Chapter Twenty Six

Although I had planned on meeting the Duke the very day after sending the letter, it was impossible.

This was because the state of my body was much worse than I’d thought.

It must have been due to my nervousness from the sudden change in environment finally dissipating.

I had thought it was a simple cold, but it was a severe flu.

Although I regularly took the medicine the Imperial Doctor gave me and forced myself to swallow the food Hadel fed me, my condition didn’t easily improve.

Despite my best efforts to persuade Hadel, who had spent the entire day at the Lily Palace worrying about me, to return, he was unmovable.

And right after one week of that passed, my body started gradually showing improvements.

“Asha, will you really be okay?”

“Of course. Don’t worry, and return to the Sun Palace.”

“…”

“Now. Ah, and you need to act well in front of others, alright?”

“…Mmn.”

I couldn’t help but sigh after seeing Hadel responding with slumped shoulders.

Duke Valkirino was to visit Lily Palace soon.

He must have been very curious.

He had said he would come to visit the day after I sent the letter, but we were forced to postpone it like this because of my body’s condition.

Normally the Duke was also busy; even if I wanted to meet him it would have been impossible.

“Do you remember what I said? You don’t know anything. Now hurry and go back to the palace.”

“…Okay. But still, just in case…”

“Hm? Just in case what?”

Hadel stopped in the middle of his sentence and glanced at me.

Just what was he about to say for him to look this anxious?

Seeing his old habits appear exactly the same now made me laugh, as if I could briefly forget about the passage of time.

“I’ll leave my guard with you. If anything happens, he’ll protect you.”

“What? I have a guard too.”

Although he was someone that Duke Valkirino assigned to me.

I said the latter in my head, but Hadel responded as if he knew what I was thinking.

“That’s the person the Duke assigned to you. If anything, you have to be careful of that guy.”

For a moment, Hadel’s expression hardened, but when he looked at me again, he smiled brightly.

“Anyway, I can’t concede on this.”

Gosh, that stubbornness.

Without a choice, I nodded my head.

If possible, it was best to have the safest person by my side anyway.

“Alright, I got it, so go for real this time.”

That was how I managed to send Hadel off, before returning to my bedroom.

I decided it would be best to appear as sick as possible, so I lay down in bed and wrapped a blanket around myself, making my brow shine with sweat.

How much time passed?

The temporary Head Maid, whom Hadel had assigned to me after Madame Chunet had been fired, knocked on the bedroom door.

“Miss Silver Lily, Duke Valkirino has arrived.”

At the calm Head Maid’s words, I pushed myself up on the bed.

“Lead him to the sitting room, and let him know I’ll be there soon.”

“Understood.”

Checking myself in the mirror, I adjusted my appearance. My hair was damp and stuck to my face from the sweat.

It was clear to anyone that I had the appearance of a sick and weak lady.

“Perfect.”

It was natural for people to lower their guards and think of you as easy to deal with when you looked weaker.

Although there were times when you would face losses because you appeared easy to deal with, it was necessary for this situation.

Since I was planning on committing an incredible act of fraud.

* * *

“You’ve come, Duke?”

“…Miss Silver Lily. I heard that you were sick, but you truly look unwell.”

“Yes. I apologize for greeting you while looking like this. But given the circumstances…”

I lowered my eyelashes and bit my lower lip as if genuinely worried and apologetic.

“I should have met you sooner, but due to my poor condition, I couldn’t do so.”

“Hohoho, it’s fine. Since you’ve received the favor of the Emperor, you must take proper care of your body.”

Laughing indulgently, Duke Valkirino stared right into my eyes.

Although his lips were smiling, his eyes were narrowed sharply like a snake, shining as if peering into my mind.

I put on an awkward smile, as if I was finding things difficult.

“Ha… It seems the rumors have already spread. I’m not sure why… I was also very taken aback by the situation, so I contacted you as soon as I could, Duke.”

“Hm, I see. Well, I would like to hear how things came to be like this. I was so curious that I haven’t been able to sleep in recent days.”

Seeing the Duke getting to the point immediately, I lowered my voice.

Then, after looking around, I licked my lips.

I was about to deceive him, and as the saying goes, ‘you need saliva on your lips to have some kind of conscience.’

My lips parted with hesitance towards the Duke, who was staring holes into me.

“I let you know in my letter that the Head Maid, Countess Chunet, was locked up in jail.”

“Yes, that she had embezzled the budget away.”

