Chapter 32
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The following days passed without incident. Monitoring the Duke proved to be a simple task. Her routine became a repetitive loop: completing her shift, eating a morning meal, collapsing into sleep, and rising mid-day to train before returning to her post.
This schedule, however, birthed a peculiar misunderstanding.
Roy swore he hadn’t breathed a word. The gossip hadn’t originated from Bert or any of the household staff. After digging into the matter, Roy traced the source back to the Lintu family, though the true catalyst was arguably Duke Woodpecker himself.
“Goodness, how scandalous.”
Whispers like these trailed Adi whenever she traversed the Inner Palace. Beside her, Roy would visibly wince.
“Is it really every night?”
“That’s what they say. Every single night.”
“They’re claiming they spend every waking moment together?”
The rumors had saturated the ranks of the maids and valets. Once the staff knew, the entire palace knew. From the cooks and the cavalry to the high-ranking lords and the stable boys, everyone was privy to the scandal. The only person largely in the dark was Adi, primarily because she lacked the social circle required to receive such gossip.
“……”
Roy was her only source.
“What exactly are people saying?”
She hated that he had to be the one to break it to her. Under the pressure of Adi’s insistent stare, Roy let out a heavy breath and finally spoke.
“You’re aware the Lintu daughter is infatuated with His Excellency, right?”
Adi gave a short nod.
“She pushed for a chance to ‘accidentally’ run into him, so we made a few arrangements.”
He was referring to his contact within the 2nd Knights Order.
“During that encounter, the Duke told her he couldn’t offer her what she wanted. He claimed his interests were already occupied by someone else.”
“And?”
“She demanded to know who.”
“What was his response?”
“His Excellency gave her your name.”
He hadn’t been vague; he had used the name Adrian Grimaldi. In Pallesa, the Grimaldi name carried weight that no one could ignore.
Beyond the Count’s current standing within the Ionad royalty, every knight was well-acquainted with the ‘Dog of Pallesa.’ The servants were equally informed, given how quickly news traveled through the stone walls. Adi Grimaldi’s reputation, and her striking looks, were legendary for various reasons.
“……So, what is the fallout?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The word is that you’ve successfully seduced the Duke.”
“They’re saying the father charmed the King, and now the son has ensnared the Duke.”
The irony wasn’t lost on her; both men carried royal blood. People wondered if the Grimaldis possessed some hidden technique for manipulating their superiors. Some even joked that if witches could cast spells, perhaps a witch’s legacy allowed the family to enchant the throne itself. It was a ridiculous notion.
“Furthermore, since only Bert and I are ever seen in public while you’re absent, people are drawing their own conclusions. They know you’re an escort, so they’re asking why you’re hidden away. They’ve decided you’re providing ‘private services’ at night.”
Roy didn’t sugarcoat it.
Private services. In reality, it was just a guard shift. Adi wanted to dismiss the baseless talk, but it was clear the public perception had solidified. Roy looked at her with a flicker of genuine uncertainty.
“There’s no truth to it, is there?”
“Seriously?”
“No.”
Adi’s expression remained stony.
“Do you really doubt me as well?”
“I didn’t realize we were on such trusting terms.”
In truth, Roy’s skepticism wasn’t directed at Adrian Grimaldi so much as it was at Duke Woodpecker. The Duke was a man in his prime, after all, and such things weren’t unheard of. But still…
“I never would have guessed his preferences ran that way.”
It was a shock to everyone. Ever since the Duke hinted at his attraction to Adi Grimaldi, men had started loitering around her during her daylight shifts for no apparent reason.
It made sense that he would be a prize. He was a striking, tall nobleman with royal lineage. In the Kingdom of Dalkatir, as long as the family line was secure, society generally turned a blind eye to whether a lover was male or female.
“To be honest, you don’t seem like his usual type. As long as it isn’t me he’s after, I’m fine with it. But shouldn’t he be worried about an heir? Then again, since you’ll eventually head back to Grimaldi, maybe he’s just looking for a seasonal fling…”
“Roy.”
Adi cut him off before his imagination could wander any further.
“There is absolutely nothing happening between us. My involvement is strictly related to finding a way to lift His Excellency’s curse.”
“How?”
