"You," Anastasia turned to the second maid.
"I am new to the residence. I used to serve in His Grace's vineyard," Dorata answered.
"Since you used to work in the vineyard, you must be strong. Fill the water for my bath and tidy the outer courtyard," Anastasia instructed. Given how carefully the Duchess acted, she believed the two maids before her would not dare play any tricks that morning. Anyway, if they made a mistake, she could always use it as an excuse to punish them and send them to the horse stables.
"You will continue dealing with the laundry in this courtyard," Anastasia said, fixing her gaze on Nile. The two nodded without any complaints.
"Rosa," she called out, remembering she had not seen her since waking up. Moreover, Rosa was smart; she could trust her to keep an eye on these two maids.
Anastasia frowned when there was no response.
"Rosa," she called again, but still, there was no answer. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She was worried that the Duchess might have played some trick to send away her most trusted aide.
After Rosa's actions in the kitchen the previous day, Anastasia knew Leah would find a way to punish her. Otherwise, Anastasia would learn a lesson from her.
"I have to speak to Father," Anastasia decided, she had never asked her father anything but she did not want to lose Rosa. Especially with the Duchess's people around her. Without wasting time, she decisively left the courtyard.
"Good morning, my lady," Anastasia had only taken a few steps when she met Rosa, who was returning to the courtyard.
"Where have you been?" Anastasia asked while carefully looking at Rosa to see if she was hurt. Anastasia was still worried that Leah had found an opportunity to deal with her.
"I woke up early to help my lady make spice, but the Duchess had already appointed someone else. So I stayed back to make some for you, but Grater had already taken care of it," Rosa explained, showing her the small pouch Grater gave her.
Rosa felt she had wasted too much time doing nothing for her lady that morning. If she had known, she would have used the time to prepare her bath. Moreover, she felt the atmosphere in the Duke's residence was strange; she had asked around, but no one was willing to talk to her.
The previous evening, the Duke had asked to see her lady. Now, her lady was relieved of making spice like a maid.
Rosa feared the rumors about sending her lady to the monastery to become a nun might have some truth.
She wanted to ask Anastasia about it when she noticed the two women standing outside the courtyard. Her heart skipped a beat. She feared the women might have been sent from the monastery to take her lady away.
Rosa had heard many stories about the monastery; it was said that young nuns did not live good lives. They were made to do heavy work usually meant for men, since men were not allowed inside, Moreover, they were not allowed to eat until satisfied, as they needed to learn to control their appetite. The two maid in Rosa's eyes fits the description in her mind.
"My lady, who are they?" Rosa asked, pointing at the maids. No matter how composed she wanted to appear, her voice quivered.
"Dorata and Nile. The Duchess sent them here to help," Anastasia answered. There was no smile on her face; otherwise, Rosa might have thought she was joking.
'When did the Duchess become so kind as to assign helpers to the courtyard?' Rosa thought, looking at her lady as though waiting for her to reveal the truth.
"Dorata worked in the family vineyard; she will be in charge of fetching water and keeping the environment clean. Perhaps we could even grow Mother's favorite flowers," Anastasia said.
Rosa blinked and looked at the maid Anastasia had pointed out. Dorata had an arrogant expression that reminded her of Leah. "She must be here to cause trouble," Rosa shivered, wondering what the Duchess was planning.
"Nile will handle the laundry and cleaning inside. As for you, Rosa, you are my personal maid. You must teach them proper etiquette of a maid," Anastasia said. Though she used the word "teach," Rosa understood that she was being asked to keep an eye on them and assert her authority.
"I will not let my lady down," Rosa promised. If the Duchess had sent troublemakers to make life difficult for her lady, Rosa would ensure to protect her.
Anastasia nodded and walked back into the courtyard. It had been a long time since she had a peaceful morning. She entered her mother's room and opened the door. After her mother died, Leah had taken most of her mother's jewelry under the pretense of safekeeping.
Anastasia walked over to the bed and pulled out a large box. It was so heavy that it took a lot of effort to move it. The box was covered in dust. Anastasia grabbed a duster from the table.
Cough, cough.
Anastasia coughed as she dusted off the box. She was going out with Miss Maria and could not afford to look too plain. Once the box was cleaned, she opened it.
Inside were worn-out books, untouched for a long time. Anastasia sighed, gently setting them aside. After removing two layers of books, another smaller box was revealed.
She took a deep breath and pressed the small button on the side. Only those who knew its mechanism could open it. When the lid opened, a soft light emanated from the box. Her mother had always been cautious, and these were her true treasures.
Anastasia picked up a necklace with a small heart-shaped design. Its craftsmanship was simple but elegant.
She wasn't sure what material the necklace was made of, but she was confident it was a precious gem. The subtle white color made it less conspicuous compared to other elaborate designs in the box.
This way, she could avoid being too plain while also not overdressing. Anastasia also selected a pair of earrings. Among the collection, she spotted one her mother had worn during the Duke's birthday party years ago—the last time her mother hosted the event.
A single tear fell as she remembered the humiliation her mother had endured that day. Taking a deep breath, Anastasia blinked back her tears. "Rest well, Mother," she whispered, running her hand over the necklace.
After making her selection, she chose a book and hid the necklace and earrings between its pages. She feared that with Leah's people in the courtyard, the jewelry's location might be exposed.