It wasn't her first time visiting the Duke Bernhard estate, but the moment the iron gate closed behind the carriage, Shioana felt a chill.
'I feel uneasy for some reason.'
Shioana, having struggled to shake off ominous thoughts, soon got out of the carriage and was able to reunite with Martha and Harriet.
"Oh my, young lady, what on earth is going on?"
Martha's face was covered in tears as she held Harriet tightly in her arms. Shioana stroked her cheek with her hand and spoke as calmly as possible.
"Martha, His Excellency the Duke, who helped us a while ago, has saved us again."
"I have so much to be thankful for. This isn't the time for this; I should go ahead and greet him first."
After leaving Harriet with Shioana for a moment, Martha wiped away her tears with her sleeve and quickly stood before the Duke. Martha opened her mouth in broken Urcheka.
“Thank you, My Lord.”
As Martha lifted her head and saw the Duke's face, her eyes widened. Terrified, Martha rambled on with strange words at the Duke.
"Ah. No, Hellbird, why are you here..."
The watching servant gasped at Martha's nonsense. Shioana, holding Harriet, quickly approached and stopped Martha.
"Martha, what do you mean? This is His Excellency, Duke Bernhard."
"You may deceive a ghost, young lady, but you cannot deceive my eyes. This person is clearly him."
The Duke smiled as he watched Martha, who showed no sign of stopping her words despite being terrified.
"How long do I have to put up with this rudeness?"
A cool, sharp aura brushed against the Duke's eyes. It was clearly the look he had when sending the butcher to the dungeon.
Shioana quickly knelt down while holding Harriet.
"Sir, I am sorry. It seems my mother was so shocked earlier that she must be hallucinating. If you would show us mercy just this once, this will never happen again."
The Duke's gaze fell upon the hand of the little baby, who had burrowed into Shioana's arms, exhausted from crying.
"Do you think you can wash away the sin of insulting a nobleman with just a single simple word?"
"I... I'll do anything. So please."
Only when Shioana begged hard enough to touch her head to the floor did he show a look of satisfaction.
"I hate noise, so let's stop here."
After seeing the Duke slowly turn and enter the building, Shioana collapsed right then and there.
Even then, Martha just kept her mouth moving, looking as if she had seen a ghost.
"I will show you your room."
A white-haired butler, his face completely unfazed by the commotion, approached the two. Martha and Harriet were assigned rooms in the annex where the employees usually stayed.
"Aren't I living with them too?"
At Shioana's question, the butler lightly adjusted the glasses perched on his nose.
"I am simply passing on what I was instructed to do."
Shioana, having asked the butler for permission, exchanged brief greetings with Martha and Harriet.
"Since we're close by anyway, there's no need to worry, Martha."
"But, Miss, that person from earlier was indeed that guy."
Martha, who was trembling, whispered softly.
Martha was the person who saw Etienne the most after Shioana. So it was not that she didn't know how she was feeling right now.
"I misunderstood at first, too. But he isn't Etienne. He's just someone else who looks like him."
"Miss, I'm telling you, I'm right."
"Right, Martha, I wish the Duke were actually Etienne, who temporarily lost his memory after eating a poisoned apple given by a wicked witch."
Because Shioana had a dream like that for a very brief moment, too.
"I'll stay here for a while and look for a new place to live. My weekly wage has gone up a lot, so it shouldn't be that hard."
After comforting the trembling Martha, Shioana kissed Harriet on the forehead.
"It might be uncomfortable, but please rest comfortably."
"Not at all. It's better than my room in Regbell."
Martta told a joke to lighten Shioana's worry. However, the tension was clearly visible on her still stiff face.
"Tell them to call me immediately if Harriet gets sick at night. Got it?"
"You know very well that I am half a member of parliament, right? Don't worry, Miss."
Shioana, having followed the butler over to the main building, swallowed hard with nervousness.
***
Shioana washed herself in warm water, had her wounds treated, and changed into new clothes. Being served by a maid was an extremely uncomfortable feeling.
'Why is His Excellency acting this way toward me?'
