Given the circumstances, Saiki wasn't as angry as she expected over something so incomprehensible. So I sat there quietly.
Mary looked at Saeki's face, which looked strangely calm.
“…”
Anyone with some insight would have realized that the situation between the Duke and his wife was extremely strange. Therefore, although Mary felt like she deserved to be scolded, she held back a little, but Saiki seemed unexpectedly indifferent.
In the world of noble women, maids would often bear the brunt of their husbands' infidelities or other outside matters they didn't know about, and it wasn't uncommon.
If rumors spread of a viscount's affair without his wife's knowledge, or of an earl meeting another woman in secret, such incidents sometimes became public knowledge.
Therefore, Mary couldn't help but feel nervous.
In the eyes of the servants, the Duke and Duchess appeared to have a reasonably respectable relationship. They may have seemed to lack some aspects of human warmth, but it seemed that their relationship never hurt each other and they kept their promises. Therefore, she never expected such a problem to arise.
Mary kept swallowing dry saliva due to her chapped lips.
Finally Saiki spoke.
“Okay, I'll have breakfast in the bedroom.”
“…?”
Mary was surprised, and her eyes widened. She had many questions to ask, such as where the Duke had gone or why Rachel had come, but Psyche seemed to have no thoughts about the Duke. Instead, she looked at Mary with a puzzled expression and asked.
“Why are you just standing there?”
Psyche's question left Mary confused, and she quickly nodded.
"Oh, no, not at all. I'll make breakfast right away."
For fear of receiving another embarrassing question, Mary hastily left the bedroom.
After some time, she returned with a small silver tray containing breakfast. Psyche sat on the bed and ate her food eagerly. As time passed, I suggested that she go for a walk with Mary, who followed with a somewhat uncertain expression.
The night before, the rumor that the Duke and Duchess had fought over Rachel had spread like wildfire throughout the Duke's estate. Psyche had never raised her voice since arriving at the duke's estate, so the events of the previous day had a greater impact among the servants.
Everyone blamed Rachel, but because the Duke had always been diligent and showed reliable behavior, they believed that there must be a reason for his actions.
However, Psyche, the actual person in question, remained calm and collected, leaving Mary and the other servants unsure of what to do.
Surprisingly, Saiki seemed so calm. She acted as if nothing had happened, even went for a walk, and returned to her bedroom. Then she sat down at the table and suddenly started arranging something, placing different herbs on the table.
“When will His Majesty return?”
Mary finally gave in to her curiosity and asked.
“Oh,”
Saiki said as she looked up from her task. She was humming a tune, looking unusually cheerful.
“He said it would take three days.”
"Show."
Mary was surprised and quickly looked away. “Is this…?” She began, unsure of how to phrase her question.
Saiki smiled cheerfully, her face looking really happy.
“Oh this?”
I laughed.
“Mary, I don't think you're aware of this. We don't have many mountains or forests around us, you see. All we have are these artificial gardens.”
The imperial city located in the center of the country was a flat plain, wide in all directions. They even cleared out the few existing forests, claiming it was to create good cart roads. As a result, the only places where one could see plants in the Imperial City were in areas that were artificially built up.
Psyche had a special passion for trees and flowers, a preference shaped by the nature of where she grew up.
“Where I lived, it was necessary to study herbs and plants… You had to learn about them so you could survive. The surrounding environment was very rugged, and sometimes there were things that could threaten your life just by eating an unknown herb or touching it with your skin.”
“I see. So, all this...”
"Yes, I brought some of these things with me when I came here. I also bought some recently when I went out. I enjoy organizing these things. Don't you like the smell of grass?"
Mary couldn't agree more, so she just smiled awkwardly.
Psyche's well-being was considered a stroke of luck. Dealing with the Duke was inherently a difficult task, so she thought it was a good idea to bring the things she loved from her hometown to rejuvenate her spiritually.
In fact, Mary had no idea what Psyche was thinking.
She thought that now was her chance to leave this place. After all, once the Duke returned, she would likely be subjected to a prison-like life again, and would not be able to do anything as she pleased until she gave birth to her child.
In this case, it would be clear that she would not be able to get out of the duke's possession.
The social event was already off-limits to him. This seemed like the only chance she had.
but.
The problem was how to escape from the Duke's possession. Since it would take several days for the Duke to return, she thought she could buy a significant amount of time.
Moreover, she had already made it clear that she was leaving, so there was no reason to hold back.
Until yesterday…
However, she wondered if she could discuss Rachel's case through conversation. However, he showed no intention of listening.
There was another problem...
“That woman should be killed after giving birth to the child.”
It was an issue that could not be resolved through conversation.
Who would ask if he planned to kill her after the baby was born? Even if he was planning to kill himself, who would honestly admit that he was the target?
Even if he intended to kill Saiki, he could easily lie and say, “No, I never meant to kill you.”
In fact, people cannot be trusted.
You shouldn't trust them. That was the moment my faith became stronger.
Just looking at what happened with Rachel...
His image, which was trusted until now, was...
“It was really weird.”
But he had already lost my trust in him, and there was no need to think about anything else.
“Hmm.”
She sighed after finishing the herbal arrangements.
She was constantly imagining in her mind escaping from the duke's estate and calculated the most suitable escape route.
But no matter how much she thought about it, it seemed to her a bit difficult to do alone.
It would have been better if she was alone.
After all, she had a body that wasn't particularly fast or agile.
‘ممم. What should I do?'
While she was lost in thought, she heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
After she agreed, the servant revealed himself.
“I…Ma’am, it’s surprising, but…”
The servant had been working with the Duke for a long time, so it was not easy to disturb him. But today, the servant who came to see Saiki looked completely different.
Move the order quickly.
“His Highness the Crown Prince arrives on a visit”
“What?”
Psyche was surprised and stood up.
She wasn't the only one who was surprised, but everyone in the room was astonished.
At that moment, she suddenly had a very good idea.
I quickly headed to the reception hall to welcome the Crown Prince.
❖ ❖ ❖
In the drawing room, when Crown Prince Saiki saw him, he smiled widely.
But when he heard that the Duke was currently absent, his face immediately became gloomy.
“What's going on? I came here to ask the Duke's permission...”
The Crown Prince, who was elegantly dressed, was completely different from the rumours. He acted as if he had known Saeki for a long time, and was very friendly.
Because of his informal behavior, Saeki felt the need to set boundaries.
It seemed like he was serious when he mentioned wanting to take lessons on plants earlier, and he even brought official documents with him.
Everything he said sounded like a joke and normal conversation, but it turned out that he was sincere. It was strange and unusual, but strangely endearing.
Moreover, he brought an unexpected true dedication to the matter. This sincerity made Saiki smile.
“No. Can you do that for me? Seriously, where did the Duke go?”
He groaned like a child as he repeated his question.
When will he come back?
“It will take about three days.”
Psyche responded calmly, and the Crown Prince let out a deep sigh. His face was like that of a whiny child.
“Oh my God, do I look that impatient?”
The Crown Prince sighed loudly and looked disturbed.
In response, Saiki raised the teacup in front of her and smiled.
“If you can do whatever you want without the Duke’s permission, what would you like to do?”
"What? Getting a divorce or something?"
Suddenly the Crown Prince brought up an idea even more extreme than Saiki's mind and then immediately backed down.
"How about you make me your husband? How about that? I think I'm a very suitable candidate for this position, perhaps better than the Duchess. I'm very excellent, you know."
Saiki couldn't help but smile at his absurdity