“Kekekeke!”
“Now, just a moment… Stop there, Tia…”
Listening to Tia’s joyful laugh instinctively brought a warm smile to my face.
She was running around with the leftover ribbon in both her hands, and the way it fluttered made her look like she was doing rhythmic gymnastics, which was quite adorable.
Of course, the maid who was following her around, pretending to play with Tia, probably felt like dying…
“Will she be okay using up her stamina like this during break time?”
“She’ll be fine. She’s the type that recovers energy by playing with kids.”
“That type actually exists…?”
Playing with kids to recover energy… It was hard to believe. It felt like a miracle reversing entropy.
Indeed, in a world where magic existed, there were many surprising things.
“You can only do that because it’s not your own kid.”
“True. No matter how cute they are, raising them yourself is different…”
“Hey! Stop the idle chatter and get back to washing clothes!”
“…”
I shivered at the thunderous shout.
Turning around, the butler stood there with an irritated look, tapping his cane on the ground.
That man never seemed to be in a good mood.
“And what is Miss Julia doing over there?”
“I’m helping out while I have a free moment.”
“If you have free time, you should be cleaning the study. Hurry out here.”
“Yes…”
Does he always have to be so harsh? After putting away the laundry I still held in my hands, I shared a silent glance with the maids.
Their slightly smiling eye contact came back to me.
In the past, they would have glared at me with spite, but now I realized our relationship wouldn’t likely break even with the butler’s interference.
I turned around, holding Tia’s hand who was trying to catch her breath after running around.
“What is the Duke doing to have free time?”
“He said he’d take a 30 minute nap.”
“At this time?”
“Yes. Doesn’t he usually take naps around this time?”
“No, this is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“…”
Was it a new habit he developed recently?
I wasn’t that naive to believe him.
It must be a new habit since I’ve been here.
Apparently, he’s been hiding something for 30 minutes.
“By the way, Mr. Butler.”
“Yes?”
“Did you work here in this villa before the expansion?”
“No. I came here from the Duke’s estate after the expansion. They needed more staff to manage the villa, so I was dispatched. Why do you ask?”
“Well, there’s a basement in the back garden that seems quite old. I thought it might have been here before the expansion, so I wanted to clean it a bit. Can you give me the key?”
The middle of the garden where the entrance to the basement was located.
The ivy-covered staircase often became a topic of conversation among the maids.
They speculated it might hold secrets of the previous owner.
Or perhaps it was a dungeon where the Duke of Dragania freely unleashed his dark tastes.
Although knowing the Duke didn’t have hidden dark tendencies, the latter sounded somewhat absurd to me.
Still, no maid had ever entered that basement.
“It’s not your responsibility to clean that place. Ignore it.”
“Have you ever been inside the basement, Mr. Butler?”
“…”
The butler abruptly stopped.
He stared down at me, and his tall figure suddenly seemed intimidating.
“Don’t be curious about unnecessary things. Focus on your assigned tasks. Do you understand?”
“Yes…”
That annoying guy.
When the butler turned away, I secretly stuck my tongue out at his back.
Since I was now ordered to clean the study, I supposed I should pretend to do so.
I thought I would first drop Tia off at the dormitory.
Holding Tia’s hand tightly, I was walking down the corridor when…
“Ah.”
“Did you sleep well, Master? Tia, you should greet too.”
“Mmm…”
We unexpectedly met the Duke at the corner. I quickly bowed my head and made Tia do the same.
I didn’t expect him to wake up in less than ten minutes.
The problem was that we met him together with Tia.
Whenever the Duke saw Tia, he would always put his work on hold to play with her…
I needed to think of a proper excuse to separate Tia.
With that thought, I was desperately brainstorming.
“Miss Julia and I have something to discuss privately. Tia, would it be okay if you take your mom for a while?”
“I’m fine!”
“…”
That was unexpected.
I had instructed Tia to either go back to the dormitory or play with the maid sisters, then followed the Duke.
All the way, the Duke walked in a hurry towards the study without giving any explanations.
Was it an urgent matter?
If it was something urgent that only the two of us could solve, then what exactly…
‘Crap. Not again?’
I didn’t want to believe it.
I didn’t want to believe that his cooldown period for sexual urges had come around again and he was about to use me again.
Without releasing any tension, I entered the study following the Duke.
Then the door lock clicked automatically.
And not just that.
I felt a slight tingling sensation.
It was the faint feeling I always experienced when a magical barrier was cast.
The sound inside the study would absolutely not escape outside now.
“What is it that you wish to discuss, Master?”
“…”
There was no response.
The Duke stood in front of the desk without turning around, holding a pen and scribbling something on the paper.
Was this the reason he called me?
I slowly approached while peeking beyond the Duke’s broad back.
At that moment, the Duke suddenly turned around to face me.
“Eh? Ma-master?”
“…”
He walked towards me step by step.
Even after I stepped back slightly startled, he didn’t stop.
The Duke kept walking straight toward me without saying a word, looking as if he was pushing me.
Before I knew it, he had pushed me against the wall, leaving no escape.
He even placed his hand on the wall with a thump, blocking my way to escape.
“Ah. Ahh…”
I couldn’t say I hadn’t anticipated this kind of situation.
