Chapter 34
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I possessed the body of a homebody villainess locked away in a desolate tower.
Chapter 34
"So you're telling me you don't know what was discussed between the princess and the head maid?"
"Yes. The head maid has remained silent on the matter."
At Liam's response, Kaian's brow twitched ever so slightly.
"Did she seem like she was hiding something?"
"That was my impression, sir."
A conversation with the head maid, then....
Just as I was growing curious about what could have happened this time, someone knocked on the Office door.
Knock, knock.
"Master, it's Milena."
Speak of the devil—the central figure of this very conversation had appeared.
Kaian, suddenly self-conscious that our discussion might have been overheard, cleared his throat awkwardly and rose to his feet.
"Ahem... Yes, what is it?"
"Dinner is prepared. I've come to inform you. Perhaps you could dine in the Dining Room this evening?"
It had been quite some time since I'd been eating simple meals in the Office due to endless work, so I nodded readily.
"Very well, I'll be down shortly."
"If I may suggest, sir—perhaps you should change your clothes first?"
At the head maid's words, I belatedly examined myself.
Had I been so buried in work? Ink had smudged across my shirt sleeves, leaving them blotched and stained.
Even for a simple meal within the Mansion, it was tradition in the Grand Duke's household to dress properly for dinner.
"I'll change before I go."
I made my way to the Bedroom, conveniently situated not far from the Office.
How long had it been since I'd last traversed this short distance?
Swallowing a self-deprecating laugh, my expression hardened as I opened the door.
"Hmm?"
Something had changed.
The room, which should have been bathed in the warm glow of the early evening sunset, was instead shrouded in a gentle darkness.
The light seemed dim, as if fog had rolled in or as though it were a rainy day indoors.
Without immediately stepping inside, I surveyed the interior and soon realized that the curtains framing the window had been altered.
"What is this? Have the curtains been changed?"
My room had always been maintained in an identical state.
Due to my meticulous nature, nothing—not the furniture, not even the indoor slippers—could be replaced without my permission.
Yet this had happened without a word.
My frown deepened considerably.
"Why did someone touch my room without asking?"
"Well, actually...."
The head maid who had followed me quickly bowed at my somewhat displeased question.
"It was at the request of Miss April Salt."
"What?"
Kaian's mind filled with doubt at the unexpected answer.
Why had she touched the curtains of all things?
The head maid quickly offered an explanation to Kaian, whose expression betrayed her confusion.
"The young lady said it was a gift."
"...A gift?"
"I had meant to inform you beforehand, and I apologize for the oversight. However, she asked me to convey that she has been preparing this for you."
As I examined the curtains more closely, I recognized them as the processed Poleta leather that April Salt had requested.
Yet it seemed unlike her to push forward with such work merely to create ordinary curtains.
Suddenly, as if a thought had struck me, I turned to the head maid with a command.
"Extinguish all the lights in this chamber at once."
At my words, the head maid snuffed out every candle and lamp illuminating the room.
As the final lantern near the door was extinguished, a profound darkness settled over the space—so complete that one could scarcely see even an arm's length ahead.
"It is rather like a moonless night."
"One might believe it to be midnight itself."
The room, into which even the faint glow of dusk should have filtered, now appeared so perfectly suited for rest that sleep could come at any moment.
And only then did I understand April Salt's true purpose.
What I myself had failed to perceive.
I recalled how the lights of the Grand Duke's Residence had burned brightly even late into the night.
With the master unable to rest properly, the household members must have felt increasingly anxious.
April Salt had surely noticed the exhaustion etched upon the faces of those who worked here.
Learning through her what I had failed to recognize myself, I felt embarrassed, grateful, and ultimately—
"Ashamed of myself."
At my murmur, the head maid spoke carefully.
"You are a person of great depth, my lord."
"...Milena."
"Yes, my lord."
"I shall invite a guest to dinner this evening."
A rare visitor invited to dine with Blaire Grand Duke.
The head maid nodded, resolving to make this evening a truly special occasion.
"Very good, my lord."
* * *
Word of the Grand Duke's dinner invitation arrived while the day had not yet fully surrendered to dusk.
My encounters with him had more often than not brought me difficulty, so I found myself seized by groundless anxiety.
Yet Bonita, whether she noticed my unease or not, insisted that a dinner was a dinner, even if shared alone with the Grand Duke, and began producing dresses from who knows where, piling them before me.
"How wonderful, miss! The Grand Duke surely approved of your choice."
"Do you truly think so...?"
I gazed wearily at the array of colorful dresses and ventured a question to Bonita, who appeared visibly excited.
"But I can't just wear comfortable clothes, right?"
"Of course not, my lady."
She responded with a look that suggested the question wasn't even worth answering, then muttered under her breath.
"Other young ladies have new dresses tailored every single day... I wonder why our lady is so undemanding."
Sigh.
It seemed any further resistance would be futile.
Once I accepted that reality, there was nothing for it. I surrendered myself entirely to her capable hands.
"You have such fair, delicate skin, my lady. A bright-colored dress would suit you wonderfully. How about this one?"
"Sure, I don't care either way."
I had never been particularly interested in adorning myself. That was something only someone like Lemeia, who had endless time on her hands, could afford to do.
But today, this pale green empire-waist dress with its soft, flowing design that hugged my body was truly flattering with my hair.
After admiring myself briefly in the mirror, I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve.
'I haven't done anything wrong, so there's no reason to feel guilty.'
Or is there?
Changing the curtains in the Grand Duke's Bedroom without permission... was that overstepping?
Could I actually lose my head over this...?
The Grand Duke's troublemaker is indeed taking a break from causing problems lately, right...?
"You should go now, my lady!"
At Bonita's cheerful voice, I pushed my anxiety aside and nodded.
"Y-yes, l-let's go."
Well, what's the worst that could happen?
I'll just face it head-on.
.
.
.
But my resolute determination crumbled in less than ten minutes.
'W-wait, is something displeasing him?'
Did he dislike the design?
Or was he angry that I changed the room's curtains without saying anything?
...Or could it be he doesn't know what blackout curtains are?
The Grand Duke, who had arrived early and was already waiting, radiated an oppressive presence.
And naturally, being timid as I am, I could only feel an strange pressure mounting until he spoke.
Thump, thump, thump.
I steadied my trembling heart and carefully opened my mouth despite the tension.
"Y-you called for me..."
"Sit."
At his command, an elaborate banquet immediately began to be set up.
From appetizers onward, the food laid out so abundantly that the table seemed ready to collapse looked absolutely delicious.
"Princess, do you like seafood?"
As I gazed at the glistening meat and licked my lips, I lifted my head at the question.
"Oh? I'm not fond of raw fish, but I do enjoy it when it's grilled."
At my response, the Grand Duke gestured toward his attendant.
The attendant standing nearby promptly brought a beautifully grilled white fish fillet and placed it before me.
"Th-thank you?"
"If there are foods you prefer, feel free to speak up."
"...Yes."
After that, recommendations for dishes made with fresh seasonal produce continued to flow.
The subtle thoughtfulness made my cheeks flush with warmth, though only for a moment.
With the peach tart the Grand Duke had recommended sitting before me, I carefully broached the main topic.
"The meal was delicious. However..."
*Gulp.*
After hesitating, I finally asked the question I had been holding back.
"Why are you being so kind to me...?"
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