Reincarnated as the mother of an otome game's villainess?!

Chapter 16. Late at Night.

I was born 26 years ago, and received the name Iridia from my parents. They owned a store at a relatively small city on the mountains, but I managed to get my first job working as a maid at the capital after my 18th birthday. That wouldn't have been possible if not by some connections I had made through our church. After that, I started working for the Cygnus household almost a year before the Lord married Madame Dragonroot. I was meant to serve as her personal attendant, so I received special training from the head maid, Carmila. During those months, we became really close; I would even dare to call us friends.

It was a bit disappointing when I was informed the Madame was bringing one attendant with her, and refused to change our roles. I could understand her though, Sophie had worked for her for a long time; she was almost part of her family while we were strangers. Still, Carmila was not one to bend the rules, and tried to integrate Sophie with the rest of the maids, and sending me to take care of the Madame. I think it was her way to make the Madame open her heart to us. But more often than not, the Madame would sent me back and ask for Sophie instead. I wasn't going to give up so easily. If I couldn't be her personal attendant, at least I would get in her good graces.

—Good afternoon, Madame. I brought you a cup of tea —I said.

She was reading a book in her room, and she didn't acknowledge my presence until I was right in front of her, placing the cup on the table. She raised her cold stare from the book and looked straight at me. I felt a chill running through my back.

—Thanks —she said, and returned to her reading as if I was already not there.

I smiled and give a slight bow, even when I was sure she wasn't watching me. I left the room and walked a bit away from the door before I had to support my back against the wall. My heart was beating really fast and my hands were shaking. The Dragonroot were said to be descendants of the goddess Lilith, and at that moment I was sure it was true. I was really glad to have the opportunity to work for someone like her. From that day, I kept trying my best to earn her approval and not disappoint her. I also tried to stop the attendants that were spreading the nasty rumors that had been made up to smear our Madame's reputation.

After our Lord died, a few of them quit their jobs rather than to work for our Madame, and others were fired by Carmila after they became negligent with their jobs. Then, our Madame found out she was pregnant, and she... changed. At first, she was still distant and cold, but started to spend less time secluded in her room. She became more willing to listen to what Carmila would say, or rather, she wouldn't ignore her like before. She became a bit more docile, I suppose. We also heard her singing when she though nobody would be listening. Once, I caught the doctor listening to her through the door, mesmerized by her voice.

—Doctor Conrad? Is something wrong? —I asked.

He was obviously startled by my sudden interruption, but he managed to hide it pretty well.

—No, no, I just forgot something in the room —he whispered—, but I didn't wanted to interrupt.

I got closer to the door and was about to knock, but it was too much of a waste to cut short her singing just like that. So I closed my eyes and waited until she had finished.

—Madame, the Doctor came to retrieve something that he left behind. Could he come in?

—W-wait a moment! —A voice came from the room.

That was definitively our Madame's voice, but it also wasn't, somehow. The cadence and attitude behind it wasn't the same. After a couple of seconds, her usual voice came through and gave the doctor the go-ahead to enter her room. I also went inside, acting as if I was there to clean up a bit. My true intentions were far from that, though.