So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“Oh my~”

“What on earth is happening?”

“The Grand Duchess finally met that attendant!”

At some point, a crowd of servants had gathered around Renée and Katarina, whispering among themselves as they watched the scene unfold.

Irritation surged through Katarina as she snapped her head away.

A maid who happened to meet her gaze flinched and immediately lowered her eyes.

Amid the buzzing murmurs, a faint smirk flickered across a footman’s lips.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, they say.

Katarina had been so openly cruel that the servants of the Grand Ducal estate felt little affection toward her.

Without even realizing it, they had begun siding with Renée—mocking Katarina from the safety of the crowd.

And they were clearly enjoying it.

Disgusting wretches.
You don’t dare say a word to my face, yet you laugh behind my back?

Humiliation burned hot in Katarina’s chest.

Forcing her anger down, she spoke again—this time in a deliberately gentle, honeyed tone.

“Are you upset that I failed to greet you sooner? I’m terribly sorry. As your attendant, I should have visited my mistress first…”

“Is that so? I didn’t really mind,” Renée replied calmly.
“If I gain a companion, that’s only a good thing for me. But wearing that dress to the annex would be difficult.”

“…….”

This time, Katarina couldn’t respond at all.

Her teeth clenched so tightly her jaw trembled.

Unbothered—

“When you come to chat with me, it would be better to wear something more comfortable.”

Renée met Katarina’s gaze directly, her voice gentle and unhurried.

She looked kind.

But Katarina knew better.

She could feel the cold blade hidden beneath those soft words.

Is she saying I’m dressed far above my station?

This wasn’t merely a jab.

It was a public execution.

“…Yes. I’ll remember that.”

“When you come, please let my maid, Betty, know in advance. I have other business to attend to now.”

As quietly as she had appeared, Renée turned and walked away.

What remained in the lobby was a rigid Katarina—trembling with rage—and servants still whispering, savoring the aftermath.

Replaying Renée’s words over and over, Katarina stood frozen.

My maid?
I’m the higher-ranking attendant!
How dare she claim another maid as her own?!

Then—

“Pfft!”

Someone laughed.

Katarina’s long lashes fluttered as she sucked in a sharp breath.

Her composure shattered.

“Who was that?!” she shrieked, her voice sharp and piercing.
“Who laughed just now?! How dare you!”

At her outburst, the servants exchanged quick glances before hastily dispersing back to their duties.

Still—

it was clear that from that day forward, Katarina’s reign of fear over the staff had begun to crumble.

✦ ✦ ✦

After passing through the now-quiet lobby and reaching a secluded corridor at the far end of the first floor—

Betty, who had resumed her usual impassive maid expression, suddenly spoke.

“Your Grace… you’re really something else.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t sure before, but since things turned out like that, I’ll just ask directly.
Do you truly not know? Or are you pretending not to?”

“…I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Betty shook her head.

Then—

“Pahahaha!”

She burst out laughing.

“Even if you didn’t mean it, that was incredibly satisfying! That woman may call herself an attendant, but she’s been terrorizing the servants nonstop. You have no idea how many maids have cried because of her.”

She was clearly referring to what had just happened.

I thought back to the woman who had introduced herself as my attendant—Katarina.

My first impression had been simple.

She’s insanely pretty.

As a certified face connoisseur, I had to admit her beauty was striking.

Those vivid blue eyes, in particular, were mesmerizing enough to draw anyone in.

And the dress she wore looked as though it had been made solely for her.

A beautiful person. I like that.

Honestly, as someone with a bit of aesthetic pride, I found it rather pleasing to have such a stunning person as a maid.

“And she spends half the day dressing up like a peacock! Everyone has to drop their work just to help her get ready until she’s satisfied.”

“A peacock?” I tilted my head. “That’s kind of cute. She is very flashy. A gorgeous woman.”

“What good is beauty if her personality’s trash?”

“I’m not sure. She spoke very gently to me. Told me she should visit in comfortable clothes. It’d be a shame if such a pretty outfit got ruined on a dirt path.”

Betty let out a long, exhausted sigh.

“Well… that approach seems to work on her, at least. Maybe it’s best if you just stay exactly the way you are.”

“…Huh? Um. Thanks… I guess?”

“We’re almost there.”

Still slightly dazed by that blunt assessment, I followed Betty around the corner—

and came face-to-face with a massive door, richly carved with intricate patterns.

Judging by its sheer size alone, the library beyond it had to be enormous.

“This is it.”

“Oh…”

But then—

The patterns that must once have gleamed with polished brass were now corroded green with age.

One glance was enough to tell how long this place had been abandoned.

“Do you think… the door will even open?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve worked at the Grand Ducal estate for over ten years, but I’ve never once been inside.”

That bad?

So this door hadn’t been opened in at least ten years?

Gulp.

I swallowed, a nervous tension creeping in.

“I see. Well, it’s fine. I’ll give it a try. You must be busy—thanks for showing me the way, Betty. You can head back now.”

I’d only asked her to guide me here. From here on out, it was my responsibility.

Alright… let’s do this.

I resolutely rolled up my sleeves.

But Betty lingered, shifting her weight back and forth.

Wait.

That look.

The exact same look she’d had when I picked up the axe.

Before I could say anything, she blurted out, pointing at the heavily rusted doors.

“Do you really think you can open that, milady?! With such a delicate body, you’ll only hurt yourself! Look at all that rust! What if you get a scratch and catch tetanus?!”

“……”

She was clearly misunderstanding something. Deeply.

I corrected her firmly.

“Betty. I’ve been thinking about this, but you seem to believe I’m some kind of newborn bird.”

“A baby bird? I thought more like a baby rabbit, but… actually, a baby bird suits you too. All fluffy, like—”

“Betty!”

“Haha! I’m joking. You may look like a baby rabbit—or a baby bird—but I think your heart is much stronger than that.”

…That was a compliment, right?

I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously, but she just smiled, clearly finding my reaction adorable.

Then, her tone shifted—softening, turning oddly bitter.

“I’ll be honest with you. The truth is, the estate is large and everyone’s busy—but it’s not that we lack the manpower to clean a library for Your Grace.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Didn’t you see how many people were crowding around earlier?”

“I did think there were a lot of people, but the estate is huge.”

“Milady, honestly…”
She hesitated. “I think I misunderstood you too. I was wary, to be truthful. But…”

Her eyes were full of apology.

I smiled gently.

“It’s okay. I didn’t even realize.”

“Even so, judging you and acting on my own assumptions was a grave mistake for a maid. I’m truly sorry…”

“Most people do that. I probably do too. So don’t feel too guilty. I’m actually grateful you apologized.”

“…To think someone so angelic was treated that way… I’m such a fool! I’ll atone with my life!”

I’d been thinking this for a while now, but—

Betty had a surprisingly dramatic streak.

I shook my head and patted her shoulder.

“How about repaying me by helping instead of dying?”

“Of course! I’m your maid, milady!”

“Then that’s reassuring.”

We smiled at each other.

For the first time since arriving here, it truly felt like I’d made a friend.

“Alright then—shall we begin refurbishing the library? Hup!”

In high spirits, I grabbed both doors and pulled.

“…Hnnngh!”

No—

I tried to pull.

But no matter how hard I strained, the doors didn’t budge even a fraction.

“…Please step aside.”

In the end, Betty rolled up her sleeves—her well-defined forearms on full display—and swung the massive doors open with effortless ease.

And at that exact moment—

“Eek!”