“I didn’t expect you to even know the name of my butler.”
At my words, Cedric lowered his gaze slightly and nodded.
Thanks to that small movement, a few strands of his hair fell and lightly covered his eyebrows.
“It’s a name you can’t help but know. He’s the heir of a powerful noble family in the Demon Realm.”
“Ah, I did hear something about that.”
Cedric, who had been silently keeping a subtle expression, finally spoke again in a slow voice.
“It seems you and he have grown quite close.”
I smiled and nodded.
“Adrian has been helping me a lot. He’s a very loyal butler.”
“……”
“In fact, we’re planning to go together to the gift trade market in the central northern bazaar tomorrow. Just to scout it out before making any investments.”
“……Just the two of you?”
“Yes. I want to go quietly, but if I bring knights along, it’ll draw too much attention.”
“……”
“Adrian is a half-demon too, and on top of that, being the heir of a noble family from the Demon Realm, he’s incredibly powerful both in magic and martial skills.”
Cedric fell into a contemplative silence for a while.
As he casually sipped the tea he had poured for himself, he frowned slightly, seemingly startled by its bitterness.
When I let out a small chuckle, he awkwardly cleared his throat.
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better if I went with you instead?”
“……You?”
“Yes. Even among half-demons, there are few who can match my strength.”
“……”
“……Even Adrian.”
Judging by the uncharacteristically lengthy explanation from Cedric, it seemed his offer to accompany me was genuine.
I hesitated for a moment.
While being alone with Cedric wasn’t as uncomfortable as before…
There was still a subtle tension that lingered whenever we were together.
‘I’ll already be busy focusing on the market visit… If I want to stay focused, it’d be better to go with Adrian.’
When refusing someone, it’s best to be firm but with a friendly smile.
I smiled softly and waved my hand.
“Oh, that’s not necessary. It’s fine. You’re busy, aren’t you?”
“……Of course, I’m busy.”
“Right? So it’s best if I just go with Adrian as planned—”
“Then I’ll just have to rearrange my schedule, even if it’s inconvenient.”
Contrary to his usual composed demeanor, Cedric quickly cut in.
“Is that really… necessary?”
I asked, looking bewildered, but Cedric stood up abruptly as if he hadn’t heard me at all.
“I should get going. It’s getting quite late.”
It had already been late when he first suggested tea, but now he spoke as if time had suddenly flown by.
He walked off toward the stairs, pretending not to notice me watching him.
‘What’s with him all of a sudden…?’
Just as I blinked in confusion, he paused in front of the stairs and turned back to look at me.
“I’ll come pick you up tomorrow at two in the afternoon. At the Garden of Shadows.”
The next afternoon.
I was on my way to the Garden of Shadows, escorted by Adrian.
Maybe because we were headed to the gift trade market, a thought suddenly popped into my mind: the original villainess of the story—Camilla.
‘Come to think of it, Camilla will be returning soon… Shouldn’t I prepare for that?’
Camilla Dmitri, my handmaid and the villainess in the original story.
Like Duke Bold, she was someone I needed to keep my distance from.
‘I can’t get caught between two villains and end up as collateral damage…’
Deep in thought, I turned to Adrian.
“Adrian. Is there a way for me to fire the Grand Duchess’s handmaid?”
“……”
“……Adrian?”
He looked deeply preoccupied.
‘He seems low-energy today too…’
I tugged on his arm lightly.
“Adrian!”
“Ah, yes. Did you call for me, Your Grace?”
Snapping out of his daze, Adrian smiled faintly.
“I was asking if there’s a way to let go of a handmaid.”
“Ah, you mean… Countess Camilla Dmitri?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask why? I thought you were on close terms with her.”
“Maybe in the past, but not anymore.”
I frowned slightly, thinking of the wicked Camilla.
“Just tell me how I can get rid of her quietly.”
Adrian looked troubled and tilted his head.
“Actually… since the handmaids of the Grand Duchess are noblewomen themselves, dismissing them isn’t easy.”
“……”
“Especially Lady Camilla. She’s a star of northern high society. Unless there’s a justified reason, it would cause quite a scandal.”
“……But if I really needed to fire her?”
Adrian looked thoughtful and didn’t speak for a moment.
Finally, he opened his mouth, though still uncertain.
“If she were to disobey Your Grace’s orders, or if she caused significant harm to the Twin Dukedom’s assets… then that could serve as a valid reason.”
