Chapter Eleven
_Prove Yourself, My Lady
The two girls looked at her and then at each other, feeling truly puzzled. Nyla knew that these two maids were new, having arrived after the kidnapping incident. Not just them, but more than two-thirds of the servants had been replaced, and those who left were silenced either by threats or enticement—and certainly by magic. As for those who remained, they were among those who had served the Grand Duchy for generations... the vast majority did not know its true nature, nor how Lina had spared no effort to tarnish her reputation, whether in the past or the present.
"Mmm, since the child is working hard, why not reward him with some delicious sweets?!.."
"Shall I tell the chef to prepare them?!..."
Martha was not so foolish as to take the words at face value, so she tried to prompt Nyla to speak indirectly.
Nyla looked at them playfully and said with a bright, pleasant face:
"Dami loves what his mother prepares for him..."
The two maids were in a state of shock; the woman before them now did not resemble her former self—she was both terrifyingly sharp and foolishly sweet. Celine spoke anxiously, gauging Nyla's mood.
"Shall I prepare the kitchen, My Lady?..."
"No need, we shall go together.."
Celine looked at Martha, and they followed behind Nyla with a mixture of awe and respect...
As Nyla began moving through the mansion toward the ground floor where the kitchen was located, the gazes of the servants in every corner focused on her. Her steady, graceful steps hadn't changed, but the young woman who used to exude a strict, cold atmosphere was now surrounded by a different, contradictory aura—one that was momentarily terrifying yet sweet at the same time...
When they finally reached the kitchen, Celine approached with a smooth movement and wrapped an apron around Nyla to protect her clothes.
The chef and those with him stared at Nyla as if possessed. They followed the fluid movements of the two maids performing their tasks around Nyla, while Nyla, who knew every corner of the kitchen, seemed unbothered.
"Mr. Louise... is there any dried fruit?!"
"..."
The chef couldn't speak for a moment, but Nyla moved steadily until she opened one of the cupboards and smiled, saying:
"I believe you used to keep the peaches and figs here..."
"All dried fruits are stored here..."
The chef moved aside quietly so Nyla could search comfortably.
"Ah, here they are. Damian will like the peaches best..."
"Do you need help... My Lady?!..."
Nyla raised an eyebrow and her smile widened in a cold manner.
"Thank you, there is no need for that..."
Nyla ignored those present and began preparing cookie dough, filling it with orange and cherry jam and crumbling dried fruits to make it more appetizing.
"My Lady, the Young Master will be late in his lessons today, as Mr. Winson will be giving him a table etiquette lesson over lunch..."
After finally finishing the baking, the delicious scent of which spread throughout the kitchen, Martha stepped forward and whispered quietly into Nyla's ear. Nyla frowned slightly; perhaps she had forgotten, but according to Damian's schedule, table etiquette lessons were held every Wednesday and Friday, and Sunday was the only day Damian had no lessons at all.
'I'll have dinner with him anyway,' she muttered to herself. She looked at Martha and Celine and said in a cheerful voice:
"Is the Archduke in today?!.."
"Yes, His Excellency was in his office a moment ago."
"Then why don't I share some delicious cookies with him?!..."
The shock wasn't only on the faces of the two maids; even the people working in the kitchen stopped for a moment and turned to Nyla with wide eyes. Nyla paid no mind to those present and packed a decent number of cookies into a basket, then looked at Celine.
"Pack Damian's portion and send it to his room."
"As you wish, My Lady."
The maid spoke while arranging the cookies in a special bowl, while Nyla moved ahead carrying the basket, with Martha following behind.
* * *
"We have surveyed the western area surrounding the mountain and confirmed the maintenance of the magical barriers... but..."
"Speak."
"There is a strange fluctuation in the area."
"Meaning?!"
"The barriers are weakening faster. It would be dangerous to leave the area without support knights..."
"Is it related to the environmental changes on the mountain?!"
"Most likely."
"Send two support units and keep a group of mages to bolster the barrier."
"At your command, Your Highness.."
Knock, knock, knock!!!
Elion was examining papers for signature when the door was knocked. He glanced at Victor as if asking if something was wrong; Victor shook his head.
Victor allowed the person to enter. It was one of the maids assigned to Nyla. Before he could ask, the maid bowed to the Archduke.
"Grand Duke, My Lord, Lady Nyla Harvey requests your permission to enter..."
Alarm bells rang in Victor's head. He looked at the maid, then at his master, who remained expressionless as usual. He sighed and addressed Elion.
"Shall I let her in?!"
Elion nodded. Victor stepped out with the maid and returned with Nyla, who was smiling brightly and carrying a small basket. She bowed gracefully to him.
"Nyla Harvey greets Your Excellency..."
"What brings you here?!"
Nyla pouted and sighed with boredom.
"Will you first allow me to sit?!"
Without a word, he gestured toward one of the chairs near the desk. Nyla sat comfortably and looked at Victor with a smile.
"Viscount Hans, may I ask a small favor of you?!.."
Victor felt surprised and, before answering, looked at his master to see if he should comply. Elion gave him the green light, so he smiled and replied:
"Certainly, I am at your service.."
"I would like a cup of tea to have with the cookies, and I'd like to share them with His Excellency..."
"I follow your orders.."
Hans raised an eyebrow in bewilderment but nodded. Since there was no need to leave, he moved to a specific area in the office where a tea kettle and cups were kept. He looked at Nyla, who was waiting patiently, and felt puzzled. He thought she would start talking immediately after giving the order, but he realized she wanted him there to listen.
As he brought the cups of tea, Nyla held out the basket and said:
"Damian loves peaches, so you'll find most of them have that flavor."
