I Stole the Child of My War-Mad Husband - Chapter 8

I looked at the new maid who spilled tea on Leah.

She was shaking with her knees bent down.

“I’m sorry. Madam, please, just the whipping…”

Again, people will start looking at me badly.

‘Actually, I am a little angry since Leah got hurt.’

Of course, I don’t intend on whipping the maid.

‘You’re in front of Leah, so you have to decide carefully.’

I have to decide my course of action properly as her mother. I need to think of a way to avoid anything that could adversely affect a child’s education.

So I whispered into my daughter’s ear.

“Leah, what do you want to do with the maid who hurt you?”

Then, Leah whispered back in my ear.

“Um… I just wish that mom won’t hit the maid.”

Even she knew what I did to the employees.

As the 5-year-old said this, I became very embarrassed.

“Did you hate me because I’m a bad mother?”

Leah shook her head.

“No, but I hate that the maids look at my mother badly. I want everyone to think of my mom as a very pretty and wonderful person.”

… my daughter is so cute. How does she talk so prettily?

In the end, I kept pecking my child’s cheek.

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

Leah gnawed her small lip, and said-

“Um, what if I make her my personal maid?”

That was an unexpected answer. I asked her softly.

“Why do you think so?”

“I can’t use my right hand properly right now, so I need help.”

Leah touched her hand that was wound with the bandage.

“Won’t the maid’s heart hurt if she saw me struggling due to my injuries?”

Maybe Leah was trying to talk about ‘guilt’.

“Do you feel bad if other people get punished because of you?”

“Yes, that’s right! Um, I would be very sorry to see someone getting hurt because of me.”

“I see.”

I’m touched.

‘How can a 5-year-old be so considerate?’

It was clear to me that her pure mind did not seem to  resemble me nor Rupert.

As I stroked the child’s head, I became worried for a moment.

‘Is it fine to do what Leah said? Or would it be better to just fire her?’

I thought that it would be better to keep Leah’s kindness.

“Yes, let’s do what you say.”

Having said that, I set Leah down and got up from my seat.

As I approached the new maid, who was on her knees, she trembled.

“You there, what’s your name?”

“My, my name is Jenna…”

“Okay, Jenna, you realize  that you made a very big mistake just now, right?”

“Yes, yes… I’m really sorry.”

Unlike the place where I used to live, this place was based on a class system. I shouldn’t be so strict that I’d be considered vicious, but I also shouldn’t be viewed as a soft person and possibly be ignored by lower classes.

I deliberately put up a front with Jenna.

“If it is according to the law, you wouldn’t be able to escape this issue.”

“I’m sorry, Madam! ”

“But my sweet daughter’s opinion was different from mine. I decided to listen to her will this time.”

Jenna slightly raised her head and looked at me.

“Until Leah’s injured hand is completely healed, try to serve her properly.”

With the punishment being lighter than expected, the maid’s expression slightly brightened.

I spit out sternly.

“Give me your answer.”

“Yes, yes I will, Madam!”

“You won’t be getting two chances, so you have to treat Leah with utmost sincerity.”

Jenna vigorously nodded her head.

“Yes, Madam! I will do my best to serve the Young Lady!”

Since the punishment was lighter with regards to what she did, I didn’t forget to give her a final warning.

“The next time you make the same mistake, you know you’ll be gotten rid of.”

Jenna still had her head bowed down.

“Okay, Madam, I won’t repeat it again.”

I nodded satisfactorily at the reply.

Well, first of all, Jenna seemed to be sincerely sorry for what she did to Leah.

‘Was this the right solution?’

Regardless, the employees still feared me too much to try anything. Their hostility was strong enough to spread vicious rumors.

‘But that doesn’t mean that you can fire everyone, right?’

I had to think realistically. I couldn’t fire just anyone who hated me. If so, I had no choice but to instill a good impression of myself in people.

‘This is a good opportunity to change my image.’

The new maids may have heard the ‘rumors’, but they haven’t actually witnessed my wrongdoings yet.

So it wouldn’t be too bad if my negative image was alleviated among the employees with this incident.

Then I turned my attention to the child sitting quietly like a doll.

“Leah, it’s a pity, but I think tea time is over.”

The child’s expression became visibly dim.

“… alright, mom.”

“Why don’t you play with me more instead? Can Leah draw a puppy for mom?”

Then Leah’s expression brightened, as clear as the blue sky.

“Yeah!”

‘Cute!’

When I saw Leah laugh, I hugged her once again.

This lovely child is my daughter.

I wanted to get rid of the past in which I was indifferent to this child up until now.

I made a firm decision while rubbing my face against Leah’s soft cheek.

I must stop the terrible future in which my daughter is murdered from happening.

Let’s find a way to survive more actively.

‘Which choice is the right way to go?’

We had less than three weeks left until the date when Leah and I were killed.

* * *

Recently, the employees of the mansion had become quite noisy.

The reason being none other than their own Madam, ‘Noel Ainel’.

“Hasn’t madam changed? A lot of gold and silver treasures flowed from the land she invested recently.”

“Madam even generously forgave Jenna for hurting Miss Leah.”

“I heard that the young lady’s burns are getting better, all because the madam has been healing them herself.”

Jenna, the maid who was listening, nodded her head.

“Yes, I was really surprised too.”

” You should know how lucky you were.”

“As newcomers, we were scared, even though we only heard the rumors from our seniors while looking at the shadow of our madam from behind, right? But she was completely different from the rumors.”

Then, the new maids who entered the mansion at the same time as Jenna gathered with excited faces.

“Really? I heard that madam always wears a frown and behaves sensitively.”

“That’s right, apparently even the seniors who have worked here for several years have never seen her laugh before.”

Jenna shrugs her shoulders.

“Well, I haven’t seen anything like that yet, but Madam still generously forgave me last time.”

“Oh! Come to think of it, there were rumors about how she was abusing her real daughter, Miss Leah. How about that?”

Jenna strongly denied those words.

“Don’t be ridiculous — how close are you with the madam?”

“Hey, why are you so angry…”

“Really, Madam loves Miss Leah very much. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“So, were all the words from our seniors false?”

“Well…”

“What the hell are you all doing here?”

Then, a cold voice came from behind them.

The startled maids turned their heads.

“Sir, Sir Ordin!”

Rupert’s aide, Ordin, stood behind them with an unpleasant look.

“You must be done with your work if you had the time to chat like this.”

The maids scattered quickly at his words.

“I’m sorry!”

“Excuse me!”

“……”

Ordin sighed as he watched the maids disperse like sparrows.

He had heard all the gossip they were chatting about.

‘Madam has changed, indeed.’

With that thought, Ordin knocked on Rupert’s office.

“Come in.”

When he opened the door, he saw the figure of the owner, who seemed busy.

Recently, thanks to the successful investment of his wife, Noel, Rupert has become very busy.

Of course, the nobles and the lords around him, who quietly tried to ask of how he found the ruins, also played a part in his busyness.

A few minutes after Ordin entered, Rupert lifted his head and swallowed in a sigh.

Then he ordered his aide who was still holding a stack of papers.

“Ordin, put it in a somewhat empty spot.”

“Okay, I’ll segregate the documents one by one according to their contents.”

“……”

Then, he hesitated and walked up to Rupert because Ordin also had something to say about Noel.

He didn’t want to behave like those chatty little maids, but there were just too many questions he wanted to ask.

Maybe Rupert noticed Ordin’s feelings, and so, he put his pen down.