Chapter 3 (Part 8)

A leisurely garden where colorful flowers swayed.

The taste of the tea savored at its center was truly an art. It was partly due to her newfound peace of mind, but also thanks to Nancy’s rapidly improving tea-brewing skills over the past few days.

“Nancy, today’s tea is delicious too.”

“Really? I hurriedly learned how to brew tea from a friend who shares the same room, so I’m glad! I’ll practice soon and introduce you to a new tea.”

Nancy, with a shy smile, answered cheerfully while twisting her body. The young maid was always full of enthusiasm. Though she had many shortcomings to be considered an excellent attendant, her constant efforts were endearing and commendable.

It was an immensely satisfying result for a decision made half impulsively and half with a ‘let it be’ mindset.

“Thank you every time.”

“No, Madam. There’s no need to thank me.”

Nancy waved her hands vigorously and jumped up. Roberta, who had been standing beside her, suddenly spoke up.

“I’m not sure if I should say this, but…”

She continued, still keeping her gaze fixed on a distant point behind Sellakia.

“Doesn’t it seem like the Duke Seidon loves Madam too much?”

Pfft. Sellakia almost spat the tea she was holding in her mouth onto Roberta’s face.

With indomitable will, she managed to swallow the tea with difficulty and only after a long bout of coughing did she manage to ask,

“What? Why, why do you think that…?”

“Anyone can see it from the way he treats you, Madam, with such a personality.”

In this way? The way he treats me?

Sellakia swallowed a groan with a face marked by shock. It seemed Roberta was confusing surveillance with affection.

“Though I don’t know the exact reason, he left the academy because of you, Madam, right?”

In a way, it was correct, but it was an inaccurate assumption. Sellakia only showed a faint smile instead of answering. She couldn’t drink tea carelessly for fear of choking again.

“Honestly, I was quite surprised. Although Duke Seidon was never harsh at the academy, he was somewhat difficult to deal with.”

“It is a bit tricky to deal with Tenus.”

Nodding in great agreement, Roberta tilted her head.

“What? No, tricky? On the contrary, he was excessively easygoing. He didn’t show off or assert any authority, and he mingled without any sense of disparity.”

“…Tenus did?”

With that lofty face and eyes that seemed to devour people?

“Of course, I realized it wasn’t generosity but indifference when he asked my name for the third time.”

It seemed unlike her to speak ill of someone, yet Roberta sighed grandly and lamented.

Sellakia soon recalled the conversation Tenus and Roberta had on the shopping street.

“Ah. So that’s why you said it was the fourth time you heard that question on the shopping street.”

“Yes! Isn’t it just too much? I’m not someone with a forgettable appearance, after all.”

As she said, Roberta, with her sparkling blonde hair and vibrant green eyes, was a friendly beauty that was hard to forget after seeing once.

“Well, he treated other people the same way, so I’m not resentful. It’s a fair way to conduct oneself. He wasn’t interested in anything but his own estate. So I thought the Duke was indifferent to the point of being unable to feel emotions toward people.”

But seeing how he treats Madam, it doesn’t seem so. Haha!

As Roberta burst into a refreshing laugh, Sellakia’s face turned slightly sour. It seemed Roberta was somewhat lacking in perception. It was surprising that she could think that way about a couple who didn’t see each other’s faces all day.

“Is that so? I don’t really feel it since I don’t know the Duke before meeting me. Do the other servants say the same thing?”

“I’m not sure about the servants’ opinions. I don’t really interact with them. But I’ve heard a few times that they whisper about how much the Duke cares for you, Madam.”

“I see…”

Sellakia merely lifted the corners of her mouth into a formal smile.

Anyway, it was a good thing to appear as a harmonious couple. If any bad rumors spread, it might hinder the approval of the marriage. Since there was already a precedent of a marriage approval going awry once, it was better to be cautious.

Still, listening to stories that were far from the truth was uncomfortable. Sellakia got up from the table and strolled around the garden pretending to take a walk.

“Madam, are you going for a walk? How about going to the opposite side from yesterday today?”

“What’s over there?”

“They say there’s a tree swing decorated with flower vines! I haven’t seen it myself since it’s not on the east annex where I worked, but I’ve heard it’s very large and beautiful.”

The vast garden of the Ducal residence was divided into several sections, allowing for a different view every day.

Yesterday, she had admired the fountain with golden fish spouting water, so today it seemed fine to ride the tree swing as Nancy suggested.

“I will push the swing for you.”