“Yes, so I’m worried about the current Head Maid that His Majesty the Emperor assigned me. She might overhear the private conversation between you and me, Duke.”

I widened my eyes as if truly worried, swallowing. The Duke watched me for a moment before blinking his purple eyes and replying.

“You don’t have to worry about that since I used one of my workers to take the Head Maid to a different place. You can just get to the point and speak.”

The Duke, who had been showing the Emperor’s Queen, the Silver Lily, a certain level of respect until now, suddenly changed his attitude and spoke informally to me.

It seemed that there were truly only the Duke’s people here.

Only the temporary Head Maid, who Hadel had assigned to me, wasn’t the Duke’s, but he had still managed to send her elsewhere.

At my rising nervousness, I took a small breath and locked eyes with the Duke.

“Understood. But before that, I have one thing to ask you, Your Excellency.”

“What is that?”

“Do you… know a woman named Asha?”

“…!”

Duke Valkirino must have been fairly surprised at the name that came from my mouth, for his eyes widened. I spoke with a questioning tone and a face that expressed I truly had no idea of anything.

“His Majesty keeps saying that name while looking at me. At first, he would look at me and get angry, and the next time, he abruptly strangled me…”

As if recalling the fear of that memory, I shuddered and shook my head.

The Duke’s expression hardened while watching me.

As there was still no response, I continued on.

“When I told him I was a distant relative of the de Ach family, he started calling me Asha and looking for me. Perhaps the Emperor had a woman he loved?”

When I finished, I carefully watched the Duke’s reaction.

Or I pretended to, more accurately.

The Duke’s expression was changing by the second.

Although they were very minute changes, I, who had worked as a maid for ten years, was well attuned to reading the expressions of nobles, so I could tell.

First, he was surprised, then flustered, then suspicious, before finally he was lost in thought, eyebrows furrowed.

Now it was time for me to wait.

For the Duke to open his mouth.

The waiting didn’t last long.

“Your guess is correct. It seems he’s thinking of his past lover while looking at you.”

“As I thought…!”

With a small gasp, I nodded, before sending my gaze down.

Biting my lips several times as if lost in thought, I lifted my head before staring at the Duke.

“Your Excellency.”

Seeing my firm gaze and voice that demonstrated the fact that I had come to a decision, the Duke took a deep breath before pointing his chin at me, telling me to speak.

“Regardless of the fact that he is mistaking me for someone else, His Majesty has completely fallen for me right now. Although you must already know, Your Excellency.”

“That’s why it has become difficult for me. The Emperor shouldn’t fall too deeply for you.”

The Duke’s lips were upturned in a vicious smile. It was a smile that said that since a chess piece was trying to escape the chessboard by itself, he might have to inflict punishment.

I nodded my head with a gloomy expression.

“Yes, I know that well. I’m only here temporarily. But Your Excellency, as you must know, I can’t betray you. No matter how much His Majesty has started to favor me, I’m just a stand-in; there’s someone else who is the true recipient of that favor. One day, he’ll cease to like me.”

“You know it well.”

“My life is precious. I know very well that realistically, I’ll benefit more from siding with Your Excellency, rather than a half-crazy Emperor.”

While listening to me speak, the Duke stroked the handle of the teacup.

From his position with a slightly tilted head, violet gaze aimed downwards, an air of power and ease oozed from him.

“So I dare to suggest: please use me, Your Excellency.”

Pause.

The Duke’s hand, which was stroking the teacup, froze.

His gaze slowly moved to meet mine.

“Use you. Just how much use could a mere commoner like you be of to me?”

“I have the worth of being the recipient of His Majesty’s favor. Since it seems for some reason, His Majesty would believe me even if I told him that I could make bread from crushed rocks. Maybe he’s really unwell in the head, or…”

Trailing off, I glanced at the Duke. It seemed he was feeling somewhat amused.

“…It’s that bad?”

“Yes. I can become Your Excellency’s feet and hands. Regardless of what your goal is, wouldn’t I be able to help you?”

“My goal is to make my daughter Nella the Empress. But that’s impossible if you continue to receive the Emperor’s favor. And what if you end up having a child?”

“I know my place. Even if a commoner dreams of becoming Empress, it doesn’t change their origins. And there will be no incident of having a child.”

Honestly, it was all a complete lie.

But the Duke was somewhat amused.

I kept on explaining my plans.

“And if, as time passes, there is still no child, I can request for His Majesty to bring in an Empress. At that time, I can recommend Lady Nella.”

“…How can I believe that you will do that?”