Chapter 14
Seeing Inael only blink her large eyes without answering, Ruban looked at her with concern.
“Are you very sleepy?”
“I think so…….”
“Then let’s go in.”
She could feel heat rising to her face.
Not wanting him to notice how red she was getting, Inael stood up first and quickly started walking away.
Ruban, easily catching up with her long strides, grabbed her arm.
“That’s not the way.”
Because her heart was pounding wildly as he escorted her, she couldn’t look straight at his face.
Standing in front of her door, Ruban asked if she was feeling unwell. She brushed it off, saying she was just sleepy, and hurried inside as if running away.
Even after calming her racing heart and getting ready for bed, Inael couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.
In the end, she spent the whole night half-awake and only managed to open her eyes when the morning sunlight filled the room.
Rubbing her heavy eyes with the back of her hand, she sat up when she heard a loud knock at the door.
Before she could answer, the door burst open and Jeanne came in.
Seeing Inael sitting on the bed, Jeanne let out a big sigh and complained in a scolding tone.
“Stop sleeping and get up already. The sun has been up for ages.”
“I’m up.”
“I’ll bring breakfast to your room, so wash up and wait.”
“Okay.”
She was startled by Jeanne’s sharper tone compared to yesterday, but she forced herself to think that this was just how she spoke and answered obediently.
“Um… has Ruban eaten already?”
At the mention of Ruban, Jeanne’s face twisted into a frown.
“Excuse me. I’ve wanted to say this for a while, but isn’t it rude to call His Grace’s name so casually?”
Inael froze with her eyes wide at the sudden outburst.
“You don’t look like a noble. No matter how much His Grace may favor you, that’s still improper. If rumors spread that a commoner treats the Grand Duke so casually, what would the servants here think? And what about the other nobles?”
Inael felt dazed, as if she had been struck on the head.
She couldn’t explain her status, so she could only let that part go—but being told she had treated Ruban disrespectfully?
A surge of injustice rose up to her throat.
But Inael couldn’t easily speak.
This world was different from the one she had lived in.
There was a strict class system, and she already knew that Ruban stood in a very high position.
Anxiety flooded her mind at the thought that her thoughtless actions might harm Ruban’s reputation.
Seeing Inael bite her lip in silence, Jeanne snorted loudly and muttered as if making sure she was heard.
“She really doesn’t know her place.”
Knock, knock.
Just then, someone knocked on the door, and Jeanne flinched.
She seemed bold only in front of Inael, but worried about others hearing her.
After knocking once more with no answer, a maid cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.
“D-Deputy head maid.”
The deputy head maid glanced at Jeanne, who was shifting her eyes nervously, then walked straight up to Inael and bowed.
“Inael-nim, I am Lawrence, the deputy head maid. His Highness wishes to have breakfast with you, so I came to escort you.”
“Ah, I…”
Trailing off hesitantly, Inael soon nodded softly.
“I’ll get ready right away.”
Her mind was in turmoil and she didn’t know how she should act, but she didn’t want to avoid Ruban either.
After hearing Inael’s reply, Lawrence turned her gaze to Jeanne, who was standing stiffly.
“Jeanne, you go to the dining room first.”
“I will help Inael-nim prepare—”
“Go.”
At the firm, cold tone, Jeanne reluctantly closed her mouth and left the room with an uneasy look.
With Lawrence’s help, Inael washed up and put on a simple dress.
While brushing Inael’s hair at the vanity, Lawrence carefully spoke.
“Did something happen between you and Jeanne?”
Jeanne was respectful and even flattering to her superiors, but often argued with fellow maids.
That was why Lawrence worried she might be acting improperly toward Inael.
Inael fidgeted with her fingers and answered in a small voice.
“I just made a mistake, and Jeanne pointed it out.”
Forcing a smile, Inael watched as Lawrence finished her hair and set the brush down.
Then, folding her hands neatly, Lawrence spoke again.
