TBULF 8

Lady Isidel was tall.
Her jet-black hair was elegantly twisted up, not a single strand allowed to fall loose—she was clearly someone with a rather obsessive sense of order.
Each of her steps was neat and precise, and her deep black eyes shone with an unusual intensity.
She looked as if…

‘She’s like Raphael!’

She resembled the man whose neatness made my heart race.

‘Seriously, seriously, seriously—she’s a perfect pass.’

Holding back my excitement, I stood up and bowed politely toward her.

“My name is Serentia Rosemary. I am soon to become the Grand Duchess—”

“I already know who you are. There’s no need to introduce yourself.”

She sat across from me, gazing at me with elegance.
Her cold expression and slightly irritated face made it obvious—she didn’t like me at all.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I cannot acknowledge you as the Grand Duchess.”

“I see.”

“I’ve heard all about your reputation. You haven’t proven a single ability even at the age of twenty. And your family as well, I…”

“I see, yes.”

“…And also, I heard about that. You’re planning to build my salon?”

“Ah…”

“Don’t talk nonsense. My salon must be built by the most promising architect. Not by someone like you, who is nothing more than an unknown born into a family with nothing but a flashy background. Understood?”

She began listing, one after another, all the reasons she disliked me—right to my face, and very quickly.

Meanwhile, I stared at her with a serious expression.

‘She’s talking too fast—I can’t understand anything.’

In my past life, I had been so mistreated by my family that I developed the skill of quickly filtering out insults directed at me.

So instead, I just focused on her face—how much she resembled Raphael.

‘They said Lady Isidel looks like Raphael… That head maid Melosi really has good eyes.’

They definitely looked alike, though in slightly different ways.
If my husband was a prickly yet adorable baby tiger, then my future aunt-in-law was like a prickly but lovable baby black panther.

My neck almost hurt from looking up at her, but I spoke seriously.

“That’s fine. But what kind of salon design do you want?”

“…What? Were you even listening to me?”

Not really.

‘It was probably insults. I can guess.’

Suppressing a smile, I covered my cheeks with both hands.

‘She really looks so much like him…’

I shyly answered,

“Yes, I listened.”

“Ha… honestly…”

“Oh, but you don’t have to tell me!”

As I smiled brightly, her expression turned colder.

“Right. I see you’ve already given up.”

I tilted my head slightly while looking at her.

‘In my past life, I constantly figured out what clients wanted.’

(At least when it came to buildings,) I could tell what kind of space someone desired just by watching the way they walked.

‘Their expression, the lighting, even the half-tired voice of the maid beside them…’

Everything came together piece by piece.

As I stared at her, my eyes suddenly widened.

“No matter what you bring, I won’t accept it.”

At her words, my eyes opened wide.

Then I declared seriously,

“Alright!”

“…What?”

“I just got a brilliant idea!”

My eyes sparkled with excitement.

But Lady Isidel looked at me with an annoyed expression.

“I’m not interested. Get out.”

…Did she just tell me to leave?

‘Why is she being so kind?’

Back in the Rosemary family, they would openly insult me, saying things like, ‘Why are you so slow like a grub? Why don’t you just get lost?’

‘Everyone here seems so nice.’

Feeling slightly touched, I sprang to my feet.

“Yes, goodbye—and may you live a long and healthy life!”

About ten minutes later, after Serentia had left.

Lady Isidel remained alone, deep in thought.

She had told the girl to leave—and she really left.
Without even looking back, and even wishing her a long life…

‘What was that? Was she mocking me? Or… did I just dream that?’

Lady Isidel always wore pitch-black clothing, like she was attending a funeral.
With just a single frown, people would immediately lower their heads.

Moreover, she was a powerful mage.
With an extraordinary mana core and an eccentric personality, she was someone anyone would fear.

And yet…

‘Why… is she not afraid of me?’

With faint confusion, Lady Isidel turned to her maid.

“Summarize what just happened.”

“Well…”

“Now.”

“The future Grand Duchess entered, stirred Your Ladyship’s emotions, and disappeared at the speed of light.”

“That is a very unsatisfactory summary.”

Lifting her teacup, she slightly furrowed her brow.

She had expected fear—but instead, the girl’s eyes had been so clear and bright.

“But,” she continued.

“Yes?”

“I do not like people whose heads are filled with nothing but flowers.”

“Ah… yes…”

Naturally so.
The North was a world of survival of the fittest.
Those who were only bright and cheerful would quickly fall and disappear.

“And besides,” the maid added carefully,
“You greatly favor capable individuals, my lady.”

“Exactly. That is why those who remain by my side are all capable.”

“Well… the future Grand Duchess might also be capable…”

“Yes. If that were the case, I might think more highly of her. There are no people who are both warm like sunlight and competent.”

“…That’s true.”

“But I’ve already reviewed her record. Last place in the architecture academy. Zero experience designing buildings for her family.”

“Ah…”

“As for this salon project, it’s probably just childish excitement. She’ll most likely bring something terribly crude. I don’t know how she persuaded Grand Duke Raphael, but judging from her recklessness, I can guess.”

“My lady…”

“A useless person being unnecessarily cheerful is nothing but a flaw.”

Seeing her firm stance, the maid realized—

Serentia’s harsh married life would likely begin soon.

‘I wonder what Lady Isidel is like when she gives her daughter-in-law a hard time?’

At that moment, on a garden bench,
I—Serentia—covered my mouth and chuckled softly.

‘Just looking at her face is enough to make me happy. It’ll be fun just being around her!’

And her personality too—

‘If she dislikes something, she says so. If she likes something, she says so. So straightforward.’

In my first life, I had no family.
In my second life, I clung to a family that was worse than none—and was only exploited.

I had always wondered what a normal, loving family was like…

‘A refreshing relationship like this, with such cute back-and-forth banter. I’m completely satisfied!’

Moreover, my conversation with her had given me a major inspiration.

And right now, to develop that inspiration…

I sat on a bench in front of the maids’ quarters, pretending to read a book.

“‘Why Did the Servant Look at the Lady?’—choosing that book shows you understand context well. Your reading comprehension must be excellent.”

Encouraged by the ridiculous praise of the AI squirrel—no, the divine squirrel—I puffed up with pride.

Through the upside-down book cover, I noticed the window of the maids’ quarters was open.

‘Looks like it’s about time to gather some information…’

Just then—

Ding dong, ding dong.

“Oh, I hear the chime. Where is it this time?”

“From the corridor?”

I heard the maids scattering in different directions.

I stood up and walked toward the outer wall of the old castle where the maids’ quarters were located.

The cold texture of the stone wall pressed against my palm.