DTS - Chapter 25

The Marquis's breakfast was not simple, but rather monotonous and quiet.

Even if they are gathered together, each person is just absorbed in eating.

Of course, there is no conversation at all, and even if there is, most of the conversation is related to strict political affairs.

Sometimes, there were times when she didn't eat at all.

But it was different now.

Felix is ​​accompanied by not only the Marquis and his wife, who regularly come down to eat but also his wife. In addition, the military family was brought by Aiden and Dorothea.

The large, spacious dining table was filled to capacity.

“Thea, would you like to try some of this?”

“It’s not my taste.”

“Eating only meat can actually harm your health. You should eat some vegetables too.”

Dorothea looked down at the food in confusion as the Marchioness spoke soothingly and picked up a tiny bit of roasted vegetables.

Immediately, the gazes poured in with great admiration.

It was a very trivial and insignificant thing.

It was different from 'back then' when she always received disdainful and fearful looks even after successfully performing a difficult spell.

Just this.

Was it possible to receive a caress, a compliment, or a look filled with love so easily?

While Dorothea was mystifying the family atmosphere she was experiencing for the first time in her life, Wood was sitting blankly, seemingly chewing his food.

'Is it because of what happened last night?'

Dorothea clicked her tongue inwardly at her family members, who looked mesmerized.

'It's because I'm that weak.'

Compared to his strong body, his liver was weak.

Colin was also one of the descendants, but it took some time for him to adapt to the human body and take over that life completely.

For the time being, Dorothea has no choice but to rely on Wood rather than suffering in the mansion.

Just as Dorothea, who had been casting a distrustful gaze, began to focus on her meal again, she heard the sound of someone approaching cautiously and reporting to the Marquis.

“They say a maid was lying down in the hallway last night.”

Wood, who had been mesmerized by those words, flinched.

“Is there some problem?”

“I’m not sure, but she's so scared of what she saw that she's in a state of nonsense.”

Dorothea's fork picked up the last piece of meat.

The piece she had put in her mouth and savored with regret passed down her throat.

“Send them back to their families and give them enough money to call a therapist and compensation for all their work.”

“Yes, but it looks like strange items were found in the maid’s room.”

"Strange item?"

Dorothea looked down at the cleanly emptied plate with pride and held it out to the Marquis as if showing off.

“There were several valuables that could not be purchased with the wages of the maid, but when I checked to see if they were safe, they did not belong to the mansion.”

The Marquis, who was about to praise Dorothea after looking at the plate, pointed his sharp eyes at the knight.

“Please investigate properly.”

"Yes."

As soon as the knight turned around, the Marquis' kind voice turned to Dorothea.

“You ate well.”

“Yes, I’m full.”

“Yes, then shall we go for a walk?”

"Honey."

The Marquis raised his head at the sound of his wife's soft voice.

“Thea will enter the palace this afternoon. She needs to be ready for that.”

“Oh, she did. I see.”

The Marquis nodded, as if regretful.

Dorothea waved at the Marquis with a smile and stood up.

Ben asked worriedly as he watched his daughter heading to the room holding hands with Jane.

“Thea is still young, but she has already entered the palace and had an audience with His Majesty... I don’t know if it will be okay.”

“She's still just a child. She's not good at etiquette, but Dorothea has a calm personality so she won’t cause trouble anywhere.”

It certainly is.

Ben shook his head at the Marquis' coherent words.

His daughter never panicked in any situation.

Even if she was kidnapped, she was capable of returning home unharmed, and when he sometimes made eye contact with her, her deep-set eyes seemed as if she was well over 20 years old.

'Yes, our Thea is an adult.'

Ben smiled, proud of his daughter.

***

Dorothea was holding Jane's hand and heading to her room.

Wood, who had been following her quietly without saying a word, opened his mouth only when he was halfway down the hallway.

“That’s what the knight said earlier.”

"Yes?"

“That maid who was said to have lost her mind. Isn’t this the kid we ran into yesterday?”

"Well?"

Wood sighed, seeing a faint smile on his face as if he knew something or didn't know.

The 'rat' they met last night was hurriedly walking around the mansion to carry out the words it heard.

Dorothea did 'nothing'.

She simply made this mansion her territory.

The guardian of the mansion was able to 'see' the red-faced rat through her eyes.

Being looked at by the Lord of Heaven was something that an ordinary, weak-hearted person could never endure.

'Furthermore, they arbitrarily tried to move things inside this mansion outside.'

Even if it was only a story from within the mansion that the maid saw and heard.

Sometimes, someone's words can have great value.

It's just that she has to pay a reasonable price.

"You...”

It was the moment when Wood opened his mouth with a frown on his face.

Someone's shout was heard from far away.

“I didn’t do anything! Really! The mansion, the people in the mansion...!”

Wood could see through the window a maid screaming like a scream being dragged away by the knights.

Jane opened her eyes wide and tilted her head to see the scene.

"Miss."

"Hmmm?"

“Why is she doing that?”

"Well."

Dorothea's eyes stared at the maid's ankle being dragged out.

She saw a red thread wrapped around her thin ankle, extending beyond the mansion.

Someone who turned her into a 'rat' was outside the mansion.

"It's okay."

Dorothea smiled brightly.

