Chapter 24: Conditions

A thunderous sound echoed in Bliss’s head, making her tremble. Her body instinctively curled up as if she was struck by lightning, and Caelan immediately grabbed her wrist.

“Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

Sensing something unusual, Caelan’s gaze swept over Bliss’s body. Only one thing was different from usual.

“Is it because of the dagger?”

At Caelan’s question, Bliss’s eyes darted around uncertainly. The sound in her head must have come from the dagger, but she wasn’t sure if she should be honest about it.

Even though Caelan had given her the dagger…

‘I still don’t know what’s really in his mind.’

The thought of being the wife who would be killed by Caelan made her hesitate.

“In my skirt…”

Bliss swallowed after blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“I think there’s a pin. I was just startled when it pricked me, but I’m fine otherwise.”

Having mentioned it was under her skirt, she couldn’t prove it by turning the fabric inside out. Caelan glanced at her face, then at her skirt, before backing away. He knocked on the driver’s partition to request careful driving, seemingly concerned about preventing another incident.

“Why don’t we hire more maids when we get back?”

Caelan knew she had dismissed all but one of them. Though Jackie’s mistake had made it appear that way, she couldn’t deny it now.

“I’ll do that if I find someone suitable.”

When Bliss didn’t outright refuse, Caelan said nothing more. As the conversation lapsed into silence, she pondered what had just happened.

‘Was that sound in my head really from the dagger?’

【Yes, it was.】

Bliss gripped the dagger tighter, suppressing another flinch. She fought to maintain a neutral expression so Caelan wouldn’t notice anything amiss.

【You’re trying to hide me, aren’t you?】

Bliss carefully drew the dagger and examined it. She searched for any signs of eyes on its surface, but after confirming it appeared to be an ordinary dagger, she sheathed it again. Though Caelan observed her actions, he didn’t seem to find them suspicious.

‘Please don’t speak to me yet.’

Bliss turned her head as she set the dagger down. Fortunately, it seemed to understand her request and remained silent.

“By the way, how did you convince the princess?”

“Ah…”

Earlier, she had been so startled by seeing Latte with Caelan that she’d forgotten to mention it. Bliss fidgeted with the dagger as she collected her thoughts.

“I knew if I simply asked the princess to hand over the item, she would refuse.”

Seeing Caelan nod slightly, Bliss continued her explanation.

“I didn’t want to simply offer money, nor did I want to make any deals or bets using that as an excuse.”

Would the princess even care about money? Would the Imperial Princess need it at all?

Besides, taking the item after winning a bet would have completely disregarded the princess’s feelings.

That’s why Bliss had focused on Princess Jasmin herself.

The princess, living in her magnificent palace, was the Emperor’s beloved daughter who wanted for nothing. Perhaps collecting items was just her way of adding excitement to her daily life?

But…

“While special and rare collectibles have their own meaning, isn’t it boring to just look at them?”

As Bliss’s unique perspective emerged, Caelan’s lips pressed into a firm line.

“So I offered to listen to her concerns.”

Bliss paused briefly, and during this time, Caelan began piecing everything together. Having somewhat anticipated the princess’s reaction, his lips curved up in approval.

“That’s unexpected. The princess must have accepted your proposal and given you the dagger?”

“Yes. And that’s not all.”

Bliss recalled her conversation with Princess Jasmin.

“She asked me to become her lady-in-waiting.”

Caelan’s eyebrows shot up.

“I thought the princess didn’t have any ladies-in-waiting.”

“That’s right. I became her first lady-in-waiting.”

Bliss revealed not just the offer but that she had already accepted the position. Since it was already done, it was more of an announcement to Caelan. When she mentioned she would be frequently visiting the Imperial Palace from now on, Caelan gazed at the gradually shrinking palace through the window.

“So you didn’t just get the dagger, you formed a connection with the princess.”

He tapped his arm with his finger before turning his gaze to Bliss, who was watching him.

“You keep making it impossible to look away.”

