Diana sometimes thought about it.
That she was under a terrible curse.
Because her life had been filled with nothing but misfortune.
She was the illegitimate child of the Marquis of Riberton.
Her mother died giving birth to her in a brothel.
Up to this point, could it be called a fairly common tragedy?
A kind midwife took care of her after birth, but it didn’t last long.
Diana survived and was left to live in a poor slum.
But a slum was too harsh a place for such a young child.
So she knocked on the door of the Marquisate.
Because the midwife had told her that her father was a Marquis.
That was all she had.
The Marquis of Riberton just clicked his tongue upon seeing Diana.
He was displeased by her existence, but worried that if any rumors spread, his reputation would be damaged.
So he employed Diana as a servant in the mansion. If she died there, no rumors would leak out.
Diana was relieved at first, but this was only the beginning of another misfortune.
The Marquis wished for Diana to die. Inside the mansion.
Whether he realized it or not, she endured endless humiliation and discrimination.
Neither the other servants nor anyone in the mansion showed her any kindness.
Except for a very few.
Sometimes she felt like breaking down, but somehow she persevered.
She even thought about just dying, but wouldn’t that be too unfair?
With a heart that wanted to be happy just once, she endured.
No tears came.
By now, she had already shed too many for her to mourn her fate any longer.
This was the life of the girl Diana, who had lived for fifteen years.
***
To a girl who lived each day like a trial,
One day she was given a slightly unusual task.
“… Prince Glenn?”
A gleam of curiosity appeared in Diana’s soft, young eyes.
Important tasks like attending to guests were not usually entrusted to her.
The head maid looked down on Diana with her usual annoyed expression.
“Yes. For the time being, you will be his personal attendant… But do you even know how to serve?”
“… I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t that she disliked the task.
She just didn’t have the time due to her overwhelming workload.
The head maid burdened young Diana with harsh, lowly, and difficult tasks.
Diana didn’t complain.
She was accustomed to this kind of misfortune.
“If a servant of the Marquisate looks like that, it’ll only bring shame to the Marquis. Think before you go around slacking off, ugh.”
“Hurry and get to work.”
“Yes?”
She didn’t feel excited about the new task.
Lately, she had stopped having any expectations.
She felt like a senseless doll gradually becoming numb.
But unlike she expected, this new task brought her a sense of novelty.
The very first meeting with the guest she was to attend was special.
“… Diana?”
“How do you know my name…?”
The man—Glenn—guessed her name the moment he saw her.
How did he know?
She looked at him with curiosity, but he only gave a vague answer.
“I figured your name would be Angie.”
That was all he said.
Diana was intrigued by the gaze fixed on her.
Could it be that he had seen her before?
Lost in such thoughts, she quickly bowed.
“My name is Diana, and I serve as a maid. Starting today, I will be attending to you, Your Highness.”
“What? You’re my personal maid? You assigned a trainee maid to serve the Prince?”
The man beside Glenn—probably Sir Kyle—was a very important person who wouldn’t tolerate such casual talk.
That was all she knew.
“… Yes, Head Maid ordered it, so I apologize.”
Diana shrank involuntarily under his annoyed voice, feeling as if she’d done something wrong.
“That brat must be planning to mistreat you. Is that your brother’s doing? How careless. Damn.”
“Kyle.”
“Please calm down, Your Highness. I’ll personally reprimand the head maid—right away—.”
“No, that’s unnecessary.”
“Excuse me?”
“No need. I’m fine with Diana as she is.”
The man named Glenn looked at her again.
Suddenly, she thought his green eyes were beautiful, like sparkling gems.
“Diana, huh? I have to see the Marquis now, but will I get to see you again later?”
His tone was unknowingly polite and warm.
But she couldn’t read the emotion behind those eyes.
“… Ah, I’m holding you two up. Sorry.”
That was her first meeting with the man named Glenn.
At that time, she had no idea.
That he was the man who would completely change her fate.
***
The next day.
Diana took a deep breath and went to Glenn’s room.
“Prince Glenn? Are you in there?”
“… Come in.”
“Good morning, Prince Glenn.”
He looked at her with the same complex gaze as the day before.
… Why is that?
She wanted to ask someday.
“Yes, Diana.”
“Ah, what should I call you?”
“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
His warm and kind tone.
Diana felt a strange emotion she had never felt before.
“Then may I call you Glenn?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. How would you like your breakfast?”
“- Food.”
At that question, Glenn stared quietly at her.
More precisely, at her thin arm.
For some unknown reason, Diana suddenly felt embarrassed and hid her arm behind her back.
“Is it possible to eat here as well?”
“… Yes, of course. Shall I bring it to you?”
Noble family members usually ate at the banquet hall or separately in their rooms.
So Glenn’s request wasn’t unusual.
“Alright. By the way, Diana, have you eaten breakfast?”
“Thank you for your concern. I plan to eat after Glenn-sama.”
“Hmm… I see. Oh, when you bring the food, can you bring a bit more than usual? I plan to eat a lot today.”
From what she heard, he was a famous knight known by name.
Knights were well known for their hearty appetites, so this wasn’t strange.
“Yes, I will. Please wait a moment.”
Diana bowed respectfully and left the room.
***
“Hey, Bonehead. You got assigned to that scoundrel, huh?”
