HDFL 08

Chapter : 08

By the time Lucrezia returned to the mansion, it was already late in the evening.

With the servants’ help, she had her belongings moved into her room before collapsing onto the bed as though all the strength had left her.

“…It’s only been a single day.”

Her once peaceful life had completely changed the moment she met that man—Callian.

She had spent years surviving in the back alleys, experiencing every kind of hardship imaginable. Because of that, she had become the sort of person who could calmly accept almost anything life threw at her.

But from the instant she accepted Callian’s contract, everything had become a complete mess.

If she were being honest, she wanted nothing more than to quit immediately and return to her little home in the slums.

But I can’t.

Without money, Jack wouldn’t be able to keep walking for much longer.

Without money, their house would eventually be swallowed by the rising water.

All she wanted was a peaceful, healthy life with her only remaining family.

Yet to obtain even that much, she had to scrape away every last piece of herself and offer it to someone else.

Her pride.

Her conscience.

Her sense of morality.

Everything her mother had always said was most precious to a human being.

Has he come back yet?

The thought crossed her mind, and Lucrezia sat up before opening the window.

Her room was tucked away on the second floor of the building overlooking the pier, making it the perfect place to see whether Callian’s ship had returned.

Among the luxurious vessels that looked expensive enough to be worth an entire building, she couldn’t find the ship they had boarded together.

Feeling an oddly comforting sense of relief, she quietly closed the window again.

Right. I’ll be staying here for at least three months no matter what. In that case, I’d better get used to this place as quickly as possible.

Although it was nearly dinnertime, no one came to prepare a meal for her.

She guessed Derek, the man responsible for managing the mansion, had gone out together with Callian.

Unable to do anything about it, Lucrezia headed to the kitchen, gathered a few simple snacks, and decided to take a walk while familiarizing herself with the layout of the estate.

When she had first arrived, she’d thought it was simply an enormous, extravagant mansion.

But the more she wandered around, the more she noticed modest, tastefully decorated corners hidden among the luxurious surroundings.

After walking for quite some time, she sat down on a bench overlooking the sea and took a bite from an apple.

Just then, the sound of the waves grew louder.

A ship slowly entered the pier.

The Duke is back.

If she stayed where she was, there was a chance he would see her.

Startled, Lucrezia ducked behind the bench and cautiously peeked toward the dock.

But… he’s not alone?

Standing beside Callian was an exceptionally beautiful woman who looked to be in her early thirties.

Derek stood several steps behind them with a weary expression, but the woman certainly didn’t seem to be his guest.

She was much more refined and elegant than the madam Lucrezia had met earlier that day, yet she carried the same unmistakable air of flirtatious charm.

With her arm linked through Callian’s, the two disappeared into the main residence together.

Left alone in the garden, Lucrezia watched their retreating backs before letting out a dry laugh.

“So he’s looking for a fake lover while keeping a mistress on the side. What an incredible man.”

She had heard countless rumors that he had lovers all over the capital.

Apparently, he intended to maintain that reputation here as well.

For some reason, anger suddenly welled up inside her.

Yet no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t find any reason why she should care about her employer’s private affairs.

Eventually, she concluded that what she felt wasn’t jealousy—

It was simply disgust.

“I’m incredibly lucky my room is in the annex.”

If she had been staying in the main residence, where Callian’s office and bedroom were located, she might have ended up witnessing things she’d rather never see.

The only thing that bothered her was that the dock—the only route to and from her room by boat—was close to the main residence.

Still, that was far preferable to constantly worrying about running into him.

Having completely lost her appetite, Lucrezia returned to her room and decided to go to bed early.

After all, Callian had no reason to summon her tonight.

Listening to the gentle rhythm of the waves outside her window, she soon drifted into a deep sleep.

Around noon the following day, Lucrezia was summoned to the main residence.

That was when she finally learned the identity of the woman she’d seen the previous evening.

Her name was Isabella.

She explained that, as a side job, she traveled among noble households educating young ladies.

She never did reveal what her real profession was.

“So, to summarize…” Lucrezia said, “…you’ve come to this townhouse specifically to teach me?”

“That’s right.”

Isabella smiled warmly.

“The Duke ordered me to turn you into a proper young lady within one week.”

She happily explained that a grand party, attended by nobles from across the mainland, would be held exactly one week from now.

Lucrezia couldn’t understand what was so exciting about that.

“…Surely you’re not saying I’m expected to attend that party?”

“Oh my. Didn’t His Grace tell you?”

Covering her mouth in surprise, Isabella widened her eyes.

“I simply assumed you already knew.”

There was an innocent sincerity to her expression that seemed oddly youthful for her age.

Realizing Isabella wasn’t teasing her, Lucrezia let out a long sigh.

At the very least, he could have explained things properly to his own instructor. Honestly… what a strange man.

It seemed that this party was one of the “tests” Callian had mentioned.

After humiliating her thoroughly during nothing more than a visit to a clothing boutique, she couldn’t imagine what kind of nightmare he had planned next.

Just picturing herself entering a grand ballroom at his side made her chest feel tight.

“Well then,” Isabella said cheerfully, clapping her hands, “shall we begin immediately? We don’t have much time.”

And just as she promised, the lessons began immediately.

Since it was lunchtime, Isabella decided to start with table etiquette.

Dressed in an elegant gown, Lucrezia sat before a lavishly prepared dining table and stared helplessly at the impressive array of silverware.

“There seem to be a lot more utensils than the ones we use in Benin.”

“These follow the mainland style,” Isabella explained.

“It’s the arrangement preferred by the capital’s nobility, so it’s a little different from what you’re used to here.”

Unlike Benin, where seafood and grains formed the basis of light meals, the capital was surrounded by mountains and fertile plains, making meat and rich dishes far more common.

Meals there also lasted much longer, often ending with an entire dessert course.

Naturally, that required many more pieces of cutlery.

Even so, after only a brief explanation from Isabella, Lucrezia handled every unfamiliar utensil with surprising ease.

To her, they were simply variations of tools she already understood.

“My goodness,” Isabella exclaimed.

“You’re far better than I expected! I was told you were born a commoner.”

“Ah… I’ve always been interested in these things.”

Lucrezia smiled awkwardly.

“I’d occasionally imitate what I saw in books.”

Isabella accepted the explanation without the slightest suspicion.

Though Lucrezia had intended it to sound like scholarly curiosity, Isabella seemed to interpret it as the sort of accomplishment young women cultivated to attract noble gentlemen.

For nearly an hour, Lucrezia deliberately made small mistakes here and there, trying not to appear too capable and avoiding unnecessary suspicion.

After a short break, they moved on to the next lesson.

“Next comes dancing.”

Isabella smiled encouragingly.

“I sincerely hope you’ve already taken an interest in dancing as well, Lucrezia.”

“Wait.”

Lucrezia frowned.

“Do I really need to learn this? It’s not as though I absolutely have to dance with someone at the party.”

“I’m simply doing what the person paying me asked.”

Shrugging casually, Isabella led her into a spacious room lined with enormous mirrors.

After changing into dancing shoes, Lucrezia took her first determined step.

Unfortunately…

Her second lesson ended in complete disaster.

Dining etiquette had come naturally because she’d practiced proper manners since childhood.

Adult ballroom dancing, however, was something she had scarcely even seen before.

“This is bad…” Isabella muttered with concern.

“His Grace said it would be enough if you could simply get through a dance without embarrassing yourself… but at this rate, I’m afraid you’ll only end up making a spectacle of yourself.”