Episode 30

A Prickling Pain.

“Ouch.”

I opened my eyes to the prickling sensation on my fingertip.

As I regained my senses, I realized the sunlight streaming through the window was warming the room. I must have slept for quite a while.

“…….”

I was still holding the knife I had taken out yesterday. I had gripped it so tightly that the tip of my index finger was touching the blade.

The prickling sensation seemed to come from there.

“…Am I injuring myself too often?”

I muttered, lightly bringing the bleeding finger to my mouth. There was a faint metallic taste on my tongue. As expected, it was unpleasant.

Fortunately, it was just a shallow cut, and the bleeding stopped quickly. I set the knife aside on the desk.

I felt very stiff, having slept in such a crumpled position.

‘Why was I sleeping like this?’

And holding a weapon, no less.

I remembered running into the room almost in a panic yesterday.

I sat quietly and tried to piece together my memories.

Chris, who had smiled at Aria before leaving the Duke’s mansion.

‘Ah, that’s right.’

I must have come in here, overwhelmed by anxiety, and fallen asleep while thinking over various worries.

Sighing, I opened the door to find that the meal Maria had left was still there.

It had gone cold from being left out overnight, but it was clear that Maria had left it for me.

“Hmph.”

I left the meal and picked up only the cold coffee, closing the door behind me.

Sitting on the bed, I took a sip of the strong coffee with no sugar, and my mind began to clear. I thought quietly.

‘…Even if Chris likes Aria, it doesn’t matter.’

I had no right to tell him not to love Aria. That thought felt deeply wrong.

‘I need to find another way.’

A way for him to be happy even if he likes Aria.

And in that case, how to prevent Chris from suffering while also punishing the Duke’s household.

As I thought about this, the area near my chest continued to sting, but I ignored it.

“That’s right. That will work.”

Feeling a bit more awake, I was ready to get up. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

I expected it to be Maria, but when the door opened, a completely unfamiliar face peered in.

I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Who are you? I haven’t seen you before.”

“Miss, good morning.”

A young man with a somewhat clumsy demeanor bowed awkwardly. His movements were a bit awkward.

Noticing my continued confusion, the man added nervously.

“I’m the new head butler who just joined.”

Hearing that, I examined the man’s clothing.

The formal black suit was definitely something only the Reinhardt household’s head butlers wore. I tilted my head and continued.

“The head butler? Harold was supposed to be the Duke’s butler.”

“Well…”

The man lightly scratched his cheek and answered, looking uncomfortable.

“He disappeared suddenly.”

“Disappeared?”

“I heard he’s been missing for several days, leaving behind only a resignation letter.”

“I see.”

“I’m a distant relative of his.”

I almost smiled involuntarily.

‘Harold, that sly man.’

It seemed he had finally found the hidden artifact in the library.

‘No wonder he was so persistent in searching the library.’

I recalled Harold, who, while pretending to be engaged in other tasks, diligently searched the library every time I was there.

‘In the end, his eyes were probably almost bloodshot.’

He must have caught a crucial clue recently. By then, he had been neglecting his duties as the butler and frequently visiting the library.

And it seemed he had finally succeeded.

‘I suppose I should acknowledge his determination.’

Thanks to that, one of my goals had been achieved.

Preventing Harold from making a half-hearted accusation against the Duke’s household, ensuring that the artifact didn’t end up in Aria’s hands, and keeping the Duke’s household from clearing its name of treason.

Even the new head butler was satisfactory.

‘A hasty parachute, it seems.’

He looked inexperienced and clumsy at first glance. Despite having heard vague details about my position, he seemed unable to assert himself even in my presence.

‘The Duke’s household will have gaps from now on.’

The experienced butler, who had patched up various gaps, would now be replaced by someone less skilled.

It was truly perfect.

‘May you live happily, Harold.’

I was happy to wish Harold well, despite his greed and theft of the artifact. After all, I would benefit from it too, so wishing him some good fortune seemed fair.

‘Though he’ll likely spend his life hiding with the money.’

Rumors about the artifact hitting the market would surely shake the black market. Pursuit would follow immediately.

