Saving The Villainous Monster From The Male Lead-Chapter 24 - 23: The Old Maid

"I must do it quickly before he arrives again." She pulled the tile up, with much difficulty, considering the original owner of the body was a slander little girl.

However, what Eleanore found below was not a passage to some basement but a small wooden box with golden carvings at the edges forming a beautiful design.

"What is this?" She thought, before picking it up and observing carefully how it opens.

"I have to simply lift the lid, that’s all!" She was about to open the box when she stopped. "It could be something personal. I must not open this." After debating with herself for a few more seconds, Eleanore quickly placed it back just as it was and closed the tile, before leaving the room.

Fortunately, she found no further hurdles and went straight to the kitchen. "There can be a basement in the kitchen, perhaps." She found a possibility that made her want to go there.

However, it was packed with people. Two chefs working on the luncheon menu, two helper maids, and a maid was on the extreme corner of the kitchen collecting plates to take them out to clean.

’She can’t be here.’

Just as she continued observing the area, a maid entered from behind and approached her on finding her standing at the doorstep.

"My lady, do you need something?" She asked from behind her, startling Eleanore. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Eleanore held her heart, she felt like it could jump out of her body any moment, from all the jump scares she has been getting since morning.

"I need a glass of water and a cup of pink grass tea followed by it." She ordered after coming back to her senses.

"Understood, my lady. I will send it to your room."

"No— not my room. I will—" She looked around to spot a table belonging to the maids to chat at, in the right corner, away from the kitchen counter.

"I will sit here" saying this she sat on the wooden bench, finally feeling relieved from all the running and hiding. "Serve me the tea there as well."

"Yes, my lady." The maid approached a chef, who was in middle of cooking a fagrantful stew. After she whispered something in his ears, he turned towards Eleanore to get a glance of her. Following him everyone else present in the Kitchen turned towards Eleanore.

For a while the noisy kitchen went silent, finding the esteemed lady in their presence. Eleanore quietly looked back at them, trying to understand the situation. When she realized that they had gone quiet because of her presence, she opened her mouth to let out some words of relief for them.

"Oh! It’s fine. You can continue working. I am just exploring the kitchen." Yet for some reason none of it felt relieving to them. They were all tensed.

"My lady, did we— perhaps— made a mistake?" One of the helper maids asked, walking forward to speak for her team and at the same time deserved to act as a leader considering her age, confidence and sharp voice.

"No, I needed some water after roaming around since morning. When I entered this area, I realized that I have never seen the Kitchen that well. So much so that I had completely erased the kitchen from my map of Lancaster Mansion." She laughed at her own lame joke, but none followed.

Eleanore cleared her throat and continued, "if I am making you all uncomfortable, I— can leave." she stammered.

"There is no need. We shall heed your order." She said returning back to everyone and asking them to prepare the tea. She then picked up a fresh glass of water and then again made her way to Eleanore.

The old maid gently and carefully placed the glass on the table.

"Do you have time?" Eleanore asked, when the maid turned around to leave.

"I believe I am free for a few minutes." She said,

"I see, how about you join me for a few minutes then." Immediately as the maid sat down, the clicking sound of the vessels clashing into each other and the sound of boiling water and chopping food, started to fill the space again.

"What do you need, my lady?" The old maid quickly grasped the situation.

"I am truly exploring the mansion and recollecting my memories." She said after which she gulped up the whole glass of water, almost choking on it but somehow handling the sudden pain in her throat, she continued, "however, it is also true that I have something I have been meaning to ask."

"What do you wish to know, my lady?"

"The Grand Duke. Have you ever seen him enter the kitchen?" Eleanore was uncertain of how her question would sound, yet she asked. She needed to know if Caelestis even entered the kitchen.

"The Grand Duke never enters the kitchen. He hates it here." The maid replied.

"Why?" Unwillingly but out of curiosity, Eleanore asked a rather personal question, most maids would hate to answer, thinking she was trying to invade their master’s personal space intentionally.

"Have you heard about the late Duchess?" The maid sighed after closing her tired eyes for a few seconds.

"Yes, I’ve heard she was my godmother." Eleanore had no memory of her, except the fact that she was a very gentle and loving person, her birth mother’s best friend.

"That’s right. The Grand Duke was always very close to the Dutchess. At that time I used to work in the mansion as only a cleaner. Everyday, I would see the late Dutchess and the duke make a new dish for the late Grand Duke. He was very close to her."

Eleanore needed no further explanation. She understood Caelestis’ hatred for this place. There was a time when she hated her old house where her mother was murdered, almost unwilling to live there any longer. She shifted to a rented apartment soon after the funeral and never again visited her childhood home.

When her tea arrived, she finished half of it and left after thanking the kind, old maid, who had a few last words to say.

"Pardon my audacity but my lady, true love is when you let the other go. The Grand Duke is deeply in love with Baroness Stella, please do not come between them." Eleanore simply nodded to that statement with a smile and left the kitchen, leaving the old maid with grave relief.