The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character-Chapter 41: Servant Cedric (7). Image Rehabilitation. Mansion Arc

If you asked Neria, a maid at the mansion, who the scariest person in the world was, she would answer without hesitation: "The Young Lady."

“Ack! ...Hey, are you kidding me right now!?”

It all started with something trivial.

While helping the Young Lady get ready in the morning and brushing her hair, a few strands got caught in the comb.

It was the kind of minor mishap that could happen to anyone during brushing.

But for that small mistake, Neria was beaten until her face was bruised and spent the entire day in pain.

From then on, it became an endless vicious cycle.

Whenever she so much as caught a glimpse of the Young Lady or sensed her presence, her body would flinch instinctively. And trying to do her chores while frozen in fear naturally led to more mistakes.

Each mistake brought another harsh scolding from the Young Lady, which in turn made her even more tense the next time.

Some of the other maids, sympathetic to the newcomer, tried to switch shifts with her now and then, but that too had its limits.

Too many servants had quit, unable to endure the Young Lady’s violent whims, leaving the mansion perpetually short-staffed.

Neria had considered quitting more than once herself, but in the end, she never handed in her resignation.

Having lost her parents early and now supporting her younger siblings alone, she simply couldn’t walk away from the mansion’s exceptionally high wages.

For someone like Neria, the recent change in the mansion was a welcome one.

The Young Lady’s attention had become completely absorbed by the newly arrived male servant, giving Neria’s mind and body a rare chance to breathe.

She tried to quietly savor that reprieve—but at the same time, anxiety lingered.

Knowing the Young Lady’s terrifying nature, Neria couldn’t believe this peace would last.

“I’m sorry. I was too harsh last time.”

So when the Young Lady suddenly bowed her head and apologized, Neria could do nothing but stand there, frozen.

She wasn’t the only one in shock—she could feel the breath catch in the throats of the other nearby maids too.

Perhaps noticing the silence, the Young Lady glanced sideways, sneaking looks at Neria’s expression.

Only then did Neria realize she hadn’t responded at all, and she hurried to open her mouth.

“Th-there’s no need, really! I’m fine! It was entirely my fault—there’s no reason for you to apologize, my lady!”

Neria bowed deeply, even lower than the Young Lady who had bowed to her.

She meant to show humility, but more than that, she was afraid.

She feared that this apology wasn’t genuine, but a kind of test.

What if she acted stiff and upright now, replying with something like, “Yes, you really did go too far,” and the Young Lady turned on her again? How could she possibly endure the fallout?

“I... see.”

The Young Lady trailed off, seeing how Neria shrank back in fear, and let out a soft sigh.

“...It won’t happen again. And as an apology, I added extra to your pay this month. Please accept it.”

That was all.

She said no more, made no attempt to press further, and simply walked away—then bowed to the other maids, one by one, offering her apologies in turn.

Only after the Young Lady had completely left the room did the tension finally drain from Neria’s body.

The senior maid who often looked out for her approached and spoke.

“Neria, are you alright?”

“Yes... somehow.”

“Still, I’ve seen a lot in my time, but never anything like that.”

This senior maid had worked not only for House Redvell but for other noble families as well, and she was clearly stunned by Claudia’s behavior.

Nobles, by nature, are stingy with their apologies toward those beneath them.

To admit fault and ask forgiveness from someone of lower status is considered a stain on their dignity.

Most of the time, they don’t apologize at all. If they do, it’s through roundabout methods—like offering material compensation without saying the words, passing a message through someone else, or blaming it on a misunderstanding.

In that sense, what Claudia had just done was nearly unheard of.

She bowed her head in front of everyone, and plainly voiced an apology without dodging or deflecting.

“She really seems to have changed.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

At those words from the senior maid, Neria looked toward the spot where Claudia had just stood.

To be honest, her mistress’s apology hadn’t quite touched her heart.

And that was understandable.

Wounds to the heart don’t heal so easily.

Still, just one thing—

Just a little—

Truly just a tiny bit—

She found herself thinking... that maybe, something really had changed.

***

Thud.

Claudia collapsed face-first onto the bed, not even bothering to change out of her clothes.

It had taken her about two hours to visit every servant in the mansion and apologize for everything that had happened.

Physically, it hadn’t been all that demanding—but the mental fatigue she felt was beyond anything she’d imagined.

The humiliation of offering apologies to the very servants she usually dismissed as beneath her.

The shame of bowing her head in front of others.

But more than anything, what weighed on her the most—

"—So you’ve realized that just apologizing isn’t enough."

"Ugh."

