Chapter 53

Daniel couldn't possibly know this name. Dominic sighed deeply and revealed Matilda's true identity.

"I am the lady's maid."

That's all there is to it, so there's no need to worry. Dominic frowned and added,

"And I am one of the maids who has the lady's trust, along with Adel, who works in the kitchen."

"A maid."

Daniel tried to recall. He had seen her a few times in the kitchen and in the hallway. And a while ago, she was loitering in front of Frida's room.

"Quite a capable little rat. To move around the castle without being noticed by you."

The most flustered by this situation is Dominic. When he intercepted the letter that the Baron Boiled sent to Cerrino's relative, he never expected to find Matilda's name in it. From the moment he discovered her name in the Baron Boiled's letter, his head started to throb. <Matilda is doing well. Please tell her to write letters as usual.> This means that Matilda has been continuously leaking information about the Mohaim Castle to the outside. Despite all the precautions, he didn't even realize she was a spy right next to him. Dominic's face twisted savagely.

"I apologize, my lord. I let my guard down because she was of a certain status."

No matter how much he thought about it, there were many questions. Matilda's parents were both servants of Mohaim Castle and stayed here until their deaths. Just how far did the Empress Dowager, that old fox, reach? She really makes it impossible for one to let their guard down for even a moment.

"I told you to leave Baron Boiled alone for now."

"I will leave him alone. But we must know what he is reporting to prepare accordingly."

Daniel, who had calmly examined the letter, handed it back to Dominic.

"Remove all mentions of Frida. Not a single line should remain."

"Yes."

This meant he was to rewrite the letter and send it. It was something Dominic had done countless times. Mimicking others' handwriting was as easy as breathing for him. He had already made a separate seal of the Boiled family to stamp on the forged letter.

"Bring the maid in."

This was the problem. It was only right to bring her in. To get her to confess when she started colluding with the Empress Dowager, he would have to intimidate and torture her appropriately. From past experience, it would likely be a difficult task. The Empress Dowager Margret was a woman with great influence and intelligence, and she had contingency plans in place.

"The Duchess will... be greatly shocked."

If the maid, whom she saw every day, were to disappear, the Duchess, given her nature, would certainly investigate until she found out what happened. Daniel, who had been calmly looking at Dominic, turned back and leaned on the terrace railing. The magnificent view of the highest peak of Altas spread out before him. This room had been locked tight for the past three years. The only key to open the door was with Dominic, but the Duchess was told that this was a room where the key could not be found. Only with Daniel's permission could one enter. The room where the curse of the first lord of Utrecht, the Countess Marian, resided. What was he planning to do by setting up a breakfast table in a room with such a beautiful view but a terrifying story?

"My lord..."

"Bring her in."

With his eyes closed, Daniel, who had raised his head toward the morning sun, sent his voice carried by the gentle breeze, as if he were wandering in a dream.

"Do not let a single fly that bothers my wife live."

*** The person standing at the top of the stairs was the Duchess of Rihard. She was looking down at them from the same spot where they had first arrived at Mohaim Castle. However, something was different, even though it was definitely the Duchess of Rihard. Her snow-white hair, like the eternal snow of Altas, was unmistakable. Even to Stefan, who had occasionally seen platinum blonde hair, the Duchess of Rihard's snow-white hair was quite surprising. Even now, after seeing her for several days, his eyes were still drawn to her every time he saw her. So, if it was definitely the Duchess of Rihard... why was she radiating such vitality?

As Stefan carefully observed Freida to find the difference, he saw his wife standing behind the Duchess.

"Matilda."

Stefan headed down the stairs, with Heinrich closely following.

"Is the Duchess's name 'Matilda'?"

What is this man talking about? Stefan shuddered at Heinrich's breath on his neck and moved to the side.

"What are you talking about? I called my wife."

Heinrich scratched his chin with an awkward expression.

"Ah, I see. You called the lady's name too familiarly."

Even while riding in the carriage, Heinrich was a man who didn't listen to others. He only paid attention to what interested him and later blurted out random things. This time, he was babbling away, his eyes fixed on the top of the stairs.

"Is that woman really that Harkbone? She's completely different from the first day. I can't even recognize her. Did they switch her while we were hunting?"

Just as he was about to scold him for talking nonsense, Freida called him.

"Baron Boiled, you came early today."

"Yes. I heard that His Highness returned last night, so I hurried over."

In fact, the noisy sounds from the valley had woken him up. After seeing Dominic Moli outside the window, he realized that the hunting party had returned.

"I heard that the lady was working late yesterday. Are you not tired?"

Judging from the fact that he had brought the uniform designs, she must have stayed up all night. After spending about a month at the duchy, Stefan had become accustomed to seeing the Duchess more often than the Duke. No matter how early he arrived, the Duchess was always in the office, reviewing documents. The small Duchess of Rihard, whom everyone had doubted was even alive, turned out to be the real power in Mohaim Castle. Not only that, but in terms of diligence, perseverance, and drive, he had long admitted that the Duchess was superior in every way. After the Duke went hunting and he was in a state of confusion, he was soon called to the Duke's office, which was empty. Clutching his aching head, he wondered how he was supposed to find the Duchess when the Duke told him to consult with her on everything. He couldn't talk to the Duchess in the bedroom.

