Chapter 1.2

Knock, knock.

“Miss Rizle.”  

Mary knocked and softly called out to Rizle. She knew full well that this sleepyhead would not be awake. Still, this was the minimum courtesy she had to observe as a maid. Rizle wouldn’t mind if she barged in without knocking, but if the head maid caught her doing so, she’d be in trouble.  

‘So, which scoundrel is trying to take Miss Rizle away?’  

Mary stood in front of the door, lost in thought. As far as she knew, no one had been officially discussed within the family yet. Well, that wasn’t entirely true.  

Due to the war, many nobles had died, and those who had suddenly inherited titles were busy searching for good marriage prospects.  

The Thruella family was considered a good match. They had tradition, the Marquis was highly respected, and, most importantly, Rizle Thruella was famously beautiful.  

‘Though there are rumors that she’s a bit eccentric…’  

But that was just because she was curious and inquisitive, not because she was difficult to deal with. At least, that’s what Mary thought.  

Knock, knock.

“Miss.”  

She knocked once more. When there was still no response from inside, Mary entered the room.  

On the bed, covered with a thick red blanket and two additional yellow ones, lay Rizle. Her lush, beautiful golden hair and flawless, translucent skin proved that the rumors of her beauty were not exaggerated.  

Although the strong smell of alcohol wafting from her made even Mary, who adored her, frown slightly.  

“Miss.”  

Mary tried not to breathe in too deeply as she called out to Rizle. In response, Rizle gave an angelic smile.  

“Hehehe… salted pork…”  

Then, she mumbled happily, smacking her lips.  

“Chocolate from Germain. This is such a rare treat!”  

Her pronunciation was precise, as if she were awake, but this was Rizle talking in her sleep.  

She must be having a pleasant dream again. That was a relief, but Mary suddenly felt a twinge of concern.  

‘What would that man think if he heard her sleep-talking like this?’  

Not knowing who the man was, Mary couldn’t predict his reaction. But whoever he was, if he dared to mistreat Rizle over something as trivial as sleep-talking, Mary would report him to Marquis Thruella immediately.  

Resolving herself, Mary called out to Rizle again.  

“Miss.”  

“Melon!”  

When Mary gently shook her arm, Rizle suddenly sat up. She blinked blankly for a moment before yawning.  

“The master is asking for you.”  

Rizle glanced at Mary, then lay back down on the bed.  

Here we go again. 

Mary shook Rizle’s body once more.  

“Please, get up quickly. The Marquis is waiting for you.”  

“Tell Father I’ll see him later in the day. Right now, I feel too unwell. My body aches, my head hurts, and my voice is barely audible.”  

Rizle mumbled, pointing out her hoarse voice.  

“You’re just hungover. Why did you drink so much in the first place?”  

She wasn’t even a strong drinker. Every breath Mary took was filled with the sharp smell of alcohol emanating from Rizle. Before sending her to the master, Mary thought she might need to bathe her first.  

But Rizle wasn’t cooperating, and time was running out.  

“Miss.”  

“It was a party celebrating Albert’s return and all of our survival. On such a joyous day, not drinking would be unworthy of a Thruella.”  

If only she didn’t talk so much.  

Mary had no choice but to step back for now. She opened the curtains wide, letting the bright sunlight stream into Rizle’s eyes. Then, she prepared clothes for her to change into and water for washing.  

Rizle groaned and buried her head in the pillow.  

“I’m all ready. Miss, are you listening?”  

By then, Rizle had fallen back asleep and didn’t respond. Just as Mary approached to wake her again, the butler knocked on the bedroom door.  

“She’s taking too long to come.”  

The butler’s voice wasn’t angry, but he was a man with such a cold demeanor that Mary couldn’t help but feel intimidated. She bowed her head nervously.  

“I’m sorry, Butler.”  

The butler glanced at Mary before straightening his posture and speaking formally.  

“Everyone is waiting. Please wake her up quickly.”  

If Rizle had still been asleep, she would have jumped up at the sound of his voice.  

After confirming that Rizle was awake, the butler left a quiet remark for Mary.  

“Even if it takes time, make sure she doesn’t show up in her nightgown like last time.”  

