Chapter 35: Rising Authority: The Weight of Power

Elin Berteine

The Name That Set Berteine Ablaze After the Wizard Exchange Gathering.

Elin Berteine.

Since the Wizard Exchange Gathering, her name has become the hottest topic in Berteine.

And why wouldn’t it be?

The reason the servants had subtly ignored and avoided Elin all this time was simple.

Berteine, a household that should undeniably represent the pinnacle of excellence and pride, had produced someone they viewed as a disgrace, born without any talent.

But during the exchange gathering, Elin proved her worth.

The servants who witnessed it firsthand spoke in awe:

The skies overturned.

The earth crumbled and twisted.

Everything was sucked into a single point.

Though many hadn’t seen the magic with their own eyes, they had no choice but to believe it.

Most of the household staff had been mobilized to restore the devastated garden.

It was nearly impossible to find someone who hadn’t seen the aftermath of the chaos Elin had caused.

“So, what could have been the reason for her behavior until now?”

The servants naturally started asking questions among themselves.

“Could it be… that new tutor of hers…?”

The answer came swiftly.

Luke Bucklin.

Elin’s tutor, who had been appointed just a month ago, had completely transformed her.

The scars that used to peek out from under her sleeves.

The dull complexion and perpetually anxious expression she once wore.

There was even a bizarre rumor that since Luke’s arrival, Elin would occasionally laugh to herself, “Hehe.”

This was why Elin’s status was rapidly rising, becoming the talk of Berteine.

“Ahem, so we should… treat the lady with more respect now, shouldn’t we?”

The servants of Berteine weren’t fools.

They were all children of noble families, even if some came from fallen aristocracy.

They were well-versed in making political judgments and knew exactly how to act under changing circumstances.

Thus, what they needed to do now was clear:

They had to curry favor with Elin, no matter what it took.

“Chef, how did you see this coming…?”

The servants flocked to Berteine’s head chef, Ron Taylor.

It was already widely known that Ron had been serving Elin quality meals long before her rise.

His actions, once ridiculed as foolish—because angering the duke and risking expulsion from Berteine seemed inevitable—were now regarded as prophetic.

Ron was no longer seen as a fool but as a sage who had predicted the future, or perhaps as a gambler who had bet on the right odds.

“Pardon? No, that’s not it at all…”

Ron broke into a cold sweat dealing with the sudden attention from servants constantly dropping by during his breaks.

The truth was far less glamorous.

He hadn’t helped Elin because he foresaw her rise.

He’d simply accepted a few bribes.

And the bribes tasted so good that he kept accepting them.

That was it.

There was no way he could proudly reveal that as his secret.

“Chef, are you here?”

A woman’s voice called from outside.

It seemed to be the maids’ break time.

“…Yes, I’m here.”

Sighing, Ron opened the door, already bracing himself for yet another inquiry.

Standing there was—

“Wait, I’ve seen you before…”

A maid with brown hair and freckles.

Perhaps the most desperate person in Berteine right now.

“Hello, I’m Lara Shanein, the lady’s personal maid… or I was.”

It was Lara Shanein.

Since discarding the bunny doll, she hadn’t visited Elin even once.

Considering she had suffered mysterious magical retribution after acting out, it was understandable.

The problem was that Lara’s official title remained Elin Berteine’s personal maid.

No one had addressed it, so it hadn’t become an issue, but technically, Lara had been neglecting her duties and had essentially stepped down from her position.

“Do you happen to know what the lady’s favorite food is?”

But now, news of Elin’s hidden talent blooming had spread.

Naturally, the maids’ attitudes toward Lara had started to shift.

Wait, wasn’t she supposed to be Elin’s personal maid?

Then why is she here instead of attending to the lady?

In just one day, those judging stares began to prick her from all sides.

Had she known this would happen, she would never have lashed out.

But regrets were futile.

Her only option now was to beg for forgiveness and reclaim her position as Elin’s personal maid.

Following Ron’s advice, Lara finally made her way to Elin’s room.

‘It’s just about returning to my duties, so don’t get nervous,’ she told herself.

But what awaited her was—

“What do you want?”

A delinquent-like figure who claimed to be Elin’s personal maid.

“W-What? The personal maid has been replaced?”

Lara looked at Ann in disbelief.

Was she shocked to learn her role had been filled?

Or stunned by the idea that someone so unruly could be a maid?

It was likely the latter.

“I was officially appointed just today,” Ann said, nodding confidently.

To be honest, everyone had forgotten about Lara.

She had disappeared at some point, and they’d assumed she had left on her own.

“And what do you need?”

“Well… since the duchess originally assigned me as her personal maid, I thought—”

“So, you only show up now that the lady’s treatment is improving?”

Ann pointed at Lara, her tone hovering between a statement and a sneer.

“Tch, you’re just here because it looks like the lady’s situation is changing for the better.”

“T-That’s not…”

Lara opened her mouth to retort but quickly shut it again.

No matter how shameless she might be, even she couldn’t deny how disgraceful it was to only reappear now.

As Lara fumbled for words, Elin approached her.

“So, what do you have to say?”

“I… I wanted to apologize and start working diligently again from now on…”

Lara glanced nervously at Ann.

“What? I earned this job fair and square. Well, maybe not entirely fair—after all, I got it through a friend’s recommendation.”

Ann added with a dismissive wave of her hand, “Anyway, that’s all I’ve got to say. Let’s go, Lady Elin. It’s time for your meal.”

“Oh! Lady Elin, I’ve already ordered soup for you from the chef,” Lara hastily interjected.

“Is that so?”

Elin’s characteristic cowlick swayed irritably, making Lara feel as if her lifespan was being shaved with each twitch.

“That’s all you wanted to say?”

