“Don’t forget your place.”

Aishe said in a voice mixed with tears and anger. Her eyes glared at Eirene with a sharpness like a swinging sword.

“Of course. I’ll always remember.”

Everything I had to endure because of you. What happened to my family because of you. Eirene didn’t avoid Aishe’s eyes. 

Yet she didn’t glare back either. She received the other woman’s gaze with a gentle face and a smile.

“When do you plan to tell the truth?”

Eirene’s eyes shifted from Aishe to the Countess.

“It won’t take long.”

“I find dealing with the Grand Duke quite burdensome.”

“Just bear with it a little longer. I’ve already told people, including the Grand Duke, that ‘Eirene’ is Aishe’s childhood name.”

“What?”

“We might accidentally call you by your name. It’s a precaution. You’ll be introduced as Aishe in official settings, but don’t be surprised if you’re called Eirene in private.”

That explained why Scarlet had called her Eirene. Though she understood the Countess’s reasoning, it made her feel terrible. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her name had been stolen. 

The name Eirene now seemed subordinate to Aishe. Judging by Aishe’s silence, she already knew about this arrangement. She apparently didn’t mind being called Eirene instead of her own name. 

If she had disliked it, the normally vocal girl would have said something, however brief. Eirene quickly shook off her feelings. She examined the expressions of the Countess and Aishe, wondering if she was missing something by getting caught up in momentary emotions. 

Was what the Countess said really all there was to it? Could they have other plans? But neither woman showed any unusual reaction.

“Take care of the ring.”

Aishe glanced at the ring on Eirene’s finger.

“I will. I’ll treasure it.”

“You don’t need to treasure it. Just take good care of it.”

Eirene nodded with a faint smile.

On the day of departure for Dervel, Eirene packed lightly for the week-long stay, exactly as Clive’s letter had instructed. Though he had said two maids could accompany her, Eirene was going alone. 

The Countess had adamantly refused, saying it would be troublesome if they made a verbal slip. When Eirene bid farewell to the Count and Countess, they simply told her to be careful. 

Betty, who had expected to go along, bowed her head with a face full of disappointment. Aishe was nowhere to be seen.

Unfamiliar people stood in front of the carriage Clive had sent. One woman and three men. They would be her attendant and escorts. 

The maid opened the carriage door, and Eirene boarded first, followed by the maid.

“Miss, my name is Matilda. It’s an honor to serve you.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

“Please let me know if you need anything or feel uncomfortable from now until you leave the Grand Duke’s residence.”

Matilda, who appeared to be around Betty’s age, was cheerful and proactive. Though Eirene was in a carriage with a stranger, she felt more at ease being away from the Phineas family. 

Perhaps contrary to her expectations, life at the Grand Duke’s residence might be much better than at the Phineas mansion.

“We’re departing!”

When the coachman’s shout was heard, Matilda tapped the ceiling to signal her understanding.

They traveled for quite some time. Just when Eirene thought motion sickness would start, she began falling in and out of sleep. 

When she briefly woke, Matilda offered her water, but she declined and went back to sleep, being half-awake. She had tossed and turned the previous night, and now she was finally relaxing after a long period of tension.

“Miss!”

Matilda called to Eirene. Having just awakened but with her eyes still closed, Eirene straightened her posture and sat up.

“Let’s go outside for a simple lunch!”

“Lunch?”

“We still have a long way to go before arriving. Rest until I tell you everything is ready.”

Matilda opened the carriage door and hopped out. She laid a mat on the grass for sitting, then took food out of a large basket brought by one of the guards and set it up. 

Watching her, Eirene thought the preparations seemed complete and stepped out of the carriage wearing her hat, before Matilda could come call her.

“Oh? Miss! You’re already out?”

“It looked like you were finished preparing.”

“You could have come out slowly. Just a moment, please.”

Though there was already plenty of food laid out on the mat, apparently more remained. Despite saying they would eat simply, it was anything but simple. The basket seemed magical, with endless food emerging from it. 

The food occupied the entire mat except for a single spot to sit. Eirene wondered who would eat all this, but then remembered there were four strong men including the guards and coachman, besides herself and Matilda. 

They had left only one spot because they planned for Eirene to eat first, then themselves. Seated on the mat, Eirene accepted food from Matilda but before taking a bite, she said:

“Let’s eat together.”

“That’s not allowed.”

“Eat with me.”

“We cannot dine with you, Miss.”

“No one’s watching, so what does it matter? I don’t want to eat alone.”

She was tired of eating alone. Even after leaving the basement, she had been confined to her room, eating by herself. 

She thought she would enjoy the higher quality meals compared to the basement, but that was only true for the first few meals. Gradually, she lost her appetite. If she didn’t have to eat alone like at the Phineas mansion, she wanted to dine with anyone available. 

Eirene pushed aside some of the food next to her. She seated the hesitant Matilda and called to the awkwardly standing coachman and guards.

“Come and eat, all of you. Food always tastes better when shared.”

“We apologize, but we cannot eat at the same place with you, Miss…”

Eirene cut off the guard’s refusal.

“I imagine the Grand Duke sent you to ensure I am comfortable. Am I wrong?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then please make me comfortable.”

The guards looked at each other, hesitated, then sat on the grass. At first, they seemed reluctant, barely touching their food, but soon they devoured the abundant spread with surprising speed, belying their initial refusal. 

Eirene also ate more heartily than she had at the mansion, which considerably improved her mood. She stood up and looked around. Despite the low winter temperature, the absence of wind made the cold bearable. 