“Okay. Then I’ll push the swing for you, Sir Belfona.”

“…Madam? No matter how skilled I am, I cannot escort you while on the swing. Please remember that I am on duty.”

“What’s the harm inside the Ducal residence? Nancy, you’ll ride too, right?”

“Huh? How, how could I! No, Madam. I’ll just stay beside you.”

“What’s wrong with riding a swing? It’ll be fun. Come on, Nancy, let’s ride. Okay?”

“Oh dear. If the head maid finds out, I’ll be scolded…”

Nancy looked troubled but didn’t refuse. Her sparkling eyes showed she was secretly looking forward to riding the swing.

Walking with Nancy and Roberta on either side, engaging in friendly conversation, they felt like newly made friends.

The initial awkwardness was nowhere to be found. The walls they had set up to maintain a certain distance were quickly worn down and crumbled by the time they spent together every day.

Roberta and Nancy also seemed much more comfortable dealing with Sellakia compared to when they first met. Initially, they seemed quite taken aback by the idle mistress of the mansion, but now they naturally stayed by her side, having somewhat adapted to her laziness. Sometimes, they even proactively suggested suitable outdoor activities to her.

“Let’s go see the serpent statue tomorrow, Madam! They say it’s at the very end of the garden.”

“Are you talking about the statue that’s even in the academy textbooks? They say it’s covered in gold.”

“Wow. Really? Is it all real gold?”

“If it’s Seidon, it’d be stranger if it were fake gold.”

Listening to the conversation between Nancy and Roberta as they walked toward the swing, a pleasantly warm breeze gently tousled her hair.

These days, Sellakia was quite fond of her days at the Duke’s estate. For some reason, Aldrich, who used to irritate her nerves, hadn’t been seen lately. Even the medicine he used to send daily through the maids had stopped after the day she went out to the shopping district.

The servants of the mansion seemed to have judged that she was under Tenus’s protection, so they began to show proper respect, and Tenus was still busy, leaving little time for them to meet face-to-face.

Everything was just right. If things could continue this way, there would be nothing more to ask for…

*Slap!*

“What, what is this? It’s not an ambush… or is it?”

“Oh my! Madam! Are you alright?”

Roberta and Nancy were startled to see Sellakia suddenly slap her own cheek.

Roberta quickly scanned the surroundings for any potential threats, her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist. Nancy fussed over Sellakia, examining the cheek that was turning red in the shape of a palm.

“Oh, it’s nothing. There was a bug…”

Sellakia brushed off her odd behavior with a flimsy excuse. She couldn’t even muster a plausible smile. She was more surprised by the thoughts that had just crossed her mind.

To continue like this. Get a grip, Sellakia Seidon.

…No, Sellakia Lensch.

This is a disguised tranquility.

If she became complacent with reality, she didn’t know what kind of tragedy might befall her in the future. A week before the catastrophe, she had thoughts very similar to this. She had reassured herself, thinking that her life was peaceful enough.

She couldn’t repeat the same mistake. She no longer wanted to exist as an empty shell in a place that wasn’t hers.

The sunlight was growing stronger by the day.

By the time the full summer arrived, Sellakia would be gone from this place. She had to be.

As Sellakia clenched her fist alone, firmly resolving her mind, Nancy moved her worried gaze from Sellakia to the side.

“Oh my. Madam. Look over here. There’s a cat!”

Indeed, under the shade of the bushes in the garden, where Nancy pointed, there was a cat. How it had gotten into the castle atop the cliff was a mystery, but the gray-furred cat was leisurely lying down, enjoying a nap.

“It might ruin the precious flower bed. Should I… should I chase it away?”

Stammering, Nancy glanced at Roberta, hoping she would do it instead. But, for some reason, Roberta, who seemed like she would bravely step forward, stepped back hesitantly.

“Sorry, Nancy. I can’t touch it. I’m allergic to cat fur, so I feel like I might die just getting near a cat.”

Nancy, having lost hope, gazed sadly at the cat. Her drooping eyes seemed to be laden with fear.

“I can’t see the cat’s tail because of the tree…”

“Tail?”

“Haven’t you heard, Madam? They say there’s a cat with nine tails at the Seidon Duke’s estate. Could that be this cat?”

“How can a cat have nine tails?”

“Exactly! They said it was a very scary cat. Everyone was adamant about being careful.”

Was there such a ghost story at the Duke’s estate? There was no way to know since no one told her trivial rumors.