Chapter 7
“What? Whaaat? Oh, I, um…….”
The moment I singled her out, she started trembling without me even saying a word.
I thought she looked like she wanted to talk to me?
“I’m not scolding you. I just asked because I thought you had something to say. Don’t worry about it.”
“……Ah. Um, Duchess.”
When I spoke calmly, a huge question formed on the maid’s face, soon replaced by an expression of mustered courage as she spoke up.
“Before the pain gets worse…… would you like to take this first?”
“What is it?”
“It’s a hangover remedy. It’s, um, homemade……!”
“Homemade?”
“Y-Yes, yes! My brother made it because he suffers from hangovers so often, and I thought, m-maybe it would help you.”
She made it herself?
I stared fixedly at the medicine the maid held out, then opened my mouth.
“Hmm, if this is poison and I collapse, you might die. Is that okay with you?”
“What? I’m sorry, Duchess! I was being presumptuous! P-Poison? That’s ridiculous!”
“…….”
“I-It’s just that seeing you in pain reminded me of my brother, so I……! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please spare me!”
Ah. I only said it as a test because Charlize had racked up so much resentment……
Her unexpectedly extreme reaction made me feel a little guilty.
Of course, I hadn’t entirely failed to anticipate this while probing…… but what if it really was poison?
I needed to check.
“What does your brother do?”
“He’s a m-manager at the merchant group that supplies liquor to the d-duke’s family……! His job requires him to drink a l-lot.”
The maid astutely popped one of the pills into her mouth right in front of my eyes.
She clearly knew that failing to prove its truth right this instant could mean her head rolling at a single word from Charlize.
It was an action she had to take to demonstrate the truth, with not a moment’s hesitation.
‘……So this is the extent of Charlize’s terror.’
I took the remaining pill and popped it into my mouth.
Oh, this tastes just like the hangover relievers I used to take on Earth? Amazing.
I had asked if it was poison, but my head kept throbbing, so I desperately wanted something to fix it.
And astonishingly, in less than a minute, I already felt better.
“Wow, it works great. Thanks.”
“……Pardon?”
“What’s your name?”
Right on cue, the door opened as the maid who had left earlier returned to announce that the carriage was ready.
The one who had gone to fetch the hangover remedy would take longer, it seemed.
I took the hand of the maid who had given me the pill and flashed a bright smile.
“I’ll hear your name when you get back. For now, this is a gift.”
I slipped the bracelet off my wrist and handed it to her.
The maid who received the bracelet—and everyone around her—gaped in shock.
Among them, I spotted someone with greedy eyes.
That one, the highest-ranking among the maids?
“Wear it.”
I patted the senior maid’s shoulder and set off.
“Where’s the carriage?”
“This way, Duchess.”
Alright, time to go see my fiancé’s face.
* * *
Askin Remute. Before arriving at the place where my fiancé currently resides, let me briefly mention his family……
First off, the Remute Duke’s territory lies at the far west end.
However, several emperors ago, as a reward for successfully completing the great western monster subjugation, a city near the capital was granted as additional territory.
Whenever the Remute Duke comes to the capital, he doesn’t stay at his mansion in the city but at the castle in that nearby territory.
He’s probably there right now too.
That’s where I headed.
Given its location, it didn’t take long. About half a day?
“……N-N-No!”
Arriving boldly at the Remute Duke family’s castle had gone well enough, but I hit a wall right from the start.
Surprisingly, the entrance itself was blocked.
‘Wow, impressive.’
Truth be told, I hadn’t failed to anticipate something like this.
I’d already sent over thirty invitations, but they’d been returned unopened, so I’d had my suspicions from the start.
‘That they wouldn’t welcome me.’
Moreover, returning them completely intact without even opening them.
Anyone who knew Charlize would realize that was a grave insult given her personality.
This proud lady must have been outraged for sure.
‘If it had been the real Charlize, would she have thrown a fit and dragged soldiers along?’
I’d tried to uphold etiquette to the very end…… I’d waited desperately for your reply alone, my dear fiancé.
Of course, the lack of a response was karma for this villainess sister, so there was nothing to be done.
That’s why I came in person.
“…….”
The problem was getting blocked right at the door.
“N-N-No, Duchess…….”
Without saying a word, I stared fixedly at the knight blocking the door.
