Chapter 33
“Immature People”
The bed that had already seemed unstable finally collapsed with a loud thump—maybe because of my yell.
The canopy fell down, and the wooden frame shattered with a crashing noise.
Dust and feathers scattered into the air.
My hair flew wildly in the sudden breeze created by the chaos.
I shut my eyes tightly, stunned by the destruction.
Laperre, looking panicked, asked:
“L-Lady… did you just say…?”
“…”
“Immature people?”
Unlike Laperre, whose voice rose in disbelief, Carriaire just silently let go of my waist and gently set me on the floor.
As if to mock me, the second my feet touched the ground, a pillow crushed under the broken wood burst open with a dramatic pop.
Feathers filled the air.
“…Uh.”
White down feathers floated all around me. A few even landed on my head.
Seeing my completely frozen expression, Laperre finally closed his chattering mouth.
“…”
I silently brushed the feathers from my head and glanced around.
The shattered teacups spilled tea into the carpet.
The beautifully plated desserts were now a mess on the floor.
The luxurious oak bed—imported from the Kingdom of Hailon—was completely destroyed.
Feathers were still drifting from the pillow that had burst under the weight of the collapsed bed frame.
Books from the bookshelf were torn and scattered across the floor, and decorative items were smashed beyond recognition.
Then, Laperre scratched the back of his head awkwardly and tried to speak:
“Uh… Lady Ha— Heidy? About earlier…”
“Did you build the training hall just for decoration?”
“Huh?”
“If I remember correctly, it’s not far from here.
You—Duke Carriaire, a master of aura, and Laperre, the world’s top magician—
Didn’t either of you think something like this would happen fighting in a small bedroom?”
I thought I was being as calm as possible.
If anything, my tone was so calm that it sounded emotionless.
As if sensing my scolding, dust crumbled from the cracked wall.
Laperre’s eyes widened in alarm.
The wall looked like it could collapse at any moment, and the floor—hidden under the carpet—was probably no better.
Realizing the damage, Laperre glanced nervously at Carriaire, who completely ignored him.
“Your Grace, what happened—?!”
The servants of the Grand Duke finally rushed in, startled by the noise.
Some shut their eyes in despair. Others sighed as if used to this.
Apparently, this kind of mess wasn’t unusual here.
I let out a deep sigh, stunned that the castle was still standing.
I scanned the wreckage one more time and smiled politely at the two men.
“Even if I’m a hostage, surely you’re not expecting me to live in this room now, right?”
“…”
“I’m sure you’ll clean it up nicely.
Considering how fast you destroyed it, I trust you’ll fix it just as fast.”
“Uh… Heidi? I mean, technically… I didn’t really do anything—”
I looked at Laperre coldly, cutting off his excuse.
His lips closed again, clearly flustered by my expression.
“Even the kindest saint in the world would get mad if someone kept pushing their buttons, Laperre.”
Laperre shut his mouth at that.
I took a deep breath to calm my boiling frustration and continued:
“Since the servants have enough to do, I’m sure you two can clean up the mess you made.
I mean, you’re both more than capable, right?”
“…”
“While you clean, I’ll be at the library.
With the wall cracked and ceiling unstable, I’d appreciate a very thorough job.”
“…”
“If I keep using this room, it might actually collapse on me.
Even if I’m a hostage, I’d rather not die like that.”
Leaving the two speechless, I walked out of the room.
Sure, maybe I was exaggerating a bit—but seriously, if something like this happened again, I might really get crushed to death.
* * *
“My Lady.”
A quiet voice called me. I looked up from the book I was reading.
May approached and gently placed a teacup beside me.
“It’s green tea.”
“…”
“I thought you might’ve been startled by what happened earlier…”
I blinked at the light green tea in front of me.
Seeing no reaction, May asked with a slightly nervous tone:
“Do you not like green tea?”
“Ah, no—it’s not that.”
“…?”
“I just didn’t think… you’d bring me tea.”
May frowned slightly, then responded in a quiet voice:
“I was ordered to ensure Lady Heidi is as comfortable as possible while staying here.
Serving tea like this is only natural…”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that…!”
I quickly interrupted her.
With all the rumors going around about me, the last thing I need is to make them worse.
I let out a short sigh and added cautiously:
“I thought… you might think I was planning to hurt the Duke.”
Even though I had tried to phrase it carefully, the words still sounded harsher than I expected.
I never planned anything like that, and I’d never said anything of the sort—yet rumors had somehow spread about me plotting his murder.
I glanced at May.
She looked at me like she didn’t understand where that idea even came from.
I almost explained further—but decided not to.
As I reached for the teacup, May’s voice suddenly rose:
“Wait… you know about that rumor?”
“Huh?”
“That you were plotting to kill the Duke.”
Compared to my careful wording, May had said it very directly.
I blinked, caught off guard.
Then she looked at me with wide eyes, as if confirming her suspicion.
“I thought it was such a ridiculous rumor that it would die down quickly.
I didn’t think it would actually reach your ears…”
“…”
“I’m sorry. That’s my fault.”
She bowed her head and apologized politely.
I blinked, unsure how to respond. I hadn’t expected an apology.
So instead, I asked the question that had stuck in my mind the most:
“Why do you think it’s ridiculous?”
“…?”
“I mean… be honest.
I’m the hostage, and the Duke is my kidnapper.
Isn’t it possible I would plot to kill him?”
May’s big eyes widened.
She thought for a moment, then replied with a light laugh:
“If I were you, I think I’d focus on planning an escape instead.”
“…”
“Because I was taught that a good plan should aim for what’s actually possible.”
She smiled sweetly, then excused herself to return once the room had been cleaned.
And what I did next was purely impulsive.
I grabbed her wrist.
“My Lady?”
“Who told you that?”
“Pardon?”
“That a good plan should aim for what’s possible.”
May blinked, flustered.
Then I showed her a note I had found tucked between the pages of a book I was reading earlier:
[Set goals and plan within the realm of what’s possible.]
Seeing the note, May’s face turned white as a sheet.