Startled by the voice beside her, Claudia flinched hard.

She turned her head and glared at Cedric with resentment.

With her disheveled clothes and the vulnerable look in her eyes, Claudia’s appearance might have stirred any man’s heart with its allure—but as always, Cedric’s face remained completely unmoved.

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"The servants didn’t accept your apology because they truly forgave you. They accepted it because you’re a noble, because you’re the Redvell heiress, because you’re their employer. I imagine you felt that, too."

Claudia couldn’t respond.

Because everything he said was true.

Even when she apologized, the servants still feared her, still watched her warily as if suspecting she was hiding some ulterior motive.

So she couldn’t help but wonder.

"Does any of this even matter? None of them really believed me, and they didn’t seem all that willing to forgive."

"My lady, forgiveness is not a product you can buy off a shelf."

"What?"

"Thinking that your apology entitles you to automatic forgiveness is, in itself, a delusion—and arrogance."

Claudia’s gaze drifted aimlessly along the floor.

She asked, quietly.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"You’ve expressed your intent with words. Now, all that remains is to prove it with your actions. And in that sense, you’re actually in a favorable position. Since your reputation is already rock bottom, even acting just ‘normally’ or being ‘slightly kind’ can have a dramatic effect."

When someone known for their goodness commits a small mistake, people come down on them hard.

But when someone known for being awful shows a small act of kindness, people reevaluate them, saying they’re not so bad after all.

Claudia’s reputation was undeniably at the bottom, and expectations for her couldn’t be lower.

And that’s precisely why—even a small change on her part could leave a powerful impression.

"Especially since you’re beautiful, and your lineage is noble. It might not be something you enjoy, but that will be a major asset in what you’re trying to accomplish."

If a common soldier were wounded and someone treated his injury—

If it were a country woman who helped with a scrap of cloth, the soldier would think, "How kind."

But if a beautiful princess treated the same wound with her own handkerchief, he’d think, "What an honor."

It might sound silly at first, but the effect is very real.

Especially in a society with deeply entrenched ideas about class.

In the outskirts of the Birka Kingdom, decades of noble incompetence have eroded those class barriers somewhat. But in the royal capital region, where House Redvell’s lands are located, many commoners still believe nobles are inherently great and noble simply by virtue of being nobles.

Cedric said this perception must be fully exploited.

"Even if it’s only once in a while, when a servant does their job well, offer them praise. Especially if someone achieves something noteworthy—reward them appropriately, and do so in front of others so their efforts are publicly recognized."

"Show leniency for mistakes. But that doesn’t mean forgive everything without question. That kind of approach might gain short-term favor, but in the long run, it will undermine your authority."

"Set clear standards for rewards and punishments in your own mind. Let the ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) servants see enough of your reasoning that they can begin to guess at it—but don’t formalize it into public rules. The moment those standards are written down, the servants will start obeying the rules instead of obeying you."

"But if you reveal part of the standard while keeping the rest hidden, the ambiguity itself becomes a weapon you can wield as you see fit."

To be honest, Claudia didn’t fully understand everything Cedric was saying.

She vaguely recognized that what she’d done to the servants was wrong, but she still couldn’t quite grasp how serious it was. And she hadn’t yet internalized the proper mindset of a ruler that Cedric spoke of.

But that was to be expected.

Someone who’d lived her whole life as a pampered noble lady couldn’t change completely just because of one moment of resolve.

But that didn’t matter.

Because when Claudia made a mistake, Cedric pointed it out—and told her how to fix it.

When Claudia had a question, Cedric always gave her a clear answer.

She wasn’t a genius who could master everything after hearing it once—but at the very least, she was diligent enough to absorb things if they were repeated to her.

"Head Maid Paula is self-conscious about her short experience relative to her title. Because the senior maids left in quick succession, she’s found herself in charge after just three years. If you acknowledge her authority, she’ll be deeply moved."

"Gardener Rudolfe is under a lot of stress. Every time he finishes tending the gardens, they’re ruined by rampaging blood beasts. If you say something subtle, like ‘I haven’t said anything, but I know how hard you work. Thank you,’ he’ll definitely be touched."

"Chef Cruallo is worried you don’t really like his cooking. Instead of offering empty praise, wait until he tries something new. Point that out and let him know what you liked or didn’t like—that way, he’ll feel more motivated than ever."

Time passed.

Then, as one of the maids cautiously helped her get dressed in the morning, Claudia spoke.

“Hm. Very nice. I’m pleased. You’ve improved, Neria.”

The maid’s eyes widened in surprise, then softened into a faint smile.

“Thank you, my lady!”