After the awkward breakfast ended, I headed straight up the stairs toward the office.
Thankfully, Ian didn’t try to stop me as I practically fled upstairs.
‘If he had caught me this time, it would have been seriously uncomfortable.’
I hurried across the corridor, stepping into the office, and let out a long sigh.
“I never thought having a pile of work would be such a good excuse.”
Every time I found myself in an awkward situation with Ian, I’d use my workload as an excuse to slip away.
At this point, I was almost grateful for the tasks waiting for me.
“Well, let’s get back to it.”
To be honest, I was busy with tasks related to the speech and managing affairs within the duchy, but the real reason I’d been holed up in the office lately was something else.
“Where did I leave that magnifying glass…?”
Muttering to myself, I rummaged around the desk and found the magnifying glass in the top drawer, placing it back on the desk. Then, I pulled out the notebook Eloise had left, which had been sitting on the floor.
Until recently, I had thought this was simply a book where Eloise had organized her tasks related to the duchy.
However, after hearing bits of information a few times, I couldn’t think of it that way anymore.
“I’m sure I saw it in this book, a memo.”
Though I had only glanced at it briefly, I had definitely seen some handwriting that seemed like Eloise’s.
It had said something like “this book was written by someone.”
With that in mind, I had been searching through this massive book Eloise left, determined to find something. I was sure that somewhere in this book was the reason I had been possessed by Eloise’s body.
And that led me to consider another possibility.
‘If it wasn’t just by chance that I was possessed in this world, and if Eloise had something to do with it…’
Just as I had been brought into this world without any warning, I might be sent back just as suddenly.
‘I never actually confirmed whether the me in the other world is really dead.’
If that were the case, then I could disappear at any moment, without my own will.
That thought alone made a heavy feeling settle in my chest.
I flinched, shaking my head.
‘Why am I even getting sentimental?’
I patted my cheeks and grabbed the magnifying glass again.
‘It never hurts to be prepared.’
But it was no easy task.
“…Where the heck is it?!”
I had been scouring the notebook from morning till night for three days straight, but the memo was nowhere to be found.
The book was so thick it could practically fit in my hand, and the handwriting I saw that day had been so small and faint it was nearly illegible.
On top of that, Eloise’s handwriting was neat and tiny, leaving the notebook filled to the brim with words. It sometimes took me over 30 minutes just to go through a single page.
“Sigh… I really hope I find something today.”
At this rate, I’d ruin my eyesight before I ever found that memo.
With a deep sigh, I adjusted the magnifying glass and began flipping through the pages again.
How many pages had I gone through?
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
At the sound of a knock, I lifted my head and answered. Vivi peeked her head through the door.
“Madam, did I interrupt your work?”
“No, it’s fine. What is it?”
I was starting to feel like my head would explode, so the timing was actually perfect. Closing the book, I answered calmly, and Vivi quickly approached with a tray in hand.
“A letter arrived.”
“A letter? Is there another party hosted by some noble?”
It had been a week since the princess’s birthday celebration, and a few amusing things had happened in that time.
First, the Aria Gazette had published another issue, this time featuring a story about the duke. They wrote about how the duke and duchess had danced gracefully together, how their gazes were filled with affection, and how the emperor had appointed the duchess as an envoy to the Nomos Empire. They also mentioned that the two would be visiting Biblos Academy.
As expected of Kyle the Gossip, the writing in this column was as extravagant as ever.
For the record, I didn’t interfere this time. He seemed quite excited, as he had found a legal way to report on events within the royal family. Or maybe he was just trying to curry favor with me.
In any case, ever since that issue was published, I had been bombarded with invitations. Letters filled with long, flowery pleas to invite me to every party, big or small.
Nobles who had been friendly after the season’s parties and even those who had scoffed at the idea of Ian and me being a real couple now seemed desperate to invite me.
The reason was obvious.
Our relationship had visibly improved, the mischievous princess, known as the royal family’s troublemaker, had grown friendly with me, and with my upcoming envoy mission to the Nomos Empire, it was clear I had earned the emperor’s favor. They were all scrambling to align themselves with me.
‘This whole thing has gotten way bigger than I expected…’
At this point, it felt less like I was trying to fix anything and more like I was swept up in a huge current.
‘Anyway…’
Putting aside the fact that the situation was more complicated than I anticipated, watching the ever-shifting reactions of the nobles was quite amusing.
