If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 75

Perhaps because she had gone to bed early, or because another person’s warmth felt unfamiliar, Georgiana woke well before dawn.

Through the window, the stars still sparkled brightly.

She yawned softly and got up, only for Becky, who was by Angela’s bedside, to tap the blanket with her paw, as if asking why she was up so early. She didn’t meow or scold as usual, likely to avoid waking Angela.

Even as an animal, she seemed human at times like this.

Georgiana pressed her fingers to her lips and quietly left the bed.

Thinking she might tidy her hair and clothes, which had become disheveled overnight, and read a book while waiting for morning, she instead decided to visit the garden before the late summer flowers completely faded. Lowering her footsteps, she headed to the first floor.

The numerous lights illuminating the mansion ensured she wouldn’t encounter danger. The gardener couple she had met a few times were kind.

Thinking she would return quickly in case Angela woke up, she quickened her steps.

The dew-soaked garden path absorbed the sound of her small footsteps without much effort.

In the nighttime garden, she occasionally spotted flowers she hadn’t seen during the day, hidden amongst the bright blossoms. She remembered reading about flowers that only bloomed at night and thought these might be of that kind.

Planning to properly explore the garden with Angela later, she decided she needed to study flowers and made a mental note to borrow books from the library after breakfast.

Exotic flowers, often seen in imperial noble houses, were planted here and there. Contrary to her initial impression, a surprisingly large variety of flowers was in bloom.

As she became engrossed in observing the flowers, she found herself nearing the backyard of the mansion.

She spotted a cluster of red hibiscus flowers that a certain baroness had proudly boasted about, claiming they were hard to obtain. Overjoyed, she crouched to examine the flowers when the sound of wood creaking reached her ears.

Not wanting to encounter anyone at this hour, she pressed herself closer to the flowers for cover.

A wooden cart passed by, pushed not by the gardener but by an unfamiliar man.

Was he one of the workers from the plantation?

Perhaps he was delivering supplies to the workers’ quarters.

Her curiosity led her gaze to follow the cart, and when she spotted familiar faces by the mansion’s back door, her guesses turned into certainty.

The head maid, accompanied by two other maids, stood in the backyard watching as items were loaded onto the cart, talking among themselves.

“…a gun….”

Georgiana was about to turn back upstairs to avoid being caught, but her steps halted at the word she heard.

A gun?

She had requested one from Raymond, but had he changed his mind? Or were others opposed to the idea?

Feeling that the conversation might be about her, Georgiana pressed herself beneath the flamboyant hibiscus flowers and strained her ears to listen.

“The master asked Mr. Evan to get a gun?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Why would he suddenly need a gun?”

“That woman mentioned during dinner that she wanted to learn how to shoot. Do you think she’s planning to shoot us?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“It’s not nonsense. I have a bad feeling about it. Maybe it’s because of what we did to the food. Or perhaps she’s found out we searched her room.”

The maid speaking was about her age, with wavy brown hair and a pretty face, but her expression was filled with fear as she glanced nervously at Catherine.

“If they’re already getting her a gun, that means the master cares about her. What if we get caught? I’m even scared to place things in her room.”

“That won’t happen, Joan. Seasoning can clump on one side when adjusting the taste, so you can use that as an excuse. And leaving things in her room is much easier than searching it.”

“Even so, I can’t do it anymore. The master keeps watching her while she eats. I feel like she’s starting to notice. My hands shake; I can’t do it.”

“Joan.”

Catherine’s voice turned icy as she said the maid’s name, sending chills down Georgiana’s spine even from her hiding spot. The maid, sensing the shift, stopped sniffling and looked up at Catherine.

Her face, tense with fear, was unmistakable even in the dim light.

Catherine stepped closer and grabbed the maid’s chin, forcing her to look up.

“From the beginning, I thought you were the most suitable for this job. Among the girls your age, you’re the prettiest and the best fit to serve the master. That’s why I assigned you to assist during meals. But if you can’t handle even this, I’ll have to give all your tasks to someone else. From now on, you can clean or work in the plantation quarters.”

“No, Head Maid.”

