# 79
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After that, Duchess Peronde's attitude completely changed.
Not only that, I started visiting Elad Palace every day.
Fortunately, the Duchess of Elade seemed to enjoy meeting the Duchess of Beronde, who was honest and confident without being bossy, even though she was a princess from a foreign country.
There were times, like today, when Diana and I were invited to this event, and it was very interesting to hear stories from other countries told by the Duchess of Beronde, so we often waited for her to come.
Diana and I were heading to the living room, looking forward to hearing what we were going to hear today, but we stopped.
"Yes . … ".
Another thing that cannot be excluded among the recent events that took place in Elad Palace.
This is because I met the head maid who recently returned.
“Hello, head maid.”
The head maid, whom Lucio punished with probation last time because I was harassed by the maids, was reinstated by order of the Duchess a few days ago.
This was partly because the Duchess had taken into account the hard work she had previously done to run the palace, but after the Duchess came to the capital, the vacant position in which she was checking the influx of invitations and keeping herf informed of social trends was clearly revealed and the things to pay attention to were clearly revealed.
The woman who was restored to her position continued to perform her duties flawlessly as if nothing had happened, and demonstrated impeccable work performance.
“Miss, there is a customer waiting inside, so you can come directly in.”
Except for one thing, the attitude towards me.
‘He wasn’t someone who had any favors with me to begin with….’
Perhaps because she thought she was suffering because of me, she began to ignore me even more blatantly than before.
So far, she just bends down and talks to Diana, and passes by without noticing my greeting.
I sighed quietly.
The head maid did not harass me directly as the other maids did.
Also, even though they always suspected her, in the end, there was no evidence that she led the bullying.
I thought maybe it was really unfair.
“Of course, I don't quite understand that.”
Anyway, I felt a little uncomfortable when she was first reinstated, but I was glad that nothing happened except her being ignored.
* * *
“Ah, finally here.”
After knocking briefly on the door and entering the drawing room with Diana, the Duchess of Beronde put down her teacup and smiled broadly.
Diana quickly bent her knees slightly and lifted the hem of her dress.
“Greetings, I am Diana, daughter of Duke Elade, Her Highness Duchess Beronde.”
Even though I had checked in advance, I was deeply touched to see Diana greet me with dignity and without the slightest error.
I think Diana is the smartest and most beautiful child in the world.
“The princess is still cute today.”
Duchess Peronde's thoughts seem to be the same.
The Duchess of Peronde tilted her chin slightly and smiled happily after receiving Diana's greeting. She picked up the meringue from the refreshment plate in front of her and waved it.
Diana's gentle eyes followed Cookie and then looked at me.
“I say she can't have cold sherbet, but I'm not asking you to stop snacking today.”
Diana smiled slightly and nodded, and the excited Diana quickly ran to Duchess Peronde.
“Leah, you too, come quickly and sit down, you can relax.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Once I got permission from Duchess Elade, I also went and sat next to her.
“Okay,” said Duchess Peronde.
She made a nasally disapproving sound.
When I turned my head in surprise at the sound, she raised both sides of her mouth and said.
“Even though I said you don't have to follow such etiquette in front of me.”
I laughed awkwardly when I understood what she meant.
I recently learned from a book of etiquette that Lucio asked me to read that commoners could not open their mouths without the permission of nobles.
The Duke and Duchess of Elade were living comfortably in the duke's house because they had ordered their release, saying it was an ancient etiquette that not many people followed, but they strictly guarded it in front of other nobles for fear of harming the monarchy. The reputation of the Duke of Elad.
However, perhaps because the Duchess of Veronde was from a foreign country, she was frustrated with me, because I strictly adhered to these etiquettes even though she was a member of the royal family.
“Ma’am, are you feeling okay?”
As I watched, I noticed that Duchess Fayrond's attention had turned to Diana, and I quietly asked Duchess Elade, who was sipping tea next to me.
I was worried because she said she felt suffocated this morning and wouldn't eat.
“Yes, Leah, I'm fine now that you're worried about me, I guess I was a little embarrassed.”
The Duchess said, smiling softly.
Perhaps it was because Viscountess Bardot noticed that I was not feeling well and immediately ran over to check on me, but I smiled shyly and was happy at her mere words and asked her again.
“Then are there any other inconveniences?”
From what I remember from the past, the Duchess was supposed to be in bed by now.