“Inael-nim, if Jeanne showed even the slightest rudeness, you must never let it slide.”
“……”
“The same goes for the other servants. If you overlook it once or twice, there will always be people who take advantage of that and become more reckless. You need to punish them firmly. That way, His Highness won’t worry either.”
Inael understood what Lawrence meant to some extent.
The thought of punishing someone was daunting, but she couldn’t go on enduring Jeanne’s one-sided irritation either.
If she only avoided conflict out of fear of causing trouble, it might lead to an even bigger problem later.
First, she needed to talk properly with Jeanne.
If that still didn’t resolve things, then changing her personal maid seemed like the only solution.
Inael nodded slightly.
“I’ll talk to Jeanne.”
“Very well. If you need my help, please tell me anytime.”
Thanks to Lawrence’s gentle reassurance, Inael’s gloomy mood eased somewhat.
She straightened her slumped shoulders, took a deep breath, and left the room.
Lawrence led Inael not to the dining hall, but to another room.
“When many people gather like yesterday, we use the dining hall. On ordinary days, you dine in a room or the reception hall.”
When Lawrence opened the door, Ruban was seated at the table in the center.
To his left sat Adellian and Beren, and across from them were the four unnamed knights she had seen at the welcome ceremony.
It looked like they were planning to go out right after breakfast, as everyone was dressed neatly.
Seeing Inael enter, Ruban smiled and pulled out the chair on his right.
“Thank you, Ru—”
Inael bit her lip in alarm.
She had almost called his name out of habit.
As she glanced around nervously and sat down, the servants brought in the food and set it on the table.
Throughout the meal, Ruban paid close attention to Inael while also talking with the knights about work from time to time.
When the servants brought tea for dessert, Ruban turned his body slightly toward Inael.
Understanding that meant no more work talk, the knights swallowed their smiles.
“Talking only about work must be boring. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about me—just continue.”
“It’s already over.”
Ruban gently brushed aside the hair falling into her eyes and asked,
“It won’t take long. What should we do after I come back?”
Since nothing came to mind and she hesitated, Ruban let out a soft laugh.
“Shall we go out? There’s a famous shopping street near the estate.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course. If there’s anything you want to do or want to have, just tell me.”
“Thank you… Your Highness.”
Ruban froze with his teacup halfway to his lips.
Adellian and Beren, sitting beside him, also widened their eyes and looked at her in surprise.
“If there’s a bookstore, I’d like to go.”
“…Alright, let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Contrary to what she expected, the title “Your Highness” came out of her mouth quite easily.
Watching her look excited at the thought of going out, Ruban subtly frowned.
He had been called that title hundreds of times more than his own name in his life, yet this was the first time it had ever sounded so unpleasant to him.
After confirming that Inael’s teacup was empty, Ruban stood up.
“I’ll take you back to your room.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
She answered brightly and tried to stand up, but he suddenly plopped back down into his chair.
“Why are you like this today?”
“Like what?”
Staring at her innocent face for a moment, Ruban let out a low sigh and asked softly,
“Why do you keep calling me ‘Your Highness’ instead of my name?”
“Ah, well… I’ve been thoughtless until now. I should’ve corrected myself earlier. I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll address you properly, Your Highness.”
“Don’t.”
The reply came instantly and firmly.
Startled, Inael blinked, and Ruban spoke again.
“I said don’t call me that.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like it. It feels distant. So do it the way you used to.”
“……”
“You will, right?”
Unsure if that was really okay, Inael hesitated. But seeing Ruban coax her gently, she nodded slightly.
Even so, he still looked dissatisfied.
Not understanding why, Inael met his gaze, then slowly opened her lips.
“Alright… Ruban.”
As if that was the right answer, Ruban curved his lips faintly and pulled her small hand, standing up.
Watching the two of them leave the dining room, the knights shook their heads and finally burst into the laughter they had been holding back.
