Chapter 16

Before long, the sun sank and evening came.  

Alicia rode the carriage back to Kaspar’s ducal residence with Nina, Lucy, and Marzena.  

They stared out the window, waiting to arrive.  

Lucy rested her chin, lost in thought, then spoke.  

“Didn’t His Grace seem different today?”  

“Yeah, he wasn’t as stern as usual.”  

“Right? And the mood was much softer today.”  

The girls chatted, pondering.  

After a moment, Lucy’s eyes lit up as if she remembered something.  

“In that case…”  

The girls all looked at Alicia with warm smiles, as if they’d planned it.  

“…?”  

Alicia tilted her head, and Lucy suddenly leaned in close.  

Alicia recoiled in surprise.  

Lucy looked Alicia up and down, then said seriously,  

“He’s fallen for you.”  

“…What do you mean?”  

“His Grace has definitely fallen for you, Alicia.”  

“What?!”  

That arrogant man, interested in her?  

Alicia couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.  

“What are you saying? That’s impossible.”  

“Why not? Alicia, you are so pretty!”  

“Right. We’ve never seen a woman as beautiful and graceful as you!”  

Marzena, who had been listening quietly, nodded vigorously in agreement.  

Alicia waved her hands, insisting they were mistaken.  

“No way. His Grace would never think that. You’re misunderstanding.”  

She shook her head firmly, denying it.  

Lucy rebutted with a serious expression,  

“I think he likes you! In my five years at the ducal residence, I’ve never seen him act like that.”  

“Me too. I’ve been here six years, and His Grace never tried to get involved with any woman.”  

Nina added to Lucy’s opinion.  

Alicia didn’t think they were lying, but she hadn’t experienced Cedric enough to believe it.  

Cedric’s actions toward her never showed affection or special feelings.  

He just happened to save her by chance.  

That coincidence was why Alicia was still alive.  

Besides, she hated arrogant men.  

Just thinking that such a man liked her made her feel worse.  

‘My ideal is someone gentle and dignified.’  

Cedric was the exact opposite.  

She felt annoyed.  

She knew he was superior in some ways, but his personality was far from perfect.  

The most important thing to her—his personality—was terrible.  

Marzena, who had been quietly observing, spoke up,  

“I’ve only been here a year, but… I think Alicia is making a difference for His Grace.”  

All three agreed.  

Couldn’t at least one of them say otherwise?  

Alicia sighed deeply.  

“Even if you think so, only His Grace knows for sure.”  

“That’s true… but even if Alicia says no, I’m sure His Grace has at least some interest in you.”  

Marzena blushed and spoke quietly but confidently.  

Nina placed a hand on Marzena’s shoulder and smiled.  

“Marzena only tells the truth. All the servants know it. She’s usually right.”  

“Hm…”  

Alicia listened and thought for a moment.  

She had only worked here for three months.  

She couldn’t infer things as well as the girls.  

But no matter how she tried to think positively, every encounter with Cedric ended badly.  

He shamelessly pushed his work onto her, or directly annoyed her…  

Memories of those times came back, and she felt dissatisfied.  

‘No matter how I think about it, I still dislike him.’  

Meeting such a man would only make her life harder.  

Alicia clicked her tongue inwardly, trying to change the subject.  

But Lucy, who seemed to enjoy the situation most, suddenly asked,  

“Alicia, what do you think of His Grace?!”

A question Alicia hadn’t expected suddenly reached her ears.

It felt like the kind of question students ask their teacher when a new semester begins—‘Teacher, tell us about your first love!’

Though a bit flustered, Alicia kept her composure outwardly.

“I’m not interested in His Grace.”

“But the Duke is the empire’s most eligible bachelor!”

“That’s right. And if His Grace likes you, there’s no reason to refuse!”

“And you two look good together, too.”

“What?!”

Alicia was so surprised her voice went up.

The girls tilted their heads at her reaction.

Alicia felt uncomfortable.

They were at the age when love stories are exciting, but hearing that she matched well with Cedric was absurd.

Maybe they hadn’t seen Cedric’s shameless and arrogant side yet.

If they saw his true colors, he’d become the worst possible match in an instant.

On the other hand, the girls’ candid comments felt mischievous, like students gossiping about teachers and hoping they’d date.

Alicia calmed herself, not wanting to let her emotions get carried away.

She counted silently, trying to steady her racing heart.

She smiled as gently as possible.

“I don’t like men like His Grace. So what you’re imagining will never happen.”

Lucy pouted, mumbling, ‘That’s too bad.’

Nina nudged Lucy to stop, and Marzena quietly watched Alicia’s reaction.

They all looked disappointed, fidgeting with their fingers.

Though embarrassed, Alicia spoke gently to them.

“…But you can imagine whatever you like. That’s fine. It’s just imagination, after all.”

The girls brightened and smiled again, returning to gossiping about Cedric and Alicia.

‘They’ll stop soon.’

It wasn’t a topic that could last long.

About ten minutes passed.

But contrary to Alicia’s hopes, the girls didn’t stop talking about her and the Duke.

They discussed when and where the wedding would be, how many children they’d have.

They even argued over who would become the nanny for the children born between Alicia and Cedric.

Alicia wanted to stop their wild fantasies, but let them be.

‘What can I do? If it makes them happy…’

They needed some fun to breathe in the intense ducal residence.

What topic could be more fun for girls than love stories?

Nina, Lucy, Marzena.

Seeing the three made Alicia recall her own school days.

She used to laugh and be happy just by imagining such things with friends.

If the girls enjoyed those moments, it was a good thing.

Alicia watched them fondly as they chatted.

* * *

At the same time.

Cedric joined his subordinates on stakeout.

It was a basement deep in the forest, hard to find.

The subordinates dressed plainly so as not to attract attention.

Cedric did the same, but his good looks and imposing build made him stand out, so he hid his face with a cloak.

Cedric had been tracking kidnappers and slave traders.

He received a secret order from the Emperor to find his missing younger sister.

He’d been searching for about a year.

He still hadn’t found the men who kidnapped the Emperor’s sister.

This time, he’d heard the kidnappers had sneaked into the city and pursued them, finally catching them.

He’d lost them when Alicia entered the alley by chance.

But catching those men was something his subordinates could handle.

Saving Alicia was Cedric’s top priority.

Cedric appeared through the faint light.

“You’ve arrived, Sir?”

His direct subordinate, Terren, greeted him formally.

Cedric’s arrival changed the quiet mood of the basement instantly.

A cold atmosphere dominated, as if no mistakes would be tolerated.

“What’s the situation?”

“We’ve captured the entire group of kidnappers who escaped.”

“…”

Cedric answered with silence.

Terren, understanding, continued his report.

“However, these kidnappers aren’t connected to the main group. They’re just common illegal immigrants.”

Cedric’s expression darkened, turning chilling.

Just seeing his back sent a shiver down everyone’s spine.

Afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, the subordinates tensed up.

Cedric’s presence alone made people nervous.

He turned, bringing a cold wind with him.

Then, in a low, menacing voice, he spoke in the basement.

“Kill them all!!!”