"Your Highness."
“?”
As he took a sip of the sparkling wine and touched his temple, the butler, Gaspard, opened the curtain and came in.
“Is it over already?”
“It’s just beginning.”
Noevian, who had been frowning for a moment, let out a deep sigh.
“I can’t help it, if that’s the only way to feel better.”
“...”
“Go out and take a look.”
Gaspard stared at Noevian, then lowered his head and went out. His blue eyes darkened in an instant as he confirmed that the butler had gone out. Noevian never drank alcohol again after taking a sip.
“...It’s strangely quiet.”
She changed strangely in a few days. After Adrienne's death, Blie became unstable. He thought she would be unable to hide her joy if he invited her to the funeral and let her see Adrienne's death in person, but he was wrong. Playing around frivolously was the behavior he despised the most, but Blie's atmosphere was different these days. Even at Adrienne's reminiscence party, she was not the type of person to overlook the maid's rudeness, so he doubted his ears when he heard that Blie couldn't breathe.
Although some people may think she acted as if she was vulgar, she was a woman who acted like a tongue in his mouth to Noevian.
'Isn't it against the rules for a man to interfere in a ladies' conversation, Your Highness?'
Blie Acacia, who was busy snorting and telling him things, came forward and said something to him. What is this uneasy feeling?
'Isn't it against the rules for a man to interfere in a ladies' conversation, Your Highness?'
Blie Acacia, who was busy snorting and telling him things, came forward and said something to him. What is this uneasy feeling?
***
Gaspard knew that Blie Acacia was not ordinary, but there was something about her that was vulgar. He's not just talking about her clothes or behavior, but he's seen her yell and throw things around when she’s upset. But what’s wrong with her today?
She never used to call me a rascal or a jerk. She straightened her posture and looked at the maid as if she had a grudge, and she called them worthless without hesitation. Her words were straightforward for a noble, but her gestures, footwork, and eye contact were not like those of a commoner. For him, who had worked as a footman in many noble houses when he was young, he was very familiar with her.
Familiar? There was nothing more alien than Blie wearing noble clothes and running wild. As he passed through the dark hallway and climbed the first flight of the huge stairs, the sound of someone muttering while sobbing grew louder.
“I get the topic. The topic... I get the topic. The topic... Hmm.”
“!”
Blie, who he had thought would at least slap her cheek, just stood there and looked down at the maid. Annie, who was so angry that she didn't know what to do, knelt on the floor and muttered while touching her forehead to the floor. The floor was already soaked with Annie's tears.
“I can’t hear you very well.”
As Blie spoke, Annie raised her head, bit her lips tightly, and shook her head.
“I get the topic. The topic... I get the topic. The topic... Hmm.”
“!”
Blie, who he had thought would at least slap her cheek, just stood there and looked down at the maid. Annie, who was so angry that she didn't know what to do, knelt on the floor and muttered while touching her forehead to the floor. The floor was already soaked with Annie's tears.
“I can’t hear you very well.”
As Blie spoke, Annie raised her head, bit her lips tightly, and shook her head.
Was she going to hit her?
But Blie was just looking at the maid standing next to Annie. At that moment, a sound like tearing through space was heard.
“!”
The maid slapped Annie on the cheek. It didn't look like it hurt much, but the humiliation of being slapped by another maid seemed considerable.
“What is that...”
Annie cried, filled with resentment and anger, not knowing who to blame. She held her flushed cheeks and cried, suggesting that this was not the first time she had been hit. Gaspard looked at Blie, who was watching the cruel scene without any change in expression. The gorgeous and beautiful lady seemed to sense the gaze and turned her gaze to Gaspard.
“!”
At that moment, Gaspard felt a goosebump on his arm for no reason. As the lady smiled at him, he had the illusion that a bell was ringing in the distance. He felt himself clearly aroused, momentarily captivated by the lady’s sensual appearance.
“!”
The maid slapped Annie on the cheek. It didn't look like it hurt much, but the humiliation of being slapped by another maid seemed considerable.
“What is that...”
Annie cried, filled with resentment and anger, not knowing who to blame. She held her flushed cheeks and cried, suggesting that this was not the first time she had been hit. Gaspard looked at Blie, who was watching the cruel scene without any change in expression. The gorgeous and beautiful lady seemed to sense the gaze and turned her gaze to Gaspard.
“!”
At that moment, Gaspard felt a goosebump on his arm for no reason. As the lady smiled at him, he had the illusion that a bell was ringing in the distance. He felt himself clearly aroused, momentarily captivated by the lady’s sensual appearance.
However, he did not know. Blie’s eyes were not looking at him with favor or satisfaction with the situation.
***
'You're next, Gaspard.'
I thought that to the butler who was watching me from afar, and then looked at Annie again. Annie, who had been crying as if she hoped someone would come and help her if she cried like that, was sobbing as if she realized that it was a waste of energy. Her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were red and swollen from being hit three or four times, but it didn’t look that bad to me. What caught my eye more than that were her chubby cheeks and hands, and her maid’s uniform that was clean and well-ironed as if she had just changed into it.
Seeing the maid who had left her master withered and not even changed her clothes for several days and was still living so well made my heart twisted. At the same time, I suddenly came to my senses because it was strange to see myself inflicting such corporal punishment.
'Because it's Blie. If it was the original Blie, it wouldn't have ended like this. So it's okay.'
I had never been cruel to anyone, so I thought about it and braced my trembling hands and heart. I looked at Annie, who was stunned by the shock, and quietly rang the bell next to me. Gaspard, who was breathing heavily as if he was out of breath, approached me with oilier eyes than before.
“Put that thing away.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Oh, and you help me.”
