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Chapter 21
I felt awkward after being in Frederick’s arms, so I raised my voice for no reason. Frederick didn’t look sorry at all, but at least that anger he showed toward Leo earlier was gone.
“That’s enough, young master. It’s cold. Let’s go inside.”
Frederick walked off like he didn’t care about Leo anymore.
I tugged on Frederick’s collar and glanced back at Leo.
Leo had his arms crossed and looked really unhappy about what he’d just seen.
I gave him a small wave.
Leo forced a crooked smile.
“Bye, Delphine. I’ll be in touch.”
His voice came from behind me.
Sigh. Who said girls are the scary ones when they fight? These guys are way worse when they’re at it.
I finally felt relieved once I got into the carriage and could relax.
* * *
I had planned to just enjoy a relaxing day in town, but I was totally exhausted.
I dipped my feet into the full bathtub. As the warm water touched my skin, a shiver ran through me.
Let’s just warm up and wash all this stress away.
I slowly slid into the tub.
“Ahhh~”
I couldn’t help letting out a sigh. This felt amazing. Now this is what life’s all about.
Today was seriously busy. I got fitted at the dress shop, got caught lying at the jewelry store, got kicked out of Salon de Chatte, and had to eat cold desserts outside in the freezing weather.
My whole body was frozen, but soaking in this hot water feels so good.
Then I heard footsteps from the hallway.
Huh? Someone’s coming?
I wrapped a towel around my head and sank deep into the tub. Luckily, the way the bathroom was designed, we couldn’t see each other.
But there was a gap at the top of the wall, so we could hear each other’s voices.
What a weird design. But whatever. I love being in warm water while cold air brushes over me.
— Splash.
I scooped warm water with both hands and washed my face. The mix of hot water and cold air made my skin tighten.
Whew, that really wakes you up. So refreshing.
— Rustle. Rustle.
I heard someone taking off clothes nearby.
Who is it?
“Ahem.”
It was Frederick’s voice.
Strangely, I didn’t feel embarrassed or awkward. I’d seen him half-naked plenty of times before, and we were technically in separate stalls.
He really does feel like just a friend. I don’t feel anything weird at all.
— Splash.
I heard water overflowing in the next stall. Frederick must’ve gotten into the tub.
Whoa. My hands are all wrinkly.
My hands had been in the water too long.
Time to get out. I should dry off by the fireplace. That’ll feel amazing.
Just as I was about to get up after one more face rinse—
“Hey.”
“…?”
Frederick’s voice came from behind the wall. When I didn’t answer, he called again.
“Hey.”
“What? What’s wrong, young master?”
“Why did you even date someone like that?”
“Someone like that? Oh, Leo?”
Where the heck did that come from? We’re seriously doing this from the bathtub?
Still, I figured I’d just answer and move on.
“Why are you even asking that?”
“I just want to know why Charlier picked him over me.”
“Maybe because he’s a duke?”
And you know that already.
I almost said it out loud but held back.
Frederick stayed silent—maybe I’d hit a nerve.
“If that’s the only reason, fine. But what if it’s not…?”
People tend to reveal more when their faces aren’t visible. You can fake facial expressions—but not your voice.
Frederick’s voice coming through the wall was desperate, confused, and trembling.
Ugh. I should just ignore him and go.
But then I thought about how proud I felt seeing him step outside after staying in the house for years.
Okay, fine. Let’s be nice to him. He’s my paycheck, after all.
“Hey—no, young master. You’re way better than Leo. You’ve got the looks and a better personality too.”
“….”
Frederick didn’t respond. I couldn’t tell what face he was making.
“That’s not why I asked. I don’t care what you think. Only Charlier’s opinion matters.”
Only Charlier matters? Ugh, this jerk.
No matter how nicely I try to treat him, he just asks to be insulted.
He always talks like this. It’s honestly annoying. But whatever, it’s nothing new.
— Splash.
I stood up, and the cold air hit me. But it felt refreshing since I’d been soaking in hot water.
This towel is so soft. Just like a fancy hotel towel.
I dried myself off and put on a fluffy bathrobe.
“Hey, are you leaving?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“….”
Frederick called me but said nothing else. I paused, then kept getting dressed.
He’s so bland and rude. I’m only dealing with him because he pays me.
And now he’s even starting to sound like Leo, comparing me to Charlier. I literally just told him he was better than Leo!
Sigh. Whatever. Blame the worldbuilding, not the characters.
“Thanks for today…”
Just as I was about to leave, I heard Frederick’s voice.
“Did you just say thank you?”
“…Yeah.”
“Well, that’s new. You, saying thanks. Got it. Take care.”
“….”
Hearing him thank me actually lifted my mood a little.
Wow, he really knows how to say thank you. As he should! I went through a lot today because of him!
Before I knew it, the corners of my lips curled up.
It really feels nice to be appreciated—especially when you put in a lot of effort like I did today.
This is how people make the world a better place: being kind and thankful.
But seriously… could that jerk actually change someday?
Leo popped into my head again. When I first became Delphine, I thought I could change him.
Looking back, that was just arrogance. People don’t change just because you try.
Yeah, people aren’t fixer-uppers.
As I thought about Leo, Frederick’s face overlapped with his in my mind.
Leo, Frederick… They’ll both end up going back to the protagonist anyway. Guess if you want a happy ending, you need to be born the main character—not some side one like me.
With mixed feelings of happiness and bitterness, I left the bathroom.
The sound of my footsteps echoed quietly down the empty hallway.
6. “Dear, Don’t Cross That Forest”
Some peaceful days passed.
No letters came from Charlier, and Frederick went back to staying home, reading books, or analyzing trade routes for investments.
I also enjoyed the free time for the first time in a while.
Aside from checking on Frederick once a day, I had no real tasks. I went on walks with Bella, read books, or learned about trade investments from Frederick.
Once I get three months’ salary, I’m gonna invest right away.
I’d already picked what to invest in—jade.
Yep, the same jade we saw at that jewelry shop.
If I remember correctly, jade became super popular toward the end of the original novel.
And right now, there’s barely any jade in Shylo or even in the capital, Brurique.
That means the market’s wide open!
I’ll buy jade now, hire a skilled jeweler to craft it into accessories, and sell it for a huge profit!
Just thinking about it made my heart race. It was the most excited I’d felt since coming to this world.
Once I made enough money through trade, I’d buy a castle of my own, drink tea all day, eat crème brûlée, and travel to nearby kingdoms…
Even imagining it made me happy.
But to do that…
Ugh. That jerk’s face came to mind.
I’ve got no choice. I’ll have to keep him happy and maybe even help him get together with Charlier.
Which means—I need to make lots of money.
Thinking that gave me fresh motivation to work hard again.
And payday was just around the corner.
There’s no way I’m giving that money to my family. They’ll just invest in something stupid and lose it all. Nope, not happening.
I clenched the hem of my dress tighter.
Alright! Time to work hard again!
I picked up the leather-bound book on the table.
If I survive one more hour with that jerk, I’ll get paid. And lately…
One thing had changed.
Spending time with Frederick wasn’t as annoying anymore.
He seemed to have gotten used to me, and even though he still ignored me, he did respond when it mattered.
We’d learned how to balance our interactions.
Yeah, this isn’t bad.
My steps down to the second floor were light. I used to dread this, but now… it kind of felt like Frederick was just part of my daily life.
They say familiarity breeds affection. Did I actually grow fond of that jerk?
I shrugged and threw open the door to Frederick’s study.
“Huh? Young master?”
The study was silent.
