Chapter 33
“I suppose you didn’t. Well, it’s true that it’s been kept strictly secret until now. Still, I thought you might have heard, but it seems you really didn’t know.”
Perhaps my shock was plain on my face, because the Duke sneered at me. But before I could even register that ridicule, I fell into a panic.
Was it because I was shocked that the man I liked had a fiancée?
No. What sent a chill down my spine was the shadow of death that had fallen over me without me realizing it.
Just being involved with the young master of a ducal house was enough to land me in serious trouble if luck turned against me, and on top of that, I had meddled with a man who already had a betrothed.
It was no different from sticking my head into a crocodile’s mouth and grinning like a fool all this time.
If the Duke decided to throw me out overnight for interfering in a noble marriage, I wouldn’t be able to say a word in my defense. Or if Claude’s fiancée suddenly appeared and fed me to the fishes, I’d have no right to complain.
Why in the world did the young master hide something this important from me?
But this wasn’t the time to be wondering about such things.
From long experience, I knew that the only smart thing to do in moments like this was to grovel as much as possible.
“I’ve committed an unforgivable crime, Your Grace.”
The Duke waved his hand dismissively, as if I were a nuisance.
“That’s enough. If I were going to kill you, I would have done it long ago.”
He added, as if it were nothing, a phrase that was terrifying to the person concerned.
His attitude, proving that he was, in the end, a Clausewitz like any other, made a mockery of his reputation as the gentlest head of the Dukedom in generations. What a ruthless and merciless family.
“If you prove your usefulness, I will at least guarantee your life.”
Either way, I had no choice but to hide my real feelings and behave as politely as possible.
“What kind of usefulness do you mean? If there’s anything I can personally do, I will do it.”
The Duke, apparently satisfied with my submission, lifted the corners of his mouth in a faint smile, but then immediately furrowed his brow, as if remembering something unpleasant. My heart sank as deeply as the lines on his face.
“Claude’s fiancée is the daughter of Duke Swinden. The wedding is set for this autumn, and everyone is in agreement. Except, of course, for my son.”
Why… Why did you do this to me, Young Master…
“I can’t say it’s entirely not your fault, either, can I?”
Now I was the only one in danger of losing everything. You should have just gone ahead and gotten married…
“I can’t say I don’t understand. For a young man in his prime, fooling around with a maid isn’t such a big deal, and since it was his first time with a woman, it’s only natural he can’t let go easily. But things can’t go on like this forever.”
As he continued, rubbing his chin with his hand, the Duke seemed both leisurely and ruthlessly sharp.
“So, what you need to do from now on is to make Claude agree to the marriage, no matter what it takes. Whether it means acting coy or playing the coquette, do whatever it takes to get him to walk into that wedding on his own two feet. You’ve spent enough time with him that you must know at least one way to persuade my son.”
The Duke spoke as if he were completely certain. But to me, it was an utterly impossible demand. I mean, if even his terrifying father couldn’t force him, why would the young master listen to a powerless maid?
“B-But what if there’s some other reason the young master is refusing the marriage… I’m not confident he would listen to someone like me…”
Even when I protested my injustice, all I got in return was a threat.
“In that case, it means your life ends here. If you fail, you’ll answer for the crime of coveting noble blood—with your life.”
It was unfair. Far too unfair.
It was true that I was the one who first got involved, but in the end, it was your son who pulled me in and started all this!
I swallowed a scream I could never utter aloud, even in the moment of my death, and racked my brain desperately.
I may have lost my senses only in front of Claude, but in reality, there was nothing I valued more than my own life.
And I still had reasons why I couldn’t afford to die just yet.
“…I’ll do my best.”
There was no other escape but to give that answer.
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.