Stefan's dilemma was unexpectedly easy to solve.

"During the Duke's absence, you can see me here. If you need to find me, come here. There's no need to send someone to check. I will always be here."

Since then, the Duchess was always there, ready to provide excellent discussion when Stefan needed to make decisions. As a tutor, he had visited many noble families, but this was the first time he had seen such a mistress. Usually, mistresses would sleep until morning, have breakfast in bed, and spend the day idly. In the afternoon, they would have tea and receive guests. At night, they would adorn themselves with jewels and attend parties. To Stefan, who had only seen such mistresses, the Duchess of Rihard was a completely new type of person. He should inform the Empress Dowager about the situation here, as Heinrich suggested, but he was hesitant. It might be better if the Empress Dowager thought the Duchess of Rihard was almost dead in Schendal Castle. Unable to organize his thoughts, he had only sent a simple greeting to his relative in Cerrino and had not yet sent a letter to Schendal Castle. As he avoided looking at the Duchess, feeling awkward, Matilda came down the stairs.

"Stefan, the lady had breakfast with His Highness and went for a walk. Isn't our Duchess beautiful?"

Ah, so that's why she put so much effort into it. Stefan carefully examined Freida, who was adorned with flowers that were as beautiful as any jewel. Heinrich's admiration for her transformation was not an exaggeration. Matilda must have applied a powder to her cheeks to add vitality, which made her pale face flush and her mysterious purple eyes stand out, enhancing her beauty. Matilda, who had come down the stairs, linked her arm with Stefan's and smiled proudly.

"If you had debuted in the social circles of Cerrino, you would have been hailed as the most beautiful woman."

Beauty standards may vary from person to person, but her exceptional beauty was undeniable. Just as he was about to politely agree, Heinrich interjected.

"Having breakfast with Daniel? Hmph. I thought she was all dressed up to go somewhere... Ouch!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Lord Updyke. Does it hurt a lot?"

Heinrich, who had been stepped on by Matilda, grimaced and sat down. He couldn't even open his mouth, only groaning and curling up. Matilda, who pretended to take care of Heinrich, secretly stuck out her tongue at Stefan.

'She's certainly mischievous.'

Stefan couldn't help but smile at his playful wife's actions. It was then that he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Thud, thud. Duke Daniel Rihard, dressed impeccably, came down the stairs. He ignored the commotion below and approached his wife. His gesture of offering his arm to her was a perfect example of impeccable etiquette. Stefan, who had been gaping, let out a sigh of admiration.

"There you are. I came to escort you, my lady."

Unlike the Duchess, who looked slightly troubled, the Duke's expression was as usual. However, as their eyes met when the Duke turned to escort his wife,

"Ouch!"

Startled by the eerie aura of a predator, Stefan took a step back and ended up stepping on Heinrich's foot again, who was getting up with Matilda's help. *** The elaborate hairstyle that Baroness Boiled had carefully created was very beautiful, even to Freida. However, she felt awkward with such a fully dressed appearance, and her hand kept going to her hair.

"It's just breakfast. Isn't it a bit too much?"

The dress adorned with gold thread was the most luxurious one Freida owned, but Baroness Boiled chose it without hesitation.

"You're going to have breakfast and take a walk. And it's the first meal you'll have with the Duke, so you should put your best foot forward. Trust me. I'll style your hair in the latest fashion from Cerrino."

"Yes, my lady. Listen to the Baroness."

The two Matildas stood on either side of Freida, fussing over her early in the morning. Freida, who was pleased with the finished hairstyle, became disheartened when Daniel showed no reaction. She kept wondering if he thought it was too flashy and kept checking his reaction. It was already awkward because of Baroness Boiled's strange comments, and now it was even more embarrassing to look at him.

"Push and pull is essential in a relationship. It makes men yearn for their wives."

Push and pull?

'What to push? Does she mean to push my hand like this?'

As Freida followed Daniel, she inadvertently pushed his arm. Daniel, who had stopped walking and was looking down at the hesitant Freida, gently pulled her hand back onto his arm.

'Oh, so he really does pull when I push?'

Daniel lightly patted Freida's hand, which was still puzzled.

"Please bear with it a little longer. We're almost there."

When she came to her senses, they were already climbing the stairs to the Marian Hall, which had not been managed for a long time due to a lack of staff.

"Um... Daniel, where are we going?"

It was strange that he was heading to a place that had been neglected for so long, so she looked at him curiously. He immediately answered.

"There's a place I want to show you. I had breakfast prepared there."

That's strange. Was there such a place up here? She had never even seen what was inside the room with the missing key.

"Here it is."

When Freida entered the room, the sunlight was so bright that she had to close her eyes for a moment. When she slowly opened them, a paradise unfolded before her.

"The highest peak of Altas, Wimter Horn."