“Disobedience, huh…”
“But as you know, noble ladies are extremely sensitive to gossip. The chances of her doing something that risky are…”
“……”
“Very slim.”
Not good news.
I sighed, frustrated by how little control I had over the situation.
“So I should just assume firing her is virtually impossible.”
Adrian nodded slightly, delivering the final verdict.
“Unless Lady Camilla resigns on her own accord.”
But there was no way she would do that. Camilla was clearly determined to squeeze every possible advantage out of her position.
‘I really can’t keep her around… What am I supposed to do?’
Still, no amount of worrying was going to change the situation.
I shook my head and turned back to Adrian.
“By the way, what were you thinking about earlier? You didn’t even notice when I was calling you.”
Pouting slightly, I asked, and Adrian scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.
“Apologies, Your Grace. I had trouble sleeping last night… I must’ve spaced out.”
“You couldn’t sleep? Why?”
“Ah, well…”
“Let me see your face.”
I grabbed Adrian’s arm and pulled him closer.
Just then, I noticed a carriage approaching the garden’s entrance.
But I was too focused on Adrian’s face to pay it much mind.
“Y-Your Grace…”
“Let me take a look.”
I gently removed the hand he raised to cover his face and held his cheeks with both hands to get a better look.
Adrian finally gave in with a resigned expression and even bent down a little so I could see more easily.
When I leaned in closer, his gaze kept darting up at the sky as if trying to avoid eye contact.
“You really must’ve gotten no sleep. Your under-eyes look a bit dark.”
“Y-Your Grace, this is… a bit embarrassing.”
A faint red flush crept up his neck and slowly spread to his ears.
His bashful expression made me feel a bit playful.
I let him go and gave him a suspicious side glance as I continued walking.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Your Grace?”
“What did you even do last night that kept you up? You look absolutely drained.”
“T-That’s…”
It had been a joke, but Adrian looked more flustered than I’d expected.
‘Did he meet a lover or something?’
They say the most entertaining love stories are always someone else’s.
Feeling like I’d stumbled on a juicy secret, I smirked.
“Actually… I couldn’t sleep because I was excited.”
Oh? Looks like I was right.
Waiting for the rest of his love story, I kept walking—
Until I noticed the same unfamiliar carriage now parked very close.
‘It looks expensive, but there’s no family crest… Is it a merchant delivering high-end goods?’
As we got closer, Adrian suddenly stopped walking.
“Your Grace. The reason I couldn’t sleep last night…”
It looked like he had decided to finally say it, but he hesitated, opening and closing his mouth several times.
Just as I noticed his face looked unusually downcast, he spoke:
“It was because I was excited about going into town with you today.”
“……?”
“I thought it would be really fun to be with you.”
The mischievous grin I had been wearing slowly faded.
Because it was me who had canceled our outing with Adrian.
‘I thought he’d be secretly relieved not to have to go out with his boss…’
But I hadn’t expected him to look forward to it this much.
He had shown interest in me from the very beginning, hadn’t he?
Feeling slightly guilty, I bit my lower lip.
Then his warm voice whispered in my ear again.
“So… I’m disappointed, but also relieved.”
“Relieved? Why?”
Adrian smiled softly at me.
It was a subtle smile, tinged with both joy and melancholy.
“Because it seems your relationship with the Duke has improved, if you’re going out together today.”
“Ah…”
“That honestly makes me feel at ease.”
The sunlight behind him made his smile glow even more gently.
I looked up at that beautiful smile for a moment, then lightly patted his arm.
“Adrian.”
“Yes?”
“Next time, let’s definitely go out—just the two of us.”
A flicker of emotion passed through his violet eyes.
“Do you… mean it?”
As he exhaled, he added with a playful warning:
“Then you must keep your word this time. Promise?”
It was a promise I fully intended to keep.
‘Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll be dragging you along so often you’ll be sick of it—because I plan to make you my personal butler at the new estate.’
I was just about to say this with a cheerful smile when—
Creeeak—
Suddenly, the sound of a window sliding open echoed from behind.
It came from that carriage that had stopped earlier.
Before I could even turn my head, I heard a familiar, smooth voice.
“You two seem to be having a very entertaining conversation.”
Leaning casually against the carriage window, an arm resting on the frame—
It was none other than Cedric.
He looked at us with unreadable blue eyes for a long moment.
Then slowly, the corner of his lips curled up into a smirk.
“Did I interrupt your pleasant little moment?”
