Chapter 11

Velita quickly recoiled and adjusted her collar, fastening it tightly.

“W-What kind of rudeness is this?”

“Rudeness?”

“No matter how revered you are as a knight of the temple…”

“You mean to say that lifting a woman’s collar is a rude act?”

Her face burned with embarrassment, and she could vividly imagine how pathetically red she must have looked without even needing a mirror.

But the man who had caused her such humiliation remained composed, as if unbothered. The Holy Knight, dressed meticulously in a white uniform embroidered with intricate golden thread, calmly picked up a handkerchief from the table and wiped his hands.

Though it was Velita who had been demeaned, it was Cain Mortens who openly displayed his disdain.

“I am one who has devoted both my soul and body to God. Even if a woman stood before me completely bare, it would mean nothing to me.”

“But… still…”

She wanted to say it. To tell him that, despite his words, what he had done to her was undoubtedly an insult.

But the invisible wall of social hierarchy pressed down on her, silencing her protests.

“To begin with, if it were Jeremy Ryles, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

“…”

“That man wouldn’t care if it were some street harlot or a wild animal in heat.”

His indifferent tone delivered a sharp insult, one that cut directly at Velita. His words were a clear implication that, in his eyes, she was no different from those he described so callously.

The most infuriating part was that, even in the face of such blatant humiliation, Velita could do nothing. She was utterly powerless to defend herself.

Contempt and scorn were nothing new to Velita. Yet, in this moment, Cain’s words struck her as a far greater humiliation than any she had faced before.

Her family’s violence and verbal abuse had been an outlet for their own helpless fury, directed at the weakest member of the household. Though it had been miserable to grow up unprotected, she had escaped them now. She no longer faced the horrors of her past, even if she couldn’t claim to have fully healed from them.

The days when she struggled to find work because of her background, or when others spat hateful words about her origin and appearance, were behind her.

Now, as a maid of the Ryles estate, Velita didn’t stand out much from the other maids. She had grown accustomed to the warmth and stability of her life there. Cain’s open mockery, delivered so blatantly, left her stunned and unable to process her thoughts.

She couldn’t understand why she deserved such treatment.

“Have I…”

Velita struggled to find words, knowing full well that there weren’t many ways to respond to the ridicule of someone so far above her in status.

“Have I done something to offend you, Sir Knight?”

She bowed her head low, humbling herself in an attempt to placate him.

“I am not well-versed in many things, as I’m sure Lady Selina may have told you. If I’ve unintentionally made a mistake, please forgive me and tell me what I’ve done wrong. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“…”

“So, please… no more insults. Even street harlots and beasts have feelings, after all.”

Despite her attempt to suppress her emotions, the bitterness in her voice slipped through.

“Is this a matter for me to apologize?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“I couldn’t care less whether you and Jeremy Ryles are entangled or not.”

Clearly, Cain had figured out that the marks on her body were Jeremy’s doing.

After all, what other reason would a knight have to mock a maid for bearing such marks unless he’d noticed something amiss? Yet, Velita realized, his disdain was as much about her perceived impropriety as it was about the inherent power imbalance between herself and Jeremy.

“Selina is too naïve to judge people well. With no one around her but the maids in this house…”

“…”

“I’m only concerned that a cunning maid like you might bring harm to Selina.”

“Harm? What kind of harm?”

“You only need to remember this.”

Before Velita could press for an answer, Selina’s voice called out in the distance. Light and cheerful, her steps pattered toward them like a sparrow flitting across the ground.

Cain’s face shifted immediately, a gentle smile gracing his features as he turned toward the approaching figure.

“Stay away from Selina,” he murmured, his voice low and cold, meant only for Velita to hear.

“If Selina falls victim to your poison again, I won’t forgive you.”

Velita couldn’t make sense of Cain’s warning. If he wanted her to take it seriously, he should have explained what he meant by the “illness” she might pass on to Selina.

She had no idea what he was implying. While disease was common in the slums, there hadn’t been a major outbreak recently.

‘Does he just think I look dirty?’

People often claimed that children from the slums got sick because they didn’t bathe. When Velita had gone to the city to find work, some had wrinkled their noses at her appearance, sniffed the air, and even covered their faces.

‘It’s not that we didn’t bathe. We couldn’t—there was no water.’

Since joining the Ryles estate, Velita had kept herself meticulously clean, showering daily. After hearing the other maids mock her by saying she smelled like a sewer, she had even used part of her advance pay from Selina to buy perfume.

“Sorry to keep you waiting! Did I make you wait too long?”

“I’d wait all day for you.”

“I couldn’t find it at first, so I had to rush…”

Selina held out a handkerchief she had embroidered herself, its design intricate and precise. No man could fail to be moved by such a gift, crafted with care by someone as beautiful and endearing as Selina.

Even a Holy Knight who claimed to have given his soul and body to God was still just a man.

“Thank you so much… But, um…”

“Yes?”

“What’s this design?”

“It’s the symbol of Chalmea, you fool!”

Selina pouted in mock indignation, her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. Cain, who had been trying to hold back his laughter, finally let out a hearty chuckle.

His affectionate gaze betrayed just how deeply he cared for her.

‘Dedicated his soul and body to God, did he?’

Velita’s lips curled into a bitter smile.

‘The true owner of that soul and body is right here.’

Cain’s actions made it abundantly clear where his heart lay. He didn’t even bother to hide it in front of Velita.

‘Does he think I’m so insignificant that he doesn’t even need to conceal his feelings?’

