Chapter 6

A Splash of Cold Water

‘Even looking at that face no longer makes my heart flutter. I don’t even want to talk to him anymore.’

After returning to her room, Essika stretched once before lying down on the bed.

She could see the sky through the small window of the cramped room.

Watching the drifting fragments of clouds, she closed her eyes.

The moment she had first met Kallian Klaus and fallen for him passed through her mind.

At the same time, the days Yeongryeong had spent after meeting the Emperor in her previous life overlapped with those memories.

‘The result was utter ruin. I was truly foolish to be taken in by a man who was all empty inside.’

Essika opened her eyes again.

‘But from now on, this body’s life belongs to this body.’

A cold, sharp light shone in her blue eyes.

Although she had yet to regain her former strength, she possessed the knowledge and experience necessary to judge the situation before her clearly.

Things would gradually—but certainly—change.

Tap.

Suddenly, she heard the door open without even a knock.

Essika slowly sat up on the bed.

Four women stood before her.

The three women in front were maids directly under the Head Lady.

They were women who wielded considerable influence throughout the ducal household under the protection of the Head Lady’s authority.

‘I expected this, but their reaction was remarkably quick.’

Standing behind them was Yuri, who had recently been appointed head maid.

The corner of her lips twisted into a slanted smile.

The three maids had brought buckets filled with ice-cold water.

Then they threw them all over Essika.

Splash—!

Whoosh—!

The freezing water drenched Essika.

Her neatly combed hair became completely soaked, as did her clothes.

Even after the maids had emptied the buckets, water continued dripping from the tips of her chin and sleeves for quite some time.

Yuri stepped forward with a clicking sound from her shoes and stood before Essika.

Then she raised her chin and spoke.

“The Head Lady ordered us to bring you some refreshing cold water.”

A cold smile hung from the corner of Yuri’s lips.

“She said that when it comes to correcting insolent behavior, refreshing water is more effective than fragrant tea.”

There was a pleasant note of mockery in her voice.

“But…… don’t you look just like a drowned rat?”

At Yuri’s words, the maids behind her burst into laughter.

Water dripped steadily from the ends of Essika’s hair, while her wet strands clung to her face.

Yuri felt immensely satisfied at the sight of Essika’s disheveled appearance.

How dare this woman, a Duchess in name only, drink tea with Kallian as though she were so important?

Furthermore, she had heard that Essika had left without even saying goodbye while Kallian was still seated.

Yuri had immediately reported the incident to the Head Lady, deliberately aggravating her mood.

And now they had deliberately brought water cold enough to freeze and poured it over Essika.

She must be practically losing her mind.

Essika slowly brushed the wet strands covering her eyes aside.

“……”

When Yuri’s eyes met Essika’s blue gaze, her eyebrow twitched.

She had expected Essika’s eyes to be filled with fear or tears after being drenched in icy water.

But there wasn’t the slightest trace of emotion in them.

Yuri didn’t know.

She didn’t know that Heavenly Yeongryeong had spent dozens of days training in an ice valley since childhood.

Her body might still be weak, but her mental fortitude was such that something this trivial couldn’t possibly make even her eyebrow twitch.

“……Ha.”

Without the slightest sign of discomfort, Essika climbed down from the bed and slowly brushed her hair back from her face.

The maids standing behind Yuri also flinched at Essika’s completely unfazed reaction.

After all, even bullying was only fun when the victim reacted.

But Essika……

“……Are you finished?”

With a calm expression—or rather, with eyes that looked as though she were staring at something utterly ridiculous—Essika brought her face close to Yuri’s.

The corners of Yuri’s lips, which had been raised high, trembled.

“You……”

“Tell the Head Lady that I enjoyed the cold water.”

Essika’s lips moved as her voice emerged.

“It’s quite an honor to have my future daughter-in-law personally bring it to me. You two must have grown quite close, haven’t you?”

Essika’s gaze shifted toward the maids behind Yuri.

At the words ‘future daughter-in-law,’ Yuri’s hand twitched.

“What…… what are you talking about?!”

“Are you embarrassed because the maids are here? You said it yourself, didn’t you? That you were going to become a daughter-in-law of House Klaus.”

“……!”

For now, Yuri’s interest in Kallian could not reach the Head Lady’s ears.

Essika had already suffered so much because of the Head Lady’s obsessive maternal affection.

If the Head Lady even began to see Yuri, who had just become head maid after offering her jewelry, as an eyesore……

Yuri might even find her life in danger.

“When…… when did I ever say that?!”

When Yuri looked behind her, the maids who had followed her exchanged complicated glances.

