TRHLV | CH 04

Chapter 4: The House of Duke Blansé

With elegantly pinned gray hair and sharp blue eyes that seemed to see right through people, Madam Blansé was known as “the lady of all ladies.”

She had once shaken the social scene with her stunning beauty, but that wasn’t her greatest achievement.

She lost her husband within ten years of marriage and later even her son.

She didn’t just survive the wolves who tried to take advantage of her, she defeated them and became one of the most powerful people in the empire.

Even the Emperor couldn’t treat her lightly.

She had endured many hardships to protect the name of “Blansé.”

Thirteen-year-old Elika felt like a small puppy in front of a lion when facing her.

“Sit.”

Madam Blansé said, smoking a long pipe. Just that one word made Elika sit automatically.

“What’s your name?”

As soon as Elika sat, the old woman asked.

“Uh, Elika.”

“Again.”

“?”

“Don’t shake. Say it again, clearly.”

“……”

Elika nervously fidgeted with her hands on her lap.

It wasn’t easy not to tremble in front of someone so intimidating, but she took a deep breath, straightened her back, and spoke clearly.

“My name is Elika.”

“Elika. How old are you?”

“I’m thirteen. I’ll turn fourteen soon.”

‘Thirteen? She looks more like ten.’

Because of her small frame, the old woman had assumed she was even younger.

“I see. What kind of work have you done?”

“Um… you mean, like what kind?”

“Cleaning, cooking, laundry. Things like that.”

“I’ve done cleaning and laundry. Cooking… I’m not very good at.

Of course, how could she cook without ingredients?

She had only ever eaten leftovers, like cold soup or half-eaten bread, and never had real food to work with.

“Uh, I can also sew a little… and I can fetch water. Two buckets at once. I also know how to clean game after a hunt.”

“If it’s something better done by servants, you don’t need to do it.”

Madam Blansé paused and looked closely at the girl.

A thin body, a face full of scars—she clearly hadn’t grown up in a proper environment.

A friend’s servant? She looked more like a child picked up from the streets.

‘Charon lied to me. Why did he bring her here?’

Seeing the unimpressed look on Madam Blansé’s face, Elika started to panic.

‘Does she think I’m useless too? What do I do?’

Feeling like she might be thrown out again, Elika blurted out something she shouldn’t have said.

“Um, there’s one more thing I’m good at…”

The old woman raised her eyebrows.

“M-My father said that once I turn fourteen, the ‘shop’ will take me in.
Then I could ‘sell my body’ and earn a lot of money.”

Madam Blansé’s expression twisted.

“Actually, he took me there last year, but the owner said to come back when I’m around fourteen. I’ll be fourteen soon, so then I can make lots of money to pay for food and…”

“Stop. Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”

Startled, Elika hiccupped and covered her mouth.

“Do you know what it means to ‘sell your body’?”

“Doesn’t it mean working really hard? Until your body hurts?”

Madam Blansé sighed deeply as she looked at the frightened girl.

‘She really doesn’t know. And her own father told her such a thing.’

Why did Charon bring this child here, and from where?

Rubbing her temple, she looked at Elika.

Though the girl’s sudden arrival was annoying, Madam Blansé wasn’t heartless enough to throw her out just like that.

“It’s fine. Housework can be taught.”

Elika had always thought angry people would hit or kick her, but Madam Blansé didn’t.

Maybe she wasn’t angry after all. Elika let out a small breath of relief.

“The head maid will give you a manual. Read it well. Jacqueline, you’ll guide her.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Um…”

Elika slowly raised her hand.

“I-I can’t read…”

She bowed her head as she whispered.

The old woman sighed quietly.

“You really are useless, aren’t you. Did you think working at a duke’s house would be easy?”

“P-Please give me anything to do. I’ll work hard.”

Elika’s voice trembled. She felt like this was the end again. She quickly wiped away her tears.

