IKMHITM 17

࣪ ִֶָ☾. Chapter 17 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“Miss. Front. Look ahead!”

At Philia’s urgent gesture, Genevieve looked straight ahead.

A pale golden-brown door opened, and someone walked out from inside. Seeing that person’s face, Genevieve’s jaw dropped.

“Are you Miss Genevieve of the Moretta family?”

The person who approached with restrained steps asked.

“Ah… Yes. I am Genevieve Moretta.”

“Welcome to the Belper Estate. I am Kamien, the one who oversees this place.”

“Hmph.”

Genevieve was embarrassed that she had momentarily lost her mind over Kamien’s face. She deliberately acted chilly, but her eyes kept glancing at Kamien of their own accord.

How can someone look like that? Is he even of the same species as me? In the world, a handsome man like that…

Pull yourself together!

What woke Genevieve up was the sense of elitism that permeated to her bones.

No matter how handsome he was, what of it? At best he’d be a lower-tier aristocrat, with a high probability of being a commoner.

He could never match Lord Seryan’s innate nobility.

Look. He’s even carrying my bags right now, isn’t he?

Steeling her mind, Genevieve lifted her chin and asked.

“Where is the mistress?”

“She is waiting in the reception room.”

Not even coming out to greet me! Genevieve’s eyes grew sharp.

A married lady was treated as an elder compared to an unmarried young lady. Furthermore, Eviniet, having become the Marchioness of Arno, held a higher status than the daughter of Count Moretta.

Even so, Genevieve’s stomach churned with resentment. It was because she had dug into Eviniet’s background.

A fallen aristocrat dare…

Eviniet was originally in a position to work as someone else’s tutor or monitor. Just like Philia.

It was laughable that such a woman had snatched away her fiancé and was now acting like an elder.

Let’s go take a look at that brazen face!

Kamien placed Genevieve’s bags in the entryway.

“Miss Philia, would you mind waiting here for a moment? I will return after guiding Lady Genevieve to the reception room.”

“Pardon? Y-yes, yes.”

Philia, who had still been staring at Kamien with her mouth open, startled and nodded her head. Then she suddenly thought.

How did he know my name?

Oh well. He must have heard Lady Genevieve calling me, right?

Anyway, are there not many employees here? Despite such a huge mansion, only the butler is visible.

“The doctor recommended that Lord Seryan needs emotional stability. The employees are striving to avoid catching the master’s eye as much as possible.”

Kamien explained as if reading Philia’s mind.

“If you need anything, please write it down on the notepad provided in your guest room and leave it in the corridor. I will have it prepared immediately.”

“Ah, yes. That’s fine. After all, the maids who will tend to the young lady are riding in the carriage that will arrive shortly afterwards.”

“…Only the maids. Are they coming?”

“Well, since she is an unmarried young lady. The only male servants are the coachmen.”

Kamien stared intently at Philia. When the sharp gaze was added to his handsome face, it took away the viewer’s breath.

“…Understood. Please instruct the maids to be extremely careful as well.”

“O-of course! We can’t possibly inconvenience the Marquis of Arno. Though some are newbies, so their training might be lacking and they could make mistakes. Please understand.”

“If it’s a mistake made by a ‘maid’ of the Moretta family, I will understand.”

Kamien stepped away. The moment his face vanished from her field of vision, Philia finally managed to catch her breath.

“Phew, the atmosphere is no joke.”

He was so handsome she had wondered if he was just some gigolo who had snagged the butler position with his face. But the oppressive weight she felt, unlike anything she had experienced even in front of high aristocrats, choked off her breath.

“While I wait, I should move the luggage… huh?”

The luggage bags that had been piled high in the entryway had vanished into thin air! Turning her head sharply, Philia caught a fleeting glimpse of a maid disappearing past the corridor.

She looked like she had bad legs, so how on earth could she move so fast?!

Philia found herself wondering what kind of training the employees here received.

At the noise coming from the entryway, Eve’s eyes welled up with emotion.

It’s a sign of life!

It wasn’t the sound of objects rattling or breaking on their own, nor the eerie sound of sobbing or scratching the walls, nor a bizarre groan or the cracking of joints…!

She was glad, but the other person wouldn’t be glad to see her.

Eve took one last look in the mirror to check her appearance.

Hair swept up without ornaments, a simple silver-gray dress covering her neck and arms entirely. Basic makeup with just a slight flush of color on her lips.

“You look far too plain, Master!”

“That’s how I’m supposed to look.”

Eve retorted to Kain and put on a deliberately pitiful expression.

