Chapter 55
｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Divine ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
I quietly observed Vanier.
Though she wasn’t dressed like the other servants, she wore clothes with an apron attached.
‘That means she has to retrieve things frequently.’
In other words, she served someone nearby.
‘Considering she came out of the Duke’s room and back again, she must be someone close to the Duke…’
Even though I was the Duke’s granddaughter in name, I was hardly treated as family.
And if I recklessly got angry without knowing exactly who she was, it could backfire on me.
“Milady, please forgive my rudeness…”
Moreover, getting angry in front of a rattle like this would only worsen my image.
‘She seems to have calculated this.’
She was the type to act weak with her small stature and overly apologize to kick the other down. I was almost impressed.
But social interactions were a long game.
If you reveal your hand too soon, you essentially give away your advantage.
‘So, it’s better to take a step back for now.’
I smiled carefreely and said,
“It’s fine, it happens. Don’t worry about it.”
“…What?”
Vanier, who was still cowering, lifted her head to look at me when I spoke kindly on purpose.
She seemed surprised by the kind response, expecting me to throw a fit instead.
Regardless, I turned to the butler and asked,
“Where is my room?”
“Ah, it’s on the second floor. I can show you the way…”
“It’s okay, I know you’re busy. I can find my way up myself.”
When I shook my head, the butler looked troubled.
It wasn’t proper etiquette to let a guest go to their room alone without any servants.
Suddenly, I looked at Vanier as if I had just thought of something.
“Ah, if you don’t mind, could you help guide me?”
“…Are you talking to me?”
Vanier’s eyes widened at my question.
“Yes. I’d like you to show me around the estate.”
“But I…”
Vanier hesitated.
It wasn’t because she feared the infamous villainess Daphne…
‘She simply doesn’t want to attend to me.’
It was always uncomfortable and suffocating to be around a superior.
‘But I need some time to probe, don’t I?’
I smiled without backing down,
“You’re around my age and seem to know the estate well. That’s why I’m asking you.”
“Vanier, guide the lady to her room.”
“…Yes.”
At my request and the butler’s urging, Vanier reluctantly nodded.
“Then I’ll take my leave first. Excuse me.”
I held the hem of my skirt and bowed to the Duke.
The Duke faintly furrowed his brow but simply gazed at me without saying anything.
I smiled at him until the end and then left the office with Vanier.
“The luggage you brought… it should already be on the second floor.”
Vanier guided me with a strained expression.
“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”
“Uh…”
“Have you been working here for a long time?”
“Why do you ask?”
A look of wariness immediately appeared in her eyes. I waved my hand, indicating I meant no harm.
“Sorry, I was just…”
Then, I slowly trailed off.
“Unlike me… it seems you visit the Duke’s office often…”
I didn’t forget to lower my gaze to the floor with an uncertain look in my eyes.
Daphne may have been a villainess, but her beauty was on par with the heroine’s. Surely, this expression would suit her perfectly.
“Well… that’s true. There’s no one who serves the Duke better than me.”
As expected, the wariness disappeared, and a hint of pride seeped into Vanier’s voice.
This was my chance. I quickly but subtly asked the questions I was curious about.
“Then Vanier is always with the Duke, right?”
“You could say that. I try to stay by his side unless there are visitors. The Duke always seeks me out as well.”
“Wow, that’s amazing—”
I could see Vanier’s shoulders begin to puff up with pride as I gave a hollow compliment.
It seemed that while she might know many things, she didn’t understand the most important one.
‘There’s no such thing as a compliment without a reason.’
It meant someone was trying to dig something out of you. I chuckled and continued.
“You must hold a really important position.”
“An important position… Yes, I am. I’m the only one in the estate who can do it.”
Vanier spoke proudly. I could see the corners of her lips twitch twice, as if she was about to say something more.
A bite. I suppressed the urge to smile and asked, feigning surprise.
“Really? What kind of work do you do?”
“Well, it’s related to the Duke’s…”
At that moment, just as she was about to proudly spill the details, Vanier suddenly hesitated. It was a pity.
“Hmm. It’s a bit difficult to explain. Ah, here we are.”
Vanier stopped in front of a door.
Damn. I could’ve gotten more out of her. I cursed inwardly but still gave her a final smile.
“Thank you for showing me the way, Vanier.”
“Don’t mention it. If you’re curious about anything, feel free to ask anytime… It seems we’ll be seeing each other often.”
At Vanier’s words, the corners of my mouth twitched involuntarily.
I wouldn’t be leaving this estate until the annulment papers were signed, but…
‘It seems like she means something else.’