“I don’t know what pain is. I don’t even care if it’s hard. I’ll do everything others don’t want to.
Just don’t throw me out. I’ll live like I’m not even alive.”

She bit her lips so hard they bled—but she didn’t seem to feel the pain.

Madam Blansé thought for a moment, then said,

“Jacqueline, teach her how to read. Just enough not to interfere with work.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Elika blinked her large eyes and looked at the head maid and Madam Blansé.

‘She’s going to teach me to read? Then… does that mean she won’t send me away?’

“You can go now.”

Elika hesitated, then gave a deep bow and quickly left the room.

* * *

Jacqueline put Elika under the care of a maid her age named Marie, who was quick and skilled with her hands.

“So you’re the newbie? I’m Marie!”

With curly carrot-colored hair and freckles, Marie had bright, sparkling eyes.

Excited by the “special” task she was given, she grabbed Elika’s hand and pulled her into the hallway.

“Come on! I’ll teach you everything from start to finish!”

‘Aren’t we the same age…?’

“Look, this is how you fold a rag.”

Marie laid a rag flat and folded it neatly.

Elika knew how to fold a rag too, but she followed quietly.

Then Marie started wiping a window—quick and clean, like an expert.

Elika had done chores alone, only learning through scolding and trial and error.

No one had ever taught her the proper way.

So seeing Marie’s “real” cleaning felt like a whole new world to her.

“Wow! Let me try too!”

Elika copied Marie on the window next to hers.

She was a bit slower, but her cleaning was just as neat.

“Whoa, not bad for a newbie!”

Elika blushed at the praise and smiled shyly.

‘Could I maybe… become friends with her?’

Her little heart fluttered with hope.

“Okay, let’s play ‘Window Cleaning Game!’”

“Window Cleaning Game…?”

“Yup! I’ll start from that end, and you start from this one. We’ll meet in the middle. Whoever cleans more wins!”

“Okay!”

It didn’t matter what the prize was or why they were doing it.

“Ready, go!”

Elika had only ever watched other children play from afar.

‘This is my first time playing a game!’

She ran down the hallway, her smile uncontrollable.

‘I’m so happy!’

* * *

With her heart so full, even work didn’t feel hard.

“We met in the middle! We’re done!”

Marie had clearly cleaned twice as many windows, but she just smiled brightly.

“I win!”

“What do you get if you win?”

“You feel good! Feeling good is the best, right?”

“…You’re so smart. That’s really true!”

“Hehe.”

While the girls chatted, footsteps came from behind.

Charon, as elegant as ever, was passing by quietly.

Elika spotted him and ran over.

“Duke! Duke!”

Charon frowned slightly, surprised by her sudden appearance.

“I cleaned the windows here! Marie did most of it, but I still helped! Please look!”

She just wanted to show that she could be useful.

“Are you crazy?!” Marie rushed over, pushed Elika’s head down, and bowed deeply.

“I’m so sorry, Your Grace! She’s new, and she didn’t know…”

Charon didn’t say a word and simply walked away.

Marie wiped sweat off her forehead and scolded Elika.

“You can’t act like that to the Duke!”

“I-I just wanted to say hi because I was happy…”

“You blocked his path and talked too much! You can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s way more important than us! It’s rude to talk to him first!”

‘Oh… right. He didn’t like it when I spoke before either. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that.’

“…I didn’t know. I’ll be careful from now on. Thank you, Marie.”

“Geez, you’re a lot of trouble. Be glad you met someone like me! We’re done here, let’s go to the next area.”

Marie grabbed the bucket and hummed a tune as she walked away.

‘She called me a friend… She really said it.’

Elika stood there, overwhelmed with emotion.

‘I have a friend now… No more hitting father. And I get to learn how to read too.’

She wanted to jump and shout with joy but held herself back.

‘I’m the happiest person in the world!’

* * *

But the next day,

“Duke, please don’t send me away! Please!”

Elika never imagined she’d be forced into a carriage heading back to her hometown.