“How insolent of a servant...”
Anyway, even Cecilia, who was the highest ranking among them, did not treat her rudely, but Ilya was displeased that Madame Monte, who was just a servant, was pressuring her.
'Cecilia Lane is infatuated with her nanny and her daughter, so don't displease them.'
If it had been her natural personality, she would have immediately yelled at Madame Monte. However, her father's advice stopped Ilya's impulsive behavior. Ilya took a deep breath and walked towards her room.
“Not yet.”
Besides, it wasn't the time yet. After all, Cecilia was the only wife of Eden, the owner of this townhouse, and she was the center of Eden's attention.
Yeah, interested.
Not love, just interest. That was what Ilya felt while watching Cecilia and Eden for a while. No matter how much Cecilia pretended to be loved in front of her, she could tell if she watched closely.
Maybe Cecilia really believes she is loved.
“Her body is running because she wants to be the only one receiving attention...”
According to what Ilya had observed, Eden did not love Cecilia. Cecilia tried to get closer to Eden in some way. However, Eden rarely approached Cecilia first and willingly. They did not always sleep together.
So, she must have been so jealous that she invited the Marquis to her mansion and tried to get him to go on a date.
“Both the father and daughter are pathetic.”
How pitiful and ridiculous it is to see her like that. And yet, she lies and boasts that she is loved. Ilina laughed.
'Are you saying I have to spend my whole life trying to please Cecilia Lane?'
'That's not what I meant, dear. Everything Cecilia Lane has will be yours anyway.'
'...'
'Because everything Curtis Lane has will be mine.'
Count Nova said that to Ilya, who was shocked by the words that she would become Cecilia's maid and live a life of currying favor. In fact, Ilya had heard such words from her father all her life.
So according to her father...
Even that beautiful man will be hers someday. He is so affectionate and gentle even to Cecilia, who does not love him, so he will be affectionate to her as well.
'Ilya.'
And he would pour all his vast fortune into her without hesitation. Then, Ilya would be able to enjoy all the wealth and power as his wife. A handsome husband with wealth and power. When Ilya thought about it, her stomach clenched with excitement.
Ilya smiled in ecstasy, like an artist admiring a fantastic painting.
“What about shrimp?”
“I went out to meet Mr. Charles, but I haven’t come back yet.”
Madame Monte came over with a dry towel, pressed Cecilia's hair to absorb the moisture, and combed it vigorously with a thick comb.
“What about Ilya?”
“Well, she was in the mansion the whole time.”
Madam Monte spoke in a calm voice.
“I wish she could go out for a bit.”
Madame Monte muttered grumpily. It seemed as if she was really annoyed by the way Ilya kept appearing in front of her. Cecilia couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
“Yes, it’s done.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Madam Monte.”
Of course, Madame Monte finished fixing Cecilia's hair in the meantime.
“I will tell the servants not to come unless His Highness returns, so get some rest.”
Madam Monte smiled warmly and turned around. After closing the door, Madam Monte headed up the stairs with a slow step. It seemed that Abby would have arrived by now.
“...”
But what she saw was not Madame Monte's daughter, Abby, but Ilya's maid. Ilya's maid, who was standing close to the servant who was serving Eden, handed him something.
“Follow me.”
Ilya's maid looked around, whispering to the servant. Madame Monte instinctively hid behind the wall. Fortunately, they did not see Madame Monte, so they turned their backs and moved. Madame Monte followed them stealthily from a distance.
Finally, the servant and Ilya's maid hid near Ilya's bedroom.
“What is that supposed to do...”
Madame Monte frowned and muttered softly. Madame Monte thought that Cecilia was strangely indifferent only to Ilya. So Madame Monte had no choice but to be sensitive instead.
Mada. Monte stood close to the door, her ears pricked up. She was more curious to hear what was going on than worried about being caught. But she couldn't hear what was being whispered on the other side of the door.
'No! It's okay! I'll be back!'
At that moment, she remembered Ilya's maid who had been so excited that she would deliver the letter to the post office on her behalf. Only Abby, who had said that she would do her favor since there was a post office on the way to Duke Lane's townhouse, was embarrassed.
“That’s suspicious.”