I stared at Vanier for a moment, then gave her a warm smile.
“Yes, let’s meet often.”
After all, you have to understand your enemy thoroughly to know how to attack.
Vanier chuckled softly and turned away at my response.
The room was impeccably clean, without a speck of dust.
‘So they knew about my visit in advance.’
But the Duke seemed to hear about my annulment for the first time today.
That left two possibilities. There was either a mistake in delivering the message, or…
‘It was intentional by someone.’
But the opponent was Duke Peregrine. Who would dare intercept a letter meant for the Duke?
Besides, the Duke was aware of my visit.
‘It’s unlikely that he only didn’t read the part about the annulment…’
As I thought about it, I suddenly paused.
‘…It’s not that the Duke didn’t read the letter.’
What if he couldn’t read it?
I recalled the Duke.
He had been frowning at me the entire time. It was the same when he looked at others too.
‘And Vanier, who said she’s always by the Duke’s side, wasn’t willing to say what her duties were.’
In addition…
“Personally… you say?”
For some reason, the butler had seemed puzzled when I mentioned that I had written the letter myself.
I had thought it was because he had nothing else to say about Daphne’s attempted suicide by poisoning.
But what if he really didn’t know?
“…”
While I was piecing the puzzle together, Sukia, who had been following behind me and arranging the furniture, lifted a table and asked.
“Milady, where should I put this?”
“Just leave it there for now. More importantly, Sukia, there’s something I’d like you to do…”
“…!”
Sukia’s eyes lit up with the gleam of capitalism as I spoke in a suggestive tone.
“What is it?”
I curled my lips into a sly smile as I looked at the eager Sukia.
“I’d like you to find out Duke Peregrine’s mealtimes and what’s on his menu.”
“Yes, understood! The Duke’s meal times… what?”
Sukia repeated blankly, her eyes seeming to ask what I meant, but I simply smiled back at her.
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That evening, in the Duke’s office.
Butler Harlan was delivering a report to Duke Peregrine.
Despite the long report, Duke Peregrine never once opened his eyes.
He simply leaned back in his chair, tapping his finger on the table.
The rhythmic sound was eerily similar to that of blood dripping onto the floor.
To an outsider, it might have seemed like an old man lost in thought, but…
The quiet, dense murderous intent surrounding him was far from that of a typical old man.
It was a matter of course. Chadan Peregrine was the very man who had transformed the Peregrine family, once known as the “Watchers of Evil”, into the “Agents of Evil”.
Furthermore, he had yet to pass on his title to his grown son, a testament to the fearsome authority he still held—something known across the empire.
So it was only natural that even Harlan, who had served him for years, nervously swallowed.
“An annulment, you say.”
The Duke muttered in a chilling voice, slowly lifting his eyelids. His green eyes, a symbol of the Peregrines, gleamed sharply.
“Does this seem likely to be true?”
“I…”
Harlan hesitated but then spoke honestly.
“…Yes, it appears to be true.”
Harlan was well aware of how much trouble Daphne had caused.
However, the green eyes that spoke of annulment did not seem to be lying.
In fact, her green eyes that were much like his Lord’s seemed to shine even more brightly than before.
“I see, so that’s how it is…”
The Duke murmured slowly, his tone seemingly accepting, yet filled with distrust.
It was no wonder. Daphne had been desperate to have Lord Evans, throwing tantrums and disregarding the notion that people cannot be possessed.
He had told her multiple times that her reckless behavior was unacceptable, but to no avail.
She had even tried to align herself with the temple, which the family had a strained relationship with, just to become “worthy” of him.
So it was only natural to be suspicious of Daphne suddenly wanting an annulment.
“Watch her closely. Her true intentions will eventually be revealed.”
The Duke muttered in a low voice.
At that moment, Vanier entered with a knock, her face adorned with a charming smile.
“Duke, the meal is ready.”
“And the servants?”
“They’ve all been dismissed.”
Only then did the Duke rise from his seat.
Vanier and the butler quickly approached to support him.
The Duke’s health had deteriorated significantly. His vision was dim, and his legs stiff as if they had become rigid.
It was a natural sign of aging, but he was the head of the Peregrine family. News of his condition could not be allowed to spread.
For this reason, Vanier was pleased. As a commoner, she would have never dreamed of holding this position.
That was why she prayed every day. She prayed that the Duke would become more and more ill.
‘So that I can serve him for as long as possible.’
Longer than even his own granddaughter.
Vanier’s lips curled into a sinister smile.
