Chapter 36: [Chapter 036] Nothing is free
*Noticed*
- The translation isn't accurate and the language used is considered informal or "messy".
- It's recommended to add this to your reading list to stay updated.
- Readers are encouraged to support the original creators by purchasing the official version when it's available.
- There are links provided to support the translator financially.
- Readers are asked to enjoy the fan translation quietly and avoid causing any trouble or seeking attention.
That's all, happy reading everyone!
*********************************************
A moment of silence fell over the drawing room filled with soft music.
"...Yes?"
"Isn't it?"
Doris tilted her head, asking again. Was it presumptuous of me to ask about the vacant Grand Duchess's position, knowing my place? Of course, I didn't want to be the Grand Duchess, nor was I in a position to be. But...
"Blier wanted to be the Grand Duchess."
Noevian had definitely said so. While I was trying to organize my thoughts about what to say, Doris sipped her tea a few more times and placed the cup on the table.
"I think a future with Grand Duke Trovika is painted in one corner of your heart. Am I wrong?"
With a face that seemed completely devoid of malice, I was momentarily speechless. Was the Crown Princess asking this knowing that I was Noevian's maid? Or did she know that Blier had such a ridiculous dream?
"Didn't the Duke perhaps say that you resembled the deceased Grand Duchess?"
"!"
As expected, Doris knew my face.
"...The Duke didn't say anything in particular."
I gritted my teeth, trying to maintain my composure, feeling as if my secret had been exposed. A hint of interest appeared on Doris's face.
"Because you look so much like the deceased Grand Duchess, I gave you an unprecedented amount of kindness. I'm talking about that iron-blooded chancellor."
Doris's voice was filled with conviction.
"I've heard that there's been frequent interaction between the Count of Acacia and the Duke's residence recently. If my guess is correct, the Duke definitely has personal feelings for you."
And her conviction seemed justified.
"...How do you know that so well? Your Highness seems to know everything."
I pretended to be surprised, widening my eyes and asking curiously. I was starting to feel wary of Doris, who seemed to guess the relationship between Blier and Noevian just because of my resemblance to the original me.
"I have my eyes and ears in the Duke's residence."
Doris said it casually. But when I saw her smiling brightly, I felt as if my whole body had been paralyzed.
"Eyes and ears in the Duke's residence...?"
It felt like I had met the leader of the demons in the Duke's residence who had been tormenting me. I had vaguely guessed that the reason the servants in the Duke's residence treated me so badly might be because they had a strong backer. But hearing this possibility so directly was disconcerting.
"You've probably heard the rumors. That Grand Duke Trovika's love for his wife is extreme, no, rather excessive."
"So excessive that she created a maid."
I chuckled quietly, even though I was stiff.
"It might not be so easy to take that position, no matter how excessive and peculiar it is. But if you become my person, I'll help you with that."
I didn't care at all about the position of Grand Duchess. But if Doris was willing to help me get into the Duke's residence with that assumption, it was worth being misunderstood.
"I will do my best to serve Your Highness as a maid without causing any trouble to the royal family."
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
I knew that very well. And Doris probably wanted something from me, so she was helping me. I still didn't know if all the subtle insults and abuse I had suffered for the past two years were her orders. I would find out when I went into that den myself. Doris smiled like a peony in full bloom, satisfied with my answer. I smiled back at her.
***
"Even though I tried to act casual, I felt a deep sense of fatigue as soon as I left the audience chamber. It was as if I had just faced a huge mountain alone. As the excitement I had been feeling subsided, tension and fear enveloped me.
'If I can't refuse this position anyway, I have no choice but to make the best of the situation.'
Right now, all I have is Blier's healthy body. I didn't want to stay in the Crown Princess's palace any longer, so I quickened my pace. At the entrance to the long corridor, a large shadow loomed.
"...Your Highness, Roardnes?"
"It took you longer than I expected."
Roardnes, leaning against the corridor wall with a long body, straightened his posture with a hardened expression.
"Quite some time has passed... Do you mean you've been waiting since I escorted you?"
"Is there such a thing as a man who leaves his partner behind?"
Despite his hardened expression and indifferent tone, the content was incredibly kind. As he reached out to me as if to take my hand, I felt the anxiety that had been tugging at my feet disappear. Even if this man doesn't know all my circumstances, there's no doubt that he's the only one who can give me strength right now. The fear and loneliness that had been floating in my spine seemed to disappear a little.
