SEM 37

SEM

Posted by Hoor, Released on August 5, 2025

#037

Emma glared with murderous intent and shouted.

“Just because you’re sitting in that seat now, you think it’s all yours! Know your place!”

Despite her harsh venomous words, Eliana’s expression didn’t change. Resting her chin on her hand, she looked blankly at the head maid, her gaze devoid of any emotion.

“Head maid.”

“…Y-Yes, ma’am!”

Realizing belatedly that Eliana was calling her, the newly appointed head maid, Sylvia, answered in a voice full of tension.

“Prepare a list of the maids dismissed today and circulate it to the noble households.”

“No! Please, anything but that!”

The maids gasped and fell to their knees, begging desperately. The ones who had secured positions to continue working at the ducal house turned their heads.

“…Yes. Understood.”

Sylvia’s eyes wavered slightly at Eliana’s command.

However, Eliana didn’t scold Sylvia for her lingering feelings. She was the head maid now, and a certain level of leniency toward subordinates was necessary.

Instead of reprimanding her, Eliana gave Sylvia a new test. Since she claimed she couldn’t read or write, Eliana was curious to see how she’d handle this task.

Eliana closed the ledger and stood up, looking around the head maid’s room. It was no different from any other head maid’s room.

But the one who ruled this place wasn’t the duchess—it was Empress Rozella.

Eliana was stunned by how full the ledger was with the Empress’s personal greed. The amount of money that had been flowing out since the discussion of her and Grady’s marriage began was beyond imagination.

Was she planning to bankrupt the duchy?

“Move the ledger to my parlor.”

At her order, the butler bowed briefly.

Eliana turned her head.

She had briefly forgotten the rain, which now slammed violently against the windows, asserting its presence. Watching the much heavier rain than when Grady had left, Eliana began to walk away.

* * *

“Suddenly?”

Morris, who had been inspecting the grain warehouse, frowned and looked outside. Fortunately, it had only started raining after they finished unloading the goods from the ship, so there was no damage.

Now that the goods had been moved, it was time for war—against the rats.

“They’re supposed to work?”

Grady, unfazed, was calmly watching the cats lounging and sleeping on top of the grain piles, while Morris sighed deeply.

“Make sure to pay them generously. Do you know how hard it is to recruit those little guys?”

Morris clicked his tongue as he watched Grady play with the cats.

“What’s a better attack than a surprise one?”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Morris scratched his head.

Until the meeting at the ducal residence, Grady had been as laid-back as ever. But now he was suddenly chasing after his own carriage, insisting they immediately raid Viscount Hoffman’s warehouse. It was out of character.

“Did you hear something new?”

Morris lowered his voice and asked quietly.

The Emperor’s hound.

The rake who loved the Empress.

Contrary to those infamous labels, Grady was shrewd and business-savvy. He gathered information through gambling dens and intentionally lived a debauched life to stay off the Emperor’s radar.

Morris was Grady’s closest aide.

“What nonsense are you saying?”

“I’m not the only one who helps Your Grace.”

At Morris’s words, Grady turned his gaze toward a cat playfully trying to bite his hand.

Taking his silence as affirmation, Morris sighed softly. It was his duty to follow his master’s orders.

“Will you be going in person?”

“I should. I can’t face His Majesty otherwise.”

Morris couldn’t understand why Grady always seemed to provoke the Emperor.

“What are you trying to hide this time? Please think of your health.”

Every time he upset the Emperor, Grady would bear the brunt of his wrath, and his body accumulated more scars.

“Ow!”

Grady quickly pulled back his hand after the cat scratched him. Seeing the red droplets forming, Morris’s face twisted with worry.

“I told you to be careful!”

Grady looked at him with surprise at the sharp scolding.

“It’s nothing. Why are you so sensitive over a little scratch?”

Grady lazily blew on his injured finger and glanced at the cat that had scratched him.

“My heart drops every time you get hurt, Your Grace!”

Several years ago, Morris had made a mistake while carrying out one of Grady’s orders. Back then, Grady had stepped in front of the Emperor to cover for Morris.

When Morris heard that the Emperor had stabbed Grady’s thigh while he knelt, he wanted to cut off his own leg. Seeing Grady limping afterward, Morris had collapsed from guilt.

“Morris. My leg hurts because of the rain. Can we finish quickly and go rest?”

Morris clamped his mouth shut. The moment Grady said those words, Morris could no longer argue and simply obeyed. Grady knew this better than anyone.

“But it’s not even that leg, is it?”

“Oh! Was it not?”

Morris knew Grady was just pretending to ease his burden.

“Please wait here. I’ll gather the men.”

Morris turned coldly, his heavy footsteps echoing with rage toward the Emperor.

“You made big bro mad by scratching him!”

“Meowww.”

The cat, licking its paw, rolled its eyes and walked off somewhere.

Its elegantly raised tail swayed gently behind it. That sight reminded Grady of someone who had once waved a silver invitation in front of him.

Grady harshly rubbed his face. But Eliana’s image wouldn’t fade from his mind.

I’m going crazy.

Just as he muttered to himself in the now-empty grain warehouse, Morris called him from outside.

The efficient Morris had quickly gathered the men. The port that Viscount Hoffman had allegedly borrowed was quite far from Grady’s warehouse.

“First time here.”

“Only smugglers come through here.”

“They hid it well.”

“Didn’t someone once say, ‘You have to be good at hide-and-seek to be a good thief’?”

Grady glanced at Morris and chuckled. Morris clearly couldn’t understand why Grady was in such a hurry.

“Then maybe I should steal something too.”

“Excuse me?”

Morris furrowed his brows, clearly itching to ask what reckless thing Grady was planning this time.

The once-calm sea was now pushing out rough waves under the rain. The black, churning waters looked ready to flood them at any moment.

It was still hours before evening, but the sky, swallowed by clouds, was already as dark as night.

“I’m too scared for that. Anyway! Let’s go.”

Grady stepped forward as if out on a picnic, dirty water splashing on his trousers. Holding a large black umbrella, he walked boldly between the narrow warehouses, prompting a gesture from Morris.

At his signal, the burly men quickly followed Grady.

From a distance, it looked quite strange—like a refined gentleman leading a gang of thugs through a back alley.

“Who the hell are you people?!”

A warehouse guard shouted from in front of a campfire. A thin, squirrel-like man quickly scurried to the back of the warehouse like a mouse.

“He’s probably going to fetch the owner. Let him.”

The man who was about to give chase stopped at Grady’s command.

“Do you know where you are, you bastard?!”

Apparently, his role was to bark until his master arrived. Grady approached the fire with his umbrella.

“Don’t you recognize me?”

Grady raised his umbrella.

“Eek!”

Only then did the man see Grady’s face and recoil in terror.

Grady nonchalantly pulled a burning log from the fire. The guard’s eyes widened in horror.

They had lit the fire just to warm themselves from the sudden rain. Had they known Grady Cryber, the Duke, would take it, they’d have frozen to death rather than light it.

“Your Grace.”

Morris clicked his tongue and called out cautiously.

“From your face, it seems you know who I am and why I’m here.”

“I-I don’t know anything! I’m just a clueless guard!”

“Really?”

Grady threw the log he was holding. The guard dodged it in panic, stepping away from the door.

There weren’t many guards—perhaps they’d kept it minimal to avoid suspicion.

“Open it.”

At Grady’s quiet command, the strong men behind him began prying off the thick lock with a steel bar.

With a clatter, the lock broke off and the door opened.

“Don’t let anyone in.”

“Yes, sir.”