I was a little relieved that the outbreak had passed, but I was still anxious.
I fear that the shadow of death will fall on her without me realizing it.
“Oh my God, even the maid I brought from my parents’ house doesn’t follow me like this.”
At that time, the Duchess of Peronde, who was in the middle of putting a meringue into Diana's mouth as if feeding her, said:
“I'm really jealous, if I had a maid like Leah, every day would be fun! Well, that's right, instead of doing this, Leah, why don't you go to my house? I'll be very good to you, let's go to my house.”
And the time had come for me to see with surprised eyes that he had extended his hand to me.
“This is not possible, ma'am.”
Duchess Elade said as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
“Leia is the precious child of our Duchy of Elad, isn’t she, Diana?”
"This is correct !"
Even Diana, who was next to Duchess Peronde, responded firmly, dropped the meringue, and ran to grab my arm.
*Meringue, or stork eggs, or stork eggs as in Iraq, is a type of dessert and is often associated with Italian, Swiss, and French cuisine. It is usually made from whites; Beaten eggs, sugar, and sometimes an acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar, or cream of tartar. *
“Oh my God. I think it will be difficult to bring Leia just because of the princess... Ah! So, how about the princess come and live in our residence in the Duchy of Veronde? Princess, we have a lot of delicious snacks in our house, I will give you a lot of different snacks every day, would you like to come to my house?”
The Duchess of Peronde spoke frankly and flatteringly.
“But it is impossible for the clever Diana to be deceived.”
However, when I looked to the side, I saw that the child's eyes were shaking rapidly.
When Duchess Ellard called me “Diana” with a puzzled look on her face, Diana stepped back and took my arm.
Duchess Perronde burst into laughter at the sight of her.
“She's so cute! I can't, instead, Leah, next time we'll bring our son too, so you should play nice with him.”
I couldn't help but nod as she added.
* * *
The Duke of Berrond's only son, Aiden Berrond, who had recently turned five years old, looked out the carriage window with a frowning face and a drooping mouth.
This is because he was forced to go to Elad's house due to his mother's most coercive recommendation.
“Ha.”
He showed his dissatisfaction and even snored in front of his mother, but his mother, who was sitting next to him, only hummed and made a gentle nasal sound.
“Aiden, relax, I will take you with me because I am thinking of you and I am sure you will make good friends.”
That sound again.
Aiden frowned and muttered much to himf.
My mother, who had been going out less than me, or almost not at all, suddenly turned up at Ellard's tea party a while ago and began walking as if the day was over.
It would be nice if that was all.
Suddenly, he said something strange to me, he asked me if I wanted to meet a beautiful princess of the same age and a nice and friendly maid, and in the end he forced me to bring him, saying that he would make me their friend today.
'What are friends? Even if you act nice in front of everyone, everyone will criticize you behind your back anyway.'
Even though Eden was still young, he had seen many times people praising Duke Peronte in front of him and calling him the Little Prince, but mocking and ridiculing him because of his skin color behind his back.
'I don't need friends.'
Aiden, who was barely able to suppress his depressed heart, spoke as if he was protesting, but it seemed that his mother, the Duchess of Berrond, did not hear him.
Aiden sighed again in frustration and opened his eyes wide at the scene outside the window he suddenly discovered.
Before I knew it, the carriage had passed through the main gate of Elad Palace and was passing through the famous Labyrinth Garden.
Finally, when the carriage stopped in front of the main building where the wolf statue was visible, Aiden, unlike the grunting he had been doing the whole way, was actually shaking his butt because he wanted to look outside.
While the Duchess of Peronde was stifling her laughter and pretending not to notice her son's cute appearance, the driver opened the door.
“Oh, there's no need for you to come here.”
“It's Prince Berund's first day of visiting, I thought it would be nice to say hello properly for the first time in a while.”
While his mother was greeting Duchess Ellard, Aiden got off the carriage and quickly turned his eyes and looked at Duchess Ellard.
As a duchy that had held power in the Rakshatin Empire for a long time, the palace, overflowing with a blue flag with the Elad family crest, had a grandeur and splendor befitting the family's reputation.
In particular, Eden's mouth opened when he saw the giant wolf statue that looked like it was alive.
“Aiden?”
At that, Aiden, startled by his mother’s voice, straightened up and said, “Excuse me.”