"It is only natural that... she would become sensitive when she is unwell. No matter how sweet Lady Bianca usually is, it cannot be helped."
"Yeah, that's true."
Varkan’s expression darkened.
'But to be Bianca’s maid…….'
Lately, Bianca seemed to be going through a late, turbulent adolescence. She refused to reply to any messages from her family and frequently clashed with her friends. It had reached a point where there wasn't a single young lady left in the North who would still be her friend. On top of that, the manor's maids had been quitting one after another because of her.
Varkan shook his head with a firm look. "If that's the situation, then it's absolutely out of the question."
Just as he was about to reject the idea, Diena raised her hand high.
"I want to do it!"
Varkan shook his head again. "It won't be as easy as you think, you know?"
"I still want to do it."
"It's going to be incredibly exhausting."
"Just how bad is it?"
"Well, I haven't even seen her in so long myself, so I don't really know."
A bitter smile formed at the corners of Varkan's lips. He couldn't even go near Bianca while she was corrupted by darkness. His presence alone could make her condition even more severe. It was laughable that he couldn't even see with his own eyes what state his own sister was in.
"I'll still do it!"
Varkan hesitated for a moment at Diena’s stubborn defiance. Even before she fell ill, Bianca’s personality had been quite a handful. He had heard she had become even more volatile recently...
However, seeing how unyielding Diena's resolve was, he thought she might actually get along well with his sister. Besides, she was tough enough to openly declare she wanted revenge against the Duke of Rothwell.
He found himself wanting to place a small wager of hope on her. In the end, he had no choice but to nod.
"Fine. If you want to do it that badly, have it your way. But remember, if it gets too hard, tell the head maid immediately."
Varkan turned around to leave. He had to fulfill the Emperor’s command to escort Malakar back to the Imperial Capital.
However, he froze at Diena's next words.
"You have to come back quickly, Lord Varkan."
"……Come back quickly?"
"You must. Absolutely do not be late. Promise me."
Varkan looked at Diena with a trace of confusion. No matter how tough she pretended to be, she was still just a child. She was probably just terrified of being left all alone. After all, there wasn't a single person she knew in this place.
"Well, alright."
Diena was right around his younger sister's age. If it were up to him, he wanted to stay and see if Diena adjusted well, but he could no longer afford to tarry here.
She's just someone who will leave soon anyway.
Even as he thought that, he found himself strangely caring about her welfare.
"We leave immediately. Prepare the horses."
Malakar also looked at Diena with worried eyes as he spoke. "I shall visit you again soon. Take good care of yourself until then."
As soon as Varkan and Malakar departed, the head butler turned his gaze toward the head maid.
"Matilda, you heard Lord Varkan's words."
"Do not worry, Mr. Zoldyck. I will instruct her well and look after her."
Looking at Matilda, the butler offered a trusting smile. "Indeed, you have served Lady Bianca wonderfully up until now. I trust you will do well." Leaving those words behind, the butler took his leave.
The very moment he disappeared from sight, Matilda’s demeanor completely flipped. The polite, disciplined attitude she had displayed just seconds ago vanished, and her face hardened into a freezing mask.
She spoke in a biting, chilly tone. "You, follow me."
The place they arrived at was a rather shabby maid's quarters.
"What, are you disappointed? Did you expect to be given a much better room, only to find out it's a common maid's room?"
Matilda crossed her arms and looked down at Diena, who was standing by the doorway.
"I don't know who on earth you are, but I am someone who has served the House of Kardian for a very long time. I have met countless people just like you."
Diena stared back at her without a word. Deep contempt was laced within Matilda’s expression.
"Leeches trying to squeeze whatever they can out of the Young Master and Young Lady. Every single one of you uses the exact same tricks. Let me give you a piece of advice. You’d better watch your step and behave yourself. If you don't, you won't last long in this house."
"Wow……."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just a bit amazed."
Diena marveled internally as she listened to her words.
'What an incredible self-introduction.'
To Diena, who already knew Matilda’s true identity, her speech was utterly ridiculous.
Taken aback by Diena’s unexpected reaction, Matilda cleared her throat roughly. Soon, however, a smirk crept up on one side of her mouth. She figured the child simply didn't understand the gravity of the situation.
With a harsh movement, she threw a black uniform dress onto Diena's bed.
"Stop talking nonsense and put this on. It's the clothes the maids of the manor wear."
Diena carefully picked up the uniform dress. Even so, it was in a much better condition than anything she had ever worn back at the Rothwell estate.
Matilda clicked her tongue at the sight, then turned on her heel and marched straight out of Diena's room.
'How petty. She didn't even give me anything to eat.'
Diena clutched her growling stomach.
'Is it because it's been so long since I've been truly hungry? I can't bear it.'
Throughout their entire journey to the Kardian estate, she had been able to eat plenty of delicious food. Varkan had relentlessly fed her something at every opportunity.
"Why are you so skin and bones? If you want to survive in our family, you'd better eat a whole lot more."
To think that just because she had eaten well for a few days, she was now less capable of enduring hunger than usual. Fortunately, there was a pitcher of water placed next to the table. Diena closed her eyes and slowly drank it down.
If she hadn't volunteered for maid duties, Varkan would have treated her as a proper guest. However, if she allowed that, she wouldn't be able to achieve what she wanted.
The reason she had explicitly asked to work as a maid first was that she already anticipated exactly what Matilda, who was stationed right by Bianca's side, was up to.
'Because Matilda is a spy sent by the House of Rothwell.'
In her past life, after Bianca passed away, Diena had accidentally read the secret report Matilda sent back to the Rothwell estate. She knew exactly what Matilda had been doing here.
'Even right now, she must be subtly brainwashing Lady Bianca.'
That report had contained detailed logs of Bianca’s tastes, preferences, how Matilda acted around her, and how she systematically broke Bianca down.
Diena had sometimes imagined what would happen if she just told Varkan the truth.
'Lord Varkan, I know exactly what your younger sister is being subjected to right now. So trust me and kick that head maid out immediately. Also, I don't know for sure if I can cure the corruption of darkness, but I think it might be possible? So to confirm that, I need to stay glued to Lady Bianca's side.'
If she had actually said that, she—a member of the hated House of Rothwell—would have been kicked out long before a head maid who had worked for the family for years. Lady Bianca currently favored Matilda and had no idea she was being manipulated, so Diena couldn't count on her testimony either.
Therefore.
'I will get rid of that head maid quickly, using my own strength.'
While performing purification work back at the Rothwell Duchy, Diena had dealt with villains far worse than Matilda. Handling a low-level head maid would be child's play. Once Matilda was out of the picture, Diena planned to become Bianca’s most trusted maid and cure her corruption of darkness.