“Y-Yes, but…”

Lara’s body trembled.

Elin’s expression was eerily similar to when Lara had discarded the bunny doll.

It felt like she might unleash her magic at any moment.

“And what about your apology?”

“…Pardon?”

“Throwing away the doll, digging into my wounds, and leaving scars—are you planning to let all that slide?”

It was only then that Lara realized.

She had never properly apologized.

In her rush to regain her position, she had forgotten entirely.

“I’m deeply sorry for my previous actions—”

“Enough.”

Elin cut her off.

“I don’t want apologies I have to beg for.”

Her icy voice filled the room.

Startled by her own cold tone, Elin glanced at Luke.

“Teacher.”

“Yes, Lady Elin?”

“Do I have the authority to dismiss a servant?”

“Of course.”

“Even without Mother’s permission?”

“Yes, as the young lady of this household, you hold sufficient authority for that.”

“W-Wait, Lady Elin!”

Panicked, Lara dropped to her knees.

“Sorry, I really am. I truly regret it.”

“I told you not to apologize.”

“Please, just one more chance…”

Elin’s cowlick stopped swaying entirely. It was as if her mind was firmly made up, leaving no room for change.

She stared at the teary-eyed Lala with an indifferent gaze.

“If you had stayed quiet, I might have let it slide without knowing.”

With a sigh, Elin closed her eyes.

“But you just had to come and remind me.”

She roughly wiped her reddened eyes with the back of her hand.

“Leave.”

With a short, final word, Elin ended the situation and walked past Lala without looking back.

Lala stood there in a daze, watching Elin’s figure grow smaller in the distance.

It was not the shameful sight of a trembling Bertein’s disgrace she had witnessed before.

Rather, the back of the youngest daughter of the Bertein household now carried a cold, dignified aura that felt almost unnatural.

“I’ll enjoy the soup.”

That was the last thing Lala heard in Bertein.

The cost of provoking the small Elin was not something a mere maid could withstand.

A few days later, the day they were to visit the Bucklin household arrived.

“Are you ready, my lady?”

“Yes.”

With Anne’s help, Elin finished preparing and lightly patted her cheeks with both hands.

“How do I look?”

“The most adorable and beautiful in the world, of course.”

Elin’s cowlick swayed happily, reflecting her mood.

“You see? Proper maintenance makes such a difference.”

Luke poked her soft and springy cheeks with a satisfied expression.

“Then, let’s head out now. Please hold on tight.”

Taking a deep breath, Luke began to open a portal.

The Bucklin household was Luke’s birthplace. However, since his possession, he had not once set foot there.

It was a place he had memories of but had not grown up in—a place where strangers stood in place of family.

To Luke, visiting the Bucklin household was akin to willingly stepping onto a bed of thorns.

Unable to completely hide his tension, he focused on opening the portal when—

“My lady Elin, are you inside?”

A sudden voice of an elderly man came from outside the door.

“Huh? What’s going on? I’ll check.”

Anne, who was preparing for teleportation alongside them, opened the door.

As expected, it was the old butler who had accompanied Natia during her visit.

“What brings you here?”

“I heard you were planning to visit another household today, my lady.”

Though he didn’t say it outright, his tone seemed to ask, ‘Why show interest now when you usually don’t care?’

The reason for his visit was obvious.

Since the exchange gathering, Elin had started to be seen more as a proper Bertein.

And judging by the fact he hadn’t knocked, he seemed to be aware of Elin’s trauma to some degree.

“Yes, we were just about to leave.”

“I have arranged for a carriage to be prepared.”

“What?”

Elin and Anne exchanged confused looks, clearly caught off guard.

It seemed no one had informed them of this beforehand.

“Of course, teleporting would be much more convenient. However, I believe arriving in Bertein’s carriage would better reflect your status.”

“Mm.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion.

Riding in Bertein’s luxurious carriage would showcase the duchy’s power and make it easier for the Bucklin family to receive them properly.

Though the butler’s intent was transparent, this also meant Elin’s position had elevated.

She decided to accept it graciously.

“Understood. Shall we head down now?”

“Yes, please follow me.”

Luke followed the old butler alongside Elin to the first floor.

“Wow.”

“Whoa.”

Both Elin and Anne let out exclamations of amazement as they descended the central staircase.

“A small group has come to see you off. Please pay them no mind and continue on your way.”

On both sides of the staircase stood lines of servants, all bowing their heads.

The procession of servants continued all the way to the carriage.

Among them, Lala Shanin’s face was nowhere to be seen.

At this point, it became undeniable.

These people had come to realize what kind of authority Elin wielded.

“Please take care and have a safe journey.”

Once they boarded the carriage, the butler bowed deeply and closed the door.

“We’re departing now,” the coachman announced, and the carriage began to move smoothly.

It was so well-crafted that even the sound of the wheels turning was barely audible.

Elin, who had been sitting in a daze, finally spoke.

“…Was I too harsh?”

She knew well.

This was partly due to the influence of the exchange gathering.

But more than that, it was because of what had happened with Lala the day before.

Elin’s hands trembled slightly, betraying her calm exterior.

It was her first time wielding power, and the disappearance of one maid had left her shaken.

It was understandable for her to be startled by her own strength.

However—

“You weren’t too harsh at all.”

It wasn’t something to be surprised about in the first place.

“This is the power you’ve always had, my lady.”

Elin looked down at her trembling hands.

“So, it’s something you’ll need to grow accustomed to.”

As the youngest daughter of the empire’s most powerful ducal household, it was abnormal for her to have been treated otherwise.

Now, she was merely stepping into her rightful place.

“After all, you are a ‘duchess,’ my lady.”

Thus began their journey to the Bucklin household.