Chapter 6 – Change (Part 11)

Feeling uneasy about facing Elysia in this state, Cassius ate breakfast separately and secluded himself in the Duke’s office. Aaron arrived at the office at the usual time, and Cassius, without realizing it, asked him as he was about to give his report.

“Aaron, what do you think of Elysia von Serenze as a person?”

Aaron wanted to ask why he was asking such a thing out of the blue. However, seeing his superior’s very dark expression, he hesitated to speak.

“I hardly have any encounters with the Madam, so I’m not sure. Perhaps you could ask Butler Pedro or, ah! Millie, her personal maid?”

“I don’t want to appear as if I’m spying. I’ve analyzed my fiancée’s attitude, and she doesn’t seem particularly attached to the position of the lady of the ducal house. It was the same when she initially rejected my proposal. Why do you think that is?”

Aaron wanted to answer in a way that wouldn’t upset the Duke but would also be helpful to Madam, so he chose his words carefully.

“The position of the lady of the Grendel Ducal house is an honorable one, but I think it might be quite burdensome for someone without ambition.”

Cassius suddenly recalled his childhood at Aaron’s words. He, too, had wanted to escape this place back then. His mother often said similar things…

Thinking of his childhood and mother, Cassius suddenly felt a sharp headache. Unconsciously, he gripped the document on the desk tightly, crumpling it.

Seeing Cassius’s reaction, Aaron thought the Duke was upset out of concern for Miss Serenze and made a suggestion.

“Duke, the Madam must be having a hard time adjusting to a completely different environment from what she’s used to. How about doing something that would make her happy?”

Cassius pondered what that something could be but couldn’t come up with anything.

“Since you’ve brought it up, you must have something in mind. What do you suggest?”

“When I investigated before the proposal and when I visited the Serenze family, I felt that the family ties were very strong. Many shed tears when Miss left. Since the Madam has hardly gone out since coming here, how about allowing her to visit the Serenze family for a while?”

“That’s absolutely not possible.”

Cassius unconsciously tore the report he was holding tightly in half. Both Aaron and the Duke himself were surprised by his excessive reaction.

A strong aversion arose in Cassius’s mind against allowing the future Duchess to get close to her family. It was something the previous Duke had always warned him about after sending his wife to a villa in the countryside.

“Duke, are you planning to never let Madam visit her family? It’s not a distant province, and even though it’s on the outskirts, it’s still within the capital. It seems excessive not to let her meet her family at all.”

Startled by the Duke’s reaction, Aaron spoke candidly, unlike his usual self. However, Cassius felt an unbearable discomfort at Aaron’s words. Apart from the warnings from the previous Duke, he had a foreboding feeling that if Elysia left for the Serenze family, she would never return.

Cassius, enduring the unexplained discomfort and persistent headache, spoke.

“It hasn’t been long since she came to this house as my fiancée. She’s only just begun her role as the prospective lady of the house, so how could she have time to visit her family? She can meet her family at the wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, when she becomes the official lady of the house, I will allow her to visit the Serenze family freely.”

Aaron couldn’t understand the Duke’s reaction, but knowing it was futile to argue, he agreed and continued with the day’s work report. However, unlike usual, Cassius found it hard to focus on Aaron’s words. He couldn’t tell if the tightening feeling in his chest was anger or anxiety.

***

After installing the first batch of delivered fabrics over several days, there was a brief respite until the next batch was delivered to the Ducal residence.

Elysia found herself with a rare leisurely afternoon. Knowing that the Haas Trading Company would soon bring in new fabrics continuously, Elysia wanted to enjoy this brief break. After lunch, she quickly retreated to her room, using fatigue as an excuse.

However, instead of lounging around, she took out paper and a pen from the drawer. Having decided to change the servants’ uniforms, she wanted to draft a simple proposal herself.

“Ouch!”

Elysia let out a short scream as she lay face down on the bed with the paper, feeling a dull pain in her abdomen. Turning to her side, she found that the gardening knife she carried in her pocket had poked her. If it hadn’t been in its sheath, it could have pierced her stomach.

Elysia took the gardening knife out of her pocket. She realized she hadn’t yet returned the favor for receiving this knife from Ronan Hass.

“Both the knife and the spectacle I made of myself in the warehouse… I feel like my debts are piling up.”

In truth, more than repaying for the gardening knife, she wanted to offer something to keep him quiet about seeing her true self. But thinking about what to give left Elysia at a loss.

He wasn’t just any ordinary person; he was the head of the kingdom’s top trading company. He could procure any luxury item the nobility desired and casually gift custom-made items from southern workshops.

‘Is there anything I could give Ronan Hass that he couldn’t obtain himself? He’s likely someone who can acquire and dispose of anything more valuable and precious than what I could offer.’

With a sigh, Elysia decided to focus on the servants’ uniforms and began doodling while lying on the bed. She thought it wouldn’t do to disrupt the atmosphere of the Ducal residence too much. She wanted to maintain the men’s black attire for decorum but add accents to the collars or cuffs, and make significant changes to the maids’ dresses.

‘For senior maids like Head Maid Grace, the current attire looks dignified and suits them well, so there’s no need for major changes. But younger maids like Millie might want to wear something comfortable and bright while working. Since Millie is my personal maid, maybe I can dress her a bit differently? Oh, but would that make other maids envious?’

Offering various designs like the Serenze family and allowing each to choose what they wanted might go against the decorum of the Ducal residence. At Serenze, Daisy, Elysia’s personal maid, would change her apron according to her mood or adjust the width of her work pants.

Elysia began sketching things she had gifted Daisy, as she remembered them. Mostly, they were colorful, unconventional maid outfits or headbands with small, shiny decorative bells. They were gifts meant to tease Daisy.

‘Miss, your taste is unique. You might need an eye exam. Or are you trying to turn me into a clown?’

Despite her complaints, Daisy wore the clothes Elysia gifted her with pride.

‘Even if she pretended otherwise, she liked them. In hindsight, it would have been more amusing to ask what she liked and then get the exact opposite.’

As Elysia chuckled to herself at the thought, someone knocked on her door.

“Madam, are you awake?”

“Yes, come in.”

Elysia replied, still focused on the paper she was drawing on. Millie, entering and seeing her, had a slightly strange expression.

“Daisy, I’m thinking of changing the maid uniforms. What color do you like?”

Elysia asked while rolling on the bed, then immediately realized her slip of the tongue upon seeing Millie’s darkening face and sprang up from the bed.

“I’m sorry, Millie. I was thinking about home, and the words just slipped out.”

At Elysia’s apology, Millie hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Was your personal maid’s name Daisy when you were at the Serenze family?”

“Yes. She took care of me since I was a child, so she felt like a big sister and a friend.”

Millie nodded in understanding. In the awkward atmosphere, Elysia forced a smile and quickly shoved the doodled paper under the blanket.

“I’m going for a walk. This time, I’ll be back in time for dinner!”

Elysia hurriedly left the room to avoid Millie.