To prevent those rumors, the artifact would need to be sold very cautiously and carefully.

‘He’ll probably end up caught and punished for trying to sell it.’

That was no longer my concern. The rest was Harold’s responsibility.

I smiled gently at the young head butler and asked.

“By the way, what brings the head butler here?”

The butler blushed slightly at my smile and replied.

“The Duke is waiting for you.”

“The Duke? Why?”

It was a completely unexpected statement. I widened my eyes. The butler hesitated and continued.

“I was told that you are to have a meal together.”

“A meal? Oh, I see.”

I recalled the time I was returning by carriage from the ceremonial hall.

‘We’re family, yet we can’t even eat together! Even the servants don’t eat alone in their rooms like prisoners.’

That’s what I had argued, trying to gather information during meal times.

I couldn’t act immediately due to the formal probation upon returning. It seemed they were going to start allowing it from today.

Looking at the clock, it was just the right time for breakfast to start.

“Tell them I’ll be down shortly.”

‘Even so, for the Duke to summon me first.’

It was an unexpected call.

What I had in mind was me naturally joining the meal without anyone inviting me.

‘The Duke must be in a particularly good mood right now.’

Well, it made sense since he had introduced the Crown Prince to Aria yesterday.

The Crown Prince must have been instantly captivated by Aria. By now, they were probably having a delightful time together.

‘To the point where he can graciously accept an uninvited guest like me.’

The Duke probably intended to show me some leniency.

Thinking this, I quickly washed up and changed clothes. Having done it countless times, it didn’t take long.

Although, it was a bit tedious to choose something less extravagant and flashy. I thought I’d soon have to tell the Duke that I needed new dresses suitable for a grand duchess as an excuse.

I stepped out of my room, intending to head to the main dining room slowly.

Something felt different.

“It’s quiet.”

For some reason, the atmosphere within the Duke’s household felt subdued.

“This way, please.”

Following the new butler’s guidance, I looked around as I entered the dining room.

Then, I paused.

“…….”

The Duke, his face unusually red, was looking at Aria.

‘He looks more angry than happy.’

It was odd.

‘Especially the Duke, at Aria?’

Servi and Seth were maintaining a heavy silence. For some reason, Aria also looked on the verge of tears.

“Your Grace, Lady Mindia has arrived.”

The sound of my shoes clicking on the marble floor of the central dining room echoed with the butler’s announcement.

Four pairs of eyes simultaneously turned to me. It was a bit overwhelming.

The first to speak was Seth.

“You, you wretch…”

“Stop.”

The Duke cut off Seth’s words more quickly than I expected. I thought he’d let him insult me a bit, but it was surprising.

“Mindia.”

The next moment, the Duke addressed me, catching me off guard.

‘What’s going on?’

“Come and sit.”

Surprisingly, the Duke even offered me a seat. He spoke while suppressing his anger.

Seeing my face seemed to have sparked some new anger in him. The Duke often got angry at me, so there were too many things it could be.

As I pulled out a chair and sat down, the Duke spoke immediately.

“You came at the right time. You can explain.”

“Explain what?”

I looked at the Duke with an innocent expression, and Aria answered sadly.

“I just want to thank His Grace, Father.”

…As soon as I heard Aria’s words, I understood the situation.

“I don’t ask for much. I just want to see him again.”

I didn’t need a mirror to know what my expression looked like. It was probably the same as everyone else’s here.

Seth had his jaw dropped as if it might fall off, Servi couldn’t hide his pale face, and…

“…Aria.”

The Duke, trying to stay calm but beginning to sweat, his face ashen.

“I’ve never met someone so kind.”

I never thought I’d empathize with Aria. The problem was that it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

“What about the Crown Prince?”

“His eye color.”

“Yes. The Crown Prince’s blue eyes are renowned throughout the Empire…”

“No. His Grace the Grand Duke! How beautiful they are. Like lilacs, or violets… In some kingdoms, purple is the color of royalty. Maybe because His Grace has royal blood…”

“Aria!”

The Duke, now pale, whispered urgently.