It would be naive and easy to expect a momentary warmth. Even if you make a fuss over something as trivial as eating, it was clear that if these little things pile up, you would gradually become dull.
And then, without realizing it, you might end up being too overbearing and the duke’s heart might grow cold.
I have already received help from the Duke several times. There is no guarantee that his favor will continue.
‘Be smart, Hermia. You’ll be the one who gets hurt later.’
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled awkwardly.
“I want to eat comfortably.”
Although it was a bit ambiguous, it was true that I was uneasy, so I spoke without any problems.
“Are you uncomfortable eating with us?”
Walter asked immediately, and she nodded instead of answering. But this time, Gerard looked uncomfortable.
“Are we uncomfortable? Why?”
“Uh… I can only keep the line if the two of you are moderately uncomfortable… … ?”
“Line? What line? Is this what happens when you’re on the same boat?”
In contrast to Gerard, who was screaming half jokingly and half sincerely in betrayal, Walter’s expression began to harden.
This is definitely that feeling. An invisible wall.
The door to the heart that was clearly empty, but when you tried to enter, a sturdy lock was placed right before your eyes.
He still had no clue as to how to get in there.
All she knew how to do was capture prisoners, interrogate them, and, if necessary, use violent methods to extract information. She couldn’t approach her fiancée in that way…
Walter quickly hid his expression and spoke calmly as usual.
“Do as you please. Please enjoy your meal leisurely in your room.”
“Really? Then you have to eat a lot… … .”
It was rather pleasing to hear her speak instinctively. He turned his gaze to Emily.
“Prepare Miss Hermia’s meal separately and bring it up to her room, and do the same for tomorrow morning.”
“All right.”
“After you eat breakfast, I would like you to speak with me for a moment.”
“Huh? An interview?”
Walter nodded as she pointed at him with her finger.
“You have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism, so you will need to fill out a statement. We will only ask you a few simple questions, so please do not feel too pressured.”
“Ah… … . I understand.”
“He’s my close friend, but he’s really bad. What kind of man in the world would interrogate his own fiancée? It’s something that can be dealt with roughly. He’s like a completely blocked-up window.”
“It’s a formality.”
Even though Gerard glanced at him as if he was fed up, he remained steadfast.
Only after Emily took Hermia away and the door closed did Walter’s breath disperse into the air.
All he could think of was a report. I wondered if he was in his right mind.
“It’s so pathetic… … .”
“huh?”
“Nothing. Just eat. It won’t be fun since I’m with Byukchangho.”
That, that. He’s gone wrong again. Gerard grumbled inwardly and rubbed the corners of his lips that were quivering.
* * *
Hermia took a seat at the table, taking a good look around the huge guest room where she had slept last time.
Emily smiled as she placed down the same dishes as before, one by one, and even put down lemonade and fruit juice.
“Please make yourself at home. I’ll be out, so ring the bell if you need anything else.”
“thank you.”
When I saw her say thank you, I thought to myself that I was glad I wasn’t such a useless person. If I hadn’t felt grateful, I wouldn’t have even been able to say such a simple greeting.
“By the way, this room is really big.”
Emily left the room and she was left alone, muttering in admiration.
Each room is much larger than the cabin I lived in as a child. If the guest room is this big, how much bigger and more luxurious must the master bedroom be?
Even if he had the chance to repay the Duke later, it seemed like he would have no need for money or anything like that.
I wonder if she leaves her things alone in the room without any suspicion, in case a guest steals them. The Countess would sometimes put away all the gold candlesticks and crystal glasses when her friends came to stay.
Hermia began to eat the food, cut into bite-size pieces, one by one, with her fork, while thinking about this and that.
The food was still tear-jerkingly delicious and the portions were so generous that I could eat all night long and still have leftovers.
‘I’ll be in your debt just this once. I’ll be able to go back in a few days when the Count and his wife vacate the mansion.’
They were more likely to leave with a sense of urgency, whether or not their daughter was taken, because she had been taken. The family of a terrorist suspect cannot walk around with their heads held high.
“hmm.”
The Bansen couple are the ones who are being pointed at by people… … .
That’s… I’m kind of curious about that.
The next morning, Hermia woke up in a sweaty bed, soaking wet from the heat of the sun pouring down on her warm, cloud-like bed. It was because of the many windows in the room.
When the maid who came to look after the bed was about to draw the curtains, who was the one who told her to leave it as it was because the moonlight was nice? Oh. It was mine.
“oh my…….”
Hermia groaned as she raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Walter’s words that my whole body would hurt by the next morning were absolutely correct.
At least the massage ended up with a tingling sensation, but if I had just fallen asleep, it would have been as painful as getting beaten with a stick.
As I pulled the rope with great effort and lay down, two maids who would serve breakfast came in. As soon as they opened the door, they frowned at the pouring sunlight and quickly drew the inner curtains to shade the room.
Hermia, who had been lying down, was washed with lukewarm water by the maids’ careful hands and sat down at the sofa table where she had eaten dinner last night.
