During this time, they encountered several maids along the way.

“Lady Brigitte.”

The moment they saw the woman walking ahead, they bowed deeply in greeting, and even the servants who appeared much older were no exception.

Thanks to this, Aila soon realized that the woman before her was the head maid of this place.

‘She looks quite young… so she was the head maid.’

Come to think of it, her attire was different from the others. Only Brigitte wore not a maid’s uniform, but a neat and formal dress with an apron.

They soon reached a building located in a secluded area near the stables behind the main castle building. It was the servants’ quarters.

“The left is for women, the right is for men.”

Brigitte gestured toward the two buildings standing side by side.

Passing through a corridor lined with cramped rooms packed closely together, the two stopped in front of a crude wooden door at the very end.

“This is your room.”

When the door opened, cold air rushed out along with the smell of rotting wood. The walls had plaster peeling off in patches with stains spreading like mold, and the floor was damp.

“All the laundry maids stay in this section, so don’t wander around carelessly.”

The cramped space contained only an old wooden bed, a chest with a lock, a worn multipurpose table, and one chair.

Even the small window was half-covered with wooden shutters, making the room darker and gloomier than outside.

“Start work as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow. I’ve put maid uniforms in the chest, so change into them.”

After finishing her words, Brigitte stared intently at Aila for a long while.

Under that strange gaze, Aila didn’t know what to do, when suddenly she asked.

“Just how did you get into this ducal castle?”

“Pardon…?”

“We’ve never let someone like you in before.”

At the unexpected question, Aila could only blink before carefully opening her mouth.

“That… I don’t really understand what you mean…”

However, Brigitte simply stared at her without answering, then turned and left. Her attitude was cold enough to raise a chill.

Only after the door closed and the footsteps from outside completely faded away did Aila finally relax her stiff body.

Then she slumped down at the edge of the bed.

“I must have already gotten on her bad side…”

Along with a light sigh, worry filled her face. But Aila shook her head and tried to shake off the negative thoughts.

“It’s fine. This is much better than I expected.”

She raised her eyes and slowly looked around the room.

It was spacious enough for one person to live comfortably.

Though a bit old, it had a table and chair, and even a bed to lie on. The grayish-white blanket and pillow stuffed with wool were quite thick, and there was even a cover.

Compared to her previous home where cold wind blew through every crack, this place felt like a sanctuary.

Aila opened the remaining shutters on the window. When the afternoon sunlight filtered through the small opaque glass and brightened the room, Aila’s expression also brightened slightly.

“Since she said to start work tomorrow…”

Since she had some time for once, she thought she should weave some lace. Aila was opening her bundle of belongings to take out linen thread and needles when she let out a short sigh.

‘I forgot to give father his clothes.’

He would surely be very angry. She might even get slapped the moment they met. But she would have to wait until tomorrow for now.

‘Still… he won’t be able to treat me as harshly here as he did at home.’

That fact alone brought a sense of relief to her heart.

The anxiety that hadn’t subsided throughout the journey to the castle, and the worry caused by the head maid’s inexplicably cold attitude, both settled down a little.

‘…It’ll be fine.’

Aila, holding a needle to weave lace, wound thread around her opposite finger. To meet the quantity requirements, she had to work diligently with her hands whenever she had spare time each day.

Her slender fingers began moving quietly but busily.

* * *

On the eastern side of the ducal castle’s rear garden, in an area with a good view of the lake, there was a special space.

It was a glass greenhouse.

The greenhouse, completed a month ago after over a year of construction, was shaped exactly like the one at the ducal residence in the capital. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was almost an exact replica.

The interior, filled with rare plants difficult to find in Ishelbach territory, was always warm and humid. Staying there made the winter weather outside seem unbelievable.

Snip.

The sound of something being cut occasionally echoed in the quiet space.

Each time, the duke’s aide, Roderick Wolfram, would blink imperceptibly.

He saw a leaf flutter down.

It was a leaf with microscopically damaged edges, barely noticeable.

However, no matter how minor the damage, his master did not tolerate defective goods.

Only one. Except for the sole exception in this place.

Roderick’s gaze flickered toward the innermost part of the greenhouse.

There, where plants grew even more luxuriantly and flowers bloomed in full glory, a golden birdcage sat quietly.

Inside it was what the duke had personally brought from the capital residence when he came to his territory a few days ago…

“Roderick.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

He quickly turned his head and straightened his back.

A subtle tension emanated from his characteristically upright military posture. His fingertips clasped behind his back twitched slightly.

It wasn’t his imagination.

Though he had never spoken of it directly, his master did not want others looking at his birdcage.

More precisely, at what he had trapped inside it.

Roderick focused his attention back on the duke.

Under the greenhouse where afternoon sunlight poured down like chandelier light, the man standing among all sorts of rare flowers was devastatingly handsome and captivating.

Like most dominant alphas.

The rumors that the capital’s omegas would court him desperately and beg for even one night together weren’t unfounded.

After all, wasn’t everything perfect?

His royal bloodline, his status as a duke, his heavenly appearance and exceptional abilities, even his overwhelming pheromones.

Dantalion Baltreiden was truly a superior creation of god and the most perfect beast.

The man’s pale, elongated fingers brushed against flower petals. It was a soft and delicate movement.

But whenever he found something flawed, the scissor blades would snap together mercilessly.

Snip. This time an entire flower cluster was cut away. The illusion of seeing a person’s head falling made Roderick swallow dryly.

He knew the sword that had been held in those smooth hands instead of scissors. Having recently roamed battlefields alongside the duke, it was only natural.

“I hear you’ve taken in new servants.”

At his master’s low voice, Roderick emerged from his brief distraction and focused.

New servants.

He barely managed to hold back his gaze that was about to drift toward the birdcage, and answered with feigned composure.

“Yes, Your Grace. I’m told two people entered together just a while ago.”

“Ah, I see.”

They found their way here well. The additional remark seemed to carry mockery, but he couldn’t be certain.

In fact, Roderick still didn’t know which of the two was the one who had “found their way here well.” He even questioned whether the phrase “found their way here” could apply at all.

That father probably believed he had been lucky. But that luck was merely the result of a calculated design from the beginning.

A trap set by his master. And two prey that had fallen into it.

At least one of them would certainly have their throat cut.

Roderick carefully inquired about the duke’s intentions.

“Shall I arrange things appropriately?”

This time the target was clear.

The place where low-ranking maids were assigned was obvious, and laundry work was the most arduous and difficult.

“Well, what should I do?”

The duke’s lips curved up ever so slightly as he murmured words unlike his usual responses.

But his eyes weren’t smiling at all. Roderick instinctively tensed at the strange attitude that revealed nothing of his thoughts.

“I suppose I’ll have to wait a little longer. Don’t you think?”

The man who had elegantly given the order to do nothing set down the scissors he had been holding.

‘Is he finished?’

Just as Roderick was thinking this, the duke’s steps headed toward the inner part of the greenhouse. The sound of fluttering came from inside the birdcage beyond the arched trellis.

At the movement that revealed clear terror through mere wing beats, Roderick unconsciously turned his eyes away.

A small nightingale with soft brown feathers.

Not only trapped in a cage but with shackles on one of its thin ankles…

At that moment, black cloth suddenly swept over the birdcage.