Alexio's reason for not emphasizing her misstep was likely due to his gentlemanly generosity toward Adelina—or perhaps because commenting on such an obvious absurdity was simply beneath him. The latter option was almost certainly closer to the truth.
"I... won't disturb you. Good night."
The girl, as if seeking refuge, quickly climbed onto the bed. She hadn't even properly prepared for sleep, so **consuming** was her embarrassment.
The Duke of Pembroke seemed about to respond, but Adelina squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the blanket up to her chin, effectively ending any possibility of further conversation. She had decided that being told outright she was meddling in matters that weren't her concern would be too distressing to bear.
After a moment, the soft rustle of pages filled the silence. Alexio had returned to his work. That quiet, rhythmic sound gradually calmed Adelina's racing heart.
_There were so many papers scattered across his desk... And he'd already drunk several cups of coffee... At this rate, he'll develop an ulcer._
Adelina imagined mountains of empty porcelain cups. Snow-white dishes floated before her tightly closed eyelids, drifting like clouds. And so, between one breath and the next, the girl fell asleep.
---
The news that the Duchess had spent her first night at the mansion in the Duke's bedroom spread through the servant quarters like wildfire—and left every last one of them **stunned**.
_The Duke allowed his wife to stay in his bedroom!_
Reasonably speaking, this was perfectly normal behavior for a married couple. But in **their** master's case, things were decidedly different. Alexio Pembroke did not permit others to intrude upon his personal space. Within this entire estate, only the butler Mason and his assistant Simeon held access to His Lordship's private chambers. Even the maids were forbidden entry; all responsibilities for maintaining the bedroom fell solely to Mason.
And yet their master had allowed the Duchess to spend the night there?
This couldn't help but be **significant**.
No one was more shocked than the butler himself. Mason had been hired directly by Alexio's biological mother when she first married the late Duke of Pembroke. At the time, he had been far too young for such a responsible position—barely more than a boy himself. When the Duke remarried and the current Lady Pembroke assumed control of the household, Mason had nearly lost his position. Only his own competence had saved him. Thus, Mason had stood by Alexio's side since the young master's birth. He was the Duke's closest ally and, as he himself firmly believed, knew his master better than anyone else alive.
"Imagine my surprise when I brought in the morning newspaper."
At first, the butler had thought the Duke's bed looked **narrower** than usual. Only after several bewildered moments did he realize the reason—the Duchess lay sleeping beside Alexio, her dark hair spilling across the pillow like ink.
Mason had nearly cried out in shock, his legendary composure deserting him entirely. If the noble lady had been dressed even slightly less modestly, he would have committed a **grave** mistake indeed. Such an oversight was unacceptable for an experienced butler, but in this case, the man felt he had legitimate excuse. Mason had always believed that if the Duke and Duchess were to share a bed, it would be in **her** chambers. And this wasn't mere speculation—it had been firm conviction.
The servants whispered that the Duke of Pembroke suffered from a mania for cleanliness, and that this was why he permitted no one into his room.
Of course, the **true** reason was entirely different.
Alexio was constantly under threat of poisoning.
This had begun immediately after he inherited the title following his father's sudden death. Poison had been discovered in his ink pens, his teacups, even decorative flowers he'd thought merely ornamental. Thanks to his vigilance, such maneuvers posed no serious threat to the young duke—though he had once come **very** close to death. To maintain strict confidentiality, only Mason and Simeon had been informed of that near-fatal incident. After it occurred, Alexio forbade anyone from entering his chambers. From that day forward, no poison was ever found in his room again.
A secure fortress. The only place where he could rest peacefully.
That was what the Duke's chambers had become.
_But he let his wife in._
This could only mean one thing: he **trusted** the Duchess.
_Trust._
Mason couldn't imagine a word more unsuitable for Alexio Pembroke. His master trusted no one—and he had never attempted to hide this fact.
