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chapter 06
I leaned back deeply into the sofa and glanced sideways at the two people sitting opposite me, both clearly tense.
Flaming-red hair and matching red eyes. Their colors were strikingly vivid.
“They’d stand out wherever they go.”
Unlike Rieli, they had gentle, puppy-like faces with large, round eyes that made them look soft and youthful.
The two were identical twins—so alike they looked as if they had been stamped from the same mold.
However, one had her hair neatly braided, while the other tied hers into a round bun at the back, so at least I could tell them apart.
“If their hairstyles were the same too, I’d never be able to distinguish them.”
“Which one of you is Eva?”
Not knowing who was who, I asked.
The girl with the braid jumped in surprise and answered quickly.
“I-I’m Eva Tuna, my lady!”
“…I-I’m Sevani Tuna, my lady.”
“Right. Eva and… Sevani.”
Their names felt a little strange, but I decided it was probably just my imagination and moved on, clearing my throat lightly.
“Hmm, nice to meet you. As you probably already know, I’m Rieli Robert. I called you here because I want you two as my personal maids.”
Since I hadn’t summoned them for an interview but to hire them directly, I got straight to the point.
Their eyes widened dramatically.
“W-What?! Your personal maids?”
“Us?”
“Yes. You’ll just be following me around and helping with small errands.”
“But my lady… we haven’t worked in the ducal household for long. We don’t know much yet…”
“That’s fine. It’ll be simpler than working anywhere else. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
Eva and Sevani were similar not only in appearance but also in behavior.
When they got flustered, their pale cheeks turned pink at the same time.
It made them look like they’d put on blush, giving off an innocent, inexperienced charm.
They seemed genuinely happy at my offer, their eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement, admiration, and worry.
…Okay, maybe they were too excited.
To them, being a “personal maid” probably sounded professional and glamorous, but in my case, it really wasn’t anything special.
Their sparkling eyes felt strangely pressuring, so I looked away slightly and continued.
“You’ll start as my personal maids from tomorrow. Just come to this room in the morning. You don’t need to worry about me today—go get your handover from Amy and Karen. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, understood, my lady!”
“We’ll see you tomorrow, my lady.”
“Yeah, okay…”
They seemed like untouched, innocent girls. I had seen in their records that they came from a rural area, and their sincerity actually felt quite pleasant.
After sending them off to Amy and Karen, I collapsed onto the bed.
What is this? I haven’t even done anything yet, and it’s still morning, but I already feel exhausted. So lazy…
Knock, knock—
Just as I was about to fall asleep, someone urgently knocked on the door, making me jolt upright.
“Ah! Come in…”
“My lady!”
It was the head maid. She rushed into the room with a flustered expression, unusually disorganized.
“His Grace, the Grand Duke Canelowell, has arrived.”
…Who?
So suddenly?
I quickly searched my memory.
Canelowell… Grand Duke Canelowell…
Ah. He’s the one who later becomes Amon’s swordsmanship master.
This wasn’t supposed to be the time I met him yet. What was going on?
“A grand duke? Why would Grand Duke Canelowell suddenly come here?”
I asked in confusion.
The head maid kept her head lowered, eyes fixed on the floor.
“…He had a luncheon appointment scheduled with the lord today.”
“And?”
“After the meal with you, the lord went directly to inspect the territory. He was originally supposed to return this morning… but he has not come back yet.”
“What? Why is that old man… I mean, my father, still not back? It’s not even that far from here.”
We were staying at the Robert family mansion in the capital.
The Robert territory lay southwest of the capital, and directly west of it bordered the Canelowell Grand Duchy.
Both territories were relatively close to the capital.
The duke usually handled work at the imperial palace or the capital residence, but he occasionally went out to inspect the territory.
Apparently, this was one of those occasions.
“We are still investigating the reason. However, my lady, His Grace has already been waiting for quite some time.”
“How long has he been waiting?”
