NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 - Who Owns This Room?
Morning came.
Laurencia, deep in thought, finally reached a conclusion and picked up the bell on the table, ringing it with deliberate motion.
The sound of the bell echoed in her room—an unusual occurrence. Passing maids in the corridor paused, their curiosity piqued, and their ears perked up at the unexpected chime.
Ding.
It was unmistakable; the bell was indeed ringing.
“Isn’t that sound coming from the bastard’s room?”
“Yes, it is.”
Startled by the persistent ringing, the maids informed their supervisor, Head Maid Julie.
“The bastard is ringing the bell in her room?”
“Yes, Julie.”
“You must be mistaken. That bastard ringing the bell? Impossible.”
“No, Head Maid! We all heard it! The sound is clear, and it’s still ringing!”
“Really?”
Julie found it hard to believe. A ringing bell meant one thing—the person in the room was summoning someone to serve them.
Even though Laurencia had been formally recognized as a count’s daughter, her origins as a bastard rendered her less than dirt in their eyes. The thought of her ringing the bell felt presumptuous and arrogant.
“You can’t handle something as trivial as this amongst yourselves?”
“We could, but you know as well as anyone, Head Maid, that His Highness Luance cherishes that insignificant bastard!”
By Luance’s decree, Laurencia had gone from being a bastard confined to a tower to a formally recognized young lady of the Pol Heredian household. None of it made sense to Julie. What did Luance see in Laurencia to elevate her so highly? She couldn’t fathom it.
Even at 19 years old, Laurencia was only 155 cm tall, scrawny, and, as a secret known only within the household, hadn’t even begun menstruating.
“His Highness’s tastes are truly peculiar.”
“You’re right, Head Maid. Why does he care so much for such a pathetic girl?”
“Maybe he just pities her.”
“Even so, bastard or not, she’s now a count’s daughter and deserves to be treated accordingly… but ringing a bell?”
The notion of Laurencia summoning someone with a bell still felt outrageously bold to Julie. Fueled by indignation, she grabbed three maids and headed to Laurencia’s room, determined to humiliate her so thoroughly that she wouldn’t dare touch the bell again.
Ding-ding.
The bell’s sound continued to echo from Laurencia’s room. Julie, exasperated, marched toward the door and, without bothering to knock, scoffed and flung it open.
As she stormed in, her gaze locked onto Laurencia’s amethyst eyes, which stared back at her as the girl calmly rang the bell.
For some reason, Julie felt her body stiffen under Laurencia’s gaze. A chill ran down her spine, and her skin prickled.
“The Head Maid of the Pol Heredian household dares to enter my room without permission—and without even knocking?”
Julie realized instantly that something was different about Laurencia. Normally, bastards born into noble households like Laurencia were treated as emotional punching bags—beaten within an inch of their lives when it rained, their existence considered insignificant.
“You didn’t think of me as the owner of this room because I’m a bastard, is that it?”
“N-no, that’s not it.”
Julie, though unwilling to acknowledge Laurencia, had to address her as “young lady” due to her formal recognition within the family. It was infuriating to admit, but Laurencia now acted as though she fully understood her status as a count’s daughter.
“Then, Head Maid Julie.”
Laurencia addressed her so naturally as “Head Maid” that Julie instinctively swallowed hard.
“Why did you enter my room without knocking or permission?”
“Well, I….”
Laurencia watched Julie’s discomfort with a calm expression. The unease on Julie’s face was apparent. She clearly didn’t like being caught off guard by someone she deemed inferior.
“You called me… Laurencia… young lady?”
At Laurencia’s cold remark, Julie and the other maids’ nervous laughter stopped abruptly. They had thought addressing Laurencia with a polite “young lady” was sufficient respect given her illegitimacy.
“I’ll ask you one question, Head Maid Julie.”
“Y-yes?”
“Who owns this room?”
Beneath Laurencia’s faint smile, her amethyst eyes held no trace of humor. Julie immediately grasped the meaning behind the question.
“Lady Laurencia Pol Heredian.”
“That’s correct.”
Julie’s tongue froze. She realized that from now on, she couldn’t merely add “young lady” to Laurencia’s name and think it was enough. This wasn’t the dingy attic room Laurencia used to occupy; this was a noble’s room.
“From now on, I expect you to address me properly. Understand?”
Julie’s face paled at Laurencia’s unexpected warning.
Laurencia stepped closer to Julie, and without thinking, Julie’s head and waist bent in a deep bow. The same happened to the maids behind her; they instinctively followed suit, bowing low.
“Head Maid Julie.”
Laurencia lifted Julie’s chin with a single finger, forcing her to meet her gaze. Julie found herself staring into Laurencia’s chilling amethyst eyes.
