Chapter 4 (Part 1)

A few days later, Sellakia sat at the table in her bedroom, writing a letter to send to Chester. It took an absurdly long time because she was being meticulous with each sentence, considering the possibility that Tenus might read the letter.

“Should I not have lied…?”

Regret crept in due to the hassle, but for the sake of the future, she had to endure the current inconvenience. After much time, she finally completed a formal letter that didn’t seem like it was meant for a friend.

“Nancy, could you send this letter for me?”

“Yes. I’ll go right away.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, Madam. It’s my job!”

Nancy left the room with a bright smile, promising to return soon. She planned to meet Chester as soon as possible. The reason her resolve kept wavering might be due to the lack of concrete plans for leaving. To firmly solidify her determination, she needed to make definite preparations. For that, Chester’s help was essential.

First, a fake identity and a ship ticket purchased under that identity. And then…

While Sellakia was counting on her fingers the things she needed, the door to her bedroom opened without a knock.

“…What brings you here?”

Sellakia blinked as she looked at Tenus, who appeared without warning.

“Do I need a reason to come to my own room?”

Tenus sat in the chair opposite Sellakia as if it were the most natural thing. He even gestured for Roberta, who was at the side of the room, to leave.

Sellakia squinted her eyes and asked, 

“What is it?”

“Aldrich suggested a dinner banquet.”

“A banquet? Today?”

Tenus nodded while glancing over the table with the letter paper and ink bottle on it.

“He said he wants to have a family meal after a long time.”

It was a flimsy excuse that reeked of a scheme.

Though she was suspicious, there was nothing she could do. If Aldrich proposed a game, it was better for Sellakia to quietly follow along like a card in his hand.

“A family meal. Sounds good. I’ll get ready.”

When Sellakia answered readily, Tenus’s expression turned peculiar.

“Are you being bold, or are you just not thinking at all?”

“I can hear you, you know.”

“Don’t pull any strange stunts. Just quietly have your meal. There won’t be any problems with the food.”

Sellakia silently nodded with an unreadable expression to Tenus’s firm warning.

* * *

Nancy, who had stopped by the attendant managing the household’s letters, quickly moved her steps.

“Nancy. If you’re not busy, would you like to have a snack together…?”

“I’m super busy right now!”

A colleague who usually joked around tried to catch her, but Nancy briskly passed by.

“The Duke’s wife must be working Nancy hard. Ever since she became the exclusive maid, she’s been running around every day.”

“Isn’t she scared of the Duchess? I’ve found it hard to approach her ever since she returned…”

“What? What’s wrong with our Madam! And it’s not like she’s overworking me or anything!”

Even while moving her feet quickly, Nancy didn’t forget to refute the nonsense she heard behind her.

“The Madam treats me so well. You don’t even know.”

A pleasant smile spread across Nancy’s face along with beads of sweat as she climbed the stairs.

Serving the Duchess was as easy and comfortable for Nancy as standing still and breathing. It wasn’t just a metaphor; it truly was. It couldn’t even be compared to the previous days when she groaned and fell asleep from cleaning the annex alone every night.

Her Madam, who even had meals in her room, was so inactive that Nancy worried about her lack of movement, and she had no interest in grooming her appearance, so there was little to do.

She had even learned how to style hair and tidy her master’s clothes from a fellow maid every night, but she had never had the chance to use those skills.

“…Yet she’s so very beautiful.”

Her coral hair and melancholy blue eyes still captivated Nancy daily. Sometimes, her Madam’s deep gaze, as if she were in another world, seemed extremely mysterious and intriguing.

And when she opened her pretty lips to call Nancy’s name in a sweet voice and gave a gentle smile, Nancy would unknowingly blush.

“Your diligence is already proven by that.”

“The tea tastes good, Nancy.”

“Thank you, Nancy.”

Moreover, she was incredibly kind!

Nancy had never heard such words from her parents or even at the previous household where she worked diligently.

At first, the words of gratitude were so unfamiliar they gave her goosebumps. But those words turned out to be addictive, and Nancy ran around every day to hear those words of gratitude accompanied by a faint smile.

“If I hurry back, Madam will say thank you again, right?”

The door to the bedroom where Madam would be appeared in the distance. Just a little more to go. As she took deep breaths to make the final push, Nancy noticed Roberta and hesitated.

“Why is the Knight outside…?”

At that moment, the door to the bedroom opened. The man who came out had a brief conversation with Roberta.

Nancy eyed the unexpected visitor warily but quickly relaxed her gaze. She recognized the tall and solid build from afar.

Soon, Roberta entered the bedroom, and the Duke walked toward where she stood. Nancy hurriedly caught her breath and bowed deeply.

“Um, Your Grace.”

She barely managed to speak without mixing in strange breaths.

It was when Tenus, having received her greeting, was about to pass by Nancy.

“Duke.”

Nancy spoke with extreme caution.

“I hope it’s not presumptuous, but may I make a request?”

Tenus stopped walking and looked down at Nancy. Despite feeling intimidated by his impassive gaze, Nancy continued speaking resolutely.

“Well, I think we might need more nutritional supplements. The shark liver oil you provided seems insufficient to restore Madam’s energy.”

Facing the Duke, whose appearance seemed out of this world and who exuded an overwhelming presence, wasn’t easy, but she had to muster courage for the Madam’s sake.

“Well, actually yesterday…”

“Is it because of the incident where Sellakia almost fainted in the garden?”

“Pardon? Oh, yes, that’s right!”

Nancy’s tightly pursed lips spread into a wide smile.

It was typical of Madam’s husband to understand the situation instantly without needing a lengthy explanation. 

Had Madam conveyed this during a tender conversation last night?

Nancy imagined the two of them holding hands tightly and having a conversation. She hadn’t actually seen it, but it would surely look picture-perfect.

“I’ll tell Rupert to choose something appropriate and bring it up.”

“Thank you.”

Nancy bowed her head. As Tenus was about to resume his steps, he looked back at Nancy once more.

“Keep taking care of the Duchess like that. Make sure there are no health issues.”

“Yes. Don’t worry!”

Leaving Nancy, who answered robustly, behind, the Duke walked away swiftly. Nancy watched his figure with a bright smile.

At first, she was only frightened by the Duke’s incredibly high status and his intimidatingly handsome appearance. But seeing his side that cherished the Madam so dearly made it a bit easier to approach him.

“The Duke is just like other men.”

Nancy giggled as she recalled the day she first came to this mansion.

Back then, the mansion was noticeably chaotic, and the Madam was nowhere to be seen.

The Duke, who had hurried back from the Academy, left the mansion at dawn every day and returned late at night with a tired face. No matter how late the night was, the light in the Duke’s office never went out. The Duke changed from the day he returned holding Madam in his arms.

Although the upper management had tightly sealed their lips so the story didn’t leak outside, some servants still gossiped about how the two were a fake couple and that’s why Madam left the Duke’s household.

“How can they say such foolish things when the Duke is so kind?”

Of course, Nancy only snorted at such baseless rumors.

“Even if others don’t know, I know everything as Madam’s dedicated maid.”

Giggling to herself with satisfaction, Nancy soon dashed into the bedroom where her Madam was.