Chapter 40: Jude’s Request

“Ah, is it because of this outfit?”  

Jude smiled, her eyes crinkling as she spoke.  

“Your Grace, have you forgotten that I’m a woman?”  

Xavier tilted his head, looking at Jude once more before finally responding.  

“Oh, right.”  

Concern briefly flickered across Xavier’s face as he wondered if something was troubling Jude, one of his most trusted subordinates. However, he didn’t press further. He wasn’t the type to inquire about personal matters unless the other party brought them up first.  

“I heard you called for me.”  

“Take this.”  

Xavier pulled an elegant envelope from the drawer and handed it to Jude.  

“It’s the key to a bank vault. The central bank will open it for you.”  

“Why are you suddenly giving this to me?”  

“It’s a vault I set up for you when you first joined my household. Use it to become independent now.”  

“…What?”  

The knights affiliated with the Auguste Ducal Family had separate quarters to stay in, and generals typically resided in their own private residences. However, Jude, who had grown up in the Duke’s residence from a young age, naturally lived in the rear annex, slightly removed from the main house.  

“Jude, I’m getting married soon.”  

“Your Grace!”  

“I care for you like family, but things will change once I’m married. There’s enough money in the vault to purchase a small house, so use it as you see fit.”  

“I’d rather stay in the rear annex. I’ll remain quiet.”  

Jude barely managed to squeeze the words out, her voice trembling. She hadn’t expected her master to dismiss her under the pretext of his marriage.  

‘The Duke will discard you mercilessly because of the saintess. You’d better make your decision quickly.’  

Was the Crown Prince’s warning true?  

Jude bit down hard on her lip, her mind clouded with turmoil. She lowered her head, unable to meet her master’s gaze.  

Xavier, on the other hand, looked at her with a complicated expression.  

He had expected Jude to congratulate him.  

To him, she was like a younger sister—a child who had shared his early years with his parents and a comrade on the battlefield. She was precious to him.  

But to see such a disappointed expression on her face…  

“Jude, just because you’re leaving this estate doesn’t mean I’m abandoning you. Like before…”  

“This is too much!”  

Jude suddenly raised her voice.  

“You’re the one who took in this beggar-like child. If you were going to cast me aside like this, why did you take me in back then? I’ve lived my whole life devoted to you. Please, don’t do this to me.”  

“Jude.”  

Xavier called her name softly.  

He cared enough for her to tolerate being interrupted.  

Her resentful eyes met Xavier’s, but the two of them were looking at entirely different things.  

‘General Jude, just get this maid into the Duke’s residence. I’ll take care of the rest. This isn’t betrayal.’  

In the end, Jude tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.  

Grinding her teeth, she spoke in a low voice.  

“…Give me the key.”  

“Thank you. No matter where you are, you and I are family, Jude.”  

Jude didn’t respond. To her, Xavier wasn’t family.  

‘He was a man.’  

Jude composed her expression and spoke, her tone calmer than before.  

“In return, I have a request.”  

“Alright, let’s hear it.”  

“I reunited with an old friend, during my time wandering as a beggar, by chance.”  

“A friend?”  

“Yes. She’s a kind and diligent person. She’s in need of work. Could you hire her as a maid at the Duke’s residence?”  

This was news to Xavier.  

“Why don’t you take her in yourself?”  

Xavier set down the documents he had been reading and looked up at Jude. His gaze demanded an explanation, so Jude continued.  

“She doesn’t have any particular skills or experience. Since I’ll be living independently now, if I take her in, she won’t learn anything. Please allow her to work at the ducal  residence for a few months to gain experience. Even if she wants to work at another noble household, she’ll need a credible recommendation letter, won’t she?”  

“Hmm…”  

It made sense.  

If anyone else had made such a request, Xavier might have questioned why he should bother hiring a mere maid. But Jude, who had grown up like family and sworn loyalty to him, was someone Xavier trusted completely.  

Though he didn’t understand why Jude was acting this way, he could tell she was upset. So he agreed easily.  

There were already dozens of maids at the Duke’s residence. One more wouldn’t make a difference.  

“Alright. Have her bring her resume.”  

“Thank you, Your Grace.”  

Jude bowed deeply and left the study without another word.  

Xavier watched her retreating figure with a heavy heart before turning his attention back to the documents on his desk.  

＊  

Once I decided to marry Xavier, everything progressed quickly.  

I politely declined Crown Prince Arthur’s proposal. His reply arrived swiftly.  

[It’s alright if you didn’t choose me. Congratulations, truly. I trust you’ll invite me to the wedding. – Crown Prince Arthur de Fabian]  

“Hmm, as expected of the male lead. He’s got good character.”  

I sipped my morning coffee and placed the Crown Prince’s letter on the table.  

