"If I say I don't want to, can I return to my previous job?"
"What right do you have to ask the Mistress this?!"
"Mona."
Mona, who had begun to charge at the child in order to grab him by the nape of his neck, was quickly blocked by Adelina. Adelina looked at the child. He seemed to be the same age as Nisha and had the same clear eyes. However, his personality was different from her sister's.
Nisha was Nisha, and this child was this child. Even if they seemed similar, they were different. And Adelina took a liking to this child's defiant spirit.
"If you don't want to, then there's nothing I can do. I think staying here might be better for you, but if you'd like, I'll send you back to sort through letters instead."
The child stared at Adelina as he began to think. Then he lowered his head. Seeing this, Adelina also lowered her eyes.
He knew how to read at Nisha's age, and he was very cautious. He even had enough courage to personally come here to see Adelina and ask for her help. Adelina quite liked this child.
Although she could forgive him and let him return to his usual post, Adelina felt a bit greedy.
"I'm not pressuring you to accept my request. No matter what decision you make, I'll follow accordingly. It's just that you're the first person to come here and talk to me other than Mona. That's probably why I'm being a bit greedy."
Mona turned her head away when she heard Adelina's words.
Even in situations where people would tire and burst into tears, Adelina remained calm. Whenever the servants who didn't pay Ethan's threat any mind came and acted out, Mona would burst into a rage. However, Adelina would merely pretend she didn't know and never betrayed her aggravation. Therefore, Mona would often be at a loss for words.
"The Mistress just asked you a question. Why aren't you answering her?!"
Despite Mona's rebuke, the child's mouth remained shut as he stared at Adelina, deep in thought.
As Adelina said, the Mistress's position was shaky and perilous. She could be kicked out at any moment. However, for some reason, he felt drawn to her.
Other than his deceased parents, no one had ever seen him in a good light due to his blue eyes. He wandered around and managed to arrive here, but nothing had changed.
"Don't you find me ominous, Mistress? If you keep me by your side, I may bring you bad luck."
"Are you speaking from experience? Or did someone else tell you that?"
"..."
"Humans encounter both the good and the bad. Blaming someone else for the bad things that happen to you is just an excuse. And it's not like it'll make the situation any better by doing that."
In all his orphaned life, this was the first time he had met someone like Adelina. Although people would click their tongues in pity for him on the outside, their gazes would be filled with contempt and hostility.
However, from the first moment he'd seen her from on top of the wall until now, she didn't show any of that towards him. The way she'd look him in the eyes was so unfamiliar that it felt awkward.
Either way, even if he returned, there was no way the other servants would treat him well since he'd already been kicked out once.
"For now, I'll try doing as you ask, Mistress."
"How dare you! Do you think you have the right to refuse…"
"Thanks! That takes a load off my shoulders."
The more he interacted with her, the more confused he became. He was a child that the others would shun, but Adelina seemed to be genuinely grateful as she smiled at him.
"Anyways, I meant to ask you for your name, but it seems that I forgot."
The child's eyes shook for a moment when he heard this. When she saw his reaction, Adelina realized that she had made a mistake. Just as she was about to say something, the child bowed.
"My father's surname was Hong, so I am being called Hong-ah."
When she heard that the boy didn't have a name and was only being referred to as someone else's child, Adelina's mouth stiffened. However, she couldn't interfere in this matter right now.
"I'll be in your care, Hong-ah."
Adelina's goodwill felt awkward and terrifying at the same time. After giving her another bow, the boy bolted out of the yard as if he were running away.
"That rascal!"
"It's because he's still young. Either way, I'm glad things turned out like this."
"How can you be glad about that kid who only knows how to run away? He's only going to endure it for a few days before running away again."
Hearing Mona's grumbles, Adelina smiled and sat back down at her table. She returned to the document she had been reading before Hong-ah's arrival. Something caught her eye, and she stared at it in silence for a long while. Since she was trapped in the inner residence like this, she didn't think she could fulfill her duties as the Mistress right away.
"Mona, what is this amount of money written here used for?"
"Um, I think this is meant for the Mistress's clothes, jewelry, outings, and any other goods you'd like to purchase."
