Chapter 40
Even while sitting in his office working, Theobald’s mind was elsewhere.
It was in Sabrina’s room.
Had he gone too far? Maybe. But if he hadn’t acted, she looked like she would have run away immediately.
A salon of all places. A gathering spot for pathetic nobles who wore masks and indulged in reckless behavior they wouldn’t dare try elsewhere.
Just imagining Sabrina working in such a place made his blood boil.
Yes. He would wait for a day. Once she calmed down, he would talk to her again.
Just then—
“Your Grace!”
The head butler suddenly burst into the office without knocking.
Theobald instantly felt something was wrong.
“What is it?”
His voice was cold, but the butler hesitated, looking troubled.
“Well… that is…”
Theobald didn’t need to hear more.
Without a second thought, he stormed out and headed straight for Sabrina’s room.
And the sight before him made his head ache.
The doorknob—made by master craftsmen—had been completely torn off.
“…Ha.”
Theobald let out a deep sigh as he stared at the knob rolling on the floor.
***
And now, back to the present.
Inside a speeding carriage, leaving the Devonshire estate behind, Theobald thought to himself.
He didn’t fully understand this feeling.
But one thing was clear—
She belongs by my side.
“Derek.”
“Yes, Your Grace?” his aide, Derek, responded immediately.
Theobald gazed out the window and spoke with a meaningful tone.
“Get me an invitation to the Clina Salon.”
***
Meanwhile, at a café.
Sabrina pulled the brim of her hat low, constantly scanning her surroundings.
Lilianne looked at her with curiosity.
“Sabrina, is someone following you?”
Lowering her voice, Sabrina whispered, “The villain might have sent people after me.”
Watching her act like a spy in a thriller movie, I let out a sigh.
“…You’re looking more suspicious acting like that, you know?”
“How long do you plan to keep running from the Duke?” I asked.
Still hiding under her hat, Sabrina muttered, “Think about it. If he came all the way to your house, that means he’s seriously after me.”
“So, you’re just going to keep hiding?”
Lilianne smiled kindly and suggested, “Why don’t you just talk to him properly?”
Sabrina scoffed.
“Talk? That guy tore my resignation letter in my face. If talking worked, I’d be gone by now.”
…She had a point.
Even I, who had met the villain face-to-face, didn’t think he was the kind of person to have a reasonable conversation.
As I nodded in agreement, Sabrina sighed and chugged her juice.
“If I just lay low, things will calm down. It’s not like I’m the only maid in the Duke’s house. He won’t chase me forever, right?”
Her words made me uneasy.
Lilianne and I exchanged glances, feeling an ominous feeling.
Noticing our expressions, Sabrina frowned.
“What? Don’t look at me like that.”
As if wanting to change the subject, she turned to me.
“Anyway, Claire. Are you really going to the Lorentino Duke’s banquet?”
She was referring to the invitation Mathieu personally delivered on the day the villain showed up.
I had already discussed it with the Count.
The conclusion was simple: As the heir to the Count’s family, I couldn’t completely sever ties with the Lorentino Duchy, our business partner.
I sighed lightly and answered Sabrina’s question.
“Yes, I’ll be attending as the Count’s heir.”
Sabrina scowled immediately.
“That trash ex-fiancé was looking at you weirdly. I know he has a plan.”
Her over-the-top reaction made me chuckle.
“You’re overthinking it.”
Sabrina groaned and clutched her chest dramatically.
“No, you’re not thinking enough.”
At that moment, Lilianne, who had been quietly listening, spoke with curiosity.
“What do you mean? Did something happen with the Lorentino heir?”
Sabrina jumped at the chance to rant.
“Can you believe it? He showed up at Claire’s house yesterday.”
“He came in person? Why?”
“He claimed it was to deliver the banquet invitation.”
Sabrina crossed her arms.
“But why would he bring it himself? Obviously he has an ulterior motive.”
I shook my head, already exhausted by her conspiracy theories.
Meanwhile, Lilianne’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“It is unusual. Normally, a butler would send it by mail.”
“Right? And he thought the villain was flirting with Claire and made a whole scene. What was it he said again…?”
Sabrina snapped her fingers as if recalling the words.
“Ah! ‘Take your hands off her! I know Claire well—she hates pushy men!’”
Just remembering that embarrassing moment made my face flush.
I covered my cheeks with my hands.
“Sabrina, please stop…”
But Lilianne was deep in thought.
“…It is strange. That’s not how you act around an ex-fiancée.”
Even she agreed?!
Lilianne agreed with Sabrina and raised her voice confidently.
“Right? That’s what I’m saying! We worked so hard to get rid of that trash! If he sticks to Claire again, everything will be ruined. Claire, you don’t want to end up mysteriously dead, do you?”
“Of course not!” I quickly replied, horrified.
Lilianne, who had been lost in thought, suddenly mumbled,
“If he’s bothering you, we need to make sure he leaves for good.”
Both Sabrina and I turned to look at her.
“How?” Sabrina asked.
Lilianne smiled mysteriously and continued,
“What do you think the young duke is thinking now that Claire, who always followed him around, has suddenly changed completely?”
Without much thought, I answered,
“Uh… he probably thinks it’s weird?”
Sabrina, on the other hand, coldly muttered something terrifying.
“Is it his time to die?”
“….”
Lilianne and I stared at her, speechless.
Sabrina simply shrugged and said,
“People say when someone acts differently than usual, it means they’re about to die.”
I sighed and glared at her, while Lilianne coughed lightly to refocus the conversation.
“The young duke has believed for ten years that Claire loved only him. He won’t easily accept that she doesn’t anymore.”
Now that I thought about it, Mathieu did say something similar.
‘Are you serious?’
Even when I told him I didn’t like him, his expression showed doubt.
‘What kind of woman did you think I was?’ I had asked him.
‘A foolishly kind woman who was always too nice.’
Maybe he still thought I was that same foolishly kind woman.
Maybe he thought I was just pretending to have moved on.
The thought made me frown.
Lilianne spoke calmly, as if reading my mind.
“The young duke might think you’re just going through a phase. That in the end, you still love him.”
I firmly shook my head.
“Never. I can’t stand men like Mathieu.”
I had already experienced this once.
Before waking up as Claire, the last memory of my past life was catching my boyfriend of five years cheating on me.
I ran out in shock and got hit by a car.
How could I ever like someone like Mathieu, who was just like my ex?
No matter how sincere he might be now, I wasn’t interested.
Lilianne looked at my serious expression and gently suggested,
“Then let’s use that against him.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
She smiled mischievously.
“Imagine if your ex-fiancée, who always followed you around, suddenly became a heartless flirt who hits on everyone. How would that feel?”
Sabrina immediately grimaced.
“That would be disgusting.”
But I didn’t understand. I tilted my head.
“But Mathieu was always a flirt?”
Lilianne smirked.
“Not him.”
Sabrina and I both looked at her, puzzled.
Then she grinned and said something shocking.
“Claire, you should act like a terrible flirt.”
I blinked in disbelief.
“What? Me?”
Lilianne beamed.
“Don’t you want to completely crush his delusion and make him lose all interest in you?”
