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CHAPTER 14:
Put Some Clothes On First.
Celia realized from Ellie’s words that the maid held feelings for Dietrich that went beyond that of a mere servant.
And that Ellie was wary of her.
“I guess he didn’t bother explaining who I was. Typical of that insensitive jerk.”
Even considering the situation from another angle, it was strange to expect someone to properly serve a criminal accused of assassinating the emperor without any explanation. Since Dietrich hadn’t told his maid about her, Celia decided to brush it off casually.
“Lover? Not even close. Maybe the opposite.”
Hearing that, Ellie looked visibly relieved. Her tone softened noticeably as she spoke again.
“My apologies for the rude question. It’s just that the master has never had a woman he’s close to… Would you like help with your bath?”
“I’m fine. I prefer bathing alone.”
“…Understood. Please call me if you need anything.”
Ellie bowed slightly and left the room. Celia chuckled quietly as she stared at the closed door.
She’d known Dietrich was ridiculously handsome, but she hadn’t expected him to charm even a blind maid.
“What is your relationship with the master?”
Ellie’s question lingered in Celia’s mind.
“Come to think of it, I don’t really know how to define our relationship.”
She figured it wasn’t surprising that Dietrich hadn’t explained. Even she thought their relationship was strange — very strange.
Neither enemies nor allies. Something in between.
“But that’s not important. What matters is that Dietrich is trying to use me, and I want to find out how he knows about abilities.”
Clearing her thoughts, Celia undressed and stepped into the bathroom. The floor was neatly arranged with rose-scented soap and towels.
She dipped her hand into the tub, filled with water that was neither too hot nor lukewarm — the perfect temperature for a bath.
Celia sank into the warm water.
For the first time in a long while, she was enjoying a proper bath, and it lifted her spirits almost immediately.
Midway through her bath, she suddenly realized she hadn’t brought any clothes to change into.
“No way anyone’s coming in.”
Even if someone did, she figured she could use her ability if necessary.
Meanwhile…
Dietrich couldn’t defy the Empress’s orders. If he failed to bring Celia by noon, the Empress would make a scene of it.
Jeremy, the Empress’s son, was already looking for any excuse to strip Dietrich of his military authority.
Defying today’s order would only empower Jeremy, who was desperate to take him down.
Since the Empress had ordered her to be brought by noon, everything needed to be ready before then.
She hadn’t wasted any time — bribing even the chef at Dietrich’s mansion right after the Emperor’s funeral ended.
Dietrich quickly caught on and kicked the chef out, having fresh food brought from outside the palace instead — through his aide, Anderson, since he couldn’t leave himself.
“These are freshly sourced from outside,” Anderson said, carrying baskets brimming with bread and fruit.
Everything looked incredibly fresh.
Dietrich picked the freshest-looking basket and said, “Good work. Stash the rest in any empty room.”
“Not in the kitchen?” Anderson asked.
“They might mess with the kitchen again while we’re out.”
“Understood. I’ll find a new chef — someone trustworthy who won’t be bribed by the Empress.”
Dietrich didn’t respond.
Knowing the Empress, she’d probably try to bribe whoever the new chef was.
He still held military authority — for now. But the moment Jeremy took the throne, it would naturally pass to him.
And since Jeremy hated his guts, he might strip Dietrich of his knighthood and even his dukedom.
It was clearly a losing battle.
The other three dukes would turn a blind eye as usual, manipulating things like chess pieces.
Just like how they’d once used the foolish emperor to destroy their own nation.
The only wildcard now was Celia — someone with an ability, and under his control. Thankfully, no one else seemed to know what she was capable of.
The scent of hyacinth that had once clouded his mind still lingered faintly in his memory.
And with it, the image of Celia coughing up blood in agony.
“Does using her ability harm her body?”
It made sense. She’d been fine until she used it — and then her whole body had broken down.
— …More.
He remembered the way she’d bitten his lip, refusing to let go.
His eyes darkened at the memory.
