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Chapter 5 …
“Ah, seriously. Stop joking around. I’m sick of jokes now.”
Her prank actually made me laugh for the first time in a while.
Well, maids are human too, so it’s natural they might lie about something like this.
There’s no way he could be a Grand Duke.
They clearly said Grand Duke Sculrus was a gentle and benevolent man.
No way someone that insane could be him.
If he really were the Grand Duke, I’d bet my life on it.
“……”
But her eyes were firm and unwavering, as if to tell me that it was the truth.
Thud—
The shawl draped over her frail shoulders slipped off like a falling leaf.
Her lips twitched ever so slightly, betraying her composure.
She shook her head in disbelief.
“Lies…”
Her thin arms trembled like dry branches swaying in the wind.
Sensing something was wrong, Jane slowly approached her.
“Are you alright, My Lady?”
“Tell me it’s a lie…”
Ah, God really isn’t fair.
If You’ve given me a miserable life twice, shouldn’t You at least allow me one taste of happiness?
I thought I could live happily with Aiden for the rest of my life… but now I’ve fallen into the abyss again.
“My Lady, it truly is the Grand Duke. And this is his mansion.”
Jane furrowed her brow with concern.
She placed a hand on Elena’s forehead to check for fever.
“You seem fine. I think you should rest for now.”
Tap—
“P-Please, let me leave this place.”
Snapping back to her senses, Elena grabbed Jane’s hand and pleaded.
Even though it looked like rain would pour any minute outside, she didn’t care.
She had to escape from that madman.
“I’ll pay you. I swear. I have to get out of here. Please… please.”
“My Lady…”
Jane gave her a pained, helpless look.
“I won’t say it was you. Just… just tell me a way out, okay?”
She was crying and begging like a child, her body leaning forward until her knees touched the floor.
Jane sighed and crouched down in the corridor to meet her gaze.
“My Lady, please calm down. Why don’t you have some warm tea in your room?”
“No, no… I have to get out of here…”
If she stayed, she’d end up marrying that lunatic.
She’d rather starve to death than live under the same roof as him.
“My Lady…”
“Please, Jane… I’ll reward you however you want.”
Jane looked troubled, then gently placed her hands on Elena’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry, My Lady. There’s nothing I can do.”
“……”
Is this what it feels like when the world collapses?
Reaching out from a cliff’s edge, but no one is there to grab your hand.
Like being forced to climb a steep cliff all alone.
“Come now, let’s get you to your room.”
“……”
Jane was surprisingly strong, easily lifting Elena’s limp body off the floor.
The way she said it made Elena feel like she’d just received a death sentence.
Creak—
The room she was dragged into was far larger than the orphanage she’d grown up in.
It was decorated meticulously, as though prepared for an esteemed guest.
Sunlight streamed in through the large windows, filling the room with dazzling light. A soft breeze carried the scent of spring.
There was a massive bed so large she could roll around and never reach the end, shelves filled with hundreds of books, and a solid wooden desk.
A grand ceiling mural, and a canopy that cascaded down over the bed — the entire room looked like it belonged to a princess.
“What is all this…”
“This will be your room from now on, My Lady.”
The breeze through the window made Jane’s short hair flutter prettily.
Her gentle smile was like warm sunlight.
“I’ll brew some tea. Please have a seat for a moment.”
Jane helped Elena into a chair, almost like playing with a doll.
“When… did you prepare all this?”
“We’ve been preparing since the moment we heard you’d arrive, My Lady.”
Jane placed tea leaves into the pot and poured in hot water.
A foreign, exotic fragrance quickly filled the table area.
Since her arrival, they had prepared this much for her?
How in such a short time?
“I still don’t understand…”
How had she survived in that dark room for a week?
Why was she now sitting here drinking tea?
And why, of all people, was he the Grand Duke?
It all felt like a dream.
“Why did he bring me here…?”
“Because you’re special, My Lady.”
Jane carried the tray with the teapot and cups to the tea table.
Her casual, sugar-coated answer irritated Elena.
“Why is everyone saying things I can’t understand?”
“You’ll find out in time, My Lady.”
Jane smiled sweetly, the corners of her lips curling upward.
Elena sighed helplessly.
“I have a question.”
“Yes, anything.”
“The man who was with me… Aiden. What happened to him?”
