Chapter 4
The most fortress-like castle with the absolute best defenses in the Brack Empire was the castle of Grand Duke Stark of the Principality of Amast.
Known simply as Stark Castle, it was built atop a thousand-foot cliff, and the only way to connect to the mainland was a drawbridge that repeatedly raised and lowered.
Eerie rumors circulated that the corpses of the dead over the last several thousand years were piled at the bottom of that cliff, but because the aura of Stark was so overwhelmingly formidable, not even a single crow dared to fly near it.
Therefore, the only way for Leona to infiltrate this castle and plunge a blade into her enemy’s heart was to choose a common method that would not arouse suspicion: entering the castle as a maid doing menial chores.
As the carriage entered the castle, the heavy iron gate clanged shut. And behind them, the sound of the drawbridge being raised echoed through the air.
Since she would need to escape the moment she killed the bastard, Leona had no time to stop looking around. But then again, where on earth could she find Tristan Stark?
“Leona!”
When Mary tugged at the hem of Leona’s dress, a startled Leona snapped out of it and followed her.
A short while later, the three stood before Benjamin, the butler who managed all the castle’s affairs. He was a middle-aged man with snow-white hair and a potbelly.
“Doctor Louis Garnier. Thank you for agreeing to work at our castle.”
As Louis pulled out his physician’s license along with the necessary parchment documents, Benjamin’s gaze fell upon the two women standing behind him.
“Who are these young ladies?”
Louis put on a deeply troubled expression. Though he had practiced this scenario hundreds of times knowing this would happen, acting in front of the stern, rigid-looking Benjamin still made a cold sweat run down his spine.
Leona poked his back with her finger.
“Pirates have been raiding Maese frequently these days.”
“Pirates?”
At that, Leona gave a serious nod, her expression grave.
“That being the case, I couldn’t bear to leave my younger sisters behind in the village…”
The older man’s brown eyes scanned the “two sisters” Louis mentioned, looking them up and down one by one.
“It just so happens that we were looking for maids in the castle. I shall call the head maid for you.”
With that single sentence, Leona’s face instantly transformed into that of someone who had already stabbed Tristan in the back.
When Benjamin guided Louis to the infirmary, Leona placed her hands on her hips and looked around. The butler’s room held nothing more than a single table, functioning as his office.
“Mary. We accomplish our mission within ten days and escape.”
Mary, whose back was sore from the three-day carriage ride, let out a short chuckle.
“Try even meeting the Grand Duke within ten days first. Damn it. Why is this castle so huge?”
The massive castle was ten times larger than Montfier Castle. The sheer scale alone was enough to intimidate anyone.
The door opened.
At that moment, sensing a chilling gaze, Mary instinctively shrank her shoulders.
Leona, who was not yet accustomed to being looked at like this, nevertheless stood neatly with a bright face.
—Tap, tap
The hard clicking of heels struck the floor as the person approached them.
“Are these the ones? Doctor Louis’s younger sisters?”
The moment Leona saw the owner of the voice, she realized for the first time in her life that a woman could look this frightening.
She had a hooked nose straight out of a fairytale book, sharply slit eyes, and arched eyebrows shaped like mountains that looked as if they would remain angry even if she smiled.
Her black dress, which reached all the way up to her neck, had its buttons tightly fastened; had it not been for the subtle curves of her body, one would have certainly mistaken her for a man.
She was a woman whose slicked, roundly bunched black hair shone with an unusual sheen.
“I am Grace, the head maid.”
Mary and Leona lightly lifted the hems of their skirts, bending their knees in a polite bow.
“Hmm. Doctor Louis has black hair, but his sisters have different colors?”
At the unexpectedly sharp observation, Mary’s eyes darted back and forth.
“Father had black hair, and Mother had brown hair.”
At that, Grace’s withered finger pointed at Leona’s hair.
“Then what about the red?”
She questioned how red could possibly come from the parents’ hair colors.
“Leona is…”
Mary finally opened her mouth.
“Father had an affair with a red-haired woman, so…”
Having suddenly been turned into an illegitimate child, Leona simply beamed with a mindless smile.
Grace’s gaze remained fixed on Leona the entire time.
