This afternoon, on her way back from the vineyard, Mireya walked at the very back of the female workers.
“I heard Mrs. Molly has returned from His Grace’s residence,” one of the workers said as they left the vineyard and followed the path toward the workers’ quarters.
“If anyone’s to blame, it’s obviously Mireya,” another replied, deliberately raising her voice.
Mireya’s steps halted for a moment before she slowly began walking again.
“Yeah. I think she really is a troublemaker,” another woman chimed in. “Ever since she first started working here, her mistakes have never stopped.”
“Exactly. I don’t know how someone like her was ever accepted to work in His Grace’s vineyard,” another continued with a mocking laugh.
Mireya kept her head lowered. She chose to remain silent, letting the words fall upon her one by one like a burden she had grown far too accustomed to carrying.
When they arrived at the workers’ quarters, the atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Mrs. Molly stood directly before the towering iron gate, her hands folded across her chest. Her expression was stern, and the workers’ steps instinctively slowed.
Mireya’s heart pounded wildly. Would she be punished? Or… was there even worse news?
“Go clean yourselves up,” Mrs. Molly ordered firmly after examining each worker’s face in turn. “Put on the finest clothes you own.”
Everyone exchanged confused, tense glances.
“Before dinner,” she continued, “Mr. Ethan, His Grace Duke Leonard’s assistant, will be coming here.” Her voice rose slightly. “He’ll choose one of you to go to the Eisenwald main residence.”
For a moment, silence fell. Everyone listened intently.
“You’ll have the chance to serve grapes at Madam Elizabeth and Mrs. Shirley’s dinner banquet.”
The room erupted at once. Several workers gave small cheers, while others covered their mouths to hide their smiles, their eyes shining as they imagined such a rare opportunity.
But not Mireya. The girl remained silent, her head bowed, her fingers clutching the edge of her clothes. She didn’t know whether she should feel relieved or afraid.
Relieved, because Mrs. Molly hadn’t mentioned her mistake at all. That meant Duke Leonard hadn’t reprimanded her. Yet her heart sank at the thought of something else.
The Eisenwald main residence. Madam Elizabeth. The woman who had once stood behind a thick glass wall, staring at her without mercy beneath the rain all those years ago.
“God… Please don’t let fate make me meet them.”
The prayer formed softly in her heart.
Mireya showed none of the enthusiasm of the other female workers. She didn’t put on a beautiful dress. She didn’t even apply anything to her face. Her hair was simply tied back, without a ribbon or ornament.
Afterward, she left her cramped room and headed for the hall, where the female workers had gathered in the finest dresses they owned. Bright colors, clean fabric, and heavily made-up faces meant to attract attention.
The moment Mireya stepped inside, a few quiet laughs could be heard.
“Haha… She’s so ugly,” someone muttered, making no effort to lower her voice.
“Look at what she’s wearing. Filthy and disgusting,” another woman replied, pretending to cover her nose.
“That’s how poor she is,” one woman sneered. “Her finest clothes are still uglier than what I wear every day.”
“Oh, God… She didn’t even put on any makeup,” another added contemptuously.
The voices overlapped, making her the center of their ridicule without a single one of them feeling guilty. But Mireya remained silent. She only lowered her head and stood in the corner of the hall, as though she wasn’t worthy of being seen.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to look beautiful. She simply didn’t want to be seen at all. Because the more attention she drew, the more fate guided her toward the place she had wanted to avoid since childhood—the Eisenwald main residence.
Not long afterward, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hall. In an instant, every voice vanished. The workers quickly formed a neat line.