What Remains in the Damaged Place - Chapter 33

Lirette paused, her hand mid-motion as she cleaned the glass so thoroughly it squeaked. Hardy, avoiding eye contact, fidgeted awkwardly, looking down at the floor.

“I didn’t want to do it, truly,” Hardy mumbled.

“…”

“I’m the only one in my family who can earn money. My mother is sick, and my siblings are still too young…”

Hardy wrung her apron with trembling hands.

“The pay here is higher than at other estates, so I can barely keep my family afloat. If I lose this job, not just me, but my whole family will be out on the streets. So, I had no choice…”

“…”

“The others are in similar situations. Esla has a father with a rare disease, and her whole salary goes to his medication. Del came all the way from a distant rural village, hoping to make some money here in the capital. A lot of the girls here have their own reasons for holding onto this job.”

“…”

“I know it must sound like excuses you don’t want to hear, and I completely understand. But I just wanted you to know—it wasn’t on purpose.”

Her voice quivered slightly, as if tears were on the verge of spilling. Lirette sighed deeply, making Hardy flinch as though she’d just been scolded.

It was hard to outright ignore someone who was sincerely apologizing like that.

Lirette set the lamp down and rubbed her forehead.

Well, as Hardy said, it wasn’t as if they had done it intentionally. They were just trying to survive, too.

In truth, Lirette didn’t hold that deep of a grudge against them. There wasn’t enough of a connection between them to feel truly betrayed or hurt.

It was just… a bit bitter.

Still, Hardy coming to apologize showed that she wasn’t a bad person. There was a flicker of genuine respect for Lirette in her tone. The fact that she was going out of her way to seek forgiveness suggested she wanted to maintain a good relationship.

For a brief moment, Lirette thought that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In the long run, it made sense. Having more allies than enemies in the mansion would make things easier. Especially with people like Hardy, who’d been around for a long time and knew the ins and outs of the estate, including the locations of important places like the library. Perhaps having them as information sources might even prove useful.

“Alright, I understand,” Lirette responded coolly.

At that, Hardy’s face brightened into a wide smile, relieved.

“I’m sure everyone else feels the same way I do. We were all hesitant to approach you because this kind of situation is new to us. We didn’t know how to go about it…”

Hardy continued, now trying to speak on behalf of the others.

“We were all terrified of Hayley.”

“…”

“And everyone is grateful to you. That’s the truth.”

“Grateful? I didn’t even get her kicked out.”

“Still, thanks to the master standing up for you, Hayley was dismissed.”

“That’s true, but…”

Lirette scratched her cheek, feeling a bit awkward about the whole thing.

“Weren’t there maids who were close to Hayley?”

No one could rise to the top without some support from others. Even Hayley, despite her overbearing personality, must’ve had people backing her up. With everyone suddenly claiming to be grateful, Lirette couldn’t help but wonder about those shadows in the background.

Contrary to her concerns, Hardy shook her head, looking unbothered.

“They’re all laying low after this. They’re in the same position as the rest of us—unable to afford losing this job. They’re probably scared that they’ll be fired too if people find out they were involved with her.”

Lirette raised an eyebrow. Something about Hardy’s assumption seemed off.

“But the firings ended with Hayley.”

“Hmm?”

“Why would anyone else be fired? Why do you think that?”

“Because the master would do it, of course.”

Lirette tilted her head, puzzled by Hardy’s response. She couldn’t understand why the duke would be brought up in this context.

“Why would the master do that?”

“Because… he cares about you?”

Lirette accidentally dropped the cloth she was holding. She quickly bent down to pick it up before it got dirty, but she couldn’t shake off the sudden shock.

“Why would you think that?”

“Think what? Brilline, everyone knows you serve the duke every night…”

“What?”

Her voice came out louder than she intended, and Hardy flinched, her eyes widening in surprise as she stammered.

“Everyone knows! The rumor spread through the servants’ quarters. People saw you heading into the duke’s bedroom after work. That’s how we found out.”

Oh no.

Lirette hadn’t realized anyone had seen her. She had been a little too complacent, thinking it happened after everyone had finished their shifts. But then again, it wasn’t like she could sneak around like a criminal, always assuming someone was watching.