Since she was going to find out about Ilya anyway, she should take a look at the letters she sends and receives.
Madam Monte opened her half-closed eyes and left Ileana's bedroom door before anyone could find out she had been eavesdropping.
Anyway, even Cecilia, who was the highest ranking among them, did not treat her rudely, but Ilya was displeased that Madame Monte, who was just a servant, was pressuring her.
'Cecilia Lane is infatuated with her nanny and her daughter, so don't displease them.'
If it had been her natural personality, she would have immediately yelled at Madame Monte. However, her father's advice stopped Ilya's impulsive behavior. Ilya took a deep breath and walked towards her room.
“Not yet.”
Besides, it wasn't the time yet. After all, Cecilia was the only wife of Eden, the owner of this townhouse, and she was the center of Eden's attention.
Yeah, interested.
Not love, just interest. That was what Ilya felt while watching Cecilia and Eden for a while. No matter how much Cecilia pretended to be loved in front of her, she could tell if she watched closely.
Maybe Cecilia really believes she is loved.
“Her body is running because she wants to be the only one receiving attention...”
According to what Ilya had observed, Eden did not love Cecilia. Cecilia tried to get closer to Eden in some way. However, Eden rarely approached Cecilia first and willingly. They did not always sleep together.
So, she must have been so jealous that she invited the Marquis to her mansion and tried to get him to go on a date.
“Both the father and daughter are pathetic.”
How pitiful and ridiculous it is to see her like that. And yet, she lies and boasts that she is loved. Ilina laughed.
'Are you saying I have to spend my whole life trying to please Cecilia Lane?'
'That's not what I meant, dear. Everything Cecilia Lane has will be yours anyway.'
'...'
'Because everything Curtis Lane has will be mine.'
Count Nova said that to Ilya, who was shocked by the words that she would become Cecilia's maid and live a life of currying favor. In fact, Ilya had heard such words from her father all her life.
So according to her father...
Even that beautiful man will be hers someday. He is so affectionate and gentle even to Cecilia, who does not love him, so he will be affectionate to her as well.
'Ilya.'
And he would pour all his vast fortune into her without hesitation. Then, Ilya would be able to enjoy all the wealth and power as his wife. A handsome husband with wealth and power. When Ilya thought about it, her stomach clenched with excitement.
Ilya smiled in ecstasy, like an artist admiring a fantastic painting.
***
“What about shrimp?”
“I went out to meet Mr. Charles, but I haven’t come back yet.”
Madame Monte came over with a dry towel, pressed Cecilia's hair to absorb the moisture, and combed it vigorously with a thick comb.
“What about Ilya?”
“Well, she was in the mansion the whole time.”
Madam Monte spoke in a calm voice.
“I wish she could go out for a bit.”
Madame Monte muttered grumpily. It seemed as if she was really annoyed by the way Ilya kept appearing in front of her. Cecilia couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
“Yes, it’s done.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Madam Monte.”
Of course, Madame Monte finished fixing Cecilia's hair in the meantime.
“I will tell the servants not to come unless His Highness returns, so get some rest.”
Madam Monte smiled warmly and turned around. After closing the door, Madam Monte headed up the stairs with a slow step. It seemed that Abby would have arrived by now.
“...”
But what she saw was not Madame Monte's daughter, Abby, but Ilya's maid. Ilya's maid, who was standing close to the servant who was serving Eden, handed him something.
“Follow me.”
Ilya's maid looked around, whispering to the servant. Madame Monte instinctively hid behind the wall. Fortunately, they did not see Madame Monte, so they turned their backs and moved. Madame Monte followed them stealthily from a distance.
Finally, the servant and Ilya's maid hid near Ilya's bedroom.
“What is that supposed to do...”
Madame Monte frowned and muttered softly. Madame Monte thought that Cecilia was strangely indifferent only to Ilya. So Madame Monte had no choice but to be sensitive instead.
Mada. Monte stood close to the door, her ears pricked up. She was more curious to hear what was going on than worried about being caught. But she couldn't hear what was being whispered on the other side of the door.
'No! It's okay! I'll be back!'
