Behind the door was not the bloody, horrific scene Ellouse had anticipated, but it was enough to make her vision go dark.
Under the dim light of the storage room, Eliana stood with her back to the door, her thin shoulders trembling slightly. Scattered on the floor before her were overturned jars, where dark spice powders and thick syrup had mixed into a sticky mess.
Two older maids, who were usually in charge of kitchen chores, stood to the side with their arms crossed. Their faces were etched with blatant mockery and disgust.
“My, how clumsy. These are precious spices the Madam specifically ordered!” one of the thin-faced maids shrieked. “Can’t even handle a simple task like this? Figures, coming from some backwater corner…”
“Isn’t that the truth?” the other stout maid added, using the tip of her toe to dismissively kick a shard of a broken jar. “Relying on a bit of beauty to catch the Young Lady’s eye… did you really think you were special? After all, just like us, you’re merely Lower Class.”
‘What exactly are they doing?’ Ellouse was speechless. The scene before her was no less shocking than when she had first transmigrated and realized the weight on her chest.
Eliana kept her head low. Her ink-black hair fell forward, obscuring her profile. She crouched down and silently began to pick up the shards. Her fingers were sliced by the sharp edges, beads of blood welling up. A water basin nearby had also been knocked over, and droplets were still falling from the table. That was likely the *drip-drip* sound Ellouse had heard earlier.
Eliana seemed oblivious to the pain, only quickening her movements to clean up without saying a word.
That submissive back was a far cry from the “demon” who had worn a sinister smile and held Ellouse firmly in her grasp.
Ellouse froze at the door for several seconds before it finally clicked. ‘These idiots are literally courting death!’
Logically, she shouldn’t interfere. After all, who knew if this was some strange roleplay Eliana was indulging in? But if that woman decided to blame the whole ordeal on her, then… Ellouse couldn’t help but shudder at the thought.
At that moment, the two women inside noticed Ellouse. They hurriedly lifted their skirts and curtsied. Eliana also stood up quickly to look at Ellouse. Faced with that gaze, Ellouse didn’t quite dare to meet her eyes.
“Miss…”
“What ‘Miss’? Can one of you tell me what’s going on here?” Ellouse placed her hands on her hips, avoiding Eliana’s gaze as she spoke irritably.
The two older maids wiped the mockery from their faces, replacing it with a subservient yet slightly patronizing expression often found in long-term employees.
The thin maid spoke first, her tone long-winded and full of feigned grievance. “Miss, you see how it is. It’s all because Eliana is so clumsy; she ruined all the spices the Madam needed. We were kindly teaching her the rules, but she refused to listen. You see…”
The stout maid chimed in from the side, her eyes sweeping over Eliana with contempt. “Exactly. A Country Girl doesn’t know any better and just causes trouble. These spices are expensive, and we can’t afford to take the blame.”
Ellouse massaged her forehead in frustration. Based on her experience, this was obviously a classic case of workplace bullying. But out of everyone they could provoke, they chose this demon.
The thought gave Ellouse a mounting headache.
Eliana had already stood up. She kept her hands at her sides, but her gaze remained fixed on Ellouse.
“Miss, your health is poor. You shouldn’t — “
“Enough, Eliana. Save it. You tell me if that’s how it happened. I want to hear your side.”
“Miss, I… have nothing to say.”
Eliana lowered her head, looking somewhat dejected. Ellouse could see it clearly now; the usual eeriness and control were absent from her eyes. Instead, she looked like a startled little animal, a mix of embarrassment and endurance. She didn’t look like a demon who was about to slaughter the entire Duke’s household at all.
‘Eliana… she…’ Ellouse rubbed her chin, wondering how to end this, when that familiar gaze suddenly returned to her.
Ellouse instinctively looked forward, her eyes locking with Eliana’s once more. Eliana quickly looked down, but a cold sweat broke out across Ellouse’s back.
What had she just seen? Eliana’s lips had seemed to curl up slightly, and the aggrieved expression in her eyes had vanished. In its place was the look Ellouse saw all too often.
It was the look of someone who had found an interesting toy!
‘Damn it, I knew I shouldn’t believe the facade a demon puts up!’
Ellouse’s heart hammered against her ribs. That familiar sensation of being watched by a cold-blooded reptile gripped her again. She forced herself to look away, focusing on the two maids who were still prattling on.
“That’s enough!”
Ellouse’s cold voice interrupted the two maids’ complaints. This was clearly a trap Eliana had dug for her, and she couldn’t afford to fall in.
“Don’t let me catch you bullying Eliana ever again.”
“B-but Miss, that isn’t what you used to say.”
From the sound of it, the original Ellouse had participated in bullying Eliana too?
“I’ve changed my mind.” Ellouse arched an eyebrow. The past was the past, and the present was the present. Now that she knew Eliana’s true identity, she didn’t dare lay a finger on her.
“You… you can’t — “
“Shut up!”
Ellouse really wanted to reach out and strangle these two idiots. If they wanted to die, they shouldn’t drag her down with them.
Even now, that familiar feeling of being monitored hadn’t faded. Ellouse’s heart raced so hard it felt like it might jump out of her throat.
“Everyone, get out.”
Ellouse’s voice trembled significantly more than she had intended. “I will explain the matter of the spices to my mother. Now, leave the storage room immediately.”
The two maids gaped in shock, unable to believe that the usually arrogant and capricious Young Lady — who typically turned a blind eye to such behavior — had suddenly changed her tune.
The thin maid still wanted to argue. “Miss, this isn’t according to the rules. If the Madam hears — “
“Do I need to repeat myself a second time?” Ellouse lifted her chin slightly, doing her best to mimic the image of a haughty noble girl. “Or do you think you can make decisions on my behalf?”
The stout maid tugged on her companion’s sleeve. The two finally fell silent, curtsied unwillingly, and hurried out. As they passed Eliana, they didn’t forget to cast a venomous glance her way. Hida followed them out as well.
The door clicked shut, leaving only the two of them in the small, dim storage room.
“Miss…” Eliana spoke first. “Why did you help me?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I just couldn’t stand their behavior,” Ellouse said unnaturally, avoiding Eliana’s eyes again.
“Oh? Is that so? You really have changed a lot, Miss.”
Eliana slowly approached Ellouse, coming close enough for the girl to feel her breath.
“W-what are you doing? B-be careful, or I’ll make you resign!” In her panic, Ellouse accidentally blurted out what she was thinking.
“Oh?”
Upon hearing that, Eliana’s eyes narrowed slightly. A hint of a dangerous aura began to surface within the enclosed room…