Episode 8
If he suspects me… then everything I’ve done until now—
‘No! Wait!’
What have I really done?
Sure, I was almost stabbed in my sleep once, but nobody ever found out.
I sent a few reports about the Grand Duke, but they were criticized for being useless.
I tried following him, but I didn’t discover much.
‘Basically, there’s nothing suspicious to prove I’m a spy.’
If there had been, I would have already been dealt with… like Agent No. 32.
So this must be some kind of test—a trap to see my reaction.
I lifted my head and answered Dylan with confidence:
“I’m just very shy around strangers.”
Dylan raised one eyebrow, like he found my excuse ridiculous.
But in this situation, the best thing to do was to double down.
“I… I make mistakes when I’m nervous. So I was clumsy before, but once I got used to people, I started doing better!”
“Hm…”
“And now I’ve just adjusted. That’s all.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. My personality really was like that in my old life.
But Dylan still looked at me with suspicion. I had no choice but to use my ultimate excuse.
“You know how they say people change after a near-death experience? Well… I almost died recently. After that, I feel like I woke up with a new mindset.”
Finally, Dylan nodded slowly.
“Yes. I understand.”
Relief washed over me. I breathed out quietly.
But then he added:
“Sometimes, even the smallest event can change a person’s life completely.”
“….”
“For better… or for worse.”
His green eyes locked onto mine. His words felt heavy, almost like a warning.
“Then, I’ll be on my way, Miss Lillian.”
Before I could respond, he bowed politely and left.
I was frozen in place, staring blankly long after he disappeared.
Uneasy Thoughts
What did he mean by that?
His words kept echoing in my head:
“Sometimes, even the smallest event can change a person’s life completely. For better or for worse.”
Maybe he was just making small talk. But the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.
‘The Grand Duke… and his aide… both are strange men.’
I pouted my lips and grumbled silently to myself, bad-mouthing them inside my head.
That’s when a shadow fell over me.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
“Oh, Anna.”
It was Anna, another maid, finishing her chores a bit later than me. She wiped her wet hands on her apron and sat down next to me.
“Just finished?”
“Yeah, I helped finish some tasks the others asked me to do.”
“…Asked you?”
I tilted my head, confused. Anna shrugged.
“They just wanted me to finish some chores for them.”
But that didn’t make sense. The other maids weren’t the type to ask for help. And Anna wasn’t the type to agree.
Seeing my puzzled look, Anna remembered that I’d claimed memory problems and explained quickly:
“Today’s the knights’ group training day.”
Ah, right!
I’d heard the maids talking about the knights in the east wing, and their monthly group training.
‘The knights…’
They were the Grand Duke’s comrades from the war.
But even though they lived in the same estate, we maids rarely saw them. The east wing was under a different staff, and the knights rotated shifts, sometimes leaving the mansion entirely.
The only time we saw them was when running errands to the east wing.
‘That’s why the maids competed to do those errands.’
Knights were popular. Strong bodies, brave reputations, honors from the war, prize money… of course they were admired.
But since they were so hard to see, even a glimpse during errands was precious.
“Are you going to watch, Lillian?” Anna asked.
Technically, spying on knight training was forbidden—it could risk leaking information and distract discipline.
But the monthly group training was different. Everyone snuck peeks, and the knights didn’t mind. It was like an unspoken rule.
‘Even the Knight Commander secretly allows it.’
No wonder most maids weren’t here right now—they’d already gone to sneak a look.
“What about you, Anna? You’re not going?”
“I don’t care to.”
Her face twisted bitterly. Maybe she disliked someone in the knights.
Then another voice cut in:
“Hmph, everyone’s gone off.”
It was Ivy, already resting after finishing her chores. She adjusted her clothes and muttered, not-so-quietly:
“As if the Grand Duke or the knights would notice them just because they sneak peeks. If you want to be recognized, just work hard—like me.”
Wait. Did she just say the Grand Duke?
I blinked and stared at her.
‘The Grand Duke is attending the training?!’
Of course… it made sense. The knights were his war comrades. He often visited the east wing’s training grounds.
“What are you looking at?!” Ivy snapped.
I shook my head quickly and gave her my brightest smile.
“Thank you, Ivy!”
Then I jumped to my feet and ran.
“W-What—?!” Ivy’s shocked voice chased me, but I didn’t stop.
Because of the training, there were fewer people in the halls. I slipped away onto a quiet path.
The east wing wasn’t connected to the main building, but it was closer than the west wing, and the path was simple.
‘And there are plenty of places to hide.’
The training yard was surrounded by trees and bushes, probably to block outside views—but that also made it perfect for sneaking in unseen.
‘As long as I hide well…’
I headed to a spot I’d scouted before while snooping around the east wing.
Moving silently, hiding my presence—
Suddenly, I froze.
The back of my neck tingled.
I turned sharply and caught something flying at me.
Thud!
Something hard landed in my hand.
It was a broken piece of a wooden sword.
‘What… what is this?’
I was confused, but strangely, it felt familiar—like this had happened before.
I just stared blankly at the piece in my hand when—
“…Huh?!”
A boyish knight-in-training with exotic features was staring at me in shock.
“How… how did you catch that?”
I panicked and quickly dropped the wood to the ground.
“L-Lucky guess!”
“You caught a piece of wood flying from behind you… by luck?”
“I-I was just lucky!”
“You…”
The young knight’s face hardened, and he marched toward me. His steps were heavy, threatening. I instinctively stepped back.
But then—
“Hey, rookie, where’d you go?”
“Damn brat, there you are!”
“Did he run off again?”
“What are you saying? His Grace will be here soon—”
Voices rang out nearby. The young knight turned his head toward them.
They must have been calling for him.
‘Now’s my chance!’
While he was distracted, I spun on my heel and bolted.