At that moment, she remembered Ilya's maid who had been so excited that she would deliver the letter to the post office on her behalf. Only Abby, who had said that she would do her favor since there was a post office on the way to Duke Lane's townhouse, was embarrassed.
“That’s suspicious.”
Since she was going to find out about Ilya anyway, she should take a look at the letters she sends and receives.
Madam Monte opened her half-closed eyes and left Ileana's bedroom door before anyone could find out she had been eavesdropping.
***
From the next day onwards, Ilya's outfit changed.
She hadn't dressed that sloppily before, but now it was almost funny to compare herself to before. Ilya was wearing a dress that she would wear outside even indoors.
“Her Highness the Grand Duchess has her eyes wide open. What on earth is she thinking?”
“How would I understand?”
In particular, she couldn't help but feel strange seeing him go to Eden like that.
“Is His Highness inside?”
Of course, there were good reasons for Ilya to go to Eden. The hair she was wearing wasn't just for decoration.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to ask you something about the banquet.”
She knew what it would look like to openly try to seduce the husband of the person she was serving, so Ilya devoted herself to pretending to be a maid doing Cecilia's bidding.
“Please wait a moment.”
Ilya waited in front of the office door with a smiling face. Soon after, Eden's servant showed up. It was a face Ilina knew well.
“He said, ‘Come in.”
It was worth feeding her money. Ilya thought so as she crossed the threshold.
“Thank you for allowing me to see you, Your Highness.”
Ilya greeted him politely. Eden, who had been reviewing the report for a while, turned his gaze to Ilya.
"Is it so."
Of course, his gaze quickly returned to the documents. That brief glance secretly made people feel anxious. Eden’s weakness was that he was indifferent to any woman in the townhouse. Of course, it was an advantage that he seemed to be no different from Cecilia.
“Did Cecilia send you?”
While Ilya was hesitating and unable to speak again, Eden asked a question.
“No. I wasn’t sent by Her Highness the Grand Duchess...”
Ilya opened her mouth cautiously, observing Eden's expression.
'His Highness the Grand Duke is the type of person who doesn't say much, whether he likes it or not.'
As Eden's servant had said, his face was usually expressionless, making it difficult to read his emotions.
“You have placed your hopes on me, and I do not wish to disappoint you. I have come to ask for Your Highness’s help, despite my embarrassment.”
Ilya put the paper down on the table with a face that clearly showed hesitation. Of course, it was a made-up attitude. Ilya was not nervous at all.
“You said I don’t have to prepare yet, but I think it would be better to prepare in advance.”
She already knew the families close to the Grand Duke and the collateral families. So Ilya selected the appropriate families and calculated the number of attendees. She also reported in advance how much of a budget would be needed.
'What kind of woman does His Highness like?'
He had already fed Eden's servant money, so he knew to some extent what kind of women he liked, so he was confident.
'He like a wise woman.'
That's what the servant said with a hollow laugh.
'And, surprisingly, he likes voluptuous women.'
Ikya was confident about that part without having to emphasize it. So, Ilya believed that she was more like Eden's ideal type than Cecilia, who was as fragile as if she would be blown away by the wind and didn't know how to prioritize things.
“Have you learned how to count?”
Eden, who seemed to be absentmindedly looking at the paper, raised his head and asked a question. Ilya opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“How did you know?”
“Because it doesn’t seem like it was calculated by adding up the values one by one.”
Eden's gaze turned back to the paper. There was a faint interest in his gaze as he watched closely.
“My father told me. Later, the Duke...”
Ilya answered excitedly, then closed her mouth. Eden looked at Ilya, resting his chin on his hand.
“Working for Duke Lane is the mission of the entire Count Nova.”
Of course, Ilya made up her story naturally. Eden didn't seem to have much doubts either.
“That’s right. I recently heard that Count Nova also recommended a candidate for the Duchess.”
Ilya nodded at Eden's words. It was even stranger to deny something that had already been rumored.
“Well, since Cecilia is married to me, I have to think about the Duke’s successor as well.”
“...”
“Cecilia just seems upset that they're forcing someone else into the mistress position right after I got married, but it’s a foolish thing to do considering the family background.”
