The One Who Won't Be Abandoned - Chapter 29

The servant quarters’ room belonging to Lewis was modestly spacious yet exuded an old-world charm. It was a room that reflected Lewis’s calm and meticulous personality.

I had a feeling that I was the first woman to be invited into this room. Perhaps I was the first guest of any kind, regardless of gender. This suspicion was confirmed when Lewis, in his effort to serve me tea, had to retrieve pristine, unused teacups from the cabinet.

I sat on a high-quality, dark brown chair and watched as Lewis expertly brewed the tea. His skillful and graceful movements rivaled those of any experienced maid.

The idea of being served tea by a man was unexpectedly thrilling. Lewis seemed to notice my gaze, as the tips of his ears reddened slightly while he poured the richly steeped tea into the cups. Finally, he broke the silence.

“My father lost his wife twenty years ago. Since then, he’s never remarried and has dedicated his life to his work. I’ve always admired him as a man who could cherish the memory of one woman for so long, but at the same time, I’ve pitied him deeply.”

Lewis’s face clouded with concern as he spoke about Baron Shenton.

“But even the strongest love cannot stand undefeated against the passage of time. My father has been lonely for far too long.”

“I see,” I replied, softly adding a response as I lifted the steaming teacup to my lips and blew gently to cool it.

“That’s why I fully support his new beginning. Lady Judith is a kind and compassionate woman, and it makes me happy to see them together.”

“I see…” I murmured again, letting the soft aroma of chamomile waft through my senses. The pale golden tea was delightful in both taste and fragrance—simple yet exquisite, much like Lewis’s brewing technique.

“To be honest, I was already aware that they occasionally used that place to meet, though I didn’t know until today the nature of how they used it! If I had known, I would have stopped them! I’m truly sorry, Jeanne. I can’t apologize enough for subjecting you to such a sight…”

“Ah, well, what can you do? Who would’ve guessed that someone his age would still be so… vigorous…” I trailed off, suppressing a cough and awkwardly adding a polite smile.

“Really, it’s fine. Please don’t let it weigh on you,” I said, hoping to ease his guilt.

“I’ll make sure to speak to my father and suggest a more appropriate meeting place. By the way, Jeanne… May I call you by your name more casually?”

“Of course. Feel free to call me Jeanne.”

At my consent, Lewis nodded slightly and raised his teacup to take a sip. Behind the cup, I caught the faintest upward curve of his lips but pretended not to notice, lowering my gaze to my tea instead.

“Jeanne. Then please, call me Lewis as well.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll call you Lewis, then,” I said with a polite tone, adding a small honorific.

“…I see. Thank you.”

I could sense a faint disappointment in his tone, likely from my formal address, but I feigned ignorance, meeting his gaze with a polite smile.

To be honest, Lewis’s reserved yet courteous demeanor was a refreshing change from the overtly forward types I was used to encountering. It wasn’t as though I was completely uninterested in him, but whether it was his social status or my own cautious nature, I found myself hesitant to pursue anything deeper with him.

“Jeanne, please keep my father and Lady Judith’s relationship a secret. At least until they decide to make it public themselves.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I won’t breathe a word about it to anyone.”

Lewis’s request felt unnecessary. I wasn’t about to run around gossiping about Baron Shenton and Lady Judith’s intimate rendezvous. If anything, I was still mentally scrubbing that embarrassing and unpleasant memory from my mind for the sake of my own sanity.

“I’ve already erased what I saw and heard earlier from my memory. My mind is completely clean,” I said with an exaggerated cheerfulness, hoping to reassure him.

“Thank you so much. You’re so considerate and discreet—it’s no wonder the master and young lord trust you so much,” Lewis said, smiling brightly.

It was rare to see such unguarded emotion on Lewis’s face. Usually, he maintained a stoic or serious expression, but today, he was bashful and even radiant with joy. It was a bit disconcerting, but I smiled back at him nonetheless.

To be honest, the way his dark eyes sparkled with happiness had a strangely uplifting effect on me.

“Hmm… this might be dangerous.”

For a moment, I felt my cautious guard around Lewis waver.

“To be honest, Jeanne, when I first met you, I was secretly worried you might use the lord’s favor to act recklessly.”

“Oh, were you?”

“But I quickly realized that was just my prejudice. You’ve always been humble and gentle. Despite being someone who has earned the master’s trust—something that would make anyone proud—you’ve never boasted about it. Instead, you’ve carried out your duties faithfully. It left a deep impression on me.”

