Chapter 14

The Twin in a Housemaid's Clothing

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"This should be enough..."

Robert had just finished cleaning and wrapping Emil's injured hand with clean gauze. He couldn't quite explain the feeling, but he felt proud of himself—after all, this was the first time he'd ever performed first aid.

Since he had never done anything like this before, he'd needed a little help by sneaking quick glances at Hoogle's internet search from time to time. Of course, he made sure Emil didn't notice. For one, it wasn't very comfortable. Moreover, he absolutely did not want to look foolish.

Still, when he finally finished, Robert couldn't contain his pride. So much so that he even took a picture of Emil's newly bandaged hand and sent it to his son to brag.

Robert V.

Look.

I made this.

9:06 am

[Image attached]

A moment later, Eric replied.

Eric V. (Son)

Shit, Dad! What happened to you?!

Was that your hand?!

9:06 am

Robert V.

Does this look like mine?

That's Emil's. He was injured, but he's okay. I already gave him first aid.

9:07 am

Eric V. (Son)

Wait—what?!

What happened to Emil?!

Could you please tell me why you're giving him first aid?!

Do you even know how to do that?!

Are you sure you did it correctly?!

9:08 am

Robert's eyebrows twitched up slightly at the way his son asked him in the chat. His son's lack of faith was painfully obvious—even through the chat screen.

Robert V.

Why so many questions?

Don't you trust your own father?!

Relax, will you?

Emil got a cut from a broken glass.

Yes, I gave him first aid.

No, I didn't know everything, but Hoogle helped me a bit.

And yes, I did it correctly.

Does that sound wrong to you?!

9:16 am

Eric didn't reply right away. How was he even supposed to respond to his father? Technically, there was nothing wrong with Robert's explanation. And yet, no matter how closely he examined the photo his dad had sent, something about the way Emil's hand was bandaged just didn't look right.

"Look at this," Eric said, holding his phone out toward Allen, who, in that moment, was focused on the road. From the back seat, Eric leaned forward just enough for Allen to see the screen and asked, "Is it just me, or does something about this look...off?"

Allen glanced at the photo quickly, but he didn't need to stare long to know exactly what Eric meant.

"I think Mr. Weiss knows exactly what your father is doing to him," he said. "He just chose not to say anything about what was wrong with it—probably so your dad wouldn't get upset."

And Allen was right.

Emil had absolutely noticed. However, he decided not to say anything and did his best to refrain from laughing. Why? First of all, Emil enjoyed seeing how serious Robert looked while tending to his wound. He noticed how Robert kept glancing at his phone, clearly searching for what to do next. And when it was finally over, Emil saw just how happy the older man was—smiling to himself, clearly proud of his accomplishment, even going so far as to take pictures of his handiwork.

But in reality, Robert's gauze wrapping was uneven. He'd even put tape in places where it wasn't really needed, and there were a few torn threads of gauze stuck out from the edges. It wasn't exactly neat or very sturdy, but for Robert's first try, it wasn't bad at all.

"I think this is perfect, my lord. Thank you..." Emil said as he happily stared at Robert's handiwork, even noticing a few pieces of gauze sticking out.

"Next time, don't play the hero," Robert said, clearly irritated. "You're not a servant here, you're a guest, so let the staff handle their own mess if they made a mistake. And don't worry about that newbie; I'll take care of her after this."

Emil knew precisely what that meant. Robert had a tendency to fire employees on the spot if they made mistakes or if he didn't like their work. And in the case of the new maid, despite the apparent fact that it was an accident, Emil was sure she was about to be fired. That's why Emil immediately reacted, grabbing Robert's sleeve and saying...

"Please, Robert... don't..."

Robert was a little surprised by Emil's sudden reaction. Emil, for his part, was also taken aback—he had called out Robert's name so casually that he almost forgot Robert was still his boss, not just someone he could speak to freely. Realizing this, Emil quickly withdrew his hand and apologized, offering a brief explanation for his behavior.

"I'm sorry...What I mean, my lord, is...the steward didn't mean what happened back there. It wouldn't be right for you to fire her just for that. It's my fault—I rushed in without thinking about my own safety. I just...I hope it doesn't come to the point where you have to punish her."

Emil could barely bring himself to look at Robert. But Robert, with his keen instincts, immediately sensed that Emil was holding something back. For one, Emil had never defended a steward before—only now. For another, Robert had noticed the steward's gaze fixed on Emil as she left, refusing to take her eyes off him. He realized Emil had done the same, and that's why he suspected the young man wasn't telling him the whole truth.

And Robert absolutely hated it when someone kept secrets from him—or lied to him.

But this was Emil.

Emil had never kept anything from him before—never even lied. So despite his doubts, Robert gave him the benefit of the doubt. After all, the young man must have a reason. And he was right to point out that the maid shouldn't be fired over something so trivial, even if, by Robert's standards, her incompetence was utterly intolerable.

But for Emil...well, Robert decided to let it slide.

"Fine." Robert gave a brief reply as he put the used bandages away. "But if that same maid makes another mistake," he continued evenly, "you won't be able to stop me next time. If you insist on protecting her again, I'll fire you in her place. Do you understand?"

Emil nodded immediately. "Yes, my lord."

Robert didn't reply. Instead, he reminded Emil that the doctor would be coming to recheck his wound. After that brief exchange, he left the infirmary, clearly annoyed but keeping his composure in check. Emil noticed it, and he knew better than to try reasoning with his lord. He also knew that Robert had sensed he was hiding something—something Emil couldn't fully conceal in his expressions or actions, no matter how hard he tried.

But it couldn't go on any longer. Emil had to do something, or else he was heading straight for a very serious trouble: one that could not only make Robert furious with him, but might even cost him his job and perhaps more...his place in Robert's life.

That's why that very night, Emil quietly asked the head servant for permission to speak with the maid who had broken the glass pitcher. At first, the head servant was reluctant, but Emil's earnest pleading finally won him over. He escorted Emil to the maid's room, then left him there, giving Emil a moment to speak to her alone.

Emil felt his nerves flutter for a few seconds and hesitated slightly before knocking on the door. A moment later, it opened, and the maid's frowning face met his gaze, almost as if she had been expecting him to come and speak with her.

"Can we talk?" Emil asked.

The maid sighed, then she pulled him into her room and quickly closed the door behind them. Only then did they have the opportunity to face each other up close.

"It seems you really have no choice but to talk to me, huh, Emil?" she said, crossing her arms and clearly irritated.

"You shouldn't be here," Emil replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "I don't know how you even got in, but...I'm begging you—please, just leave."

"I won't leave until I get what I want," she shot back. "Tell me, Emil... how does it feel? Living here in comfort and luxury all this time, treated almost like a family member by everyone, and now—haha, look at you! You're even in a relationship with the master of this house! Meanwhile, here I am, your twin, suffering at the hands of our useless relatives, completely forgotten by the very brother who promised to come back for her. Tell me, how does that make you feel?"

Emil remained frozen in place, caught between his guilt and helplessness, as his twin stared at him with unflinching intensity, burning with anger and a thirst for revenge.