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Riel stood on the central staircase railing, looking down at the Great Hall. The employees were all busy searching for Iana.
“Have you checked the banquet hall?”
The head maid asked the gathering maids.
“She’s not there.”
“We also checked the greenhouse, but she’s not there either.”
“Where on earth could she have gone? Search every place we’ve checked again thoroughly.”
At the head maid’s order, the maids scattered in all directions.
The head maid, who was about to rush towards the corridor, met Riel’s eyes.
“Why aren’t you looking for Madam?”
“Someone has to wait in the room, don’t they? So that if Madam returns, I can inform you immediately.”
Riel responded boldly to the head maid’s reproach. Riel’s gaze from above and the head maid’s gaze from below clashed intensely.
Riel planned to change the way she dealt with the head maid.
The head maid knew of her unfortunate circumstances but didn’t feel sorry for her.
It was better to confront and win against someone you couldn’t handle as you wished.
“Then inform me as soon as Madam returns.”
“Yes, Head Maid.”
Riel briefly greeted and headed to Iana’s room.
‘Iana, you’re really hopeless.’
All human relationships required political skill. Especially for those of high status with many people serving them.
But Iana, who was ignorant of the ways of the world, ruined everything herself.
Naively framed by the maids, refusing her marital duties, she narrowed her own position.
‘Iana, your misfortune is of your own making.’
At that moment, Carrion was walking by ahead, talking with the butler.
He seemed to be about to go out this night, wearing a jacket.
“As you ordered, I sent someone to the Regephna count’s house. However, it’s so late, I don’t know if they will come out.”
‘The Regephna count’s house, could he be going to meet Chloe now?’
Riel slowed her walking speed and eavesdropped on their conversation.
“Don’t worry. Chloe will come out whenever I call her.”
Carrion’s face showed no doubt.
“Yes, Count.”
‘Treating Chloe like a leech and then looking for her when he needs a woman to spend the night with.’
Riel couldn’t help but laugh quietly at Carrion’s behavior.
At that moment, a thought flashed through her mind.
‘Now is the time.’
The rift between Count Dietrian and his wife.
It was the decisive moment to make the useless Iana’s privileges her own.
At that moment, Carrion met Riel’s gaze.
She bowed her head to greet him, but Carrion turned his gaze away, ignoring her.
As they passed each other, Riel suddenly spoke up.
“I found the best solution, Count.”
“……”
Carrion stopped without a word.
“I will report it at dawn.”
Riel threw out a line he couldn’t ignore to draw his interest.
Carrion looked at her with cold eyes filled with curiosity and suspicion.
“Already?”
“What do you mean already? Didn’t you give me a day?”
It was a provocation disguised as humility.
It meant that even a maid like her found the best solution in a day, which the count couldn’t.
“Fine. Let’s check now.”
The situation unfolded as Riel had predicted.
Carrion looked down at her arrogantly and warned.
“Instead, if it’s not the best solution, you will be punished for wasting my time. Understood?”
Riel answered confidently, not avoiding his gaze.
“I will follow your will, Count.”
“Good, let’s go to my room.”
As Carrion moved to go with Riel to his room, the butler asked with a troubled expression.
“Master, what about the errand you ordered?”
“Just tell Chloe to wait at our meeting place.”
“Yes, Count.”
The butler hurriedly ran down the corridor.
Carrion silently turned and headed to his room.
Riel watched Carrion’s back as she followed.
‘You mentioned Chloe in front of me on purpose, didn’t you? So this situation would reach Iana’s ears.’
At that moment, Carrion, who was walking ahead, turned and sharply urged her.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
Riel quietly followed Carrion.
Creak-.
Riel followed Carrion into his room.
It was a neat yet antique room.
As a noble with a deep knowledge of sculpture, marble sculptures were decorated here and there.
Carrion, as if frustrated, took off his jacket and leaned on the sofa.
“Speak.”
Riel stood before him and slowly began to speak.
“There are two ways to solve a problem.”
