Saving The Villainous Monster From The Male Lead-Chapter 75 - 74: Villain’s First Apology

"About the day when the assassination took place." Caelestis began, unable to meet his eyes with hers. He realised a fault in his statement and shook his head, then pressed his fingers against his forehead as he tried to construct a better one.

"No! Actually, about every time, I insulted you, blamed you and hurt you—" He got an unknown courage in him and faced the one he is guilty towards. "I am so sorry." He says, without any excuse backing it up like before.

Just a plain, genuine apology. That’s all.

His sharp eyes softened as he said those words and something in Eleanore kicked in. She felt good, happy and her heart was in a state of aw from seeing the first true expression on his face.

She wanted that apology for a long time and now that she had gotten a very valid one, filled with emotions, she was feeling as if she was in a dream.

For a moment she continued to stare in his direction. Her hand moved on its own, as it caught a certain fraction of the skin on her wrist, resting on the table. She pinched herself, just to wake herself up, if by any chance this was a dream.

But instead, only a slight pain surged into her veins, making her flinch.

Caelestis was shocked. "What are you doing?" He asked in a panic.

"Nothing. Just verifying if it is a dream or not." She says, as she rubs her wounded skin.

"Now. You are embarrassing me, Lady Eleanore."

"Sorry."

His eyes that had fallen on the ceramic table, shifted back to her, noticing her big, bright smile, shining like a sun. "I will make sure I never repeat those mistakes." He completes his apology with that.

A relieved sigh escapes his mouth, as he leans back to the chair. "Well, that was not that hard." He speaks.

"Indeed." She chuckles.

Seconds later, she gets out of her chair, wearing the same bright smile, extends her hand towards him. "Shall we start anew, as friends?" She says, tilting her head a little.

Caelestis, gets out of his seat with a smile and meets his palm with hers. "Not a bad idea." He says, as he slowly shakes their hands.

____

In the busy laundry room, Adena entered to find some clues on the assassin event. Honestly, she wasn’t even that interested in conducting this investigation. It would have been so much better if Stella had just died that day and Caelestis had put blame on Eleanore for it.

It would have been like striking two birds with a single arrow.

The water from the tub, filled with soap and dirty clothes splashed over her expensive dress, when a maid jumped on it as she excitedly talked to her friend about something.

Angered by that, Adena yelled at the maid. "You lowly bitch, can’t you see I am passing through?" She said, grabbing her by her ginger hair, tied up in a bun and pulling her closer to herself.

The maid maintained her balance and saved herself from falling out of the tub and angering Adena any further.

"Do you have any idea how much this dress costs? Even if you work for the entirety of your lifetime. You wouldn’t be able to pay for it." She gritted her teeth as she spoke through it.

"Apologies, my lady." She says in pain, as Adena continues to pull her hair.

Everyone around her saw the scene. They all had their eyes on Adena. Most of them knew that maid. She is a cheerful fellow, young and foolish. A sweet girl that everyone loves yet no one could stand up for her. They had no choice but to stand there helplessly, as they saw a poor maid getting bullied.

The little maid, for sure, had a very great luck that the new appointed head maid was present there. This one was a bit younger and cleverer than the previous one. Before Adena could worsen the situation, she interfered.

"Greetings, My Lady." She said as she bowed at a perfect ninety degrees. "Please, forgive this little maid. She is still young."

"Who are you?" Adena asks, unable to recognise the woman. Anyone of ranking high enough to interfere here, should be someone she knows. Yet this maid, who she doesn’t know, dares to interfere in her matters?

The nerve...

The handmaid raised her head. She looked like she was in her late forties yet had a unique charm on her face. It was the face of a person, who held authority and responsibility.

"I am the newly appointed head maid." She answers her question.

"New?" Adena raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes, the previous one retired. Thus, I have been appointed." She explains calmly. However, her inner self was in a turmoil. She was scared.

Adena held enough power to completely pluck her out of the garden like a weed and toss it away like it was nothing. But her responsibility of keeping all maids under her safe, gave her courage to stand against this tsunami.

"Just a head maid and yet have the never to stand against me? How dare you?" Adena remained just as arrogant as always. She continued to argue without letting go of the maid, who could no longer hold herself in that tub.

"My lady, she is my maid and the lord is very strict about one’s responsibilities." She uses her biggest weapon, the grand duke. "Say, if anything were to happen to her. Not just me but even you can be in trouble."

"Ha! Is that so?" Adena finally let’s go off the maid. Bringing Caelestis in between was a good move. She would never want to disappoint her cousin.

The little maid fell on her knees in the tub, as her palm ran through her scalp, to set her free from that painful, tingly sensation.

"Thank you, my lady." the head maid bows again.

"Don’t thank you me. Tell me where your lord is. I will make sure he punishes you today for being rude."

"He is currently in the green house." There was no point in arguing any further, thus she just let her go and rant about this to the lord, if she wants. However, she hardly believed her lord would do anything to satisfy his sister’s fragile ego.

Although she was not wrong. For some reason, the head made was just too confident.

When Adena dashed out of there in anger. The head maid made all the other maids get back to work.

Adena was clouded by anger. Her ego was hurt. That mere maid. How dare she insult her. She had made up her mind that she would make sure she doesn’t see the next sun of her employment.

Not a single leaf can be replaced without her permission and they actually changed the whole head maid.

She believed it was the work of Victor, who even hates her presence. "Even that mere secretary has the nerve to defy me. How dare they all? After I deal with that insolent maid, Victor will be my next target!" She grunted as she crossed the rose garden and reached the entrance of the green house, only to find Caelestis with Eleanore.

Adena felt a pang in her heart, as she took a few shaky steps behind. Digesting the whole scene of them smiling for each other and joining hands, before leaving that suffocating place that didn’t seem to welcome her.