Chapter 3

Though Velita thought she had grown used to it, the nights in the unfamiliar Ryles estate still occasionally pulled her from slumber. Tonight happened to be one of those nights.

‘I’ll be tired again tomorrow.’

On nights like this, when she awoke midway through her sleep, she could never fall back asleep until morning. It was clear she’d have to endure yet another sleepless night.

With the dawn still far off, Velita carefully glanced at Janice, who was sound asleep in the bed beside hers.

“Janice, are you asleep…?”

Her eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, studied Janice’s face as she lay there.

Janice’s steady breathing indicated deep sleep, and she seemed exhausted.

Not wanting to disturb Janice’s rest by tossing and turning, Velita silently slipped out of bed, grabbed her robe, and quietly left the room.

The areas maids were permitted to roam in the Ryles estate were limited. Even the gardens were off-limits most of the time, as upsetting the noble owners of the estate was out of the question.

But late at night, things were different.

“Haa…”

The cool night air, carrying the faint scent of flowers, brushed against Velita’s pale skin.

Velita let out a soft sigh and headed toward the maze garden, a place Lady Selina often visited. The lovely Selina enjoyed playing hide-and-seek there with the maids, surrounded by walls of thornless rose vines.

If Velita were to be honest, she found those games tiresome and dull. Sheltered and innocent like a hothouse flower, Selina didn’t even know how to hide properly.

Pretending not to find her or wasting energy pretending to flee, especially when there was so much work to do, was frustrating for Velita. And yet…

Whenever Selina laughed like a child, Velita couldn’t help but feel a strange tickle in her chest.

In some ways, Velita envied Selina.

The environment that allowed her to grow up so carefree, the warm energy of someone who had been loved enough to soften the hearts of those around her—

They were things Velita had never had.

‘Who am I to envy someone so noble? It’s absurd.’

Wasn’t Selina the one who had taken her in and given her a place to stay?

Her status alone meant Velita had no right to harbor envy, but more than that, she shouldn’t feel such things toward her benefactor.

Velita reminded herself of her place as she shifted her steps toward the central fountain, a spot Selina frequently visited. However, the moment she turned the corner, her body froze in place.

Near the fountain, a man, and a woman were tangled together, half-reclining against its edge.

The darkness obscured their faces, but the sounds they made—the sticky, unmistakable noises—and the way their bodies clung together as if they were one, were all too clear.

How could they be so careless?

What if someone else caught them?

Velita sighed inwardly, realizing she’d have to abandon her late-night stroll. Holding her breath, she cautiously began to step back. Yet, as fate would have it, she hadn’t noticed a stray stone on the neatly paved ground. Nor had she anticipated tripping over it and falling backward in a clumsy heap.

“Ah…!”

With a short cry, Velita landed on her backside. The pain hadn’t even subsided when she hurriedly slapped a hand over her mouth. But it was too late.

“Who’s there?”

A slow, unhurried voice questioned her identity. It lacked any hint of urgency or accusation, but its low, smooth tone carried a peculiar weight that rooted Velita in place.

Step. Step.

The measured sound of footsteps grew closer, filling the silence.

Just as Velita’s heart threatened to leap out of her chest, a pale hand appeared before her.

“Take it.”

The voice was detached, almost indifferent, and yet it carried the undeniable authority of someone used to giving orders.

“…”

Only then did Velita notice the shoes in front of her—the kind of fine leather shoes worn by none other than the heir to the Ryles estate.

“Young master, why bother with a mere maid?”

“Well, I’m a man who’s willing to ‘bother’ with a mere maid, after all.”

The woman’s voice, speaking to the man, was one Velita vaguely recognized. Her eyes instinctively darted toward the fountain, where the woman was now hurriedly adjusting her clothes.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized who the woman was.

[Emma must be thrilled right now.]

[Emma Collin? Are you talking about her?]

[She’s one of young master Jeremy’s playthings, after all.]

Indeed, the woman near the fountain was Emma Collin.

During her earlier conversation with Janice, Jeremy Ryles’ “playthings” had included none other than Emma Collin, a fellow maid.

‘And now Emma’s here, like this…’

Velita realized what this meant just as she started to lift her head toward the man standing before her.

“Ah…!”

Before she could move on her own, she was yanked to her feet.

“I don’t particularly enjoy being ignored.”

The man’s grip on her arms was firm as he pulled her upright. In the faint light, she could barely make out his face, but the upward curve of his lips was disturbingly vivid, sending a chill down her spine.

Velita had seen all kinds of depravity growing up in the slums, but even she could tell that a man who would behave like this in the garden of an esteemed count’s estate was far from normal. Worse, he wielded power far beyond hers. The thought of having angered him made her stomach churn with dread.

“Raise your head, won’t you? I’d like to see your face.”

What if he was furious at her for stumbling upon his clandestine meeting? What if he decided to throw her out? If she were expelled, she’d have nowhere to go…

“Please forgive me!”

Fearing the worst, Velita dropped to her knees again, this time of her own accord.

“I didn’t mean to spy! I was just out for a walk and heard strange noises… I was going to pretend I didn’t see anything, truly! Please believe me!”

“Hmm… I didn’t lift you up just so you could kneel again.”

The man reached his hand toward Emma, who immediately seemed to understand his unspoken command. She handed him a small portable lamp from beside the fountain.

“Raise your head,” Jeremy Ryles ordered.

