Calen Castle
–
“I see you for the first time, Your Excellency.
Did you call me?” Juliet bowed politely to the sharp-faced, silver-haired gentleman.
“Yes, it looks like you are leaving the castle.
Come in.
It will take a long time to walk.”
She hesitated for a moment at the kindness of the noble she had seen for the first time.
She always thought:
‘Let’s be careful with priceless kindness’
, but it seemed that it would be easier to leave through the gate in the duke's carriage than to make some lame excuse for leaving.
Julieta stopped agonizing, thanked her and got into the carriage.
Kiellini watched the girl sitting carefully in the chair across from him.
It was incredible that she disguised herself to protect herself, but she was no ordinary child to take on the position of the Prince's private maid just months after having started as a maid.
Today, the prince had left the castle with all his aides to inspect the hunting grounds.
They wouldn't have left a maid who visited Bertino for the first time outside the castle on an errand, and even then, there was no way to leave the castle without a carriage.
He didn't know what was going on, but the Duke somehow thought that he shouldn't miss the current opportunity.
He smiled awkwardly and spoke to the girl sitting uncomfortably across from him, "I had something to tell you, and now I think it's a special fate that we're meeting like this."
“Do you know me?” Juliet's eyes were drawn to the wonder of what the Duke had to say to her.
“I heard from Maribel about you.” Juliet blushed as soon as the Duke finished speaking.
‘I’m paying my debts, but she still hasn’t given up on cheating on me?’
Kiellini spoke calmly to the scared girl, who looked like she was going to jump out of the carriage at any moment: “I don't know what you're thinking, but you shouldn't be so scared, so don't worry.”
He was an elegant-looking man with green eyes and gray hair, neatly combed back.
Juliet thought he was not a lecherous man, seeing the Duke click his tongue in disapproval.
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
“I’ll offer you a job.
It’s way beyond a maid you’re working for.”
Juliet slowly tilted her head to the side at the sudden job offer.
Once she got out of Ricaren, she would try to shed her disguise and get a job, but a job just came up.
However, didn't she know what it was like to be incomparable to a maid?
The Duke got straight to the point when Juliet showed interest in what he said.
“I have a daughter who will make her social debut this year.
She is my successor.
But the problem is that it is difficult for her to perform and do a general event to receive the title of Duke, because she is very weak.”
Kiellini closed his mouth and looked out the window for a moment.
'If I could take the girl's health right in front of me and give it to Iris, how happy I would be!
Even if it goes according to plan, from this year onwards, the child will have to hide like a ghost, as if he were dead within the territory.'
It was so sad, so pitiful and so unfair.
He could do anything for her, but the one thing he couldn't do was his daughter's health.
He couldn't give it to her, so he wanted to take someone else's health and keep it in place.
Kiellini turned to the maid looking at him without saying a word.
When the Duke’s gaze returned to her, Juliet opened her mouth: “I understand.
Are you saying that your daughter has all the authority as the de facto successor, but she is weak, so I have to do outside activities as a substitute?”
“That's right.
You understand quickly.
Nobody knows that my daughter, Iris, is in bad health.
Therefore, it is necessary to warn them that Iris is not seriously ill and that they should not even think about succession while you complete my daughter's social debut at the coming-of-age ceremony as a surrogate.
That way, they won’t make any unnecessary scandals even if my daughter confines herself to the territory after this.”
“How long do I have to work as a substitute?
No matter how much money you give me, I can’t continue to be a scarecrow.”
It was a great opportunity.From Juliet's point of view, taking off her disguise was more of a cover-up, so the offer to wash her identity and receive some money was a good shot.
However, since she didn't want to live her entire life as part of someone else's character, she had to find out exactly when that period was.
“Only during this summer’s social season.
If you finish your coming out party safely and achieve everyone's recognition as the successor of the Kiellini family, your role will be over.”
‘Iris is weak and cannot marry or have children.
We will look for a young man who can form a political alliance or share this secret.
It would be nice if he had a child out there, and if he doesn't, she could adopt a suitable one.
In any case, she will show that there is no problem as a successor, go to the territory for a change of scenery and spend her entire life there.
Then the rest of Iris' life will be kept safe.'
“But I think I missed something.
Do your daughter and I look much alike?”
Juliet tilted her head, thinking, “I don’t think the daughter of a gentleman like that would have brick hair and dark skin.
I heard from Maribel that you were the Marquis's illegitimate daughter.
He is Iris’s uncle.”
Kiellini nodded while Julieta was apparently embarrassed by the family registry relationship he suddenly mentioned.
“She has blonde hair and green eyes.
Of course, she is a lighter blonde than the Marquis, and her eyes are a green closer to blue, but since she was young, she went down to the territory and confined herself there, so you don't need to worry about that because only a few people would remember Iris except for an image from when she was young.”
At the mention of the Duke, Juliet remembered the Marquis Anais, whom she had seen at the theater.
He had vivid green eyes that resembled a blossoming bud, with bright blonde hair that was a lighter pink color than her.
Perhaps no one doubted that she was his niece.
The Duke looked out the window, observing Juliet, who seemed to be thinking carefully.
They would soon reach the gate.
When negotiating, however, it was a loss for those who would express their feelings first.
He told her the amount to be paid after the work was done and looked outside in a leisurely manner.
Unlike him, Juliet couldn't help but be surprised.
Ten thousand terms!
The amount was enough to pay off Maribel's debts and open a store!
‘Good luck comes to those who want to seize it.
I won’t be as scared as before and run away.’
Many things were on her mind, but Julieta didn't want to miss the opportunity that arose.
“Please complete a contract stating the exact duration and amount to be paid to me and the clause that you will not cause me any harm upon completion of the work.”
Juliet smiled brightly at the silver-haired gentleman in front of her, taking off the wig and glasses he was wearing.
Sa-chan
Sa-chan
Thanks for reading.
^-^