The Maid and The Usurper - Chapter 10
Baden, intent on devouring Edehardt, made the powerless prince king and the knight his concubine. Their desperate struggle under Baden’s shadow concluded like a cheap theatrical tragedy. One was buried in the cold ground, and the other lost all will, drowning in alcohol.
The son between the two was eventually branded a bastard and abandoned in a remote estate by Baden’s hand.
“Let’s go. The Count is waiting.”
It was the child that Wegener had guarded by drinking poison herself and begging to be protected with her dying breath. Thus, Lady Wegener remained in this place. Baden, with its ever-watchful eyes, continued to monitor Bard and Zollern, and the powerless lover-turned-king ultimately succumbed to despair, spending his days in a drunken stupor.
It was utterly pathetic, yet paradoxically, the only way to protect the child from Baden’s scrutiny. The king’s eyes on his lover’s son attracted Baden’s paranoid obsessive jealousy, directing its deadly focus even towards an innocent child. To survive, they had to exist as if they didn’t exist at all. By living quietly and unobtrusively, they managed to keep their lives.
Walking on thin ice, Lady Wegener’s sole purpose was to provide the child with a breathing space, a place to survive.
“Count, this is the new maid, Layla Heather.”
Layla squinted against the backlight. As her vision cleared, she saw a pale-faced boy emerge. He had the kind of white skin that suggested he had never seen the sun, and he had the appearance of a typical bookish young master. He was a head taller than his mother, the Marchioness of Zollern. Contrary to the scandalous rumors, Franz II’s illegitimate son had a gentle demeanor.
“Layla Heather?”
Layla quickly bowed her head. Lady Wegener handed Leopold the recommendation letter from the convent’s abbess and a brief identity certificate. Leopold skimmed through the documents. Layla, her palms sweaty from anxiety, repeatedly wiped them on her skirt.
“Lady Wegener, is there a shortage of staff in the mansion that necessitates another maid?”
“Not exactly a shortage, but the Count needs a maid to assist him with his tasks.”
“If that’s the case, send her back. I don’t need a maid.”
“Wait! Count!”
In a voice that belied her meek appearance, Layla cried out urgently. Lady Wegener looked down at her in surprise. Layla took a step forward and cried out.
“Could you please just listen to my story for a moment?”
“Why should I listen to your story?”
Leopold stood stiffly, one eyebrow raised. Layla didn’t let that deter her.
“I’m sure you’d like to hear it, but sometimes you have to keep a thorn in your side.”
“…Mrs Wegener, I’m sorry, but would you mind stepping out for a moment?”
Lady Wegener’s lips pressed into a thin line. Layla’s hands trembled as she clutched her skirt. Lady Wegener’s sharp gaze fell on Layla. She glanced between Layla and Leopold before bowing her head and exiting the room.
“What is it you have to say to me, Miss Heather? Or is Heather even your real surname?”
His tone was sharply mocking. Layla looked up at Leopold with defiant eyes.
“Whether I’m Layla Heather or not isn’t important, is it, Count? What’s important is what I can do for you.”
“So, are you admitting to being the queen’s spy?”
Layla shrugged her shoulders with an air of nonchalance.
“You already know, don’t you? So why ask again if you’re just going to throw me out?”
Leopold, taken aback by her brazen attitude, let out a bemused chuckle.
“I don’t care if it’s Her Majesty the Queen or you, Count, as long as I can take care of myself. I just want to get out of that damned La Ellosa.”
“La Ellosa? Are you from Tennel?”
Leopold was not naive to be unaware of La Ellosa. Tennel was a territory located at the southeastern edge of Argen. It bordered Eselbach to the west, the Free Cities League to the east, and the Grand Duchy of Jurgen to the north. Like all border territories, Tennel flourished on commerce and trade. Naturally, money and people flowed through it, and indulgences filled every corner like thick smoke.
La Ellosa was a city of gambling and alcohol. Its red-light district lit up the night in the pursuit of money and pleasure. Women sold their smiles, and patrons eagerly paid for those smiles and the accompanying carnal pleasures. In this promiscuous city of sin, Layla was the daughter of Clarice, a prostitute of La Ellosa.
