“How long do you plan to stay there?”
Hearing the Duke's terrifying voice, I held my beating heart and slowly raised my head.
“Ah, hahaha…”
Is he really that angry?
Well, I pulled the hem of my pants a little too hard...?
While I was hesitating, he spoke sharply and issued an order.
But I was afraid...
What if he was so angry at my crazy behavior that he decided to kill me?
I shuddered and shook my head violently.
“Ah-ha-ha, I'm here. It's actually warmer and more beautiful than I expected...”
“Will you get out if I break the desk?”
Why is he so aggressive?
I couldn't stand the pressure, so I crawled out and stood in front of him.
But I couldn't bring myself to look into his eyes, so I just lowered my head hard.
“……”
Then the Duke called me again.
“Hello, princess.”
"Sorry!!!"
Well, I'll apologize first!
Besides, there was nothing more to say.
According to his logic, he was not obligated to help Salt, who had been naively deceived.
I felt extremely guilty because it seemed like I had forced him to change his mind about refusing the salt envoy's ridiculous request.
Of course, the citizens were not wrong about that.
But at the same time, Duke Blair was not obligated to look into the matter of these citizens. They weren't even his people, frankly.
I fidgeted nervously and continued to avoid looking at him.
then.
“…Hmm. No need to apologize.”
"Huh? What do you mean…?"
I slowly raised my head at his unexpected words, and the Duke, who had a malicious smile on his face, asked arrogantly.
“Do you think, Princess, perhaps, that I could become a volunteer or a kind-hearted shepherd?”
"Huh? No."
This will never happen. Not before sunrise in the west at least...
I immediately shook my head.
When the Duke saw my reaction, he raised the corner of his mouth in amusement and added smoothly.
“Consider this the real price of building the dam.”
“Ah, um...”
“إذا فهمت، يمكنك الذهاب الآن. إلى غرفتك.”
The Duke pointed to a small room directly attached to his own.
If it had been any other time, he would have used his own room and I would have stayed in a separate room… but for now, I was staying in the room attached to the Duke's spacious bedroom because I didn't know how long the salt envoys would stay.
“Ah, okay.”
Anyway, I nodded excitedly as if I had been waiting for this.
There was something ominous about this easy solution and how easy it was for him to leave me, but…
Let's rest now.
Maybe because I was so nervous under the desk, my steps toward my room felt weak and exhausted.
No, maybe it was because I could feel the Duke's constant gaze on my back...
Anyway.
“Wow.”
As soon as I returned to my room, a wave of fatigue washed over me.
Could this be the reason? I threw myself on the soft bed and closed my eyes.
Yes, this was heaven.
* * *
Q: Describe what it is like to live in a room attached to the five-star Duke Hotel Suite.
A. I am very grateful. I would devote my life to His service and loyalty if He would lock me in this room and take care of me as He pleased.
This was my honest and heartfelt answer.
Although the Duke shared a bedroom with me (in a broad sense), he completely guaranteed my privacy.
Thanks to that, since arriving at the Magic Tower, I've been able to enjoy my time reading the comic books I couldn't finish.
Furthermore, there were no attendants accompanying him – only those serving him directly – so I didn't have to engage in awkward side conversations.
True freedom!
'I'm so excited!'
Hahaha.
I laughed as I flipped through the pages of the comic books, and suddenly an idea occurred to me, so I sat upright.
“Wait a minute.”
Isn't this the only moment where my monitoring level is so low?
I suddenly realized it was like a flash of lightning.
“This is the perfect opportunity, isn't it?”
Today, the Duke's schedule was very busy and he couldn't do anything about me.
“Princess, what are you planning to do today?”
As for me? I'm just thinking of staying hidden like a mouse in this room...
“Haha, this is no different than staying at the duke’s house.”
“Hahahahaha… right?”
“Okay, then I’ll go meet the head of the Magic Tower.”
Just in case, I took out the hammer I had hidden under the bed.
Could today be the right day to use it?
After the unexpected storm caused by the salt envoy when we arrived at the Magic Tower, the Duke was monitoring the situation, and I could do nothing but remain calm.
I almost missed my true purpose, but I couldn't bear it.
I examined the hammer in my hand carefully, my eyes shining intensely.
“Test the water before crossing the bridge.”
Before I started anything, I opened the door and scanned the surroundings.
The empty corridor seemed to have been deliberately cleared for the Duke's privacy, and there was no one around.
“Wow.”
The Duke's agenda this afternoon was filled with a meeting with the Master of the Magic Tower, and he would be accompanied by all his aides.
So, I had to finish everything before the Duke returned, and once he arrived, I would pretend to be lazily reading comic books, completing the perfect crime.
But…
Is it okay to do this?
I came here planning to crack the core, but now that it's time to get to work, my instincts as a hardened office worker have been getting in the way.
“Causing problems will only make things more difficult for you...” she warned.
I hesitated, then pulled a bag from under the bed and began to explain myself.
“Technically, this is not an accident but a plan to save the Magic Tower, right?”
No matter how the process goes, if the result is good, it's okay.
“This is the real price of building the dam.”
But at the same time, I also remembered the Duke's unexpected goodwill.
With my heart racing at every simple word, I found it difficult to differentiate whether this was Stockholm Syndrome or the Bridge Effect.
“Get a hold of yourself.”
Kayan Blair may be a dangerously handsome man, but he also kills people.
Above all, he was the secondary male character who showed interest in Limia's pure side in the original story.
Although the relationship between him and Limia seemed contrived, there was still a possibility that he would change his mind once he actually saw her.
This would make it more necessary to suppress a racing heartbeat.
“Break the essence, then think.”
I stopped hesitating and quickly took out the maid uniform that I had secretly put in my bag.
...And the Black Mask too.
After completing all the preparations, I carefully stepped out and slowly walked down the hall, when I accidentally bumped into a mirror and saw my reflection.
“What… what is this?”
I didn't notice it when I checked earlier, but this was so ridiculous.
“Oof.”
A maid holds a hammer and wears a mask.
It was as if I was shouting, “I'm a suspicious person!”
But I tried my best to escape reality desperately.
Well, that should be fine, right?
After all, this is the magic tower, where people of all kinds of tastes come together.
Yes, that's right. Maybe the maid wearing a mask is just another taste among the many tastes people have...
Or not, of course.
Well, do the job and quit.
Disguise and stealth were clearly not for me.
Since I realized that it was impossible to get to the core while looking like this, I quickly turned around.
Then I bumped into him.
"what are you doing here?"
Liam, who was about to greet me, froze as he extended his hand.