Chapter 24
“Pardon?”
“You’re pretty and smart. That means you could climb much higher if you wanted. If I were you, I’d ask to be reassigned to another noble. Someone like Horn Livetti, for instance.”
“Horn Livetti? Who’s that?”
“He’s the field captain among Brookston’s lackeys — a man who knows which ropes to climb and which hands to shake. That’s how he’s managed to live comfortably.”
“……”
“Wait a second. I’ll draw him for you.”
She grabbed a napkin from somewhere and began to sketch on it with a fountain pen.
Long, cucumber-shaped body. Angry eyes. A crooked nose. A mouth stretched all the way to the sides.
When she was done, she scrawled ‘HORN’ beneath it in bold, childish letters.
“Pfft—”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. She burst out laughing too and handed me the napkin like a prized relic.
“Here, take it. A gift. Next time you see someone who looks like this, tell him you’d like to become his maid. Got it?”
“Uh… thank you?”
“So then.”
Click— She snapped the pen shut and looked up at me.
“Why are you in Eclipse?”
“Well… that’s…”
To avenge Alec, Theo, and Ruin.
To stop the rebirth of the Ark Project.
There were countless reasons I had to remain in Eclipse. But like rivers flowing into a single sea, all of them led to one truth.
“Because this time… I want to live a life that protects, not destroys.”
“…What?”
Not a life spent stealing lives, or striving endlessly to defeat others—
but one where I could save someone. Guard something.
The tranquil routine of Eclipse, its calm halls and quiet light—
I wanted to protect that peace I’d come to love.
Maybe this was how I was always meant to live.
Ever since Maria, the gentle woman who’d raised me, turned into Depono.
Ever since the emperor of Castium—brainwashed as a Satan—was found dead, his face a cold shade of blue.
I liked this life.
Unlike the last one, where only Alec and Theo existed, this time I had Vesti, Bianca, Calix…
People of all kinds, experiences I’d never known.
And for once, I wanted to live it right.
To protect, not kill.
“…I see. So you wish to keep working at Eclipse.”
She scratched her cheek with a puzzled look, then suddenly glanced at the clock—and froze.
“Oh no, it’s nearly two! We have to go! Father will be here any moment!”
We rushed out of the secret warehouse and pushed the bookshelf shut just in time.
And right on cue, Duke Leticia entered the study.
He was older than I’d imagined—thin, severe-looking, with the kind of sharp eyes only scholars had.
His name was Sion, wasn’t it?
His navy hair, much like Bluebell’s, was neatly combed back, and his deep gray eyes glinted with a cold precision. Even when he looked at his only daughter, his face remained unreadable, polite as if she were a stranger.
When his gaze finally landed on me, he asked flatly,
“Who are you?”
“Greetings, Your Grace. I am Rosie, a maid from Eclipse Palace.”
“And why is a palace maid here?”
“…I invited her.”
Bluebell muttered, defeated already.
Sion’s tone sharpened. “Bluebell. Why did you bring a royal maid here?”
“……”
“Don’t tell me…”
When she said nothing, his voice rose.
“You’re not still smuggling cursed herbs from the palace for your experiments, are you?”
“No, Father! That was seven years ago! I gave up herbal medicine research.”
Bluebell answered quickly.
“I was merely discussing your earlier proposal with Rosie. Since she works in Eclipse, she’s met many noble families and could offer perspective. Isn’t that right, Rosie?”
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”
I had no idea what she meant, but I nodded obediently. Somehow, it felt like the safest thing to do.
Sion’s stern expression softened slightly.
“…Very well. Have you decided, then?”
“Not yet. As you know, there are many candidates. We were having a deep discussion about it. I’ll need a little more time.”
“How much time?”
“If you could grant me until tomorrow, I’ll have an answer.”
“Then I shall see where your resolve lies.”
With that, Sion turned and left the room.
The moment he was gone, Bluebell’s shoulders slumped and she let out a long, trembling sigh.
“Ugh… I can’t stand this anymore.”
