Chapter 9
My eyes involuntarily rolled toward the man.
Maybe he interpreted that as me noticing him, because he had this smug look on his face.
“Are you really a spy?”
“Do you think I am?”
“You seem to know this kind of work too well.”
“I told you, I had a rough upbringing.”
“Even saying that with a face like that…”
‘What kind of face is “that” supposed to be?’
Even as I wondered, the man remained persistent.
“If you’re not a spy, then what are you?”
It wasn’t exactly a secret.
“I’m the woman who married into the Grand Duke’s house.”
Cough! The man suddenly let out a choking cough.
It looked like something went down the wrong pipe, so I naturally patted his back.
“Such a clumsy guy.”
The man covered his mouth, looking at me.
It was clear he had something to say.
“I’m not joking.”
“So, you’re saying you’re—”
“Yes. The Grand Duchess-to-be.”
“What?!”
That shriek came from behind us.
The head maid, who had been examining the Emperor’s decree that Beth handed over, had gone completely pale.
Her pupils trembled as she reread the decree over and over again, as if unable to believe it, and then she started furiously rubbing the seal at the bottom.
Trying to confirm if it was real, it seemed.
“It’s…”
The head maid’s gaze shifted from the man back to the decree, then returned to me.
“…It’s an authentic decree.”
As soon as she muttered those words, the Grand Duke’s estate descended into chaos for the second time—following the training yard debacle.
* * *
“I really don’t like it here.”
Beth pouted, her lips sticking out, as she brushed my hair.
I gently patted the back of her hand.
“Want to go back by yourself?”
“No!”
I smiled at her answer.
Beth clearly didn’t like that and gripped the brush more tightly in protest.
“Seriously, how can people treat someone like this?”
Beth clenched her fist, clearly still upset from the earlier uproar.
I just shrugged.
“It’s kind of understandable.”
“But I’m right in front of them!”
Beth had every reason to be angry.
Even after the head maid confirmed the decree was genuine, the estate staff brought in a scribe to inspect it again.
‘…It’s real.’
‘Stop bluffing and tell us the truth!’
‘It really is. It’s truly His Majesty the Emperor’s decree.’
As soon as they confirmed it was real, the staff—including the head maid—immediately dropped their expressions.
Then they made this declaration:
‘We understand His Majesty’s will.’
‘You do?’
‘But the decision rests with the Grand Duke, who is not currently present.’
It was a formal, textbook response. I could only nod up to that point.
But what came after that? That’s what really ticked Beth off.
‘Until His Grace returns, you may stay as a guest.’
‘As a guest?’
‘You cannot stay as the Grand Duchess.’
‘…….’
‘How can we treat someone who hasn’t even married His Grace as the Grand Duchess?’
In short, until the Grand Duke returned, I wasn’t the Grand Duchess.
‘And yet they don’t even treat me like a guest properly?’
“What kind of guest gets kicked out of the estate and put up at an inn?” Beth cried, fists clenched.
“Ow.”
My brown hair got all twisted in her hands, but I didn’t complain.
Beth clutched my hair dramatically, pounding her chest.
“This isn’t guest treatment! This is eviction!”
“You’re not wrong, but—my hair, please.”
“Should I just cut it off? So the Grand Duke, when he comes back, thinks you’re a tomboy and dumps you—no, wait. Who is he to dump my lady?! You’d still be beautiful with a grass-cut hairdo!”
“…You’ve seen my grass-cut hair before.”
That was from a long time ago.
Back during puberty, I’d sworn off cutting my hair and grew it out ever since. Now it flew wildly in Beth’s grip.
“Really, how could they do this!”
She was flipping between angel and demon at this point.
I gave up and let her vent while I looked around the room the head maid arranged for us at the inn.
‘They say it’s the nicest in Saint Portu. I guess that’s true.’
They claimed it was the best room, fit for honored guests, but it was clear they just didn’t want to keep us in the Grand Duke’s estate.
‘Well. Jeremy was like that, too.’