“Get to the point, I’m tired.”
Carrion interrupted her impatiently, pressing his temples with his hand. But Riel continued without minding.
“One is to restore it as if the problem never occurred.”
“Didn’t I tell you to explain directly?”
Carrion glared at Riel with sharp eyes.
Riel delivered her prepared speech proudly.
“The other is to provide an alternative that offsets the problem.”
At that moment.
An irritated Carrion threw the wine glass on the table.
The cold glass grazed Riel’s cheek.
Crash-.
The wine glass shattered against the wall.
“What are you doing? Clean it up.”
Carrion commanded with a short nod.
It meant to know her place. Not to forget her lowly status as a maid.
Riel roughly removed her apron and walked to where the broken wine glass was.
Kneeling down in front of it, Riel transferred the broken glass pieces to her apron with bare hands.
Precarious.
Her white hands moved among the sharp glass pieces, a dangerous sight.
But Riel knew well.
How strongly such precarious situations could capture someone’s attention……
Sure enough. Carrion watched her quietly while drinking wine.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Riel’s index finger was deeply cut by a sharp glass piece.
Drip-.
Bright red blood flowed down her white finger onto the broken glass pieces.
She quickly put the cut finger in her mouth.
“……”
Carrion still said nothing, just watching her.
Riel stood up and moved her bloody red lips.
“I’ve cleaned it up. I will finish cleaning the remaining glass pieces after I speak.”
Carrion chuckled at that and ordered.
“Now explain.”
“No matter the reason, the damage to the artwork implies that the family neglected its care.”
“……”
Carrion drank his wine silently.
Riel went straight to the point without beating around the bush.
“Use policy. Leverage the fact that the Dietrian family has traditionally served as policy advisors to His Majesty.”
“Policy?”
Carrion’s eyes sharpened.
Riel took a step closer and continued.
“As you know well, the sculptor Nirke suffered greatly from the abundance of replicas during her lifetime.”
Thud-.
He put the wine glass on the table.
“Indeed. But isn’t it customary for popular artworks to have replicas made?”
Riel walked slowly closer again.
“Not in the kingdom of Trukin on the Eastern Continent. The king grants legal exclusivity to recognized artists to prevent profiteering from replicas.”
“Legalizing the prohibition of replicas?”
Carrion muttered, lost in thought.
Riel stopped at a distance where he could reach her if he extended his hand. Then she firmly presented her prepared plan.
“Establish a system granting exclusivity to Nirke’s descendants.”
“The Dietrian family, protecting artists. Creating this image to restore the family’s prestige damaged by the ruined sculpture?”
Carrion, quick to understand, grasped her words instantly.
“Yes. It should be as controversial and loud as possible. That way, many will hear about it.”
Riel smiled faintly after finishing her words.
Carrion leaned forward, focusing on her.
“I don’t recall seeing anything about Trukin kingdom’s exclusivity rights in books. How did you know?”
“I read a book from the Eastern Continent once.”
“Do you know the Eastern languages?”
Carrion asked, impressed by her reply.
“Yes. I learned them as part of my education before my family fell.”
For a moment, their gazes intertwined.
A hot silence ensued.
But Riel had no intention of speaking first. The one who endured the intense tension would seize control.
In the end, Riel won.
“Is it very painful?”
Carrion pointed his chin at Riel’s hand.
“Yes, it hurts a bit. But you don’t have to pay for the treatment.”
“What?”
Carrion laughed loudly and walked to the drawer. He took out a red pouch from there.
It looked several times larger than the money pouch she had seen in the office.
Carrion approached and handed over the pouch.
“Well, it was a worthwhile idea.”
“I don’t need money.”
Riel took a step back. Carrion stepped forward, closing the gap, and asked.
“Why the sudden change of mind? You asked for more money before.”
“Give me something else instead.”
“What do you want?”
Carrion looked down at Riel intently.
A sly smile spread across her red lips.
“Make the other maids take responsibility.”
“……”
“For the damage to the sculpture.”
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