Chapter 2.3

“How was tea time?”  

As soon as Elena returned, Anne ran up to her, as if she’d been eagerly waiting. It seemed she was quite curious about the “battlefield.”  

“It was great.”  

“So, you won?”  

Anne asked, her eyes sparkling.  

Could this be considered a victory? The fight had ended before it even began.  

“I decided to become friends with Lady Diana.”  

“What? Is it a truce? Oh! Is it one of those ‘yesterday’s enemy is today’s ally’ situations?”  

Her face clearly showed that she couldn’t understand.  

It was understandable. After all, Elena had been so determined just a moment ago.  

“Listen, this is a real secret. You absolutely can’t tell anyone, okay?”  

Feeling a bit guilty, as if she were about to betray someone’s confidence, Elena made sure to secure Anne’s promise before saying anything.  

“Of course, you don’t need to worry about that at all.”  

Anne mimed zipping her lips and nodded vigorously.  

“Lady Diana doesn’t have any romantic feelings for the Grand Duke.”  

Elena whispered softly, expecting Anne to be startled, but Anne showed no signs of surprise.  

“Did you hear me? She doesn’t like the Grand Duke.”  

“That’s all?”  

“Isn’t that shocking?”  

“It seemed obvious. She didn’t seem particularly interested in His Grace…”  

Trailing off, Anne suddenly widened her eyes and looked at Elena.  

“Don’t tell me… you genuinely like His Grace the Grand Duke?”  

“Huh? Uh… yeah. But…”  

“What? Why?”  

“What do you mean, why? Because… he’s amazing?”  

“So, it’s his looks?”  

Oh no. 

By skipping over the details, Elena had made herself sound like someone completely shallow.  

“Well, of course, he’s incredibly handsome, but aren’t you scared of him?”  

“The Grand Duke is kind.”  

“What?”  

Anne frowned for a moment, then suddenly shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.  

“That’s the scariest joke I’ve heard all year.”  

No, no. It’s not a joke.  

But wait—Anne didn’t know that I liked the Grand Duke?  

“I never imagined you truly harbored feelings for His Grace. I thought you came here for the sake of your family.”  

“Then what were you cheering for earlier?”  

“Well, regardless of the reason, both of you came here wanting to become the Grand Duchess, didn’t you? I really want you to succeed. If you do, my position might improve a little as well. I want to climb the social ladder. Hehe.”  

“So that’s how it is. You’re very honest, Anne.”  

Elena almost felt touched for a moment.  

She clicked her tongue bitterly.  

Anne, who had been grinning, suddenly lowered her head and spoke again.  

“Besides, you’re a bit different from the other nobles I know. You’re kind, adorable, and even now, you’re listening so attentively to what I—a mere maid—have to say. I’m always grateful to you, my lady. I feel truly fortunate to serve you.”  

“Anne…”  

Elena covered her mouth, holding back tears as waves of emotion overwhelmed her.  

Why didn’t Anne say that sooner?  

“Thank you so much, Anne. But don’t call yourself ‘just’ anything. I rely on you a lot.”  

“My lady…”  

Anne, too, spoke with tearful eyes.  

Everything felt heartwarming.  

The issue with Lady Diana, which had been a significant source of worry, was resolved. Elena felt as though a bright future was now unfolding before her.  

But as if to mock her optimism, two carriages arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence the following morning.  

Without even a moment to catch her breath, the third and fourth candidates for the position of Grand Duchess had made their appearance.  

***

The arriving carriages belonged to the House of Marquis Botter and the House of Earl Montes.  

Bianca Botter and Adelina Montes.  

The two young ladies were the type to have very distinct personalities.  

“Why must everyone be sent back?”  

At the entrance to the mansion’s first floor, sharp voices rang out.  

Normally, they would have been escorted straight to the drawing room, but due to the commotion, the two young ladies were blocked at the door.  

“Lady Bianca, this is a common rule applied to all young ladies. Personal attendants are not allowed. It should have been stated in His Majesty’s official decree.”  

The person at the center of the dispute was none other than Lady Bianca of the Marquis Botter family.  

Dean, however, showed no sign of backing down against her.  

For a mansion of its size, the Grand Duke’s residence had a surprisingly small number of servants. When Elena had initially found it strange how few people were around and asked Anne about it, the answer had been surprisingly simple.  

It was because the Grand Duke hated having unfamiliar people in his castle.  

The Emperor, fully aware of the Grand Duke’s personality, had explicitly stated in the decree that all candidates must come alone.  

“I saw that. I did. But there’s always an exception to every rule, isn’t there? I can’t entrust my safety to just anyone.”  

Even though Dean, as the Grand Duke’s aide, held a certain level of noble status, Bianca subtly spoke to him in a condescending tone.  

‘How many people did she bring with her? One, two, three… What? Six?’  

Ignoring His Majesty’s decree, no less.  

She truly was the “Princess of Botter.”  

The “Princess of Botter” was quite famous even in the capital. Unlike Diana, her fame wasn’t due to her looks.  

Her notoriety stemmed from her brazen personality and arrogant attitude.  

