting’s name as the recipient instead."
"Still..."
"I’m telling you, I’m right!"
There was no other explanation for it.
"I will ask the Young Lady to review them separately, so for now, please move the luggage into the room at the end of the first floor."
The coachman and porters faltered at Sien’s confident attitude.
The name written as the recipient was clearly 'Janet Graham,' but facing someone who asserted herself so boldly made them doubt their own judgment.
Besides, the other servants weren't contradicting Sien, only nodding along...
In truth, this was the result of Sien putting on airs whenever she was with the other servants.
"The new lady-in-waiting is nothing special. The Young Lady doesn't like her, so who knows when she'll be kicked out."
"I’m closer to being a real lady-in-waiting than she is. The Young Lady cherishes me more!"
"You don't need to be nervous, either. Are all nobles the same?"
Even before the new lady-in-waiting arrived, Sien had been the maid the Young Lady kept closest.
Since it was her saying it, they couldn't ignore the weight of her words.
"Come now, hurry and move them to the inner room. I’ll speak to the Young Lady after I take a quick look."
After much deliberation, the coachman and porters eventually decided to do as Sien said.
They couldn't just stand at the entrance forever, after all.
Once all the luggage had been moved to the room at the end of the first floor.
"Was there no separate list of items?"
"No. There was nothing of the sort."
Hmm.
Sien let out a light hum, her eyes sparkling.
'So there was no separate list of items?'
"You’ve worked hard. I’ll tell the Young Lady, so you may go now."
"Yes. Then, we leave it to you."
"Of course. You can trust me. I am the person the Young Lady cherishes most."
After all the workers, including the porters, had left the room.
Sien slowly looked around the room piled with all sorts of items.
"Let’s see."
As she muttered and approached a jewelry box, a glittering yellow gem caught her eye.
'What is this?'
She didn't know what it was, but it was certainly expensive. After glancing around, Sien stealthily reached out for the gem.
'There’s so much here, would anyone know if one went missing?'
Sien already knew the answer. While working as Julietta’s maid, she had already earned quite a fortune by siphoning things off bit by bit.
There had been moments when she was on the verge of being caught, but she had always handled them wisely.
In the end, it was fine as long as the Young Lady didn't find out.
With a low chuckle, Sien tucked the gem into her pocket and left the room.
***
At the same time.
Janet headed to the main building, unaware of the nature of the gifts that had arrived for her. She was keeping the promise she had made to the head butler yesterday.
"Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Butler."
"Ho ho. Thank you for accepting the invitation, Lady Graham. Now, sit in this chair."
Janet sat in the chair William pointed to and looked around lightly.
His office resembled William himself. The mahogany desk, the camel-colored curtains.
Even the potted plants placed here and there.
"It’s a wonderful place."
"I’m glad you say so. I quite like this place myself."
With a reply mixed with pride, he brought out a teapot.
Janet, surprised, stood up to take the teapot instead, but William stopped her with a wave of his hand.
"I am the master here, and you are the guest, are you not? Serving tea is my role."
At his firm words, Janet nodded instead of arguing and sat back down.
"Besides, I actually quite enjoy serving tea to my guests."
Though, unfortunately, there were almost no guests who visited.
Janet smiled at his playful addition and replied.
"Then, I shall visit often."
"Ho ho. If so, I would be pleased. Later, do come visit my estate as well. I will introduce you to my daughter. She will like you very much."
"If you mean your daughter, do you mean Lady Bianca Vanellotti?"
"My, I didn't know you even knew my daughter’s name."
"Some time ago, the Young Lady ordered me to... well, to learn the registry of Western nobles. I checked it then."
"Lady Julietta did?"
Oh my. That was unexpected.
'To think the Young Lady was making an effort in secret.'
Ludwig was the most powerful family among the Western nobles.
Since they wielded influence second only to the Imperial Family in the Empire, it was safe to say that the Western social circle of the Empire revolved around Ludwig.
It was for this same reason that the current Grand Duchess wielded such powerful influence in society.
As a direct blood relative of such a family, knowing the Western nobles was one of the essential accomplishments.
However, Lady Julietta...
"Why should I need to know such things? Aren't they all people who have to bow to me anyway?"
She would react like that, not even thinking of looking into other families.
'And yet, for such a Young Lady to order her to learn the noble registry.'
It was certain that she had received some positive stimulation from having a lady-in-waiting.
"It is truly fortunate that Lady Graham has become the Young Lady’s lady-in-waiting."
"I, thank you for thinking so kindly of me."
Janet replied awkwardly to the sudden praise.
She was completely unaccustomed to being praised. Especially praise from an adult like the head butler was even more so.
Perhaps this, too, was due to her memories from the Graham household.
"You useless thing! Just eating and wasting food!"
"I shouldn't have brought in someone like you."
After all, the only things she had heard from adults were things like that.
"Now, have a drink."
The fragrant scent of tea was layered over the bitter memories.
The tea in the pretty teacup was, surprisingly, a pale sky blue.
"The color is fascinating."
"Isn't it? It’s tea leaves brought from the North, so you wouldn't see them easily in the West."
Tea leaves from the North?
Janet’s eyes sparkled as she held the teacup.
"So this kind of tea comes from the North? I don't think I’ve ever had it when I lived near the North."
"If you lived near the North..."
William stopped there. It was because he remembered the time when Janet lived near the North.
'The Ashulade War.'
He was well aware that Janet was a war orphan from that war.
Investigating the backgrounds of those working at Ludwig was a matter of course.
Ashulade was a region located in the northwest of the Empire, and even more so toward the North.
Because of that, the people in the northern regions suffered the greatest damage. Janet was one of them.
Janet, glancing at William who had lost his words, took a sip of tea instead of saying something like 'It’s alright.'
She felt the cozy and warm scent permeate deep into her body.
It was a scent that felt nostalgic in some way.
"It’s truly delicious. Thank you for introducing me to such good tea."
William, who had read Janet’s thoughtful consideration, nodded with a smile.
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