VNC 24

Chapter 24

“What is it that I don’t know?”

What was Roni really after?

Schwen narrowed her eyes and slowly studied Roni’s face, as if searching for an answer there.

I can’t let my guard down.

Roni was someone who could change her expression at will.

The moment Schwen let her guard slip, there was a high chance she’d be led around by the nose. Keeping herself tense, Schwen listened to what Roni said next.

“I hesitate to speak so boldly, but since Your Highness has not been at the castle for very long, you likely aren’t familiar with its internal affairs yet.”

“……”

“However, from my mother to myself, we have served in this castle for generations—always at the Grand Duke’s side.”

“So?”

In Schwen’s heart, curiosity about what Roni might propose was mixed evenly with anxiety over what she might be planning.

Schwen subtly gathered her belongings and stood up. Perhaps her wariness was obvious, because Roni bowed her head as if realizing she’d made a mistake.

“I apologize. I only wished to be of help to Your Highness. I had no other intentions whatsoever.”

She looked exactly like someone whose guilty conscience had been pricked.

In the original story, Roni was a fairly influential villain who utterly ruined Titiana.

Schwen’s eyes narrowed further.

Other intentions? What kind? Could it be… like with Titi, trying to mess with my head too…?

“If you say ‘other intentions,’ then what exactly…?”

After meeting Merchelli, Schwen had realized something.

Once you were inside this grim, draining novel, it wasn’t enough to be wary of only Esselian.

She’d have to deal with many enemies at once.

It was a precarious situation where she never knew when she’d step on a landmine.

“How could I dare claim to know anything about His Grace that Your Highness does not? I simply know this castle very well, and aside from Lord Edward, I am the only one who does…”

That was true enough. Butler Edward and Roni were both people who had served the Grand Ducal House of Laniad with loyalty for generations.

“I didn’t think that far. You said you had no other intentions, so I was just curious what you meant.”

“I have been discourteous.”

“As you said, I know nothing about Laniad. Nor about His Grace. Roni, how can you help me?”

Roni was an obvious type. A painfully common kind of novel villain—the terrifying kind who secretly harbors feelings for the male lead.

Schwen wanted to avoid facing Roni as much as possible. Sending Sophie out of the greenhouse had been for gathering information in preparation for what lay ahead.

“I see and hear everything that happens in this castle—even the private circumstances of the lower servants that Your Highness would never know.”

“Oh. So…”

“Roni, you’re offering to become my eyes and ears?”

Roni nodded solemnly. Schwen felt oddly unsettled.

She remembered the original story.

What Titiana had wanted in that unfamiliar land was precisely someone like Schwen—a servant who would act as her loyal eyes and ears.

Roni, who had worked at Laniad for a long time, had caught Titiana’s attention.

When ordered to report everything that happened in the castle, Roni bowed obediently in front of her—only to block all information from reaching Titiana behind her back.

And now that very person had approached Schwen.

On her own initiative.

With the unwelcome offer of becoming her eyes and ears.

Roni is dangerous.

Schwen didn’t need someone to gather information for her. She had Zenith, a maid from the imperial palace.

Even among servants, there were ranks.

Zenith was a veteran maid and the daughter of a noble family. Properly trained, she handled every situation with ease—unlike Sophie.

Her eloquence was so exceptional that she could win over even those who felt intimidated by her noble background.

Through Zenith, Schwen could learn most things without difficulty.

Even so, something about this didn’t sit right.

The story is already starting to deviate, little by little.

There was no point dwelling on the original plot when it had been tangled from the very beginning.

“I want to get along with Your Highness.”

Suspicious. Very suspicious.

Schwen made sure not to let Roni touch her.

Roni knew how to use magic.

As Schwen fell silent and cautiously edged away, Roni lowered her head slightly.

Her cheekbones flushed just a little—

as if in embarrassment.

“If I’m honest, perhaps Your Highness will trust me as well?”

What kind of sweet talk is she trying to trap me with…?!

“Since I stopped serving as a bedroom maid for His Grace, work has become much harder.”

This already felt like a bad sign.

“The head maid prefers bright, cheerful girls—children who clearly grew up loved, like Ina or Leoni. I’m the complete opposite, so she doesn’t care for me.”

Caught off guard by the sudden topic change, Schwen worked her mind hard.

Roni looked at her with faint irritation—but when their eyes met, she erased it instantly.

“Recently, I’ve fallen out of the head maid’s favor, so things have become even more difficult. You may not know this, Your Highness, but cleaning the Grand Duke’s bedroom is a tremendous privilege.”