“Miss Genevieve will suspect me. She’ll think I used despicable means to snatch Seryan and marry him, won’t she?”

“It’s not the truth, though. Aren’t you resentful?”

“I might have been resentful… if Seryan were actually alive.”

It wasn’t as if Eve hadn’t done anything, so she couldn’t just claim pure innocence. It had been justifiable self-defense to survive, but who would understand?

Eve was the daughter of a lower-tier aristocrat, and Seryan was the next head of the grand House of Arno.

Even worse, a woman’s life was cheap compared to a man’s. The kingdom would have hanged Eve on the gallows for the “crime of not letting herself be killed quietly.”

Ironically, the only place that acknowledged her legitimacy was the Belper Estate.

Thinking about it that way, this place isn’t the absolute worst—

What on earth am I thinking? Pull yourself together!

The moment Eve slapped her own cheek, a knock sounded.

“Come in.”

Genevieve was a young lady with abundant wavy blonde hair and sunset-orange eyes. Her physique was small, but her upturned eyebrows revealed a formidable temperament.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Genevieve’s brow narrowed as she looked at Eve’s plain attire.

It seems different from the image she had imagined.

She must have hoped for a lavish, debauched femme fatale who seduced men, or something.

Eve put on a deliberately sweet smile and offered a greeting.

“Welcome. You must have had a hard time traveling such a long way to the Belper Estate?”

“You know it well.”

What is this girl?

Eve’s plan to appear as an innocuous and innocent noble matron was shaken from the start.

“Since you invited me, I suppose I should express my gratitude?”

Genevieve said listlessly as she settled comfortably onto the sofa.

“I have no intention of expressing thanks with just words. I sent a few gifts as a token of reply. Did you receive them?”

“Gifts? I’m grateful, but this is my first time hearing about it.”

“You don’t seem to exchange pleasantries with your family very often?”

Did she send gifts to my family, by any chance? Eve almost lost her composure.

“I sent some flour, beans, dried herbs, and a few blankets. I thought they might find them useful.”

Genevieve had as good as revealed that she had just investigated Eve’s background. Furthermore, the items she had sent as “gifts” were all things fit to be sent to a poorhouse.

It was an act mocking the poverty of Eve’s maternal home.

“…Oh my. How thoughtful of you.”

Eve’s smiling face turned grim. She had at least expected Genevieve to try and hear the story behind this marriage.

However, Genevieve seemed to have already made up her mind before coming.

In that case, I must live up to your expectations.

At that exact moment, a shiny kettle placed on the table caught Eve’s eye. Normally she would have panicked and thought, Why is this here?!, but right now she welcomed it.

“You must be thirsty from the long journey. Have a cup of tea.”

“A silver kettle? I like it.”

She hasn’t poisoned it, has she? Mocking her with a roundabout sneer, Genevieve held out her teacup.

Instead of filling the guest’s cup, Eve gently slid the kettle over.

As if pouring it herself was a privilege you deserved.

“…”

Genevieve’s eyebrow twitched. However, as if to display the dignity of a “true aristocrat,” she shook out her sleeve with an elegant attitude and tilted the kettle.

“Why isn’t this coming out?”

Before I handed it to you, I pressed the lock on the handle, you see.

I’m sorry, Andy. Just let it slide this time.

Eve smiled innocently, as if she knew nothing at all.

“Perhaps the tea leaves are blocking the spout. Why don’t you give it a gentle shake?”

“Call a maid. You can just tell them to brew the tea again!”

“Didn’t Kamien explain? The employees of the Belper Estate make it a rule to avoid being seen as much as possible. It’s an effort not to worsen Seryan’s nervous exhaustion.”

Eve deliberately emphasized Seryan’s name and blinked her eyelashes.

“Of course, Miss Genevieve must have come all this way because she was worried about Seryan more than anyone else, right?”

“Of course. I’m worried enough about him to do things I wouldn’t normally do!”

Shaking a kettle—how unrefined! Genevieve assumed Eve was trying to humiliate her.

And you think you’ll get away with that?

With a rebellious attitude, Genevieve shook the kettle wildly. Before shaking it, she didn’t forget to cleverly turn the kettle’s spout toward Eve.

I hope scalding hot tea splashes all over your face!

However, the thing that actually exploded was the kettle lid.

“Kyaaaack!”

Tea surging up like a fountain struck Genevieve squarely on the chin.

“Hot, ah hot! Argh!”

Eve looked down at the kettle Genevieve had dropped. The boy reflected on its glossy surface glared fiercely at Genevieve with an expression full of anger before abruptly vanishing.

Nice one, Andy.’

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･