🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 08
The Method of Winning Over the Duke Changes
I stared straight ahead, feeling utterly deflated. The red-haired man was energetically waving one hand.
“Uh? Milady! We meet again!”
I looked at him blankly but reluctantly gave a small wave in return.
Today, the sky was a little brighter than yesterday, with the sun shining slightly more and the moon slightly dimmer.
I had just stepped out in front of the main gate, sneaking down the empty corridor like yesterday, backpack firmly strapped on.
But why was the Duke and his men standing there again?
“Milady! Have you come out to see us off again today?”
The red-haired knight approached me with a delighted expression. I now knew his name: Bart.
Yan wasn’t here today. Instead, Krisi, who stood next to Bart, cheerfully acknowledged me.
“Milady! You haven’t forgotten my name, right? I’m Krisi!”
“Milady! I’m Bart. Bart!”
“Uh? What are you all doing! You’re going to startle our milady!”
A blue-haired man intervened amid the knights who were about to bicker loudly. Thankfully, he seemed intent on calming the others down.
“I’m Philen. Philen. I’m often around the mansion, so it’s easier if you remember my name.”
“No, Sir Philen! That’s unfair!”
…Honestly, I just wished everyone would be quiet.
“I see you again.”
A cold voice reached me. The Duke.
Meeting his gaze sent a shiver down my spine.
“Have you come to see me today as well?”
The Duke asked bluntly, his expression showing disbelief in anything I said. His suspicious gaze made cold sweat bead all over me.
At that moment, Philen stepped between us.
“My lord, you shouldn’t interrogate a young lady like that.”
‘Interrogation?’
I stared at Philen in disbelief.
The Duke glared at him with icy eyes. Judging by his silence, he seemed to think Philen wasn’t even worth responding to.
‘Hopefully he hasn’t noticed anything.’
“Excuse me, but could everyone please be quiet? Today, the lady walked over to me herself. She even greeted me first, you know?”
“Bart, don’t exaggerate.”
I grew anxious no matter how loudly they argued.
No one could find out the real reason I had come out at this hour.
“The lady came to see me. Even when she entered the mansion yesterday, she only waved at me.”
Krisi continued confidently. My earlier tension over his random remark seemed ridiculous in comparison.
‘…Did I really do that?’
Thinking back, it seemed I had deliberately glanced back at the Duke before entering the mansion to reassure him.
In any case, everything was wrong—I was misinterpreted.
“That’s not true!”
My words silenced everyone instantly. All eyes turned to me, full of questions.
It was as if they were asking, “Then why did you come out at this hour?”
With a conflicted heart, I put down my bag and fished out some cookies, approaching the Duke.
“What’s this?”
The Duke leaned slightly to meet my eyes. I held out the cookies to him and said,
“I… I made these for you, Duke…”
“Of course.”
The Duke accepted the cookies calmly. As he did, the other knights crowded around him.
“Milady, what about mine?”
“Milady, I like cookies too!”
“After all, nothing beats the daughter…”
I didn’t hear what the others said. Having had my precious cookies taken by the Duke a second time, I turned away weakly.
“I’ll be going now…”
Then the Duke’s voice reached me again.
“Krisi, make sure she gets to her room safely.”
“Yes, understood!”
Following the Duke’s instructions, a slender knight approached me.
“Shall I go with you, milady?”
His handsome face naturally inspired trust and admiration.
‘At any other time, I’d probably think the mansion chooses its knights based on looks.’
But I had no time for such thoughts.
‘Two days in a row, all my cookies wasted.’
That was the only thought floating in my mind.
That morning, Caylius woke early and headed to the Wisted Guild, which was managed by the Duke’s house.
The guild, organized by Caylius, included vassal families serving the Duke and merchants of commoner origin who had lived near Hesera.
The guild was established to efficiently manage Hesera’s resource production. Anyone with an appropriate proposal could call a meeting, regardless of status.
In theory, yes—but in practice, meetings were rarely called. Once convened, the Duke himself had to attend.
Naturally, the merchants were extremely careful not to fall out of the Duke’s favor.
Unlike them, however, Count Rife requested a meeting at dawn without a hint of concern for the Duke.
“So, Count Rife, what matter prompted this meeting?”
The Duke arrived and asked about the agenda in a detached tone. Rife cleared his throat before speaking.
“You may recall the last magic stone trade with the Kingdom of Balkandia. Upon checking, it seems the actual quantity traded differs from the recorded amount.”