Those who had once treated me like a ghost were now changing their attitudes as quickly as flipping a coin, all because I stood out at the birthday celebration.
But I neither had the desire nor the time to entertain them, so I simply observed from afar.
“If it’s another invitation from a noble, just set it over there. Unfortunately, I’ll be too busy with the Nomos Empire affairs to attend anything for the time being.”
However, Vivi shook her head, as if to indicate I was wrong this time.
“It’s not an invitation. The sender is… Lady Mary, the daughter of Marquis Merry.”
“What?”
I stopped my dismissive wave mid-motion, my eyes widening.
“Do you mean Lady Mary Merry, the daughter of Marquis Merry?”
“Yes, the one who stopped by Zed’s boutique recently.”
“Hmm.”
I nodded and held out my hand.
“Let me see it.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Vivi respectfully handed me the tray with the letter. I used the letter opener nearby to open the envelope and check its contents.
“Hm…”
As Vivi had said, it wasn’t an invitation. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
The letter contained a request from Mary Merry, asking if she could visit the duchy to discuss something important with me.
At the same time, I recalled her face from the princess’s birthday celebration.
‘She did seem like she had something to say to me.’
I remember noticing her lips twitching as if she wanted to speak.
It seems she wasn’t able to say what she wanted that day and was now seeking to continue the conversation here at the duchy. This likely wasn’t just idle gossip.
If my guess was right, the reason she secretly contacted Zed’s boutique was likely to create a pretext to reach out to me.
‘For a delicate sixteen-year-old to go out of her way to find me…’
I couldn’t quite figure out her reason, but it didn’t seem like a bad sign.
‘I was planning to meet with the Merry Marquisate anyway.’
Although the Merry family was part of the emperor’s faction, they maintained a relatively moderate stance.
Their support for the emperor and the princess as the heir was mainly due to legitimacy, and they didn’t show any particular hostility toward the duke.
‘If Ian were to give up his claim to the throne and the Merry family backed him, it could change the entire dynamic.’
If I had to pick one family from the emperor’s faction to side with Ian, it would undoubtedly be the Merry family. Conveniently, the current Lady Mary was the precious daughter beloved by both Marquis and Marchioness Merry.
I pondered this for a moment before turning to Vivi.
“It seems Lady Mary has something important to discuss with me. I’ll need to send a reply, so please bring me some stationery—cream-colored, since that’s her favorite.”
“Yes, Madam!”
❖ ❖ ❖
I sent Lady Mary a letter, letting her know that I would be staying at the duchy until I left for the Nomos Empire, and she was welcome to visit anytime.
Exactly two days later, Lady Mary arrived at the duchy, accompanied by only one knight.
“Madam, Lady Mary has arrived. Should I escort her to the drawing room?”
“Yes, I’ll be down shortly.”
After sending Vivi off, I stood in front of the mirror, straightened my clothes, and headed to the drawing room on the first floor.
As I stepped inside, the first thing I saw was Mary, sitting by the large window drenched in summer sunlight, anxiously biting her lip.
“Lady Mary, it must have been a long journey. I hope it wasn’t too tiring.”
“O-oh, greetings, Your Grace the Duchess…”
Clearly nervous, Lady Mary trembled slightly as she greeted me. Once she saw me sit across from her, she cautiously sat down as well.
‘She’s already small, but hunching her shoulders like that makes her look even smaller.’
After observing her quietly for a moment, I spoke first.
“So, you wanted to see me for something?”
“Yes, Your Grace. The weather has been so refreshingly clear as we approach summer, and I thought it would be a good time to… inquire about your well-being…”
“We’ve done enough pleasantries. Let’s get to the point.”
Seeing her clutching her dress so tightly that it was wrinkling, I decided to cut her off. Lady Mary blinked in surprise and then hesitated as if debating what to say. After a moment of deliberation, she spoke in a quiet voice.
“Then, if you’ll allow me, I’ll get straight to it.”
She took a short, sharp breath.
“I heard that in two weeks, Your Grace will be visiting Biblos Academy.”
“That’s correct. His Majesty has graciously given me this great honor.”
I nodded calmly.
Meanwhile, Lady Mary nervously chewed on her lower lip before finally closing her eyes, as if making a decision.
“Then… would you be able to help my brother?”
♧♧♧
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