A Maid’s New Beginning and a Noble’s Secret Admiration

“Indeed, who is she?”

“She only arrived in Saint Saelle recently. Few know of her, but I’ve heard that even Lord Joiy himself must obediently heed her words. She is the true mistress of this mansion now.”

The golden-haired maid’s words left Ruila stunned. She instinctively parted her lips, yet no sound escaped her.

She had previously worried that Lena’s offer to make her a maid might bring trouble, especially from a powerful noble like Joiy in Saint Saelle. Now, it seemed even Joiy had to listen to Lena.

Did this mean Lena was a figure as significant as the Governor of Saint Saelle?

At this thought, Ruila’s heart began to pound uncontrollably.

Such an opportunity, under normal circumstances, was something she wouldn’t encounter in a lifetime.

Recalling it now, the previous servants had referred to Lena as ‘Madam’ in her presence, but at the time, her mind had been preoccupied with other matters, and she hadn’t paid any attention.

The golden-haired maid, assuming Ruila feared angering Lena and losing her job, offered reassurance. “Don’t worry, Madam is very approachable. Unless it’s something truly outrageous, you shouldn’t upset her.”

“M-mm…” Ruila stammered a reply.

She took a step back, steadying herself against a table, her legs feeling somewhat unsteady. As the golden-haired maid recorded her measurements, she asked curiously,

“By the way, I’m not sure how you were hired, little sister. Lord Joiy hasn’t been recruiting new maids recently, has he?”

“It was Madam Lena…”

The golden-haired maid paused mid-air while putting away her tools, her lips twitching. She cleared her throat awkwardly. “Let’s pretend I said nothing. I thought she was worried about being reprimanded by Madam Lena, but it turns out Madam herself hired her. She knows Madam even better than I do…”

****

After her measurements were taken, Ruila returned to her dormitory and tidied her bed until someone called her out.

By then, the sky had already begun to darken. A thin veil of light shimmered across everything under the bright moonlight, while the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves echoed in her ears.

For some inexplicable reason, whenever the moonlight fell upon the silver-haired beauty before her, Ruila invariably mistook her for Senior Silverbloom.

They shared the same silver hair, the same gentle demeanor. The only difference, perhaps, lay in their faces.

Remembering Lena’s true identity, Ruila grew increasingly nervous upon seeing her. Nevertheless, she bowed slightly, employing the etiquette she had only recently learned.

“Madam, may I ask why you sought me?”

“These are two vials of magic-suppressing potions. Give them to your sister. You can pay later; the term is quite long. A carriage will also pick up your sister and bring her to the mansion shortly, making it easier for you to care for her.”

Lena had fulfilled her promise.

For Joiy, such potions were utterly trivial; he could easily produce dozens, even hundreds of bottles.

They were nothing to him.

However, in Ruila’s past life, this would have been an astronomical sum.

“Madam…”

The clear liquid in the glass vials shimmered, reflecting the starlight of the night sky, brilliant and radiant. Clutching them to her chest, Ruila pressed her lips together, her eyes welling up once more.

She had shed more tears in these two days than in the past few years combined.

“I will work hard!”

Ruila yearned to repay Lena, but after much thought, she realized she could do nothing but dedicate herself to her work.

This realization deepened her sense of gratitude and guilt even further.

“Go back and get some rest.”

“Yes!”

Clutching the potions tightly to her chest, fearing they might fall and shatter, Ruila trudged back to her dormitory step by slow step. Lena, with a soft chuckle, turned and re-entered the villa.

The villa’s main hall remained brightly lit, though the lights in the upstairs corridor had already been extinguished. Lena used a small lantern to illuminate the modest space.

At the turn of the second-floor corridor, she spotted a somewhat stealthy shadow. It seemed to have just returned from the second-floor balcony. Upon seeing this, her delicate brows furrowed, and she unconsciously remarked,

“Lilith, isn’t it quite late? Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Her words caused the shadow to freeze in place. Lena, too, was momentarily startled, unsure why she had spoken that way.

She could manage Celia, but could she really manage Lilith? Lilith was not her child.

Such an intervention might very well cause Lilith to resent her.

Just as she was about to apologize, to her surprise, Lilith rubbed the back of her head, not looking at Lena, but instead stammered in reply, “Um, I’m going now…”

After saying this, she also realized what had happened and turned to look at Lena in surprise.

