The Tyrant’s Leash Is Held by a Maid

Liana Siodo Knew Her Place Too Well(4)

Translated by Gina
Edited by Tea

Part One − Liana Siodo Knew Her Place Too Well(4)

“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t she the young Miss’ new personal maid?”

“Deborah. Do you know that’s the tenth time you’ve said that now?”

“…Fine. I won’t do it anymore.”

Deborah waved her hand as if meaning she was going to stop, but a moment later, her body jumped again.

“By the way, do you know that?”

Liana’s expression became serious at her friend’s sudden behavior, whispering close to her ear as if telling her a precious secret.

“What is it?”

“This time, the young Miss’ new personal maid has arrived, and her closest friend is so beautif–”

“Deborah, Really!”

Deborah giggled at Liana’s shout and ran to the main building. Happy that the friend she cared for like family had joined her as an exclusive maid, Deborah twirled round and round.

‘Do you like that much?’

Liana watched her friend with her heart full of gratitude, but her smiling face turned white in an instant.

“Deborah! Up front! Look ahead!”

“Oh goodness! Gre- Great Lady! I apologize!”

Deborah had been running like a wild foal and now cowered. She had bumped into Lady Angelica, the first Young Lady of Baldwin’s household, as she was leaving the main building.

Her maids supported Angelica, who staggered against Deborah’s body. Deborah hurriedly bowed her head.

“My Lady, are you unharmed? I’m really sorry. I’m embarrassed by my careless actions–”

Deborah had been bowing her head, again and again, but could not finish her apology.  Because Angelica slapped her on the cheek with all her might.

Slap! The sound of flesh colliding vigorously echoed through the flower garden in front of the main building.

“I don’t know if it’s because she’s serving a commoner, but she lacks manners altogether!”

Angelica blinked, and a maid hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief. She threw the handkerchief on the floor after wiping the hand that had hit Deborah, as if it was dirtied.

“Didn’t your master teach you how to apologize?”

Deborah was stunned by the sudden violence and unable to comprehend the situation, nevertheless, she hurriedly fell on her knees on the gravel floor.

“I, I apologize…”

Sneering, Angelica’s auburn eyes glittered happily.

“It’s so easy for you to get down on your knees, huh? Right. Knowing her place is a maid’s virtue.”

Angelica deliberately trampled the hem of Deborah’s skirt as she moved forward.

Angelica’s maids passed Liana’s comrade with pale faces. All were long-working maids and Deborah’s close friends.

But what maid could dare to complain about the master Lady’s actions? The maids walked after Angelica, barely consoling Deborah with their eyes.

Striding proudly, Angelica stopped in front of Liana.

“Are you the newly selected private maid?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Liana had bowed her head, but Angelica grabbed her chin and lifted it up. As if examining a new item, Angelica wrenched Liana’s head from side to side while staring at Liana’s face.

“I guess she chose you to use your body whenever she needs it. Well, that kid is like that, so it’s understandable.”

Liana’s spirit sank at the high-level jeer. But instead of losing her composure, the maid opened her mouth.

“The little Lady I serve will never…”

“Little Lady? Where’s a little Lady here? There is only one Lady in the Baldwin family?”

Angelica’s eyes lit up and she spoke as if she were charging against Liana.

“You’re not calling that half-blood ‘little Lady,’ right? The girl whose mother rolled on her body to become the Countess?”

Having just left her morning Etaila classes, Angelica was in a very bad mood. She was looking for a target for her anger, and finding a maid with a slender body and meek eyes, thought she was the perfect prey.

However, the maid, who gave the impression that she would break if hit, was not the easy opponent Angelica had thought.

Liana took a deep breath and looked directly at Angelica.

“Miss Angelica. I am Natasha Baldwin’s maid.”

“So?”

“Since I became an exclusive maid, I don’t think my ears belong to me anymore.”

The impudent and arrogant maid shot her counterattack calmly.

“What you just said, is it alright if I deliver it to my Master?”

“What?”

Angelica’s forehead instantly wrinkled at the unexpected response.

‘What is she saying?’ Angelica, annoyed, grabbed Liana’s chin again.

“What did you say now?”

“I’m sorry if I sounded rude. Naturally, I would have delivered the Miss’ words anyway… Because I’m Miss Natasha’s exclusive maid, as well as a maid who belongs to this mansion. I was just asking for my Lady’s opinion in the first place so as not to cause a disturbance.”

In that shameless apology, Angelica couldn’t feel any sense of servility or meekness. Staring at Liana, her auburn eyes blazed. Strength surged to the hand holding the maid’s pale face.

“Mary.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Bring the whip my father bought me yesterday. I’ll have to check now to see if it’s good quality.”

