Episode 10
Marin had no idea how much time had passed.
Buried under a mountain of paperwork, she finally looked up with tired, hollow eyes.
“Marin.”
“Yes?”
Olive placed a cup of warm black tea and a plate with a slice of yellow cheesecake on her desk.
“Why are you giving me this…?”
Marin looked up at him with wide eyes.
“I think it’s time to start.”
“Start what?”
“His Grace’s order.”
Following Olive’s gaze, she looked down at her own wrist.
She felt wronged.
The circle the Duke had made with his fingers looked huge only because his hands were huge. Her wrist was just a little thin.
“I’m not that skinny.”
She stopped when she noticed the pitiful look in Olive’s eyes.
Ah.
She really was that skinny.
Enough for him to look at her like that.
Marin quietly reflected on her life choices.
“Come on, eat. Once you finish that, you’re more prepared.”
“I can’t eat that much.”
“Try to eat more from now on.”
The gentle look in Olive’s eyes suddenly turned into strict supervisor mode.
A setting from the novel suddenly came to mind.
Olive was an extreme Duke fanatic.
If the Duke ordered him to jump into a fire, he would do it without hesitation.
She had thought he was just a nice boss, but she needed to be careful.
Now that the Duke had ordered it, Olive probably wouldn’t stop until she gained weight.
“Yes.”
What can an employee do?
When your boss gives an order, you obey.
Marin cut a bite-sized piece of cheesecake and put it into her mouth.
The rich cheese flavor and sweetness blended perfectly.
It was delicious.
She followed it with a sip of warm tea.
Since it had been so long since she’d eaten something like this, memories from her better days surfaced faintly in her mind.
Meanwhile, Olive carefully watched her holding the teacup.
His eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.
“Um, Olive… I know this is shameless of me, but could I take a little cheesecake home? You packed food for me last time, too, so I’m sorry for asking again.”
As she ate the cheesecake that melted softly in her mouth, she couldn’t help thinking of her mother.
She knew her mother would love it.
“I’ll tell the kitchen.”
Olive nodded with a gentle smile.
“Thank you.”
Marin smiled brightly and returned her full attention to the cheesecake.
Just then, Olive was watching her with a surprisingly sharp gaze.
Knock knock.
A loud voice echoed through the hallway from outside the office.
“It’s the butler.”
“Yes, come in.”
A white-haired elderly man entered wearing a neat uniform.
His hair and beard were completely white, but his broad shoulders and muscular build made it hard to guess his age.
“Butler Olive.”
The butler stepped inside and gave a small bow.
“Welcome back, Butler Sebas.”
Olive greeted him with a warm smile.
Marin’s eyes widened.
So this must be that Sebas.
The butler who used to be the vice commander of the knight order.
He had appeared several times in the novel.
Marin felt a strange sense of familiarity and smiled to herself.
“How was the wedding? Your grandson is already getting married. It must feel emotional.”
Olive spoke to him casually.
“Yes, indeed. Time really flies.”
While sipping her tea, Marin quietly listened to their conversation.
Ah.
So that’s why he had been gone for several days.
He’d gone to attend a wedding.
“What brings you here today?”
“I wanted to ask if it would be possible to personally thank His Grace.”
Sebas glanced briefly at Marin before turning back to Olive.
“I see. Unfortunately, today isn’t a good day.”
Olive shook his head slightly with an apologetic expression.
Sebas nodded with disappointment.
Then he took a deep breath and composed himself.
“I understand.”
As Marin listened, she was secretly surprised.
So the Duke’s condition could only be known through Olive.
Now she understood why an older man like Sebas treated the younger Olive with such respect.
“Marin, this is Butler Sebas Chen.”
Marin stood up and bowed politely.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Marin.”
“Marin will be my assistant and will also handle work reports for His Grace.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please call me Butler Sebas.”
Then Olive continued speaking about her as if he were proudly introducing her.
“Marin actually reports even better than I do. His Grace acknowledged it himself.”
Sebas’s surprised gaze landed on Marin before shifting back to Olive.
“His Grace did?”
The unspoken words were obvious:
That picky Duke accepted a new person this quickly?
“Yes. He listened comfortably to Marin’s reports.”
Olive nodded with a pleased smile.
Sebas looked at Marin with admiration.
“Miss Marin, if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask me. Since you’re serving His Grace, I’d like to help however I can.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“Please ask me even for the smallest things.”
Sebas looked at her with an intense gaze, as if demanding a promise.
“Yes. Thank you.”
Marin nodded awkwardly.
In the novel, Sebas was also one of the Duke’s most devoted followers.
She would need to be extra careful around all these loyal supporters if she wanted to keep her secret hidden.
Later that evening, Olive stood outside the Duke’s office.
Beside him was a trolley carrying warm wine and cheese.
A candle on top lit up the dark hallway.
“Come in.”
The moment a drop of candle wax fell, permission came from inside.
Olive pushed the trolley into the office.
Since injuring his eyes, the Duke rarely left his office.
He only went to his bedroom once or twice a month.
“Your Grace, you need to sleep tonight. You haven’t slept for several days.”
“You think wine will make me sleep?”
The Duke recognized the wine just from its scent.
His voice sounded exhausted.
A loyal servant doesn’t pity his master.
But watching Duke go more than a week without sleep naturally made Olive worry.
“Marin thought it might help, so I brought some.”
“The temporary employee?”
“Yes. She said her mother drank it and was able to sleep.”
“The temporary employee?”
“Yes. She already went home.”
Olive poured the wine and quietly placed the glass on the desk.
Unexpectedly, the Duke obediently picked it up.
“About Marin.”
The Duke’s silence usually meant:
Continue.
“She’s probably not a commoner.”
“She can read and write. Her mother drank wine, which is expensive for commoners. Even the way she held her teacup was exactly like a noble lady.”
“So she’s a spy?”
There was a hint of amusement in the Duke’s voice.
Do you want her to be a spy?
Olive couldn’t understand.
She seemed helpful to the Duke.
After a moment, he answered honestly.
“I don’t know about being a spy, but I think she’s worth investigating.”
“I already did.”
“I understand.”
Olive set the cheese plate beside the wine and stepped back.
“Aren’t you going to ask?”
“If there’s something I need to know, Your Grace will tell me.”
Olive waited quietly with a gentle smile.
“Tsk.”
The Duke clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Not a spy. Just a baron’s daughter whose family went bankrupt.”
Olive’s expression stiffened.
“I see. So is she after money… or after you, Your Grace?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Even if her family fell, she’s still a noble lady. She might be targeting you.”
“I doubt she wants my life.”
“I meant marriage.”
Olive continued calmly.
“It’s the first time a noble lady has approached you in this way, but still.”
“Is the temporary employee that attractive?”
Olive thought seriously for a long moment before answering.
“Hmm… not exactly.”
“She seems closer to the cute type.”
“Olive.”
The Duke called his name quietly.
“Yes.”
“Stop talking nonsense and get out.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Please rest.”
Olive disappeared as quickly as the wind.
After he left, Gerald took a sip of the wine.
The taste exploded in his mouth.
Sourness.
Sweetness.
Bitterness.
Freshness.
Earthiness.
Even the faint metallic taste of water is hidden deep within the wine.
“Not bad. It’s been a while.”
That woman really was strange.
Olive always wore a friendly smile, but he was actually one of the most cautious people around.
Yet while he had suspected Marin, he didn’t seem truly wary of her.
A woman who easily earned everyone’s affection…
Wasn’t that the ideal quality of a perfect spy?
His enemies had overlooked a remarkably talented spy.
