TGDHC Chapter 09

Chapter 09: Exploring the Unknown

Knock, knock.

“…”

Creak.

Most of the rooms in the main castle were locked.

Even in the few open rooms, there were no real signs of activity. Occasionally, I’d run into maids cleaning.

“…Your Grace.”

The maids who encountered me while dusting curtains or sweeping floors greeted me with reserved and reluctant expressions.

It was the usual reaction toward the daughter of a marquess.

How many rooms had I checked by now?

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

“…!”

Finally, a voice answered my knock as I reached the far end of the corridor.

Creak.

I opened the door to find several people working at desks. A man near the entrance glanced up, his tired eyes blinking with curiosity.

“…Who are you?”

He looked at me as if I were some exotic creature that didn’t belong in the castle.

‘What should I say? The Grand Duchess? Or just introduce myself by name?’

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Just as I was thinking, their eyes widened in realization.

“The Grand Duchess… Your Grace?”

At his words, everyone else in the room turned to look at me, startled, before hastily standing up.

“We greet Your Grace.”

“This… what kind of room is this?”

“This is the office for the probationary administrators.”

“Oh.”

I smiled warmly at the stiff-faced administrators.

“So you’re the hardest workers in the castle!”

I didn’t know much about them, but it felt appropriate to say so. Any title with “probationary” or “trainee” attached usually meant a lot of hard work.

The administrators exchanged uneasy glances as if they were silently urging one another to respond.

Finally, an older-looking administrator stepped forward, bowing stiffly.

“It’s an honor to have you visit us here.”

“With skilled people like you working hard for the castle, I feel honored instead.”

My words left them visibly unsure of how to respond, their faces even stiffer.

They seemed so uncomfortable that I decided not to linger and make things worse.

“Remember to take breaks. Health is the most important thing.”

“We will keep that in mind.”

Waving awkwardly, I began to back away.

“Well, take care, and it was nice meeting you.”

“Safe travels, Your Grace.”

After closing the door behind me, I heard whispers from inside.

“Why was Her Grace here?”
“Spying on us?”
“Did you hide the documents?”
“Even the Grand Duke hasn’t set foot in here before.”
“She’s… so different from what I expected.”
“Honestly, I’ve never seen someone so beautiful in my life.”

My face heated up. Trying to remain quiet, I moved carefully to the next room.

***

Elsewhere in the Castle

“What do you mean the probationary administrators met the Grand Duchess?”

Walking out of the meeting room, Loic frowned deeply.

“It wasn’t just them. The document scribe, stable keeper, even the laundry maids—everyone seems to have seen Her Grace today. She’s been exploring the castle all day.”

“Spying, perhaps?”

“I don’t think so…”

Perel muttered under his breath, “It seems like she’s just trying to find you, Your Grace.”

Loic’s lips curled into a displeased smirk.

The Grand Duchess had repeatedly asked through Whitely to meet him since her arrival.

At first, he had Whitely rejected her on his behalf, but she was persistent. Even Whitely, a professional butler, struggled to come up with more excuses.

To keep her occupied, Loic had opened parts of the castle and the gardens for her exploration. He hadn’t expected her to roam around so freely.

At least she wouldn’t come across him directly. Loic mainly stayed in restricted areas accessible only to a select few.

‘The only time she could possibly run into me is during transitions between meetings.’

Reassured, Loic descended towards the central staircase—but suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Something felt off.

Peering over the railing, he saw a small, golden head below.

“Why are you—”

Loic quickly covered Perel’s mouth and pulled him against the wall at the stairwell’s end.

“…”

The presence below seemed to hesitate before retreating, the sound of her footsteps fading down the hall.

Once she was gone, Loic released Perel.

“Why did you do that?”

Perel, now with a red mark on his lips, looked thoroughly confused and slightly offended.

Loic silently pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, his expression one of mild disgust.

“Was that Her Grace?”

Perel’s whispering tone carried a note of exasperation.

“You should just meet her…”

Loic scowled.

Avoiding the Grand Duchess wasn’t for his benefit but hers.

If he never met her, she might leave thinking he was just an awful husband. But if they met, she’d truly experience how miserable life with him could be.

