Chapter 8

“What?”

I blinked in surprise, and the servant stammered in panic.

“I-I’m so sorry! The Young Master said the dress was torn, so I thought it was fine to throw it away, and I just… did!”

“No, no, it’s all right!”

Seeing the servant look as though he was about to burst into tears again, I quickly waved my hands.

But my mind was spinning.

‘What should I do?’

Thankfully, the purse I had brought with me was safely stored in the drawer. But that dress was the only one I was supposed to wear until the year was over.

Should I borrow one of Demius’s shirts and try to alter it? No, that would be far too big. I would have to sew it to fit. Where could I borrow thread and a needle?

My thoughts kept spiraling until the servant spoke up.

“Um, if it’s clothes you need, you can wear those over there.”

“What?”

Startled, I looked where he was pointing.

The enormous wardrobe, big enough to fit two grown men lying down, was filled to the brim with dresses.

I hadn’t noticed them before, thinking they couldn’t possibly belong to me.

“Are all those… mine?”

“Yes. Young Master Demius personally ordered them prepared for you.”

My hands flew to my mouth.

Every single dress perfectly matched my taste. Simple designs, soft colors, and light floral embroidery, just like the ones I used to wear.

‘He really is so thoughtful.’

Feeling moved by his kindness, I clenched my fists with renewed determination.

‘I should be useful!’

If I was staying in someone else’s home, the least I could do was earn my keep.

Luckily, there were plenty of things I was good at. Laundry, washing dishes, cleaning windows and floors, farming, chopping firewood.

I rolled up my sleeves energetically.

“What can I help with from now on?”

“…Pardon?”

The servant’s eyes went wide.

After staring blankly for a moment, he stuttered out an answer.

“You, you don’t have to do any work!”

“What? Then how will I repay you for my meals?”

“…Huh?”

The boy’s eyes shimmered with confusion, filling with tears again. His face turned bright red, clearly overwhelmed by the question.

‘Oh, I see.’

That was when it hit me. This huge castle belonged to the Grand Ducal family.

Every servant here answered to the butler, and the butler answered directly to the Grand Duchess, my mother-in-law.

That meant she would be the one to assign me proper duties.

Feeling as though I had solved the mystery, I declared brightly,

“I’ll go speak to Mother!”

“M-my lady… wait, madam—!”

Ignoring the poor servant’s flustered cry, I dashed into the hallway.

* * *

“Perhaps that was a mistake.”

Grand Duchess Seres covered her mouth with one hand, muttering grimly.

A few days ago, when Melissa had come to her asking for something to do, Seres had sent her away, saying that a patient should rest in bed.

Now she was beginning to think that decision had been a terrible one.

After hearing she had nothing to do, Melissa had returned with a shocked face, then suddenly started wandering all over the castle with incredible energy.

* * *

“Kyarruk, kyarruk!”

It had begun with that strange sound from the garden.

At first, Seres had thought it was a bird call. Yet the tone was higher and thinner than any bird she knew.

Wondering what it could be, she had gone out to see for herself and found a most unexpected sight.

“You can eat this flower?”

“Of course!”

In the center of the gathered gardeners stood a small woman with orange hair, Melissa.

She held a flower in her hand, and the gardeners leaned in curiously. One of them plucked off a petal and popped it into his mouth.

“It’s surprisingly tangy.”

The gardener widened his eyes and turned to his coworker.

“Did you know this was edible?”

“Not a clue.”

The other gardener crossed his arms and shook his head.

“I’ve worked here for thirty years and never knew that. How did the lady find out?”

“She’s not a lady, she’s the madam!”

“Ah, right!”

The veteran gardener, Mona, smacked herself on the head and laughed heartily.

Then she leaned closer to Melissa and asked warmly,

“So, Madam, how did you know this?”

“My father’s a farmer and a botanist!”

Melissa beamed.

“Thanks to him, I’ve eaten all kinds of plants since I was little!”

You’ve eaten them?

A farmer and a botanist?

‘Impossible.’

A farmer was a commoner and couldn’t even read, and botany was an advanced subject only taught at the Imperial Academy.

‘She must have overheard something about it once.’

Convinced it was just a clumsy lie a spy might tell, Seres turned to leave, then suddenly remembered the reason she had come to the garden in the first place.

That sound.

She had mistaken Melissa’s laughter for birdsong.

‘Ridiculous.’

To think she had made such an error simply because she hadn’t heard laughter in this castle for over two years. How foolish of her.

But soon, similar sounds began echoing from other parts of the castle.

* * *

“Kyarruruk!”

As she approached the kitchen, Seres stopped in her tracks.

‘What now.’

A migraine throbbed at her temples.

She had gone for a short walk to clear her head and grab something to eat, but as she neared the kitchen, the sound came again. Bright and lilting, like birds chirping.

Peeking inside, she heard loud chatter.

“That’s incredible!”

To her shock, the head chef, a man who normally hated anyone entering his kitchen, was staring wide-eyed at Melissa.

“I can’t believe we’ve had such ingredients in the garden all this time. I don’t deserve to call myself a chef!”

“What are you talking about!”

Melissa shook her head firmly, little fists clenched.

“If it weren’t for you, this dish wouldn’t taste nearly as good. I never knew this recipe could be so delicious until today!”

“R-really?”

The strict chef flushed red and cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Ahem. Well, I’ll have you know I used to be the head chef at the finest hotel in the capital. I could’ve made far more money there, but when you get older, you just want to return to your homeland. Especially when our Grand Duchess resides here!”

“That’s right! Mother is such a strong and admirable woman, just like a hero!”

Tch.

Seres’s brow twitched at the sudden compliment.

Flattery about the mistress of the castle, conveniently slipped in to hide her suspicious actions. It was exactly the sort of thing a spy would do.

‘First the garden, now the kitchen.’

Was she planning to poison her food next?

Seres resolved to tighten security on all her meals.

But not long after, that same bright laughter began spreading everywhere. From the laundry area, to the stables, even to the compost shed.

According to the butler, Melissa’s laughter was strangely infectious. Even the cold, stiff-faced servants had been seen smiling softly after hearing it.

‘Unbelievable.’

Seres pressed a hand to her aching forehead.

Fine.

If she were truly a spy, it would make sense for her to wander around the castle, mapping secret passages or probing the servants for information.

But according to the reports from the butler and the most trusted staff, Melissa had done nothing of the sort.

All she had done was pick wild greens, mix salads, show the maids how to wash clothes more efficiently, feed the horses, and watch compost being made.

‘How strange.’

The more she thought about it, the stranger it became.

Even if those small actions were meant to lower the servants’ guard, she had made no attempt to gather real intelligence.

‘What on earth is she doing?’

In fact, Seres had already ordered the butler to give Melissa a full tour of the castle.

She had even made sure the locations of the archives and record rooms were mentioned, expecting that to pique a spy’s interest.

Then she had stationed trusted knights to secretly guard those rooms every night.

Days passed, and not once did Melissa set foot near them.

Even when the butler tried to subtly lead her there, Melissa had simply laughed brightly and said,

‘I don’t like studying!’