Chapter 19: A Midnight Surprise
I crossed my arms and said,
“I won’t leave this room until Your Grace lies down in bed. I don’t care if the servants misunderstand.”
“……!”
“But if you do as I say, I’ll leave right away.”
“I refuse.”
“Are you saying you don’t want me to leave?”
“Don’t play word games.”
“Then hurry and lie down.”
I smiled and persistently stared at the Grand Duke.
“Why are you so stubborn?”
“…….”
Sigh.
After letting out a deep breath and hesitating for a while, the Grand Duke finally gave in and lay down on the bed.
‘Even lying in bed looks like a photoshoot for him.’
I held back a grin and pulled a comfortable chair next to his bedside.
“Your Grace, I’m not going to eat you. Relax a little.”
The Grand Duke was as stiff as a patient on an operating table.
“In case you don’t know, I am a knight skilled with the sword.”
‘Huh?’
I tilted my head at his sudden self-introduction. He exhaled and continued,
“Don’t try anything foolish.”
“……?”
“I might react instinctively and accidentally hurt you.”
Pfft.
I burst out laughing at his sudden seriousness.
“Are you worried I might attack you?”
“It wouldn’t be too surprising.”
The Grand Duke frowned, looking oddly silently.
“I may be bold, but I’m not stupid enough to attack the Empire’s Swordmaster.”
I chuckled, watching him lie awkwardly in his neatly arranged shirt.
“I actually value my life quite a bit.”
“Your past actions don’t seem to reflect that.”
His grumbling was oddly cute.
Without a word, I reached under the blanket and held his firm hand.
The Duke’s throat tensed as he instinctively moved.
“Wh-why are you holding my hand…?!”
“If your hands are warm, you’ll fall asleep faster.”
His hand twitched for a moment, but when I didn’t let go, he stopped resisting.
‘Wow, his hands are huge.’
Up close, his hands were truly massive. His long, slender fingers were noticeable calluses. Even when I used both of my hands, I couldn’t completely wrap my hand around his hand.
‘Or maybe my hands are just too small…’
I was feeling a bit awkward just holding his hand.
I started massaging it gently. I pressed on the rough, hard skin, ran my fingers along his, and applied slight pressure on certain points.
It felt strange.
Come to think of it, I could hardly remember holding someone’s hand like this, even in my previous life.
As a child, my mother’s hand was always holding someone else’s hand, and as an adult, I never had close enough relationships to hold hands with anyone.
And yet, holding the Grand Duke’s hand felt oddly natural.
‘Wait, why is he so quiet?’
I had expected him to grumble, but he hadn’t spoken for a while.
For someone experiencing physical contact like this for the first time, it must be…
Curious, I looked up.
The Grand Duke had turned his head away from me, as if trying to hide his face. But from where I sat, his expression was clearly visible.
I had been about to tease him, but I stopped.
His face was slightly distorted, looking as if he might cry at any moment. His chest rose and fell unevenly with shallow breaths.
I lowered my gaze, pretending not to notice.
Why did someone with such a strong body look so fragile?
Even breathing felt like it might disturb the moment. I simply held his hand in silence.
By the time I looked up again, he had fallen asleep. His eyelashes trembled slightly as he breathed steadily.
‘He looks just like a puppy when he sleeps.’
I carefully placed his now-warm hand back under the blanket and quietly left the room.
‘If this world is real, then the tragic past I once read in a few sentences has been his entire reality.’
It was undeniable that the Grand Duke was a character from the original novel.
But his feelings and thoughts were so clear that I kept forgetting.
‘I thought I could just treat him like a character in a game…’
Was I getting too immersed in this world?
Deep in thought, I walked down the hallway until I reached the central staircase.
That’s when I heard voices from below.
“So, you switched shifts again?”
“What else could I do? There was no one to watch the children.”
The maids were chatting in hushed tones.
I stopped at the edge of the stairs, staying out of sight.
“What was her excuse this time?”
“Her husband wrenched his ankle.”
“How?”
The first maid hesitated, then whispered something that made the other giggle.
“It looked like they were creating a romantic mood, and just as things got intense, the kids ran in.!”
“Oh my!”
“The poor guy jumped up in a panic, tripped on the bed, and twisted his ankle.”
More laughter followed.
It was just harmless gossip, but because I had hidden at first, stepping out now felt awkward. I panicked, thinking they might be talking about me.
‘Should I just go down now?’
My feet were getting cold from standing in the unlit corridor.
Just as I decided to move, another familiar voice joined in.
“What are you two doing here?”
It was one of the maids who cleaned my room in the mornings and evenings.
“Just taking a break.”
“You know you’re not supposed to be here after dark.”
“I was just standing around. Why make a fuss?”
“The head butler said no one should be near the central staircase at night.”
“Ugh, so strict.”
“What about you? Why are you here?”
“There’s no warm water in Lady B’s room.”
“I was just bringing some.”
“…Wait, this water is cold.”
“It was warm when I got it. The night air must’ve cooled it.”
“Go reheat it.”
“Ugh, I’m not your servant.”
“It’s your job today.”
“Whatever! I already delivered it, okay?”
“Lady B won’t even notice. Just leave it.”
With that, the two maids walked off, still grumbling. The last one sighed and followed shortly after.
‘People who follow the rules always end up disliked, no matter where they are.’
Their behavior was annoying, but it wasn’t my place to interfere.
‘It’s not like they committed a crime.’
I waited a bit longer before heading back to my room. But strangely, the sitting area was empty.
It wasn’t until some time later that the last maid arrived with the water.
‘Did she really go back to heat it up?’
I grew curious about this diligent maid.
“Can you pour me a glass?”
She placed the teapot and cup on the table, then poured a drink. I took a sip.
The water was warm.
She had actually gone through the trouble of reheating it.
‘Going to the kitchen at this hour must’ve been a hassle.’
The Grand Duke’s house was kinder to servants than my old home.And since the maids knew I wasn’t strict, most of them took shortcuts.
Yet, this maid had done the right thing, even when no one was watching.
I had lived comfortably even in a shabby one-room apartment, so this wasn’t particularly inconvenient for me.
‘Still, when this maid was in charge, the room was definitely tidier.’
The maid stood expressionless, waiting for me to return the cup.
She had brown hair with small freckles on her face. Her nose was a bit blunt, but her eyes were sharp.
However, she didn’t seem like someone with big ambitions. She didn’t look like she was trying to impress me, either.
It just seemed like she wasn’t the type to deceive herself.
‘She seems like a tough person… kind of like me.’
“What’s your name?”
The maid, who had been standing lifelessly, hesitated for a moment, as if afraid she was about to be scolded, then finally answered.
“Leta.”
“The water is warm, so it’s nice to drink. Thank you.”
Her eyes widened slightly, as if she wasn’t sure how to respond. She searched for words but ended up simply bowing her head and taking the cup.
At the marquis’ house, the maids had always been cold, so I never even considered trying to get close to them.
The servants here weren’t particularly friendly either, so I tried not to talk to them much. If I acted too familiar and they talked badly about me behind my back, it would only hurt my feelings.
But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to at least know their names.
After finishing tidying up the room, Leta left, and I jumped onto the bed.
Maybe because the day felt too long, or maybe because I had nothing to do, I found myself thinking more than usual since coming here.
‘Maybe I’m just the type who needs to work.’
At least I had the duke as my ‘task’ for now.
Thinking that was a relief, I drifted off to sleep.