“Let me ask again. Who owns this room?”
“Lady Laurencia Pol Heredian.”
“Good. Remember that this is the room of a count’s daughter, and act accordingly before you enter in the future.”
Julie couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the Laurencia she had known. The girl still looked the same—short, scrawny, with an unimpressive figure. Nothing had visibly changed.
Yet, Julie felt nothing but fear.
“Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes, I understand.”
Julie’s legs trembled involuntarily. A cold sweat trickled down her back as the icy voice echoed in her ears. What could have happened to Laurentia overnight?
Just a moment ago, Julie had been planning to humiliate Laurentia in front of the maids. However, the tables had turned, and instead, the boundaries of their master-servant relationship were firmly drawn in front of everyone. The same went for the other maids standing behind her.
“Miss Laurentia.”
Laurentia finally smiled faintly, as if satisfied, at Julie’s address.
The morning at Count Paul Heredian’s estate began as quietly as usual.
“How’s the kitten you received yesterday?”
“Yes, Mother. It’s absolutely adorable.”
“That’s good to hear. Enjoy playing with it. By the way, Illina, do you have another date planned today?”
“Yes, Mother. He mentioned he’d come to pick me up around lunchtime.”
“Good. Always remember to carry yourself properly.”
“Don’t worry, Mother.”
Replying to Anne, Illina gracefully cut the steak on her plate into small pieces, placed one into her mouth, and chewed delicately.
“The meat’s quality is excellent today, but I think it could’ve been cooked a bit rarer.”
“I told the chef to cook it a little more. Eating it too rare in the morning isn’t good for you.”
“Did you? I thought it was different from usual.”
While Brant, seated at the head of the table, listened contentedly to the conversation between Illina and Anne, he placed a bite of salad into his mouth.
“M-Master.”
It was Ardon, the head butler of the Heredian estate.
“What is it, Ardon?”
“Well…”
Ardon was renowned for his composure no matter the situation. However, he appeared far from composed at the moment. Noticing this, Brant put his spoon down on the table.
“Ardon.”
“I apologize, Master.”
Ignoring the cold sweat running down his face, Ardon approached Brant and bowed deeply.
“I hesitate to speak of this, as it feels inappropriate, but I must.”
“Speak.”
“Miss Laurentia… rang the bell in her room.”
“What? Laurencia did what?”
“She rang the bell in her room to summon Julie, the head maid.”
“That illegitimate child dared to ring the bell? But how? She wouldn’t even know how to ring it, let alone summon someone!”
“But it’s true, Master.”
The veins on Brant’s temple bulged in frustration. Yet, Ardon was not one to relay false information. Brant had kept Laurencia confined to the attic for her entire life, frequently subjecting her to beatings and verbal abuse. As a result, she had grown to be timid and submissive. That someone like her would summon a person by ringing a bell was beyond Brant’s comprehension.
“That wretch rang the bell? Strange…”
Brant’s blue eyes darted back and forth between Anne and Illina, unable to hide his confusion. A sense of unease crept over him.
“Brant, perhaps she was simply curious and rang it by accident,” Anne suggested, dismissing the situation as trivial.
“But Mother, it feels a bit odd.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s strange for someone so timid, who can’t even call for help, to ring the bell and summon someone, don’t you think?”
“True. She must know the bell isn’t meant for play.”
Illina chuckled softly.
“It seems Laurencia is overdue for some education. Father?”
Dabbing her lips lightly with a napkin, Illina addressed Brant. She was already irritated by how often Luance sought out Laurentia, and with Luanse expected to visit today, Illina couldn’t spare much time, but she knew how to torment Laurentia efficiently.
“Won’t you need more time to prepare for your date?”
“It won’t take long.”
“Teaching Laurencia is fine, but avoid leaving any visible injuries. Prince Luance mentioned he dislikes having to offer concern or comments when he sees injuries.”
“Yes, Father.”
If Brant inflicted physical violence on Laurencia, Illina opted for psychological torment. For instance, she had the servants catch and kill the birds Laurentia adored, or, if they hesitated, she’d do it in front of Laurentia herself.
Other times, she’d deny Laurentia food for a day or two or prevent her from sleeping. These were some of Illina’s methods of “educating” Laurencia. Each time, Laurentia would plead desperately, kneeling in submission and humiliation.
Watching her grovel always seemed to calm the storm in Illina’s heart. To her, Laurentia was the perfect emotional punching bag for the Heredian household.
“It’s been a while since we’ve given her proper education.”
A smile formed on Illina’s lips. With her luscious blonde hair and blue eyes, her expression would appear lovely to anyone who saw it.