Chapter 7

　　A mouse would have been louder than that.

　　It was a good thing I was straining my ears; if I’d been doing something else, the maid might have just left.

　　To a modern person deprived of a smartphone, every minute feels like an eternity. Even if that hadn’t been a knock, I couldn’t wait any longer.

　　I was too bored and too hungry!

　　“Come in.”

　　But no one entered.

　　Huh?

　　I peeked out the door and saw a maid’s back already disappearing down the hall. Afraid I’d lose her, I hurriedly called out.

　　“I’m up! You can come in!”

　　“Goodness!”

　　She clearly hadn’t expected me to come out. Spitting out an exclamation one would only find in a novel, the maid spun around in surprise.

　　Her tone was a strange mix of politeness and informality, hovering just shy of rude.

　　“I-I didn’t know you were awake. There wasn’t any sound.”

　　So that tiny noise really was a knock.

　　The maid is here to get me, which means I’m going to eat soon!

　　At the thought of food, I didn’t bother with pointless questions and just smiled brightly, beckoning her inside.

　　“I don’t sleep in. I’m an early riser. Come on in. Is that water for washing up?”

　　The maid hesitated before entering the room.

　　“Please wash and get ready, Miss.”

　　The water must have been drawn directly from the well outside; the maid’s hands, clutching the handle of the brass bowl, were red and stiff, as if the chill had seeped straight into her skin.

　　Although it was spring, the mornings were still brisk, and water from the well was as cold as ice. I knew from having drawn it myself many times during my short stay at the orphanage.

　　I like washing with cold water, but this was a bit much. At least the water in the bathroom had been at room temperature.

　　Ah. Is this, by any chance…

　　Seeing that water, something clicked.

　　In the novel, didn’t the protagonist get ridiculed over the temperature of her wash water when she first arrived?

　　This had to be the classic harassment from maids you always read about in romance fantasy novels. Something about how nobles only get respect if they wash with lukewarm water.

　　There was surely a book titled 101 Ways to Bully Your Young Lady circulating among the maids in these stories. Their methods for making a mockery of their mistress were all pretty much the same.

　　In the novel, the maids who bullied Fredia were Isabella’s maids.

　　In ‘The Suspicious Duchess’, the female lead gets cool revenge on Isabella’s maid, who was temporarily assigned to her, over this exact incident. It’s the event that officially declares war between Isabella and the protagonist.

　　What the heck? My diligent, commoner nature had caused me to lamely sidestep Isabella’s first attempt at bullying.

　　Disappointed, I clicked my tongue and the maid flinched, as if caught red-handed.

　　What’s with her?

　　As I eyed the maid with curiosity, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror behind her.

　　Ah! My reflection looked like a world-weary old soul.

　　I quickly smoothed the cynical expression from my face, leaving only the innocent child.

　　“There was water left over in the bathroom from yesterday, so I already washed with that. I’m all ready, too.”

　　“Already…?”

　　The maid looked bitter, likely because her plan had gone awry.

　　What’s her problem? The bathroom water wasn’t as cold as what she brought, but it was still cold water, technically.

　　Still, she seemed displeased that I had woken up and prepared myself before she’d even come to get me.

　　“I went to the trouble of bringing the water…” she muttered.

　　Is that so? Is it such a waste?

　　“Oh my, you’re right. It would be a shame to just throw it away after you worked so hard to bring it. Well then, shall I at least wash the dust off my index fingernail?”

　　I then dipped a single finger into the water, just deep enough to submerge the nail, and swirled it around.

　　“Oof, it’s so cold. We didn’t even wash with water this cold at the orphanage. The Duke must be very frugal with his firewood, huh? Someone might think you brought this on purpose to torture me! Haha, just kidding. You know that, right?”

　　As I smiled brightly and shivered, clutching the finger that was barely even wet, the maid bit her lip.

　　“Y-You’re wearing such thin clothes, of course the water feels cold! Since the weather is chilly, I will bring you new clothes that are more appropriate after your meal.”

　　For some reason, the maid’s politeness level instantly skyrocketed. And suddenly, she was being very kind. Suspiciously so.

　　“Really?”

　　“I will go and ask Lady Isabella if she has any dresses she no longer wears because they’ve become too small. She discards her old ones and gets new ones every season, so I’m not sure if there will be any left.”

　　Is she for real? She’s giving me expensive clothes worn by a wealthy family’s daughter?

　　Surely this isn’t some petty plan to get my hopes up only to crush them by saying she threw them all away?

　　If that happens, I won’t find it funny. I’ll cry.

　　Although the maid’s secretive expression didn’t inspire much confidence, I couldn’t help but get excited about new clothes.

　　Even from a commoner’s perspective, not a rich family’s maid, the clothes I was wearing were far too worn.

　　No matter how poor I’d been, I’d never worn rags, but now my sleeves and hem were frayed. I was actually starting to regret returning that pretty dress I’d gotten from the Director.