“I apologize…” Lena said.

Lilith wasn’t angry. With her hands clasped behind her back, she seemed to see through everything, asking with a smile, “What’s wrong, Lena? Is your child usually very naughty and doesn’t sleep on time?”

“…No, my daughter is very obedient.”

Lilith circled Lena, as if trying to sniff out a lie with her delicate nose, but ultimately failed.

Lena had spoken the truth.

“Then I overthought it. I thought you often got headaches because of your daughter.”

The inexplicable pride vanished completely. The young girl crossed her arms, leaning against the corridor window, letting the evening breeze ruffle her hair. “I know all about what happened earlier. Miss Lena, you could be considered the second gentlest woman I’ve ever met.”

“And the first?”

“My mother, of course.”

It was an unsurprising answer. Lena had anticipated her reply, and she continued with interest, “If possible, I would truly like to meet her and see what the gentlest woman you speak of is like.”

“You will meet her. I’m close to finding her.”

As if recalling something, Lilith couldn’t stop smiling. Her eyes were filled with anticipation and nostalgia.

With just that one sentence, Lena knew there was an unusual story between Lilith and her mother, and their relationship was likely complex. However, she did not pry further, as it was another’s private matter.

“Then I wish you an even swifter reunion with her.”

Clasping her hands together, she offered a simple prayer. Outside the window, a shooting star silently streaked across the sky, vanishing without a trace.

Gathering the sides of her skirt, Lilith bowed solemnly in thanks. Then, with a bright smile, she promised,

“There’s actually a contribution from you in this. Once we catch the demonic traitors hiding in Saint Saelle, if you have a wish, you can tell me. As long as it’s not too excessive, I will have the Demon Lord fulfill it for you.”

“It seems your status among the demons is quite high.”

“Hmph, perhaps.” Lilith slightly raised her chin, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Thank you for your kindness, but as for a wish, it won’t be necessary.”

She waved her hand, and Lena, with a light chuckle, brushed past her. A fragrant breeze wafted by, and the young girl let out a surprised gasp.

‘Lena might think this kind of work is…’

‘That’s the Demon Lord! I haven’t seen many people who can refuse such a temptation.’

“Get some rest soon. Don’t stand out in the evening breeze; you might catch a cold.”

“Understood.”

Watching Lena’s figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Lilith suddenly felt the mists surrounding her deepen, further igniting her desire to uncover the truth.

****

The next day, Ruila climbed out of bed before the sun had even risen. As a result, breakfast wasn’t ready, and the butler was still asleep. With nothing to do, she wandered around the mansion once more.

Her sister, Anna, had been moved into her dormitory last night. To facilitate her care, the butler had specially placed two beds in Ruila’s private room.

After taking the potion, Anna had clearly improved significantly. Her breathing had become much smoother, and she had slept peacefully last night. Ruila believed that in a few more days, Anna would be able to leave her bed and carefully take a few steps.

Once she regained the strength of a normal person, she could begin to exercise. This period might take several years, but Ruila was filled with hope.

Even now, Ruila remembered her sister Anna’s surprised gaze from last night. Anna couldn’t believe she had truly received help from a noble, having initially thought those promises were meant to deceive her.

However… at the time, it had indeed been a deception, but who could have known Madam Lena would be so kind?

Recalling these thoughts, Ruila stretched lazily as she walked through the mansion’s backyard.

She casually placed a few white petals in her palm and sniffed them. The rich floral scent enhanced her already good mood.

The maids’ breakfast was abundant, with milk, bread, and various small dishes. Ruila ate her fill, and after breakfast, the butler led her to the place where her measurements had been taken yesterday.

The maid uniform was already complete, its speed leaving her dumbfounded.

Carefully changing into the black and white maid uniform, Ruila turned in a circle before the mirror, gazing at her reflection in silent wonder for a long moment.

The maid uniform skillfully concealed her slender frame; the decorations on the chest camouflaged her modest bust, leaving only her two straight, black-stockinged legs exposed.

Absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she couldn’t believe she could look so beautiful.

The butler meticulously observed Ruila.

“Not bad, though a little too thin.”

“Thank you, Mr. Butler.”

