TGDHC Chapter 101

Chapter 101 — About to Burst

“Sir Knight, I think I got lost.”

Janet looked up at the knight before her with innocent, sparkling eyes.

“Could you perhaps guide me back to the annex?”

She stood on a small path away from the main castle, wearing an elegant dress with her shoulders slightly exposed.

The knight’s gaze flickered over her figure.

‘I knew it. These northern bumpkins can’t resist this kind of look.’

She waited for him to quickly offer his escort.

But instead—

“Who gave you permission to leave the path?”

“…Pardon?”

Janet flinched at the knight’s cold tone.

“Were you not given instructions?”

“I… I don’t quite remember…”

The knight leaned in threateningly.

“The path with red tiles at the start is restricted. Visitors cannot enter. Return to the proper road at once.”

Her face flushed with embarrassment as she stepped back onto the permitted path.

When she looked back, the knight was glaring sharply to make sure she obeyed.

She had no choice but to hurry away.

‘Ugh, so annoying!’

Walking down one of the few permitted routes, Janet seethed inside.

She had already failed multiple times.

The northern men seemed to have no manners at all. Even when a “lady” politely asked for directions, they treated her like a spy and avoided her coldly.

Her carefully planned beauty-trap wasn’t working, leaving her stuck.

The Marquis of Fraise’s order was clear:

“Find out the details of what discussions happen with the Rondoris delegation.”

Officially, their visit was for “trade negotiations.” But the Marquis suspected there was another purpose hidden behind it.

In return for information, he promised her a marriage match far above her current station—even to a wealthy viscount family.

As the eldest daughter of a poor baron’s house—destined to lose everything to her uncle once her father died—it was an offer Janet could never refuse.

But once she arrived at the Grand Duke’s castle, everything felt impossible.

‘What can I do in this enormous place without even one helper?’

The Marquis had said casually: “Bribe a maid or blackmail Annette. Create an insider.”

But Janet knew the Fraise name no longer scared Annette. That wouldn’t work.

And the Marchioness, who came with them, was useless.

She had even thought of sneaking into the training yard—but some young master had already been caught there, so now the watch was even stricter.

‘Fine. Then I’ll have to seduce a knight or an official and make him my ally.’

At least Janet was quick-witted and skilled at offering a smile or glance to lure men.

Surely the men of the castle would notice her—a refined noblewoman from the capital—so unlike these northern backwaters.

In truth, she already hated the cold, barren North.

More than anything, she wanted to return to the capital with results as quickly as possible.

‘I need something that will truly drive a wedge between the delegation and Blenheim.’

The Marquis had promised her a viscount, but if she could succeed in that, maybe he’d offer her an even greater match.

Janet refused to spend her life cleaning up after others. The only reason she had endured these miserable years as a lady’s maid was to gain a good marriage.

‘The knights are too surly. I’ll aim for one of the officials instead.’

As she steeled herself, she spotted a man carrying a stack of documents.

Compared to the knights, he was slender but quite handsome.

‘Might as well go for a pretty one.’

Adjusting her dress so her shoulders showed nicely, she hurried toward him.

“How is it, Lady Cecilia?”

Cecilia smiled at the tray of desserts the head chef, Berni, had set on the table.

“These are beautiful!”

On the cooking table sat an assortment of mini tarts and pies.

“It’s the same menu we served at the ladies’ tea gathering.”

“Perfect. This will be the second recipe for the booklet. Morina?”

“Yes.”

The illustrator for Cecil’s Recipes, Morina, began sketching the tray quickly.

Now that Cecil’s Recipes was even being published monthly as a booklet, each month featured a new theme.

This month’s was “Grand Duke’s Chef Berni’s Tea-Time Recipes.”

Normally, all information about the castle was tightly controlled—even Berni’s recipes might not have been allowed. But recently, thanks to the Grand Duchess, exceptions had been made.

And of course, since the Grand Duke always agreed to anything involving his wife, it was possible.

When Cecilia suggested the column, the burly chef eagerly agreed.

“My recipes? My name will be included, right? And don’t forget the title—Head Chef of the Grand Duke’s Castle!”

‘Honestly, he would’ve sulked if I hadn’t asked.’

Even Berni, gruff as he was, was thrilled. That’s how popular Cecil’s Recipes had become—the top-selling book in the North.

Naturally, Cecilia had become one of the most beloved writers in the region.

News spread that she was working in the castle kitchen, and soon maids swarmed in, pretending to help but really just curious.

Sipping iced tea a maid had brought, Cecilia glanced out the wide kitchen windows—the ones installed thanks to Annette’s advice.

In the distance, she spotted the Marchioness’s maid walking.

‘Keep an eye on Janet. She’s more suspicious than the Marchioness or Raphael.’

That was the order she’d given the knights: monitor Janet closely.

So while Janet didn’t know it, knights were secretly tracking her movements in shifts.

And word had already spread: Janet had been using the excuse of “getting lost” to talk to every knight she could.

‘Though she doesn’t seem to realize everyone knows.’

A maid, following Cecilia’s gaze, spoke up carefully.

“Have you heard about that maid?”

“What about her?”

“They say she keeps approaching knights, trying to flirt.”

Apparently even the maids were gossiping about it now.

“They say she bats her eyes and asks for directions.”

Cecilia stayed calm, so another maid quickly joined in.

“And it’s only the handsome knights she approaches.”

“How do you know that?”

The maid grinned.

“I overheard the knights in the training yard talking. They said it was Sir Tiern, Sir Norton, Sir Leon… and someone else too.”

“Oh my, all the handsome ones!”

“Exactly!”

The maids squealed with laughter.

“How does she pick them out so perfectly?”

“And why is Sir Norton included among the handsome ones?”

Cecilia frowned.

“What are you saying? Sir Norton is very attractive!”

“That man with the blank face, like bread dough?”

“That aloof expression is part of his charm!”

“Charm? In being expressionless?”

Berni muttered quietly, but no one paid him any attention.

Cecilia frowned harder.

The Grand Duke was praised for being “gentle,” and now Norton for being “aloof”?

‘Is something wrong with my taste?’

As she pondered the strangeness of people’s preferences, she noticed Janet outside—talking to Perel, the aide.

“What now…”

The words slipped out, drawing all the maids’ eyes outside.

“Oh wow, looks like she’s changed her target to the aide!”

“And she picked the most handsome one again. Amazing, isn’t she?”

Janet blushed and murmured something, while Perel nodded politely.

They spoke briefly, then Perel offered his free arm.

Janet shyly tilted her head and placed her hand on it.

“Did you see that?”

“Could it be that even the aide likes her?”

“Hasn’t he heard what the knights said?”

“Morina, keep sketching.”

Leaving the excited maids behind, Cecilia hurried out of the kitchen.

“She definitely brushed her shoulder against him on purpose!”

The maids returned to their gossip, buzzing with excitement.

‘Where did they go?!’

Cecilia searched, but Janet and Perel were nowhere to be found.

She must have gone the wrong way.

Annoyed, Cecilia finally gave up and turned back. Just then, Perel appeared from behind a building.

“Where have you been?!” she snapped.

“…Pardon?” Perel blinked in confusion.

“Were you looking for me?”

“What were you talking about with that maid?”

‘A maid? Aren’t you a maid yourself?’

Looking more baffled, Perel paused, then realization dawned.

“Do you mean Miss Janet?”

“Miss Janet?!”

Hearing him address the would-be spy so gently nearly made Cecilia explode.