"I've never gone out or bought anything I needed. But it seems that the money that should be here has already been used."
When Mona heard this, she caught her breath. In the spending account book, there was a red dot next to the amount of money, indicating that Adelina was the one who had used it.
According to Adelina, this was money that had not been authorized to be spent. Additionally, the numbers written next to it as well as the explanation of where it had been used did not match up with Adelina's day-to-day activities.
Mona pondered this for a long time before she knelt down next to Adelina.
"Mistress, I know what you're thinking, but things can get a lot more difficult than it is right now. Her Highness the Consort has given so many things to the servants. More than you'd expect."
"So I'm sure they followed her orders. However, in reality, she spent the Master's money to buy the gifts, not her own money."
"Mistress."
"Although I won't be able to do anything in regards to the Master or his residence, I'll still be able to change a few things in the inner residence. I heard that the Master won't be returning to war anytime soon, so it looks like I'll have to start making preparations."
"Preparations?"
Mona asked anxiously, but Adelina merely closed the account book. Adelina didn't hate this place. Ethan was cold, but he was never careless with his words.
Another feeling that was different from what she had experienced with the Crown Prince. Ethan might not like it, but Adelina wanted to draw a little closer to him.
Adelina merely smiled in response to Mona's questions and looked out the window.
In no time, six months had already passed since Adelina had entered this residence.
Mona urged her to explain the situation to Ethan, but Adelina would merely smile at the servants' persecution and ignore it.
Although it felt like nothing would change, things began to gradually transform.
Even though everyone felt that something was different, no one came forward. And it was then that Adelina called for the servants and the slaves who were in charge of the clothing.
"Mistress, what do you mean?"
"I thought you guys were making so many mistakes because the sleeves and the skirts are too long. I'm sure you were all worried you'd get scolded by me due to the clothes that come back torn a couple times each week, but I'm also heartbroken because the innocent clothing has become unusable."
The ones who believed they wouldn't have to deal with any consequences were now faced with the clothing they had intentionally ruined under the guise of a mistake.
Seeing them completely bewildered by the mountain of ruined clothes, Adelina smiled.
"At first, I wanted to ask you all for a favor, but at the time, I didn't know how anything worked around here, so it took me some time."
"M-Mistress."
"I can reduce the lengths of the sleeves and skirts since I've done them myself before. However, mending torn cloth isn't something I can do, so it seems that I'll have to ask you to use your talented skills to fix them for me."
The servants and slaves glanced at the mound of torn pieces of cloth.
They were only ordered by Consort Min to put the Mistress in her place. They thought she would have thrown away the ruined clothing because they couldn't be worn again, but Adelina had kept them all.
"What is it? You can't do it?"
"Mistress, we will be careful from now on. Just let us speak with Elly-nim, and then we will…"
They would have to stay up day and night for a whole month in order to return all those clothes to the way they were before. Before Adelina, Elly was the one who had been in charge of the inner residence, so if they could just explain it to her in a certain way, they would be able to escape this task.
"Do you need to speak with Elly? Even though all you have to do is merely mend the ruined clothing?"
"If we had to fix all the clothing, we wouldn't be able to do any other work. We will only inform Elly of it and return."
"You may enter."
At Adelina's call, Mona promptly opened the door. Elly entered the room. When the servants saw this, their faces grew pale. Elly approached Adelina and bowed.
"Mistress."
"I apologize for bringing you here."
"How can I not come at the Mistress's call?"
Elly straightened up and gazed at Adelina as she looked down at the servants.
Last night, Adelina left Mona back at the inner residence and visited Elly's room. When she arrived, she didn't ask for Elly's help nor did she order her to follow her.
"Elly, do you work for the Consort? Or do you work for the Master?"
Late at night, despite her shabby clothing, Adelina gazed at Elly with defiant eyes.
"She hated this place and left. I do not like seeing that kind of person try to push her way back in as if this is her house."
Elly seemed to be daring Adelina to exercise her authority as the Mistress and try to get rid of her if she didn't like her answer. Adelina's face darkened.
A few moments later, her expression returned to normal, and a bitter smile stretched on her lips.