Chapter 2

“Why am I…?”  

Surely, this wasn’t what I thought it was. Right?  

“No… … ?”

Eched, who had been drying his hair, paused. His gaze, filled with displeasure, fell upon her.  

“Don’t delude yourself into thinking I might have done something to a drunken lady. The very thought is repulsive.”  

“……”  

He seemed to dislike it so much that it left her feeling awkward.  

‘As if I would’ve enjoyed it!’  

She grumbled internally and turned her gaze away. Upon closer inspection, her clothes, accessories, and everything she had worn to the party were still intact.  

Her body, aside from the aches caused by her hangover, felt completely fine.  

Relieved, she lay back down on the bed. The soft, fluffy blanket felt far more comfortable than the one on her own bed.  

“So, have you cleared up your suspicions?”  

Eched asked, still looking dissatisfied. She nodded.  

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”  

“My apologies for doubting you, but… where exactly am I?”  

“The Astrea’s Ducal estate.”  

“The Astrea’s Ducal estate?”  

“…My bedroom, to be precise.”  

Silence fell between them.  

Quietly, she got up from the bed.  

The lingering comfort of the blanket tempted her to stay, but now that she knew it was Eched’s bed, she couldn’t possibly remain there.  

“Why am I at the Astrea’s Ducal estate?”  

She asked while fussing with the blanket. The crumpled sheets bothered her for no particular reason.  

“After the party, I was heading back to my office when I ran into you and His Highness in the garden. His Highness then handed you over to me.”  

“Handed me over?”  

She recalled Orgon, who had been by her side at the party.  

He had been nagging her to stop drinking, looking utterly fed up…  

‘Orgon, that bastard.’  

She had no doubt that he had orchestrated some scenario to tie the two of them together.  

Orgon had always been overly interested in her marriage prospects.  

“Why didn’t you just put me in a carriage and send me home?”  

“I tried, but you wouldn’t let go of my clothes. You refused to go home, refused to stay in the guest room… sigh.”  

His short sigh carried the weight of his nighttime ordeal.  

Just how much had I drunk to have behaved so disgracefully? And in front of Eched, no less.  

“I’m sorry.”  

“When you’re drunk, it’s as if you become a completely different person.”  

“……”  

“It would be wise to cut back on your drinking. Or better yet, quit entirely.”  

“…While I admit I was rude to you last night, that seems like an overstep, Commander.”  

“You certainly have a way with words, even in situations like this. I know you dislike me, but you should work on hiding your emotions better.”  

“…Yes.”  

Though whether she could manage that was another matter entirely.  

The conversation ended with an awkward tension hanging in the air. It seemed like it was time to leave.  

“I’ll be going now.”  

Her head throbbed painfully from the hangover, and she desperately wanted to lie down again.  

Suppressing her desires, she tidied her messy pink bob and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.  

“I’ll have a carriage prepared for you.”  

He didn’t bother trying to stop her, and she saw no reason to refuse his offer of assistance.  

Their relationship was strictly professional.  

Unfortunately, the only carriage available at the Astrea’s Ducal estate bore the family crest. Seeing the large emblem, she waved it off.  

“I’d rather take a public carriage.”  

Though it would jostle her stomach uncomfortably, it seemed like the better option.  

Eched, glancing between her and the carriage, nodded in agreement.  

Eched was the sole member of the Astrea Ducal family.  

The Ducal estate was relatively close to the Imperial Palace, and since Eched always commuted on foot, there was no need for a proper carriage.  

Most nobles would have filled their stables out of sheer vanity, but such extravagance was beyond Eched’s nature.  

In the end, they walked to the front gate together to find a public carriage.  

The cool, dew-laden air helped soothe her queasy stomach somewhat.  

She boarded the public carriage and headed to the townhouse of the Melis Ducal estate.  

Though she practically lived in the Imperial staff dormitory, she was required to visit the townhouse whenever Duchess Melis and her husband came to the capital.  

And today, unfortunately, was one of those days.  

Hearing the nagging voice of her sister already echoing in her mind, she let out a deep sigh.  

The carriage traveled through the bustling city streets before stopping at the gates of the Duke Melis’ townhouse.  

After instructing the coachman to collect his fare from the butler, she passed through the garden and entered the mansion.  

Unexpectedly, she ran into her sister in the hall.  

“You…”  

Her sister’s eyes, wide with surprise, quickly narrowed into a glare as she approached. With a loud whack, her sister smacked her arm.  

“Ow! What was that for?”  

Seeing her sister ready to strike again, she quickly stepped back, rubbing her arm. For someone with small hands, her sister’s hits stung fiercely.  

“Look at you, reeking of alcohol!”  

“Well, of course. I drank that much.”  

She responded shamelessly.  

Her sister clicked her tongue disapprovingly and scanned her up and down.  

“Are you proud of yourself? Where are you coming from?”  

