Chapter 13 Charity Is Just Good Business
The days passed. There were very long days, by the way. Well, to Maeve, it felt like six months but to anyone else it was only six days. Why? Because to them, the servants of the Montague Family, that is— they had to leave the estate to do certain things and the outside world— the outside world had become cruel.
Not to them— no, but to their Mistress.
The rumors had worsened far too much. At first, it was simple— the Duke rejected her because she was far too forward and spoiled, but now, now it had twisted into something far more dangerous. That she was possessed by something evil, something wicked. Cursed maybe. Her parents must have used dark magic to get her in exchange for their swag standing in the High Class Nobility ranks.
Which were four families standing below the Royal Family.
House Alastair.
House Colis.
House Montague.
And House Marlin.
Each bearing a pillar that represented their families position during the war that had happened when Queen Eldoria E Esperanza did a hostile takeover from her brother who had tried usurping the throne from her— saying he was a man and he deserved to sit there even though it was not supposed to be.
According to the rumors, it was very hostile, the Queen unleashing a high level of mana that no one had seen in almost a millennium. Since the men outnumbered the women, it would have been a done deal if the four houses didn’t stand with her.
But the only issue was after the battle ended, there was a very great massacre— a ‘reaping’ it was called, of men and women alike, including those from the said four houses that she believed betrayed them.
Now, no one truly knows what the Queen’s mana rank was, or her actual affinity. What they did know was that she was ruthless, cruel, manipulative and the kind of person to stab you in the back.
All of this information sounded so much, didn't it?
It was that way because Maeve had recently been learning it. And how, you might say?
“My Lady,” Lucien was gentle as he tapped her shoulder, very discretely by the way as he searched around the chapel that was now emptying. “You have been in that position for quite a while. You might end up with extra bruises,”
Maeve let out a low groan.
She was on her knees on the altar in a praying position with her head drooped low… but she wasn’t praying. No. Staying in the Estate had become too choking. Everyone worried that the rumours would get to her and wouldn’t stop checking up on her even while she was working on preventing them from all checking in with each other when they got poor.
So she did the one good thing any reasonable modern celebrity with a scandal would have done.
The woman’s eyes were still closed, slight drool on the corner of her lips as she murmured, “M-Mur slippllll,”
He raised her up, his hold gentle enough not to dig into her skin as he murmured, “I might never be able to understand how you successfully fall asleep in any position that you put yourself in. Kneeling should hurt a noble,”
Compared to the joint pains, this was nothing.
“Lady Isabella!”
Oh, dear lord, the munchkins.
The cheerful sound of life— Maeve took in three deep breaths as she held back the urge to cry— broke through her sleepy haze before she turned and forced her lips to put up a smile.
The voices of children echoed loudly as they hurried towards her. Instinctively, the fake smile slowly dissolved into a genuine real one as she said in a voice so sweet Lucien had his heart beat faster than normal, “Hello, small people. You all look well,”
They did not, for one. They were five in total in front of her, all wearing shabby clothes and looking as worn out and dirty as the many times she had seen them. Still, they looked happier than anyone else she had met personally here. “Yeah, that’s all because of your kindness, Lady Isabella!”
That was the one good thing by the way.
Damage Control.
See, Maeve was aware of the fact that she couldn’t fix her reputation, especially when she accounted for the fact that Cassian had been sent by his Mother all the way from the Palace just to cement the idea that Maeve was something she prioritized— which from all the information she had gathered, wasn’t a good thing in the first place!
So she would do something else.
Maeve crouched to the floor, holding the hands of the person in front as she smiled even brighter, “Kindness that you refuse to wear. My donations are for you to eat and clothe yourself and— to— to—”
Lucien looked down, noticing now how his mistress had tears welling in her eyes. “My Lady?”
The children stared at her, blinking confused. And why wouldn’t they? It wasn’t their business to be bothered about the way the world worked presently but that didn’t stop her heart from burning.
“I am fine,” She responded, though she didn’t sound fine. Maeve pressed her lips together as she said words she never thought she’d say, “W-Waste. Yes. That.”
The first thing she did after she returned home and met the Count and Countess who were worried that she was hurt was to ask for their full permission in doing whatever she wanted with the dresses they bought her. They were probably still in shock as they nodded, giving her what she asked.
They both called in the physician when they realized she had sold out every expensive dress she had, and donated all the money to the church/orphanage right in the middle of the street— with Lucien patting her when she had a breakdown as she saw the money loss leaving her hands.
It was also when she started ‘attending’ church.
At first, it was to start a new rumor, then slowly Maeve found out people tended to gossip quite a lot before and after certain services so she sent Lucien around stealing as much information as he could and relayed it back to her while she did this whole thing of praying (sleeping) while she awaited his return.
The only small issue was she didn’t think the children would become clingy.
She rose from the floor, her eyes searching the group. “Where is Lara?”
They looked sad. “She said the back pain has worsened significantly,”
Lara. The first child in the orphanage to boldly come up to her. Even though she used crutches and could barely walk without pain, she had come up to Maeve once while she was fake-praying, hugged her from behind and called her an angel.
It stung slightly because Maeve was just using them but she didn’t correct her.
Maeve placed a wide smile on her face as she said, “I sent in some new toys. They should be with the directors. Why don’t you little ones go find them and play with them? Make sure to have fun as well!”
They left, excitedly and unaware of the trauma that was life.
Lucky gremlins.
“Would you like to see Lara, Ella?” Lucien’s voice was a gentle whisper.
Maeve didn’t blink though her hand clenched her dress slightly. “We are busy with other things today, aren’t we, Lucien?”
And they were.
Before Cassian left, he invited her to the annual ball he threw, and though she hadn’t seen any reason to come, she realized that he was a very chatty person— no, not just that, he knew a lot about the people he surrounded himself with.
So if he held a party every year—
Perhaps, he could find some information about the mystery person Isabella met somehow. It was a far reach, but Maeve was becoming desperate.
Still, ever so slowly, her kind smile slowly spread into her signature wicked grin as she said, “Prototype 36 is ready to be shown to the public tonight, yes?”
Lucien closed his eyes. He didn’t need to see that grin. No human should ever have to see it in the first place. “Yes, My Lady,”
She let out a cackle, rubbing her hands together. “Get ready to have a stupid inflow of money soon, Lucien. So stupid that I might make my bed into coins,”
“Why do I not think you’re joking? And would I be the one to arrange this… activity since you’re supposed to be selling a saintly act and having a bed made from money seems quite narcissistic?”
“… Have you eaten today, dear best friend? Come. I will make you a sandwich,”