He dealt with people with a perfect attitude. He led conversations gracefully yet assertively, and smiled only at the right moments. However, it seemed like a habit ingrained in his body, and there was no sense of enjoyment in it.

Doing the same thing every day, it was like being able to perform the task even with eyes closed… something similar.

No. Mayana unconsciously shook her head. It wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. That wasn’t what mattered.

“Mayana?”

Cedeloy called her name. In an instant, Mayana was so surprised by the warmth in his voice that she almost jumped out of her seat. In reality, she had only slightly twitched her shoulders, but that’s how it felt.

Suddenly, Luke’s face flashed in her mind and disappeared into the darkness like lightning.

“…Duke.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Smiling, he spoke as if talking to a friend, not a servant. In that moment, Mayana forgot where she was, even who she was. It was because of his unusually courteous attitude.

“What do you want to ask?”

But soon, warning signals flashed in her mind again. Not a single blink but multiple lights blinked simultaneously. Mayana looked down at her attire. A black dress with a white apron. Her clothes spoke for her in this place. It was a clear distinction that needed no explanation.

“In the morning… I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

Cedeloy didn’t say anything. It was clear that it wasn’t because he didn’t know what Mayana was talking about. He was just waiting, at least that’s what Mayana thought.

And usually, her thoughts were right.

Mayana took a slow breath.

“Lady Arianthe seems to think of me like a mother.”

Cedeloy remained silent. Mayana hoped he would say something at this point. Otherwise, it felt like something within her would burst.

There was an unresolved frustration blocking her chest. She knew she had to pull it out, explode it, but the fear kept her circling around, avoiding it.

“That’s not a lie.”

As if reading Mayana’s thoughts, Cedeloy unexpectedly spoke.

“Because Arianthe told me so. If you’re suspicious, you can ask her directly. She’ll probably tell you the same thing.”

No. Mayana thought.

Taking a deep breath, she said.
“No, Duke. What I… What I want to ask is not whether Lady Arianthe’s words were true or not. I know best that Lady treats me well. It might feel like… like a mother. It might feel like a sister. I, too, think of Lady Arianthe as my younger sister or… niece. Or…”

Like a daughter. The unsaid words in her mind circled around and became a small dot before disappearing. For some reason, it felt like that word shouldn’t be said. Her heart felt unusually heavy. It was the first time she felt like this.

“But that’s not what matters.”

“Then?”

Mayana stared directly at Cedeloy. His figure, sitting against the darkness, holding something enchanting in his hands, was like a devil tempting repeatedly. Even Mayana had to admit that.

He was a man so handsome that he could steal the soul of the person he locked eyes with. It seemed like he would never get tired of it, even if you looked at him all night, or perhaps throughout your life. He was a person who could instill both violent possessiveness and base desires in the viewer simultaneously.

And that was precisely the reason why Mayana built a strong wall, preventing herself from succumbing.

“But that’s not what matters.”

“Then?”

Mayana stared directly at Cedeloy. His figure, sitting against the darkness, holding something enchanting in his hands, was like a devil tempting repeatedly. Even Mayana had to admit that.

He was a man so handsome that he could steal the soul of the person he locked eyes with. It seemed like he would never get tired of it, even if you looked at him all night, or perhaps throughout your life. He was a person who could instill both violent possessiveness and base desires in the viewer simultaneously.

And that was precisely the reason why Mayana built a strong wall, preventing herself from succumbing.

Mayana looked at him attentively. Cedeloy’s words from earlier replayed in her mind, and she wondered what he meant by them.

“What did you say?”

Mayana answered, “When I mentioned that I couldn’t stay by Lady’s side as her mother, you said, ‘I have a different opinion.’ I want to know what that meant. You might find it amusing, but I’ve been restless all day just thinking about it. If what you said was simply expressing the intention that I could continue to care for Lady in a similar position as now, like a ‘motherly’ figure… If it was just a simple intention like that, I apologize for this impolite visit today.”