Chapter 32: Time to Play a Little Smarter

"Do I need to point out every little thing for you to understand? You know my throat hurts."

Lydia spoke in a low voice, keeping her expression composed as she looked at Butler Paul.

Unlike in her previous life, she had no intention of raising her voice or throwing a tantrum again.

She wanted to see how far she could go by using the authority she had ignored for so many years.

Among nobles, people often used such words to scold someone of lower rank without directly pointing out their mistake.

The meaning was simple:

You should know better than this and I have no intention to explain something so obvious!

House Valendorf was the only ducal house in the Adelstein Empire, placing them near the top of the Empire’s noble hierarchy.

Apart from the royal family, they held the highest rank among the Empire’s nobles.

It was a huge honor for commoners to be able to work at such a prestigious house, and Paul seemed to understand the implication immediately.

"I... I apologize, my lady." The head butler dropped to his knees before her, lowering his head in submission.

"In my impatience, I have wronged you. Please forgive me!"

Lydia watched him kneel, feeling strangely satisfied. After the unpleasant morning, it was refreshing to see someone admit his mistake.

Oh? So this actually works.

For a moment, Lydia wondered if she had gone too far. Paul was much older than her, after all, and making an older man kneel before her might seem excessive.

But she soon dismissed the thought.

For ten years, Paul had ignored her wishes and treated her as though she didn’t matter. He had grown used to it because her former self had never stood up to him.

She deserved to have this moment.

Besides, it wasn’t like she forced him to kneel. And she didn’t use violence either. Paul had understood his own mistake and chosen to apologize.

"I’m afraid it will be unpleasant for me to see you for the time being," she said coldly, looking down at him. "Of course, I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way. If you have anything you wish to accomplish that involves me, send someone else instead."

"But my lady, it is my duty as the head butler to hire maids for the household—"

"Yes or no."

Lydia interrupted him before he could finish.

"All I want to hear from you is a yes or a no."

Paul fell silent. His face was filled with worry, but he eventually lowered his head again.

"Yes. I understand, my lady."

"Good."

Lydia leaned back against her pillows, satisfied with the answer.

She wasn’t trying to cause trouble in the mansion. Lydia simply wanted the servants to treat her with the respect she deserved. If Paul couldn’t do that, she would find someone else to manage her personal affairs.

Seeing no reason to continue the conversation, Lydia let him leave. Paul bowed once more and left quietly, careful not to make the same mistake again.

What a good start.

Lydia had a good feeling that learning to use her position properly would make life in the mansion considerably easier.

But first, she needed a personal maid.

By noon, several young women were waiting outside Lydia’s room. They had been brought in as candidates for her new personal maid, and each stood with her hands folded neatly in front of her.

Lydia recognized a few of their faces from her previous life, although she had rarely paid much attention to the servants working in the mansion.

"I came to assign a new personal maid to you because of yesterday’s incident, my lady," Butler Paul explained from the doorway. "Please let me know if you have someone particular in mind."

Lydia considered the candidates.

Choosing a maid was more important than it seemed. A good maid could make her life easier, while a bad one could cause trouble.

Lydia had no intention of letting the wrong person make her life harder than it already was.

"I will choose one on my own," Lydia replied. "What is the name of the maid with short purple hair and freckles?"

I remember this girl. She was one of the youngest maid in House Valendorf. A little greedy, too. I could put her to good use.

"Her name is Erin, Lady Lydia."

"Erin," Lydia repeated, studying the young woman.

The girl stood straight, trying to maintain a confident expression. However, Lydia noticed a hint of tension around her mouth.

Interesting.

Before making her final decision, Lydia remembered another matter she wanted to clarify.

"Who was the maid who served me before?"

"What? Do you mean Tilly?"

"Ah, yes. Tilly." Lydia tilted her head as though she were merely curious. "Has she already been dismissed?"

"No, she hasn’t, but..."

"Then what is she doing now?"

Paul hesitated before answering. His eyes were full of questions, and he seemed unable to understand why Lydia had suddenly become interested in the fate of her former maid.

"For failing to serve you properly, she received a three-month pay cut and was reassigned to the laundry. Why do you ask about her, my lady?"

Instead of answering immediately, Lydia turned her attention back to Erin with a calculating expression.

The younger maid’s confidence was beginning to crumble. Her hands tightened slightly in front of her, and the expression she had been trying so hard to maintain grew increasingly strained.

As expected, Erin knew something.

Perfect. To kill two birds with one stone! I’ll get myself a maid and a personal investigation target. Let’s see what she’s hiding, shall we?

Perhaps Erin had been involved in what happened to Tilly. Perhaps she had merely witnessed it and understood more than she wanted to admit.

Lydia couldn’t be certain yet, but the reaction was worth investigating.

"I believe Erin is more than capable of serving me," Lydia said calmly. "And I trust that she knows better than to steal my belongings like Tilly did." She kept her tone even, refusing to reveal more than necessary.

Lydia circled Erin like a predator that stalked her prey. "It’s inconvenient to be without anyone serving me right now. I would rather give a promising individual a chance. If you understand, then I’ll ask you to live up to my expectations, Erin."

"Yes, my lady. I will do my best." Erin bowed quickly.

It wasn’t like Lydia needed Erin to become her best friend. For now, she only needed to see whether the girl was honest, competent, observant, and capable of following instructions.

In her previous life, Lydia had only cared about getting through her time at the mansion.

She had never bothered to get close to the servants, choosing instead to keep to herself during summer break, winter break, and other university holidays.

Ignoring the servants hadn’t done her any favors in her previous life. This time, Lydia would use every pawn available to her.

Time to play a little smarter.