Chapter 62

At Melissa's request, the maid's eyes widened. Melissa, who had been smiling brightly on the maid's surprised face, raised an eyebrow and glared at her askew.

"Why? If I want to express my gratitude to the lord, is there a problem with that?"

It was perfectly fine for a guest who had been treated well to thank the host. In fact, it was the proper etiquette. However, the maid had been observing Melissa's behavior all along, and she never thought that the arrogant noble lady, who had been throwing tantrums, would suddenly start following proper etiquette. But Nadia was different.

'Really, Lady's words were right.'

The maid recalled what Nadia had instructed and was amazed.

'Lady Melissa will surely look for the lord, she said.'

She had also clearly explained how to handle such a situation. Of course, what Nadia had instructed was not limited to this. Nadia had anticipated all the nitpicks Melissa had made during the meal, and thanks to this, the servants could handle the demanding lady without being flustered. As a result, they didn't have to suffer much in dealing with Melissa. If they had not been prepared, who knows what might have happened... The maid quickly erased the tiring scenario from her mind and bowed her head as a proper servant.

"There shouldn't be any problem. However, the lord doesn't share his schedule with the servants, so I don't know where he is now. If he's resting in his room, I can inform him of Lady's intentions..."

"Hmph. You're going to say, 'The lord is busy today, so it's not possible,' and try to avoid it, right? Who do you think I am?"

Melissa snorted, as if her intentions were obvious, and pushed the maid aside, starting to walk forward.

"L-Lady!"

The flustered maid quickly followed, but Melissa didn't care.

"Never mind. I can walk around this tiny castle without any guide."

"But, Lady. Eilsford Castle is much larger and more complex than it looks..."

"How complex can it be? I never got lost in the grand mansion of the Vain Marquess."

"But, Lady. Eilsford Castle is really..."

"Stop being so annoying. Unless..."

Melissa stopped her brisk steps and narrowed her eyes at the maid.

"Did your lady instruct you not to let me meet the lord?"

"No way!"

In response to the suspicious question, the maid quickly denied it, but Melissa didn't believe her.

'Hmph. Just because she's a lady, she thinks she can guard against me?'

In the capital, all the men's attention was Melissa's. The only daughter of the wealthy Vain Marquess, marrying her would make one the next Vain Marquess, so second and third sons who had been pushed aside in the family succession flocked to beg for her attention. Once, Nadia had received the attention in the social circle, but it shifted to Melissa when the Vain Marquess changed. Of course, the timid Nadia rarely attended parties, so she never directly faced the men's advances, but she received many gifts and letters from unknown noble heirs.

'How much I envied her...'

Though they shared the same "Vain" surname, Nadia and Melissa's positions in the social circle were worlds apart. But when the previous Vain Marquess passed away and Melissa's father took over, the situation reversed.

'Now, everything good is mine. That washed-up girl can't even be a match for me.'

Even without the background of being the Vain Marquess's heir, wasn't Melissa herself more competitive? Melissa knew how to beautifully adorn her stunning appearance and was much more sociable than the timid Nadia. Nadia, who always stayed locked in her room and acted gloomily, couldn't be a competitor. The maid's attempt to guard against her must be because she lacks confidence, right? As Nadia became defensive, Melissa became even more aggressive and moved forward.

***

"So? Melissa wandered around the castle all day?"

"Yes, my lady. She wandered around the vast castle on her own and eventually got lost. Because she had dismissed it as a 'tiny castle' out of pride, she couldn't bring herself to ask for help... She finally returned to her room and fell asleep like she had fainted."

Nadia burst into a small laugh as she listened to what Melissa had done today through Marie. The maid had provoked Melissa and made her refuse the maid's guidance, which was Nadia's strategy, and it worked. This was possible because she had thoroughly understood Melissa after living with her for a long time.

"She'll keep up her pride for a few days, but it will be hard to keep blocking the meetings."

"Yeah, that's true."

"My lady, are you worried about the lord meeting Lady Melissa?"

"Of course I'm worried!"

I opened my eyes wide, as if asking why she was asking such an obvious question.

"Melissa always looked down on me. She thought it was natural to take my things and made those close to me suffer. Marie suffered a lot, too."

"Generally, she was harsh to the servants... It wasn't just me."

"Still, she particularly made you suffer, right?"

I remembered Melissa's wickedness well. If she only targeted me, it would have been easier to bear, but she also targeted those close to me, making Marie suffer a lot.

"Of course, Altair isn't someone who can be easily swayed... but I don't want him to have unnecessary conflicts."

Melissa wouldn't physically attack Altair like she did to me, but she had a knack for getting under people's skin, so it was better not to meet her. However, Marie didn't seem satisfied with my answer.

"I'm more worried about... Lady Melissa's ambition."

"Melissa's ambition?"