“She’ll be fine once she gets out of the mansion.”

She won't have to be a rat anymore.

She may lose her job to make a living, but isn't that her karma?

Jane nodded her head in response to Dorothea's enigmatic words.

They are glad she's okay.

That was all the young maid thought about.

***

“There are guides in the palace, so don’t move alone. The palace is large and a place where many people live.”

"Yes. No, yes.”

“If you ever get lost, just stand there and wait for someone to pick you up. It won’t happen, but Grandpa will pick you up soon.”

The Marquis held his granddaughter's hand tightly and told her one by one in a gentle voice.

Dorothea, who had been listening intently, nodded as if she understood.

The old woman, looking at the two innocent people, smiled.

She opened her mouth.

“It’s been a long time since I saw Your Majesty the Empress. Since we rarely went to the palace, I was slow to hear news...”

“If you want, you can chat and come back late. You have cared for that child since she was young.”

“She can’t call me that anymore. She is the Empress of a worthy empire.”

A bitter smile lingered on the Marchioness's lips and then disappeared.

Dorothea didn't ask anything and just sat quietly with a faint smile.

Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the entrance to the imperial palace.

A young girl holding the Marquis' hand and getting off.

The eyes of the courtiers focused on the platinum-haired girl.

Someone took a breath.

The girl with the mysterious color was surprisingly thin and of a small build.

Although he wore luxurious clothes and had well-groomed hair, she was so thin that she did not look like any other noble child.

'I heard she suffered from illness for a long time.'

Everyone exchanged those looks, but quickly lowered their heads and pretended not to notice.

Because in the palace, you can't reveal anything carelessly.

“His Majesty says he would like to speak with the Marquis and his wife first. Lady, I will guide you to the parlor.”

“We didn’t bring a nanny, so it’s too late to leave her alone in the living room...”

The Marchioness looked down at Dorothea as if she were embarrassed.

The head maid intervened with a smile as if trying to ease the Marchioness concerns.

“I will attach maids who will take good care of the children. I have prepared some refreshments in advance that you will like.”

Then, reluctantly, the Marquis and his wife left for an audience with the Emperor, and Dorothea left alone, held the hand of the maid who claimed to be her guide.

It was cool.

Despite her friendly smile, her fingertips were somehow cool, giving her a strange feeling.

"Sister."

The steps were particularly fast and the strides were wide.

A maid who knew how to take care of a child would never drag a child along at such a pace.

Her face looked very nervous somewhere.

“Is this the parlor where refreshments are prepared?”

At Dorothea's question, which had been dragging along, the maid's steps suddenly stopped.

Only then did the maid look back and she had a face that looked like she was about to cry.

Her palms, full of tension, were extremely clammy.

Dorothea asked, smiling again.

“Where are the refreshments?”

The maid looked down at Dorothea and mumbled.

“Follow what they say. They won't do anything bad to you. They're just going to scare you.”

“Are you scaring me?”

It's not a snack, it's a scare.

I don't like that.

Dorothea looked up at the suspicious-looking maid.

There was clearly fear in her eyes.

Not for Dorothea, but fear for the one who brought her here.

It seemed like she was involved in something strange again.

'I didn't do anything.'

Is this really what life is like?

Even though she tried to do nothing and just breathe, people around her rarely left her alone.

Dorothea sighed at her despair.

Then she raised her hand and waved it slightly.

The maid’s eyes suddenly became blurry.

“Let go of your hand.”

The maid let go of the hand she was holding at the strong tone and fell down.

It's only a brief hint, so it will be resolved soon.

Dorothea turned around and turned without hesitation.

Her body was already starting to feel heavy, perhaps from exhaustion.

The morale and resentment in this palace were so strong that it was worsening her body even further.

'I don't know who the owner of the palace is, but the karma he owes must be quite big.'

So much so that it cannot be compared to the extinct Colin.

“Phi phi.”

The squirrel in Dorothea's arms made a squeak and climbed onto her shoulder.

“Let’s go to a place where there are useful humans. It’s better to get out of here.”

She didn't want to do unnecessary purification, and she wasn't in a good mood to deal with the scammers here.

If she had known this would happen, she would have brought Wood.

The squirrel quickly twitched his butt and took the lead.

Eventually, they arrived at a place where a young man with a pretty face was sleeping under a tree full of acorns.

***

“I told you to guide me to a place where there are useful humans.”

The squirrel, once the God of death, quickly climbed up the tree and filled its cheeks with acorns.

Dorothea looked up at the large tree with a sigh.

When it was a sacred weapon of the Reaper, it maintained itself with the power it gained from taking the 'life' of humans.

Since there was no such vitality now, it had to maintain its form solely by eating.

“Is it because the previous owner fell a little bit? You don’t understand what’s being said.”

The young man who had fallen asleep suddenly opened his eyes due to Dorothea's grumbling.

The dark brown hair and scarlet eyes that resembled the setting sun were impressive.

"This..."

He smiled embarrassedly and raised his head towards Dorothea.

“Who are you?”

Following the advice she had previously received from the Marquis, Dorothea grasped the hem of her dress with both hands, bent her knees slightly, bowed politely, and opened her small lips.

“And who are you?”

The young man blinked at the less polite language than the extremely polite greeting.

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