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I never expected to run into the Grand Duke again.
‘I’m not mentally prepared for this yet.’
This morning, I’d still been making plans to return home with the Grand Duke’s head in hand—but now that I was actually facing him, I couldn’t help feeling intimidated.
‘That nasty old man.’
I should’ve known something was off when he offered to build me a private training hall.
But what’s done is done.
I followed old Norbert into the Grand Duke’s office and stood behind him.
The office was dark.
‘Does that man spend every single day in a gloomy place like this?’
Training with the knights, taking a walk—anything would be better than this.
I was about to keep grumbling internally when I suddenly froze.
The piles of documents on his desk were taller than he was sitting down.
‘Wow. That’s even more paperwork than Serhin handles.’
Serhin used to toss half of his own documents onto my desk, dumping his work on me whenever he could.
‘He does all that himself?’
Grand Duke… you rascal.
‘I used to get mad that you lived in luxury doing nothing but swinging a sword. My bad.’
While I was silently revising my opinion of him, the Grand Duke removed his glasses and set them down on the desk.
He raised his head, glanced between Norbert and me, and asked,
“What is it?”
Norbert bowed slightly and spoke.
“Please grant me permission to remodel my office in Verdant Tower.”
“…”
Verdant Tower? Remodel his office?
I had no idea what they were talking about, so I just rolled my eyes, trying to keep up.
Then the Grand Duke asked,
“Why?”
His voice dropped lower, suggesting this was a serious matter.
‘Ugh, this is awkward.’
Did they have to have this conversation while I was standing here?
Norbert answered,
“If Your Grace allows, I would like to turn it into a private training hall.”
Huh?
I stared at the back of Norbert’s head in surprise.
‘So that’s what this was about?’
That was the real reason he brought me here?
‘Wow… I don’t know what Verdant Tower is, but he’s planning to give up his office to make a personal training hall for me?’
He really was a man of his word.
I felt a bit guilty for misunderstanding and resenting him earlier.
‘You’ve redeemed yourself, old man.’
I looked at the back of his head with teary-eyed gratitude.
And then, it hit me.
‘Wait… he hasn’t even checked if I actually memorized the book yet, has he?’
While I was puzzling over that, the Grand Duke spoke again.
“A private training hall. And you brought that maid along for this conversation because…?”
“I made a promise to Freya. If she memorized The Tome of Valot Runes in a single day, I would make her a private training hall.”
The Tome of Valot Runes—that was the thick book I’d stayed up all night reading yesterday.
The Grand Duke’s gaze shifted to me.
“…”
“…”
I stared right back.
‘…He’s going to reject it.’
Of course he would.
I was a suspicious, nameless woman with no memories—a dangerous presence.
He only let me work as a maid and kept Norbert close to me so he could keep an eye on me.
‘There’s no way he’d allow his trusted retainer’s office to be torn down just to build something for me.’
Half-resigned, I met his gaze steadily.
‘I get it, Grand Duke. I should be grateful just to still have my head attached.’
Still…
It would be nice if he said yes.
If he allowed this one thing, maybe I’d reconsider my plan to bring his head back to the Tenasis Empire.
Time passed.
The Grand Duke still said nothing. He just stared into my eyes without blinking.
I stared right back.
‘This is weird.’
I’d seen those violet eyes countless times on the battlefield. I thought I was sick of them.
But today, they felt strangely mysterious.
Normally, the Grand Duke’s violet eyes stirred a mix of killing intent and excitement in me.
Even in the chaos of battle, I could always pick them out instantly.
But now… they didn’t make me want to kill him.
They just…
Made me want to keep looking.
‘Pretty.’
The thought slipped out before I could stop it.
Then—
BZZZZZT—
“Ugh!”
A sudden headache struck me.
I closed my eyes for a second before reopening them.
It happened often—especially whenever I faced the Grand Duke in battle.
‘Even in this new body, the headaches are the same.’
I shook my head quickly and looked up again just as the Grand Duke put his glasses back on and nodded.
“Don’t tear down Norbert’s office. Use the floor below.”
“Pardon?”
Norbert was startled.
“B-But, Your Grace, the lower floor—”
“Do as I say.”
Norbert hesitated briefly, then bowed in resignation.
“Yes… Thank you, Your Grace.”
The atmosphere turned strange.
‘What’s with that floor?’
It seemed like some kind of special place.
My curiosity flared.
“What’s Verdant Tower? And what’s on the lower floor?”
I just asked outright.
Norbert’s head snapped toward me, and the Grand Duke’s gaze returned as well.
I looked between them.
“…What? Is it some kind of forbidden place?”
Norbert sighed and shook his head.
“Forgive me, Your Grace. I brought her here without explaining anything…”
“No.”
The Grand Duke raised his hand, cutting him off.
“Leave her here and step outside.”
“…Your Grace.”
When Norbert hesitated, the Grand Duke repeated firmly,
“Leave.”
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
With no other choice, Norbert left.
Before exiting, he shot me a meaningful look—probably telling me to watch my mouth.
‘You’ve grown attached, old man?’
How touching.
Yes, I know I have a big mouth.
And I’m sure the Grand Duke knows it too.
After all, I’d babbled plenty after drinking the World Tree sap.
When Norbert was gone, a short silence filled the office.
“You did want a private training hall, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Then I allowed it. What’s the problem?”
“It’s not a problem. I’m just curious what kind of place it is.”
“Must you satisfy every single curiosity?”
“More or less, yes.”
“‘More or less’?”
“To be honest, I’m dying of curiosity about what goes on inside your head, and I’m barely holding it back.”
“…”
“I’m really curious about who I am.”
“That’s—”
“Yes, I know. That’s why I’m trying to grow up into someone worthy. So, thank you for the training hall.”
“…”
“And about my earlier question—it was just because I was curious about the training hall I’ll be using. Please don’t take it as insolence—”
“Who said you’d be using it alone?”
“…What?”
The Grand Duke leaned back lazily in his chair, one corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
“I never said that.”
“…”
What did that mean?
Did the Grand Duke’s estate have shared training halls or something?
‘I mean, it’s not impossible, but still…’
I asked carefully,
“So… I’ll be sharing it with someone else?”
“The floor beneath Norbert’s office already has an owner. You’ll share it with them.”
“I… see.”
I muttered weakly.
Who could it be?
Maybe another retainer’s training space.
If our schedules didn’t overlap, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
I was deep in thought when the Grand Duke spoke again.
“It’s me.”
I snapped my head up to look at him.
“…What?”
He tilted his head slightly and answered casually,
“The lower floor’s owner. That’s me.”
“…”
Woof woof.
Somewhere outside, a dog barked.
