Chapter 74

“Long time no see, my lady.”

“It’s been a while. You haven’t shown your nose around here.”

“…”

Portus Marquis remained silent and expressionless, his lips pressed together as the Marchioness spoke on his behalf. Seeing him like that, the Marchioness let out a sharp sigh.

Every time I saw them, they truly looked stunning. Considering their daughter Lilian’s looks, it was no surprise they were both beautiful. The Portus Marquis, with silver hair and strikingly blue eyes, appeared to be in his late twenties despite being in his forties, while the Marchioness, who looked like she was in her early to mid-twenties, was of a similar age. While Lilian resembled her father a lot, upon closer inspection, there were hints of her mother in her features as well.

It was obvious just by their appearance that they embodied completely opposite ideals. The Marquis wore his formal attire without a wrinkle, while the Marchioness donned a dress that revealed her cleavage. The Marchioness was essentially a star of society, despite being quite mad at home. Once upon a time, she was a renowned figure in the social arena.

Even with a somewhat nasty personality, who would dare to shy away from the Marchioness, the Emperor’s sister and a top-ranking figure in the imperial hierarchy? Just grazing the crumbs of her power would allow anyone in the Empire to live grandly, so everyone had to tread carefully around her.

“Lilian, it’s been a while.”

“Weren’t you at the academy?”

“It’s vacation, so I returned, Mother.”

“I see.”

The Marchioness, who normally would have lashed out with harsh words, seemed to keep her composure with the Marquis beside her. After pretending to care, she quickly lost interest in Lilian, claiming tiredness, and retired. The Marquis gazed at Lilian quietly.

“Father?”

“Take a rest.”

With just that one sentence, the Portus Marquis vanished like a gust of wind, leaving Lilian to let out a sigh.

“Catherine, do you think Father had something to say to me?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

As I shook my head, Lilian tilted hers in confusion. By the way, the Marquis’s gaze on Lilian seemed quite intense… Hmm, was it just me? I thought this as I followed behind Lilian.

Once we returned to Lilian’s room, I took off the dress I had worn and removed my makeup. Stepping outside, I was taken aback by the face of a knight waiting in front of me. Not counting the Portus Marquis’s head guard, he was the strongest figure among the Marquis’s knightly order. Lady Calia was waiting for me, her auburn hair tied back, waving energetically as she spotted me.

“Cal.”

“Long time no see, Catherine. How have you been?”

“Pretty alright. And you?”

Lady Calia… Cal and I were quite close. Our friendship had grown from frequently clashing swords in the past. She was one of the few who knew that behind her emotionless face, she was quite expressive.

“I’ve been alright too. Your Excellency is quite easy to serve, isn’t he?”

“You’ve never served another lord, so what do you know?”

“Definitely better than the lady or the Marchioness.”

“What’s wrong with the Young Lady?”

“You really don’t know why I’m asking?”

Cal looked at me incredulously. That look made me a bit annoyed and I quietly replied.

“Lia. If you keep calling me that, I’ll have to think about it.”

“Please, just stop with that nickname.”

“Lia. Lia. Lia. Lia. Lia.”

“Ahhh!”

Cal, who was the youngest among her four brothers, didn’t like being called Lia much. Growing up with her brothers, she had developed quite the aversion to anything feminine. Whenever she tried to act a bit ladylike, her brothers would cringe, so it was somewhat expected.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Do I have to have a reason to visit you?”

“That’s exactly the point.”

“It’s true, though.”

She was denying it while still confirming it. I thought as I looked up at Cal. I wasn’t particularly short, but Cal was definitely way taller than me. She had to be close to 180 cm. I mused as I gazed at her.

“Your Excellency is looking for you.”

“Well, if you came here personally, there must be something going on.”

“Well, that’s true.”

As the Portus Marquis’s guard knight, she wouldn’t stray from her post without his orders. Unless given time off, her exceptional skills made it rare for her to get a break. She’s like the black in this world.

Under Cal’s guidance, we headed to the Marquis’s office. Right back to work the moment I returned. To be fair, one could say he’s mad about work. Didn’t he just oversee some construction project in the north? Even though it was something the Imperial Chancellor shouldn’t get involved with, he had rushed all the way up there.

Lost in thought, I soon found myself at the office door. After Cal knocked, the Marquis’s voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

As I entered, the Marquis gazed at me with cold eyes. I wondered what this was about. It was rare for the Marquis to seek me out directly. After all, as the Imperial Chancellor managing the vast Portus estate, I was just a mere maid to him; I could be around or not, it wouldn’t make a difference.

“Greetings, Marquis. I am the Young Lady’s personal maid…”

“Catherine.”

“…Yes.”

In that sense, it was surprising that he even knew my name. I was slightly taken aback but kept my composure, bowing as the Marquis spoke quietly.

“Lift your head. I summoned you today because I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Has there been a problem concerning my daughter?”

“…I’m not sure I understand your question.”

At my response, the Marquis paused for a moment, seemingly choosing his words carefully, then continued.

“I received a report concerning an incident at the academy.”

Ah, that’s why he rushed back. I nodded silently.

“There was no harm done to the Young Lady…”

“My daughter has changed.”

“….”

“If you’ve observed her up close, you must know why she’s changed.”

“It seems she’s made friends.”

I was well aware of why Lilian had changed. Her soul had swapped. She was no longer the original Young Lady; another woman from Earth had taken over her body. But I couldn’t just tell the Marquis straight out. What if he asked how I knew? What if he thought I was imagining things? All sorts of scenarios flashed in my mind.

“Friends, huh…”

“And they’re commoners, so it’s no surprise if the Young Lady changes.”

“…Commoners? That child? She despises commoners.”

“It seems that part has changed.”

Indeed, the “Young Lady” had loathed commoners. They were nothing but pigs, moving purely for their own benefit without a thought of nobility. This was a frequent phrase of hers when describing commoners.

“I see. Is that why you looked at me that way earlier?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You were looking at me with confused eyes. Normally, you’d make an effort to exchange even a word, but there was none of that.”

“….”

Had he really been aware of how he treated the Young Lady all this time? I couldn’t understand it. While the Portus Marquis was indeed better than the Marchioness, it didn’t mean he was pristine. I just couldn’t figure out what this guy was thinking.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Catherine, have you considered joining the knight order?”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve already discussed that with the commander.”

“A rejection then. Understood.”

Throughout the entire exchange, the Marquis maintained his emotionless facade as he picked up some documents. His blatant dismissal made me quietly bow to him. At that moment, Cal gave me a casual wave. Another knight beside her threw her a side-eye, causing her to stop, but still, it was cute.

She was almost 180 cm tall and yet loved dolls—that was indeed interesting. I chuckled softly and gave Cal a little wave. She stared at me with a blank expression. What was up with her?

But seriously, what was the Marquis thinking? After years of observing him, I still didn’t understand. Since pondering over the incomprehensible Marquis was pointless, I decided to head toward the Young Lady’s room.

Just as I was nearing the Young Lady’s room, a sudden loud voice erupted. It was a familiar voice—the Marchioness. I frowned slightly and rushed to the Young Lady’s room, pushing the door open forcefully.

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