"What a remarkably monotonous mansion," Sophie whispered in her mistress's ear. "I thought Lady Pembroke had deliberately placed all those expensive trinkets in your room to dampen the spirit of the new duchess. But it seems..." She trailed off, gesturing at the corridor stretching before them. The entire family estate struck the same discordant note of excessive wealth and ostentation.
"The atmosphere here reminds me of... a peacock with its tail spread, performing a mating dance." After a moment's contemplation, the maid found her comparison satisfyingly apt, though her shoulders trembled slightly in disgust. The luxury was absolutely **suffocating**.
"Which means Lady Pembroke's greedy hands reach into every corner of this mansion..."
It became increasingly clear that Adeline would face considerable difficulty assuming her rightful position as mistress of the house. Unlike Sophie, whose anxiety radiated from every fidget and frown, the new duchess examined the interiors with careful detachment. When they encountered servants, the staff greeted their new mistress politely enough—but their demeanor betrayed an unmistakable distance. The contrast with the warm welcome Mrs. Tiziana had received at the villa couldn't have been sharper.
"Ah, here's the library!" Sophie brightened, leading her mistress toward the book stacks in an attempt to lift the oppressive mood. "I hope this place, at least, remains untouched."
The princess had spent most of her time in the library at the Roche mansion. Becoming a duchess wouldn't change her tastes overnight. While residing at Pembroke Manor, her mistress would likely spend most of her hours among the books. Therefore, if this sanctuary had also been drowned in Lady Pembroke's gaudy excess, Adeline would have no refuge at all.
Sophie carefully opened the door, peered inside, then looked back at her mistress with an expression caught between relief and amusement.
"Everything here looks more restrained. It resembles the abode of a **modest peacock**."
"Really?" Adeline smiled, finding the comparison charming.
"It's probably the bookshelves. There are so many of them that there's simply no room left for extravagance." Sophie sighed and relaxed her shoulders. Opening the doors wide, she gestured her mistress inside with a theatrical flourish.
"Hmm... As you said, this room truly does resemble the home of a humble peacock." The library served much the same purpose as the one in the Roche residence, yet the atmosphere felt entirely different. "And it seems there are far more books here." While the Roche library had occupied only one floor, this collection rose through two stories beneath soaring ceilings, creating an **impressive** sight.
Seeing her mistress's eyes sparkle at the sight of so many volumes, Sophie smiled. The new duchess had clearly taken a liking to this place.
"Wait here a moment—I'll fetch your reading glasses."
"Ah..." Adeline nodded, brow furrowing slightly as if she'd just remembered something important. Her eyesight wasn't poor, but she preferred glasses for more comfortable reading.
"I'll be right back!" Sophie promised cheerfully, bowing before hurrying from the room.
When the door clicked shut behind the maid, silence settled over the library like dust. Adeline closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. That particular scent—musty paper, old leather, and the subtle perfume of aged ink—could only be found in rooms filled with books. The resort and the elegant villa where the couple had spent their honeymoon had been beautiful, certainly. But it was **this** kind of place that brought the princess true peace.
Adeline opened her eyes, and a slight smile blossomed on her lips. Where to begin? Which book should she choose first? Perhaps she'd find something she hadn't read before. The prospect filled her with quiet excitement.
A noise interrupted her pleasant reverie.
A faint but distinct _rustling_ sound.
"From above?"
Listening intently, Adeline moved toward the source. If mice had gotten in, something would need to be done immediately—otherwise the valuable books would be ruined. Dutifully, she headed for the spiral staircase leading to the upper gallery.
However, as the duchess drew closer to the source of the disturbance, her expression shifted.
_"What are these... sounds?"_
The rustling had given way to something far stranger—something that made her breath catch. Soft moans reached her ears, languid and unmistakable.
"Mgh! Ha-ah!..."