When Diana arrived at the dining hall to get the food, another maid greeted her knowingly.
Casey, her two-year-older sister who usually tormented her.
Diana bit her lip and answered stiffly.
“… That’s Glenn-sama. And I’m Diana.”
“Shut up, Bonehead. What about that scoundrel? Did he beat you or something?”
Rumors had been spreading around the mansion for days.
About the troublemaker, Kyle, the second son of the Marquis, returning.
And with him came the infamous ‘Red Scourge’—the man named Glenn.
Niran Butcher, body dissector, Nokan’s devil—those terrible titles weren’t normal.
Because of that, an unspoken fear had formed among the servants.
One of them would become that scoundrel’s personal attendant.
Naturally, no one wanted the job.
So it was either Bonehead—that is, Diana.
She was just a cheeky brat disliked by the Marquis anyway.
Casey secretly persuaded the head maid to assign Diana as Glenn’s attendant.
“Not at all. He was completely different from the rumors.”
“Hmph, nonsense. That man is a person who takes pleasure in killing. The story isn’t just limited to the mansion but spreads throughout Riberton and Arian.”
“Those are just rumors. There’s no need to judge someone by such talk.”
“Whatever.”
“Judging someone based on what others say is foolish.”
Diana, feeling a bit angry, stared Casey down.
Sometimes she was so bold that she earned the hatred of several servants, including Casey.
“… Such arrogance.”
“Did I say something wrong? Casey would probably think he’s a rumor if she met him herself.”
“What’s with your tone? Don’t you dare speak to your older sister like that—.”
Just as Casey raised her hand to slap Diana—
“Hey.”
A knight approached and caught Casey’s raised hand.
Since it would be difficult to bring the meal alone, Glenn assigned a knight to accompany Diana.
His name… was Tristan, she thought.
Casey let out a small squeal of surprise.
The knight, with a rough and weathered appearance, didn’t exactly look friendly.
“Hey! Yes, you?”
“From what I hear, you’re insulting my lord?”
“Ah, no, that’s…”
“You call my lord a scoundrel?”
“Sorry, sorry! That was…”
“Watch your tongue, woman. If I hear that again, I’ll cut your throat without hesitation.”
This was no empty threat.
Knights valued their lord’s honor as much as their own life.
Casey paled and couldn’t answer, trembling silently.
“Answer me.”
Tristan growled again.
Casey broke down into tears and begged for forgiveness.
“Yes! Sorry! Sniff….”
He glanced around at the gathering onlookers.
The other servants watched as if it was amusing from the start.
“If you talk nonsense, you won’t get away with it.”
“… Yes, sir.”
“Sorry!”
Tristan’s gaze turned back to Diana.
Unintentionally, it carried a feeling of sympathy.
“Ugh, so that’s why you told me to follow him.”
What did that mean?
Diana just smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
“No, is this all the food the young master will eat?”
“… Yes, thank you, sir.”
“Save your thanks for the young master.”
“Yes, y-yes…”
Diana only nodded at his irritated attitude.
***
After many twists and turns, the food finally arrived at Glenn’s room.
While Diana was setting the table, she overheard Tristan’s report from outside the door.
“Just as the young master said… I can tell by the look alone. It seems the whole mansion is avoiding her.”
Even from the dining hall earlier, it was obvious.
The nickname “Bonehead,” the familiar slap on the hand.
Even more shocking was that Casey had openly done that in public.
Yet no one, not a single person nearby, warned or stopped them.
“… I thought so, ugh.”
Glenn was also beginning to understand.
This young girl was too thin to eat properly.
Her face had no sign of vitality, no trace of hope.
He had thought something was off from their first meeting.
So he had Tristan follow her just in case.
“What will you do?”
“Right now, there’s no other way. We’re just servants. Besides, Kyle must have fallen out of favor with the Marquis.”
“… This is frustrating.”
“There must be a way. Even if there isn’t, I’ll find it.”
There was a cold decisiveness emanating from Nokan.
Yes, he would definitely find a solution.
“Good work. Go eat now.”
“Yes, young master.”
Tristan left, and Glenn entered the room again.
“Br-breakfast is ready, Glenn-sama.”
Diana quietly served the food, secretly carrying out her task.
When the door opened, she quickly acted as if nothing was wrong.
Glenn bit his lip involuntarily in sympathy.
Realizing it, he quickly masked his expression again.
“Alright. Thank you, Diana.”
“I-I will take my leave then—.”
Clatter.
“S-sorry!”
A sound slipped out unintentionally.
Diana lowered her head in shame.
Glenn felt his chest tighten at her appearance.
“… Damn it.”
He had a vague idea of her unhappy life from before, but seeing her up close made it hard to suppress his emotions.
He barely held back and gave her a faint smile.
“… It’s alright. But could you do me a favor?”
“A favor? But I…”
“It’s not difficult. Can you?”
His gentle tone made Diana nod without realizing it.
Glenn smiled warmly and gestured toward the well-prepared small table.
“Now that I think about it, there’s too much food. Would you eat with me?”
“Y-yes?”
In her bewildered eyes,
there was an unmistakable spark of hope and expectation.
Without thinking, Diana asked again.
“R-Really?”
Seeing the light brighten in her expression,
Glenn finally smiled sincerely.