　　“Is breakfast ready, by any chance?”

　　“Yes, the Duke is waiting in the dining hall.”

　　“Already?”

　　Then why did she only just come to wake me? If I had waited for her to wake me and only started getting ready then, Ivan might have gotten tired of waiting and left without me.

　　No wonder she took so long. It was intentional.

　　It felt like senior employees hazing a new hire. With as many people working in this mansion as in a small company, I realized I’d have to play office politics even at home.

　　Viewing this mansion as a corporation, I’m a nepo baby—someone from the top. My promotion is all but guaranteed as long as I stay on the good side of Ivan, who is essentially the old-money CEO.

　　And this maid is a stooge with her direct supervisor, Isabella, backing her. She’s probably trying to keep me in check to curry favor with her lady.

　　Instead of feeling resentful toward the maid, I felt the corners of my mouth slowly curl up in amusement.

　　To think I’m a nepo baby!

　　I, who barely scraped by my entire life, am now a nepo baby!

　　Since nepos get fast-tracked anyway, there’s no need to pay any mind to a passing maid. I just need to get in good with the higher-ups.

　　CEOs don’t just want people who work well; they prefer people who get the job done without stirring up trouble.

　　There was no point in wasting energy on a futile argument, let alone causing a stir that might reach the duke’s ears.

　　Instead of bickering with the maid, I urged her to lead the way and hurried down to the dining hall.

　　Only Ivan was present. He must have grown tired of waiting, as he was just reaching for his food when I arrived.

　　“Good morning, Your Grace.”

　　“Welcome. I was waiting for you.”

　　A servant guided me to the seat nearest to Ivan, who sat at the head of the table. The placement told me no one else would be joining us.

　　“I’m sorry for the delay,” I said. “My preparations took a while. I should have woken up earlier…”

　　“It’s quite all right. Sit.”

　　“Are the others not coming?”

　　“Today, it is just you and me.”

　　I didn’t pry any further and took my seat. I guess they’re staying away because they don’t like me, I thought. Well, then this feast is all mine!

　　My mouth watered at the sight of the lavish spread on the large table. The moment I sat, a servant placed a bowl of soup before me, its fragrant steam hinting at fresh mushrooms.

　　Beyond it, I saw a whole roasted duck being carved. The colorful steamed vegetables, fresh salad, warm bread, butter, and cheese were a feast for the eyes alone.

　　I could eat like this every morning? Oof, being rich is the best.

　　As my eyes darted around, unsure where to begin, Ivan spoke bluntly.

　　“Eat as you normally would. There is no shame in not having been taught.”

　　That wasn’t exactly why I was hesitating, but I went along with it.

　　“Ah, okay…”

　　I’d learned all the proper dining etiquette while working part-time at a fine dining restaurant, but I saw no reason to stand on ceremony now. I grabbed a duck leg with my hand, tore it clean off, and took a hearty bite.

　　When it comes to poultry, it’s all about the legs!

　　“…You have a healthy appetite,” Ivan observed.

　　“Hehe. They say a kid my age should eat well.”

　　It was a common saying, but Ivan seemed to take it literally, his expression hardening.

　　“Did the director not feed you well?”

　　“Huh? No, that’s not… well… no, I suppose,” I stammered, my eyes darting around as I gave a reluctant pout.

　　She gave me bread as hard as a rock, so I would say no.

　　Seeing me fidget, Ivan let out a soft sigh and gestured to a servant with his chin. The servant, who had been standing by with a look of barely concealed shock as I devoured the duck leg, hurried to push more dishes toward me. His expression had now shifted from astonishment to pity.

　　This food is delicious.

　　For some reason, Ivan was staring at me so intensely that I felt pressured to eat quickly. With renewed determination, I grabbed another duck leg and, holding one in each hand, began to eat with the fervor of a child who had been starved for days.

　　Just as I felt I couldn’t swallow another bite, Ivan spoke.

　　“Do you remember saying you knew the identity of the First Prince?”

　　“Yes.”

　　“Then do you also know who I am?”

　　I gulped down the meat in my mouth and rattled off what I knew.

　　“Yes. You’re Duke Weiss. I’ve heard that besides His Majesty the Emperor, no one in this land can stand shoulder to shoulder with you. That you’re an extraordinary man.”

　　“And who told you that?”

　　I couldn’t tell him the truth, so I improvised.

　　“I read it in a book.”

　　“You can read?”

　　“I picked it up by watching over the shoulders of the other children. I can read a little, but not very well.”

　　In truth, the other children at the orphanage had bullied me, so that had never happened. I could read the language of this world because it was, inexplicably, Korean. I had been transported into a novel, becoming a blonde girl living among people who looked Caucasian, yet everyone I’d met spoke and wrote in Hangeul.

　　The duke, who couldn’t possibly know this, looked pleased, as if he believed I was no ordinary child. This was the ultimate cheat code. Haha!

　　“Then do you also know why I adopted you?”