“Is it because I’m no longer just buying dresses and accessories or attending social parties?”

“Yes.”

Caelan readily agreed.

‘So he’s aware that I’ve changed.’

This wasn’t a bad situation.

“I won’t go back to how I was before. So even if you come to dislike me, please tell me with words.”

She wanted to tell him honestly not to kill her, but since she couldn’t mention it directly, Bliss expressed it in a roundabout way.

Caelan didn’t answer, but,

‘I wasn’t expecting an answer anyway.’

As Bliss muttered words contrary to her true feelings, she suddenly remembered what had happened earlier.

“By the way, with Latte…”

She hesitated mid-sentence, wondering if she should ask about their conversation. Since she had already brought up Latte, speaking up seemed better than hiding it.

“Did you exchange greetings?”

“Yes, we waited for you together. She said she wanted to greet you.”

Bliss easily understood the situation from Caelan’s explanation. It had been Latte’s initiative to approach and stay with Caelan.

She understood Latte’s intentions and hoped for a chance to glimpse into Caelan’s thoughts later. While contemplating what questions might reveal his feelings, the carriage had already arrived at the marquis’s estate.

‘There’s no rush.’

Instead of forcing the conversation, Bliss decided to wait for another opportunity.

***

Upon entering the mansion, Bliss headed straight for a place where she could be alone.

The rose garden.

“It still amazes me that I received permission to enter this special place.”

What had Caelan been thinking when he allowed it?

Not that it was bad for her. In fact, she felt a thrill of excitement every time she entered the rose garden.

Once she started visiting, it became her retreat whenever she had free time.

Even the gardeners would discreetly leave when Bliss entered, making it a place where she could truly be herself without worrying about others’ gazes.

While letting herself adjust to the intense fragrance of roses, Bliss sorted through her thoughts. From receiving the duke’s request to meeting the princess…

‘I got sidetracked because unexpected things kept happening.’

She had intended to approach Latte quickly, but other matters had kept her busy.

Moreover, one unexpected event after another had occurred.

“A lady-in-waiting and a dagger.”

She had become the princess’s lady-in-waiting with access to the imperial palace, and now she would be holding onto the dagger meant for the duke.

If that was all, she could understand, but…

“Why… me?”

Bliss addressed the dagger she had placed on the table. Being able to converse with a dagger was the most surprising development of all.

【How arrogant to ask ‘why you’ when you should be fainting with joy.】

“That’s…”

If the rumors about the dagger were true, having it speak to her wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“I’m curious why you chose me.”

It had read her thoughts too. Worried it might discover her true identity, Bliss regarded the dagger warily.

【There’s only one reason why I chose you.】

As the heavy voice resonated in her head, Bliss pressed her forehead and half-closed her eyes. Unlike before, the dagger’s voice boomed in her mind, making her dizzy.

【Someone who needs my knowledge.】

“…Are you saying I’m lacking?”

The dagger paused before answering.

【I’ve been trapped in here all along. Knowledge is all I can offer. Though I won’t share it with those who don’t want it.】

Bliss listened to the dagger’s words in silence, unsure how to respond.

Until now, in the novel, the dagger had merely served as a plot device connecting the duke, Caelan, and the princess. It had never spoken to any of its previous owners.

“…That must be good, right?”

【You really are peculiar.】

The dagger complained that while others would be either delighted or suspicious, her foolish response was unprecedented. But Bliss felt indignant.

If it was pointing out her inadequacies, was she supposed to be happy about that?

‘No, wait.’

On second thought, the dagger’s proposal wasn’t bad.

She had fallen into this world with much to learn.

From that perspective, it was actually quite appealing. If the rumors about the dagger were true, she could gain an ability of her own – especially useful for when she needed to be independent.

Having changed her mind, Bliss picked up the dagger from the table.

【Now you finally realize what luck you’ve grabbed? However, there are conditions.】

After mentioning conditions for choosing her, what new terms would it propose…

【You must do something for me too.】

Knowing nothing in life came free, Bliss set down the dagger without hesitation.