Disguised as a Male Servant in the Duke's House (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
At Rozelia’s confident words, Mellda muttered with a puzzled expression.
“Th-that… isn’t really a mask, is it? It’s more like an ornament…”
“Exactly. Unlike an iron mask that hides the entire face and conceals one’s true features, the Raphelios-style mask adorns the wearer’s face with the most beautiful embellishment, making their natural beauty stand out even more.”
Unlike the crude, full-face masks typical of Lugbeljet, the Raphelios-style mask only covered the eyes—or sometimes just one eye—and was adorned with lavish peacock feathers, adding flamboyance and elegance.
“It’s actually the perfect time to hold a masked ball, precisely because Raphelios-style masks haven’t caught on yet. Just imagine a stunningly beautiful princess wearing a mask decorated with peacock feathers amid all those plain, rustic masks.”
For a moment, Mellda gazed blankly into the air, her expression dreamy, lost in the image.
Watching Mellda, who now looked ready to pluck out a peacock feather herself, utterly swayed by Rozelia’s eloquence, Clojet glanced at Rozelia anew with undisguised admiration.
Snapping back to her senses, Mellda sprang up excitedly.
“I need to speak to Mr. Jeffrey at once! Let’s make the princess’s debutante theme a masked ball! We’ll have to commission a Raphelios-style mask right away—the timeline is already tight!”
Clojet watched Mellda dash into the mansion with a joyful face and gave a quiet, amused smile.
“Looks like Mellda’s absolutely thrilled.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
At Rozelia’s curt reply, Clojet narrowed her eyes slightly.
“It’s really astonishing… just like with the updo hairstyle trend… How come you’re so savvy about fashion trends? And you’re a man, at that.”
Though Rozelia already knew this from the novel, she simply smiled calmly as if nothing were amiss.
“I was just lucky. I can’t guarantee this masked ball will become a trend either.”
In the original novel, masks became fashionable starting from the masked ball hosted by the Crown Princess—but whether that would happen again this time was uncertain.
Clojet stared intently at Rozelia for a moment, then wore a meaningful smile.
“Alright, I’ve decided. You’ll join my debutante ball too.”
“Huh…?”
Rozelia, taken aback by Clojet’s unusually serene smile, wondered if she’d misheard.
“You mean… as a servant to help during the banquet?”
“No. I’m telling you to attend my masked ball as a guest.”
Rozelia stared at Clojet with wide eyes.
Of course, it wasn’t unheard of for nobles to occasionally bring their domestic servants to balls as decorative accessories—but those were usually noblewomen who already held some standing in high society.
Clojet, however, was a young lady making her debut into society. If she brought her personal maid to her own debutante ball, who knew what rumors would spread?
“This doesn’t seem like a good idea…”
“What do I care? I’m fine with it. Besides, it’s a masked ball. With a mask on, hardly anyone will recognize you.”
Well… that was true enough. As long as she didn’t remove the mask, it probably wouldn’t cause any real trouble.
Besides, keeping an eye on the unpredictable Clojet from close by might actually give her some peace of mind…
Rozelia reluctantly nodded.
“Fine. But keep it a secret from His Grace.”
“Of course! That cold-hearted man wouldn’t care about my debutante anyway, would he?”
Their sibling relationship seemed seriously troubled, but Rozelia had learned from past experience that meddling only made things worse—so she merely gave an awkward smile.
[This is the timeline separator]Since the debutante ball was still about a month away, Rozelia decided to use the time to find the Crown Princess’s next favored artwork.
In the original novel, the second piece the Crown Princess took a liking to was a background painting by an anonymous female artist.
In the story, the Crown Princess, disguised as a commoner, happened upon a woman being beaten by men while wandering through a village. Though the woman sadly passed away shortly after from an existing illness, she gifted the heroine a painting as thanks.
That was precisely the second painting the Crown Princess came to cherish.
Chronologically, the female painter still had at least two months before her death. The real problem was… her current whereabouts.
Rozelia checked her appearance and firmly pulled down a bowler hat slightly too large for her head.
As she entered the establishment and approached the man who seemed to be the owner, he glanced up from polishing a glass.
“First time here?”
Trying not to show how stiff her body felt, Rozelia forced out a brusque reply.
“Is there a woman here by the name of Nadia?”
Hearing her delicate voice, the man studied her carefully for a moment.
Having seen countless naked women in his time, Rozelia broke out in a cold sweat, wondering if he’d somehow realized her true identity.
But the man soon spoke indifferently, as if seeing short-statured boys in places like this was perfectly ordinary.
“A client for Nadia?”
“Huh? Ah, yes…”
“How strange. Someone actually asking for that frail girl… then again, we get all kinds of tastes walking through this door.”
Clearly, the man assumed she was a customer here to see Nadia for the night.
Deciding against correcting him, Rozelia simply followed the man obediently. If she tried to leave after merely seeing Nadia’s face, the rough-looking man would probably kick her out the door by the seat of her pants.
As long as she managed to meet Nadia, nothing else mattered.