“What is your name, miss?”
“I am Leona.”
“Leona is excessively…”
Since the word excessively carried a rather negative tone, Leona swallowed dryly.
“…excessively pretty.”
Mary hesitated before bursting into a loud laugh.
“Ah! What’s the use of being pretty? The girl is a bit airheaded. So, she’s good at doing whatever she’s told.”
“Airheaded?”
“Yes. A bit dim. Men follow her around because of her pretty face, but after exchanging just one word, they all run away. That’s why I told her not to open her mouth here.”
Hearing this, Leona intentionally bared her teeth and smiled, trying to look foolish.
“I see. What good is beauty alone? Well, that’s a relief. I don’t hire pretty girls.”
What kind of logic is that? Nevertheless, having seemingly passed the interview, Leona bared her teeth and laughed like a mindless fool.
“Have you ever done housemaid work?” Grace asked relentlessly.
Having worked at Montfier Castle since she was five years old, Mary possessed skills so formidable she could be called the final boss of the maid world. Omiting the fact that she had worked at Montfier Castle, Mary listed every single task she could perform. Grace’s expression gradually drifted into bliss.
“You can embroider with gold thread?”
“Yes, Head Maid. And I used to decorate cakes as well. I can even make ten-tier cakes.”
“The Grand Duke’s wedding will be held soon, so you can assist the head chef then.”
For the first time, a smile bloomed on Grace’s stern face. Even in this moment, Leona was swept over by a strange sense of betrayal.
It had only been a mere six months since Chloe Montfier officially died. In those six short months, had Tristan Stark betrayed his fiancée and already found a new bride-to-be?
‘That son of a bitch.’
Grace pointed at Mary and said,
“Hiring just you would have been enough, but since you’d worry about your sister living alone outside the castle, I’m making an exception and hiring her too.”
“Thank you, Head Maid.”
Having managed to stay in the castle thanks to Mary, Leona bowed her head deeply.
“Mary, you will be assigned as a personal maid to the Dowager Grand Duchess. You can do well, right?”
“Yes, I am confident I can serve my master well with quick wits.”
Grace then turned toward Leona as if looking at something unpleasant.
“You are a laundry maid.”
Mary’s expression darkened.
“Head Maid. Laundry work is rough… I wonder if my sister can handle it…”
“Your sister doesn’t seem to be good at anything. A pretty face is a virtue we do not need here. So, I have no choice but to assign her the work no one else wants to do. If you dislike it, you are free to leave the castle.”
Startled, Leona bowed at the waist.
“Head Maid! No, not at all! I can do it well. Thank you!”
Grace’s brow furrowed.
“Her speech sounds perfectly fine, doesn’t it?”
“If you talk to her long enough, she’s dim.”
“Is that so? It had better be. A maid needs neither intelligence nor beauty. If she’s pretty, it only distracts the master and causes unnecessary misunderstandings. So, Redhead, make sure you stay out of the master’s sight as much as possible.”
Plucking up her courage, Mary asked,
“By any chance, are you hiring personal maids for His Grace the Grand Duke?”
Grace let out a dry laugh.
“Grand Duke Tristan Stark does not keep female maids.”
“Pardon? Then who serves his baths and assists with his attire?”
“Male manservants do. And only those who are extremely trusted are allowed in. His Grace is a sensitive man, so even we rarely make eye contact or speak with him. In fact, he only stays in the castle a few days out of the entire year.”
Surely he’ll attend his own wedding. Should I set that as the day for the assassination?
Leona’s thirst for revenge burned even hotter.
“Let’s go. I will guide you to where you’ll be working.”
As Mary followed Grace, Leona stepped up behind Mary.
“Even if you happen to bump into His Grace the Grand Duke in the hallway, you must never look him in the eye. Understood?!”
Grace lifted the hem of her skirt and set off. While Mary entered the Dowager Grand Duchess’s quarters to pay her respects, Leona, standing alone in the hallway, tapped her foot impatiently.
It was right around the time she pulled her braided, curly red hair forward and began twirling it.
—Thud, thud
The heavy sound of giant footsteps began approaching down the hallway.
