Benjamine tilted her head in confusion as she turned around.
‘Something… something’s off with the lady.’
It seemed to have started when she gave the order to head to Lagos Castle.
Benjamine felt that Cecilia had changed.
She had cared for Cecilia since infancy, raising her.
Having spent nearly every waking moment together, it’s impossible to miss the shift in her behavior.
‘Normally, she would have complained about the cold or the hardships. Can someone really mature overnight?’
Benjamine didn’t like this change.
Catering to Cecilia’s whims and spoiling her was a role that only she could fill.
If Cecilia no longer depended on her, Benjamine’s power and influence would diminish as well.
‘The furs… Why would she suddenly give away the furs?’
Benjamine fell deep into thought.
There had to have been some trigger.
She narrowed her eyes and stared at the carriage.
When dinner preparations were complete, Cecilia moved to her personal tent.
It was a luxurious tent with a special structure, equipped with a ventilation hole in the ceiling.
Even with the brazier heating the interior, the air circulated well.
While the lady ate inside, Benjamine called out the two maids who had ridden with Cecilia in the carriage.
She interrogated them sharply.
“Speak clearly. You’d better not leave out a single word of what you talked about with the young lady.”
The two maids were terrified.
“S-She just asked if we were cold…”
The maids stammered as they recounted the conversation.
“T-That’s all…”
Before the maid could finish her sentence, she let out a short scream and staggered.
Benjamine had slapped her across the face.
She slapped the other maid as well.
Slap!
With a loud smack, the second maid almost fell over but managed to steady herself.
Benjamine was naturally large and well-built.
Her frame was twice the size of the slender, young maids.
When she struck them with her hefty hands, the maids felt a jarring shock reverberate through their heads.
Their delicate cheeks swelled instantly, and blood welled up on their split lips.
“You wretched things. Who gave you permission to babble in front of the Miss? Didn’t I tell you? If she asks you something, you are to answer with just ‘yes’ or ‘no’. How dare you chat with her beyond your place?”
“We were wrong, Elder Missus.”
“Please forgive us. We were wrong.”
The maids cried, rubbing their hands together in plea.
“What are you doing?”
Benjamine flinched in shock.
She turned her head and saw Cecilia standing there, looking at her and the sobbing maids.
Cecilia couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed.
Though Benjamine had betrayed her, Cecilia had still considered her a good person.
She had reasoned that Benjamine’s betrayal was for the sake of her son.
Since her son’s life was in the hands of Grand Duke Jericho, Cecilia had tried to understand.
Benjamine had always worn a smiling face.
No matter how much Cecilia complained, Benjamine never showed any displeasure.
With her lively personality, she took care of even the smallest details, and her hearty laughter gave off a warm impression.
So, seeing Benjamine’s cruel expression as she struck the maids was shocking.
‘Is this her true nature?’
A chill ran down Cecilia’s spine.
She spoke to the maids.
“Go to my tent.”
The maids hesitated, glancing nervously at Benjamine.
Baffled, Cecilia spoke with a tone of disbelief.
“Why are you looking to someone else when I’m giving you an order?”
Benjamine quickly shouted,
“What are you waiting for? The Miss has given an order, so move at once!”
Once the maids had scurried away, Benjamine put on a pitiful expression.
“Oh dear, Miss. If you interfere while I’m disciplining the maids, what am I supposed to do?”
Benjamine exaggerated her forlorn face.
“Managing the lower servants is my responsibility. A noble young lady like you doesn’t need to concern yourself with such lowly creatures. They won’t listen if you just speak to them. Sometimes, you have to discipline them with a firm hand. Someone has to play the bad role. I didn’t enjoy hitting them.”
“No, Nanny.”
Cecilia let out a faint laugh.
“I’m not reprimanding you for hitting the maids.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ve always thought of you as family, Nanny.”
“Oh my, of course. I know that.”
“But we’re not really family, are we?”
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