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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Interest Junkie
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"Mind giving me some space?"
Elena pressed down firmly on Damian's shoulder with her hand, creating distance between them. Damian easily stepped back, chuckling softly.
"Summoning Lady Roark and the young Grand Duke's couple had nothing to do with me."
Playing it like that, huh?
Elena let a cold smile curl her lips.
"I heard the Grand Duchess barged into the Grand Duke's lesson."
She'd gotten the scoop from Roena's maid after sending her off, so it was solid intel.
The fact that Roena hadn't mentioned it herself meant the Grand Duke had clearly silenced her.
'I thought she was just a kid, but she's surprisingly shrewd.'
As Roena's maid, it had to be on Roena's orders.
Elena found it highly amusing that the girl had cleverly kept her promise to the Grand Duke while still slipping her a clue.
It even made her rethink all those past days when she'd dismissed her as just a bratty daughter-in-law.
Damian shrugged exaggeratedly.
"Oh dear. You knew about that too?"
"As if you can play dumb. Would someone trying to hide it from me call her straight to the study like that?"
"Well, I figured the Grand Duchess was indifferent toward me."
"Hmph."
Elena snorted derisively.
Just then, she recalled how boldly Roena had pecked her cheek earlier. She'd pretended it was a kiss but whispered some sly advice instead.
'Why not ask Father-in-law directly instead of me? He's a total attention glutton. Shower him with the attention Mother-in-law never gave, and he'll spill everything.'
With that beaming smile, she'd said, 'Our father-in-law's an attention glutton.'
Elena wasn't entirely sure what "attention glutton" meant, but it didn't sound flattering.
Still, it was intriguing enough to drag her heavy footsteps toward the Grand Duke's bedroom.
She was dying to see his reaction.
'Tch, kids these days just make up words willy-nilly. They get a kick out of baffling us adults.'
Elena chalked it up to youthful slang.
But her face showed more delight than annoyance.
Sure enough, just as Roena suggested, giving the Grand Duke some attention had him biting already.
He looked ready to crumble and spill everything with a little coaxing.
A moment later, Elena turned back to Damian, intent on pressing him further.
But—
"Why are you staring like that?"
Elena scowled at Damian's expression.
He'd been wearing a dumb look, but now he was frowning at her words. Finally, he spoke stiffly.
"Why did you just laugh?"
"What, now laughing's a crime too? Give me a break."
Elena wiped the smile from her face and responded icily.
Damian closed the gap again, bracing one arm against the wall.
"I asked why you laughed, madam."
"Drop the 'madam'—it doesn't suit you."
Elena shot back sharply, pushing his shoulder again, but this time he didn't budge.
'Acting like a child.'
Since Damian wasn't moving, Elena stepped right up to him.
She leaned in until their lips were nearly touching. Damian flinched and backed away in panic.
"Wh-what the...!"
"What? You kept crowding me, so I thought you wanted a kiss."
"That's not—!"
Damian's face turned beet red as he trailed off.
Elena, unperturbed, stepped back and crossed her legs casually.
A playboy who saw multiple women trembling over a mere kiss? Hilarious. With a frosty expression, Elena said,
"I get it. You hate touching me just as much as I hate touching you."
"......"
"No one in the empire would guess it. That we're total strangers who haven't even consummated our marriage."
Elena circled Damian mockingly. He offered no excuses, just stayed silent.
Elena hovered her hand near his shoulder and asked,
"If you don't want a kiss, spit it out. What happened in the study?"
Then she tapped his shoulder playfully. Tap.
"Welcome back?"
I greeted Hanna warmly as she slipped back in.
"Yes, Young Madam."
"How'd Mother-in-law take it?"
"She didn't seem upset. But she's so hard to read. Did she even get it?"
"Who knows......"
As I trailed off, Vivian entered the room.
"Miss! The Grand Duchess just went into the Grand Duke's bedroom!"
"Shh! Vivian, what if someone hears? And it's Young Madam now, not Miss. How long has it been?"
Shuri scolded her from beside me, and Vivian pouted. I fixed Vivian with sparkling eyes.
