"Anyway, it’s certain now that the two of them are dating! They hold hands all the time, even in front of the servants watching them openly! And they even went out together, strolling around town like a proper couple," Giselle declared confidently.
“Really?”
“I swear on my name!”
The moment Giselle made her solemn declaration, cheers and exclamations erupted from the maids. Many of them had already been halfway convinced when they saw Ahwin arriving at the castle with Penelope.
"Yes!"
"I always knew Sir Ahwin was the one!"
"Kyaa-ha-ha-ha!"
“When do you think they’ll hold the wedding?”
Laura, as expected of a die-hard supporter of Ahwin, was already imagining that far ahead.
Giselle, maintaining a practical stance, explained that the couple had just begun dating and that it was far too soon to be talking about weddings.
However, not every maid was thrilled about the news. Those who had placed their bets on Lianel, a rival suitor, were devastated.
"What now? My money!"
"We’re ruined!"
"How could this happen? Lianel is a Grand Duke, for goodness’ sake!"
"Men with black hair will always be the best, no matter what anyone says."
The maids who had lost their wagers couldn’t hide their regret over losing their money overnight.
Meanwhile, Laura and Giselle, the leaders of the Ahwin supporters, exchanged a knowing glance and broke into mischievous smiles. Giselle’s shoulders lifted with pride—it was undeniable that at least a small part of this outcome was due to her efforts.
“What a long road it’s been. Who knew it’d be this hard to bring those two clueless people together?”
Recalling her past struggles, Giselle’s eyes grew misty with emotion.
The feelings were mutual on both sides, yet one was a workaholic and the other had a knack for missing opportunities at critical moments. Giselle had nearly lost her mind dealing with their awkwardness.
How much had she worked behind the scenes to bring them together?
When Giselle heard from the butler that the two had finally held hands in the corridor, she couldn’t stop smiling for the entire day. The joy of hearing the news felt like the ultimate reward for her efforts.
"Now we’ll get to witness their relationship firsthand, right?"
"They’re going to be so adorable together!"
"I feel like I won’t need to eat for a while. I’m already full just from this happiness."
The faces of the Ahwin supporters among the maids were beaming with delight.
Even the Lianel supporters quickly accepted the outcome. After all, the money they had wagered was mere pocket change, a small price to pay for entertainment during the dull winter months. They had never placed any serious hopes on the bet to begin with.
Most importantly, as long as their lady was happy, that was all that mattered to them.
However, among the group, two individuals who had inadvertently followed Giselle to the scene—mages from the Magic Tower, Caserin and Lube—were trembling in a corner.
“These are just maids, right? What am I even witnessing here?”
“What kind of bet did they dare to make about the Tower Master?!”
The two naïve mages were in utter cultural shock.
***
The next day.
As soon as Penelope opened her eyes, she flinched. Maids surrounded her bed, gazing down at her intently. It felt as though she had been ambushed.
In her groggy state, Penelope darted her eyes around in confusion. No matter where she looked, there were maids—an endless sea of them. It was impossible not to be startled.
“What’s going on...?”
“You’ve finally woken up. You went to bed so late last night that we didn’t get a chance to greet you.”
“We came to say hello.”
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“It’s been so long, Milady! You don’t know how much we’ve missed you!”
“Welcome back!”
“Ah... It’s good to see you all too,” Penelope replied with a bashful smile, sitting up in bed.
The moment she did, a wave of low-pitched squeals erupted from the maids, as though they were witnessing a celebrity in person.
Penelope blinked, dumbfounded, while Giselle frowned and glared at the maid responsible for the loudest scream. The culprit flushed a deep red and bit her lips to silence herself.
With her hands on her hips, Giselle raised her voice.
“If you’ve greeted the lady, then leave! Only the designated maids should remain here. Milady needs to wash up and prepare for the day.”
Like a diligent sheepdog herding a flock, Giselle swiftly ushered the maids out of the bedroom. Those assigned to Penelope’s personal service wore smug smiles, clearly relishing their privileged position.
Among the departing crowd, however, was a stubborn “black sheep”—Dorothy. Giselle immediately singled her out.
“And what are you still doing here, Dorothy?”
“It’s my day off,” Dorothy replied sulkily.
“And?” Giselle shot back coldly.
As Penelope’s head maid, Giselle’s authority among the staff was nearly unmatched, rivaled only by the housekeeper or Laura. Ignoring her was not an option.
Dorothy pouted before responding, “There’s no harm in having one more maid to assist, is there? Right, Milady?”
“Even on your day off? You’re giving that up?”
Despite Penelope’s bemused expression, Dorothy nodded without hesitation.
“This month, I’m assigned to the laundry room. If I don’t do this now, I’ll have to wait another two months before I can serve you up close again. Please let me assist you just for today—I promise I won’t get in the way.”
Penelope hesitated, then relented with a sigh as she slipped into her indoor slippers.
“Fine, but keep it reasonable. If you step away halfway, I won’t hold it against you.”
“Really? Thank you!” Dorothy beamed, her joy unmistakable.
The sheer enthusiasm was baffling to Penelope. Dorothy was giving up her day off and acting thrilled about it.
‘I guess I’ve grown used to the individualism of city nobility while living in the capital.’
Penelope had almost forgotten how things worked in Halo. The people here were honest and warm-hearted, forged through hardship. When the territory was on the brink of bankruptcy, everyone—retainers and servants alike—had banded together to survive.
‘This is the sense of camaraderie I missed.’
For the first time in a while, Penelope felt at home, as if she were enveloped in a warm embrace.
“Now, hurry up and get ready! There’s a lot to do today,” Giselle urged, hands on her hips.
And with that, Penelope’s reflections on returning to the lord’s castle came to an end.
***
Finally, Penelope reunited with her family.
In the reception room, her father, Baron Rencer; her mother, Baroness Florin; her brother, Abe; and her sister-in-law, Clara, were all gathered.
“Penelope!”
Baroness Florin stood up the moment she saw her daughter’s face, her expression alight with emotion. It had been a long time since she had last seen Penelope—her joy was evident.
“It’s been so long,” Penelope replied. “Have you been well, Mother?”
“You look so worn out. You must have been through so much...”
Florin’s voice faltered as her eyes filled with tears. Penelope, who had recently been immersed in the joy of earning money, found herself taken aback.
‘I mean, I’ve been busy, but it was all self-inflicted. Explaining that probably wouldn’t change her mind, though.’
Instead of arguing, Penelope gently led her mother to sit down.
“Please, have a seat. Let’s talk over tea and catch up.”
“You’re right. Forgive me for being so emotional; I was just so happy to see you.”
Florin dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Her flustered demeanor seemed to annoy Baron Rencer, who cleared his throat loudly.
Penelope couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
‘Hmm? Same as always, huh?’
If her father had come with the intention of extracting something from her, wouldn’t he have been warmer or more affable?
No, Baron Rencer was as rigid as ever. His severe demeanor made him look as though he wouldn’t bleed even if pricked with a needle.
The maids soon brought tea to the table—Baron Rencer’s favorite, a robustly brewed black tea.
The baron took an elegant sip from his cup, prompting the rest of the family to follow suit. The synchronicity of their movements was almost uncanny, a product of their shared upbringing. Penelope realized that even she wasn’t much different in that regard and found it amusing.
When the tea was half gone, Baron Rencer finally broke the silence.