It was only then that Lirette fully realized why Hardy and the other maids were so eager to clear their names.

Sure, there might have been some genuine sincerity in their explanations, but the underlying reason was clear: fear of the master’s wrath. Specifically, they were afraid that Lirette might whisper complaints about them into the duke’s ear during one of their supposed late-night meetings.

“Let’s just finish this first,” Lirette said, pushing her complicated thoughts aside and gesturing to the lamps. Hardy resumed cleaning, but now, her chatter was nonstop, as if she had been holding it in for far too long.

Lirette responded with polite nods and occasional replies, all while her mind worked quickly in the background.

“Brilline, would you like to have lunch with me if you’re free?” Hardy asked as they finished up, glancing at Lirette hopefully.

After spending so much time cleaning lamps on the third floor, it was now lunchtime. Lirette agreed, and they headed to the kitchen together. By the time they arrived, several maids were already seated, including those who had surrounded her with Hardy just a few days ago.

“Is it okay to join the others?” Hardy asked, perhaps remembering the tension from their last encounter.

“I’m not sure they’ll welcome me,” Lirette replied, a bit skeptical.

“Don’t worry, I told you—they’re all grateful to you,” Hardy insisted, leading her like an older sister guiding a younger one. The maids, who had been chatting cheerfully, greeted Hardy warmly but froze when they saw Lirette trailing behind her.

After a few awkward moments, they began to move again, but their actions were stiff and unnatural, as though their usual rhythm had been disrupted.

“Brilline, I don’t think you know everyone’s name yet, right?” Hardy asked, eager to ease the tension.

She introduced two of the maids, “This is Esla, and this is Del.”

Both of them gave small, awkward waves, smiling hesitantly, as if they wanted to confirm their identities. Lirette found their awkwardness amusing and allowed a small smile to form on her face.

As her lips lifted slightly, her expression, usually serious and reserved, softened dramatically. It was as if a tightly closed bud had finally bloomed in its season, radiating warmth. Del, sitting directly across from her, blinked in surprise.

“Oh, wow.”

“Brilline, you’re really beautiful,” Del remarked, still blinking in awe.

“Yeah, no wonder the master favors you…” Esla chimed in before slapping her hand over her mouth as if she had said too much. Her wide, rabbit-like eyes darted around nervously, clearly regretting her slip.

Lirette glanced around the group, realizing the topic of the duke had come up far quicker than she’d expected.

She hadn’t needed to join them for lunch, but Hardy’s invitation provided an opportunity she couldn’t resist. She needed to understand what rumors had been spreading behind her back.

“So, there are rumors going around?” Lirette casually commented, stirring the tomato and egg dish in front of her with her spoon.

The maids, who had been so lively moments ago, all reacted awkwardly—some looked away, others cleared their throats. Still, beneath their embarrassment, Lirette could sense a glimmer of curiosity.

Del, who had been staring at Lirette’s face the entire time, leaned in and whispered, “So… is it true?”

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, eager to confirm the gossip she had heard.

Lirette simply smiled in response, saying nothing. But that small smile was enough. It seemed to confirm what the maids had already decided to believe, and their reactions varied from surprise to delight.

“Oh my gosh.”

“That makes so much sense now!”

“No wonder Hayley hated you so much.”

“Of course the master would be furious after she falsely accused you.”

Though their responses were somewhat cautious, it was clear they believed what they wanted to believe.

Lirette didn’t deny anything. She knew that if she did, they’d only dig deeper. And if they thought they had a sliver of the truth, they’d spill everything they knew.

And just as she expected, they began to chatter freely.

“Brilline, do you really live in a room in the main house?”

“So you sleep there every night?”

“I’ve never seen a servant, aside from the butler and the head maid, have their own room!”

“Was there some kind of special connection before you came here?”

“Oh, and there’s that rumor too! People say the master found you outside the estate and brought you here personally!”

Lirette had anticipated this, but even so, she was astounded by the wild speculations they had crafted behind her back. It was almost comical how far their imaginations had run, spinning the truth into a fantastical narrative.