"She really went in? For real?"
"Swear! Those two never step foot in each other's bedrooms, and now this."
Vivian's voice had quieted a bit.
"What if they finally consummate and end up with a kid or something......"
Hanna said worriedly, but I shook my head firmly.
"No consummation. She'll come right back out."
"How can you be so sure?"
Hanna, Vivian, and Shuri all stared at me.
'How? I read it in the book. Those two are the ultimate business couple.'
I just flashed a big grin instead of explaining.
I was the one who'd lured the Grand Duchess into the Grand Duke's bedroom, after all.
Akid only knew I'd pecked her cheek—he had no idea about the whisper.
The Grand Duchess had blushed in surprise at the kiss, but she'd probably been mulling over my words ever since.
'Come to think of it, their relationship is weirdly fascinating.'
Even in the original story, they were always at odds.
They barely spoke and growled whenever they crossed paths.
Yet when they needed to team up, they synced up perfectly.
'Guess that's how they kept the business couple act going for so long.'
I shoved thoughts of my in-laws aside.
With Hanna already dropping the hint to the Grand Duchess, things would unfold on their own.
I had no intention of picking sides between the Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.
'Better to win them both over.'
To get in good with both, I couldn't afford to look like I favored one.
That's why I'd made the Grand Duchess hear it from the Grand Duke herself, without saying it directly.
'This should be enough. Let the two of them handle the rest.'
I grinned wickedly, like someone who'd wrapped up a dirty job. Vivian piped up.
"Oh my, Young Madam's grinning all creepy again."
"What's wrong with my smile?"
"You've been twitching your mouth like that lately."
"Th-that happens sometimes."
I recoiled in horror at Vivian's mimicry. She smirked and muttered,
"Anyway, it's nice seeing you smile more, Miss."
"Totally. Your smile's the best."
Hanna chimed in with a giggle.
"Our Young Madam's smile is priceless, you know."
Shuri teased.
"What's with you all, getting all sappy now?"
The sudden attention made me flush and act prim.
Hanna, Vivian, and Shuri had all followed me from April Castle.
Though it hadn't been long since I took charge of them, they were Roena's most trusted aides.
Veterans who knew how to handle her prickly personality.
I'd worried at first they'd notice I wasn't the real Roena, but it was unfounded.
They were thrilled, thinking I'd finally snapped out of my early puberty funk.
From their perspective, anyway. Maybe Roena hadn't been rotten to the core originally.
She might've just gotten sharper from struggling to adapt to her new life.
Not that it excused her bullying Akid.
Suddenly feeling mischievous, I spoke up.
"If you're so curious, go spy on the Grand Duke couple's bedroom. I bet Mother-in-law heads back to her own room."
At my abrupt bet proposal, their eyes went wide. Moments later, Hanna asked,
"Young Madam, you trying to pick our pockets now too?"
"Who said money? Loser gets knuckle-raps."
"No way, how could we flick your forehead?"
Shuri protested with a wave. I flashed my signature wicked grin to prod them.
"Scared?"
"How dare you...!"
Vivian bristled with competitive fire. Shuri laughed.
"Fine. If that's what Young Madam wants. No crying when it hurts later?"
"You might be the one seeing stars from my spicy flicks, Shuri."
"Ooh, scary."
Shuri giggled, utterly unfazed.
The bet was on. After quietly peeking at the Grand Duke couple's bedroom and returning, Hanna glumly reported,
"The Grand Duchess went back to her own room."
"Yes!"
I pumped my fist and hopped in victory. Then, with a sly grin, I prepped for knuckle time.
"Line up."
"Young Madammm......"
Shuri whined.
"Psh, how bad can madam's hand be?"
Vivian played it cool.
"I'll go first?"
Hanna bravely stepped up.
"Heh heh heh."
No mercy in bets. With a beaming smile, I declared,
"Time to see stars, girls."
The next day, red flick marks dotted Hanna, Vivian, and Shuri's foreheads.
When other servants asked curiously, they just muttered weirdly,
"We saw stars......"
That was it.
No mercy for a young mistress.
