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The aristocrats kept their mouths shut, perhaps because they thought it was too much, and the nobles supporting the princess were still sitting on the sidelines.
There was a silence that didn’t suit the tea party.
‘There are two people who could change the mood here.’
Stella and Marquis Eustoma. But looking at Stella’s cold eyes, she didn’t seem to want to lighten the mood.
“It’s an unusual plating. The princess’s chef has an excellent artistic sense.”
Eventually, it was the Marquis Eustoma who broke the silence. Starting with him, the young aristocrats next to him responded by looking at the dishes.
Stella thought she couldn’t ruin the tea party like this, so she laughed, hiding her annoyance.
A seemingly friendly tea party continued. The conversation that followed didn’t stimulate my interest. It’s almost time for the next dessert.
“Duke Ellex Kolnuta has arrived.”
Dessert didn’t come, and a guy I didn’t want to see the most appeared!
‘Even the timing of his appearance was perfect just in case someone wasn’t the main character.’
Ellex, who caught everyone’s attention in an instant, greeted Stella and took a seat.
The young aristocrats, who had previously ridiculed Ellex for not attending earlier, shut their mouths as if their lips were glued with honey.
“Long time no see, Duke Ellex. I couldn’t greet you at the New Year’s party because I was busy at the time.”
Marquis Eustoma, with a nice smile on his face, spoke to Ellex in a friendly way.
“It’s been a while.”
“I thought you were going back to the north, but how long are you going to stay in the capital?”
Did you touch it on purpose because you knew that Ellex didn’t tell anyone about his schedule?
Marquis Eustoma was also picking a fight with Ellex. After all, I thought that the social world was scary, and I was watching their fight with excitement.
“Why should I tell the Marquis about that?”
It was as if he were saying, ‘I don’t have to tell that to someone lower than me.’
This would hurt the Marquis’ pride. While I was listening to their conversation and making my interpretation of it, I felt a stinging gaze.
I just realized now that I was listening to the conversation with my head down, and Ellex was looking at me. The gaze pierces through my mind.
‘It’s just a feeling, right? He’s looking at another maid here or looking at the flowers behind me.’
I took a quick step and my enemies persistently chased me. Why are you looking at me like that?
Anxiety prevailed over. Don’t tell me you still thought I chased you all the way here. No, I told you that I became an Imperial maid.
I tried hard to turn a blind eye to Ellex’s gaze at me.
‘Please next dessert come here quickly!’
I wanted to go back to the kitchen. I didn’t want to be in the same space as him.
Stella could vent her anger later. The time of death stare quickly ended. The other maids brought sorbets to the serving cart, and I collected the cake plates.
Greenhouse Escape!
I thought I was going to die of suffocation. With a sigh of relief, I pulled the cart and headed to the kitchen when I heard a creepy voice behind me.
“Wait, I want to ask you something.”
It was Ellex. Why the hell are you here? My head was full of question marks, and I couldn’t think properly.
“What? To me?”
“Yes.”
The other maids were surprised to see the sudden appearance of Ellex, but they kept doing their job, and no one helped me.
Left alone, I grabbed the cart and distanced myself from him.
‘Good. If he tries to kill me, I’ll throw the cart at him and run away.’
Still, it reminded me that Ellex had cherished his life, unlike Grandiel, but it wasn’t much of a consolation. Because I was more afraid of Ellex than Grandiel right now.
Ellex, who quickly narrowed the distance I had made, grabbed my wrist. Did you read my mind that I was going to run away?
‘Ellex’s ability was darkness.’
Only Grandiel could read emotions. Ellex can control the darkness that devours everything. It was far from reading emotions or thoughts.
‘What the hell are you thinking?’
It was a series of incomprehensible actions. While I was contemplating how to react, Ellex looked down at my hand he was holding for a long time and opened his mouth.
“Do you have a divine power?”
“No.”
“Are you really sure?”
‘What are you saying? What divine power?’
Divine power was divided into those who were born with it and those who develop and acquire it.
However, those who have divine power, whether innate or acquired, have the divine pattern engraved on their body.
So it was a fact that I couldn’t help but know. That I don’t have a single grain of divine power.
“Yes.”
As I nodded with confidence, Ellex’s brow furrowed. I didn’t expect Ellex to be fluent in conversation, but at least I would like him to explain it in a way that I could understand.
He omitted the big premise and spat out the last line, so I couldn’t understand why he was asking.
“Was that all you wanted to ask? Could I go to work now?”
I gave up on understanding him and tried to go back. You don’t seem to want to tell me. Since the other maids saw me talking with Ellex, they would whisper this to Stella’s ears.
