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Chapter 5
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Lea had been awake since early morning, but she remained lying in bed.
“They’re finally here.”
She had been waiting quietly for someone to arrive, her eyes fixed on the door.
“Yes, come in.”
Click.
The door opened, and several women entered in a line.
The first to step forward spoke immediately.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Brina Abigail, the head maid.”
Head maids all look this strict, don’t they?
She looked strangely similar to the head maid back in the Mermaid Kingdom.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Lea.”
“Lady Lea, there’s no need to speak so formally.”
“I’ll introduce the maid who will attend to you personally, along with the housemaid responsible for your room.”
The head maid gave a graceful nod toward the women standing beside her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“My name is Britta Emily.”
“I’ll be serving you from now on. It’s an honor.”
“…!”
The moment Emily raised her head after bowing…
Lea almost cried out.
W-Why…
Why is Emily here?
She couldn’t understand.
That maid belonged to House Gwyn.
She had always remained at Delailu’s side.
Every single day she had brought Lea filthy food…
Yelled at her…
And struck her.
Lea was so shocked that she barely heard the introductions from the remaining servants.
“Then we’ll excuse ourselves.”
“We’ll return in ten minutes with breakfast.”
“Please make yourself comfortable.”
After everyone had finished introducing themselves, they quietly left the room.
The door closed.
Lea remained frozen.
“How…?”
“Why is she here?”
Even if Caspian and Delailu were engaged…
Sharing personal attendants between noble houses felt extremely strange.
Confused, she made up her mind.
First…
She had to find out why Delailu’s trusted maid was living in House Felix.
“So?”
Fresh from the training grounds, Caspian accepted a towel from Julius, who had returned early that morning from House Gwyn.
Sweat still glistened across the duke’s forehead after sparring with the Aldeno Knights before lunch.
Even the simple act of wiping away the sweat somehow looked striking.
Beneath his silk shirt, his broad chest still swelled from the recent workout.
“I expected as much.”
“They refused to accept the broken engagement.”
Julius walked beside him toward the mansion.
“The reason?”
“They said you must provide a legitimate justification.”
“And…”
“If the engagement is broken…”
“They warned that you’ll never be allowed inside the Temple of Wortanon again.”
“Just as I expected.”
Caspian brushed his damp black hair away from his forehead.
For years…
House Gwyn had kept him on a leash because of his weakness.
He had always known they would use it against him.
Too bad.
That leash was about to snap.
Now that he possessed an unexpected cure…
He no longer cared what House Gwyn tried.
“Oh.”
“Did I ask her to have lunch with me?”
Just as he entered the entrance hall…
He noticed Lea descending the staircase.
“No, Your Grace.”
“Lady Lea requested to come downstairs herself.”
“Really?”
He hadn’t expected her to willingly share a meal with him.
Especially considering the fear still visible in her eyes.
Does she want something?
She wore a plain dark-brown dress.
It didn’t suit her at all.
Its dull color clashed completely with her soft pastel-like appearance.
“If you’ve come to eat…”
“Then come.”
He spoke casually before walking toward the dining room.
After hesitating for a moment…
Lea quietly followed.
He’s terrifying…
If she wanted answers about Emily…
She first needed to become somewhat closer to Caspian.
Only then would moving freely around the estate become easier.
That was why she’d decided to eat lunch with him.
But…
The moment she saw him walking toward her from the far end of the hall…
Her mind had gone completely blank.
His overwhelming presence.
His massive frame.
His solid build.
Everything about him felt intimidating.
She had assumed all human men looked like that.
Yet the servants around him were comparatively slender.
Perhaps it was simply because she’d grown up surrounded only by graceful, lean mermen.
Through the opening of his shirt…
His broad chest looked as hard as carved stone.
The powerful rhythm of his breathing reminded her of a fish bursting with life.
She found herself unable to stop staring.
…Sigh.
She quietly took a deep breath.
She still wasn’t confident she could calmly eat across from him.
The moment she sat down…
The servants rapidly filled the table with dishes.
Seeing the food helped her steady herself.
During her imprisonment in House Gwyn…
She had survived on rock-hard bread capable of breaking teeth.
Vegetable scraps left over from the kitchen.
Or…
Some foul-tasting substance she never even identified.
If Marisa’s blessing hadn’t healed me…
I probably would’ve died long ago.
Fresh vegetables.
Properly prepared.
Not scraps.
Seeing them nearly brought tears to her eyes.
And the elegant presentation…
It reminded her of the meals she’d eaten as a princess.
Fortunately…
Merfolk also dined outside the water.
At least using cutlery wasn’t unfamiliar.
Hmm…?
Among the vegetables…
She noticed several thin pink slices.
Are these vegetables too?
She poked one curiously with her fork.
Then lifted it to smell it.
Across the table…
Caspian silently watched.
One eyebrow slowly rose.
She had happily eaten vegetables like a rabbit.
Now she was examining the meat as though she’d never seen such a thing before.
Seriously…
Nothing about this woman is ordinary.
In the end…
Lea quietly set down her fork.
She chose only the vegetables.
The mysterious pink food remained untouched.
“Why exactly do you need protection from House Gwyn?”
“Do you owe them some kind of debt?”
No matter how he thought about it…
An ordinary commoner shouldn’t have any connection with one of the empire’s highest-ranking noble families.
Especially House Gwyn.
One of only two ducal houses.
The family blessed by the Water Goddess Marisa.
Unless she’d committed some extraordinary offense…
Why would her life be in danger?
“…Because of my power.”
Caspian tilted his head slightly.
His eyes narrowed.
“House Gwyn…”
“No longer possesses the glory it once had.”
“What do you mean?”
“They can no longer freely wield the power of the Water Goddess Marisa.”
“Only a faint remnant remains.”
His expression slowly darkened.
I knew something was wrong…
The Akarzen Empire had begun worshipping Marisa because sacred water flowed through its capital.
A temple had eventually been built.
House Gwyn received the goddess’s blessing and became the sole guardians of the Temple of Wortanon.
Yet…
For years now…
The holy water hadn’t eased his thirst like it once had.
It used to last an entire week.
Gradually…
Its effects had weakened.
So that’s it…
The holy water itself had lost its purity.
Over time…
It had become little more than ordinary water.
House Gwyn now had to continually purify it.
Now I understand.
That’s why she’s asking for protection.
If House Gwyn ever learned about Lea Eleanor’s power…
They would stop at nothing to capture her.
“But…”
“How do you know all of this?”
It should have been one of House Gwyn’s greatest secrets.
Just like…
She somehow knew about his own.
His cold violet eyes searched hers as though trying to uncover every secret she carried.
“Well…”
“Ah, here you are.”
A sudden voice interrupted them.
Both Lea and Caspian turned toward the dining room door.
