“Haah…….”
I’m exhausted.
To think my secret spy activities would invite such a misunderstanding!
After that, Madame Brandt kept making similar jokes, but each time, I defended myself desperately. It really wasn’t like that!
‘At least I’m glad I ate a lot of snacks in the meantime.’
The head chef’s pastry skills were truly excellent. As expected of the Grand Ducal estate’s head chef.
I patted my full belly and made my way toward the west annex. By now, everyone should be there.
But at that moment—
‘His Highness the Grand Duke?’
His dazzling golden hair caught my eye. And beside him stood a man with dark brown hair.
‘Who is that? I’ve never seen his face before.’
At least, he didn’t seem to be someone from the Grand Ducal estate.
No, more importantly, wasn’t he supposed to be meeting Madame Brandt? Why is he here?
I simply couldn’t figure it out.
‘This is…… let’s quietly pass by.’
But instead of eavesdropping on their conversation, I decided to be cautious. The atmosphere felt more dangerous than when he was with the knights earlier.
‘A scar on his face…….’
A large scar visible even from a distance burned itself into my mind. I turned around, promising myself there would be a next time.
No, that’s what I intended to do.
“……First, ‘that spy’……”
What, what did he say?
My footsteps stopped in an instant.
This was something I needed to hear.
‘Phew—’
I suppressed my quickened breathing and cautiously approached the two. It was a bold move, possible only because I had never been caught so far.
Fortunately—or perhaps not—there was no one else around.
“If you’ll excuse me…… I’ll just move to a different…….”
“Yes…… if that’s the case, this way…….”
But of all times, the moment I spotted them, the two were about to relocate. What terrible timing.
After briefly assessing the situation, I followed behind the two while suppressing my presence as much as possible.
Rustle, rustle—
The Grand Duke and the brown-haired man walked very fast. Moreover, they moved through the back of the estate as if using some secret passage. It made my having memorized the estate’s layout seem meaningless.
‘Ugh, seriously—!’
My steps grew faster as well. But there was a limit to moving while suppressing my presence.
‘Where did they go?’
I lost the Grand Duke by a hair’s breadth. They must be somewhere nearby!
“Where on earth did he disappear to…….”
I muttered to myself without realizing it.
At that moment—
“Are you looking for me?”
Goosebumps prickled all over my skin.
At the voice I should not be hearing right now, I reflexively turned around.
“Heeek—!”
I-it’s the Grand Duke of Pellium!!
Thud, my legs gave out. I sat down on the floor, covering my mouth.
The Grand Duke approached me like a predator.
“You’ve been bothering me lately—”
Step.
“So you really were tailing me.”
Step.
“You hid your presence quite well, but I’m a bit sensitive about these things.”
Stop.
The Grand Duke, standing right before my nose, lowered himself as if hunting. Then, meeting my eyes, he asked.
“Why did you do it?”
“Th-that is…….”
“Answer me.”
His cold hand touched my chin. Having cornered his prey at the edge of a cliff, the Grand Duke demanded again in a fierce voice.
“I asked why you were spying on me.”
I’m scared.
My whole body trembled regardless of my will. My mind, plunged into terror, went completely blank.
“I-I, that is, um, well…….”
Just then.
Madame Brandt’s joke flashed through my mind. Without time to think of anything else, I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted.
“I’m in love with you, Your Highness—!!”
I’m in love with you—
With you—
With you—
My thunderous answer echoed like an echo.
Soon the echo faded, and in the suffocating silence, the Grand Duke opened his mouth.
“What?”
His beautiful face was contorted with bewilderment. It was an expression I had never seen before, even while monitoring him all this time.
‘Ah, um, Your Highness. You must be very flustered, right?’
I was very flustered too…….
But I must not crumble here. I persisted and continued spouting nonsense.
“Last time! You worried about me when I got hurt! I was so grateful, and you were so impressive, and also…….”
He listened quietly as I rambled on. Then, finally, as if he couldn’t understand, he asked back.
“……You fell in love over just that?”
“Yes!”
I nodded with all my might. Because I sensed instinctively that this was my only chance to live.
“……”
The Grand Duke’s twisted face returned to its usual state. He silently stared at me with those eerie red eyes.
Gulp.
I swallowed habitually. His gaze seemed as though it could uncover whether my words were lies or truth at any moment.
Then, the Grand Duke murmured softly.
“So, you’re saying you tailed me because you like me…….”
“Th-that’s right!”
At my answer, he briefly lowered his gaze as if pondering. Then, the corner of his stiff mouth curled up slyly.
“As it happens, a position perfectly suited for you just came to mind.”
“What kind……?”
The Grand Duke’s smile deepened.
It was ominous. That eerily beautiful smile felt to me like the smile of a demon.
Swiish—
His face drew closer.
At a distance where our breaths seemed about to touch, he slightly tilted his head. And whispered in my ear.
“You’re going to become my personal maid.”
* * *
Rumors in the Grand Ducal estate spread faster than anything.
Especially if it concerned the master of the estate, the Grand Duke of Pellium.
“W-what?”
“Lilian…….”
“She became His Highness’s personal maid……?”
The Grand Duke of Pellium, who had only ever received personal attendance from the butler, had suddenly taken on a personal maid.
And not just anyone—a newcomer maid who had only just shed her probation status, in her fourth month.
“Good heavens!”
“How could this happen?”
Naturally, this was bound to cause talk among the maids.
As soon as the rumor spread, the maids surrounded me and interrogated me.
“Lilian, tell us honestly.”
“How did you get noticed by His Highness the Grand Duke!”
“I was uneasy with you wandering around lately…….”
“Why His Highness the Grand Duke, of all people—!”
The maids, who already knew the Grand Duke of Pellium’s temperament, worried about and pitied Lilian, who had become a personal maid overnight.
“Haha…….”
Of course, I thought the same.
Personal maid? It sounded nice, but in truth, it was no different from any other maid. The pay, the treatment, the intensity of the work.
If anything, it was an extreme job that also required catering to the master’s every whim!
‘Besides, this is the Pellium Grand Ducal estate.’
I heard that personal maids at other estates got quite a lot of perks from their masters, and had considerable influence and pride.
But the situation here was different. My master was ‘that’ Grand Duke of Pellium, and I was in a position where he suspected my identity.
‘Should I just be grateful he didn’t kill me right away?’
Honestly, I’d thought he wouldn’t believe me at all.
My terrified appearance must have looked to the Grand Duke like a girl tense because of her unrequited love. Compared to Subject No. 32 (Karen), who was disposed of recently, I was definitely luckier.
‘It’s scary and anxious and nerve-wracking and tense and suffocating, but…….’
Just then, I heard a tsk, tsk, clicking of the tongue from somewhere. It was Ivy, with a sullen face.
“It’s all something she brought on herself. Who knows? Maybe she ‘deliberately’ approached His Highness from the start.”
Uh, how did you know……?
At her sharp guess, I was at a loss for words. Fortunately, I had a reliable ally.
“Hey! You’ve been harsh since last time!”
Anna, standing beside me, scowled and snapped at Ivy.
“No matter how foolish and clumsy Lilian is! Do you think she’d be crazy enough to deliberately approach His Highness? Someone who nearly died not long ago?”
* * *
Feeling a pang of guilt for some reason, I quietly lowered my eyes.
