Bert returned when evening came. Finding Adi, who had stoically remained at his post all this time, Bert ordered him to go and rest, but noticing that he was looking at Yuls, he said:
- Your Grace.
Jules raised his head. Taking one look at Adi, he said:
- Go.
Adi bowed and walked out the door. Bert pressed his face to the door and listened to him leave. Only when the footsteps died away in the distance did he break away from her.
- Your Grace.
- What?
- What is the result this time?
Bert didn't have high hopes. For ten years, the answers have always been similar, and now it is unlikely that anything will change.
- He says it won't take long.
“That witch always says that.”
In response to Bert's words, Jules added:
- About a week.
- …Sorry?
“He says I’ll find out in a week.” And that it is already nearby.
- Near?
— So I’m checking the list of gifts from the Marquise.
- What exactly is it supposed to be?
- Some kind of thing. Lately, these are the only ones that have come into my hands.
Jules fell silent. But there was no precision in this. I should have asked that witch what something that could break the curse even looked like.
She told him to come if he needed help. Wouldn't it be strange to show up tomorrow? Although that would be more accurate.
- How did your case go?
“It looks like he has no plans to act yet.”
- The time has not come yet. Besides, they don't trust me.
— If we talk about trust, they definitely trust you. They just don't trust your appearance.
- To think that because of such a body you do not understand the affairs of the world - isn’t this a sign of an amateur?
“But people attach importance to appearance. That is why you seek to lift the curse, Your Grace.
The corner of Juls’ eye twitched at Bert’s words. He didn't say anything wrong. People really place importance on appearance. That's why nobles dress up like that. Jules Woodpecker also realized this, but too late. When he became a young duke, he did not realize this.
But time passed, and when no changes occurred in him, rumors began to creep. That Woodpecker is cursed.
The curse of eternal childhood.
To figure this out, he traveled to many places and met with many people. They did not perceive Duke Woodpecker as a child and outwardly exposed Bert.
Anyway, unless you're a high-born noble and keep in touch, you don't know what Woodpecker looks like. Woodpecker himself stopped appearing in society after he learned that his body was not growing.
But.
"The servant's clothes do not suit you, Duke."
Only the only witch Dalcatira saw through everything.
"The witch did make the Duke like this, but it's not a curse."
No, it's a curse.
"Because the Duke..."
Remembering that situation, Yuls brought his fingers to his temple. Somewhere in his head it hurt, but he couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, so he rubbed it here and there.
"You're not human."
It wouldn't be a curse.
* * * Returning to her room, Adi opened the closed window. One after another, lights began to appear.
Looking at the window, Adi turned around and looked around her room, which was barely visible in the faint light from outside. Nothing has changed. She glanced at the portrait of her and Adrian at the head of the bed, took the shemiz and headed to the bathroom.
Having turned on the water, Adi began to take off her clothes, layer by layer. Standing under the warm streams, she threw back her wet hair.
The feeling was strange. The palace she always saw was a wretched dump. It was swarming with ferocious, sweat-smelling idiots who would cling to anything, so she was even glad that she was there and not Adrian. Adrian was too tender-hearted; it would have been unbearable for him here.
But today's Palesa, the Palesa of late spring, was somehow different. It was as if color suddenly burst into a world full of gray colors. It seemed like it was the first time Adi had seen such greenery. Not at all like the thick dark greens of Grimaldi. For some reason this made my heart flutter, and at the same time...
- Disgusting.
Either way it was bad. She began to furiously rub her skin as the water fell on her head. Hoping that incomprehensible feelings will be washed away along with the streams.
After washing, Adi, as usual, put on her shemiz and pulled the leather armor over her chest. It was necessary to change clothes and go to the Duke's residence.
Somehow wiping her wet hair with a towel and leaving it on her head, Adi left the bathroom, but, perceiving someone’s presence, quickly rushed to the bed. Taking out the dagger hidden underneath, she opened the wardrobe. Quickly grabbing her clothes, Adi pulled on her pants and tucked the dagger into her belt.
There was a knock. It’s not that she didn’t have people at all who could visit her, but none of them would hang around the door for so long. Adi went to the door and opened it just enough to see the crack.