For a Holy Knight, harboring romantic or sexual thoughts about someone was a sin, even if it didn’t lead to physical intimacy. But Cain’s behavior wasn’t that of a mere friend; he still treated Selina as if they were engaged.

His blatant favoritism toward Selina felt like a deliberate slight against Velita. It was as though he considered her so far beneath him that exposing his forbidden feelings in front of her was of no consequence.

“Velita.”

“Yes? Oh—yes, my lady!”

Selina’s sudden call snapped Velita out of her thoughts. Startled, she raised her head, her expression slightly dazed.

Selina, her gaze now calm and assessing, looked over Velita’s face carefully before asking in a soft tone, “Did you and Cain have a pleasant conversation while I was away?”

Velita could have brushed off the question with a light comment, just as she had learned to do in similar situations. Given Selina’s obliviousness to the gossip surrounding Jeremy, it would have been wise to say they exchanged nothing more than a few polite words.

But something stirred within her—an impulsive defiance, perhaps born of childish anger or a desire to see these aristocrats flustered.

“Well,” Velita began, her voice steady, “the knight scolded me for not having my attire in order.”

It wasn’t a move that would benefit her in any way.

Cain, who had been admiring the handkerchief with a warm smile, turned his cold, disdainful gaze on Velita.

The contrast between his affectionate demeanor toward Selina and the contempt he reserved for Velita sent a pang through her chest.

Her heart pounded—not just with fear, but with a helpless sense of indignation and sorrow.

When Velita spoke, her voice was bright, but her words were sharp as a blade.

“I accidentally left two buttons undone, so the kind Sir Knight helped by pulling at my collar like this…” She mimicked the gesture, tugging her blouse near the neck as she smiled innocently. “And he told me to dress properly. Isn’t that right, Sir Knight?”

For the first time, Cain Mortens’ composed demeanor cracked. His usual soft smiles or disdainful glares gave way to visible panic. He glanced at Selina, clearly unnerved.

It was a spur-of-the-moment act, a reckless jab meant to see that polished mask crumble. Velita thought it might fluster Selina as well, but the result was entirely unexpected.

“…Velita is someone I cherish,” Selina said firmly, her voice steady but tinged with steel.

Velita blinked in surprise, her impulsive provocation spiraling into something far beyond her control.

“Even if it meant nothing, touching a grown woman like that is improper.”

“Selina, I think there’s been a misunderstanding—” Cain began.

“My brother will be here soon.”

“…”

“You don’t get along with him, do you? You should leave.”

Selina’s unwavering tone left no room for argument. Her unexpected defense of Velita shifted the air in the room, making it heavy with tension.

Cain, who had been cold and dismissive toward Velita moments earlier, now looked like a defeated dog. His gaze flicked between Selina and Velita, his hand half-reaching toward Selina but hesitating.

In the end, it was Cain who relented.

“I’ll come back another time,” he said, retreating without a goodbye from Selina.

Even as Cain left the estate, Velita couldn’t shake her unease. She hadn’t intended for things to escalate this far. She only wanted to rattle him slightly, to see his façade crumble. But now she had unwittingly turned a man of high status into an enemy—a man with every means to retaliate if he so chose.

“Ah, my lady…” Velita began, her voice trembling with regret.

There was no taking back her words now. She couldn’t pretend it was a joke without facing Selina’s wrath for lying.

“Velita, did Cain touch you?” Selina asked, her expression soft but her words weighted.

“No! Absolutely not! Sir Cain never… he wouldn’t…” Velita quickly denied it, her words fumbling over themselves.

Cain’s eyes had never looked at her with desire, only with disgust, as if she were nothing more than a bug.

“…I see. Then please forgive my friend’s rudeness. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

“You shouldn’t apologize, my lady! You’ve done nothing wrong!” Velita protested.

Though Selina smiled kindly, she didn’t retract her apology.

“Oh, that reminds me. I almost forgot—I made something for you.”

“For me?”

Selina pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. It was similar to the one she had given Cain, but this one was embroidered with an intricate red rose.

“While I was making Cain’s, I thought of you and decided to make one as well. Of course, my skills are still lacking…”

The stitching was clumsy, far from perfect. But the fact that someone of Selina’s status had made something for her—a humble maid—was staggering.

It was the first time in Velita’s life that someone had crafted a gift just for her. The realization thawed some of the bitterness she had held toward Selina.

‘I thought she looked down on me…’

Was she wrong all along?

As Velita’s thoughts swirled, Selina’s voice cut through, colder now.

“Pretty flowers attract insects, don’t they?”

The change in tone startled Velita, pulling her back to reality.

“But people aren’t flowers, are they?”

“…”

“When men keep flocking to a woman, it’s because she invites them in.”

Selina placed her hands over Velita’s, holding them firmly.

“My father always told me that a virtuous woman must remain modest. Otherwise, she’s no different from the harlots in the slums.”

“My lady…”

“You’re no longer the girl from the slums, Velita. Isn’t that right?”

For a moment, Velita felt as if she didn’t know Selina at all.

“You’re my maid,” Selina continued, her grip tightening.

“…Yes, my lady,” Velita replied, her voice barely a whisper.

“Stop bewitching people who don’t belong to you. Do you understand?”

Velita nodded without hesitation, feeling as though defiance might result in her dismissal.

Selina finally released her hands, smiling angelically. But to Velita, that smile felt unnatural, almost chilling. A shiver ran down her spine as she stared at her mistress.