Leaving those instructions, the butler departed. Mary let out a small sigh and glanced at Rizle, who had groggily risen but still had her eyes closed.  

Just as the butler had predicted, Rizle tried to leave the room after simply washing her face, complaining that it was too much trouble to do anything else. Mary hurriedly stopped her. If she sent Rizle out like that after being specifically told not to, she’d be scolded no matter how much Rizle insisted it was her decision.  

“I’m meeting Father. It doesn’t have to be formal.”  

“Still, you can’t go in your nightgown. The Marchioness wouldn’t approve.”  

At the mention of her mother’s angry face, Rizle reluctantly turned back. She managed to change her clothes, but brushing and tying her hair neatly was too much effort.  

After a couple of half-hearted strokes with the brush, Rizle waved Mary off. At that moment, something sparkled on Rizle’s hand as she moved.  

“Mary, where did this ring come from?”  

Noticing the ring, Rizle tilted her head in confusion. It was sitting confidently on her finger as if it belonged there, but she had no memory of buying such a ring. Nor did she recall receiving it from anyone.  

Mary was flustered by Rizle’s question. Was she pretending not to know just to brag subtly?  

“What do you mean? It’s the ring you received last night.”  

“From whom?”  

“You said it was a secret.”  

Rizle blinked her round eyes in surprise. Her reaction made it clear that this was the first time she was hearing about it. It wasn’t an act—she genuinely didn’t remember.  

The only things she recalled from last night were dancing with her brothers, dancing twice more with her father because he felt left out, and then drinking a lot while resting because she was tired.  

“Did Albert give me this ring? Or Father?”  

It probably wasn’t Gilbert. 

Rizle tried to guess.  

“Oh, Miss. Stop pretending not to know and just tell me. I’m dying of curiosity!”  

Mary laughed, thinking Rizle was teasing her. But as Rizle’s dazed eyes gradually cleared, Mary began to sense something was off.  

“It’s the ring from the proposal you received.”  

Rizle blinked rapidly, then shot up from her seat.  

“What are you talking about? A proposal?!”  

“You told me about it last night, Miss.”  

Somehow, Mary felt like she was being accused of lying to Rizle. But she was certain—Rizle herself had told her.

“I… I was proposed to?”  

Rizle was so shocked that she stood with her mouth agape, desperately trying to recall the events of the previous night. She vaguely remembered talking to someone while drinking. But who could it have been?  

Suddenly, she remembered a blond man. A young blond man among the guests.  

“Lord Lido.”  

Rizle quickly recalled one man. He had approached her first, asking if she was alright since she appeared to be drinking a lot. She had insisted she was fine and not drunk, only to drink even more.  

Thinking back now, she realized she must have already been completely intoxicated at that point.  

“I should have stopped there… So, is this ring from Lord Lido?”  

“Lord Lido proposed to you?”  

Mary asked in shock. She turned pale and shook her head repeatedly, so fast that Rizle wondered if she might get dizzy.  

“Miss, my dear Rizle, whom I adore so much. I know it’s rude to say this about Lord Lido, but he’s completely unacceptable! He’s such a flirt!”  

Lord Lido was a knight working at Troskan Castle. He was a very handsome man with a sharp nose and cherry-red lips. And he knew it. He shamelessly used his good looks to his advantage.  

“He’s made so many women cry with that pretty face of his!”  

More than half the maids working at the castle had been toyed with by him. Who knew how many more women he had left heartbroken in the nearby village?  

On top of that, he was brazen. Once, when two women, furious that he had been two-timing them, confronted him, he had said this:  

‘I was just trying to comfort you because you seemed lonely. Did you take it seriously? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?’  

Instead of apologizing, he had painted the women as obsessive stalkers. He didn’t even bother repaying the money he had borrowed from the women while whispering sweet nothings to them.  

If this innocent young lady fell for such a scoundrel, it was obvious she would end up heartbroken and in tears. Mary was determined to stop this marriage at all costs.  

“As your maid, I know it’s not my place, but I must say this: Lord Lido is absolutely out of the question!”  

Mary clenched her fists, resolute in her opposition.