Ruila dared not move much as she spoke. Although the maid uniform was beautiful, it was also incredibly expensive. She had never worn such fine clothing before.

If she damaged it, her heart would ache before she could even regret it.

“I am not the one you should be thanking.”

The butler shook his head. After saying this, he briefly explained the mansion’s rules to her and also arranged maid etiquette training for a few days later.

As a maid in a Viscount’s mansion, noble etiquette was absolutely essential.

However, after completing these tasks, the butler seemed to no longer pay attention to Ruila, which made her a little confused.

“Mr. Butler, should I begin working now?”

“Just deliver this cup of tea to the Viscount’s study. That will be your only task for today. Tomorrow, you will be assigned some real work.”

The butler pointed to the tea on a nearby tray as he spoke.

“What? Only this much work?”

Ruila suspected she had misheard.

She had prepared herself for much harder work as a maid, especially since Madam Lena had previously mentioned that a maid’s duties were very demanding.

The butler chuckled. “No need to worry.”

The butler chuckled again, saying, “You see, there are many servants in the Viscount’s mansion, but only so much work to be done. Your daily workload will never be heavy.”

“Ah?”

“Hurry along.”

“Oh.”

Picking up the tray, Ruila felt a bit bewildered.

After finishing this task, what was she supposed to do next?

The abrupt shift from an extremely busy state to one of leisure was strangely difficult for her to adapt to. She couldn’t shake the feeling that if she didn’t do something after delivering the tea, she would simply be wasting time.

Lost in thought, she collided with Lilith, who was wearing a long black dress, at the corner of the villa corridor.

“Oh dear!”

The tray nearly crashed to the floor, but Aelin swiftly caught it, along with the teacup. Despite her quickness, some of the tea still splashed onto the skirt of Lilith’s dress, just above her stomach.

Although the long dress was black, the dampened area was noticeably darker. Ruila, realizing it was Lilith, flushed crimson. She hastily pulled out a handkerchief to dab at the young girl’s skirt, continuously murmuring apologies.

She wished she could slap herself twice for being distracted while carrying the tray. On her very first day as a maid, she had already messed up her work.

And to spill it on the young mistress of the Viscount’s mansion—this was truly terrible.

If Lilith became displeased, even if Lena had secured her maid position, it would be difficult for Ruila to live comfortably within the mansion afterward.

“I’m so sorry! So sorry!”

Seeing her flustered state, Lilith gently grasped Ruila’s wrist, stopping her from wiping the skirt. In a soft voice, she said,

“It’s alright, you won’t be punished.”

“Thank you…”

Lilith’s unexpected gentleness caused Aelin, standing nearby, to raise an eyebrow.

In Aelin’s eyes, while her mistress wouldn’t typically flare up and punish a maid for such a minor incident, she also wouldn’t be *this* gentle. Was there a story here that Aelin didn’t know?

“Are you taking this tea to the Viscount’s study?” Lilith continued to ask.

“Yes.”

Ruila appeared timid and subservient, but Lilith didn’t seem to mind. She waved her hand and said, “Go quickly and brew another cup to deliver. Afterward, come out with me; I’ll also change my clothes.”

“Eh?”

“A Saint Saelle noble banquet will be held at the estate in a week. I’m going out to procure some things, and on the way, I’d like to hear you tell me stories about the Silverbloom Sword Princess.”

Lilith revealed her true intention. She had wanted to hear stories about the Silverbloom Sword Princess ever since she first met Ruila, especially since Ruila’s parents had been saved by the Silverbloom Sword Princess.

The stories Ruila knew would surely be far more detailed than anything Lilith had learned during her years in the Demon Lord’s city.

Ruila blinked at her, then gathered her courage and asked softly, “Miss, are you perhaps a fan of the Silverbloom Sword Princess?”

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, Lilith affirmed with a smile, which made Ruila feel even closer to the young mistress before her.

‘What kind of wicked person could like Senior Silverbloom?’

Thinking this, she took the tray and teacup, preparing to brew another cup of tea. After she left, Aelin grumbled,

“Miss, if His Majesty heard that question, he would probably give you a severe scolding.”

“Oh? I, on the other hand, think my mother would be pulling your ear.”

“Hmph, Miss is being stubborn.”