I pointed to the maid who had just slapped Annie’s cheek several times. She smiled affectionately and seemed to have no grudges. However, the maid I had pointed to was none other than Marie, who had first recognized me at the reminiscence party and had called the maids together. In other words, the maid who had originally been beaten was Marie.
'Because it's Blie. If it was the original Blie, it wouldn't have ended like this. So it's okay.'
I had never been cruel to anyone, so I thought about it and braced my trembling hands and heart. I looked at Annie, who was stunned by the shock, and quietly rang the bell next to me. Gaspard, who was breathing heavily as if he was out of breath, approached me with oilier eyes than before.
“Put that thing away.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Oh, and you help me.”
I pointed to the maid who had just slapped Annie’s cheek several times. She smiled affectionately and seemed to have no grudges. However, the maid I had pointed to was none other than Marie, who had first recognized me at the reminiscence party and had called the maids together. In other words, the maid who had originally been beaten was Marie.
Her face darkened with guilt toward Annie and trembled as she nodded. Marie became thoughtful as Annie, who had been supported, grabbed the arm that was wrapped around her.
I watched her with a warm smile. Annie will be sufficient to punish Marie and the other maids.
***
Noevian, who returned with a faint smell of alcohol, didn’t say much to me. He was often away from home, so he didn’t care about the servants.
'So if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't have known.'
When I think about it, isn't he really an indifferent master?
'So if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't have known.'
When I think about it, isn't he really an indifferent master?
I snickered and followed him as he led me. Before I knew it, the servants had stopped following me, and Noevian and I were the only ones walking up to the third floor and toward the dressing room. He wasn't looking at me with a hot gaze today, so I didn't think anything special would happen.
Why would we go to the dressing room?
“This is my wife’s dressing room.”
He opened the door of the dressing room, which was now deserted. It had been so long since I had been in this dressing room that it felt like my first time. Just like my old memories, it was a very large and elegant place. The glass display case in the middle of the dressing room was filled with various jewels, and the three walls around it were filled with dresses that matched the season. They were all high-quality, and they were Adrienne’s taste. Classic, elegant, and all that.
'Maybe my mother's necklace too...?'
I was entranced by the display case of the jewels and frantically searched for the necklace. I heard Noevian chuckle softly at the sight. Surprisingly, I hated hearing that sound. And...
“This is my wife’s dressing room.”
He opened the door of the dressing room, which was now deserted. It had been so long since I had been in this dressing room that it felt like my first time. Just like my old memories, it was a very large and elegant place. The glass display case in the middle of the dressing room was filled with various jewels, and the three walls around it were filled with dresses that matched the season. They were all high-quality, and they were Adrienne’s taste. Classic, elegant, and all that.
'Maybe my mother's necklace too...?'
I was entranced by the display case of the jewels and frantically searched for the necklace. I heard Noevian chuckle softly at the sight. Surprisingly, I hated hearing that sound. And...
'Ah.'
I held my breath a little as I looked at his reflection in the glass of the display case. The thing shining around his neck was definitely my mother's necklace. He, who never considered it an accessory at all, was suddenly wearing something like that around his neck.
'Did you find what the maid stole, or did you start from scratch...?'
I turned around quietly, feeling the blood rushing through my body. Perhaps it was the aforementioned expression. Noevian would take it in a different sense.
“Is there something you want? I wanted to receive an apology from the person involved in person, but since it happened in my mansion, I would like to give you a gift as a token of my apology.”
Exactly like this. Certainly, these are all things that are too high-class for a lady like Blie. Besides, even if Adrienne had received such expensive jewelry as a gift, she had nowhere to go to wear it. So...
It was as good as new. However, contrary to Noevian’s thoughts, my eyes were only drawn to the gold chain shining inside his shirt. If I followed the gold chain down and opened the pendant, I would see the only portrait of my mother.
When I thought that my husband, who had killed me and who had wanted to live so badly, was wearing it, I wanted to cut the necklace off right away. I hid my trembling hands behind me and laughed like Blie.
“The necklace around your neck...”
As I took a step closer, he took a step back as if it was a lie.
It was the first time I saw it.
“I haven’t seen it before. What is it?”
“This is my wife’s.”
He answered with a noticeably hardened face.
“Everything here is hers.”
“Hers.”
“?”
A faint ripple appeared in his calm eyes. And I was the one who was dumbfounded as I watched his eyes slowly turn cold.
“Call her the Grand Duchess.”
I stopped approaching Noevian. How much more must this wicked and wonderful man make Adrienne miserable?
He wants a government, and he can't stand it when that government refers to his wife as 'her'.
Noevian buttoned up the two buttons of his shirt that were undone and shut his mouth tightly. He hid the necklace from me. He looked down at me as I stood there for a long time and let out a sigh.
“I can’t give you this. Instead, you can take everything here.”
There was a cold tension between us. What on earth was she thinking, guarding Adrienne's necklace so much? What meaning did it have to me?
“I can’t give you this. Instead, you can take everything here.”
There was a cold tension between us. What on earth was she thinking, guarding Adrienne's necklace so much? What meaning did it have to me?
In any case, from Blie's perspective, it might be better to have everything in this dressing room than to choose a few things she wanted.
“I will send someone to the Count’s residence tomorrow...”
“I will send someone to the Count’s residence tomorrow...”
"No."
I cut off Noevian's words. I had no interest in things I already had. Even when I was Adrienne, I wanted the man in front of me more than those shiny things.
“...You don’t like it?”
And if it's Blie, it's better than the stuff that the guy's wife used...
“Please give me everything new.”
"What?"
If it were Blie, that woman would have definitely said this.
“I like new things, Your Highness.”
I raised my head as if it were natural and stared at Noevian.
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