Angelica’s murderous words made all the maids around feel anxious. Angelica, noticing their agitation, raised her voice.

“What are you waiting for?! Bring it right now!”

“Ah yes!”

There was no fear in Liana’s face as Mary hurriedly entered the mansion. She merely bowed her head slightly and waited patiently for her disposition.

Was there anything this maid could have faith in? Maybe her half-attractive face. Like most women of low status, they can only make use of their faces. As Natasha’s mother did, to eventually achieve her goal of raising her status. 

If so, Angelica decided to completely destroy that hope. With a malicious smile she said scornfully.

“Natasha is very unfortunate. The exclusive maid she barely picked disappeared overnight.”

“Oh. Why is that, Unnie?”

“Why? I’m doing this right now–”

Angelica, who had been calmly speaking, suddenly tensed with a sense of incongruity. 

The owner of the slightly husky voice calling her ‘Unnie’ was… 

“Natasha.”

“Good morning. Sister.”

When Angelica turned her head, she saw Natasha approaching softly. Today, Baldwin’s little Lady was dressed as innocently as a white magnolia.

Wearing a white dress made of high-quality fabric and adorning her hair with pearl pins, Natasha had the usual smile on her face.

Angelica bit her lip and released Liana’s chin.

Ignoring her, Natasha only reached out and raised Deborah, who was still on her knees.

“I ordered an errand, but they were late, so I wondered what had happened.”

With an indifferent expression, Natasha turned her head to look at her older sister. Dark green eyes, like midsummer greenery, were precisely piercing Angelica.

“I didn’t know you were punishing my maids.”

“I couldn’t have done it without a reason”

Angelica struggled to mask the anxiety showing on her face and raised her chin to appear as calm as possible.

“Your maid didn’t have the basics, so I just educated her.”

“The basic…”

Natasha permitted herself a chilly crescent-like smile.

“It seems that the basic thing that my sister says should be applied on the maid’s cheek first.”

Angelica’s face turned red at her little sister’s sarcasm. Natasha, moving as slowly as a predator approaching its trapped prey, stood before Angelica.

“So, sister, what about my mother? It’s a story you can tell in front of my maid, so you can say it in front of me too. Can you repeat it?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

Losing her dignified expression, Angelica pretended to look confident and spread her shoulders.

“Everyone knows that your mother used her brain well. Why maybe… Are you, are you ashamed of your mother?”

Lifting her chin high, Angelica tried her best to look down on Natasha.

“Then you can’t use it, little sister. Your mother gave you a pretty face and undeserved status, isn’t that right? Although the process was no different from that of a prostitute.”

“Yes. So, I am always grateful to my mother.  Especially whenever I run into sister.”

At her comment, Angelica’s eyebrows slightly but definitely crumbled. Natasha opened her mouth and stared at her without a change in her expression.

“A certain young Lady said: Undoubtedly, young Lady Angelica and young Lady Natasha have different mothers…”

“Of course. Unlike you, my mother belongs to the venerable Reuss family–”

“’You both are different from head to toe. Especially in the Head.’”

Angelica’s red lips trembled when she realized she had fallen into Natasha’s sarcastic trick.

Natasha, who had been expressionless, narrowed her eyes to a half-moon and smiled brightly. It was a bright smile as if the flowers were in full bloom.

[In truth…  the said young Lady asked if it was true that sister Angelica didn’t know the basic spelling of Etaila language… but I didn’t answer since I didn’t want to gossip about my older sister.]

“You…”

Angelica clenched her teeth at Natasha’s eloquent Etaila. Her own poor Etaila skills were Angelica’s weakness.

Natasha continued speaking in fluent Etaila while wearing a blinding smile.

[If it were me, I would memorize it even if it’s embarrassing. No, is it that hard to memorize? Are you that stupid?]

“…You’ll see. I’ll make you pay.”

“You’re the one who will pay for it.”

Natasha’s smile disappeared in an instant as if it had never been there. With a cold grin on her lips, Natasha whispered in her trembling sister’s ear.

“Even if you say you’ll take revenge, isn’t it everything about telling older brother or father?”

“You bast–!”

“We have passed the age when we are afraid of being scolded by older brother or dad, right? I’m not even a child.”

With a detached smirk, Natasha’s face was as smooth as finely molded porcelain. Angelica’s clenched fists trembled with anger.

She wanted to grab her hair right away, but there were too many eyes around them at the moment. She could slap her maid’s cheek, but never Natasha’s face.

‘Wait and see. Definitely, I’ll make you regret today.’

Angelica, clenching her fists so hard that her nails were beginning to penetrate the flesh, turned away. 

As she did so, of course, she didn’t forget to glare at the maid who had ridiculed her.