Chapter 3
‘There should be a tray nearby…’
Leaving the kitchen, I scanned my surroundings. As expected, I spotted a maid attempting to carry a tray just outside the door. I didn’t remember her name, but I knew her well—she was one of Clarissa’s personal attendants.
The tray definitely contained Clarissa’s lunch.
‘There!’
With a nervous expression, I lowered my head and clumsily marched forward, heading straight for the tray. It wasn’t until the water bottle placed on the top of the tray collided with my forehead that I stopped.
Bang! Clink—!
“Ah!”
“Milady!”
The glass bottle, made of fine crystal, shattered when it collided with me, and the maid let out a startled scream, unsure of what to do.
“Do you have to be so careless…?”
She clicked her tongue and muttered in irritation. Since I was essentially a living scarecrow in the mansion, there was no real concern for my injury.
The frown on her face mirrored that of her mistress. I assumed this maid must be a distant relative of Clarissa, too.
“I’ll fetch another water bottle. Please, just stay still.”
She sighed, repeating the same lecture Leroy had given me earlier. Then, she headed back to the kitchen.
“Sorry, I’ll behave.”
I nodded obediently, agreeing to wait in place.
After she left, I quietly removed the lid from the dishes on the tray. Carefully, I swapped the bread I was holding with the one placed on top of the tray.
Then, I secretly replaced the moldy cake and muffins from my pocket with the better food from the tray.
Once everything was set, I carried the now delicious-looking food back to my room with slow, graceful steps.
I suppose this was being “obedient.”
With the warm bread in hand, I applied pressure and heard the satisfying crack of the crisp crust. As I pulled the pieces apart, the soft, gooey center stretched and oozed out.
“Wow… this looks delicious.”
I admired the bread before popping a small piece into my mouth. The moment it hit my tongue, I was engulfed by the smooth texture and savory aroma. The familiar taste of soft, fresh bread nearly made me dizzy with delight.
Leroy might have a bad attitude, but he sure knows how to cook.
I gulped down the milk Jenna had brought me and reached for a piece of cake next. The bright, lemony scent and the yellow color told me this was a lemon cheesecake.
“Jenna, do you want some?”
I asked, my mouth full, and Jenna, still looking a bit confused, shook her head.
She had been staring at me wide-eyed since I started eating. I hadn’t explained where the food had come from, so she was clearly unsure.
“It’s really delicious.”
I picked up a muffin as big as a grown man’s fist, filled with rich cocoa powder and studded with large chocolate chips. As I sliced it with a knife, molten chocolate oozed from the inside like lava.
This was a double—no, a triple chocolate muffin!
My eyes sparkled as I took a big bite, but just as I was savoring the sweet indulgence, I heard loud footsteps from behind the door.
Here it comes.
I swallowed the rich, molten chocolate and waited for her arrival.
Bang—!
“Harper Luferen.”
Without so much as a knock, Clarissa Luferen, my father’s wife, barged in. Her porcelain-white face, void of affection, glared at me with piercing eyes.
“Good evening, madam.”
“Don’t play dumb, Harper.”
At her gesture, the maid who had been guarding the tray earlier entered the room, followed by Leroy, the hulking kitchen manager. All three of them glared at me as if they were ready to devour me. Despite my status as a duchess, no one seemed the least bit apologetic for entering without permission.
“Madam, I don’t know what’s going on, but Lady Harper hasn’t finished her meal—”
“Shut up, Jenna. You’ll be responsible for this soon enough.”
Clarissa cut off Jenna’s words sharply and spoke to the maid behind her.
“Salvia, tell her what you saw earlier.”
“As I stepped away from the kitchen for a moment, Lady Harper was standing near the tray. She must have switched the food.”
Ah, her name was Salvia.
She pointed at me with an angry look on her face, a red mark clearly visible on her cheek—probably from a slap.
‘Her personality hasn’t changed.’
