Chapter 70: The Setup
Pfft…
I can’t believe this—
My lips trembled, unable to spit out a single word.
Honestly, I was a bit dumbfounded. Who knew I’d be so blatantly played one day? It was completely obvious that the other party hadn’t put any thought into it. Their intentions were crystal clear, the method far too direct—like those clueless kids in their awkward teenage years who rush things without any finesse! At least come up with a more tactful excuse!
My mind was all over the place, emotions tangled up like spaghetti. I sat up straight, my fists clenched underneath the table, and held my breath while glaring at Victoria. Finally, I couldn’t help but shout at her, “No guest rooms?! In such a big mansion, who are you trying to fool?!”
“There are none,” Victoria replied, completely unfazed by my outrage.
…Does she seriously think I’m trying to seduce her?
Look at that smug expression on her face! So calm and collected… like she had it all figured out, expecting me to comply with “Oh well, I guess that’s that.”
You must be tipsy…
“I don’t believe it!”
With a thud, I slammed the bottle down on the table, my eyes wide as I stared at her. “You’re just trying—”
You’re just trying to sleep with me, don’t think I don’t know… The rest of the sentence got stuck on my tongue, too embarrassed to let it out.
“Trying what?” Victoria said coolly. “Peilo, do you know… I occasionally think about cracking open your skull to see what’s inside?”
She lightly tapped her long fingers on the table, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“My mansion never needs to prepare a place for anyone to sleep over. The only places to stay are my bedroom upstairs and a few servant rooms downstairs. All the other unused rooms are locked up. So when I say there are no guest rooms, is there a problem with that?”
“Uh.”
Looks like there’s no problem…
My face turned bright red all of a sudden, and I wanted to bury my head under the table.
“N-no…”
Well, how was I supposed to know? You didn’t clarify…
“Since there aren’t any, why did you react so dramatically? Peilo, what were you thinking just now?”
“Nothing…”
I didn’t dare look at her face anymore, my gaze drifting to the distant sky while I silently counted the stars in my head.
“You seem off tonight. I don’t get why you wouldn’t sleep in your own mansion and I don’t want to ask you your true reason for coming here. But if you insist on staying, I’ll have Shalman tidy up the study on the second floor; you can sleep there for the night.”
“Okay…”
So awkward…
It felt like telling someone who was really angry, “Stop following me! I don’t like you; don’t bother me anymore!” only to get a confused response in reply: “Who the heck likes you? I just came to deliver a package!”
How could Victoria not realize what I was thinking? She must have guessed… Ahhhhh!
How embarrassing…
Frustrating.
But I also secretly let out a sigh of relief inside.
“Follow me.”
Victoria slowly stood up and, after saying that, began walking toward the mansion.
“Okay.”
I quickly got up and glanced back at my own mansion before jogging to catch up with her. When we reached the door, a familiar maid opened it for us.
“Shalman, tidy up the study and move in a bed.”
The maid named Shalman paused for a moment upon receiving Victoria’s order.
“Also, send some red wine and fruit to my room.”
Victoria didn’t bother explaining further to the maid but just gave her another task before striding inside. I gave a slight smile to the maid standing still and then followed her in.
“Yes, Her Majesty the Queen.” After a moment, the maid’s voice came from behind, “The water has been boiled for you.”
“Uh-huh.” Victoria replied lightly.
I walked up beside her, frowning and a bit dissatisfied, “Why are you… still drinking?”
“A glass of red wine before bed helps with sleep; it’s my habit.”
“…Excuse.”
“When you can’t sleep at night, you’ll understand how important this is.”
Hearing her say that, my brow furrowed even deeper.
“Do you suffer from insomnia?”
Victoria nodded. “Only occasionally.”
“But you just promised me, said you wouldn’t drink anymore.”
“I said I wouldn’t drink rum.”
“What the heck…”
This woman doesn’t keep her word.
If I see her drinking again, I’ll run over and mess with her…
With that thought in mind, I followed Victoria up to the second floor and stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. A maid waiting at the door opened it for us. Through the candlelight inside, I saw a strikingly large crimson bed… and I immediately halted.
“Victoria.”
“What?”
“This… isn’t the study, is it?”
“This is my bedroom.”
…As I suspected!
I thought something felt off. I remembered the location of the study from my last visit to Mansion Number Two, which definitely was not here!
Suddenly, my mind raced: “Didn’t you say we were going to the study—”
“The study hasn’t been cleaned.”
Victoria quickly interrupted me; a slight edge of impatience slipped into her otherwise calm tone. “I barely go there; the wicks haven’t been changed in ages. What do you want to go there for right now?”
“…Fair point.”
She had a bit of justification.
Even if it’s true, I still felt a bit…
As I hesitated, Victoria suddenly reached over, grabbed my hand, and gently pulled me into her room. As soon as I entered, I detected a subtle, refreshing fragrance filling the air; it was the unique scent of the golden-haired beauty.
