TGDHC Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Do Whatever You Want

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“Cecilia, a Grand Duchess’s maid should have some decorum. Why are you opening your mouth like that?”

“Oh my, I think it’s less open than your Highness’s.”

“Ugh.”

I cleared my throat and closed my mouth.

In just a week, we had become much closer and were now casually exchanging jokes.

As I had admitted during our private conversation, Cecilia wasn’t particularly modest for a maid.

At first, I thought she’d be more reserved, but…

Once I realized she didn’t mind if I acted casually, Cecilia’s behavior quickly became more relaxed.

Sometimes, her clumsy maid-like actions made Whitley’s eyes twitch, but for me, it was refreshing to have a companion.

“Your Highness!”

I heard Leon’s voice, as usual, the first to spot and greet me.

“Your Highness, we greet you!”

Soon, several knights spotted me and greeted me loudly, one by one.

Just as I was smiling at the disciplined sight, I noticed a few knights leaning against the training ground stairs, glancing at me.

What’s with that cold atmosphere?

The knights, with expressions as harsh as bandits, all looked at me with discomfort.

Among them was one knight with beautiful blonde hair and a sharp, delicate face. His glare seemed like he was ready to strike me with his sword.

“That’s Tiern Bierri.”

Cecilia, who had been cheerful a moment ago, quickly lowered her voice and whispered.

“Is he the crazy dog of Blenheim?”

I recalled the warning Cecilia had given me when I was preparing the 9th Brigade’s handkerchief.

-“I heard the 9th Brigade takes on the toughest missions.”

 

-“So, they are the most skilled knights?”

 

-“It’s more accurate to say they are the roughest knights.”

 

According to Cecilia, the captain, Tiern, was the one to watch out for.

He looks nothing like what I expected.

His blonde hair, pale face, and sharp facial features. Maybe it was because the other knights looked like bandits, but his appearance was far more refined than I anticipated.

“Don’t be fooled by that face.”

Cecilia said with a furrowed brow.

“Don’t go near him. He’ll bite you, and it’ll be a big problem.”

What nonsense is she saying?

I was about to dismiss her warning and walk forward, but I stopped when I noticed Tiern gripping his sword tightly.

If the “crazy dog” were a small dog, it wouldn’t matter, but that knight’s build…

I glanced around subtly.

Thankfully, I saw Hedrick approaching from a distance.

“Hedrick!”

If he’s the crazy dog, I should call the one holding the leash.

I told Hedrick that I wanted to greet the 9th Brigade, and with a simple command, he quickly lined up the knights.

This might really be dangerous.

The knights, lined up under Hedrick’s watch, looked like they were ready to pounce, their eyes full of hostility.

I had heard from Cecilia that many members of the 9th Brigade had lost family members during the monster wars and probably didn’t have positive feelings toward me.

So, I had prepared myself mentally, but…

It’s been a while since I’ve felt this kind of raw hostility.

When I handed the bundle Cecilia gave me to give to Tiern, his face stiffened immediately.

He must have already heard about the “Grand Duchess’s gift.”

“Nice to meet you, Sir Tiern. I look forward to working with you.”

“…Thank you.”

Tiern stared at my hand with near contempt, but after receiving a disapproving glance from Hedrick, he reluctantly accepted the gift, muttering his thanks.

It’s fine. Whether I give it to them or not, they’ll just insult me the same way. I’ll give it and forget about it.

After possessing this body, I had made a few major resolutions.

The first was to never meddle in other people’s business.

I’ve already failed at that.

The second was to stop worrying about people who dislike me.

Since the moment the Marquis slapped me, I’ve resolved not to care about why people dislike me or how to make them like me.

Since I’m the villainess in this story, there will always be people who dislike me.

And if someone dislikes me without any reason, I’ve decided that I will dislike them right back.

This time, I’m determined to do everything I can to avoid getting hurt.

‘Congratulations on being chosen as the first target.’

I ignored Tiern, who was glaring at me as if to make sure I noticed, and calmly handed a gift to the next knight.

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I was on my way back after giving gifts to the knights of the 9th division, who were uncomfortable with it.

While crossing the garden, I saw the Grand Duke and Perel walking on the second-floor corridor.

“Oh? It’s the Grand Duke! Grand Duke!”

I waved my hand excitedly.

The Grand Duke, unsure how to respond upon seeing me, hesitated and waved back weakly.

Wow, he’s so cute!

Should I tease him a little?

“Wow! The handsomest Grand Duke in the Empire!”

The Grand Duke, who was about to give a modest greeting and move on, flinched at my loud voice, which echoed off the walls.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

Perel, standing behind him, seemed to be trying to suppress a smile, pressing his lips together.

Satisfied with his reaction, I shouted again.

“Grand Duke, your looks are so dazzling, I can’t even open my eyes!”

Once the Grand Duke realized he hadn’t misheard, his face turned bright red like a tomato.

‘Please, stop!’

The Grand Duke, looking embarrassed, tried to speak, but I could clearly see his lips moving even from far below.

Should I do it one more time? It’s too fun.

“Grand Duke! Did you know?”

The Grand Duke, who had desperately tried to signal me to stop, suddenly froze as he looked across the corridor.

“The Grand Duke’s castle doesn’t need any statues! Because…”

Before I could finish my sentence, the Grand Duke hurriedly grabbed the railing of the second-floor corridor with one hand and jumped over the edge.

“Grand Duke? What are you doing?”

Before I could stop him, he leapt down into the garden below.

“Ah!”

The Grand Duke landed lightly on his feet, and he seemed more startled by my scream than anything else.

“Were you scared?”

I gasped, pressing my chest.

“You can’t jump like that! I thought you were going to die!”

“I won’t die from jumping down from such a low place.”

The Grand Duke replied seriously, but then stopped walking as he got closer.

I noticed his gaze briefly scanning behind me.

‘Ah, right!’

“Cecilia, step back a bit.”

I quietly spoke to Cecilia, who was standing behind me.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Cecilia answered politely and stepped back with a considerable distance.

I had told Cecilia to stay far away when the Grand Duke was around because I was quite jealous.

It was a ridiculous excuse, but thanks to Norton, who had hinted at the Grand Duke’s “obsessive cleanliness,” Cecilia had followed my instructions without question.

Once I confirmed that Cecilia was far enough away, the Grand Duke approached me.

“You didn’t have to come all the way here. I was speaking loudly so you could hear me from far away.”

I gave a cheeky smile, and the Grand Duke responded with a wry smile.

“I’m sure it was heard across the Blenheim mountain range.”

Just then, I noticed the silhouettes of people passing by under the archway at the end of the second-floor corridor.

“If I had been any later, the administrators would have heard it too.”

Ah, so that’s why he jumped down so urgently.

Feeling embarrassed by my reckless actions, I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

“Are you on your way to a meeting?”

I had heard earlier that there was a meeting involving important families. But instead of answering, the Grand Duke just stared at me.

“Grand Duke?”

“Is something wrong?”

“What?”

“You look a little down.”

The Grand Duke tilted his head slightly, watching me carefully.

‘Wow, can a Sword Master read people’s feelings too?’

I marveled at the Grand Duke as I realized what happened after meeting with Tiern, since then I had been feeling a little off.

When I remained silent, the Grand Duke narrowed his eyes and looked at Cecilia, who was still standing far behind.

“Is there something wrong with the Grand Duchess?”

“Ah, well…”

Just then, I noticed Cecilia’s usual bold eyes shaking in panic.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

I smiled while pinching my nose.

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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •

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Advance chapters of this novel are available on my kofi channel

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