It was so obvious. Salvia must’ve set the table with the tray, only to angrily bite into the moldy bread afterward. She clearly figured out I was the one who had switched it, but everyone else probably saw the bread with their own eyes.
“I’ll make sure it’s dealt with.”
At Clarissa’s command, Salvia roughly grabbed my arm and yanked me up to face her mistress.
“Ah, milady!”
Jenna, pale as a ghost, tried to stop them, but Leroy blocked her way with his large frame, preventing her from reaching me.
“How dare you touch my meal! I wonder how many days I’ll have to lock you up to make you realize your mistake?”
Clarissa leaned in, meeting my gaze with an icy stare. Even though she was trying to maintain control, I could tell she was deeply uncomfortable. Clarissa had always been the one to torment me before Callista came along, and she was the one I feared most in this house.
In my past life, I thought maybe Clarissa was just trying to please Callista. She acted courteous to her, perhaps hoping to gain favor. But my naive thoughts had changed over time.
Clarissa had once tried to assassinate Callista with the help of my father’s younger brother and some of the Luferen elders. When Callista ascended to the duchy, she executed Clarissa for her treachery.
I stared at Clarissa, no longer afraid. Her disgraceful end no longer terrified me as it once had.
“What did I do wrong?”
“Do you think feeding me that garbage isn’t a mistake?”
“But, but Leroy said it was a rare delicacy, that it was something the Emperor himself eats.”
With the wide-eyed innocence of a child, I defended myself, pretending to be unaware of what I had done.
“Though, it didn’t suit my taste, so I swapped it for something more common. I thought the Emperor’s food should go to you.”
As Clarissa stood behind me, Leroy’s expression darkened.
“That’s a lie!”
He hastily denied the truth as if he thought I’d back down at the accusation. His large eyes bulged with panic, and he stammered.
“I’ve been in the kitchen for 30 years, madam! I wouldn’t dare serve that garbage!”
“It’s true. The people in the kitchen heard it. And I’ve been served that bread every day.”
I stood my ground, refusing to back down. Leroy’s eyes were wide with shock.
Clarissa didn’t speak for a moment, her gaze cold and calculating. But then, I caught the flicker of a blink—one she only did when she was flustered. That was the habit of someone caught off guard.
I had a gut feeling that Clarissa knew everything. Leroy, being from her side of the family, had been embezzling small amounts of money and wasn’t punished for it. All in exchange for loyalty.
“Is what you said true? That you ate moldy bread every day?”
Clarissa asked, her voice cold. I nodded.
“If that’s the case.”
A chilling smile crept onto her face as she glanced over at Jenna, who looked pale.
“You should start suspecting your maid, Jenna. She’s the one who dared steal your food for her own gain.”
“Madam! This is unfair!”
Jenna’s face drained of color, while Leroy smiled with satisfaction.
“Shall we start by searching her room? If we find anything suspicious, even just a penny of stolen money, we’ll throw her out of this house.”
Clarissa whispered in my ear as she tightly gripped my shoulder. She knew exactly how to threaten a child.
She was using the one person I could rely on—Jenna—as leverage.
“If you admit your wrongdoings now, we could let this go. Of course, you’d still be punished.”
She coaxed me with a cold smile. When Jenna tried to intervene, Salvia grabbed her arm to keep her quiet.
“Now, what will you do…?”
“Alright.”
I met Clarissa’s gaze directly.
“What did you just say?”
Clarissa blinked rapidly.
“Search for the one who stole my food. It’s important to find out who’s responsible.”
I spoke with a firm voice, making sure my words echoed in the hallway.
“The head butler, Theon, should be the one doing this job!”
As soon as his name left my lips, Clarissa flinched. Her once-beautiful face twisted in frustration.
She took a deep breath, then spoke.
“…I must have failed in educating you. You’ve become so unruly.”
“Theon is in charge of my education,” I replied.
“How dare you!” Clarissa’s eyebrows twitched in anger as she raised her hand to strike me.
But instead of flinching, I smiled at the silhouette of someone coming down the hall.
Perfect timing.