Eden spoke calmly as if he was only stating the facts. Ilya hesitated to answer for a moment.
“Cecilia is a bit different from Nova.”
“...”
“Isn’t that so?”
But the very next moment, there was no time to doubt the beautiful man in front of her as he smiled and joked.
She hadn't dressed that sloppily before, but now it was almost funny to compare herself to before. Ilya was wearing a dress that she would wear outside even indoors.
“Her Highness the Grand Duchess has her eyes wide open. What on earth is she thinking?”
“How would I understand?”
In particular, she couldn't help but feel strange seeing him go to Eden like that.
“Is His Highness inside?”
Of course, there were good reasons for Ilya to go to Eden. The hair she was wearing wasn't just for decoration.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to ask you something about the banquet.”
She knew what it would look like to openly try to seduce the husband of the person she was serving, so Ilya devoted herself to pretending to be a maid doing Cecilia's bidding.
“Please wait a moment.”
Ilya waited in front of the office door with a smiling face. Soon after, Eden's servant showed up. It was a face Ilina knew well.
“He said, ‘Come in.”
It was worth feeding her money. Ilya thought so as she crossed the threshold.
“Thank you for allowing me to see you, Your Highness.”
Ilya greeted him politely. Eden, who had been reviewing the report for a while, turned his gaze to Ilya.
"Is it so."
Of course, his gaze quickly returned to the documents. That brief glance secretly made people feel anxious. Eden’s weakness was that he was indifferent to any woman in the townhouse. Of course, it was an advantage that he seemed to be no different from Cecilia.
“Did Cecilia send you?”
While Ilya was hesitating and unable to speak again, Eden asked a question.
“No. I wasn’t sent by Her Highness the Grand Duchess...”
Ilya opened her mouth cautiously, observing Eden's expression.
'His Highness the Grand Duke is the type of person who doesn't say much, whether he likes it or not.'
As Eden's servant had said, his face was usually expressionless, making it difficult to read his emotions.
“You have placed your hopes on me, and I do not wish to disappoint you. I have come to ask for Your Highness’s help, despite my embarrassment.”
Ilya put the paper down on the table with a face that clearly showed hesitation. Of course, it was a made-up attitude. Ilya was not nervous at all.
“You said I don’t have to prepare yet, but I think it would be better to prepare in advance.”
She already knew the families close to the Grand Duke and the collateral families. So Ilya selected the appropriate families and calculated the number of attendees. She also reported in advance how much of a budget would be needed.
'What kind of woman does His Highness like?'
He had already fed Eden's servant money, so he knew to some extent what kind of women he liked, so he was confident.
'He like a wise woman.'
That's what the servant said with a hollow laugh.
'And, surprisingly, he likes voluptuous women.'
Ikya was confident about that part without having to emphasize it. So, Ilya believed that she was more like Eden's ideal type than Cecilia, who was as fragile as if she would be blown away by the wind and didn't know how to prioritize things.
“Have you learned how to count?”
Eden, who seemed to be absentmindedly looking at the paper, raised his head and asked a question. Ilya opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“How did you know?”
“Because it doesn’t seem like it was calculated by adding up the values one by one.”
Eden's gaze turned back to the paper. There was a faint interest in his gaze as he watched closely.
“My father told me. Later, the Duke...”
Ilya answered excitedly, then closed her mouth. Eden looked at Ilya, resting his chin on his hand.
“Working for Duke Lane is the mission of the entire Count Nova.”
Of course, Ilya made up her story naturally. Eden didn't seem to have much doubts either.
“That’s right. I recently heard that Count Nova also recommended a candidate for the Duchess.”
Ilya nodded at Eden's words. It was even stranger to deny something that had already been rumored.
“Well, since Cecilia is married to me, I have to think about the Duke’s successor as well.”
“...”
“Cecilia just seems upset that they're forcing someone else into the mistress position right after I got married, but it’s a foolish thing to do considering the family background.”
Eden spoke calmly as if he was only stating the facts. Ilya hesitated to answer for a moment.
“Cecilia is a bit different from Nova.”
“...”
“Isn’t that so?”
But the very next moment, there was no time to doubt the beautiful man in front of her as he smiled and joked.
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