Chapter 17

Julian’s eyes narrowed. He signaled the Butler, then sat on the edge of the bed.

“Butler! Wait a moment!”

I shouted, but loyal to Julian, the Butler did not stop. Soon, it was just Julian, Anna, and me. Anna’s face was stern; she, too, disapproved of not calling a doctor.

Anna even knelt before Julian and tattled.

“Forgive me, Your Grace. Today, the Grand Duchess suddenly had a high fever. Despite that, she insisted on attending to the Princess after only taking some fever medicine. Please, call a doctor.”

Julian frowned at Anna, then turned his sharp gaze to me.

“Duchess.”

“It’s nothing. Just a slight cold. I couldn’t neglect my duties as the mistress of the house.“

“Why do you bother when Abigail doesn’t like you anyway?”

His words stung. I glared at Julian. He was mad, no doubt about it. My feverish body wouldn’t obey.

“I was upset thinking about you having to dine with the Princess without your mask.”

My sharp, sulky words slipped out before I could stop them.

What a foolish thing to say! It sounded like I cared for him!

I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them and shook my head.

“I was hurt because what the Princess said was true.”

Had I managed to cover it up well enough? Julian lowered his gaze, then slowly lifted it. His eyes were serious, tinged with concern. Was it a concern for me? My heart pounded.

“I won’t dine with Abigail again. So, you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Really? …You won’t even have tea with her?“

“No. Now, will you see the doctor?”

Overjoyed, I fell silent like a broken cuckoo clock. Julian was about to say something when a knock sounded. Before I could stop him, Julian called them in. The Butler and the doctor entered.

“You called for us.“

“The Grand Duchess has had a fever since this afternoon.”

The doctor bowed and began examining me. I couldn’t keep protesting, so I nervously let him.

But I wasn’t just anxious; I had a glimmer of hope.

Maybe this doctor was exceptional and would diagnose my illness early and offer a cure. Maybe, unlike any doctor before, even during my past pregnancy and childbirth, this one might be different.

I tried to calm my racing heart, looking at Julian. He watched the doctor with a careful expression.

“How is she?”

With a short question, the doctor looked at me, then back at Julian.

“It seems to be a common cold.”

Hearing the doctor’s mundane diagnosis, I let out a small laugh. Disappointment crushed me.

“See? Just a regular cold. Stop fussing.”

My voice came out colder than I intended. Julian looked like he wanted to say something but turned and left.

“Rest well.”

His final words before leaving brought me immense relief. I barely listened as the doctor handed the prescription to Anna. This foolish doctor was always nearby and could be called anytime.

What mattered to me wasn’t the cold medicine.

It was how complacent I had become.

How could I forget what I needed to do?

I lay in bed, waiting for the house to quiet down.

When Anna began to nod off, it was the best time to receive my visitor. I got up, wrapped myself in a shawl, and grabbed a small lamp that barely illuminated my feet.

Carefully, I left the room without waking Anna. My notorious guest was staying on the third floor. As I reached the door, I realized someone was there.

“Who’s there?”

To avoid revealing myself, I chose to expose the other person. The figure stepped forward, someone familiar.

“It’s me.“

“Butler. What brings you here at this hour?“

“An old man like me has little need for sleep. I was merely checking the mansion for any disturbances.”

It wasn’t unusual. The Butler often patrolled the mansion several times a day. It was me, here at this hour, who was the strange one.

“Very well, you may go.“

Julian’s Butler respectfully obeyed my orders, but it was difficult to consider him as mine. I couldn’t enforce his silence; there was no way around it. I decided to let it go. The Butler nodded politely.

“I must report everything to Your Grace.”

I widened my eyes at his statement. I hadn’t expected the Butler to say that.

It was widely known that the Butler had been with Julian for a long time. He was exceptionally loyal.

It was only natural for such a butler to report my actions to Julian. We both understood that without needing to say it aloud. Yet despite that, the Butler confirmed it to me as a matter of fact, almost seeking my understanding.

“…Very well. Don’t worry, Butler.”

Since the Princess’s arrival, I realized that the Butler was more accommodating to me than I had anticipated. I responded gently.

The Butler bowed again and ascended to the fourth floor.

Once I confirmed that the Butler had completely disappeared, I finally knocked on the door of the guest room on the third floor. After a slight rustling inside, the door opened.

A graceful beauty greeted me, looking like she had just awakened.

She appeared in her early twenties with a mature yet alluring air. However, it was hard to imagine her as the peerless beauty she once was.

Before my regression, I had met her multiple times. Marian, the woman I had obtained through a duel with Kazak, was that person.

“How are you doing?”

Marian kneeled before me as soon as she regained her senses.

“Thanks to you, much better…”

Her voice quivered slightly but sounded healthy. It was understandable. Since bringing her to Grand Duke Zan’s estate, I had provided Marian with a good room, fine clothes, and excellent food. If anything seemed uncomfortable, I sent for a doctor, adjusted bath temperatures, and prepared dessert regularly. There was no reason for her not to be well.

Except, perhaps, anxiety. She might have wondered if she should hate herself for being well-fed while the woman who hated her was starving.

“Don’t be nervous. You’ve done well because there’s something I want you to do.“

Marian’s eyes sparkled with tension at my words. I knew Marian was suitable not only to appease Kazak but also because she had shown herself to be a fitting person.

Before my regression, I had met Marian several times. She had an ill mother and needed money desperately, so she leaned on Kazak.

Marian had guilt but never let go of her life as a concubine. She would do anything for money, but that didn’t make her a happy woman.

So I thought that if I could pull that money out of my pocket first, Marian would drop Kazak. She despised both Kazak and her consort, who flirted with her.

“You have a sick mother, and if you do what I tell you, she and you will never have to worry about medicine and living expenses for the rest of your life. I’ll even launder your identity so you don’t have to reveal that you were someone’s mistress. Of course, you won’t be able to live in the capital.“

“Well, I don’t care about that.“

“It might be a little dangerous.”

Marian paused for a moment at my words, then spoke in a steadier voice than before.

“I’m tired of being the hidden woman, and I’d do anything to help my mother pay for her medication and clean up her mess.”

She had the face of a woman ready to do anything. I loved that look.

“Okay, I’ll tell you what you need to do.”

I was worried. Would this work out as I wanted?

But it must be done. I didn’t have time to gather strength. It was the most effective way to attract the attention of others and pull them out of me.

“I’m going out into the social circle with you. And there, become the second prince’s consort so that he falls in love with you.“

Marian’s expression brightened at my words. The difference between the consort and the consort was significant. Marian’s expression was much brighter. Marian’s eyes sparkled again.

Marian hung her head at that.

“You mean I have to be someone else’s consort again?“

That’s what I thought she was going to say. I leaned down to follow her. Marian’s gaze was still glued to the ground, unable to break away.

“That’s what people will see. You’ll be a spy, to be exact.”

Consort and spy. The difference was vast, and Marian’s face lit up at the realization. Marian’s eyes sparkled again.

“What do you want me to do?”

I smirked.

“For starters, you’ll be the most beautiful woman in the empire, rumored to be even more beautiful than the famous Lady Eriant and coveted by the Second Prince.”