These weren't cries of pain or distress, but the breathless gasps escaping a woman's mouth in the throes of pleasure. As soon as Adeline recognized them for what they were, she became aware of other sounds: the dull **slap** of flesh meeting flesh, accompanied by wet, rhythmic squelching, and heavy, ragged breathing.
_"My God."_
Though Adeline couldn't see what was happening with her own eyes, she understood immediately. Someone was indulging in carnal pleasures right here in the library—in **her** library now. She froze mid-step, mind going utterly blank at the shocking discovery. She had never encountered such a situation before.
"Mmm, aah, mgh!..." The woman's moans grew louder, shameless, as if the participants had no desire to hide what they were doing.
Items completely out of place in a library lay scattered across the floor near the base of a bookshelf: a maid's crisp white apron, rumpled undergarments.
_"Servants?"_ Adeline barely suppressed a bitter laugh.
They **dared** to engage in such behavior—without a shred of embarrassment, during working hours, in a place that belonged to their master. The audacity was breathtaking. The couple seemed so engrossed in their activity that they hadn't even heard the loud conversation she and Sophie had been having moments before.
Adeline hesitated. Should she simply ignore what was happening and leave quietly? Or should she assert her authority and reprimand them?
Her indecision lasted only until the woman cried out a name in the height of her passion.
"A-ah! **Derek!**"
"Derek?"
The name belonged to the very same libertine who had so unceremoniously invaded Adeline's bedchamber through the window. Alexio's half-brother. Lady Pembroke's biological son. Everything became perfectly clear in that instant.
For a man as debauched as Derek Pembroke, such escapades were undoubtedly commonplace. Adeline had absolutely no desire to interfere in her brother-in-law's sordid affairs. She decided to withdraw as quietly as she'd come.
It was then that the man's voice cut through the air—**icy** and sharp.
"Derek?" His tone had transformed entirely. "Have I ever given you permission to address me like that?"
The obscene sounds ceased abruptly, replaced by that shockingly cold voice. Perhaps sensing the sudden shift in the man's mood, the maid scrambled to justify herself.
"S-sorry, sir... I made a mistake because I got overexcited—"
"And? Does that give you the right to forget your place?"
"N-no, of course not, I just—"
"**Shut up** and spread your legs." His voice dripped with disdain. "I lose all arousal when I hear you say my name. It seems I've been far too lenient with you. _Tch._"
"M-Master?"
"I decided to overlook what you were scheming—your pathetic attempt to trap me into changing your miserable life. What a shame you ruined it." His tone turned contemplative, cruel. "So tell me... when exactly did you stop taking the potions?"
"I-I made a mistake! Please, forgive me... **Ah!**"
With a dull **thud**, the maid was thrown against a bookshelf. Her upper body was bare now, her uniform hanging uselessly around her waist. Crawling fearfully across the floor, she tried to escape, but her arms—shaking with terror—and her heavy, uncooperative legs prevented her from moving with any speed.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Derek emerged from behind the bookshelf and positioned himself behind the maid as she struggled across the floor. Unlike her disheveled state, the man looked remarkably composed. If it weren't for the erect member protruding from his unbuttoned trousers, he might easily have been mistaken for a gentleman who'd simply come to the library to select a book.
"Even if you've lost your enthusiasm, you still have to do as you're told, don't you?" Derek leaned over and roughly seized the maid by her hair, thrusting himself into her from behind without ceremony—**like a dog mounting a bitch.**
"**A-agh!**" The maid sobbed at the brutal intrusion, her cry echoing off the high ceiling.
Unable to bear it any longer, Adeline clutched the hem of her dress with both trembling hands.
"**Stop it!**"
The maid was too frightened to react. Derek, however, remained utterly calm—as if he'd known of Adeline's presence from the very beginning. He didn't even bother to turn his head.
"I didn't expect a princess to harbor such unusual hobbies." His voice was smooth, mocking. "Do you enjoy spying on scenes like this, _Your Grace?_"