‘A knight refusing someone of Charlize’s high status, and the master’s fiancée at that.’
This was surely not his own will but orders from above.
Honestly, since I’d come unannounced, I had nothing to say, so I just kept staring……
For some reason, just staring……
“P-Please go inside and ask the v-vice captain!”
I’d only stared, but the door opened on its own.
I was flustered but kept my expression neutral.
‘Nice, score.’
For now, I decided to take the win.
Truth be told, I wanted to observe more propriety, but if I did any more, I’d never meet this man even after a year.
“Furthermore, according to my grandfather, my fiancé has urgently demanded the engagement be broken off.”
Entering through the main gate revealed the Remute Duke’s mansion in full view.
‘Hmm? The building…….’
I felt a bit taken aback inwardly.
It was grand enough in scale, but overall, it felt too empty.
Perhaps because I’d seen the Altzveit Duke’s mansion, the pinnacle of extravagance.
Even so, compared to a typical noble mansion, the interior was strikingly modest.
‘I knew they were struggling with debt, but this…….’
Memories related to my fiancé didn’t come to mind clearly for Charlize.
So I’d vaguely assumed a duke must live well, but seeing more than I expected, I swallowed hard.
Moreover, the number of servants visible as I walked was noticeably fewer than at the Altzveit mansion.
The ones I passed didn’t just startle and bow; they knelt and trembled.
……This was a testament to how much havoc Charlize had wreaked in this mansion.
‘Could be that even the decorations missing from this corridor were ones she’d smashed—the few that had been there.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
“D-Duchess?”
Someone came to greet me.
It was Robena, the head maid of this mansion. A face from Charlize’s memories.
The middle-aged man beside her was the head butler, Bond.
“……We greet the noble Duchess.”
“I’ve come to see Duke Remute.”
At my question, Robena and Bond looked momentarily flustered.
Their faces said, ‘Why are you addressing our master so politely?’ ……Charlize called her fiancé ‘my dog’—how do you even explain that?
I decided to play it bold.
“W-We’re sorry, but visits like this……!”
“I’ve come to see my fiancé—what’s there to be sorry about?”
I’m sorry, the well-mannered Confucian girl inside me is weeping at acting so brashly toward an elder, but I must see my fiancé.
Truth be told, I didn’t say it that forcefully.
I just tilted my head, but Robena and Bond’s eyes shook with pupil earthquakes.
No, I’d only moved my head—why were they trembling like this? ……Sorry.
“The Duke said he w-won’t receive the Duchess.”
“I see. Then ask him once more right now.”
“N-No! We’re sorry, but the D-Duke’s orders are absolute.”
I knew the Remute Duke—Askin’s—subordinates were exceptionally loyal.
In the book, they were depicted as people who would slit their own throats at his command.
Thanks to that, they’d even drawn swords on Charlize to aid the heroine in executing her, treating it no differently from pointing blades at the imperial family or Altzveit.
“Just ask the Duke. You can’t even do that?”
At my request, Robena and Bond exchanged glances, their eyes quaking once more.
Their faces seemed to say, ‘What’s with her, doing something she’s never done before?’
Soon, suspicion mingled with resolve on Bond’s face, growing firmer.
“……W-We’re sorry, but no. E-Even if you cut off my fingers, no.”
I stared down at Bond’s bowed face, then plopped straight down onto the floor.
“Then I’ll do this. I won’t get up until you ask the Duke and come back.”
“……Pardon?”
“I won’t budge.”
Still sitting, I looked at each of them in turn.
Sorry, but I’ll be a scene today. Really sorry……
“Just ask him. That’s not hard, right?”
“…….”
The greatest shock and surprise I’d seen all day flashed across Bond’s face. Then, for the first time, embarrassment crept into the old butler’s expression. Amid the fear, I could clearly see the question rising: What’s really wrong with her?
I couldn’t deviate too far from what Charlize would do, but I couldn’t actually cut off a finger like the real Charlize would. No, what did she even cut off? Creepy!
“It’s truly regrettable, but that won’t……!”
“What’s going on?”
As all the servants in the corridor stared at my not-quite-tantrum in bewilderment and confusion, a low voice cut in. A rather pleasant sound. Oh, could it be my fiancé?
‘No.’
The one who appeared was some towering man.