"Are you going to stand there forever?"
The sun was setting. I was strangely comforted by this man who knew nothing. I felt as if he was gently stroking the back of my head, which had been numb from a hard blow. The sunset shone on us, and he was waiting for me. Was it because he didn't ask me anything? My heart was tingling, and a different kind of tension ran down my spine than when I was with Doris.
"Here..."
I hesitated for a moment and held out the package of cookies I had with me. I had made it impulsively, but when I actually faced him, I couldn't find the right time to give it to him. Roardnes just stared at the crumpled envelope and the ribbon-wrapped cookie package I had made.
"I thought it would be better to give it to you in front of Steward Jimsker or more people..."
"..."
My hands, which hadn't trembled even in front of Doris, trembled a little. I couldn't look at Roardnes, who was still just looking at my package without taking it, and just held my hand out further.
"Actually, I wanted to give it to you with a more sincere feeling of gratitude than just doing it for show."
"...What is this?"
"The voice that came out after a long pause was as low and pleasant as usual. I gathered a little more courage and placed the package directly in his hand."
"It's Chocolate Day today. It's a day when lovers give each other sweets."
Still, he didn't reply.
"These are the first cookies I've ever made."
So, instead of just looking at his hand, I looked up at him. I thought his face would be as stiff as before or as relaxed as it was in the hall, but... his face was subtly crumbling, and his eyes were shaking violently.**
"Your Highness, how was today? Did you manage to subdue the opposition with your charisma...?"
Bang! The sturdy and ornate carriage door slammed shut with a force that made Neil's hair flutter. What on earth had happened to make him look like he could kill someone? With a bewildered expression, Neil discreetly gave instructions to the coachman. He had a hunch that if he crossed Roardnes, who had returned with a completely opposite expression from when he had left in the morning, he wouldn't even be left with bones. With a loud "Yes!" from the coachman, Roardnes's mind cleared slightly.
"It's absurd."
Roardnes muttered, looking at the small package of cookies clutched in his hand. The setting sun seeped through the carriage window, which was moving rapidly. His eyes, like boiling lava, sparkled every time they caught the light.
[There are many famous pastry shops in the eastern part. On special occasions, people line up in front of pastry shops, and diligent people make cookies or pudding to give as gifts to their friends or lovers. I also imagined that when I became healthier, I would go shopping for ingredients one by one with the maids or nanny and bake cookies. It would be happy because there would be a sweet scent when making and gifting them. If my health improves someday and I can make cookies myself... could I give you some? I would be really happy if you enjoyed them.]
"It's... absurd."
*Even though it was just a small package of cookies, Roardnes looked at it as if he had seen a corpse. *
'These are the first cookies I've ever made.'
He had definitely seduced her. Blier, Noevian's maid, had clearly blushed and looked nervous when she looked at him. He wasn't a fool. No matter how innocently she acted, she couldn't hide the sound of her heart pounding, her flushed face, or her trembling body. His plan was going smoothly. He thought that sooner or later, Noevian's maid, who had been easily seduced like other women, would have to tell him her true intentions. That's what he thought. Until he saw Adrienn in her shy eyes.
'No...'
He had thought of her. He couldn't help but think of her. Adrienn looking at him with those eyes. Adrienn looking at Noevian with that expression. He had ordered his servants to pour him drink after drink to hide his suddenly heated face, not Noevian's maid.
"Ha."
Roardnes glared at the cookie package that rolled slightly each time the carriage shook.
'I admit that I'm going crazy.'
Precisely since the day he had received news of Adrienn's death in the west. His emotions and mental state were not normal, even by his own standards. The hallucination of constantly seeing Adrienn in Blier Acacia was just part of his madness. But...
'What if, as that woman intended, I keep swaying and swaying like this...?'
...What if I start to think of that woman as a substitute for Adrienn? Roardnes's face turned pale. Throughout the journey back to his palace, far from Attilchad Hall, Adrienn's old letters, Blier's innocent expression, and that damned package of cookies kept rolling around in his mind, both in front of his eyes and in his heart. Roardnes realized that his plan, which he thought was bound to succeed, had been completely ruined from the very beginning.
*********************************************
Cheer me on 😍🤗🤩!!!!!!!!
Your votes, comments, and treats will really motivate me. You can treat me via
Trakteer: trakteer.id/gurujadul/tip
Saweria: saweria.co/ibuibujadoel
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/guru_jadul