Chapter 12 - The Marquess' Servant, Julie

translated by myonnie

Julie, a servant working under Marquess Juan, was fifteen years old.

Today was the day she went downtown to do the weekly shopping to purchase supplies for the other employees.

She bought sewing thread, various buttons for the servants’ clothes, and cheap sweets that her friends asked her to buy.

She never thought that when she was about to go home, she would be kidnapped, and dragged into a back alley.

Frightened, Julie thrashed her arms and legs, struggling until she heard a voice.

"It's me, Julie. I've been waiting for you to come."

And the man showed his face.

“Huh? Sir Diego? Why? Didn’t you go to the Allies?”

“Come over here for a second. I have something important to tell you.”

Diego pulled Julie into the alley and entered a deserted tavern.

“Sir Diego, just what is this?”

“Julie, listen to me. It’s important, and it concerns Lady Bertine.”

Julie nodded, though still confused.

“I never went to the Allies. After The Lord ordered me to go save her, Madam stopped me.”

“Madam did? Why?”

“She told me not to go the Allies, and made me promise to spend two months going to the empire for a vacation. She also gave me money.”

“Why did Madam do that...”

“I think Madam doesn’t want to let Lady Bertine return home.”

Upon hearing this, Julie immediately thought of Dorothee. Many times did Dorothee say to her and the other servants.

“Let me know immediately if Madam and Our Lady are alone together.”

Madam was a quiet lady, kind to both the servants and Bertine, which was why it became a hot topic, Why would she say that?

The conclusion was, ‘Dorothee must’ve hated Madam because she loved The Lord’s ex-wife so much.’

“Is that why Dorothee has been wary of Madam for so long?”

“What? I haven’t heard anything. Did Madam do anything to Lady Bertine?”

“I don’t know. But she repeatedly told us not to leave Lady Bertine with her alone.”

“Why did Dorothee keep it a secret!? Julie, listen carefully."

Julie looked at Diego with a serious face.

“Tell The Lord what I’m about to tell you. I can’t go back to the mansion. Julie, do it for me.”

“But I’m a mere servant. I can’t enter The Lord’s room.”

“You don’t have to. Knock on the window from outside at night. After the lights in Madam’s room have gone out, knock on the window of The Lord’s office.”

Julie started shivering.

“Sir Diego, that’s scary.”

"Do it even if you're scared. It's for Lady Bertine. Never tell other employees. We don’t know who’s on Madam’s side.”

“Yeah, okay. You’re right.”

“We have to let The Lord know what Madam is doing. Do you understand that?”

“Yeah. I know. I’ll try. Since it’s for My Lady.”

Diego looked at the street from the window many times, careful.

“Listen, Madam is Her Majesty’s sister. I don't know if this matter is simply Madam’s idea, or if the royal family is involved. If it's related to the royal family, I can't afford to be seen. Because it’ll affect The Lord.”

"Is that so? I don’t really get it, but I’ll try. Really."

Diego once again made sure,

"Be sure to tell The Lord what Madam ordered me to do. Tell him that I will be here at the same time tomorrow."

And he then left.

Julie returned to the manor, her heart pounding and her palms drenched in sweat.

But Julie decided to follow through with it. Because Her Lady was her benefactor, her savior.

It happened five years ago.

When Julie was ten years old and had just become a servant girl in the manor, there was an uproar caused by a missing silver spoon. Julie was suspected because she was wandering in and out of the kitchen without knowing what to do because she was still a newcomer.

"I never touched any silver spoon!"

The other employees didn't believe Julie when she shouted so.

At this rate, they’ll make me the culprit, Julie’s head was blank with fear. And Bertine, who coincidentally came to the kitchen to find Dorothee, heard the ruckus.

“You can start suspecting people only once you’ve done everything to find it. It might have fallen somewhere. I’ll help, so let’s search a bit more.”

Bertine’s words made them search for the spoon again. As a result, the silver spoon was found in the midst of the kitchen waste inside the hole dug in the garden. Turns out the chef was the one who dropped the spoon into the kitchen waste before it was thrown away, and Julie’s suspicion was then cleared. The chef apologized to her many times.

Julie was frightened even after the commotion was resolved. Then Bertine called her to her room and have her hold a sweet, high-quality baked confectionery in her hand.

"Sorry. If I'd realized it sooner, you wouldn't have had to be so scared."

And she apologized.