He had watched her closely while giving her his saliva. If she opened her eyes and realized his saliva had healing power, he was prepared to kill her on the spot.
But Celia never opened her eyes. She quietly drank it, then eventually pulled away with a single word:
— Sweet.
Smiling radiantly like someone truly happy, she fell fast asleep.
Smiling even in her dreams.
Fortunately, when she woke up, she didn’t seem to remember any of it.
“I just hope she plays her part well now that she’s in less pain.”
Dietrich decided to deliver the food himself and ask her about her ability — while also warning her about the cunning Empress.
She hadn’t eaten in days, so this should be more than enough.
The basket he carried was full of freshly squeezed milk, apples, plums, and morning-baked bread.
He stood before Celia’s room.
Knock knock.
“It’s me.”
No answer.
He glanced at the hallway clock. It was 10:10. Less than two hours before noon.
Knock knock.
He knocked several more times, but still no response.
Unable to waste any more time, he finally opened the door and stepped in.
“…”
The room was empty.
He set the basket on the desk and looked around.
That’s when he heard the bathroom door open.
Turning toward the sound, he saw Celia — just out of the bath.
She was wrapped in nothing but a white towel. It wasn’t quite enough to cover her fully — her pale thighs peeked out from underneath.
Celia blinked a few times as if taking in the situation, then narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at him.
“You…”
Dietrich quickly turned his head away.
Her mocking voice struck his ears.
“You knew I was bathing, didn’t you? Came in on purpose?”
He was genuinely innocent. Turning his whole body away, he protested.
“I knocked several times. You didn’t answer.”
“I was in the bathroom — how would I hear that?”
“If I’d known you were bathing, I wouldn’t have come in.”
“…”
Celia glared daggers at the back of his head. Of all people, it had to be Dietrich — the one person immune to her ability.
If it had been anyone else, she could’ve frozen them in place and kicked them where it hurt.
Her eyes landed on the food basket on the desk. After days of starvation, she was starving.
She walked toward it, ensuring the towel was tightly secured. She kept an eye on Dietrich the entire way.
Fortunately, he was covering his eyes with one hand. Seeing he wasn’t even blushing made her feel oddly reassured.
She took a bite of an apple. The taste, perhaps due to her hunger, was heavenly.
She drank some milk, then devoured a baguette on the spot.
After finishing her third plum and reaching for a fourth, Dietrich’s strained voice came from behind.
“…I’d really prefer if you put on clothes first.”
Only then did Celia remember he was still in the room. She’d gotten so absorbed in the food that she’d completely forgotten.
Back when she lived at the baron’s estate, the Brillion mother and daughter had forced her to eat nothing but weeds. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had proper food like this.
Come to think of it, even when she was in prison, Dietrich had always brought her good food. Even if it was just to use her, she didn’t see that as a bad thing.
If you want to use someone, it’s more effective to win their favor than stir their resentment.
There was a reason Dietrich, with no backing, had ended up as commander of the royal knights.
“Why don’t you put some clothes on already?” came his irritated voice, cutting through her thoughts.
“Your food was just too good,” Celia replied.
Dietrich said nothing, but the deep sigh he let out said everything.
Celia picked up a dinner roll and, while chewing, walked to the wardrobe.
Dietrich clenched his fist, still covering his eyes with one hand.
Seeing how badly he seemed to want to punch something, Celia chuckled softly and opened the wardrobe.
Inside were not ornate noble gowns but simple clothes worn by commoners. Underwear was neatly folded in the drawer below.
Celia was pleased. She preferred this kind of attire — easier to move in than cumbersome dresses.
“Can I pick any of these?”
“Yeah,” Dietrich replied.
She chose a comfortable-looking set of undergarments and a muted-colored dress. The clothes smelled fresh and new. She quickly got dressed.
“All done. You can look now.”
Dietrich lowered his hand.
“…”
His eyebrows furrowed deeply at the sight of her. When Celia tilted her head, he spoke with a look of contempt.
“Can’t you eat without getting crumbs all over your face?”
