NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 21
“Moreover, they even dragged me and Elliot into it just to put pressure on Liliana.”
Under the sharp criticism, the maids couldn’t raise their heads properly.
It was true.
‘The once-noble lady has changed.’
‘Because Lady Liliana has taken all of her attention, poor young master Elliot is suffering.’
These were all words spoken by the maids themselves.
“Not only did you show your quarrels in front of the young lady, but…”
As Anriette trailed off, she raised the corners of her lips slightly.
It was a smile as cold as ice.
“To let Liliana get involved in that quarrel…”
The room was eerily quiet.
One could hear a pin drop.
Breaking through that silence, Anriette’s languid voice pierced the maids’ ears like a blade.
“What should I do with you all…?”
“P-please forgive us, my lady!”
“We were wrong!”
A flood of desperate pleas erupted.
The faces of the maids clinging to Anriette looked pale, as if their necks were being squeezed.
Anriette tightly closed her eyes for a moment.
‘If it were up to me, I’d want to fire all these maids at once, but…’
She had to consider the feelings of her servants.
No matter how poorly they treated Liliana, these maids had been working for Valua for at least five years.
If she were to dismiss them right now, the backlash against Liliana would only grow stronger.
‘Moreover, I can’t show any extreme behavior in front of Liliana.’
With a long sigh, Anriette lifted her eyelids.
She glared at the maids with piercing eyes.
“Apologize.”
“…What?”
“To Liliana and to the maid you had cornered.”
Anriette concluded her cold statement.
“You need to apologize formally.”
At her words, the maids’ pupils trembled violently.
As for Liliana, that was one thing, but to apologize to a maid who had only been there for a month?
But given Anriette’s fierce gaze, they had no choice but to apologize.
In the end, the maids bowed their heads toward Liliana.
“We’re so sorry, Lady Liliana.”
“We really made a big mistake.”
“Please forgive us.”
The maids stammered as they spoke.
Liliana looked up at Anriette with a confused expression.
‘Should I just forgive those maids right away?’
Anriette smiled gently and nodded slightly.
‘No, there’s no need for that. Just say what you want to say.’
That was the meaning.
Gaining courage from that, Liliana strengthened her voice.
“I hope this doesn’t happen again in the future…”
“Yes, young lady. We will remember that.”
Once again, the maids bowed deeply and glanced at the maid standing blankly behind Liliana.
“I’m sorry, Jane.”
“We were wrong.”
Looking at her senior maids apologizing to her, Jane swallowed hard.
Even though they were saying words of apology, the way they looked at her was downright menacing.
‘Just wait until later.’
‘We may be quiet now because of the lady, but once she’s gone…’
Their intent was glaringly obvious in their eyes.
Just then, Anriette narrowed her brows and shot back at them.
“Why aren’t you bowing to that maid?”
“…What?”
The caught-off-guard maids blinked in surprise.
Anriette placed her hands on her hips and continued.
“I said to ‘apologize formally.’”
“M-my lady. But…”
“Normally, to apologize formally means to bow your head and sincerely say the words of apology.”
Shock appeared on the faces of the maids.
That maid had barely worked there for even a month.
Did they really have to bow to a child who had only been there that long?
Yet, Anriette issued her commands coldly.
“What are you doing standing there with your heads up?”
“…Yes, my lady.”
In the end, the maids had no choice but to lower their heads.
Only after seeing them apologize did Anriette nod slightly.
“Remember this well; it’s the second time.”
“What?”
“I’m already pointing out your rude behavior toward Liliana for the second time.”
Anriette slightly lifted her chin.
“There will be no third time.”
The maids exchanged glances with pale faces.
The lifeless violet eyes of Anriette stared directly at them.
“If this happens again, I will never forgive you.”
“W-we will remember.”
The maids quickly nodded in response.
Finally, Anriette let the maids go.
“Alright. Then everyone, go back to your work. I promised to read some books to Liliana and Elliott today.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Like sparrows chased away with a wave of a hand, the maids scattered in different directions.
Anriette approached Liliana and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Liliana, are you alright?”
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
Only after Anriette’s hand touched her did the tension in Liliana’s rigid shoulders begin to ease a little.
Liliana forced a smile, trying to appear okay in front of Anriette.
“Of course. I’m perfectly fine.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Wow, did you bring the books?”
Liliana exclaimed in a deliberately cheerful voice, gazing at the books Anriette had brought.
Anriette couldn’t hide her worried expression.
Normally, Liliana would have sparkled with excitement at the colorful covers of the fairy tale books.
But her expression remained gloomy.
After swallowing a sigh, Anriette asked again.
“By the way, where’s Elliott?”
“He went to the kitchen to get an apple pie…”
“…Oh dear. He left you all alone?”
Just then, as Anriette wore an ambiguous expression,
out of nowhere, Elliott came running from a distance.
“Mother, huff, huff, you’re here?”
As he got closer, Elliott was panting heavily.
He held tightly onto a basket containing an apple pie and a bottle of milk.
Setting the basket down on the bench, Elliott squinted as he carefully examined Liliana’s face.
“Why are your eyes red? Have you been crying?”
“Huh? No, it’s not that…”
“…Could it be that Mother has been bothering you?”
Elliott turned sharply to look at Anriette.
Flustered, Liliana shook her head vigorously.
“No!”
“…Are you really sure?”
“Really, really!”
Only after hearing her affirmations several times did Elliott seem to relax a little.
This kid?
Anriette cast a fond glance at Elliott.
“Elliott, it’s nice that you want to treat Liliana to a snack, but…”
“What?”
“A gentleman, unless it’s an urgent matter, does not leave a lady alone in the garden.”
As a mother, she felt it was okay to give him this kind of advice.
With that thought in mind, Anriette carefully chose her words.
“Also, if you needed a snack, couldn’t you have called a maid to bring it to you?”
At that remark, Elliott made an “aha!” expression.
“Besides, Liliana hasn’t been in the Valua townhouse for long, has she?”
“Uh, that’s true.”
“So, Elliott, make sure to take good care of her, okay?”
Hoping that Elliott would stick close to Liliana from now on, Anriette playfully added,
If Elliott had been by Liliana’s side earlier…
‘Those maids wouldn’t have dared to act like that.’
Her violet eyes momentarily turned cold.
At that moment, a calm voice rang out.
“You should listen carefully to your mother, Elliott.”
Huh?
Startled by the unexpected voice, Anriette quickly lifted her head.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh my, Duke?”
“……”
Alexei had approached them without her noticing.
Having just finished signing the last document, Alexei raised his hand and wiped his face.
“Huff, I’m tired.”
A long sigh escaped him without him realizing it.
He had finally dealt with the mountain of paperwork.
Of course, more documents would pile up again after today…
‘But maybe I can take it a little easier today.’
With that thought in mind, he had planned to take a stroll in the garden when he noticed something.
‘…Isn’t that Liliana with the maids?’
Why were the maids gathered around Liliana like that?
Moreover, Liliana didn’t look pleased at all…
“My lady was originally a noblewoman, right? She wouldn’t even step foot in the kitchen…”
“That’s right, that’s right. And I feel so sorry for the young master.”
“It’s true, the young master has basically been robbed of his mother by Lady Liliana, hasn’t he?”
At the voice that sounded like a complaint, Liliana’s face turned pale as a sheet of paper.
She was about to step forward to reprimand the maids…
‘Madam?’
Her blue eyes widened slightly.
Just then, Anriette approached the maids first.
And something truly surprising happened.