The words carried an unusual weight. Others hid their anxiety as they awaited his next statement.
“If the quantity differs, the taxes owed will also change. That’s why I ask.”
Here we go again. The surrounding merchants swallowed nervously. In other words, this was another inquiry about tax evasion.
‘Again with the taxes.’
Even during the previous trade, this man had obsessively questioned every tax-related detail.
“Seems there’s some misunderstanding. I’ll have the related documents sent for your review.”
Caylius gestured to Philen, who recorded today’s additional tasks and replied,
“I’ll have them delivered today.”
“…I’d be grateful if you would.”
As Rife expected, the Duke’s house maintained separate ledgers. Philen’s meticulous nature ensured there was no risk of discovery.
Still, having someone repeatedly nitpicking taxes was tiresome.
‘Still just as bothersome.’
It was laughable that this meeting had been convened for that reason.
Well, if not for this meeting today, I wouldn’t have seen the girl sneaking out to the main gate at dawn.
Caylius suddenly recalled the cookies the girl had given him and took them out of his pocket.
Naturally, all eyes turned toward him. Most merchants already knew the Duke’s tastes or simple preferences.
So at that moment, everyone’s thoughts were the same:
‘Cookies? He hardly ever eats snacks outside mealtimes!’
The agenda of the day didn’t matter. For these astute merchants, information about the Duke was far more important.
Had the Duke’s tastes changed? Had his appetite changed?
This would be valuable information for selecting gifts for the Duke’s house this year.
“Duke, what is this?”
“Surely you don’t need to ask?”
“No, it’s just… didn’t he dislike sweets?”
“Indeed.”
“Then has his taste changed?”
“No, he still dislikes sweet things.”
“Oh, really?”
Then, was he going to throw the cookie away? A nearby merchant reached toward it.
“I’ll just clean this up for you…”
“Leave it. I’ll eat it.”
“Eh?”
The merchants’ minds were thrown into confusion. He still dislikes sweets… but he’s going to eat the cookie?
It couldn’t be called a non-sweet cookie—the chocolate chips embedded in it promised a rush of sweetness with just one bite.
‘Then what the heck is that!’
They wanted to ask more, but this was an official meeting. Asking unnecessary questions of the Duke was unwise.
However, another merchant couldn’t contain his curiosity.
“Then where did this cookie come from?”
Silence fell over the room. The other merchants looked at Baron Heda, who had asked, with sympathetic eyes.
Baron Heda was a young merchant who had recently joined the guild, so he could ask such a question without hesitation.
Of course, the others were equally curious. But the Duke, who strictly separated public and private matters, would normally frown upon such personal questions.
“From my daughter this morning.”
“The one you recently found…!”
“You’ve all heard, I’m sure. About my daughter.”
The merchants, long accustomed to tiptoeing around the Duke, immediately realized what to focus on.
“Of course! What wonderful news!”
“Yes, belated congratulations!”
“Truly a joyous occasion!”
As Caylius said, rumors had already spread that the Duke recently found his biological daughter.
The reason the merchants had not paid much attention to the rumors was simple: the Duke had never been seen with her.
Thus, people assumed:
‘Unlike the adopted sons, he doesn’t seem to dote on the daughter he found.’
The sons had shown remarkable abilities from a young age, whereas the newly found daughter was reportedly very ordinary.
Yet, the Duke’s current behavior was completely opposite to expectations.
Even with the commotion in the meeting, Caylius quietly sipped his tea. Observing him, Baron Ofrell, who had long dealt with the Duke’s house, cautiously remarked:
“It seems the young lady follows the Duke well.”
“Well, she adapted quickly enough.”
“Of course. Who wouldn’t, being of his bloodline?”
“That’s true.”
Caylius chuckled lightly at that.
Other merchants, not to be outdone, also began commenting about the Duke’s daughter, whom they had never seen.
“A cookie from your daughter… I’d feel full just looking at it.”
“She’s so young, yet the Duke gave her such a precious treat. He must be very fond of her.”
“The young lady must be exceptionally clever.”
The Duke, who had never batted an eye at flattery, now softened noticeably when speaking of his daughter.
Merchants’ minds began to race.
‘This year’s special gift goes to the young lady!’
‘What do little girls usually like?’
‘What toys do four-year-olds enjoy?!’
In that moment, without the Duke noticing, their target had shifted.