“About ten minutes… or a little more. I apologize for not reporting earlier, as we did not expect such a delay.”
“So you’re telling me I have to deal with him instead of my father?”
“…It seems you will have to meet the Grand Duke until the lord returns.”
If that’s the case, they should have informed me sooner.
I frowned slightly but didn’t say it out loud.
She probably trusted the duke would return soon.
Because of his absence, I, who had been resting peacefully, was the one suddenly burdened with responsibility.
Suppressing my rising irritation, I spoke.
“Well, there’s no choice. I’ll handle it for now. But what was the appointment about with my father? I should know before I go in.”
“They were to discuss the ownership shares of the mana stone mine recently discovered in the Aesit Mountain Range.”
“The Aesit Mountains… that’s near the border, right?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
I actually knew a little about that mana stone mine.
It was said to contain an enormous amount of mana stones—far exceeding any previously discovered mine.
It was one of the largest sources of income for the Robert territory in the original story.
Also, the Aesit Mountain Range served as the border between our territory and the Canelowell Grand Duchy.
The mana stone mine, discovered right on that boundary, was inconveniently located exactly on the border line.
From what I remembered in the original timeline, this negotiation had already happened long ago.
But the story didn’t go into much detail, so there wasn’t much useful information.
I grabbed a random shawl from the dressing room and draped it over my shoulders while speaking to the head maid, who still couldn’t lift her head.
“This isn’t something I can handle directly… but I can’t keep him waiting any longer. Where is he waiting? The second-floor reception room?”
“Yes, he is waiting in the reception room.”
“Let’s go down.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The head maid quickly opened the door for me. I strode forward, and she hurriedly followed.
As I headed toward the reception room, I tried to recall what I knew about Grand Duke Canelowell.
He had appeared as Amon’s swordsmanship master, and there had once been a side story from his perspective.
In the past timeline, a war of conquest broke out among several kingdoms, during which the previous grand duke—his father—died.
The current duke, then the heir, took his place in the war and achieved a decisive victory.
After that, he continued participating in battles, winning one after another, and became both revered and feared as a war hero throughout the empire.
But…
Knock, knock—
“Your Grace, Lady Robert has arrived.”
At the head maid’s announcement, a young man’s voice from inside granted permission.
She looked back at me, and I nodded. She opened the door.
“Please excuse us.”
As I entered the reception room, the first thing I saw was a man sitting on the sofa.
There were knights and attendants behind him, but I barely registered them.
All my attention was completely locked onto him.
He had black hair—the first I had seen since possessing this body.
His brows were the same dark shade, his eyes sharp and slightly upturned, his nose high and straight, his lips firmly closed in a well-shaped line, and his jawline sharply defined.
If one were to embody the words “handsome” or “beautiful,” it would probably be him.
For a moment, I even forgot why I was standing there.
Especially his eyes.
Deep blue eyes that felt like gazing into the depths of the sea.
It felt as if they were looking straight through me.
I quickly looked away before things got weird.
His broad shoulders and firm upper body came into view next.
Even through fully covered clothing, he had an overwhelming presence that pulled attention in, so I deliberately stopped my gaze from going any lower and exhaled quietly.
I hadn’t even realized I was holding my breath while observing him.
Yet the man didn’t react at all to my blatant staring.
After a moment of hesitation, I spoke.
“…It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am Rieli Robert, the eldest daughter of the Robert Ducal House. I am honored to receive you.”
“I am Arban Canelowell. The honor is mine, Lady.”
His voice was also good.
A low, calm voice that was pleasant to the ear.
Even as I forced a composed smile to steady my racing heart, my gaze refused to leave him.
I knew I was being obvious, but I couldn’t help it.
So this is what it feels like to be superficial about appearances…
A small wave of self-reproach passed through me, but I ignored it. Life is about timing—if not now, when would I ever see a face like this again?
As I was quietly admiring him, I suddenly noticed his left arm.
“Right… that arm…”