Just when he was dying to devour her, he suddenly treated her with such precious care. Shioana, wearing a blue velvet gown over a pure white chemise, looked in the mirror and muttered to herself.
'It's confusing.'
Anyway, she was so exhausted that she felt like she could fall asleep anywhere just by resting her head.
As Shioana wiped her hair, she casually asked the maid a question.
"Where should I sleep?"
"Could you please wait here for a moment?"
She was guided to the reception room next to the bathroom, where she sat on the floor and hugged her knees.
Shioana wore a blank expression as she gazed at the blazing fireplace. It had been a long time since she had had such leisure time.
She reached out to the fireplace to feel the warmth when someone approached and sat on the chair behind her. She opened her mouth, still turned to the floor.
“Thank you for your help.”
"Didn't I tell you there was no need to thank me?"
I remember you telling me to thank you immediately at one point, so why are you being so fickle again?
Shioana roughly shook her wet hair out of sheer disbelief.
'I think I've said enough, so I'd like to rest.'
If there isn't a proper bedroom to give her, this small, cozy drawing room would be enough.
'I wonder how long he'll keep sitting there.'
As Shioana wiggled her shoulders, the sound of a glass clinking was heard.
Why on earth did I have to drink right here where he is?
"If we don't move quickly, we might have to stay stuck in this spot until he finishes drinking," Shioana whispered softly as she awkwardly stood up.
"I will step aside."
"Who says so? Where do you think you're going?"
"It must be inconvenient for you."
“Come here.”
The Duke, Bernhard, uttered another incomprehensible remark.
'...Why?'
Her questioning blue eyes met the Duke sitting behind her. Dressed in a black velvet gown similar in style to hers, he pointed his finger at the floor in front of the chair.
'Are you telling me to act like a dog? What the heck?'
As Shioana, having fastened the front of her gown, approached him, the Duke raised his glass again.
"Was your promise to do anything just empty words after all?"
“Oh, no.”
Move a little closer and sat between the Duke's legs. He stroked her wet hair.
"You didn't dry it properly."
"It's okay."
Just taking a bath in such warm water made her incredibly happy. She couldn't even think about washing up at her house in District 8, so she had to go to a public bathhouse sometimes, but it was hard to describe in words how noisy and dirty it was.
Besides, she was reluctant to expose her scars completely. The Duke, who had been sipping his drink, spoke up.
"From now on, you will have to show me that determination in person."
"...Yes?"
Shioana's heart pounded fiercely at the strangely meaningful words.
"Didn't you say you would do anything?"
The words Shioana spat out became shackles that bound her ankles.
"...But, sir."
As Shioana turned around and shook her head toward him, the Duke's red eyes gleamed intensely.
“But what?”
"There are also things that cannot be done."
The Duke threw the glass onto the floor and painfully twisted Shioana's jaw.
"Didn't you say there was nothing you wouldn't do to protect your family? You barged in here with that pathetic belief, demanding compensation, and now you're saying it can't be done?"
“Oh, it hurts.”
As the Duke squeezed his hand too tightly, a moan escaped Shioana's lips.
Just as he seemed to release his hands, he wrapped both hands around Shioana's cheeks even more tightly.
"Listen carefully, just like you signed, you are my lover until this is over."
“I, I know.”
"I absolutely do not allow you to meet other men."
It is likely due to the honor of the Duke Bernhard family. He has an engaged partner like Diana, and although he can meet a woman who drinks...
'I guess I can't do it.'
As Shioana lowered her gaze, the Duke, who had been watching silently, suddenly stood up.
“I’m tired.”
He had no idea how long Shioana had been waiting to hear those words.
“Rest in peace.”
As she was about to return to the fireplace after exchanging greetings, the Duke called out to her with a flick of his finger.
“Follow me.”
The Duke and Shioana walked silently down the dark hallway, and soon the two entered their respective rooms.
"... Yes."
Shioana, standing with her back to the door, let out the breath she had been holding.
She tried not to show it, but she had no idea how on edge she was while she was with him. As she slowly raised her head, a large and elegant bedroom came into view.
"I'm really so tired."
Walking through the bedroom, where not a single candle was lit, Shioana threw herself onto the bed as if collapsing.
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