Jeremy, who had joined the head maid late, also had a strange expression when he heard our story.
‘You mean the Grand Duke’s bride?’
‘Take it up with His Majesty.’
That was all I could repeat, exhausted from explaining, and Jeremy gave me a sour look.
Then, seeing the monster hunter standing next to me, his eyes twitched like he wanted to say something.
‘The Gra—’
Jeremy locked eyes with the man and clamped his mouth shut.
They exchanged a wordless glance.
I could practically see them talking silently, their eyes darting around while I stood there in the middle.
It was obvious that Jeremy didn’t like whatever conclusion they reached—he practically rolled his eyes all the way back at the end.
But the man didn’t budge.
‘Ha.’
Jeremy let out a sigh of frustration, then straightened and opened his mouth sarcastically.
‘Wow. So this is why the capital calls him the Demon Duke.’
‘…?’
‘Did they send someone just as fitting to marry him and slay demons together?’
Definitely not a compliment.
What was more surprising, though, was that he was insulting not just me—but also the Grand Duke.
Even the man standing beside me, a fellow servant, raised an eyebrow at Jeremy’s boldness.
I was kind of impressed.
Jeremy had to be one of two things:
‘Do you have two lives?’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Or maybe you’re real close with His Grace.’
Or maybe he had nerves of steel and didn’t care if gossiping about the Grand Duke cost him his head.
Either way, it wasn’t my business. Jeremy kept glaring at me as he continued.
‘Anyway… You show up and immediately bust someone for embezzlement.’
‘……’
‘Such a perfect bride. Don’t you all agree?’
He was clearly not thrilled that someone from outside had uncovered the corruption.
He glanced at the man beside me, clearly hoping for agreement from a fellow servant.
The man only added:
‘Indeed. A very fitting and excellent lady has arrived.’
‘Fitting and excellent…?’
‘She’s a bit small and looks fragile, though.’
‘Small and fra—?’
Jeremy looked bewildered, having seen me easily carry a barrel earlier.
The man looked down at me, smirking.
‘But whether His Grace will actually like you…’
Like it matters. The Emperor sent me. What’s he going to do about it?
As I stared at him, the man sneered softly.
‘Well, good luck then.’
‘Didn’t need you to tell me.’
‘Hmph.’
The man stared at me for a moment longer, then said he was going to work on monster leather and walked off.
I couldn’t tell if he was on my side or not.
But that ambiguous attitude wasn’t all that surprising.
‘He did suspect me of being a spy, after all.’
At first I thought that was a bit harsh, but after all the chaos following the decree’s authentication, I understood.
‘It’s not just him.’
At this point, the entire estate probably thought I was some imperial spy, not the Grand Duke’s actual bride.
‘I even asked them to send a letter to the Grand Duke.’
Whether it gets to him is another matter.
‘Maybe I should’ve hired that guy to deliver it instead.’
He looked strong enough to punch through monsters to get the message through.
Maybe I should’ve paid him off and made him one of my people.
Just then, as if reading my thoughts, Beth brought up that man.
“By the way, that pervert. He was next to you earlier, right?”
“Hmm…”
“He hovered around you again?”
“Pervert? He does have a name—oh.”
“What?”
“I forgot to ask his name. Again.”
If he was a servant here, we’d be seeing him a lot. And yet, I didn’t even know his name.
Beth stuck out her lips even more.
“What do you need a pervert’s name for?”
“I thought you’d defend him since he’s handsome.”
“Never. He touched you again while I was away, didn’t he?”
It was just my hand—but her words sounded dangerously suggestive.
I didn’t answer because, well, it was true. She gasped.
“He did, didn’t he?”
“It was just my hand.”
“That perverted bastard!”
Beth shouted in rage—then suddenly turned her head sharply, as if realizing something.
“Why is he so obsessed with your hand? What if he’s some weirdo who only gets off on touching women’s hands?”
…Now that she said it, the idea made me really uneasy.