Velita hesitated as she slowly lifted her head. But perhaps her sluggish movements tested Jeremy’s patience, as he grabbed her chin and tilted her face upward himself. The touch on her chin was gentle, yet the way he held the lamp up to her face lacked any sense of consideration. The bright light stung her eyes, forcing her to squint and preventing her from seeing Jeremy Ryles’ face clearly.

“Can you keep quiet about what you saw today?”

All Velita could do was nod silently in agreement.

“Good. That’s what I thought.”

His voice softened slightly, almost as though he was amused. She couldn’t be sure, but there seemed to be a faint hint of laughter behind his words.

“You can go now.”

‘He’s letting me go just like that…?’

Having heard the stories from Janice, Velita had braced herself for the worst. Her wide eyes betrayed her surprise.

Even though his leniency left her bewildered, she wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip away.

“Th-thank you…!”

Scrambling to her feet like a prey animal fleeing a predator, Velita bolted. She didn’t dare look back, afraid that doing so might somehow tether her to the spot.

Once she was gone, the heated passion that had filled the maze garden cooled, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence.

Emma’s uneasy gaze turned toward Jeremy. But Jeremy, still staring in the direction Velita had disappeared, seemed lost in thought.

“It’s been years since we’ve reunited, and you’re already looking at another woman?”

Jeremy had little patience for jealousy.

Even knowing this, Emma couldn’t stop herself from letting out a sulky complaint.

“Oh, Emma, don’t be jealous.”

The warmth of his touch and the fervent embrace from earlier had already faded, leaving behind an unbearable chill. Emma longed for him to hold her again, but she knew all too well that he wasn’t the type of man to indulge her twice.

His face clearly showed he had lost interest. But it was also clear that something—or rather, someone—else had piqued his curiosity.

“You’re still my favorite right now.”

His voice was gentle as he adjusted her shawl, but Emma couldn’t suppress the creeping sense of unease.

Jeremy’s interest in her wouldn’t last long. Either she would be discarded when his attention wandered, or she would push her luck too far and be cast out like the others.

Desperate to distract him, Emma wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to erase the image of Velita Grandel’s startled expression from his mind.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

As Velita had expected, she didn’t sleep a wink that night.

How long had it been since she started this new life, and already something so troubling had happened…

She wanted nothing more than to go back in time and smack herself for wandering into the maze garden last night.

‘I’ll just have to avoid young master Jeremy as much as possible.’

Everyone knew he was returning soon, but no one had expected him to suddenly appear at the breakfast table as though he’d always been there. Fortunately, Velita hadn’t been present and was spared the encounter. She planned to keep as much distance from him as she could going forward.

She had crossed paths with Emma Collin a few times during work, but the two of them managed to ignore each other, allowing the day to pass without incident.

Thankfully, even Selina, who was usually attached to Velita, seemed entirely preoccupied with her brother and didn’t summon her for anything all day.

It was a small relief.

“Velita.”

“Yes!”

“Take this dessert to Lady Selina.”

… She thought it was a relief.

‘Young master Jeremy is probably in Selina’s room right now…’

Velita couldn’t protest or ask for someone else to do it. Even among the other maids, her position wasn’t great. She had only managed to stay out of trouble because Selina had taken a special liking to her. Refusing now and making a scene wouldn’t do her any favors.

Besides, it was just delivering dessert. What could possibly go wrong?

After all, Jeremy Ryles had let her go without incident last night. Surely, she was worrying over nothing.

Velita picked up the tray with the dessert and headed to Selina’s room.

Knock, knock. She knocked twice, neatly and firmly. From inside, she heard Selina’s voice bidding her to enter. Taking a deep breath, Velita opened the door.

“My lady, the chef has prepared a treat for you.”

“How thoughtful. Be sure to thank the chef for me later.”

“Yes, my lady.”

After setting the dessert on the table, Velita moved to stand quietly behind Selina, as a proper maid should.

Only then did she finally get a good look at Jeremy Ryles.

“Brother, so? How was it overseas?”

“You’re as curious as ever, my little sister.”

His slightly ashen hair fell loosely, unkempt for a nobleman but effortlessly natural. Even at home, his shirt was partially unbuttoned—a breach of decorum, yet it only emphasized his striking appearance.

His slightly sharp eyes might have made him seem severe, but the gentle smile he directed at his sister softened his expression considerably.

He seemed like a surprisingly affectionate brother, at odds with his reputation as an infamous libertine.

‘He doesn’t seem interested in me at all.’

It seemed she’d been worrying for nothing. Since Velita had entered the room, Jeremy hadn’t spared her a single glance.

If she kept quiet and erased her presence, she could slip away unnoticed.

“Enough about me. Tell me about you. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, nothing special. I’m always here at the estate, after all…”

“Father said you caused quite the stir recently.”

Their conversation took an unexpected turn.

“I heard you went to the slums out of curiosity?”

“I got scolded plenty for that, so don’t lecture me too, okay?”

“They said something big happened to you there.”

Velita couldn’t help but feel at the center of this conversation.

“The child who saved you then became a maid here, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What kind of child is she? I’d like to thank her for saving my sister.”

Taking a slow sip of tea, Selina smiled and gestured to the maid standing behind her—Velita.

Caught off guard, Velita looked at Selina, then turned to Jeremy.

For the first time since she entered the room, Jeremy Ryles’ eyes met hers.