Aiden had been captured by the slave traders with her and locked in the brig of a sailing ship.
They had held hands the entire time, but were separated during the auction.
She wondered if he was okay, or if something terrible had happened.
She at least wanted some news.
“My Lady, I’m just a mere maid.”
Jane met her eyes softly and held her hand.
Her warmth flowed into Elena’s fingers.
But Jane’s silence only made her resent her more.
Well, it’s not like a lowly maid could know much about him anyway.
Her life would be at risk too.
Still, there had to be a reason.
Why would they bring a worthless slave all the way to the Grand Duke’s mansion?
“…Right.”
If she wanted to escape, she first needed to get close to the people here.
Getting closer could only help.
She also needed more information.
Her years as a gypsy meant she only knew passing gossip about this land.
Even if she escaped the mansion, she’d be caught quickly. She needed to get out of the Duchy of Ardeo entirely.
Decarus… he was not someone to underestimate.
“Here, this is Kanna Tea imported from the Canary Empire. The aroma and taste are both exquisite.”
The white porcelain teacup before her was decorated inside with gold laurel leaf patterns.
The handle was fully gilded, giving it an elegant look.
“Thank you.”
She carefully lifted the cup and inhaled. A scent she had never encountered before wafted up.
“This scent…”
“Lovely, isn’t it? His Grace personally prepared it for you. It was very difficult to procure.”
At the mention of the Grand Duke, she quickly set the cup back down.
It felt like she was walking on clouds — none of this seemed real.
“My Lady, is the tea not to your liking?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
If he really was the Grand Duke… what should she do from now on?
She remembered the time she spat on him and cursed at him.
Ah. So the man she mocked as a madman wasn’t some random guy — it was the real Grand Duke.
“Ha… I must’ve been crazy.”
“Pardon?”
“No, nothing…”
Elena leaned back into the plush chair and looked around.
Every piece of furniture and decoration reeked of wealth — and it was all for one person: her.
“Is he… trying to seduce me before devouring me?”
“Pfft—”
Jane laughed softly, and Elena gave her a puzzled look.
“Why are you laughing?”
“My Lady, you really do say the most amusing things.”
Jane covered her mouth and laughed gracefully.
Her soft, light-brown hair fluttered gently.
She was probably the most elegant woman Elena had ever seen.
“Jane… why are you working as a maid? You could do something else.”
Jane widened her eyes and met Elena’s gaze.
“To serve someone as lovely as you, My Lady.”
Her round eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
Embarrassed by the compliment, Elena blushed and lowered her head.
Jane beamed brightly.
“My Lady Elena. It is truly an honor to serve you.”
“Stop saying things like that…”
Even if they were empty flattery, she didn’t want to hear such excessive praise.
She hung her head gloomily. Jane approached and clasped her hands.
Jane’s pretty, light-brown eyes met hers with intensity.
“You are precious, My Lady. More than anything else.”
“What…”
Jane’s words left Elena uneasy.
Why did everyone keep calling her special?
Why would someone spend tens of millions of luna on a worthless drifter?
Why give a gypsy such a fine room?
All the questions that had been swirling in her head flashed by like a lantern slide.
“You… You know something, don’t you? Otherwise—!”
“Shhh.”
Jane raised a finger to Elena’s lips.
“This is as much as you’re allowed to know, My Lady. Please, don’t be upset.”
“Jane!”
Creak—
Jane left through the large door, closing it behind her, leaving only unanswered questions.
There was so much more Elena wanted to ask, but Jane didn’t seem willing to say more.
“What on earth…”
Night fell after the afternoon passed.
The chirping sparrows were replaced by hooting owls.
Elena spent the entire time trapped in the room, unable to step out even once.
She watched servants pass by the windows or skimmed through thick books she couldn’t even read.
Time crawled by painfully slow — prison might’ve been more bearable.
Then, after what felt like forever—
Knock, knock—
Hearing the knock, Elena’s face lit up.
“Who is it? Come in!”
She rushed to the door, her heart pounding.
It probably took her less than two seconds to reach it from the bed.
Was it Jane? Or another maid bringing snacks?
Creak—
“You were waiting, weren’t you?”
“You…”
The person who entered was none other than him.
Her smile froze instantly.
Seeing him sent a wave of tension through her body, making her feel nauseous.
“Why are you here…”