As if embarrassed by his own words, Lewis lowered his head slightly, fidgeting with his fingers on the teacup as he continued.

“Furthermore, when I learned that you willingly declined the position of being Andre’s personal maid, I was deeply moved. It showed that you’re not interested in social climbing or material gain, and instead value humility and integrity.”

“…Thank you.”

Hearing Lewis’s description of me felt bizarre, as if he were speaking about a stranger.

Sure, I wasn’t particularly interested in climbing the social ladder, but I definitely wasn’t free of material desires. In fact, I was well aware that I took full advantage of the privileges granted to me. For instance, I frequently deviated from my duties to take care of personal matters and even swapped tasks with Harmon without Lady Judith’s permission. Had anyone else done such things, they would’ve been punished and dismissed.

I briefly considered shattering Lewis’s idealized image of me by confessing the truth about my opportunistic ways. But since his misconception wasn’t causing me any harm, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

“Jeanne’s humble attitude, devoid of self-promotion, is a rare and exemplary trait, even among noblewomen.”

“Ah… I see.”

I sipped my tea, trying to avoid Lewis’s sparkling gaze, which was beginning to feel burdensome. The initial sense of excitement I’d felt about this conversation was quickly fading, replaced by an overwhelming desire to leave.

“However, I trust you won’t decline the future position of head maid.”

“Well, I suppose that’ll depend on the circumstances. There are plenty of capable maids in the castle, and I’m not particularly skilled at managing others.”

“Haha, ever so modest,” Lewis replied with a laugh.

“I’m being honest,” I said firmly, though it was clear Lewis interpreted my words as mere humility. His ability to hear only what he wanted to hear was almost impressive.

“Speaking of which… I hadn’t planned to bring this up so suddenly, but I’ll soon be leaving D’Hel to join the group heading to the capital for the young lord’s engagement preparations. I feared if I didn’t say this now, I’d lose my chance…”

I had been listening to Lewis patiently, but the mention of Andre’s engagement startled me so much that I interrupted him.

“Engagement? What engagement?”

“It seems you weren’t aware. Well, it’s no surprise. Even I only recently heard about it from the lord in confidence. Given how humiliating the arrangement is for the Kaima family, it’s not something they’d announce publicly.”

“Andre—no, the young lord is getting engaged?”

“Yes. Once the preparations are complete, we’ll be heading to the capital to finalize the engagement. With the emperor’s seal already given, the arrangement is as good as confirmed.”

I stared blankly at Lewis, stunned.

An engagement for Andre? The news felt so sudden that I couldn’t fully process it. But there was no reason for Lewis to lie about such a thing, so it had to be true.

As the initial shock wore off, I reminded myself that Andre’s engagement was, if anything, overdue. As the heir of a noble family, he should have been betrothed long ago. Even my mother, the daughter of a minor noble family, had been engaged by the age of eleven.

Andre’s engagement was therefore a natural and even celebratory event for the Kaima family and D’Hel Castle.

I understood that rationally, but I couldn’t stop the wave of betrayal that swept over me. While I had been fighting tooth and nail to defend Andre’s reputation, he had been calmly moving forward with his engagement preparations. Couldn’t he have at least told me about it himself?

What, did he think I’d spread the news all over the castle? The thought was infuriating. It seemed the bond we’d formed in Karyal Mountain meant far more to me than it did to him.

Swallowing the lump of hurt in my throat, I managed to ask, though my voice wavered.

“Who… who’s the bride?”

“The sole imperial princess, Gracia Desnia Sendfenden.”

At Lewis’s reply, the sting of betrayal I’d felt transformed into seething anger.

“…What? The princess?”

“That’s correct.”

“Hah!”

A sharp, bitter laugh escaped my lips.

“Andre is engaged to the princess? Really?”

“Yes.”

No matter how many times I asked, Lewis’s answer didn’t change. A princess, of all people. The daughter of the very person responsible for the burning of Kaima Manor. The child of the one who had slaughtered innocent lives as easily as crushing ants.

Images of that horrific day, which I had tried so hard to forget, flashed vividly before my eyes. I saw bodies with their throats cut and stomachs slit open. My mother’s face—her trembling form, her tear-streaked cheeks, and her forced smile as she tried to reassure me even in the face of death—hovered painfully in my memory.

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached, fearing that if I didn’t, I might start hurling curses on the spot.

“Still, I had no idea you were so close to the young lord that you’d call him by name…”

Lewis’s voice droned on, but his words barely registered in my mind.