The best he could offer was to ensure she left unscathed.

‘Meeting her would only ruin her life.’

With that, Loic shot Perel a sharp glare before resuming his walk down the stairs, convinced he’d successfully avoided the Grand Duchess.

But that evening, as she wandered the central hall, he had to use the servants’ staircase to avoid her again.

Hiding in his own castle. Ridiculous.

***

In the Garden

“Ah, it’s so cold.”

I sniffled, sipping tea.

It had been three hours since I’d started drinking tea in the garden in front of the castle.

Snow piled high on bare branches fell like flower petals with each gust of wind.

“Shouldn’t you head inside, Your Grace?”

The knight, Norton, hesitated as he addressed me.

Every time I leave my room these days, the escort knight following me is always the same. Despite his pale and mild appearance, he’s surprisingly thorough.

Today, too, he insisted on standing guard the entire time. It took a command from me to finally convince him to sit down.

“No, today I must meet the Duke.”

At my determined words, Norton pursed his lips slightly.

“If I sit here long enough, he’ll pass by eventually. Sir Norton, if you’d just give me a hint, I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“Well…”

The steadfast Norton finally gave in to my nagging and abruptly stood up.

“I’ll go bring more tea.”

While he walked off to call over a servant, I gazed at the mansion surrounding the garden.

The mansion had a massive stone dome at its center, flanked by tall, symmetrical arching towers on either side. Below them, long rows of large windows lined the roof.

The grand marble-decorated walls exuded a majestic, sacred atmosphere.

‘Where would the Duke’s room be?’

Surely the master of the mansion wouldn’t stay in a room without a garden view. It was probably one of the terrace rooms at the front.

‘And he’s probably made sure my room is as far from his as possible.’

My room was on the far eastern side of the second floor, sunny and comfortable during the day.

If I were to guess where his room might be, it would likely be on the far western end. Though the idea of the Duke staying in a western corner room seemed odd, I noticed the curtains were open in one of the third-floor rooms at the end.

Based on logical deduction, that seemed like the most likely spot… huh?

At that moment, a man’s shadow appeared in the window—a white shirt, black hair, and a massive frame that filled the window with an overwhelming presence. Even from a distance, his sharp features were striking.

‘Is that… the Duke?’

Just as I thought he might be looking this way, our eyes seemed to meet.

‘Wait, did we just make eye contact…?’

Swoosh.

The curtains closed faster than lightning.

Oh-ho.

I smirked at the third-floor window now hidden behind curtains.

I’ve got it.

I know how to end this tiresome game of hide-and-seek.

***

Loic gripped the curtain tightly, one hand clutching his chest.

‘I nearly had a heart attack.’

Surely she hadn’t realized it was me?

Two hours earlier, he had been walking through the hallway leading to his office. Through the pillars, he had spotted the duchess sitting alone in the outdoor garden.

What was she doing out there in this freezing weather?

She kept glancing around curiously, and her small, golden head reminded him of a little chick. He found himself staring without realizing it.

‘Small and… sparkling.’

The Duchess was much smaller and more delicate than he’d imagined.

Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight reflected off the snowy garden, and as the wind blew, it seemed as though she might simply be carried away.

Like a crow drawn to shiny things, Loic found himself captivated for a while before shaking himself free and moving on.

When he finished his work, he purposely chose a path that avoided the garden. He didn’t want to let her distract him again.

Even after returning to his room, however, his gaze kept drifting toward the window. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was still there.

‘I should’ve just checked earlier.’

For the past few days, her golden head would pop up unexpectedly, making his heart jump every time.

And the memory lingered—so much so that it often stayed with him until he was just about to fall asleep.

He knew it would bother him until he confirmed she was gone.

‘Fine, let’s just check and move on.’

With that, Loic looked out the window—and there she was, still sitting there.

Heat rushed to his face.

What on earth was she doing in this freezing cold?

‘Is no one looking after her? What if she catches a cold? Who’s going to take responsibility for that?’

As he silently fumed to himself, their eyes met unexpectedly.

‘It’s fine. She’s too far away to recognize me. Plus, she doesn’t even know what I look like.’

Loic ran a hand over his face, frustrated.