Chapter 11

In order to do that, she first needed to earn Lady Bianca’s trust.

It probably wouldn’t be very difficult.

She had read the reports, and thanks to what Varkan had told her in her previous life, she knew Bianca’s tastes fairly well.

And fortunately, that preference was…

‘Me.’

Varkan had always said it with a bitter smile.

“If Bianca had met you before she died, she would’ve loved you.”

“Really?”

“Bianca and I always liked the same things when we were kids. She might’ve even fought with me a lot because of you.”

“Really? But you can’t know that for sure.”

“No. I’m sure.”

Varkan wasn’t the type to say things he didn’t mean.

If he’d spoken with that much certainty, then she was confident.

‘This time, I’ll save Lady Bianca with my own hands.’

* * *

At the far end of a corridor in the Kardian estate, the door to the Head Maid’s office quietly opened.

The maids entered with their heads lowered and timid expressions.

Each of them carried a pouch filled with money.

“Here it is, Lady Matilda.”

“Good. Leave it there.”

At her curt reply, the maids bowed.

Matilda checked the amount they had brought and smiled in satisfaction.

“Why are you still standing there?”

When her gaze settled on them, the maids hurriedly backed away.

The moment the door closed, Matilda’s lips curled upward.

‘Coming here really was the right choice.’

She had been born a noble.

However, because she never awakened an ability, she had been cast out by her family.

When Duke Rothwell approached her and asked whether she had any interest in becoming a maid for House Kardian, Matilda had initially been horrified.

No matter that she was a Non-Ability User, she had no desire to become a servant in a family she considered lowborn.

But perhaps because they lacked proper noble roots, the people of House Kardian knew little about how noble society worked.

That made it easy for her to embezzle funds in various ways.

Smiling in satisfaction, Matilda looked around.

Bianca’s residence was quiet as always.

That was the result of Matilda keeping her confined to her room under the excuse that her health was poor.

‘It’s fortunate that Lady Bianca is obsessed with acting like a noble.’

Recently, Bianca had been allowed only a few bites of food that could hardly even be called a snack.

Matilda insisted she mustn’t catch a fever, so even simple exercise had been forbidden.

“If you want to become a proper noble young lady, you need to restrict what you eat. Gaining weight isn’t becoming of a noble lady.”

“The same goes for exercise. Muscles aren’t feminine. There’s no need to exercise. A bulky body isn’t attractive at all.”

As a result, Bianca’s health visibly deteriorated.

She didn’t even realize she was gradually becoming ill.

Matilda had gained the trust of the unsuspecting Bianca and seized complete control over her.

There was only one thing that irritated her.

No matter how many times it happened, the people of House Kardian refused to give up and kept sending companions to Bianca.

Whenever that happened, Matilda would quietly drive a wedge between them while staying at Bianca’s side.

“Those young ladies are looking down on you because you came from a baron’s family.”

“They must think you’ve only risen in status through sheer luck and don’t know proper etiquette.”

Just a few words were enough.

Bianca would begin treating her visitors coldly.

The noble young ladies eventually lost patience and left.

Matilda sneered.

‘That little beggar brat will be thrown out too. How dare she try to enter my family?’

That was why she had recommended Diena as Bianca’s maid.

She already knew the outcome.

Thanks to her years of conditioning, Bianca had become stricter about etiquette than anyone else.

‘There’s no way a commoner brat like her could ever catch Lady Bianca’s eye. Lady Bianca will keep listening only to me.’

Matilda stepped outside and summoned the maids.

“Make that girl presentable and bring her to me. I’ll introduce her to Lady Bianca.”

* * *

Matilda tilted her head with displeasure.

After washing up and changing clothes, Diena somehow carried herself with unmistakable elegance.

The ordinary maid uniform suited her smooth black hair perfectly.

It almost looked as though the outfit had been made specifically for her.

‘What’s with her? Why does she look so aristocratic?’

The dirty little girl she’d first seen was nowhere to be found.

Despite her young age, every movement carried a strange sense of refinement.

Diena casually brushed her hair aside.

Even that simple action looked inexplicably graceful.

Matilda snorted.

‘So what if she’s pretty? She’s still a commoner.’

With that thought, she escorted Diena to Bianca’s door.

“Serve Lady Bianca her tea.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Normally that’s my duty, but… as you can see, I’m very busy.”

She looked incredibly unoccupied, but Diena simply nodded.

“So you’ll handle it just for today. You can manage that, can’t you?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Matilda narrowed her eyes.

Diena clearly hadn’t understood what she meant.

Anyone could see this was a setup meant to humiliate her.

Yet Diena didn’t look nervous at all.

Matilda simply sighed.

“Fine. You’d better make a good impression on the Lady. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown out immediately.”

“Don’t worry. I think she’ll like me the moment she sees me.”

Matilda’s expression twisted.

Ever since they first spoke, there had been something irritating about Diena’s way of talking.

“Is that so?”

Even then, Diena merely offered a faint smile.

For some reason, the sight annoyed her immensely.

Thud.

Matilda shoved Diena forward and practically threw her in front of Bianca.

Then she stepped aside.

From a distance, she watched the two of them.

She didn’t even explain what Diena was supposed to do.

Since she was supposedly just an ordinary commoner, she should’ve been intimidated and completely at a loss.

She definitely should’ve been.

Yet Diena stepped forward and gracefully bowed.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Diena.”

Her posture was flawless.

Her etiquette was so perfect that even high-ranking nobles would’ve been impressed.

Matilda anxiously thought to herself.

‘Even so, there’s no way Lady Bianca will like her.’

But contrary to her hopes, Bianca pursed her lips and muttered,

“Well, you’re not bad.”

Matilda stared blankly at her in shock.

* * *

Looking at Bianca, Diena quietly sighed in relief.

Just as expected, Bianca seemed to have taken a liking to her.

After all, Matilda’s report to House Kardian had once contained this line.

[I have shaped Bianca Kardian into someone who values nobility above all else. To the point where only members of the highest noble houses can truly satisfy her standards.]

Diena was a member of one of the Five Great Families.

Etiquette and elegance were as natural to her as breathing.

In fact, even her friends from the other Great Families had admired her manners.

Cassian Volkov, who had once been her friend, would blush whenever he saw her and ask,

“Diena, your etiquette is incredible. How are you so perfect at it?”