“My Lady, it’s not your fault.”

Just saying that brought tears to her eyes.

"There, there. Oh, poor you. If you have any trouble again, come to me anytime. Everyone makes mistakes, but it's not a good idea to doubt things like that without evidence. I’m sure everyone was panicked. I’ll make sure to warn them.”

Bertine hugged Julie's shoulder and comforted her.

Julie secretly ate the baked sweets she received when she was alone. It smelled sweet and thick butter, with a luxurious taste that she had never eaten before. Even after that, Bertine was worried about Julie and called out to her many times, sometimes with a little candy or baked sweets as a treat.

“I can’t believe they’re not going to help the kind Lady Bertine. And even telling Sir Diego to go on a vacation in the empire!”

Julie suddenly found Madam, who was always soft-spoken, to be frightening.

At night.

Julie silently got up from the bed, opened the door, and was about to go out into the hallway when another servant sleeping in the same room called out to her.

"Julie? What's wrong?"

“I, I’m thirsty. And I need to use the toilet. I don’t know why, but my stomach hurts.”

“Right. Get well soon.”

“Thanks.”

She jogged to the sunroom, gently opened the glass door at the end of the room, and went outside.

There was a thick curtain drawn in my husband's office, but she gathered her courage and knocked the window glass with her fingertips.

Three times, four times. Julie panicked when the curtains didn't budge. When she was hesitating whether she should knock harder, the curtain finally opened a little, and then the window was narrowly opened. The marquess was looking at her.

“My Lord.”

"Who are you?"

"It's Julie, a servant. My Lord, I have a message from Sir Diego.”

Immediately were the curtains and windows opened wide.

"Diego? What do you mean?"

Julie relayed Diego's words. The Marquess listened without changing his expression, but his fingers in the window frame were clenched so hard his fingers turned white.

“Okay. So Diego will be there tomorrow. Julie, thank you. Well done. I'll reward you later."

Marquess ordered, “It’s bad if anyone sees you. Go back to your room now." He closed the window and quickly drew the curtains.

Julie hurried back to the sunroom, wiped off the dirt on the bottom of her slippers, and then returned to her room. It wasn’t cold, but she couldn’t stop shivering.

The next day.

A young private soldier of the Marquess, Elias, was in a bar in the back alley.

"Sir Diego, The Lord is telling you to head to the Allies again.”

“Is that so? Then this may be a royal affair. You’re a noble. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Elias had a fearless smile on his well-groomed face.

“I’m a noble, but only the fourth son of a baron. If something happens, I’ll ask my family to remove me from the register before I receive any punishment. I can’t forgive myself for not going to help Lady Bertine. I’m going no matter what.”

“Right. I have arranged for a ship to cross the continent. We'll start by finding the young lady."

In this way, the two crossed over to the continent through a sea voyage, procured horses, and headed for the capital, Ebott. As soon as they finally arrived at Ebott, they requested a meeting with Cecilio, the representative of the Allies.

At Cecilio’s office.

“I apologize to all of you who have traveled all the way to the Allies, but Marquess Juan’s daughter is heading to the deepest area at my request. She’s also with male bodyguards and maids. First of all, I hope you can listen to what happened up to this point.”

Cecilio explained the circumstances to the two men who looked at him harshly. Diego and Elias were the ones who were surprised.

“Your Excellency, did you refuse to marry Lady Bertine?”

“That's right. Our messenger delivered a reply of refusal, received a letter of confirmation, and returned back to the country. Yet she came to this country with the intention of getting married. I haven’t heard anything from the Saint-Leuhan royal family since then.”

On the document that was handed out, there were the words and date written, "I certify that I have certainly received the document from His Excellency Cecilio." It was three days before Bertine left the country by ship.

“Sir, the royal family sent the young lady away, knowing that it was rejected.”

“Seems like that.”

“The royal family and the prime minister in your country aren’t on good terms?”

"That's not for me to judge. For the time being, we will follow My Lady. Could you tell me where to go?"

“Okay. I’ll have your identification card written. That should make your journey easier.”

Without rest, the two private soldiers followed Bertine into the depths of the Allies.

"Sir, His Excellency Cecilio is quite different from the rumors, isn’t he?"

“Yeah. He’s a receptive guy. I didn't expect him to write us an identification card.

Now, we must carry out The Lord’s orders.

Diego vowed as he rushed his horse.

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