Even as the question left his lips, Roy’s mind raced to a conclusion. Was it a ‘like cures like’ situation? Could one curse negate another? Was such a thing even possible?
“I’m still searching for answers,” Adi replied.
“I am simply investigating methods to break the spell.”
The awkward reality was that her ‘research’ currently involved kissing the back of the Duke’s hand.
She found herself doing it again now.
Adi stared down at the Duke’s pale, elegant hand. It was a stark contrast to her own, which was marked by the rough skin and scars earned from years of swordplay.
She felt no shame for her injuries, but seeing them side-by-side made her realize how un-feminine her hands appeared. She had never desired to look delicate, yet the comparison stirred a strange sensation within her. Most nobles who didn’t fight for a living had hands like his, yet his felt different.
“It isn’t working,” Yuls remarked.
“Do you have any intention of falling for me?”
He had suggested that love might be the key if other methods failed. First, however, they needed to confirm if the curse was even reacting. The Duke claimed there was a way to test it. Later, Bert had informed the Duke with a heavy sigh that finding Dorothy was an impossible task.
Adi didn’t press him on who Dorothy was.
The fate of this mysterious woman didn’t concern her; her current predicament did.
“Your Excellency, if I may speak frankly.”
“If you’re going to be ‘frank,’ I’d rather you didn’t.”
Adi fell silent. She couldn’t continue this ritual of kissing his hand in secret forever. The more she reflected on it, the more she doubted she was the catalyst for his change. There were too many other factors that day—the assassin, for one.
“It could be attributed to something else entirely.”
Adi was more than willing to analyze every detail of that day to find another explanation.
“No, it’s you,” the Duke insisted.
“My instincts are never wrong.”
He was completely dismissive of her doubts. She knew high-ranking aristocrats were often stubborn, but she wondered how much longer she had to endure this charade.
Technically, Adi wasn’t a permanent fixture of Woodpecker’s staff; she was a Pallesa Palace knight on loan. Yet, she couldn’t exactly ask her superiors for a transfer now.
“The lack of information on you is quite frustrating, Adi.”
“You aren’t a picky eater, and while I heard you were a brawler, you don’t seem to start fights unless provoked. As for your romantic life…”
Yuls paused, his gaze raking over her. Adi felt her muscles lock up under his scrutiny, though she kept her face neutral.
“You seem quite green.”
“And it appears there’s no man in your life.”
She wondered if he could say the same for himself. It seemed they were both in the same position.
“I’m mentioning this because I can’t find anything to bribe you with. What is it that you actually desire?”
“Your Excellency.”
“Yes?”
Yuls gave her a thin smile, as if he were genuinely trying to charm her. Adi wasn’t fooled; she knew this was a matter of utility. Besides, her childhood memories of him were far too vivid to allow for any romantic illusions.
More importantly, she didn’t trust him. She had no intention of falling for his games. This entire ordeal would vanish once he returned to his own territory.
Return… That thought reminded her of her father. How long would the Count be staying in Pallesa? She needed to see him at least once. He would likely arrive while she was on her night shift, but there was a chance he’d stay late. Even if she coordinated with Bert to change her hours, the Duke would demand an explanation.
“What are your plans for the upcoming festival?”
“The festival? Are you a fan of them?”
“No. I don’t… well, I don’t remember ever attending one. I was too young.”
“Is that so?”
The Duke seemed largely indifferent to her answer.
“Festivals are all identical. They’re just a brief excuse for the masses to catch their breath.”
Yuls turned toward the window, scowling at the distant sounds of revelry that echoed into the night.
This was his primary grievance with Pallesa. He loathed the way people here squandered their lives in a blur of drinking, laughter, and empty tradition.
They claimed it was the burden of the nobility. To the elite, life was a perpetual celebration, which made the actual festivals feel hollow. Yet, the commoners lived for that single week of joy.
He wondered what kind of festivals Grimaldi held. Usually, that region only brought to mind beautiful faces, the burning of witches, and Spencer Grimaldi. There was little else of note. Without Spencer’s influence, the territory would likely still be obsessed with hunting hags.
“Would you like to go see it?” Yuls asked.
“No, thank you,” Adi replied simply. Then she added, “I’ve heard my father is traveling to Pallesa for the event.”
“…What?”
