Chapter 2
Shy listened calmly to the maid’s words.
Perhaps because she took Shy’s silence as a sign of displeasure, the maid grew more nervous and continued speaking.
“Shall I bring you whichever flowers you like so you can take a closer look?”
There was no need for that.
The flowers were beautiful, but Shy felt nothing toward the Grand Duke.
“We got along well.”
The Grand Duke’s words from yesterday lingered in her mind.
Got along well? She couldn’t believe it.
Benjamin Riverstar was called the “Grand Duke of Ice and Blood” for two reasons.
First, because he had conquered the icy territory teeming with monsters that were difficult to attack and even harder to subdue.
Second, because of the rumor that he possessed such tremendous strength that he could kill those monsters with his bare hands.
They said that when he was drenched in monster blood and his red eyes gleamed, even battle-hardened knights would feel their knees go weak.
The region of Divilan was more often called “the Icy Territory” than by its actual name.
It wasn’t that the entire Divilan region was covered in ice, but there was an ice mine in part of it, hence the nickname.
That mine contained a special mineral coveted by many nations, but it was nearly impossible to approach because of the vicious monsters inhabiting it.
The one who had solved that long-standing problem was none other than Grand Duke Benjamin Riverstar.
Rumor also had it that the Grand Duke was as curt and cold in temperament as his nickname suggested. The consensus was that the name suited him perfectly.
Shy recalled the way Benjamin had stayed by her side the entire day yesterday.
His face was as cold and detached as his nickname implied, his speech and manner showing almost no warmth at all for someone supposedly “on good terms” with her.
Yet Shy had clearly read worry in his eyes. Awkward though he seemed, he had held her hand the whole time without letting go.
And then he’d filled the room to the brim with flowers.
Maybe we were on good terms in our own way. Though for someone so affectionate, the Grand Duke seemed oddly awkward…
Still, it was strange.
The gap between what she saw and what she’d been told was so great that it didn’t feel real.
Next to Shy, the maid waited for her answer. She looked young, with tightly braided orange hair and freckles across her nose.
“Where are the other maids?”
“They’re tidying the flowers together and have all stepped out so as not to disturb you while you rest, Madam.”
“And why are you still here?”
“I– I fell behind with my work… I’m sorry.”
The maid lowered her head. She must have been new here.
Her nervousness was obvious, and Shy felt a bit sorry for her.
“Then as you said earlier, bring me some flowers so I can look at them closely.”
She wanted to help ease the young maid’s nerves. The girl’s expression brightened a little.
“What kind of flowers shall I bring?”
Shy looked around the room.
Among the many varieties, a tall, pale purple flower with unusual petals caught her eye.
“That one, please.”
She reached out and pointed to the flower. In truth, she didn’t care which one it was.
To Shy, it was no different from receiving a burdensome gift from a complete stranger.
“Yes, Madam!”
The maid answered energetically, took a handful of the pale purple flowers, and handed them to Shy.
They smelled wonderful. Shy examined them, then gently touched a delicate-looking petal.
“Ow!”
Contrary to appearances, the petals were covered in tiny thorn-like bristles. A small cut opened on her finger, and a bead of blood formed.
The maid’s face turned pale, and she quickly prostrated herself.
“M–Madam! I’ve committed a mortal sin! I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”
It was an excessive apology.
Shy stared at her in bewilderment. She had pricked her finger, but it was due to her own carelessness, and she was the one who had chosen the flower in the first place.
Some nobles liked to find fault with maids and mistreat them, but Shy wasn’t one of those.
Still, the maid didn’t get up. Terrified, she kept apologizing over and over.
The needless commotion gave Shy a headache.
“It’s fine. Stand up,” she said.
“No, Madam! It’s my fault. How dare I make you bleed! Please punish me until your anger has subsided!”
“If I punished you for this, I suppose if you broke a plate you’d ask me to kill you instead.”
It was just a joke, but the maid turned even paler. Then she pressed her palms together and pleaded.
“M–Madam, I still have two young siblings. My mother is ill, and my father’s earnings are meager. You may kick me, yell at me, or beat me until your anger fades, but please—just spare my life!”
Shy was dumbfounded.
She wasn’t the warmest person, but she had never mistreated those under her.
And yet the “Madam” this maid described sounded like a truly cruel woman.
And that “Madam” was supposed to be her.
“I said I’m fine. If you still have the strength to wail, why don’t you hand me a handkerchief so I can wipe the blood instead?”
If she were in better health, she would have moved herself, but with her head injury, she had to be careful.
At her calm words, the maid’s tear-streaked face shot up and she exclaimed loudly,
“Thank you for your generous mercy, Madam!”
Shy was speechless. Was this really something to cry over?
The maid hurried to fetch a handkerchief and quickly stopped the bleeding.
Looking at the fallen flowers, Shy said,
“It’s best to remove these from the room. Someone else could get hurt handling them.”
The maid looked at her as if the sun had risen in the west.
“…Y–yes, of course. To keep anyone else from getting hurt… they should be removed.”
“Then do so.”
After carefully bandaging Shy’s finger, the maid picked up the flowers.
“I’ll put them somewhere out of sight. If anything happens, please use the bell rope to call me. I’ll return as quickly as possible.”
“You can take your time.”
It was an ordinary thing to say, but the maid’s eyes widened again as if she were surprised.
“Yes… slowly… I understand. Um, Madam…”
“What is it?”
The maid asked very seriously,
“Are you having a severe headache? If it’s too much, I can call a doctor.”
“No, I’m much better than yesterday.”
“I understand. Please do tell me if you feel any pain.”
With that, the maid left, opening the door with great care.
Her reactions made no sense.
What in the world happened over the past year?
After she married and came to this mansion, how had she behaved? Judging by that maid’s reaction, she must have been a very strict and frightening mistress.
To the point where the girl begged to be beaten rather than killed.
Impossible.
Shy wasn’t sweet-natured, but she had never enjoyed picking faults or doling out beatings. She even disliked behavior that lacked propriety.
I need to find out exactly how I’ve been living.
Before she could finish that thought, there was a knock at the door, followed by a cautious voice.
“Madam, the jeweler has brought the pieces you ordered a week ago. Since you’re unwell, shall I send them away?”
Jewelry she ordered a week ago?
As the daughter of a count’s family, Shy had lived with some degree of luxury—buying jewelry, dresses, perfumes, and accessories was nothing new.
But for some reason, she had a feeling these particular jewels would not be ordinary.
She wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone, but she felt she needed to see them.
“No, I’ll meet them. Where are they?”
“They’re waiting in the parlor.”
“Then come in and help me prepare. Tell them to wait.”
“Yes, Madam.”
This time, a more experienced-looking maid entered, unlike the young one from before.
Shy quickly washed her face and dressed up. The clothes she was wearing weren’t bad, but they looked too much like loungewear, so she draped an ornate shawl over them. She also applied medicine to her injured finger—the cut was so small it was barely noticeable.
The jewelry the maids brought for her to consider wearing were all exquisite and expensive. They kept bringing more until Shy had to tell them to stop.
The maids tried to hide their surprise at her words, but Shy, who was in the habit of closely reading people’s expressions, caught the subtle change.
They’re definitely surprised. I must not usually act like this here.
There were already many jewels laid out before her, but she suspected this wasn’t all.
“Is this everything I own?”
“No, Madam. There’s much more… Shall I bring it out?”
What they had shown her was already more than enough. And yet there was more?
And now the jeweler was here with additional pieces?
Just how had she been living here?
Questions piled one after another in her mind.
For now, however, Shy said nothing.
She knew far too little. For the time being, she would simply have to watch and wait.
