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Chapter 28
I frowned as our gazes tangled in midair.
“What the hell.”
How could he look at me — and not at my adorable little favorite, the very embodiment of the word “cute” (or should I say, “Fey”)?
While I was still reeling from the shock, the duke finally lowered his gaze.
Only then could I continue my explanation.
“You just place the seeds on the sprouting cotton and sprinkle some water on top. After that, you have to make sure the cotton doesn’t dry out until the sprouts appear. Once they do, we’ll move them to the soil.”
“Waaah! So you don’t plant them straight into the ground?”
“You can, but this way, more of them sprout successfully.”
As I busied my hands to demonstrate, my mind was in chaos.
“Haven’t we made eye contact at least four times already?”
And not just today.
I’d started noticing it three days ago —
we’d been locking eyes more and more often, especially after I became aware of it.
It was… unsettling.
“I wanna try too!”
Watching me closely, my beloved little one reached out eagerly.
“Sure. Fey, you try this time.”
Mimicking me, Fey carefully scattered the seeds across the cotton and sprayed until the fuzzy surface was fully soaked.
“I’m done! Now Uncle should try too!”
“Alright.”
Fey handed the sprayer to the duke.
Once he was finished, my precious little one stared expectantly down at the seeds.
“Auntie, Auntie! When will the sprouts grow?”
“After Fey sleeps for three nights?”
“Three nights? Should I go to bed now?”
“It’s not nighttime yet.”
Fey squinted up at the sun’s position.
It had barely been an hour since lunch — the sun still hung high in the sky.
“…When’s it gonna be night…”
I couldn’t help but smile softly as I pressed his chubby cheeks with my fingers.
“Don’t be too disappointed. If you keep being your usual busy self, the time will fly by before you know it.”
“Mmm! Then I’ll talk to the seeds! Plants grow faster if you say pretty things to them!”
Thankfully, his spirits lifted right away.
“Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard that!”
“I saw it in a storybook!”
So it was one of those fairy-tale morals.
Soon he began chattering to the seeds.
“Hi, seeds! I’m Fey! You guys are so tiny and pretty! Cute and super cool too!”
Tiny, pretty, cute, and cool.
That’s literally just a self-introduction.
After a while, when he ran out of compliments, he turned to the duke.
“Now it’s Uncle’s turn! Say something nice to the seeds!”
The duke, who was practically allergic to compliments, looked troubled.
“…Grow well.”
“That’s your best try?”
“You’re… handsome and pretty.”
Pfft.
I barely stopped myself from bursting out laughing.
If I laughed now, I’d get a cold glare for sure.
Still, it’s a good sign.
He still couldn’t start a conversation easily, but at least now, when given a chance, he managed a reply like that.
I steadied my breath and decided to join in on the praise session.
“Hello, little seeds. Fey really wants to see you soon, so please grow quickly. I’m sure you’ll bloom beautifully.”
Though not as beautifully as my favorite one here.
“We all hope you grow up healthy and strong, so please sprout safely.”
When I finished, I looked up to see their reactions.
The moment my eyes met the duke’s, my shoulders twitched.
“…”
Unlike Fey, who had been watching the seeds before glancing up at me, the duke hadn’t moved a muscle —
as if he’d been watching me the entire time.
“…Is that really just a coincidence?”
I swallowed hard.
After several confusing days, I finally became certain.
The duke watching me wasn’t a coincidence.
Tracing it back, it probably started around the Founding Festival —
he’d been watching me ever since.
And the reason was painfully clear.
“The magicians and the bishop couldn’t find anything strange about me, so now he’s decided to keep an eye on me himself.”
If it had been any other handsome man acting that way, I might’ve wondered, “Does he like me?” —
but this was the duke.
We’d spent nearly a month where every attempt at conversation hit a wall of silence.
Just when I thought we’d grown a little closer, I realized it was only my imagination.
Then came the days when he’d frown or blush as if even looking at me annoyed him.
With all that burned into my memory, I wasn’t foolish enough to ask something like,
“Don’t tell me you like me?”
“Is it even possible to get close to the duke?”
I groaned softly.
Even the bishop hadn’t sensed anything strange about me, yet the duke’s suspicion hadn’t faded at all.
“Seriously, how much does he hate me?”
Ugh.
Everything so far pointed more toward impossible than possible when it came to befriending him.