- Adrian?
- Who are you?
Stranger.
— Roy Gagliardo, First Division of the Second Order of Chivalry.
- For what reason?
- There is a conversation. Won't you let me in?
— Show me the cameo and the notebook.
Growling that she was suspicious, the man obediently held out his notebook and removed the cameo from the cravat, showing it. Adi opened the door.
- Do you even wear armor in your room?
- What do you care?
— Никакого, просто неудобно же. I heard that you have free time after lunch, so I stopped by.
With these words, he entered without permission and sat down on a chair. Looking around the dark room, he grumbled why she didn’t even turn on the light, and, taking out his matches, lit the candle on the table.
Adi opened the notebook. Roy pinned the cameo to the cravat again. Grumbling that there wasn’t even a mirror here, the man turned to Adi, and she said:
— Roy Gagliardo, First Division of the Second Order of Chivalry.
- Yeah.
- Why did you come?
Roy crossed his legs. Apparently confident in his appearance, he rested his chin on his hand, narrowed his eyes and stated his demands as if they were self-evident:
- Give me your job.
- What?
“This was originally supposed to be my job.” But because you showed up, you got it. And it took me a while to recover...
-What are you talking about?
— Duke Woodpecker only hires newbies as bodyguards. That is, as expected, the newcomer was me, and I was supposed to guard the Duke. But because of your sudden transfer, I missed this opportunity.
“In any case, you don’t like this job, do you?”
- To my liking.
- What?
— Quiet and without incident, easy to guard.
“It can’t be,” Roy muttered quietly.
I remembered that before the duke’s guard began, a servant came and told him that you can’t do this, you can’t do that, and so on. The conditions were picky, but in practice the service turned out to be not so difficult. But something else is unclear.
“Wouldn’t you rather explain why this job should be yours instead of telling me you’re not happy with it?”
- Because it's Duke Woodpecker.
- That's all?
- What else do you need?
- Why is this even a reason?
-...That's why with these provincial nobles...
Roy clicked his tongue.
“Even if you leave here, you have a lot of things to do.” At least right now with the affairs of his family. And I don't really have any options. If I don’t find a suitable gentleman before I’m thirty, I’ll have to leave here, get by on a penny job, and then stick around as a guard somewhere in my old age. For me, this is a chance to meet high-born nobles or royalty.
“You don’t have to look for a master specifically among the royal family or high nobility.
“And you don’t have to do this work.”
Roy, apparently, did not understand why a provincial nobleman from a count’s family would hang around here at all. If it was the real Adrian, it would be so. But Adrina is another matter.
- It’s not me who decides.
And Spencer Grimaldi ordered to stay close to Woodpecker.
“If you want this service, tell the Duke himself.”
- Do you think I can do it?
- Do you think I can do it?
- Adi Grimaldi.
Roy stood up. He came close and looked down. An attempt to suppress with physical superiority. But Adi looked up at him calmly. Gritting his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tense, Roy finally sighed and said:
- I really need this.
- If you need it, ask.
- What?
- You're asking badly. If necessary, get down on your knees and ask to give way.
-...This is not a confession to a priest.
“I’m not interested in your business, Roy.” What you want, what kind of gentleman you are looking for - this does not concern me.
And in general this is all a little strange.
“If I give in now, you will later refer to me and say that I myself wanted to change.” And do you think Palesa Palace will leave such a bodyguard alone?
It’s already strange that Duke Woodpecker only takes on newbies, but there’s also something wrong with this man. If you're looking for a master, isn't it better to be a member of the royal family than the Duke of Woodpecker? Some prince. Summer is coming and many of the royal family will come to Palesa.
“And it’s enough for me to just stay in place.”
Adi looked up and looked down at him. As if despising it.
“If you really want me to do something to harm myself, crawl on your belly like a dog and pray, and don’t stick your chest out like a cartwheel.”
Does it really have to be Duke Woodpecker?
“He’s low-born, apparently, and that’s why he’s not trained in manners?”
Just as her father gave her a dressing down, has someone been bought to lure Roy Gallardo?
-...Bitch bastard.
- Well, here I am the Mad Dog of the Palesa Palace. — Ади гордо вздёрнула подбородок.