“……”

“Because you must stay close to His Grace, you’re exempt from other harsh, demanding tasks. You must always remain on standby in case His Grace calls for you.”

“……”

“That’s what we call a ‘privilege’ among the servants. But… after losing that position, things became very hard for me.”

“Is that so?”

“…It’s not just the work. Being isolated among the servants is especially…”

Roni trailed off, biting her lip tightly, as if she had revealed something deeply shameful.

It looked as though it had taken immense courage to say even that much.

Roni—isolated despite receiving special treatment.

Having had similar experiences, Schwen steeled her weakening resolve.

I get what she’s trying to do.

Not knowing how much of this was truth and how much was lies, Schwen decided not to believe any of it.

No matter what, Roni was still a dangerous person.

She wants to use me to make her life easier.

If she became close to the Grand Duchess, Roni could resolve all the difficulties she complained of.

“I understand what you’re saying, Roni. But I don’t need you right now.”

“……”

“And it would be better for you to solve your own problems. Standing at my side might only make things worse for you.”

Roni looked at Schwen in surprise for a brief moment.

Then, as if changing tactics, she pulled a notebook from her clothes and subtly held it out.

“If I’m helpful to Your Highness, you may change your mind.”

“What is that?”

“A recipe book. It may prove useful—Your Highness? What’s wrong?”

At the words recipe book, Schwen’s hand froze just as she was about to take it.

This book was practically a bomb.

Although the timing was earlier, receiving the recipe book from Roni happened in the original story as well.

This wicked recipe book contained Esselian’s weakness.

“Your Highness?”

“Ah… I feel a little dizzy.”

Schwen forced a smile and glanced around.

Of all times, there’s no one here.

The greenhouse held only Roni and Schwen.

In other words, there was no witness to Roni handing over the recipe book.

Is that why she sent Sophie away?

So this was how it happened after all.

Schwen didn’t want to follow in the heroine’s footsteps.

That was why she’d tried to tame Esselian in the first place…!

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine. No need to worry.”

“This will help you. It’s a recipe book containing dishes His Grace particularly enjoys.”

After briefly checking on Schwen, Roni opened the book herself and showed her the contents.

Pages of detailed recipes flipped past before Schwen’s eyes.

Roni stopped at one page and smiled gently.

“This is something His Grace eats every time he goes hunting.”

The dish Roni pointed to was something that triggered Esselian’s allergy.

In the original story, after eating it, he’d suffered so badly he could barely breathe.

Lost in thought, Schwen stared fixedly at the recipe.

At the same time, it looked delicious.

She swallowed hard.

“Trust me. His Grace will like it.”

She’d panicked and fixated on a single thought, but thinking it over calmly, there was no reason not to take it.

Smiling, Schwen quickly accepted the recipe book.

“Thank you, Roni. I’ll put it to good use!”

***

It was definitely a wicked recipe book.

A book that would cause Esselian pain and put Schwen’s position in danger—

and yet…

“Oh, this looks delicious.”

To Schwen, it had become an extremely precious recipe book.

“Should we eat this tomorrow? Will, can you make this tomorrow? It looks difficult.”

Chef Will peeked out from the kitchen and glanced at the recipe book.

Then he shrugged, as if it were nothing.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt this satisfied.

The Grand Duchess had suddenly appeared with a mysterious recipe book, and Will was now cooking his second plate for her.

“Of course I can. But Your Highness should taste my dish first. It’s best eaten while it’s hot.”

“Okay, I’ll try it. It’s shrimp gratin too—let’s see what’s different.”

The first plate had been made according to Roni’s recipe.

‘It’s something His Grace eats every time he goes hunting.’

The dish Roni showed her contained shrimp.

That was practically pushing Schwen off a cliff.

Esselian had a shellfish allergy—something Schwen remembered clearly.

Still, preparing snacks for him didn’t seem like a bad idea.

She’d even been vaguely thinking about packing sandwiches and going on a picnic with Esselian once Merchelli was gone.

But with everything covered in snow and no knowing when Merchelli would leave, she’d been hesitant.

Maybe taking care of him like this isn’t so bad.

“Is this all the shrimp?”

With a blissful expression, Schwen popped a shrimp into her mouth.

The recipe book isn’t guilty.

If the recipe book itself wasn’t at fault, then she’d just use all of it herself.

Likewise, if there was shrimp—

she’d just eat it all!