“There are still three years left, so maybe it’s too early to despair…”
But I couldn’t rely only on time to fix things.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, nothing changes.
“And this novel doesn’t have any sort of ‘regression’ mechanic.”
If I got too complacent, I might end up stuck with no way to fix anything.
“I should start thinking of other ways — not just getting close to him, but maybe building trust differently, or even using someone else to help.”
Just then, Sally entered the room.
“My lady, a letter has arrived — from the Imperial Palace!”
It wasn’t every day you held a royal letter in your hands.
Sally cradled the gold-and-crimson envelope reverently, as if it were a sacred artifact.
“The Palace? Ah — from Her Majesty the Empress, then.”
I carefully broke the seal and read the contents.
“What does it say?”
“She wants to have tea together soon. She’s asking me to let her know when I’m available.”
We’d spoken briefly about it during the festival, but I hadn’t expected the invitation so soon.
I’d better send a reply.
“Sally, could you prepare the things I’ll need to write a response?”
“Of course! I actually brought them just in case!”
“That’s my capable maid.”
I praised her foresight and sat down at the desk.
Sally placed fine stationery and a quill before me.
When I handed her the finished reply, her eyes were practically blazing.
“…When the day comes, I’ll make sure you’re dressed perfectly, my lady.”
Remembering how Sally and the maids had gone wild over my outfit for the last banquet, a chill ran down my spine.
“Go easy on me, okay?”
“Yes, my lady!”
She only looked more fired up.
After lunch, I got ready to head to the Imperial Palace.
“My lady, you’re on your way to the palace?”
“Yes. I’ll be back around evening.”
“Have a pleasant visit.”
Greg, whom I met along the way, bowed politely.
“See you at dinner, then.”
When I reached the carriage, the butler and my favorite were waiting to see me off.
I climbed in first, and Sally followed after I gave her permission.
The carriage rolled smoothly forward. Sally glanced out the window at the retreating manor.
“Come to think of it, the duke must be very busy these days. I thought he’d come to see you off, like the butler and young master did.”
Her tone carried a hint of surprise.
Since she believed the duke and I were in love, his absence must’ve seemed odd.
For me, though, his showing up would’ve been the surprise of the century.
“It’s not like I’m going with Fey — there’s no reason for him to come out.”
…Wait.
“Did I tell him I was going to the palace?”
A strange thought flickered through my mind.
Maybe I had? Maybe I hadn’t?
“I must have. Surely I did.”
I’d told Dion, Greg, and Fey — surely I’d mentioned it to the duke too.
Even if I hadn’t, someone else must have.
Still, the faint sense of wrongness kept poking at my mind, irritatingly persistent.
I pushed the thought aside.
By the time I finished mulling over random worries, we’d arrived at the Imperial Palace.
Following the head maid of the Empress’s Palace through the garden, I soon spotted the Empress — a familiar face from the Founding Festival.
“Welcome, Duchess. Welcome to the Rose Palace.”
She was as elegant and graceful as before.
“Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty.”
“Please, have a seat. I simply wished to chat with you.”
Even her gestures were flawless —
as if she had been born to be an empress.
“I hope you don’t find this meeting uncomfortable. After all, the Kailluma Empire and the Igaluk Duchy share a long friendship, do we not?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Of course.”
The House of Kailluma and the Duchy of Igaluk —
she was referring to the long-standing bond between the imperial and ducal families, hinting that she wished to continue that goodwill.
I smiled gently, letting her see that I shared her sentiment.
“This tea is newly imported from the Eastern Continent. Do you find it to your taste?”
“Yes, especially the aftertaste — it’s delightful.”
“I agree. The charm of this tea lies in that refreshing finish.”
The Empress lifted her teacup elegantly. Her every movement was artful.
“The capital must still feel unfamiliar to you, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, a little, Your Majesty.”
I nodded honestly.
“I wonder, then — do you think our empire seems like a good place to live?”
She must have been referring to the fact that the Emperor, Empress, and Bishop Sharnel all knew I had lost my memory.
“It’s a wonderful country. I once went to the market with Fey, and everyone seemed so lively and full of energy. That kind of vitality doesn’t come from nowhere.”
“Truly?”
A pleased smile curved the Empress’s lips.
Her affection for this empire was clear as day.
“I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty,”
At that moment, a palace maid approached the Empress, looking uneasy.