_I thought that since this was a marriage of convenience, the usual way of life would remain unchanged._
It appeared things had turned out quite differently.
The butler watched Adelina furtively now, careful not to attract her attention. The girl was leafing through the servants' personal files—documents she had requested be prepared for her immediately upon arrival.
The princess was truly beautiful, just as everyone claimed. Noble in bearing, yet without a trace of arrogance. The girl possessed a calm demeanor, like a still and quiet backwater untouched by storms.
_If change is coming... then perhaps it's a good sign._
Mason recalled the conversation with his master that had taken place when the Duke awoke to find the butler present. Since Mason always left the morning newspaper and departed before his master stirred, such early exchanges were a novelty.
"The rules will change slightly. From now on, please do not enter my room unless I summon you."
"M-Madam... Will she sleep here now?"
"For the time being, yes."
"Then what about the morning newspaper?"
"I'll let you know when to bring it."
It had been a brief conversation—one that naturally confirmed the Duchess would remain in his master's chambers.
While Mason was lost in his own memories, Adelina set aside the stack of papers. The butler snapped back to attention at the sight.
"I see most of the servants were hired after Lady Pembroke took charge of the household."
"Have you already studied all the documents?"
"Yes. That's all of them."
The elderly butler's eyes widened in surprise. Adelina tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely confused by his reaction.
The personal files of every person working in the mansion were kept here—a **vast** amount of paperwork by any measure. Mason had assumed that properly reviewing these documents would require considerably more time. But the Duchess didn't appear to be lying. If only because there was simply no point in embellishing her abilities to a mere butler.
"In such ancient families as the Pembrokes, servants are not usually changed so easily. Was there a particular reason why the Lady dismissed so many?"
"Ah, that's..." The Duchess's question made Mason hesitate. The man found himself uncertain how to respond.
"If this was due to family circumstances that are difficult for you to explain, I will inquire directly with the Duke of Pembroke—or rather, Alexio." Adelina's tone was gentle, noting the butler's visible discomfort.
"No, no... I can tell you. After all, as the Duchess of Pembroke, you should know about such matters."
The girl's words were driven by genuine concern—not idle curiosity. Mason realized with a start that the princess, who looked so young and fragile, was **far** wiser than he had imagined. The new Duchess seemed the complete opposite of Alexio, who, despite the maturity his appearance projected, remained something of a mischievous child within. Of course, the Duke himself would have frowned deeply at such an assessment, denying it with characteristic irritation.
"Do you know that Lady Pembroke is the late Duke's second wife?"
"The history of the Pembroke family is quite well known."
"Shortly after the late Duke's remarriage, terrible rumors began circulating throughout the mansion. They were so serious that most of the servants were immediately dismissed." Mason paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle. Since the rumors had prompted such drastic action, the situation truly couldn't be called ordinary. Adelina continued listening with patient attention. "They said the Duke's mother—who died in what was officially declared a carriage accident—was actually **murdered**."
This was the first the girl had heard of such a thing. If the rumor had leaked beyond the estate walls, the press would have sensationalized the matter beyond recognition. Since that hadn't happened, it could only be concluded that the Pembroke family had taken great pains to conceal this information.
"If a simple rumor produced such an effect, then a culprit must have been named..."
"The current Lady." Mason's voice dropped lower. The suspicions seemed well-founded, since everyone in society knew that the late Duke, while still married to his first wife, had secretly been meeting with the woman who would become his second. The butler chose his next words with extreme caution, fully aware that by revealing this information, he himself risked falling under suspicion. Especially after phrases like "well-founded assumptions."
Adelina was still listening with careful attention, her expression betraying nothing.
"The late Duke then declared that he would not tolerate such disgrace and dismissed nearly all the servants. Shortly afterward, he remarried—to Countess Balfour."
"However," Adelina said slowly, "if the servants were dismissed for this reason, rumors would have spread quickly regardless. Why did those who had been treated so unfairly remain **silent** about the Pembroke family's affairs?"