Pale as a sheet, Joan clung to Catherine, who brushed her off irritably and turned to another maid nearby.

“Liv, how about taking over Joan’s duties?”

“I’d be happy to. I’ll work hard no matter the task.”

The other maid eagerly nodded, her expression bright.

“Liv, how could you?”

Joan glared at the maid with a face full of betrayal.

“Don’t blame Liv. Didn’t you refuse to do it?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll do it. I can do it.”

Joan fell to her knees, tears streaming as she begged with clasped hands. Catherine’s lips curled into a small smile as she looked down at her.

“In that case, tell me what you can do from now on.”

“Anything. I’ll do anything you tell me.”

“Really? You’ll do anything?”

Catherine’s tone softened, and even her hand stroking the maid’s hair seemed gentle.

“Yes! Anything.”

“Then get rid of that woman.”

“What?”

Just as the maid was left speechless, Georgiana, too, widened her eyes. Her chest tightened, and her heart pounded.

She had known they disliked her but hadn’t realized the hostility ran this deep.

“I’m joking. If you did that without reason, neither of us would survive. That’s why we need a plan. First, take this and hide it in her room.”

Although she called it a joke, it didn’t sound like one. Georgiana couldn’t feel relieved, as it was clear Catherine would act if given an excuse.

Whatever they intended to plant in her room, she had to find it first.

But with Angela’s education to consider, she couldn’t always stay in her room. Asking for a lock would seem suspicious.

The thought of checking her room every time she left was stressful enough. Georgiana pressed her temple to ward off a headache threatening to rise.

“Liv, help with this task for now. Soon, you’ll be assigned closer to the master, like Joan.”

“Really?”

“Of course. If not for your uncle, we wouldn’t be able to sell the stolen items. He’s skilled at that.”

Catherine gestured towards the man loading the cart. He seemed to easily handle large sacks, indicating they weren’t overly heavy.

“Yes, my uncle is good at this sort of thing. He says there’s high demand in the black market because such items will become scarce if war breaks out. Don’t worry about the future.”

The man, apparently finishing his task, approached Catherine. His face, illuminated by the nearby torchlight, was covered in scars, hinting at his rough lifestyle.

“The quality is excellent again. I don’t know how you manage to smuggle so much. Even the Western raiders would admire your skill.”

The man chuckled, showing his teeth.

“Spare me the chatter and settle the payment first.”

Catherine handed him a list to check the quantities. The man glanced over it and nodded before handing over a heavy pouch of money.

“The price of tobacco leaves has gone up quite a bit, so I’ve included more than last time. Most others would keep this to themselves and skim off the top, but I’m not the kind to pull such underhanded tricks. Just take good care of my niece.”

Hiding the fact that he was actually paying less than the market price, the man gestured toward Liv.

The maid flashed a triumphant smile.

“Fine. Just make sure you arrive on time next time. Lately, the butler hasn’t been sleeping much, so I keep worrying he might wake up at dawn.”

“Give him this, and he’ll sleep soundly until morning. It’s on the house.”

The man handed her a small vial of white powder.

“It’s not dangerous, is it?”

“It’s a sedative used for cattle and horses. A small amount works on people, too. As for side effects, how would I know? Don’t take it if you don’t want to.”

As he reached to take the vial back, Catherine quickly snatched it from him.

“In such a hurry. Did I say I didn’t need it?”

The vial disappeared into her pocket.

“Hurry up and leave unnoticed.”

Glancing at the brightening edge of the sky, Catherine urged him.

Once the man left, Catherine pocketed the money and also departed.

Of the two remaining maids, Liv patted Joan’s back and apologized.

“Joan, I’m sorry about earlier. I was scared too. You know we can’t disobey the Head Maid.”

“I know. I was angry at first, but thinking about it, I would have done the same. Oh, Liv, isn’t it your turn to watch the young lady today? Didn’t Anna say she was sick and you’d be in charge for a while?”

“I checked on her before coming out. Anna said she’d sleep until morning, so I thought it’d be fine. Still, I should go check on her now that you reminded me.”

Alarmed by their conversation, Georgiana hurried back to the room, keeping as low to the ground as possible.