“Saintess!”  

A tiny voice called out from somewhere.  

“Hm?”  

At the edge of the garden, a bright-faced young woman was waving enthusiastically at me. It was Rosetta.  

“Our heroine has arrived.”  

I stood up and went downstairs to greet her.  

Seeing me coming down, my mother, who was at home, stepped out into the entrance hall.  

“Yuria, who’s here?”  

“A friend, Mother. I invited her.”  

“Oh my, a friend of yours!”  

Mother immediately began instructing the maids to prepare refreshments.  

“May I greet her too?”  

“Of course.”  

She seemed curious about my friend. When the servants opened the front door, Rosetta stood there in a white priestess’s dress.  

“Hello, Saintess.”  

“Welcome. Mother, this is my friend, Miss Rosetta. Rosetta, this is my mother.”  

“Nice to meet you. I’m Naomi Graham.”  

“Oh! I’m Rosetta!”  

Rosetta bowed politely.  

“What a lovely young lady. Thank you for being such a good friend to Yuria.”  

Mother smiled warmly at Rosetta, her gentle gaze meeting Rosetta’s dark eyes. Rosetta, her face flushed, responded enthusiastically.  

“N-not at all! Thank you for inviting me.”  

“I’ll leave you two to it, then.”  

“Mother, you’re so dramatic.”  

“Miss Rosetta, enjoy your time here.”  

Rosetta watched my mother ascend the stairs to the second floor, her eyes sparkling.  

“Saintess, your mother is so beautiful. And warm.”  

“Isn’t she?”  

“I’m envious.”  

“Rosetta?”  

“Don’t mind me, hehe.”  

She waved it off with a laugh, but I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.  

In the original story, the heroine Rosetta was described as an orphan with no family. She might seem cheerful on the outside, but how hard must her life have been?  

I quickly changed the subject.  

“Shall we go to my room?”  

“What? Yes, I’d love to!”  

Rosetta followed me eagerly to my room. Once inside, she leaned on the table, resting her chin on her hands, and stared at me with an intense gaze.  

“Saintess, I missed you so much!”  

“I-I missed you too.”  

“Thank you so much for inviting me. I was so happy, I thought I might die. I even considered escaping the temple!”  

She said she liked me, and there was no reason to dislike that. Though she was a bit over the top.  

“You can’t do that.”  

“Hehe.”  

To me, her mind seemed so pure and bright, like a flower-filled field.  

Just then, a gentle breeze from the garden tousled her ebony hair.  

“Oh, the wind.”  

Even with her hair in disarray, she looked beautiful. Smiling shyly, Rosetta pulled a pink box from the paper bag she had brought.  

“I couldn’t come empty-handed.”  

“What’s this?”  

She opened the lid of the pink box.  

“Tada, I baked cookies.”  

“Wow.”  

“Try one. They’re delicious.”  

“Alright.”  

But I hesitated. The cookies were shaped like flies, lizards, moths, and caterpillars.  

Smiling awkwardly, Rosetta picked up a lizard-shaped cookie and popped it into my open mouth.  

“Go on.”  

“Mm!”  

Rosetta’s eyes sparkled as she watched me intently. Feeling her gaze, I mustered the courage to chew.  

“It’s delicious.”  

Despite their appearance, the cookies tasted surprisingly good. The apple-flavored icing paired well with the soft texture of the cookies.  

Her baking skills were impressive. Wasn’t the heroine supposed to be bad at cooking?  

“Do you like them?”  

“Yes, they’re really good.”  

“Phew, I’m so glad.”  

Rosetta sighed in relief, laughing joyfully. She might have peculiar tastes and lack some social graces, but she was genuinely kind, as expected of the heroine.  

I picked up a fly-shaped cookie and took a big bite. This one was chocolate vanilla-flavored.  

“Thank you so much for inviting me out of the temple.”  

When I tilted my head in confusion, Rosetta glanced around and lowered her voice so only I could hear.  

“The temple is soooo boring.”  

“Pardon?”  

Her expression was so serious and earnest that I couldn’t help but laugh.  

“Pfft, boring?”  

“Yes! All we do is pray and worship all day. And copy scriptures.”  

“Really?”  

“I’m telling you! I prefer the city. The temple is in the countryside, and it’s so stifling. There are so many animals, too. Honestly, I’m allergic to animals.”  

“Animals?”  

“Oh, they raise livestock as part of the temple’s support.”  

I nodded as I ate another cookie.  

“And there are so many orphans! …Saintess, could you save me?”  

“Save you?”  

“I can do laundry, cook, and clean. Please, let me work here as a maid. Please?”  

“Cough, cough.”  

‘The original heroine, working as a maid…?!’