Chapter 42
“Why?”
I crouched down and met Lewin’s gaze. For a moment, the servants who had sent off the carriage and the surrounding knights all held their breath. It was slightly embarrassing.
My mind, which had become scattered with embarrassment, returned to focus at Lewin’s next words.
“I want to sleep with you.”
Hmm, so he really doesn’t make that lisping sound when he’s with us. Lewin blinked his round eyes as he said that, still holding tightly onto the narwhal plush in one hand.
Unable to resist his cuteness, I hugged Lewin.
“Of course. Let’s wash up first and then sleep.”
“Mm!”
Lewin grinned. I lifted him up in my arms. Dorian inhaled sharply for a moment, but thanks to Lewin being partially awake, I didn’t stagger and stood straight.
Dorian and I met eyes.
“Isn’t he heavy?”
I had expected him to ask if I was okay, but it was quite a straightforward statement. I rolled my eyes and glanced at the side of Lewin’s face. Sure enough, the child’s cheeks puffed up as he drew in air.
“I’m not heavy!”
I laughed at the pouty voice. I tried hard to calm myself to avoid laughing out loud and replied:
“He says you’re not. I’m fine.”
Lewin turned his head as if angry. Dorian brushed his face with his hand.
“I… see… then I’ll go wash up as well…”
He seemed dumbfounded. Eventually, he turned and trudged back toward the mansion. His back looked so pitiful that I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Although Lewin had said he wanted to sleep together, he didn’t stay with me until he fell asleep. He had to put down his doll and change clothes, so he was dragged to his own room.
Even with tears in the corners of his eyes, Lewin didn’t say no. That made it even more pitiful, but since I had never bathed a child before, I had no choice but to let him go.
While Lewin was being bathed in his room, I was attended to by the maids in my room. After washing me, they applied rose water to my skin and camellia oil to my hair, then dressed me in a comfortable woolen dress.
Camellia oil—camellia seed oil.
Seeing the glossy shine in my hair, I awkwardly smoothed the ends.
Applying something I’d only seen in classic literature to my hair felt oddly embarrassing, but the scent was decent, and my hair wasn’t greasy at all.
After being attended to, I sat on the couch to wait for Lewin. One of the maids stayed by my side to keep me company while we waited for him.
“Haah…”
The energy spent being outside in the heat seemed greater than I thought. My yawn was bigger than I expected. I blushed and offered an excuse to the maid next to me.
“I’m not usually this sleepy… but I’m unusually tired today.”
“You have every reason to be. It was very hot this afternoon.”
The middle-aged maid, her hair neatly pinned up, smiled as if she understood completely. I raised a hand to touch my cheek. Seeing my embarrassment, she added:
“In the Hübener Duchy, here in Rügen, we take a nap during the summer. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have the stamina to endure the heat.”
“The shops were open though…”
“Merchants have to work. Everyone sleeps at different times. But guests can’t be missed, no matter when they arrive.”
I nodded. Considering we had been walking around in that heat, it made sense that Lewin and I were drowsy.
But how was Dorian fine after training outdoors in this weather? Had he maybe slept as well?
I asked the maid quietly.
“Does the Duke sleep too?”
“The Duke? No… he only washes up and then reviews the duchy’s affairs.”
Classic villain of a romance fantasy. Not human at all. I clicked my tongue inwardly and casually said:
“He must be tired too. And he doesn’t even rest for a bit…”
Asking if he slept was out of mere curiosity, but I ended the sentence vaguely as if I were worried about him.
Although I wasn’t worried at all… The stamina of these aristocratic schemers was something people in this world couldn’t truly understand.
“Hehe, you’re worried, aren’t you?”
The maid misunderstood my words and smiled as she brushed my hair with a white comb.
“…Worried, you say?”
“Don’t worry. The Duke has been strong against the heat since childhood. Of course, there were a few times he collapsed from running around… but he’s past that age now, so he should be fine.”
Collapsing from running around doesn’t exactly seem heat-resistant… I was at a loss for words, and the maid misinterpreted my silence and added:
“Still, he would be happy knowing you’re concerned. He might even lie down pretending to be tired from the heat.”
