Chapter 53
Seren sat upright in her room, fully dressed and poised.
No one was watching her, yet she maintained perfect decorum. Maya tilted her head in confusion, then hopped down onto the terrace of the room.
She had roughly figured out the servants’ patterns. Going down to the terrace now wouldn’t get her caught.
Maya knocked softly on the terrace door. Seren, sighing deeply inside, didn’t seem to hear it.
‘If I break it, it’ll be too loud.’
So she knocked again, this time with enough force to avoid breaking the glass.
Startled, Seren stood and rushed over upon seeing Maya.
The way her eyes sparkled in joy was striking—more alive than when Maya had seen her at the banquet.
‘Has she really opened her heart to me that much?’
Maya decided to think more after getting inside. She quickly stepped into the room.
“How did you get in here?”
Seren looked genuinely shocked, which made Maya feel a little sheepish. The truth might ruin the mystery.
“I walked.”
Still, she answered honestly—because it was the truth.
“…Are you saying the Baker estate’s security is that lax?”
“No, it’s not that….”
Maya recalled what Tristan had said—that when someone recognizes your ability, you should own it.
“I’m just too good.”
When Maya replied with a completely straight face, Seren stared at her blankly.
“…Pfft.”
Seren burst into laughter after a stunned moment.
“I’ve made a guest stand all this time. Please, have a seat.”
A red sofa sat opposite the bed. On the table were sandwiches and tea, as though someone had expected company.
‘But no one’s touched them.’
Maya silently recalled the atmosphere in the Baker estate.
Seren took the opposite seat and spoke first.
“You’re here about the message I sent to His Majesty, aren’t you?”
“Are you being held here?”
Instead of answering, Maya asked a different question.
The way the servants loitered near the room, the simple furnishings, the small size—all these were clues.
“…I didn’t expect you to catch on so quickly.”
“I’m quite sharp.”
Maya said proudly. Seren opened and closed her mouth, unsure whether to agree.
“Since you asked, I’ll answer. Yes. At the last banquet, instead of socializing, I rested on the terrace and ended up caught in that incident. Because of that, I’ve been confined to this estate.”
Seren’s calm explanation only raised more questions for Maya.
“Resting on a terrace is natural, and getting caught in an incident isn’t something you choose.”
“I agree. But… had I acted cautiously, like usual, perhaps it wouldn’t have happened. I imagine they think this confinement is a form of loving punishment.”
“…”
“My father’s love will eventually crush me under the weight of pressure and expectations.”
To Seren, the Count of Baker was a blood tie she wanted to sever.
Under the name of love, he projected his ideals onto her.
Like Pygmalion sculpting a statue.
Her future and life were always a test with a fixed answer.
Her opinions never mattered.
Success didn’t bring joy.
Even praise felt empty.
Under constant commands and punishments, Seren slowly lost her sense of self.
She had tried talking to other noble girls.
But their responses were always the same.
Seren Baker was spoiled.
They envied a father who loved so deeply.
Blood is thicker than water. Family must be accepted, even if it’s hard.
As Maya listened, her face gradually twisted in a scowl.
“There really are so many ways to be trash.”
“Ha… Trash, huh? Could you elaborate a bit more?”
Just hearing those words was cathartic.
“Of course. What kind of fucking bastard—what a total piece of shit.”
Having learned a colorful array of curses while bouncing between knight orders, Maya unleashed a torrent of words that seemed impossible to come from a duchess.
Seren burst into laughter again.
“Your Grace.”
“Yes?”
“Do you think I can cut ties with my family, like you did?”
It wasn’t that she never tried.
She simply couldn’t.
For many reasons, but most of all—because they were family, people she had lived with for so long.
“You can.”
Maya nodded and reached out to hold Seren’s hand. She hoped the strength in her grip would be felt.
“Instead of a false family like that, you should meet someone who truly cherishes you.”
Maya thought of Tristan as she said that.
He had always shown her what true care and consideration looked like.
“…Thank you.”
Seren murmured, her voice trembling as she briefly bowed her head.
She then recounted what she had discussed with Riserfield.
“He wore a hood and had his face completely covered in cloth, but I could see his hair—it was black. From what I could tell, he was a tall man. That’s all I know. Does that sound about right?”
It was a description close to Tristan, with just enough falsehood to mislead.
Maya needed to remember these details before meeting Riserfield tomorrow.
“Anything else I should be aware of?”
“Your Grace should also come up with a story about what happened when you followed the man.”
“Oh, right…”
Maya had forgotten she’d said she pursued a mysterious person.
“I’ll say I followed him because he looked suspicious…”
They coordinated their story a few more times before Maya realized the sky had darkened.
“It’s about time you headed back.”
“You’re not going to eat anything?”
“I suppose this is a punishment. Father expects me to maintain my figure.”
“What…?”
Despite being the only daughter of a noble house, she was being starved—maybe even worse than Maya had been in House Pendragon.
Maya was genuinely shocked.
How could they not feed her?
Unforgivable.
Maya decided Seren Baker had to eat—right now!
Even if Tristan seemed fond of Seren!
Even if Seren might be the future duchess and a rival for Maya’s position!
“Would you like to come to House Beiadon for dinner?”
Maya, remembering all too well what hunger felt like, resolved to abuse her power as the current duchess.
She could practically hear Doshen sighing in disapproval—but she didn’t care.
“Pardon? That’s such a sudden invitation. I know it’s impolite. I appreciate it, but I’ll have to decline.”
Just then, a loud growl echoed from Seren’s stomach. She cleared her throat quickly and said,
“Your Grace, you must be hungry.”
“That didn’t come from my stomach.”
Seren’s excuse didn’t stand a chance.
Her face turned crimson.
“You should come. Tristan actually mentioned that it would be good to speak with you.”
The thought of Tristan and Seren spending time together left a bitter taste, but Maya knew they’d have to talk eventually.
‘He hugged me and praised me yesterday. I can endure this much.’
She took a deep breath, picturing Tristan’s sleeping face beside her that morning.
But Seren still looked hesitant.
“Do the servants come into your room?”
If that’s what worried her, it was understandable.
“No. No one comes in until tomorrow morning.”
“Then… I suppose I can go.”
“But I can’t move like you do, Your Grace.”
Seren shook her head, thinking of the nimble movements she’d seen from Maya before.
“I can carry you easily.”
“Ah…”
Strangely, at Maya’s words, Seren could already picture herself being carried by her.
“Let’s go.”
Maya opened the terrace door and scanned the surroundings, murmuring to the air as if signaling someone.
“Are you ready? Just bring your body.”
She held out her hand to Seren.
The duchess always exceeded expectations.
Her sudden visit today, this unexpected suggestion—they were all the same.
It was unpredictable, but not unpleasant.
For the first time, Seren felt like she was speaking with a real person, not another doll dancing to society’s strings.