Essika, meanwhile, watched Yuri’s flustered appearance with a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

‘Could she have deliberately said something like that?’

Yuri’s eyes wavered.

There was no way that stupid Essika could have calculated a situation this carefully……!

Yuri gritted her teeth.

“And.”

Essika’s gaze shifted toward the maids behind Yuri.

“Emilia, Annie, Lusa. I’ll remember what the three of you did today as well. Your attitude toward those above you is truly admirable……”

The maids, who had been frozen stiff, flinched at her calm yet chilly voice.

“I’ll make sure to reward you someday.”

The Duchess knew their names?

The Duchess of Klaus was a pale, sickly woman who seemed capable of doing nothing but draping herself in jewels and adorning herself every day.

When the Head Lady had grown displeased with her and threatened to throw her out, Essika had begged and begged until she was allowed to move into this shabby room to reflect on her behavior.

How could someone like that possibly change so easily?

And yet, the eyes of the Duchess standing drenched in water were……

‘I feel a chill.’

They were utterly terrifying.

There was a faint trace of killing intent in her eyes, and the corners of her lips were twisted into a slight smile.

Wasn’t she just like a witch?

The maids’ expressions gradually stiffened.

“L-Let’s go.”

Yuri turned around abruptly, her tightly clenched fists trembling.

The three maids followed behind her.

Their footsteps, which had been confident when they entered, had now become hurried and anxious.

**

“Madam, I brought some dry clothes, but…… the clothes……”

Sella bent almost to the floor before Essika and begged for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry, but these were the only clothes I could obtain. They’re maid’s clothes.”

Essika changed clothes without saying a word, while Sella anxiously watched her reaction.

Essika shook out her wet hair as she thought about the luxurious dresses she had brought with her when she married into the Klaus family.

The room originally assigned to her had been spacious and filled with sunlight.

It had even been splendid enough to suit the position of the Duchess of Klaus.

But the Head Lady had begun tormenting Essika by picking at every little thing she did, while Kallian had offered absolutely no protection.

Naturally, Essika’s position within the household had steadily deteriorated.

Eventually, the Head Lady had issued her final ultimatum:

If Essika continued behaving so extravagantly and tarnishing the family’s honor, she should get a divorce……

So Essika had moved herself into this cramped room, where sunlight barely reached and hardly anyone ever came.

She had even handed over almost all her dresses and jewelry to the Head Lady, keeping only two outfits for occasions when she needed to dress formally.

Yuri had ruined one of those two outfits under the excuse that it had been an accident.

So Essika was essentially left with only a single proper outfit.

‘And these clothes are probably the Head Lady’s idea as well.’

For a noblewoman, wearing a maid’s uniform was an enormous humiliation.

So Essika would have had to choose between shivering in her wet clothes until they dried or enduring the terrible humiliation of wearing a maid’s uniform like a lowly servant.

“How do you think I look, Sella?”

After straightening her clothes, Essika looked at Sella while wearing the maid’s uniform she had brought.

Sella slowly raised her head and looked at Essika, slightly surprised.

“Madam……”

Even an ordinary maid’s uniform could not conceal Essika’s uniqueness.

There was an unmistakable dignity flowing from her posture alone.

And although Sella had never noticed it before, Essika was undeniably beautiful now.

‘Why on earth doesn’t His Grace cherish Madam?’

The thought suddenly crossed Sella’s mind.

“It seems to fit you perfectly, but…… Madam, for you to wear a maid’s uniform……”

“No. I’m asking whether I look like a real maid.”

“Of course not! You are the noble Duchess of Klaus……”

Essika furrowed her delicate brows.

“I’m asking how I can make myself look like a convincing maid.”

Sella flinched before answering.

“……Maidservants usually tie their hair up, so I think it would be better if you tied yours as well.”

“Yes. That’s the kind of answer I wanted.”

Essika nodded.

“I like practical things. I hate trash that’s pretty only in appearance. I’ve worn enough of those things to last a lifetime in my previous life……”

A sinister smile appeared on Essika’s lips as she spoke.

“With that in mind, I quite like these clothes you brought me and your advice to tie my hair up.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Essika looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Life was full of unexpected twists and turns.

Now that she had acquired convenient clothes that allowed her to move freely, how could she not be pleased?

Sella had been bracing herself for the Duchess to become furious and despair at the humiliation.

Instead, she could only stare blankly at Essika.

With her hair tied up in a single braid, Essika was smiling as though she were genuinely enjoying herself.

And at that very moment, there was a man heading toward the Klaus ducal residence.