Chapter 6
At that moment, the young lady lifted her head, glanced at the necklace properly, and responded indifferently.
“It doesn’t even look that expensive. You keep it. If it’s supposed to be used as a token of my father’s pride, it should at least have a bigger emerald or several of them. This one’s too unimpressive.”
Her tone was nearly mocking.
Anyone could see she wasn’t the least bit interested in the gift.
Still, it was awkward to explain that this emerald necklace might carry more meaning and emotion than it seemed.
“So, keep the necklace.”
“…Really? What if His Grace says something about it?”
“I’ll just say I lost it.”
Vivian added, with a graceful frown.
“He’s not so shameless as to blame you for that. Don’t worry.”
Every now and then, the young lady would reveal a strangely warm and human side of herself like this.
As if to draw a line and say: I know what you expect of me based on public opinion, but I’m not that kind of person.
“Thank you.”
Even as Betty bowed politely, Vivian had already turned her eyes away and waved her hand to dismiss her.
Unable to reject the lady’s not-quite-kind gesture, Betty stepped outside, fiddling with the necklace anxiously.
Like the young lady, she couldn’t treat it carelessly.
“For now, I’ll just wear it.”
She was still holding onto the ruby ring as well, unsure of what to do with it.
But this necklace… it might really be something that carried a precious memory with the Grand Duke.
So, it might be best to find an opportunity later to return it through the young lady.
With that thought, she was even more determined not to let it get stolen or lost somewhere.
Betty draped the silver chain around her neck, fastened the clasp, checked its position once, and then tucked it under her clothes.
Betty continued to regularly send letters filled with trivial daily happenings.
By now, the process of folding the letter paper neatly, placing it in an envelope, sealing it with a stamp—had all become second nature.
‘Still… I guess I shouldn’t expect a reply, huh?’
No replies had come to the letters she sent.
Maybe something had come up that made it difficult to respond.
Judging from the replies she had received before, it was clear he only intended to convey the necessary points.
So maybe he didn’t know how to react to the endless flow of small talk in her letters.
‘Whatever the case…’
She didn’t mind the lack of replies as much as she used to.
Now, she could be confident that he was still reading them with care.
It might be presumptuous to think so.
But it was enough that the Grand Duke knew there was at least one person in this world who genuinely cared for his well-being.
‘Get a grip, Betty. He’s the Grand Duke. You’re just writing these letters on someone else’s behalf.’
Reason occasionally nagged at her.
But it had been a long time since the young lady had read any of the letters, so that cautious voice was often drowned out by her honest determination.
Even as she helped the young lady prepare for the upcoming palace banquet, Betty’s mind was entirely preoccupied with what to write next in her letter.
“Which one looks better?”
“I think this one would highlight your beauty better, my lady.”
“No, I think the pearls look more elegant, my lady.”
The process of dressing, applying makeup, and doing her hair wasn’t something Betty could do alone. That’s why the young lady’s room was full of other maids.
Lady Sharlette waved them all away with a single gesture.
Then she pointed her chin toward Betty and asked.
“What about you?”
Betty had been absentmindedly fixing the lady’s hair, internally composing sentences like ‘Do you know how exhausting it is to prepare for a ball? You have to wake up at dawn just to look perfect for a banquet that starts in the evening.’ She was startled by the sudden attention.
“…They all suit you so well that I wouldn’t dare choose.”
Today, Lady Sharlette wore a subtly blue-toned dress.
She held a sapphire earring in one hand and a pearl one in the other, her brows arching in dissatisfaction.
Betty quickly added,
“But since Her Majesty the Empress will be wearing pearls, wouldn’t the sapphires be better?”
“Oh, good point. It would be bad if we matched.”
Satisfied, Vivian Sharlette picked up the sapphire earrings with a smile.
Betty let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She was glad she had listened attentively when the lady went on and on about her luncheons with the Empress and other high-ranking noble ladies.
But of course, the other maids were shooting her unfriendly looks.
Apparently, it was difficult to do your job well and avoid jealousy at the same time.
At least she was doing one of them right. Even if it didn’t help her mood.
Trying to get out of the room for a moment, Betty spoke up.
“You must be hungry, my lady. I’ll go to the kitchen and bring you some tea and light refreshments.”
“Alright.”
Lady Sharlette answered lazily as she leaned back in her chair.
Trying to escape the suffocating atmosphere, Betty quickly left the room—and nearly ran straight into someone.
Her vision was suddenly filled with the fabric of what was clearly an expensive outfit.
The moment she saw golden hair reaching down to the nape of the neck, Betty quickly lowered her head.
“Such carelessness.”
The firm hand that had grabbed her arm sent an odd shiver down her spine.
“I’m sorry, young master. Please forgive my rudeness.”
As she hastily stepped back, Felix Sharlette dropped his hand that had been hovering mid-air and stared at her.
Despite his perfectly composed attire, the way he slowly crossed his arms and leaned against the wall gave off a lazy aura.
“If you’re that sorry, answer me one thing. What’s Vivian been up to lately?”
“…Pardon?”
Even though it was a perfectly ordinary question, she froze up, as if caught off guard.
That was because, without a doubt, Lady Sharlette had a clear secret these days.
Of course, she had no intention of spilling it.
Betty pushed past the discomfort and answered coolly.
“She regularly attends or hosts tea parties with young ladies and noblewomen she’s acquainted with.”
That much wasn’t a secret, so there was no harm in saying it.
But the blond man didn’t seem satisfied. He leaned forward and asked in a low voice,
“Not that. Anything else? Something she’s hiding, perhaps?”
His breath was close enough to feel, and Betty froze.
She could have stepped back, but once she met those piercing blue eyes, it became difficult.
His looks were the reason the maids never stopped gushing about him.
But instead of charm, she felt an unsettling sense of danger—as if she were about to fall into a trap she could see clearly.
Snapping back to herself, Betty answered as formally as she could.
“…No, nothing.”
“Oh really?”
His face was now so close that if she stood on her toes, their lips might touch.
This time, Betty recoiled in clear alarm.
It’s like he’s doing this on purpose to be offensive…
Did he think she’d fall for him just because he was highborn and good-looking?
Maybe some other maid might have, but his obvious intentions only made her uncomfortable.
Felix glanced down at Betty, who couldn’t hide her displeasure, and then let out a small laugh.
“Did your eyes go bad or something? You haven’t reacted properly to me even once. Boring.”
Yet, contrary to his words, his expression was tinged with interest.
“Do you want something from me, sir?”
“Actually, I should be asking you. If you don’t want me, what do you want?”
His question implied: Why aren’t you fawning over me like the other maids?
The faint smile on Felix’s lips only made her more uneasy.
“I don’t want anything. I’m not greedy.”
“Everyone needs or wants something. Even the Emperor.”
His tone was filled with confidence, almost arrogance—as if he’d never experienced failure or rejection.
“If you’re trying to find something out about the lady from me, I only know what you already do.”
“Then I’ll just find out for myself.”
It was clear now: this was why Felix Sharlette had taken such an unusual interest in Betty.
