Chapter 22
“Really? sister, you’re the best! You even gave me food good for strength. Are you an angel?”
I couldn’t possibly tell her I had ulterior motives.
I stacked the herb boxes into a tower for Bianca and delivered them to the carriage.
I needed to meet Duke Leticia somehow, using any excuse.
While sneaking glances at the carriage, a servant neatly arranging boxes in the back compartment noticed me and looked surprised.
“A new face, and strong too! Are you a new maid?”
“Hello, my name is Rosie.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Ethan, working for the Leticia Ducal household. You must have heard from Bianca, but please keep it a secret! By the way, where do you work?”
“I work at the Eclipsia Palace.”
“……”
Suddenly, Ethan fell silent. He looked embarrassed, as if he had said something impolite.
Why, what, why?
Just then, the carriage window opened, and a girl’s face popped out.
A girl with indigo hair and sky-blue eyes.
She was likely Lady Bluebell, and she immediately scolded the servants irritably.
“Why is the departure so delayed? We need to leave before Dad finds out! …Huh?”
Then, she saw me and her eyes widened.
“You… what’s your name?”
For some reason, Bluebell seemed interested in me.
Ethan also looked flustered, as if this was a first, glancing between me and Bluebell.
Bianca seemed taken aback too, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
“Rosie.”
“Come closer.”
I took a step forward, and she reached out, carefully stroking my hair.
She murmured with a fascinated expression.
“I’ve never seen such beautiful silver hair before. It’s just like Silver Lily herbs.”
“…….”
“Ah, do you know what Silver Lily herbs are? They’re my favorite herbs; they have healing and detoxifying effects. Isn’t it amazing that just holding them in your mouth can detoxify?”
Without me even asking, Bluebell excitedly chattered on about the herbs. She seemed to really love them.
Could the reason she takes the leftover herbs be…?
“I like you.”
She looked at me with sparkling eyes.
“Do you want to come to our house?”
“Pardon? But My Lady, taking a maid working in the imperial palace to the ducal residence as you please is…”
Ethan was startled by the Lady’s words. But when he met Bluebell’s eyes, he couldn’t say anything.
So this is the power of the precious only daughter of the Leticia Ducal family.
“No way. sister is mine……”
Bianca muttered in a gloomy voice from behind.
Judging by the clicking sound, she seemed to be biting her nails.
But that wasn’t my concern. If I could just create a connection with Duke Leticia…
“That would be very, extremely, tremendously good.”
As I quickly approached the carriage door, the hesitant Ethan spoke to Bluebell.
“But, My Lady… I’m sorry to say this, but……”
“What?”
“That maid… she is His Highness the Prince’s maid.”
“Wait. Whose maid did you say?”
“His Highness the Prince.”
At that, Bluebell’s face crumpled like a piece of tissue paper.
As if she had heard something she shouldn’t have, she turned her head and muttered.
“Of all people……”
“Pardon?”
The two of them… seem to not get along well.
Is it my imagination?
“No. On second thought, if she’s the Prince’s maid, it seems all the more reason for her to come to our house?”
“Why?”
“Wouldn’t it be inconvenient if he has business and has no maid?”
…Did I hear that wrong?
“Were you on your way somewhere?”
“I was on my way to get mushrooms to make cream of mushroom soup for His Highness.”
“Ah, mushrooms?”
Bluebell signaled for me to come closer. As I approached, she whispered in my ear.
“I actually grow mushrooms.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I grow them using my own developed method—they’re good for the body, tasty, and super big. Amazing, right?”
“That’s really amazing.”
Considering she secretly takes leftover herbs and said they had to leave before her dad found out…
It seemed she was researching herbs and even growing mushrooms behind the Duke’s back.
…She really is an eccentric, isn’t she?
As the Empire’s Lady, and the only daughter of the Leticia Ducal family at that, she was born with a diamond spoon in her mouth.
Money would flow like an inexhaustible spring, enough to waste on dresses and jewelry her whole life.
Typically, ladies of her status would spend their time and money gathering with other noblewomen of similar rank for luxurious tea times or boat parties.
But researching herbs and cultivating mushrooms… Should I call it impressive or just odd?
“You. Don’t you want to prepare more nutritious, delicious meals? Don’t you want to be acknowledged by His Highness the Prince?”
“…Ah, yes.”
I found myself nodding.
Yes, I want to be acknowledged for my cooking too.
Not just the recipes taught by Vesti, but I want to be acknowledged by His Highness for my cooking.
‘His Highness has only ever eaten well when I made the dishes Vesti taught me.’
But now, with my own original creations…!
“No, stop right there… Another monstrous dish will be born……”
I heard Bianca muttering in fear, but I completely ignored her.
Momentarily forgetting my primary duty, I was dominated by the new goal of ‘obsession towards the best cuisine’ and nodded vigorously.
“Alright.”
Bluebell smiled.
“Then, get in the carriage. Let’s go to my house.”
“Miss, we have arrived at the residence.”
The moment the coachman opened the door, I stepped out and was startled.
‘It’s less of a residence and more like a castle.’
The residence, built from greyish stone, stood tall like a massive fortress.
Vines and creepers tangled on the outer walls holding centuries of history, and the large windows filled with stained glass shone brilliantly in the sunlight.
‘I’ve seen countless such residences on missions, but this level… I just can’t get used to it.’
As I stood dazedly looking up at the residence from the entrance, Bluebell, who had gone ahead, came back and firmly took my hand.
“What are you doing? Hurry up.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ll show you my secret storeroom.”
Passing through the sturdy oak entrance door, we entered a spacious hall with shiny milky marble floors.
Above, an intricately crafted golden chandelier gleamed, and the ceiling was painted with a scene of Castium Empire’s ‘Raven’ saving Luminesca’s white owl.
‘Fitting painting for a physician’s family.’
The Leticia Ducal family was known for their high scholarship, having served as the royal family’s physicians and academy headmasters for generations.
Politically neutral, they often acted as mediators during conflicts among nobles within the empire.
Judging by Bluebell’s extensive knowledge of herbalism, despite being around fourteen, she was clearly a true member of the Leticia family.
“Miss.”
Just then, a woman with auburn hair and a velvet headband walked towards us.
She glanced at me standing nearby but said nothing.
Straightening her shoulders, she spoke with an expressionless face and a high-handed attitude.
“The Duke will return home around 2 PM. He asked you to think of an answer to yesterday’s question by then.”
An answer to a question?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Bluebell’s brow furrowed. Biting her lip hard, she spat out her reply.
“Understood, so leave me alone until then.”
“Yes.”
The woman bowed and scurried away down the distant corridor. As she disappeared, Bluebell shrugged and shook her head as if disgusted.
“That’s my lady-in-waiting, Tara. But she feels more like my dad’s maid than mine. She only does things for Dad and just nags me.”
“…I see.”
“Now that the nuisance is gone, let’s go to my secret storeroom.”
Led by her hand, I suddenly glanced back.
At the end of the corridor, Tara was standing, staring intently in our direction.
Especially… at my hand held by Bluebell.
‘What’s this about?’
The wonder was brief, as we arrived at the study.
It was a small study with a red velvet carpet and a few magenta-tinged bookshelves.
This is the secret storeroom?
Looking around, I nodded. For a young girl’s imagination, this space might indeed qualify as a secret storeroom.
‘That makes sense.’
As I was nodding, she scurried off like a squirrel somewhere. Then, without hesitation, she pushed one of the bookshelves in the corner.
Creeeak!
A hidden door slowly opened, revealing a vast space.