All I had to do was just sit there and they washed me up and prepared a sumptuous meal for me, so it was like heaven. The menu was strangely heavy for breakfast though.
“Brioche with codfish stew and goat cheese… … What is this?”
She blinked at the sight of the unfamiliar seafood arranged in an oval shape on a large plate. She couldn’t figure out anything even after reading the card with the menu name on the side.
“Petrification? This is the first time I’ve seen something like this… … .”
The Müller Kingdom, which was sandwiched between two large empires, had only a very small coastline, so the variety of seafood available in the capital was not very large.
I’ve never seen anything like this even when I went to the south for a vacation. It didn’t look very appetizing and it was raw, so I couldn’t reach for it.
‘But it seems precious, so I should taste it.’
She scooped up the slippery contents with a fork, put them in her mouth in one go, and then spat them out.
“Waxy. What is it?”
Only after I hastily rinsed my mouth with apple juice and pushed the plate away did the shock subside. Expensive doesn’t necessarily mean delicious.
I glared at the food that tasted like snot, then emptied my plate cleanly, and soon I felt full. I leaned back on the sofa, panting heavily, when I heard a knock on the door. Hermia immediately sat up and faced Emily.
“Oh my. I guess you don’t like petrification.”
“I’m full, I’m full… I’m hungry.”
I should just not say anything. If I don’t want my image as a villainess to become fixed, I should just keep my mouth shut and live.
“It’s a food that takes some time to get used to.”
Luckily, Emily didn’t feel bad and reacted calmly.
“It’s my first time eating it… … .”
“That could be true. We also threw up more than half of it at first.”
Have all the servants tried it? The rich are definitely different.
“Then shall we go now? The master is waiting.”
It was the time of the report Walter had spoken of last night.
Even though she knew it wouldn’t be a big deal, she still felt nervous. As she sat down in the wheelchair with a stiff expression, Emily began to push her hard from behind.
As the little wheel rolled along the hallway carpet, Gerard followed behind and said, “Good morning.”
“Did the prince sleep here too?”
“I have my own room. Even as a prospective duchess, I feel bad about the guest order.”
The uniform she wore to the princess’s tea party was a casual shirt dress that was nowhere to be found. It seemed like she came and went here as if it were her own home, as she even had clothes.
He chuckled, his eyes shining with anticipation.
“This is a big problem. Thanks to the curse, I’ll tell the Colonel everything he asks. If he asks about my weight, I’ll just exercise my right to remain silent.”
“I will answer honestly as it is.”
Hermia, sitting in a wheelchair, responded calmly and walked away.
What makes that person so enjoyable to meet? Well, if you’re a prince, life would be fun. The curse I’ve been put under probably wouldn’t be much of a problem.
Maybe it was because I saw Elizabeth on Gerard’s face, but I kept getting a prickly reaction. When I was reflecting a little later, the chair stopped.
The place we were called to today was not the dining room, but Walter’s private study. Emily grabbed the antique iron shackle on the door and knocked softly, and a voice inside called out, “Come in.”
Hermia greeted them as she entered a space steeped in the smell of paper and ink.
“Good, good night… Good night.”
It was truly a curse with no answer, to be blocked from saying ‘good morning’ just because I slept while sweating a little.
Walter stood up from his polished ebony desk and walked over. He handed Emily the wheelchair handles and gently pushed her in, asking,
“How are you feeling?”
“It hurts. My arms especially.”
Since she couldn’t even say it was okay, she just answered honestly. Walter took a seat in front of the desk, lowered the chair lock, and walked around to the other side.
“I’ll have Lieutenant Wilson check in with you again after lunch.”
“Can’t I just sleep a little longer?”
“Let’s do that.”
He gave his permission without much thought and placed his pen on the survey form he had prepared in advance. The crisp paper was already densely filled with names, dates of birth, addresses, and even family relationships.
“Oh. The weather is nice today.”
At that moment, Gerard, who had followed them in, walked past the two people and opened the terrace door wide.
The pointed tops of the cypress trees lining the garden swayed in the direction of the wind that happened to blow. The wind, carrying hot air, blew straight into the study.
As Hermia slowly blinked and turned her head toward the terrace, her light-colored hair swaying, Walter felt as if time had stopped for a moment.
“… … .”
“I was going to ask you a few questions. Why don’t you ask them?”
“Ah. Okay. Then I will ask a question.”
The nib of the pen was crushed against the paper because she suddenly turned around. He immediately frowned as he saw the black ink spreading out in a circular shape.
He opened the file, took out a fresh sheet of paper, and ordered poor Gerard to leave.
“Go out for a moment.”
“What question are you trying to ask?”
Instead of answering, she showed her discomfort by staring at him, causing Gerard to pout.
“I don’t listen to my friends either.”
After he left with a trembling step, Walter stood up.
“I’ll also close the terrace door in case you come out to the terrace next door and eavesdrop.”
“Does the prince also eavesdrop?”
“I once fell after hanging on the railing. I am a person who is curious about everything in the world.”
The door closed softly with a click, and Walter regretted his actions exactly thirty seconds later.