The longer I stay, the more unfavorable it gets for me. I tried to get my wrist out of Ellex’s grip, but he didn’t let me go, holding me still as if he still had more to say.
“Wait, not yet…”
“Miss Mayerie, I was looking for you.”
Someone interrupted Ellex and called me. It was Grandiel, who had changed his hair color and eye color and was wearing a servant’s outfit.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that Grandiel was here. I don’t know why he’s here but Grandiel was my strongest ally as long as the magic of the contract was maintained.
Ellex didn’t seem to recognize Grandiel. Even in the novel, when he met Nepenthes, he treated him as if he had seen him for the first time, so even now, he seems to think of him as just a servant.
‘But wasn’t it too much not to recognize him just because he changed his hair color and eye color?’
I wasn’t even a magician. Certainly, Grandiel’s atmosphere was as different as heaven and earth when he plays the weak crown prince, but anyone who looks at Grandiel’s face even a little bit would notice it right away.
‘Everyone treats the Crown Prince as an air, as nothing.’
I wasn’t in a position to say such a thing, but even thinking about it again, I felt sorry for Grandiel.
Grandiel smiled brightly at him and stood between me and Ellex. Ellex glared at Grandiel, who suddenly intervened, and growled as if he were warning him.
“I’m in the middle of a conversation with her. Don’t disturb me.”
Oh, the lasers in your eyes are creepy. His gaze was on Grandiel, but I was the one frightened by it.
I quenched my fears, thinking that if it could kill someone with just eyes, Ellex would already have conquered the world.
“Duke, I’m very sorry, but you’re at the Imperial Palace right now. We’re short-staffed, so we couldn’t leave Miss Mayerie out.”
He didn’t look sorry at all. Furthermore, his attitude didn’t seem low profile like a servant.
‘Was it right to do that to the Duke while under a dress-up disguise?’
Grandiel was a little worried, but fortunately, Ellex didn’t point out his attitude. It’s just that the conversation was interrupted and it just looks uncomfortable.
“I’ll finish the conversation and send her back soon.”
“How about talking with Miss Mayerie after the tea party?”
“…“
A faint hesitation appeared on Ellex’s face. Grandiel struck the final words as to whether he also felt his conflict.
“The Duke also attended the tea party, so you won’t be away for a long time.”
It was not something to say to the Duke, who wasn’t a butler and saw him for the first time today, but Ellex couldn’t refute it because it was true.
“I’ll visit you after the tea party,” Ellex said, gently letting go of my hand.
But if you ran away, he would come to the end of hell. I nodded my head slightly, avoiding his bright red eyes.
“Then shall we go? Miss Mayerie.”
“Yes!”
My tightly held wrist throbbed, but I laughed because of the sense of freedom of being released. I could feel Ellex’s gaze for some reason, but I didn’t look back.
As we got far from him, my tensed body completely relaxed. It was only then that I thanked Grandiel.
“Diel, thank you for your help.”
“I’m glad I was helpful.”
Grandiel, who smiled brightly like a blooming magnolia flower, answered, slowing down steps. As I almost stopped walking, I asked a question that I had been holding back for a while ago.
“But what are you doing here?”
Also in formal attire. If he hadn’t seen the mountains of papers piled up yesterday on his table, Grandiel looked so relaxed now that I would have mistaken him for being a fool.
“I came to see you in person because I had something I wanted to tell you quickly.”
“What?”
“I’ll explain on the way.”
Instead of answering, Grandiel hurried his steps and gave a meaningful smile.
‘Why don’t you tell me now? It makes people anxious.’
I nodded and followed Grandiel when I realized two things. The fact that I left the serving cart in the middle of the hallway and that the direction I was headed now was on the other side of the Princess Palace.
“Diel, I left the cart behind, and We have to go back.”
“That’s okay. Someone else would clean it up.”
Of course, if I don’t pick it up someone else would clean it up. Still, I couldn’t just leave it there.
“No, I would get scolded if someone else cleans it up, so I have to go.”
“Miss Mayerie must come with me from now on.”
When I turned around as if I was going back at any moment, Grandiel stopped me and said,
“I’ve already got permission, so no one would scold you for leaving the cart behind. But I don’t know, so I’ll tell the maid separately later. Don’t worry.”
‘Going out.’ It was out of the blue.
There was no veto over Grandiel’s orders under the contract, so I had to follow him if he asked me to go, but I had no complaints.
It’s just sudden, ‘Wait, what about Ellex?’
Did you purposely encourage us to talk after the tea party? At that time, I won’t be in the Imperial Palace, so even if he looks for me, he won’t be able to find me.
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