“Come in”
“Excuse me”
Victor entered the room carrying a tray and a cup of tea.
Suddenly, a refreshing scent filled the room.
Preparing and serving tea was not a common task for Victor, the duchy's butler.
However, there were times when Ethan craved Victor's professionally prepared tea, especially on days like this when he had a headache.
“You looked particularly tired today, so I added a spoonful of honey.”
“Well done. Thank you.”
In fact, the sweetness revived him somewhat.
Victor bowed respectfully.
As he turned to leave, Ethan called out to him impulsively.
“Wait, Victor”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Have you noticed anything strange about Camille lately?”
“Recently...?”
“Yes, since she came. Whether you saw it yourself or heard it from other maids, if there is anything unusual, let me know.”
“Can I speak frankly?”
“Absolutely”
“Honestly, there are many oddities. If you’ll excuse me, she seems like a completely different personality.”
"It is not a general statement. Have you shown any suspicious intentions or behaved in a way that cannot be explained at all?"
Victor hesitated for a moment, “You thanked me the other day.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.
"Did I thank you? Personally?"
“Yes, and I smiled brightly while doing so.”
“This is...weird.”
“Very strange”
Everyone in the palace knew that Camille hated Victor.
Despite her mood swings, the servants did not find her to be a difficult lady.
She would get angry when something bothered her, but she would calm down just as quickly with some gentle persuasion.
However, Camille was constantly spiteful and cruel towards Victor.
Although Ethan publicly rebuked her several times, Camille's reaction was always the same.
“Are you telling me that you prefer a simple servant to your wife?” She was answering, her face red with anger and trembling with indignation.
Eventually, Ethan stopped bringing up the topic.
“What did I thank you for?”
“When I brought her a book at your request.”
Ethan had never issued such an order before.
What he said was: “Ask a servant to watch her in the library to make sure she is not plotting anything suspicious.”
“Maybe she was in a good mood that day?”
“I don't think so...but...”
“But what?”
“She asked me to treat her more comfortably in the future. She mentioned that improving communication is essential for household affairs.”
"...Did I mention housekeeping? Camille?"
“Yes. And that's not all. She also said: “Given my actions so far, I don't expect you to change your opinion of me overnight.” “I will try to make you see me differently, Victor.”
Ethan frowned deeply, staring at Victor.
"Is this correct?"
“She said those exact words, and I didn't miss a single detail.”
“…What are her intentions?” Ethan muttered, half to himself.
Victor, who had his doubts, couldn't help but think the same.
Maybe Camille was trying to gather more allies in her current situation. It seemed that even the maid, Mary, was under the Duchess's control in some way.
'But...'
For some reason, Victor couldn't shake the feeling that the Duchess's words held some truth to them. It is easy to lie with words, but it is not easy to deceive with the eyes.
When Camille looked at him, there was sincere kindness in her eyes.
Her words about wanting to improve their relationship seemed sincere. It is this originality that put Victor in an unusual state of confusion.
Of course, he couldn't tell Ethan that.
It will certainly be met with disbelief.
At that moment, another knocking sound echoed through the room.
“I'm Camille, may I come in?”
The two men headed toward the door at the same time, then looked at each other.
Ethan cleared his throat, “Come on.”
The door opened, and Camille entered, wearing a dress more modest and simple than usual. It was amazing that she had such an outfit.
“Am I interrupting something important?”
“No, it's okay”
“I'm leaving then,” Victor said as he bowed and passed Camille.
She replied with a gentle smile.
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly upon seeing this.
Victor gave Ethan a look that seemed to say, “Did you see that?” Before he closed the door behind him.
"… What is happening?" Ethan asked.
“What do you mean by ‘what’s going on?’ Today is the day we agreed on,” Camille answered.
“Agreed?”
When he asked her absent-mindedly, Camille frowned.
“The history of the War of Eärendel. We were supposed to discuss it today, remember? Two weeks ago.”
“Oh, that's what happened,” Ethan said, remembering the agreement.
He had completely forgotten about him. Has it been two weeks already? With all the recent headaches and his busy schedule, it slipped his mind.
“Have you finished reading it?” He asked her, although he was skeptical.
“Yes”
“...what?”
“I told you, I read it all,” Camille maintained a calm expression.
“You certainly did not read it quickly and claim that you did.”
“Of course not”
“Did you really read all that?”
“All twelve volumes, from beginning to end, without skipping a single word.”
“……”
Ethan narrowed his eyes, examining her closely.
“You're kidding”
“I'm not kidding”
“So tell me about it. What is the book about?”
As if she had been waiting for this question, a confident smile appeared on Camille's lips.
"As Lava, 'The History of the War of Eärendel', a book documenting the Twenty Years' War between Alec the Old and the Dirchilant. The author, Raddus, traveled across the entire region of Eärendel, including the coastal regions of Hagia and beyond the Keladim Mountains, to write this book. The first three volumes detail the daily life and societies of the nations and peoples of the time, based on Raddus' first-hand observations during his travels. From Volumes Four to Seven, he delves into The book details the war itself. The description of the battles is vivid and exciting, clearly showing that the author was not only a scholar but also had great artistic talent. I particularly liked the description of the Battle of Heliotus. While this battle is usually celebrated as King Evandius of Alec, Rados takes a different approach. Instead of simply praising Evandius, he pinpoints the mistakes that led to Alec's victory.
“……”
Ethan stared at Camille, silent.
He felt as if he was hearing a ghost.
Camille tilted her head. “What's wrong?”
“No…nothing,” Ethan stammered, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, “Did you really read all that?”
“I've told you many times, yes.”
“Did you read all twelve volumes of The History of the War of Eärendel in just two weeks?” , Ethan emphasized every word, unable to hide his doubts.
Camille looked angry, “Yes.”
He couldn't believe it.
In the five years he had known Camille, he had never seen her read a book. This was her first time asking to borrow a book from the library, and he had never heard of her buying any books herself.
And now she claims to have read “The History of the War of Eärendel”? In just two weeks?
No, he wasn't sure yet. She could have asked someone to summarize the content and memorize it.
Thinking about it, he had instructed Victor to accompany her when she asked for more books.
She must have had help from Victor.
Ethan felt temporarily disturbed by his doubts, but steeled himself.
“Which country did Rados visit first?”
Ethan asked, expecting her to stumble upon a detailed question.
But Camille answered without hesitation.
“The Kingdom of Moint. It bordered Derchelant to the south, and was traditionally worshiped as the ruler of the moon, so it was ruled by queens.”
“……”
“Is there anything else you want to ask?” Camille asked, her expression full of confidence.