Considering her background, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.  

Born as the youngest daughter in the Botter family, where daughters had been rare for generations, Bianca grew up showered with affection from her numerous older brothers and the Marquis and Marchioness.  

Having been spoiled her entire life, she believed that anything she said could and would be done. And the Botter family had more than enough power to make that happen.  

On top of that, her thick honey-blonde hair.  

Bianca’s rich golden locks, the same shade as the Imperial Family’s, signified that she, too, carried the blood of the Imperial lineage.  

Because of this…  

What more was there to say? Her attitude of looking down on everyone beneath her made her a figure people in social circles avoided at all costs whenever she appeared.  

“What are you doing here?”  

“Ahhh!”  

Hiding at the end of the staircase on the second-floor hallway, Elena had been watching the scene unfold below with great amusement. Startled by the sudden voice from behind her, she nearly let out a loud scream.  

Why does someone always seem to show up whenever I was sneaking a peek?  

Last time it had been Dean, and this time it was Diana.  

Diana, with a soft smile on her face, stood looking down at Elena. Elena hadn’t even noticed when she’d arrived.  

“Shh.”  

Elena quickly put a finger to her lips, signaling Diana to stay quiet.  

“I was spying—no, no. I was assessing the situation downstairs. It’s a critical moment right now, so please, just stay quiet for a bit.”  

Caught up in the moment, Diana nodded and crouched behind Elena to watch the scene unfold.  

“This is so frustrating! I already said I’d only keep three of them. If I’ve compromised this much, you should know when to let things go. How are these people supposed to know the makeup and hairstyle I like?”  

The maids gathered below lowered their heads, as if they had made a pact to avoid meeting Bianca’s fiery gaze.  

“All the people here were personally selected by His Grace, the Grand Duke. If you explain it to them once or twice, they’ll pick it up quickly.”  

As expected, the only one who didn’t shrink back in front of Bianca was Dean.  

“Elena.”  

“Shh, I told you to stay quiet.”  

Just as things were getting interesting, Diana interrupted again, breaking the flow of the moment.  

“No, it’s just…”  

“I’m telling you, this is the climax.”  

“Is that so?”  

“Dean is unexpectedly showing some forcefulness…”  

Wait, that voice.  

“Ah! Your Grace?”  

“Is spying your hobby?”  

“Why, why are you here, Your Grace…? Isn’t it time for you to be at the training grounds? Aren’t you practicing swordsmanship today?”  

“How do you even know my schedule? Are you a stalker?”  

“Hey, calling me a stalker is unfair. Let’s call it affection instead.”  

As she winked with one eye, the Grand Duke frowned, as if he had seen something unbearable.  

“Just stop talking. Whenever I talk to you, I feel like I’m becoming an idiot myself.”  

Shaking his head lightly, the Grand Duke passed by her and slowly descended the stairs.  

Watching his retreating figure, Elena whispered quietly to Diana.  

“Just now, the Grand Duke indirectly called me an idiot, didn’t he?”  

“I think he said it quite directly.”  

Hmm. So, that was it. At times like this, she could have at least denied it.  

Diana was angelic, but she could be excessively honest.  

A loud voice echoed again from the first floor.  

“That’s what I’m saying! I brought people who already know everything without needing an explanation, so why do I have to go through the trouble of explaining every little thing?”  

“In that case, you can return with those people who know everything so well.”  

“Y-Your Grace, Grand Duke.”  

Startled by the Grand Duke’s sudden appearance, Bianca flinched and gasped in surprise.  

For someone who had been so confident earlier, her reaction revealed that it was a different story when she was in front of the Grand Duke.  

“No one will stop you if you decide to leave now. If you wish to stay, it would be better to send everyone back, as Dean suggested.”  

“B-but without these people…”  

“I am the master of this castle. Are you planning to keep people here whom the master of the castle has not permitted?”  

Oh, this was just like when I had first arrived. That cold demeanor was still perfectly intact.  

“Then, at least one person… No, never mind. I will send them all back.”  

Seemingly intimidated by the Grand Duke’s gaze, Bianca, who had been trying to hold on to at least one person, immediately changed her tune. She was as meek as a lamb.  

It was at that moment.  

Thud.  

Lady Montes, who had been standing quietly as if forgotten by everyone, suddenly swayed and collapsed.  

“Oh my, my lady! Please wake up. Your Grace, Lady Montes has fainted!”  

The maids, who had been waiting in the background, rushed over to support her and help her to her feet.  

“I’m fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment.”  

Adelina Montes. With her shimmering silver hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes, she gave off a delicate impression at first glance.  

Her slender waist was so noticeable that it made one wonder if she ate anything at all.  

Though she was thin, her naturally delicate frame stood out.  

It triggered a protective instinct, so to speak. The type of woman people often described as someone they wanted to protect—surely, that was someone like her.  

“It would be best to let Lady Montes rest in her room for now. Escort her to her quarters, and as for Lady Botter, start by sending back the others who came with her. We can have a discussion after that.”  

The quarrel, which seemed like it could go on endlessly, was instantly resolved with the Grand Duke’s intervention.