"Yes. Since she was young, she couldn't stand the affection and attention going to you. Whenever there was talk of a marriage proposal, she would always try to seduce the suitor..."

Marie stopped speaking, clenching her lips. My parents had tried hard to find a suitable match for me. They were particularly careful in choosing a groom because the man who married me would become the next Vain Marquess. Whenever there was talk of a marriage proposal, Melissa would interfere and sabotage it.

"So... you're saying... Melissa will try to seduce Altair?"

"It's a possibility."

"But... Altair is incredibly scary."

Just a cold look from Altair would make people freeze and sweat. Melissa was a fearless lady, but she was still a noble lady. She wouldn't be a match for a man who had been hardened on the battlefield. Marie didn't deny this.

"You're right. The lord is scary. But as he has grown closer to you, his demeanor has softened considerably. His expression has become much more relaxed. Without his intimidating presence and cold expression, the lord is... just an incredibly handsome man with a slightly cold demeanor!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes. The maids gossip about how handsome the lord is. Emma said, 'They only say that because they don't know the lord's previous appearance! If they saw his terrifying face, they wouldn't say such things.'"

Marie shrugged, mimicking Emma's tone.

"Anyway, Lady Melissa doesn't know the lord's previous demeanor, so she might think she can approach him. Not to torment the lord... but because she wants him."

"Uh..."

I had never considered this. To me, Altair was a terrifying villain who could cut someone's neck with a single slash.

'He was very scary when I first met him at the wedding...'

Though he had improved a lot since we started living together, I thought everyone would still perceive him as terrifying. But that wasn't the case? Now, even others see him as more approachable? I blinked in confusion, and Marie sighed in frustration.

"That's why I'm always worried. Lady Melissa may have a terrible personality, but her face and figure are the ideal that men desire. The lord is a man, so if such a woman deliberately tries to seduce him, it's hard to say what will happen."

"Surely Altair won't...?"

"The ones who seem least likely to do something are often the ones who do. He comes to you every night without tiring, doesn't he? You mustn't let your guard down, my lady."

Would Altair fall for Melissa's seduction? I couldn't imagine it, but Marie was an experienced maid, so her advice couldn't be entirely wrong.

"But this isn't something that can be solved by me not letting my guard down... It's about Altair's mindset."

The one who would be seduced is Altair. However, Marie had a different opinion and sighed deeply again.

"You just need to keep him from looking elsewhere."

Marie said this and pulled out something from her pocket. It was a small bottle containing a clear pink liquid.

"What's that?"

"It's a perfume that's secretly rumored among noblewomen. It's said to improve the relationship between couples."

"Marie... where did you get this? You must have been scammed!"

I puffed my cheeks and jumped up, grabbing Marie's hands.

"Let's go find that person and get a refund! To think someone would fall for such a ridiculous sales pitch..."

If Marie, who was so sharp, could be scammed, it must have been a clever con.

'Marie must have lost her judgment because she was worried about me.'

I felt guilty and burned with determination to get a refund, my eyes sparkling. However, Marie remained unfazed. She even smiled mysteriously and opened the bottle.

"My lady, do you think I would fall for a scam? If it was rumored among the maids, it must be a genuine item. But since you won't believe me no matter how much I say..."

Marie skillfully applied the liquid to my neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. A pleasant scent filled my nose, and my body felt slightly warm. I felt drowsy and lazy, and I let out a low moan, which made Marie smile.

"You should experience the effect yourself. Tell me in the morning if you want a refund."

"In the morning? The relationship between a couple can't improve overnight. The scammer must have promised that... I was definitely scammed..."

"My lady, in the morning."

Marie put a finger to her lips and smiled meaningfully. Soon, I realized what her smile meant.

***

'Why is it so hot?'

I tossed and turned in bed, unable to bear it, and finally sat up. There was nothing unusual, yet I felt a persistent heat in my body, making it hard to endure.

'I don't seem to have a cold...'

I wasn't coughing, and it wasn't the weak, feverish heat I usually felt when sick. Instead, it was a heat that made me feel energized, but the uncontrollable feeling was the problem.

"Haah..."

I exhaled a hot breath and threw off my nightgown. I was left in just my basic undergarments, but it still felt insufficient.

'I should call Marie and have some cool water...'

Just as I reached for the bell pull, the tightly closed door opened, and a familiar presence entered.

"Ugh!"

I turned my head to see Altair standing at the door, unable to enter, covering his nose and mouth with his large hand.

"Why is the room filled with such a fragrance..."

Altair, who was muttering with a scowl, suddenly opened his eyes wide when he saw me crawling toward the bell pull on the bed. Normally, seeing me in my undergarments would have made me jump in embarrassment, but today, I didn't feel that way.

"Altair..."

I called his name lazily and chuckled, and the hand covering his nose and mouth dropped.