It was only natural that I had considered the possibility that a day like this might come.
Back then, I had made a firm decision to kick his groin and run.
I thought I firmly decided to do so.
But now that the situation became reality, my body froze completely.
If I just kicked him hard once…
But my body went stiff like a fool’s.
His face slowly approached me.
“Hmm…”
The Duke’s knee slipped between my legs, preventing my movements.
A faint moan escaped me the moment his knee touched my thigh.
Again, I was in a helpless situation.
Terrified, I couldn’t put up any resistance…
What a pathetic person.
I tightly closed my eyes and held my breath.
“Miss Julia, there’s something you’re hiding from me, isn’t there.”
“Me?”
“It’s not a question. Speak. Now.”
“…”
I was completely baffled.
Opening my eyes again, the Duke was looking at me quite seriously.
“What exactly am I hiding? I’m not sure…”
“There is something. Tell me.”
What on earth was he talking about me hiding?
The fact that I was a Holy Maiden was already exposed by the Hero.
The fact that I had lost my memory and my other personality revealed.
The fact that Tia was a dragon-human hybrid was also discovered.
I had no clue what he was talking about at all.
“The expression on your face says you don’t have a clue what I’m referring to. Excellent. The best way to maintain a secret is to forget it yourself. Well, let me jog your memory.”
“No, I really have absolutely nothing to hide…”
“Concerning the prophecy that Tia is the seed of calamity. No matter how much I think about it, I don’t see how such a cute child could become calamity. But Miss Julia, it seems you know something, don’t you?”
“…”
Ah.
Now that I thought about it, there was one thing the Duke didn’t know.
The fact that Tia’s bodily fluids were highly toxic.
Maybe that extreme toxicity could be the “calamity” mentioned in the prophecy.
“Yes, it came to me.”
“…”
Looking at the smile spreading on the Duke’s lips, I realized.
Maintaining a poker face while under high tension, especially while being so close to someone, was practically impossible.
Through the change in my expression, I had essentially confessed everything to the Duke.
“That’s it. Exactly that. Now, since we’re in the same boat, we should share information, shouldn’t we?”
“What if I say no?”
It’s better to reveal as little as possible.
Even a meaningless card should be played like a joker. If a joker is flipped carelessly, it can’t be flipped again.
There’s no way I’m telling this lewd and perverted guy something I haven’t even told Irina.
“If you say no, then something unfortunate might happen. Perhaps the church’s hunting dogs might use some divine trick to locate the Holy Maiden.”
“Are you threatening me right now?”
“Hmm, that’s up to you to decide.”
“…”
Madness.
He was outright threatening to hand me over to the church if I didn’t talk.
Trying my best to sound brave despite my fear, although my voice trembled and my legs wobbled uncontrollably, a single tear rolled down my cheek.
‘Damn, I shouldn’t have trusted this guy.’
It was my fault for hoping I could trust him somehow.
Even though the Duke seemed to treat Tia well, he was ultimately someone with ulterior motives.
A piece of trash who manipulates people with sweet words when convenient, and when not, resorts to threats and coercion.
The Duke was indeed such a person.
I was scared and my whole body was shaking, but I finally managed to lift my head and face the Duke.
“You. You can’t get what you want from me in the way you suggest. Threaten me, or even rape me, do whatever you want. I will never break. The more you do that, the more I’ll close my mouth.”
No, this wasn’t right.
Only after I finished speaking did I realize I had made a grave mistake.
By resisting, I’ve only stimulated his urge to conquer.
I knew things had gone south the moment the Duke suddenly smiled mischievously and wiped my tears with a handkerchief, then took a step back, releasing the blockade.
“…”
“I’m just kidding. How could I force Miss Julia who doesn’t want to talk?”
“Are you saying that was just a joke…?”
“Of course. Didn’t we make an agreement, Miss Julia? I won’t make physical contact without your consent. I plan to keep that deal until it’s broken.”
“What about the time you touched my face just now?”
“I thought you consented since you let out such a sweet moan. Was I mistaken?”
“…”
Such madness.
This guy shamelessly returned without even apologizing, making me speechless.
‘I need to get away from this guy.’
This man was too dangerous.
He was completely different from the Hero who had an eccentric character but predictable behavior.
The Duke was unreadable, unpredictable, and intelligent.
In other words, there wasn’t a single aspect I could trust about him.
‘I need to murder and escape…’
I must assassinate the Duke and escape.
Using Tia’s toxicity or any other means.
I’ve concluded that I absolutely must do it before I fall into danger.
“Ah, that’s right. I forgot to show you this.”
“…”
At that moment, the Duke handed me folded papers while carefully observing my expression.
I opened them cautiously.
—Admission Permit to St. Sophia School
—St. Sophia School Tuition Payment Confirmation Certificate
These two papers had large writings as shown.
Furthermore, there was already the Duke’s signature on the payment confirmation certificate.
“Tiare’s school enrollment date is set.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll cover the tuition fees in full. It’s exciting to think about Tiare going to school, isn’t it?”
“…”
When I looked up, the Duke was smiling disgustingly.
Tiare’s school…
She must go…
Damn it.
Now, I can’t kill the Duke.
