Chapter 6
The Indignant Lady
That furious shout was loud enough to make the glass doors of the bookshelf rattle.
For Safinia, who until now had lived quietly in the detached palace with only her mother Rose, the Duke of Eastman’s angry voice was terrifying.
Even though Safinia trembled in fear, the lady snapped back.
“What’s that supposed to mean! Do you think just yelling solves everything!?”
“Silence, Barbara!”
The Duke of Eastman roared at his wife, Barbara.
“Children, listen carefully! Safinia’s mother, Rose, is dead! There is no one left at the detached palace to care for Safinia! I will not waste extra servants on her alone! From today, she will live here with us. This decision is final and will not be overturned! Do you understand?”
“Ugh…! W-well, you’re right. We can’t possibly assign multiple servants to the daughter of nothing more than a lowly maid…”
Barbara bit her lip in frustration.
“What!? Even so, I refuse! I won’t live under the same roof as that little home-wrecker! Just send her off to the church or something!”
Seira, who hated the fact that Safinia’s beauty outshone her own, showed open hostility.
“Come on, I keep telling you—Seira could never pull off wearing that dress anyway. I don’t really care if she lives here or not. I don’t plan on bothering with her.”
Rafael muttered indifferently, while the youngest brother was already nodding off.
Hearing them all, Safinia’s face turned pale.
(I… I’m nothing but a burden to these people…)
Dragged here right in the middle of her mother’s funeral, Safinia now faced the cruel truth that no one wanted her. For a six-year-old girl, it was despair enough.
“…!”
She fought desperately to hold back tears.
(I mustn’t cry…! I promised the priest. And if I do, Mama won’t be able to go to God…)
Her small shoulders trembled. Porthos, the head butler, noticed and could no longer bear the sight.
“Then, my lord. To which room shall I escort Lady Safinia?”
Seira immediately jumped in.
“Absolutely not on the same floor as me!”
“She mustn’t be treated as if she’s our equal,” Barbara agreed, while Rafael looked unconcerned.
“Very well. There should be a vacant room in the east wing. Take her there.”
At the words east wing, Porthos twitched his brows slightly, but replied.
“The east wing… very well, I have no objection.”
“Nor do I,” Barbara and Seira nodded in satisfaction.
“Understood. Then, I shall escort Lady Safinia myself. If you’ll excuse us… Lady Safinia, shall we?”
“Y-yes…”
Porthos bowed and was about to lead Safinia out when—
“Wait, Porthos.”
Barbara stopped him sharply.
“Yes, madam?”
“You are the head butler of this estate, are you not? A task like this should be left to the maids. Tell Hannah, the head maid, to do it.”
At the mention of the head maid, Safinia’s face drained of color.
“Hannah is no longer a maid of this household. By now, she should already be gone.”
“What did you say!? Explain yourself!”
Barbara, who had favored Hannah, raised her brows in anger.
“She abused her privileges and committed many wrongdoings. Since she was under your patronage, I overlooked her behavior for some time, but too many maids resigned because of her. I dismissed her today.”
“Y-you…! How dare you act so high-handedly, when you’re only the head butler!”
Barbara’s fury now turned on Porthos, and Safinia’s heart pounded anxiously.
(What should I do…? Mr. Porthos is lying for my sake…)
Then—
“Barbara! Enough! Porthos has served this household loyally since my grandfather’s time. I trust him to manage the servants. Do not interfere! Porthos, I leave Safinia in your care. You may go.”
“Husband!!”
Barbara shouted, veins standing out in her forehead, but the Duke of Eastman didn’t even answer.
In truth, he had always disliked Hannah for reporting his every move to Barbara. Her dismissal by Porthos suited him perfectly.
“Thank you, my lord. Then, if you’ll excuse us.”
And so, Porthos escorted Safinia out of the room—