The distant mountains were covered in white snow, but here only unmelted snow remained in the shadows. Winter was slowly passing.

It was already dark when they arrived at the Dervel Palace. Whether because she felt at ease or because she had dozed most of the way, Eirene didn’t experience the same motion sickness as before. 

She stepped out of the carriage and surveyed Dervel Palace. In the darkness, the palace appeared more magnificent than the Phineas mansion. 

But that was to be expected; after all, Clive was the son of the Emperor, the ruler of the Empire. Living in such a place was hardly surprising. 

While Eirene’s eyes completed a full circuit of her surroundings, an elderly-looking woman approached her from among the lined-up servants.

“Miss Eirene Phineas, welcome to Dervel Palace. I am Margaret Hannon. Was your journey difficult?”

She called her Eirene, not Aishe. The Countess had told Clive it was a childhood name, and it seemed he had informed the palace staff as well.

“I traveled comfortably, thank you.”

“The Grand Duke will arrive soon. Would you like to rest a bit and then dine with His Grace?”

“Yes. I had a substantial lunch, so we can eat at a leisurely pace.”

“I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your lunch. Now, let me show you to your residence. The Grand Duke himself will guide you through the main palace later.”

Following Madam Hannon, Eirene passed between the servants. Walking between the rows of servants bowing deeply on both sides was an unfamiliar situation for her. 

Though things had changed recently, this level of formality was unseen among the Phineas mansion servants. This must have been normal life for Aishe. 

Eirene renewed her vow of revenge against the Phineas family, who enjoyed so much at the cost of her and her family’s lives, without feeling the slightest guilt or gratitude. 

She would slowly, bit by bit, wear them down until she consumed them all. She would show them what it meant to be locked in a basement without seeing light, without breathing fresh air, suffering from hunger and cold. 

Let’s see how they like living that way until the day they died.  

Holding her dress, she climbed the last step, turned around, and looked down at the servants who still kept their heads bowed. She needed to change her plans. What if she became the mistress of this place? 

Initially, Eirene had no intention of using Clive as a stepping stone. She only wanted to turn Aishe’s world upside down. But that was just a game, exactly as she had told Clive. 

Now her thoughts had changed. Wasn’t it too shallow to simply cooperate with Clive for revenge against Aishe? Pretending to be in love? Was that really enough to break Aishe’s engagement, crush her heart, and then what? How foolish. 

Clive was among the five most powerful people in the Bainfelt Empire. Finding a better means in her current environment was impossible. Eirene decided she would have him.

From the outside, one could roughly estimate the size of the main palace, but the interior was much larger. To see the open ceiling in the middle, one had to tilt their head completely backward. 

Eirene felt she had seen the painting on the ceiling somewhere before. She tried to recall but couldn’t remember, so she guessed she might have seen it in a book and continued following Madam Hannon. 

The narrow path leading outside was roofed to allow comfortable passage even in bad weather, and it too had paintings on the ceiling. The guest palace was modest compared to the main palace. 

Its decorations suggested what kind of person would live there. The colors immediately brought Aishe to mind. Colors so excessively bright they were off-putting.

“Let’s see the bedroom first.”

The bedroom Madam Hannon showed her was perfectly satisfactory to Eirene, except for the taste-specific colors. But then, what wouldn’t be to her liking? 

Having a space entirely to herself was already enough, but this guest palace furnished with items that looked better than those in the Phineas mansion was another world entirely. 

The apprehension she had felt upon receiving Clive’s letter had completely vanished. After viewing the bathroom and reception room in turn, Eirene was somewhat surprised by the dressing room. Long standing racks were filled with dresses. 

Could it be?

“Are all these dresses mine?”

“Yes, Miss. These are your dresses. The Grand Duke prepared them.”

“How did he know my size?”

“I heard he went through the shop you frequent.”

Ah, Scarlet’s shop. Eirene wondered why Clive was being so considerate. 

Next to the array of dresses were boxes containing various accessories. One hat placed outside even had a veil attached. She wasn’t sure if he knew the meaning of the veil when he put it there, but it showed he had been paying attention. 

Perhaps he was familiar with it because Aishe always wore one when they met. In any case, his attention to detail was evident. What would Clive ask her to help with? 

Eirene suspected it must be something quite dangerous. Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to go to such lengths, knowing her true identity. 

After visually surveying the dressing room once, Eirene left first. Deciding to wait in the bedroom until Clive arrived, she entered to find the familiar back of a man standing by the window. Seeing him like this, she realized how truly tall Clive was. 

How many hand spans wide were those shoulders? And that was with him wearing just his uniform; in armor, the intimidating presence of his physique would be tremendous.

He turned his head slightly backward to confirm it was Eirene, then turned completely.

“I’m honored to see you, Your Grace. I was looking at the place you prepared and didn’t realize you had arrived. I apologize.”

“Why does someone who just toured the place have such an expression?”

Clive strode toward Eirene.

“What’s wrong with my expression?”

“That’s not what I meant. With all this preparation, shouldn’t you be pleased? Don’t you like it?”

“I do.”

“Your answer is excessively brief for someone who claims to like it.”

Not knowing what more he wanted, Eirene stretched her lips into a smile after a moment’s consideration.

“I like it very much. It’s to my taste.”

“You don’t need to force yourself.”

Looking displeased, Clive brushed past Eirene and flung open the bedroom door.

“You must be tired. Rest, and we’ll meet at dinner.”

“Yes. Thank you for your consideration.”

Through the closing door, Eirene heard Clive clicking his tongue in disapproval. She had no idea what the problem was.