“Well…”  

“Well?” 

She could have easily said “the Astrea’s Ducal estate,” but the words wouldn’t come out.  

Even though nothing had happened, admitting she had spent the night there felt… improper.  

Thankful that she hadn’t arrived in the Astrea’s family carriage, she kept her mouth shut. Her sister’s sharp gaze bore into her.  

“Who were you with in the garden last night?”  

“The garden?”  

She frowned, recalling Eched’s mention of running into her and Orgon.  

“Who else would it be? Orgon, of course.”  

“Not His Highness, someone else.”  

‘If not His Highness, then it must’ve been Eched.’

But instead of answering, she brushed past her sister with an air of annoyance.  

“Why are you so nosy today?”  

Her hangover weighed heavily on her body, making everything feel like a chore. All she wanted was to collapse into bed.  

“Hmm? Who was it?”  

“I don’t know.”  

“Then where are you coming from?”  

“……”  

That was something she absolutely couldn’t say.  

When she stubbornly kept her lips sealed, her sister stomped her foot in frustration.  

“If something happens, don’t expect me to tell you!”  

“Fine by me.”  

She shrugged indifferently.  

Her sister glared at her with narrowed eyes before shaking her head in resignation.  

“You’re still not planning on moving back home?”  

“Nope.”  

Her sister pouted her lips, looking disappointed, but there was nothing she could do.

To her, the house—now feeling like an ordinary family home since her sister’s marriage—was unbearably uncomfortable.

Even after regaining her past life memories, she didn’t know how to approach her family.  

She had always been distant with her family, and after regaining the memories of her past life, she found it even harder to figure out how to treat them.

Although she had moved away from the attitude of disliking her family, in the end, her current self and her former self were still just her.

Changing a deeply rooted mindset in an instant was no easy feat.

For now, her sister believed she had left home because she found her brother-in-law, Lord Leheln, uncomfortable.  

Explaining the real reason would require a long conversation, so she pretended not to know.  

Suppressing her true reasons, she clumsily reassured her sister.  

“It’s just inconvenient to commute, that’s all. Especially with all the work I have.”  

Of course, it wasn’t the work from the Grievance Counseling Office.

At her shameless remark, her sister responded as if she couldn’t believe her ears.

“Pell does all the work, yet you’re the one pretending to be busy.”

“Why do you think I don’t work? Pell must have spread those rumors, right?”

She playfully countered her sister’s words, trying to lighten the mood.

Judging by her sister’s expression, it didn’t seem like she intended to press the matter further, so she cautiously added:

“Can I go to bed now?”

“Tsk tsk. Wash up before you sleep. You’re filthy.”

Avoiding her sister’s nagging, she quickly shut the door and threw herself onto the bed.

At least it was her room, so it wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. It didn’t take long before she drifted off to sleep.

***

Why do holidays pass by so quickly?

Even after two full days of rest, she still felt exhausted.

“I want to quit my job.”

As she lazed around, reluctant to get ready for work, the urge to resign surged within her.

All her motivation had vanished the day she regained the memories of her past life.

It felt like she was facing the aftermath of living tirelessly, day and night, until now.

Looking for her runaway motivation. But not too desperately.

“Miss.”

Knock, knock.

The maid, Kirin, opened the door.

“Please come down for breakfast. The Duchess says she’ll scold me if you don’t come immediately.”

“Ugh… I’ll be right there.”

It was already the third time the maid had come to fetch her.

Although her sister wouldn’t actually scold Kirin, if she delayed any longer, her sister might come upstairs herself, so she reluctantly got out of bed.

Throwing on some clothes, she headed to the dining room, where her sister and Lord Leheln were waiting.

Her sister looked at her with disapproval, while Lord Leheln greeted her with a gentle smile.

“You took your time coming down.”

“You know I’m not a morning person. Good morning, Lord Leheln.”

“Good morning. Did you sleep well, Shaterian?”

“Well, I always do.”

As she sat down, the maids brought out the prepared food.

Although the time for work was approaching, she made no effort to hurry.

‘If I’m late, so be it. If not, then great.’

With that mindset, she leisurely nibbled on her salad and dried fruit.

“By the way, Terry.”

“Hm?”

Munch, munch.

Her mouth was filled with the freshness of vegetables and the rich flavor of ricotta cheese made from freshly squeezed milk. The dried fruit left a sweet aftertaste.

“There’s a rumor going around that you’re dating Duke Astrea. Is it true?”

Her sister asked with a casual tone, as if commenting on the weather, while popping a small piece of meat into her mouth.

Terry, who had been stuffing her mouth with salad, froze.

“What…?”

What kind of rumor was that?

Unable to believe her ears, she asked again.

This time, her sister, stabbing a fork into an asparagus salad seasoned with oil and pepper, replied:

“They’re saying you’re dating Duke Astrea. The entire capital is talking about it.”