Chapter 23.1

“Madam, are you inside? It’s Mia Wilderson.”

Livi slipped the pouch of herbs into a drawer and gave permission to enter. The head maid, Mia, bowed politely, then stated her purpose for visiting.

“I’ve come to inform you of the matters among those postponed due to the campaign preparations that now require your attention, madam.”

She made no mention of the previous incident at the training grounds. Her tone remained strictly administrative as she listed the pending tasks within the duchy. Hiring additional servants, providing aid to rebuild Radetz after the battle damage, and various minor tasks in need of approval.

Livi listened carefully to Mia and issued several immediate instructions.

“I’ll leave the matter of the servants to you, so hire them as you see fit. As for Radetz, didn’t we send aid not long ago?”

“We dispatched only the medical support unit, my lady. Now, the urgent matter is to rebuild the destroyed residences.”

“Then we’ll need laborers. Try to gather volunteers from within the territory first, and if that’s not enough, consider seeking help from neighboring regions.”

“Understood.”

Mia jotted quick notes in her small notebook and turned to leave. But as she reached for the doorknob, Livi called her back.

“Ah, one moment.”

“Is there something else to add?”

“Are there any other guests in the castle I should be aware of?”

Livi asked lightly, as if the question had simply occurred to her.

“No, madam. There’s no one currently staying at the castle.”

“I see. I hadn’t heard anything… so I guess Dominic doesn’t have any siblings.”

Livi nodded to herself. If someone had been living in the castle, she might have been able to find out more about Dominic’s past before he became a mercenary, but it seemed that avenue was closed.

She told Mia she could go, then turned her gaze away. Yet even after a moment passed, she heard no footsteps, no door opening.

Seeing Mia still standing frozen by the door, Livi frowned.

“Do you have something else to say?”

“…Are you being serious?”

“What?”

“Were you truly serious just now?”

Livi blinked, not understanding what she meant. Mia’s expression grew darker by the second, until her face twisted as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

“Of course there was. There was. Madam, surely you remember Lily.”

A vein bulged in Mia’s neck, as though she were barely restraining herself from raising her voice.

Startled by her intensity, Livi hesitated. She had never imagined this calm woman had such an edge hidden beneath the surface.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. How would I know about the Duke’s sister?”

“…How can you be so indifferent?”

Mia only grew more agitated at Livi’s composed response. A scowl twisted her face, and her shoulders began to tremble with anger. Her face flushed red as she clutched her skirt with white-knuckled fists.

“How can you say you don’t know that child? Even if you are deeply hurt by His Lordship, this is something you should never say.”

“…”

“I thought you would have at least some sense of guilt. I assumed you acted as you did because circumstances left you no choice. But now I see that wasn’t it at all. How could you forget it all so coldheartedly?”

Mia could no longer continue as her breathing turned ragged. She coughed, one hand bracing against the wall as she tried and failed to steady herself.

When she finally lifted her head, her eyes were thick with resentment.

“…I’ll take my leave now. Rest well, madam.”

Mia executed a flawless bow and left, shutting the door behind her before Livi had a chance to react. Left alone—pushed into silence without even the chance to respond—Livi simply stood there, stunned. Too dumbfounded to even be angry.

Livi hadn’t understood even a fraction of what Mia had been talking about.

‘Lily?’

It was a common enough name. Several of her maids back home had been called that. But a “Lily” who was supposedly the duke’s sister? She truly knew nothing of such a person.

* * *

“Do any of you know about a girl named Lily?”

Back in her room, Livi sat at the table, sipping tea as she asked.

The servants attending her tilted their heads in confusion. Lily? Which Lily? They huddled together for a moment, whispering, thinking, until one finally spoke up for the group.

“Are you talking about Lily of the Hill?”

“The hill?”

“Yes, there’s a hill outside the outer walls of the castle called Rogmart. People say a ghost named Lily lives there.”

“If you go to Rogmart at night and call for Lily, she’ll come and grant you a wish!”

This time it was Jai, the head maid’s daughter, who chimed in. Judging by her bright-eyed and cheerful expression, it seemed she had no idea about the argument that had occurred between Livi and Mia.

Livi pointed to the empty chair beside her, telling Jai to sit. The girl hesitated, glancing at the other maids for permission, but when Livi slid a plate of cookies toward her, she perked up and sat down immediately.

“Is that an old tale?”

Jai popped a cookie into her mouth and mumbled through the crumbs.

“I’m not sure… but it’s probably not that old. Maybe ten years?”

Another maid seemed to think harder, then added:

“No, it’s been a little less than ten, madam. More so about eight years. I remember the exact day I first heard the story.”

Jai had already eaten half the butter cookies. Since she kept handing some to the other maids, she looked disappointed that there weren’t enough left for herself. Livi ordered more snacks to be brought, then turned back to the maids, asking them to tell her more about the rumor.