Such a pleasant aroma…
“Before the maid cleans the other room, you can rest here.” Victoria turned around and said to me.
“Okay.”
I nodded lightly, curiosity bubbling up to look around.
The Queen’s private bedroom seemed pretty ordinary, actually.
The color scheme was predominantly red, with no desk or bookshelf in sight, though there were several wardrobes. The decorations were minimalistic, creating an overall straightforward layout. But if you looked closely, you could feel that understated luxury. The bed in the center of the room was even larger than the one in Shanter Castle, covered with silky, gold-embroidered sheets that looked like they were made of precious materials.
I could definitely sleep well on that, right?
I was lost in thought when Victoria suddenly addressed me, “Go take a shower.”
…!
“W-why?!”
Possibly being overly sensitive, I instinctively asked a question I thought was dumb.
“Because Shalman just prepared hot water,” Victoria said, furrowing her brow at me. “What are you even thinking? Why is communication so difficult?”
“Um—”
Let’s not talk about it, I’m already feeling embarrassed…
To cover my awkwardness, I lowered my head and pretended to adjust my skirt.
Though I had just bathed not too long ago, after that nightmare… I felt a bit sweaty and sticky; it definitely wouldn’t hurt to wash again.
The washroom was on the right side of the bedroom. I expected it to be similar to Mansion Number Three, but when I opened the door, I was met with an entirely different sight—a separate small bath was built inside. The tub was filled with hot water, steam rising from the surface.
It looks hot… Is the water really that scalding?
After taking off my shoes and stepping into the washroom, I remembered I hadn’t brought any change of clothes, so I turned around: “Victoria, I didn’t bring my pajamas. I just—”
I looked at Victoria at the door, intending to say I would go back to grab my sleepwear, but she interrupted me halfway.
“It’s fine; I’ll have someone prepare some for you.”
I tilted my head upon hearing that.
…You’ll have someone prepare it?
I had the key to Mansion Number Three, how would she prepare it… ah!
I instinctively checked my skirt pocket, but there was nothing. Only then did I remember that I had rushed out and didn’t have time to grab the key.
“I didn’t bring the… key…”
“No need for a key.” Victoria said casually.
“No need for a key?”
“Yup.”
?
I opened my mouth, about to say something more.
“I have your clothes.”
With a click, the washroom door shut tight.
…!
She has my clothes!
Not just in the royal palace, but even here!
In that moment, I had a nagging feeling of walking right into a tiger’s den.
With heavy thoughts, I peeled off my clothes, tossing them haphazardly into the basket, and stepped into the bath, letting my body soak in the hot water with a long sigh.
“Ah—”
The water was not as hot as I had imagined; if anything, it was just right. Soaking in it made me feel all lazy and relaxed, but after a while, it started to feel a bit stuffy.
Cool water would be more comfortable…
…Could I still finish washing and leave?
But if I went back to Mansion Number Three, it would be just me alone there… Victoria should still be in the bedroom right outside, right? I hadn’t heard her leave… As I thought about this, I felt a little more at ease.
As long as there’s someone around, I wouldn’t feel scared.
Knock.
Suddenly, a knock echoed outside the washroom, like someone had entered the bedroom… she must be talking with Victoria. I couldn’t make out the exact conversation, but it sounded like that maid named Shalman was there, probably Victoria was telling her to tidy up the study.
Before long, their footsteps got closer… they were coming this way.
Knock knock.
“W-what do you want?!” I started panicking again.
Creak—
The door suddenly swung open.
My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly covered my chest and sank into the water, leaving only my head above the surface, only to turn and see Victoria in a red dress walking in.
“Hey! Why did you just come in here?!”
“We’re all women; what’s there to be afraid of?”
As Victoria spoke, she briskly walked over to the basket with my clothes, bent down to grab something, handing it to the maid Shalman behind her. She then took a wooden plate from her.
“Go ahead.”
“Yes.” Shalman bowed her head and stepped back.
Victoria approached me with the plate in hand. “Want some fruit?”
I looked at the plump, round fruits on the plate, blinking a few times.
“Sure.”
That’s Akri fruit!
I remembered it; Victoria had given me some the first time we met, and it was delicious.
My gaze fixated on Victoria’s hand as she placed the plate beside the bath, then I suddenly splashed my right hand out of the water, grabbing the biggest fruit and taking a big bite.
…So sweet!
My eyes involuntarily squinted as I happily glanced at Victoria, only to see her loosening the ribbon on her dress… I abruptly froze.
…What’s she doing?!
In the next moment, it seemed Victoria suddenly remembered some trivial matter; she casually said to me, “There aren’t any extra beds in the mansion, so you’ll sleep in mine tonight.”