When they reached a shabby-looking door, the man jerked his chin toward it and held out his hand.
Having never been to a place like this before, Rozelia had no idea how much to pay.
Hesitating only briefly, she pulled out one berang and placed it on his palm—part of the earnings she’d received not only from selling paintings but also from serving as Clojet’s personal maid.
The man’s eyes widened at the coin in his hand, and he chuckled before disappearing down the corridor.
Was that more money than expected?
Rozelia shrugged and quickly opened the door the man had indicated.
Inside, a woman sat blankly on the edge of the bed, nearly naked.
The woman looked genuinely surprised someone had entered her room.
“How long has it been since I last had a client…”
Her smile as she spoke held no trace of vitality.
Though her body was painfully thin and her hair looked parched, her features remained strikingly beautiful—even beneath her sickly, ashen pallor.
Yet her sunken eyes and bony limbs clearly showed how far her chronic illness had progressed, evoking deep pity.
“You are Miss Nadia, correct?”
“Such a polite customer.”
The woman smiled faintly and slowly approached Rozelia.
Beneath her robe, she wore only a silk undergarment—but rather than appearing seductive, her exposed collarbones and ribs stirred only sympathy.
Seeing Nadia clearly misunderstanding her intentions, Rozelia took an uneasy step backward.
“Wait, Miss Nadia—please hold on. That’s not why I came.”
“Huh? If not for that, why are you here?”
“Well… I came specifically to meet you.”
At Rozelia’s words, Nadia froze, her eyes wide with surprise.
“You… paint, don’t you?”
Nadia stiffened instantly, her practiced smile vanishing as she stared coldly at Rozelia.
“Painting? Where did you hear that nonsense?”
Strange. This woman definitely matched Nadia’s name…
Which meant she was probably lying.
“Why hide the fact that you paint? I’m here to buy your painting.”
The little master’s making quite the joke… A tavern girl struggling to scrape by each day—how could she possibly paint?”
Nadia sat back on the bed, crossing her legs.
“So? Are you here for business or not?”
“Huh?”
“The only thing I sell here for money is this. If that’s not what you want, then leave.”
Her dry, world-weary gaze left Rozelia speechless.
“Why… would you go this far?”
At Rozelia’s bitter question, Nadia gave a bitter smile of her own.
“This is just how I’ve lived my life. What else can I do? If you’re just going to waste my time like this, please leave. I have other clients to see.”
Rozelia had no choice but to leave the room.
She had realized immediately that further conversation would be pointless. From the moment Rozelia entered as a ‘client’, Nadia had kept her at arm’s length—even while smiling.
It would have ended the same way even if a man—or any other ‘client’—had come.
But… perhaps things would be different if she approached as another woman. Or even better, as someone in the same line of work.
With a look of determination, Rozelia stepped out of the tavern.
[This is the timeline separator]Rozelia stood confidently before the tavern owner, her golden hair loose.
The man, still holding the money pouch, asked again, as if doubting his own ears.
“So… you’ll pay me this money just to pretend to work here for one day?”
He looked utterly confused.
People either worked—or they didn’t. What did “pretending to work” even mean?
Usually, the women here worked for hourly wages—but this woman was offering to pay him instead. He was baffled.
“Yes. I’ll only pretend to work here. Don’t assign me any clients at all. That’s exactly why I’m paying you.”
The man’s eyes swept over Rozelia’s entire figure.
Her healthy, graceful figure… her translucently pale skin… and those jewel-like green eyes—she radiated a freshness rarely found in women of this trade, mixed with an air of bold arrogance that was strangely alluring.
She was undeniably captivating—so much so that the man unconsciously swallowed.
“How about this instead—I’ll pay you a generous wage if you work here properly…”
“Excuse me. Do you even know what the money I just gave you means?”
Intimidated by her unexpectedly domineering presence, the stout man quickly backed down.
He assumed she must be the spoiled daughter of a wealthy merchant, merely curious to tour a tavern.
“But, miss… if you’re going to ‘work’ here—even just pretend—you’ll need to change your clothes first…”
Rozelia glanced at her own attire and then curiously surveyed the women seated beside customers.
Each one wore an outfit that clung tightly to her body, revealing half her chest.
Though the sight made Rozelia frown involuntarily, she reasoned that a more convincing disguise could only help her get closer to Nadia.
Besides, she’d only wear it briefly—and had no intention of entertaining any clients—so it wasn’t a big deal.
After changing into the thin dress the owner handed her, Rozelia stepped awkwardly into the corridor.
The dress clung too tightly to her waist and clearly outlined her bust, leaving her feeling strangely exposed. With every step, the flimsy skirt clung to her hips and legs, revealing every curve—making her intensely self-conscious.
Just as she’d decided to head straight to Nadia’s room, Rozelia’s steps came to an abrupt halt.
Walking toward her from the opposite corridor was a familiar man.
His expression was deeply displeased, his brows furrowed in clear irritation.
Why was Duke Valtezar here?!
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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