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“And so, I became that family’s foster daughter.”
“…You must have adored Grandfather very much, Raisa.”

She just said ‘became’ so casually.
What eight-year-old Raissa said is actually perfectly reasonable. In the Duchy of Jurnova, knighthood is only hereditary for one generation. But families exist where the father is a knight, trains his son, and effectively passes knighthood down through the generations. They aren’t given priority; they still have to pass the entrance exam to become knights. But being raised that way, they naturally become strong.
Such families are considered noble houses and receive treatment next to nobility, so it’s a bit unbelievable that servants would be desired as foster daughters for generations of knightly families. It’s almost suspicious enough to suspect fraud.
And yet, when Grandfather asked her to do that, she just said yes?

“There was a reason I was desired as a foster daughter. It was something arranged by Duke Sergei. …My lady, do you know what the reason might be?”
“A reason orchestrated by my grandfather?”

Hmm, what could it be?
Because Raisa was thought to be Grandfather’s favorite? If they often talked in the garden, even if it was secret, people would have seen them. It would be strange for the duke’s heir to meet a laundress repeatedly.
If Raisa had been older, people might have gossiped about him keeping a lover from a different class, but with her at eight, that was impossible…

Ah.

“Did Grandfather… cherish you ‘like a much younger sister’?”
“You see. Lord Sergei hinted at the possibility that I might be his father’s illegitimate child. Of course, that possibility is nonexistent, but it was a convenient excuse when he told me I shouldn’t associate with someone of lower status.”

Grandfather… Well, sometimes lies are necessary, but what great burden did you put on my Great-Grandfather!
Ah, but since Uncle Isaac is a b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲ child, did Great-grandfather have a concubine? And there were probably others too, it’s not like there were no such memories…

“When Lord Sergei proposed putting me up for adoption, my adoptive parents suspected there might be a secret about my birth, given he’d broached this despite knowing the class difference. Though they doubted it, they offered to take me in, reasoning they couldn’t leave a child with a possible imperial blood to be a mere laundress. When I learned of this misunderstanding, I was shocked and denied it outright to my adoptive parents. Yet they kept me as their adopted daughter anyway. They said my personality resembled that of their deceased sons.”

Grandfather… he knew those deceased knights well, didn’t he? Considering those sons hadn’t married yet, they must have been quite young themselves. Perhaps they were close in age to Grandfather. Since their father was also a knight, Grandfather likely understood that temperament too. So he figured that if he could just introduce Raisa, who supposedly resembled their sons, to those adoptive parents, things would work out on their own.
He probably didn’t plan everything from the start… but what a schemer!

“I received an education, learning to read and write, studying etiquette, and at fourteen, I returned to serve at Jurnova Castle. As a maid this time. Lord Sergei had already succeeded as Duke by then. By that time, the rumor that I was the illegitimate child of the previous duke had become an open secret. I was careful neither to confirm nor deny it. Lord Sergei had done this to protect me.”

Ah… I see. A strategy against the old hag.
Apparently, she once kicked out a gardener working in the rose garden, ranting that it was unacceptable for commoners to enter her noble sight. Who knows what she’d say if a maid who was once a laundress entered her sight? That open secret must’ve been to prevent that.
By the time he met Raisa at twenty-three, he should have already been married. Grandfather… poor man. What fate forced him to marry someone so rotten? They’re such a contrasting couple.

“Lord Sergei was busy with his duties as Duke, plus his work for the country. He was constantly traveling between the Imperial Capital and the duchy. Lord Isaac was also traveling throughout the empire for his studies, so even though I was a maid, my main job wasn’t carrying trays—it was writing letters everywhere and making all sorts of arrangements for them both.”

More like a secretary than a maid. I wonder if she wore glasses back then too? An intelligent, beautiful secretary. So moe.

“And Lord Sergei kept making all sorts of unusual requests of me even then… It was a whirlwind, but a fun time. But I married at eighteen and left the castle to raise children.”

Given how much Grandfather enjoyed playing matchmaker for the elite, he probably casually introduced Raisa to a man he thought highly of.
Grandfather was fifteen years older, and Great-Uncle Isaac was ten years older. Didn’t she ever admire them…? But she was considered an unofficial younger sister, so it probably couldn’t have happened.

“After that, I often went up to help out on various occasions. Then, after my adoptive parents passed away, I was asked if I would return to service. That was about ten years ago. The only ones living in the castle were the Grand Duchess and Lord Aleksandr. I worked discreetly under the housekeeper at the time, helping with tasks while keeping an eye on the castle’s affairs. Then, Lord Sergei passed away…”

Raisa’s voice trailed off for a moment. But she continued immediately.

“When Lord Aleksandr took over, the housekeeper was replaced by someone introduced from another household, and soon after, I was no longer allowed to come and go.”

Introduced from another household…
So that’s it. During Father’s time, Raisa had been excluded.

“But just about five months ago, when that housekeeper supposedly disappeared, Mr. Novaras, the butler, approached me asking if I would take the position.”

Ah! Another missing person besides the former treasurer!
So the previous housekeeper really was sent by Magna to lead the embezzlement. One of the key figures my brother said had been eliminated.
Come to think of it, one of a housekeeper’s duties is managing food and supplies. To cover up embezzlement, they’d need to control that. Was it Victorian England? I heard housekeepers held the keys to pantries and rooms storing valuables, and that keyring was a symbol of authority.

“So I’m still quite new to housekeeping. This banquet is my first major assignment.”
“You’d think otherwise, given how adept you seem.”
“The housekeeper was elderly during Lord Sergei’s time too, so I gradually took over more responsibilities.”

Then, in truth, it was supposed to be Raisa who became the next housekeeper. No wonder she was eliminated.

“That’s reassuring. I’m a novice of a Mistress myself, after all.”

Exchanging glances, Ekaterina and Raisa smiled.
But Raisa lowered her eyes.

“…I deeply regret not being able to serve His Grace and the young lady.”

Ekaterina shook her head.

“It’s not your fault, Raisa.”

Even if she returned ten years ago, after raising her children and seeing her foster parents off, my mother and I would have already been living in the separate mansion. There was nothing Raisa could have done.

“Grandfather left my brother with many wonderful people. But he also left me you, Raisa. Though I never met him myself, it seems I could connect with him through you, and that makes me happy.”
“…You really do resemble Lord Sergei, my lady. Like him, you offer such lovely words. Among all the words I’ve heard in my life, the third most joyful was given to me by Lord Sergei.”

I think I know what those words were.

.

*“Raisa, I’m so glad to see you. Do you have a moment?”*

.

“Well, third, huh? Might I ask what the first and second were?”

Ekaterina said mischievously, and Raisa smiled.

“The first was the first word my son ever spoke. ‘Mama.’”
“Ah! Grandfather couldn’t possibly compete with that. What was the second one?”
“The second one was…”

Starting to speak, Raisa suddenly cleared her throat.

“It’s a secret.”

Raisa’s cheeks flushed faintly as she said this.

Hmm, I think I can say for sure.
Her household must have a very harmonious marriage.