"Congrats Eustia!!"
"You did great!!"
"OMG! Don't forget me Eustia!!!"
I clearly remember how the other maids greeted me with happiness and awe when my name was displayed on the announcement board of the Baron's home. Why do we have to leave so fast?
And to that Erden's place after all of this??
Standing in front of the huge palace given to the ladies who will join the 'Spring Garden' I cannot help but let my knees melt.
How did it even come to this??
*****
A letter.
I held the piece of paper placed in my uniform's pocket.
What was it about this letter and the third phase?
Seiz and Lisa seemed to be afraid and doubtful of it. That day, they also returned rushing back to the headmaid and crying.
Did they look at this piece of paper? What was so important about it??
Just one look and my curiosity will be answered.
My hand itched to grab the paper and read whatever was its contents.
"If you want to be the lady's handmaiden, you need to be someone whom she can trust."
The words of Headmaid Leila rang in my ear.
A test of trust.
Then is trust measured as whether we will read the contents of the lady's letter or not?
Though I thought that masters and servants are often open with their feelings, I guess one should still learn the importance of boundaries.
The nobility's world is dirty.
Meddle with it once and you're immediately putting yourself in danger.
But I am not that stupid to blindly follow a noble.
It would have been fine if it was just me... but if it harms Luke...
Thinking about the consequences the lady's trust could bring me and my son, I carefully looked around and when I realized that no one was there, I cautiously reached out for the letter.
'Fred, I plan to take over our home.
The bird is flying home by the third day of the week, he will course through the Freesia forest.
This is a 'trusted' maid.
You know what to do with her.'
Ah.
I see.
So the ladyship wants whomever I am meeting to end the young master.
The 'bird' is probably pertaining to her younger brother, since the logo of the family is a white dove.
And it appears that she wants to be the only possible heir to the barony.
A power struggle is normal within the family of nobles. I just didn't expect me to be involved in this way, especially after hearing that the Baron siblings were close.
Disgusting.
However, this made me question the validity of the lady's request.
If she really aimed to kill her brother, would she be as careless as to give such obvious tasks to a maid like me?
Indeed, the man I am meeting could easily kill me.
And yet, if the brother is killed, it was only Lady Austen whom people will surely point fingers at. She will be the only one to benefit in such a situation. In addition, although I am not someone very famous, there are many people who know me within the village and the baron's house.
Annie and Clora won't be quiet,
Everyone is aware that I was last seen picked to be her ladyship's maid.
If I send this letter and be killed off, my Jude will surely be in danger and live a lonely life.
But...
All of these are too suspicious.
I am experienced in the world of nobles, and I am not naive that this might be a trap or a real deal.
But in my experience, it was that someone like 'Lady Austen' is not foolish to move like this.
I put the paper back in place.
When I arrived at the town square fountain, it seemed like 'Fred' had yet to come there.
There were only couples and teenagers loitering around without a care in the world.
With the setting sunset and peaceful environment, my mind naturally wanders off.
If Erden was here, would we just be the same?
"Lady." A voice called me. It was a deep baritone voice.
Even without looking, I knew it was the person that the Lady wanted me to meet.
He was wearing a brown hood.
"The Lady has given her orders."
I dare not mention the Lady's name in case I am wrong.
"Hmm." The man accepted the letter. "Tell her I'll deliver the dove's head in three-day's-time."
"Is that so?"
The hooded man nodded.
"I will."
The man left.
Instead of going home immediately, I decided to return to the barony.
Three days.
There was still enough time to stop whatever the lady was planning.
I walked straight towards her bedroom and knocked.
"Lady Austen, this is Eusia."
As if someone was waiting for me, the door naturally opened.
Lady Austen was sitting comfortably on a sofa, beside her was the head maid.
She was casually sipping tea as if nothing sinister was going around her head.
"You returned after all." A smirk showed on her lips. "Take your seat."
"I have sent your letter," I replied right after I sat. "And I have read the lady's letter." The graceful hand that held the teacup froze up in the air.
"And you still gave it?" This time, the lady was smiling. "You do know that something could happen to you?"
"Yes." I nodded at the lady. "But... I am here to advise you that you should not continue with the plan." I tried to explain.
"O-ho? Why don't you tell me more?"
