Saving The Villainous Monster From The Male Lead-Chapter 26 - 25: The Old Maid’s Secret

Once Marina had left to search for the side house, Eleanore sat in her chair, waiting for her afternoon tea to arrive but was surprisingly late. ’Did Marina forget to inform the kitchen staff?’ She wondered, when a knock landed on her door.

"Come in!" She ordered.

The door opened slowly, revealing the old senior maid from the kitchen she had a conversation with, yesterday. The maid pushed the trolley towards Eleanore and once there, she started setting up the table.

Why is the senior maid here? She is someone who would never appear in front of Eleanore. Most of them prefer sending their juniors to her, unwilling to be bullied on their tiniest mistake.

"If I am not wrong, you are the one I had a conversation with yesterday, correct?" Eleanore asked the maid, who was pouring the tea in her cup, so cleanly and elegantly, as if she had learned the etiquette of an aristocrat or was taught by one.

"Yes, my lady." She replied in her gentle voice.

"Why did you come to serve tea?" Eleanore leaned back, crossing her leg over other.

"Why can’t I come, my lady?" She placed the teapot aside, straightening her back and standing like a noble, yet maintaining the act of a maid.

Yesterday, when Eleanore had gone to the kitchen, the old maid didn’t act all high and mighty like she is acting right now. But why? She was more like a mere maid yesterday and now looks like a noble posing to be a maid.

"You do know why I asked that question right?" Eleanore was extremely confused with the old lady’s behavior. Was she a noble in the past?

"I believe you are smart, my lady. By now, you might have understood that I am a noble."

"Certainly." Eleanore folded her arms around her chest, keeping her eyes fixed on the maid.

"Are you not curious about how I ended up here?"

"Honestly, I am not very interested in your story because I can predict. Rather, what I am interested in is what information you have for me, that makes you confident enough to reveal your true identity here." She tilted her head a little to find the eyes of the maid that were looking down.

But before she could figure out what she was thinking, the maid raised her head and offered her blank eyes to Eleanore to attempt to read her emotions. But all Eleanore could see was emptiness. For some reason, that emptiness made Eleanore feel cold.

"Pour another cup for yourself. Let’s hear your story." Eleanore offered, feeling a dire need to understand this old maid.

The maid quickly took a seat and then poured a cup of tea for herself and while the cup was filling up she asked, "Do you know about human trafficking?"

"I do."

"I was the result of that heinous act." She placed the teapot aside and picked up a few sweets from the trolley, before placing them on the table

"Are you from Seraphine?" Eleanore asked, picking up a jam biscuit from the pile of different biscuits, placed in front of her.

"No. I am from Zhipher." She answered, after which she took a sip from her cup.

"Zhipher is not in a very good condition. I heard that the married princess of Zhipher has started a rebellion over her brother, who is currently the king." The maid continued, "I was trafficked when I was twenty. At that time too Zhipher was in crisis. The king and queen were burned in their holiday homes to death, and then soon after the Anghes household was also destroyed."

"Hmm— And which family are you from?" Eleanore asked, sipping on her blue tea.

"Anghes." She replied, shocking Eleanore.

Anghes is the family of knights that has protected Zhipher with their might for generations. Is a lady of the Anghes household serving in the duke’s house of another country?

"I doubt you have told anyone about this, why me?" Eleanore asked. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Because you can help me." She said, "I want to return to Zhipher and check on my nephew. Honestly, this rebellion has scared me, and I am extremely worried about him. When I heard that he was banished to the North. I felt relieved that’s why I didn’t ask the late duchess to send me back there but now I feel the need to go back. I have something that could help them."

"How can I help you?" Eleanore was extremely confused. She is absolutely of no help to her, moreover, considering the relationship between the Zhipher and Seraphine at the moment, it was absolutely impossible.

At the end of the novel, Seraphine had waged war on their long-time enemy nation, Zhipher and had killed the King of Zhipher, Kaiser. How can Eleanore help the lady of Anghes family in crossing borders to an enemy nation.

"You can once your brother is back. Your brother listens to you." The maid explained.

"That’s right. I can do that but I am still uncertain about one thing." Eleanore leaned forward, placing her chin on her palm, she asked, "What do you offer me in return?"

"You are looking for the side house." Eleanore eyes widened on hearing that. "I know where it is."

"You know where it is?" Eleanore jumped out of her seat. "But how did you know I am looking for it?"

"You are looking for Baroness Stella, isn’t that the reason why you are venturing around the mansion. At first I thought you wanted to harm her but after yesterday’s talk I am certain you are trying to help her, instead." She explained.

"But—" The old maid felt something strange. "When you were young, you used to go there often my lady. How did you forget that place?"

"My— my memory is a bit hazy. So, I do not remember a few parts of my childhood, which is strange— anyways. Tell me where the side house is?" Eleanore didn’t want the maid to know about her condition, she was still a stranger whose intentions felt somehow unclear.

"It is deep inside the forbidden yard, located at the back of the mansion. You can’t enter there just however you like, though."