NM | Chapter 01

Chapter 1

A distinguished guest was coming.

For several days, the servants of the Everett Count’s estate had been busy preparing, following the head maid’s instructions. With the guest’s arrival close, the mansion was full of restless movement. They dusted the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling until they sparkled, polished the bronze statues until they shone, and hurried back and forth through the estate.

“Just who is coming that we even have to line up the patterns on the flower vases?”
“Are you seriously asking that? It’s Fraser. The Duke of Fraser’s family.”
“So what if it’s him? How important can he be for everyone to be in such a frenzy a whole week in advance? You know I just came from the dowager’s residence. We never hear any outside news there.”

Before going out to welcome the duke, the maids stood closely packed in front of a mirror, fixing their appearances and chatting.

He was the fiancé of the count’s young lady, visiting for the first time since their engagement ceremony.
Considering that he had skipped the engagement ceremony itself and had only sent a short card and an engagement ring through a messenger, this level of preparation might seem excessive. But there was a reason for it.

“He’s still a citizen of the Empire. It makes no sense to have never heard of Fraser. He’s the greatest tycoon in the Empire. They say he can even stop a crying child with money. There are rumors he even holds imperial bonds!”

A maid spoke excitedly.

Logan Fraser. The only son of the Duke of Fraser, born with everything, and on top of that, a young duke who rose to the rank of great tycoon at an early age through outstanding business skills, sweeping up the Empire’s wealth.

He was just as famous for his picky taste as for his wealth. It was said that satisfying him was no easy task, to the point that some nobles considered it an honor if he chose to build a hotel in their territory.

“Really? I didn’t know the young lady’s fiancé was someone that amazing. Just what kind of luck was she born with?”
“She wasn’t born with it. She earned it. She’s the duke’s lifesaver. You know, the fire at the Fraser estate. She’s the one who rescued him from the flames. The duchess promised to grant her any wish as thanks. That wish was marriage.”
“If it weren’t for our young lady, the duke wouldn’t be a tycoon now. He probably wouldn’t even be breathing the fresh air of Rosedale.”
“She has a burn scar on her left shoulder. That’s the mark she got saving him. If a noble lady has to live with a scar, she deserves at least that much compensation.”
“Oh my, how admirable.”
“I thought the engagement would fall through since there was no word for so long.”
“But since he’s visiting Rosedale today, doesn’t that mean the wedding will be soon?”

At the freckled maid’s words, sighs mixed with envy rose from all around. As maids, they would never dare to desire a nobleman, but envy was unavoidable.

Even setting aside his status and background, the Duke of Fraser was famous for his outstanding looks alone.

“I heard from a maid who used to work at the ducal estate that she’s never seen a man more handsome in her life.”
“She said just looking at him made going to work enjoyable, and that she finally understood what it meant to feel happy just seeing someone’s face.”

“It’s almost time for the carriage to arrive, so stop chatting and gather in the lobby at once!”

The head maid, who had taken charge of the estate while the head butler was away greeting the guest at the station, clapped her hands loudly.

At the sharp sound, the maids took one last look in the mirror and hurried out. Their excited footsteps and chatter blended together as they imagined seeing the Duke of Fraser in person.

“Fraser…”

Behind the small room where the maids had gathered, another woman stood up.

She had been crouching on the staircase used only by servants. The woman wore the same uniform as the maids heading out to greet the duke, but she could not follow them.

The head maid had warned her not to appear, saying she must not show anything imperfect before the duke. For now, she was confined to storage-like rooms. Still, she wanted to see him too. The man everyone praised so highly.

‘It should be fine if I just look from far away.’

Her footsteps made no sound, swallowed by the carpet, as she headed toward a hidden part of the mansion. It was a passage no one used anymore, not even servants.

She was told not to be seen by the duke, not that she couldn’t look at him. She had little presence to begin with, and as long as she didn’t speak, she wouldn’t be noticed.

Soon, word spread that the duke’s carriage had entered the estate, and the lobby stirred loudly.

As if on cue, everyone straightened their backs and lifted their chins. Through the wide-open doors, a man stepped down from the carriage. Golden hair fluttered softly in the breeze. Wearing a dark blue suit that matched his shining hair, he moved without excess as he extended his hand toward his fiancée.

“Careful.”

The slender fingers of a woman wearing silk gloves rested lightly on his hand. With his escort, the beautiful young lady stepped down from the carriage. She was Amelia Everett, the beloved princess of the Everett family.

“Thank you for coming such a long way. We sincerely welcome you to the Everett estate, Duke Fraser.”
“It’s been a while. Even after all this time, the estate seems unchanged.”

The duke replied lightly to the greeting of the gray-haired head butler. His warm tone, like gentle sunlight, drew everyone’s attention.

“Ha ha. There’s nothing more beautiful than a well-kept old mansion. We do our best to preserve its classic charm, following the dowager countess’s firm wishes.”
“Classic charm, you say.”
“It may look old on the outside, but we finished renovations recently, so the inside is spotless! I begged Mother to get rid of the old-fashioned floral wallpaper and changed it to pastel tones that are popular in the capital these days.”

At that moment, Amelia wrapped both arms around the duke’s arm and joined the conversation. She stood close to him, unable to take her eyes off the man she had to look far up at due to their height difference.

“I heard you redecorated your hotel with pastel tones too. Even though we haven’t met in so long, it seems we still think alike!”

The Duke of Fraser gently removed her arms without nodding or shaking his head.

The movement was so smooth and polite that no one noticed the subtle awkwardness. Instead, everyone focused on getting a closer look at his face.

When Logan greeted the servants lightly, they eagerly spoke their names. The duke repeated each name with a smile. He was more courteous and radiant than the rumors suggested.

‘He’s handsome. Even from far away, it takes your breath away.’

The woman watching him through a gap as narrow as a needle’s eye also pressed down on her pounding heart. She could not give her name, but at this moment, she felt the same emotions as everyone else.

She knew she should return to her original place by now, but her feet would not move, as if glued to the floor.

As she watched him like an audience member observing a play, the blue eyes of the man, who had been scanning the mansion, landed on the small gap.

More precisely, on the two eyes hidden behind it.