Her pale blue eyes glistened with tears. She wiped them away roughly, as if furious with herself for showing weakness.
“Rosie, I’m sorry for using you. I didn’t have a choice. Father wants me married off as soon as possible. The reason he wanted an answer today was because I’m supposed to pick one of the ‘suitable candidates’ he’s chosen.”
“…Marriage?”
She was only fourteen. Even among nobles, that was far too young.
In the Castium Empire, nobles usually married after reaching adulthood—at nineteen.
Which meant that whoever her father had chosen was likely… unworthy. Too old, or from a house seeking favor.
And yet, the duke still intended to rush the marriage through.
“Yes. Because Father despises my interest in herbs. He’s a man of outdated beliefs. Thinks a woman’s duty is to marry early and bear heirs. I was seven when he caught me reading a book on herbal medicine. Ever since then, he’s forbidden me from studying it.”
“But Lady Bluebell, you’ve built an entire secret warehouse just for herb research. The academy accepts women students—why not tell your father about your passion? Appeal to him?”
“I’ve tried—cried, begged on my knees. The more I did, the more he talked of marriage. It’s as if he believes I was born only to marry some heir of another house.”
Her eyes shimmered again, and she turned toward the window to hide it.
“If my mother were still alive—the mother who died giving birth to me—maybe she’d have taken my side.”
“……”
“She would’ve opposed this marriage. I’m sure of it. I don’t want to marry, Rosie. I just want to live freely, researching herbs.”
“Lady Bluebell…”
I was supposed to be drawing closer to Duke Leticia—to locate the Empress’s palace.
But the more I heard, the more pity I felt for Bluebell.
A girl stifled by her father’s will, unable to live the life she wanted.
She’d spent five years building a secret lab in hiding, cultivating mushrooms and gathering herbs. How desperate she must have been not to give up her dream.
I wanted to help her.
But I had no real power to do so. I was just a maid.
Still—there was one thing I could do.
“Lady Bluebell.”
I tightened my grip around the mushroom she’d given me and spoke softly.
“In return for this gift… may I do something to help you?”
* * *
“Hm hm~”
I hummed cheerfully as I plated the dishes with tongs, then turned and set them down on the table.
“Here you are, Your Highness. Mushroom milkshake and mushroom chocolate cake.”
“……”
Calix’s face went completely white.
The fork in his hand trembled. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at the plates.
“So this is where you’ve been.”
He forced a smile through stiff lips.
“You found a very large mushroom somewhere, didn’t you, Rosie?”
“Yes.”
“But… I distinctly remember asking for mushroom soup.”
“Soup is boring if you eat it every day.”
“…The thing is, this dish—only you’re the one having fun here.”
“Pardon?”
“…Nothing.”
He bit the edge of his fork but didn’t dare touch the cake.
What’s wrong with him?
Tilting my head, I stared, and then it hit me.
Ah, of course—he didn’t understand the dish!
“If you need an explanation, please, just say so.”
“What?”
“I’ll explain the dishes in detail.”
“There’s no need—”
Ahem. I cleared my throat and stood before him, pointing proudly at each creation.
“First, the mushroom chocolate bites. I coated button mushrooms in dark chocolate, shaping them into small, bite-sized treats. Don’t you think the chewy texture of mushrooms will pair surprisingly well with the crisp chocolate?”
“Surprising is… one word for it.”
“Next is the mushroom milkshake. I finely diced the mushrooms to blend their earthy flavor with the creaminess of milk.”
“You should’ve just ground them up completely… so there’d be no trace left.”
“…Your Highness?”
“Ah—just thinking aloud.”
His hand shook as he reached for the glass. He looked like an emperor about to drink poison at his own execution.
Watching him, I suddenly thought of Bluebell—her slumped shoulders and tearful eyes.
Without realizing, I murmured under my breath,
“I wonder how Lady Bluebell is doing.”
Instantly, Calix perked up, as if he’d just heard the key to a mystery. He turned sharply toward me.
“Bluebell? Don’t tell me—Bluebell Leticia?”