Andre’s face came to me next, his gentle smile and soft expression. The thought of him standing beside the princess, preparing to marry her, set my insides ablaze with fury.

If he had to marry, wouldn’t it be better to choose some fallen noblewoman or even a commoner? Anyone but her.

The princess.

I felt tears welling up, not just from anger but from sheer frustration. No matter Andre’s reasoning, I couldn’t fathom any justification for his choice.

“He’s insane.”

Andre must have lost his mind. That was the only explanation. Whatever education he’d received in Siamos or whatever those six years had done to him, they had turned him into a fool incapable of making sound judgments.

I gulped down the now-lukewarm tea in a single go, though it did nothing to cool the boiling anger inside me.

“…Your unwavering heart has truly left a deep impression on me, Jeanne. I’ve come to admire you greatly, and I…”

Not even a word to me about this engagement? Fine. Maybe no master is obligated to inform a servant about such matters. But a princess? Really? Does he remember how my mother—how our lady—died because of them?

My chest burned with the urge to storm into Andre’s room, grab him by the collar, and shake him until he regained his senses. If it meant snapping him out of this madness, I’d have grabbed his collar a hundred times.

“And so… if I’m not unworthy of you, Jeanne, I’d like to…”

Unable to sit still any longer, I interrupted Lewis, cutting off his words mid-sentence.

“Lewis.”

“Of course, take all the time you need to think about my proposal—”

“I’m leaving.”

“What?”

“Thank you for the tea. Don’t worry, I’ll keep what I saw about Baron Shenton and Lady Judith a secret.”

I stood up and spoke the words in as neutral a tone as possible before turning toward the door. Just as I reached it, I heard Lewis calling after me, something about waiting for my answer, but I paid him no mind. I didn’t even glance back as I stepped out.

Walking down the hallway, I came to an abrupt halt and clenched my trembling hands into fists so tight that they ached.

“How could he do this? Is he in love with the daughter of our mortal enemy?”

At that moment, I felt as though I could grab Andre’s hair instead of his collar and drag him into reality. Even beasts know how to distinguish between friend and foe, yet Andre was preparing to marry into the family of our greatest enemy. The betrayal I felt from hearing the news through someone else was nothing compared to the searing anger coursing through me now.

I’ll give him a piece of my mind!

Determined, I stormed off toward Andre, my footsteps echoing with the force of my fury. In my mind, I rehearsed every word I’d throw at him, every biting comment and scathing rebuke. If that wasn’t enough, I was even ready to unleash the sharpest insults I could muster to knock some sense into him.

But the moment I spotted Andre in the training yard sparring with the knights, I froze in place as if rooted to the ground.

My anger, which had burned so fiercely moments ago, was snuffed out like a fire doused with cold water. All that remained was a faint, unformed lump of frustration.

Andre, drenched in sweat and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, was every bit the image of a strong and capable man. He stood tall and resolute, an equal among the knights—or perhaps even stronger. From a distance, he looked like the epitome of vitality and masculinity, a man who could effortlessly attract any woman he wanted.

My rage had been justified, I was sure of it. Even a stranger would say so. The emperor was my sworn enemy, someone I could gladly tear limb from limb if I had the strength and skill. If it were possible, I would have infiltrated the imperial palace to assassinate him dozens of times by now.

But as I stood there staring at Andre—grown, accomplished, and poised for a life of his own—my anger suddenly felt misplaced, like an overreach.

Andre had his own life to live. Did I have any right to dictate something as significant as his choice of bride?

No. I don’t.

Andre had every right to decide his future, even if it meant marrying the daughter of our enemy. Unless the princess had forced him into the arrangement at swordpoint, this was clearly Andre’s decision.

He was a knight, the heir to the Kaima family, and the future lord of D’Hel. I was just a servant. For me to oppose his decision, purely because of the princess’s bloodline, would be nothing short of presumptuous. Even the lord, who cared for me deeply, would likely shake his head at my defiance.

My hatred for the emperor would never waver—not in this lifetime or the next. But my vendetta could not outweigh Andre’s significance in my life. He was someone who had shared in my pain and loss, someone I cherished deeply. That would never change unless my past were to be completely erased.

I had to respect Andre’s decision. Even if it angered me, even if it tore at my heart, I had to.

“…You idiot.”

Even so, at that moment, I found Andre utterly insufferable. I wanted to slap him, just once, to release my frustration.

I stood there glaring at him for a long while, biting back the fury that threatened to spill over. Eventually, I let out a deep breath and turned away, deciding to leave before I said or did something I’d regret.

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