The words were addressed to Elion and Victor. Victor hesitated a moment but took one, while Elion didn't reach out at all despite his long gaze at the basket.
When Nyla realized there was no use, she left the basket and sighed.
"It is a long conversation. Can Your Highness ask the Viscount to sit?.."
Elion glanced at Hans, who sat down quietly before her, urging her to speak.
"Has the rumor reached you?!"
"Regarding Miss Harvey seeking the position of Archduchess?.."
"Who started the rumor?!"
The Archduke's aura was intense. Nyla looked at him with a playful smile:
"A lovely colleague who loves me more than you can imagine..."
Victor, who knew the source of the rumor and already understood Nyla's relationship with Lina, raised his eyebrow in surprise at her description. But as usual, he kept his feelings to himself and looked at his master and Nyla with a sense of anticipation and slight excitement.
"Will you benefit?"
"Certainly."
"..."
She looked at him with a proud smile, but he remained stiff and expressionless. She pouted, feeling sidelined, then took a breath and smiled cunningly as she took a sip of the bitter tea without a single change in her expression.
"Let's say I am seeking the position of Archduchess.."
"..."
"Mmm, and this news spread beyond the boundaries of this mansion.."
Victor looked at Elion, who clearly realized her intentions. Victor spoke instead of his master:
"Re-recruiting you?.."
"It's not a strong card, but it's effective to buy time for the Archduke."
"What you mean is, lengthening their path."
Nyla smiled broadly and said with an excited face despite his dry reaction:
"Exactly, Your Highness."
"And what is the purpose of delaying them? Miss Harvey."
"Finding what everyone is looking for.."
He looked at her calmly, and realization struck him. His lips moved instinctively:
"Alfred von Carson."
"And why do you believe he is alive?!"
Nyla looked at Victor, who spoke in bewilderment. Nyla ate a piece of cookie relaxedly and said after swallowing smoothly:
"He is alive. If the Crown Prince of Carson died, the country would have collapsed."
"..."
"Currently, his whereabouts are unknown, but we will work hard to find him before anyone else."
"Do you believe this is easy?!"
"I know how difficult it is, Your Highness, but we must buy time, especially..."
"..."
"..."
"Especially since finding the Crown Prince is not the only problem for De Walter."
"What are you implying, Miss Nyla Harvey?"
"I wish to help as a vassal of De Walter, and for Damian's sake."
"Are you saying you are capable of saving Walter?!"
"..."
"Prove yourself, My Lady..."
Nyla's expression brightened. She looked at the clock with a sweet smile, then stood elegantly and bowed.
"Excuse me, Your Highness, the lesson has ended."
"..."
"We still have plenty of time to talk."
'Did she end the conversation first?!! His Highness has a lot of patience with Nyla Harvey.'
Victor looked at Nyla's act of ending the conversation first, then at his master, whose face held no expression other than a silent gaze at Nyla.
"You may come when I am free..."
"Then thank you, Your Highness, for dedicating time to hear my chatter."
Before she said another word, Nyla looked at the cookie basket and said with pitiful eyes:
"Your Highness may take the basket, unless you don't like peaches..."
It was a look Elion had seen for the first time, and remarkably, there was no trace of affectation in it. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke without raising his eyes.
"You may leave it."
Nyla's face lit up with a sense of affection, and she felt she could see Damian in this man despite their different personalities.
'They are father and son, after all.'
She bowed again and left quietly. Victor looked at Nyla Harvey, stunned by her gaze that resembled that of a sweet child—something far removed from his master. When she left, he looked at his master, who was looking at the cookie basket with a slight hesitation. It wasn't that his master didn't eat, but he didn't follow a specific schedule for eating; he would eat at very long intervals whenever he felt hungry, and he had never seen him eat sweets in particular. However, when he was hungry, he would eat anything, even if it was sweet.
Victor thought with a puzzled feeling in his heart:
'Why do I feel that these sweets have a special meaning?!'
* * *
"I am exhausted.."
"Does the Lady need me to massage her shoulders?!.."
"Shall I bring a cup of tea?!.."
Nyla pouted and looked at the two maids with eyes that seemed momentarily sympathetic. They felt puzzled, but she let out a frustrated wail.
"Why is Dami's lesson so late?!..."
Martha and Celine stifled their laughter for fear of angering her, as she seemed more sweet and childish in this situation than they had expected. Nyla looked at them:
"I caught you; you're laughing at me."
She threw the two pillows beside her at them. Even though she didn't hit them, she returned to her depressed state. Was luck playing with her today? It had seemed that the table etiquette lesson would have ended more than an hour ago, but it was delayed. She had sent Celine to find out the reason for the delay, and she said two hours remained. Immediately after the lesson, he would certainly go to sword practice with Count Caral Percion.
The two maids looked at each other, and then Martha spoke smoothly, trying to match Nyla's depressed mood, saying:
"My Lady, since the Young Master's lesson will be in the Knights' Training Ground, why don't you go there and watch his training yourself?.."
"He would love to have some sweets right after training, My Lady."
Celine added encouragingly, glancing between Martha and Nyla. She was surprised and took two steps back when Nyla jumped up energetically and said:
"Pack all the sweets I prepared..."
"??!"
"??!"
"My sweet child loves to share... Mmm, leave that jar."
They looked at the medium-sized jar Nyla pointed to with understanding. Nyla had prepared a large quantity of cookies, and despite sending a small basket to the Archduke, the number of remaining sweets was very large.
"As you wish, My Lady..."
It took extra time to pack the sweets in the basket and prepare the cold drinks, as Nyla thought it better not to interrupt the lesson at its beginning...
... To be continued ...