"If the young baron is attacked in his carriage, the only suspect will be you, lady."
"My! Are you accusing me of murder?!" Lady Austen shouted. The maids around her froze and looked begrudgingly at me. I was put on the spot.
But I was already used to this.
'Remember, your highness. Do not flinch, do not freeze. Speak your truth clearly and you can handle any situation.'
It made me remember the words of my teacher from my childhood studies.
Who knew that I could use it even now?
With all their eyes on me, I continued to speak.
"I was involved with the lady these last few days, as these was all a test to find a 'personal' maid."
"What do you think would happen if one of the candidates has gone missing after a test of 'delivering a letter'?"
"and to think that the death of the heir follows a missing maid, people will all look unfavorably at you, milady."
That's the greatest loophole.
"I decided to send the letter so that people will be aware to know where to look if the heir really did die." Because they can easily trace all the clues that I left. "I'm sure you are also aware of this as you are not a foolish woman."
"I am aware of what?" The eyes looked deeply at me as if she was trying to read my intentions.
"Lady, a person like you would not send such a message so obviously. If you really want to become an heir, you have the background to contest the succession." This was something I asked around yesterday.
Knowing that I was in a contest to be her ladyship's maid, it was only natural to know about the people I would serve. I'm glad I did.
"The baron territory is a close-knit village, it was easy to find and reason out why someone had gone missing or why someone passed away, especially if it was the returning master himself. Why bother spilling blood when you are capable of achieving what you desire peacefully?"
"There is no use ruling a territory that does not trust its master. People can easily be silenced but other's trust and belief in one's power and integrity cannot easily be brought back. If you choose this path, the people will disappear one way or the other."
Trust is the belief that people are willing to be vulnerable with you. And if they can't feel safe, they can just easily leave and move away.
"The Barony will fall apart on its own and everything will be of no use."
"As one of the baron's servants, I sincerely advise the lady to rethink this case."
In the fall of the land that I grew up in,
The nobility and the common people all sided with the queen.
The king's position was questionable. People lost trust in him, as well as his aides, children, and even friends. Nevertheless, his wife the queen did her best not to lead people in fear, but rather trust. She gave them hope, that even with a King like that, there was still a dependable Queen.
She was someone who did not believe in bloodshed, it was to the point she publicly apologized to the people while announcing that she would give up her power within the kingdom in exchange for the country's freedom.
It was a gullible and mindless political act.
But in that moment, me and the people's hearts all sought out to her.
Both nobility and commoners wanted to protect her and her kindness.
And they all wanted to protect their queen.
They fought so hard for her, even with her rejection.
Just so the queen and her family could survive.
In the end, it was all for naught since the emperor of this empire was a blood-monger. The empire sent their troops overnight and occupied the palace.
The family was then lost to history. I tried finding out what happened to the kingdom I lived in before, but when I went there, the gates were closed and no one was allowed to come in or out.
I just decided that the empire probably used it for a different reason since I had heard no news about it even before then, and since the people who lived in it were probably all dead and no one was able to tell its tale.
I was just one of the lucky survivors.
Or maybe, I might be the only one who survived at all.
I just hope her ladyship will see my point.
When I raised my head to watch the lady's reaction to my revelation, she was covering her mouth with the hand that held the tea from earlier.
"M-My lady?" I panicked, and my eyes immediately looked at the maid. Why are they not making sure she was okay?!
"A-HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!" The lady who appeared to be nonchalant yet calculating with a clear head was laughing non-stop. Even holding on to her stomach. "HAHAHHAHAHAHA!!"
I blushed, feeling embarrassed.
Was the lady crazy after all?
Then.. there's no use even if I talked to her!
But for some reason, the head maid was smiling.
And the other maids were heaving a fine sigh.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Oh my god!"
"Really, Leila. Why did you only introduce such a gem today??" And the princess began to laugh again.
My eyes traveled to her and the head maid Leila back and forth.
"A gem indeed."
My lady continued to laugh for a few more minutes.
And in the end, she pointed towards me with a clear and brighter look.
"You! What's your name again?"
"E-Eustia?"
"Right, Eustia." She smiled, stood up, and walked behind me.
The lady touched my shoulders before she whispered to my ears.
"You passed, Eusia."