She covered her mouth and giggled softly. I mirrored her faint smile but couldn’t really feel it.
Dorian wouldn’t be happy. No matter how I imagined it, he would just raise an eyebrow in slight confusion and ask, “Really?”
“No, the Duke wouldn’t do that.”
“But it’s the first time he’s brought a lady here. Everyone is secretly excited. Where will the ceremony be?”
The maid was completely misunderstanding the relationship between Dorian and me. I gave up explaining and just smiled.
Well, if someone knew nothing of the circumstances and saw a commoner woman brought by the Duke to become the heir, they’d probably assume it was a marriage-related status arrangement.
Better to just let it be.
How she interpreted my silence, I don’t know, but she continued talking.
“Of course, the Duke’s mansion is more splendid and technically skilled than ours, but the outdoor weddings here in Rügen are truly magnificent. Especially since there’s the sea.”
Hearing her calm voice, I pictured the white calla flower arch in the ducal garden, the Bubardia in full bloom, and Lewin chasing butterflies in his cute formal attire. Also, Dorian standing in front of the arch in his black formal wear.
“It will be beautiful.”
Her voice flowed like waves. Yes. It would be beautiful. Dorian, with a red rose in his boutonniere, smiling under the sunlight…
Somehow, I pictured him tapping the ground with the tip of his sword at the training yard. Would his ears turn red in front of the arch too?
‘What am I even thinking?’
I pinched my thigh slightly to avoid letting the maid notice. Being tired brought out these foolish thoughts.
Dorian would never marry at the Duke’s mansion. He said he wouldn’t.
Even in the original story, a few years later, he didn’t seem to have a romantic partner. Imagining it would be pointless.
To shake off these unnecessary thoughts, I changed the subject just enough to seem reasonable.
“By the way, was the Duke fussy as a child?”
“Huh?”
“You said he might lie down pretending to be tired from the heat. I imagine the Duke would still go to the training yard even if he was hot.”
It was a random line to change the subject, but imagining it this way felt easier. Maybe he’s reviewing documents even while overheated?
The maid laughed.
“Really? The Duke grew up well. Even when I last saw him, he tried to act dignified, despite still having baby fat on his face.”
“When was that?”
“Let’s see… right after young Master Lewin was born, so about five years ago.”
I imagined fifteen-year-old Dorian, with some baby fat left on his face, trying to look serious. His height probably slightly shorter than now. No, this wasn’t the time for such thoughts.
Fearing I’d continue with meaningless thoughts, I hurriedly spoke to the maid.
“Could you bring me some paper and a pen?”
“Of course.”
It was an obvious stall tactic, but the maid approached the desk with a smile and took out paper and pen from the drawer. I silently accepted them.
“Should I step aside?”
“Ah… yes.”
Unintentionally, I gave her a cue. She quietly picked up the comb and fragrance from the tea table. She didn’t seem upset, but my conscience pricked.
Should I have chatted more about Dorian and joined in the conversation?
Thinking about it, since my goal was to become the duchess, it might have been better to get friendly with someone who had worked in the mansion for a long time.
But while I hesitated, the maid finished tidying up.
“Don’t feel pressured. Just work comfortably. All of us servants at the Duke’s mansion welcome you.”
Apparently, the servants already knew the test the Duke had given me. I hid my embarrassment and watched as she left the room. The sound of the door closing brought silence.
I muttered to myself on purpose.
“Where should I start?”
Already tired and flustered, my mind felt like a tangled ball of thread. I tried to think through it step by step.
‘First, the drying trays and racks… how can I figure out the most efficient spacing? Better to experiment first.’
Would the same results appear if I tried the experiment at the Duke’s mansion?
I tilted the pen nib and scraped the edge of the paper. A black line appeared, looking like grass—or someone’s hair.
Like the black strands of hair that fluttered like short grass.
The training yard I visited during the day had good sunlight, short grass, and sea breezes sweeping across the fields. That naturally led me to one thought:
If I set up the drying racks near the training yard, would I see Dorian more often?
The nib scratched across the paper. My heart felt scraped along with it.
‘I can’t focus…’
What’s the use of all this?
I set the pen down and sank deeper into the sofa.
