“If that wasn’t your intention, you wouldn’t apologize, would you?”

Cedeloy’s body shifted slightly. Mayana, thinking he was about to stand up, tensed her nerves, her fingertips twitching with anticipation.

But he merely changed his posture, adopting a more relaxed stance. Mayana, then, slowly eased the tension in her shoulders. She knew that he wouldn’t—literally wouldn’t—do anything to her.

However, it was inevitable for her to feel instinctively tense.

Even if Cedeloy had been kind to her until now, and even if his kindness was all an act, and his true nature was that of a sinister person like Duke Fobek, Mayana had limited options as Mayana.

She could probably kick him away just like she did with Duke Fobek, but the disappointment and loss she would feel afterward would be enormous. She wouldn’t be able to work here anymore, and then Arianthe…

“I’d like you to explain.”

Mayana, swallowing dry saliva, spoke more firmly.

Cedeloy observed her intently, then slowly traced his collarbone with his fingertips. It was an ambiguous gesture, whether he was organizing his thoughts or trying to find an escape route.

His even lips formed a faint smile. He spoke.

“What you said… can be considered one of the correct answers.”

“One of the correct answers.”

Mayana repeated his words exactly.

“Then what’s the other answer? What was the other answer I couldn’t figure out?”

“I told you to think about it.”

“I did.”

There was an impatient urgency in Mayana’s voice as she replied. It felt similar to the feeling when she wrote a complaint email to a professor about a sexual matter.

This unfairness, arguing, ‘It’s not because I’m lacking; it’s because you misjudged,’ and at the same time, worrying, ‘Is that really true? Is it really not my mistake?’—it felt similar to that.

“I thought about it, but I couldn’t find the answer. So I thought it would be better if you told me, Duke.”

Cedeloy looked at Mayana as if he found her interesting, then closed his eyes in silence.

“It wasn’t that difficult of a statement. I clearly said, ‘I have a different opinion,’ and that’s it. There’s no hidden meaning, Mayana. You could become Arianthe’s mother. Of course, that’s assuming you want to.”

“What does it mean to become Lady’s mother? Are you suggesting the position of the Duchess?”

Even to her own ears, it sounded too nervously intense. But Mayana couldn’t possibly soften her attitude… Just like when Arianthe was angry, she was exhaling sharp breaths.

Cedeloy replied, “Do you want that position?”
Mayana thought she had stopped breathing for a moment. No, she definitely… had stopped breathing for a brief moment. When she regained her senses, her startled heart was pounding, screaming in surprise at the sudden change in state. Her vision seemed to flicker, and then a bright white light flashed.

However, the confusion was only momentary. Mayana soon regained her composure and looked at Cedeloy. His brown eyes staring back at her had no warmth. They were cold and indifferent.

“If I say I want that position, do I have to climb onto your bed tonight?”

Cedeloy’s eyes widened slightly. Then, he soon chuckled with an amused expression.

“Why would you think that?”

“If it’s not for that reason, you would never say such a thing to a mere maid like me.”

“That’s quite an extreme assumption.”

His tone was much lighter than usual. Like a paper balloon floating weightlessly, brushing past her ears momentarily, soon disappearing like a hummed tune…

Mayana was now looking at Cedeloy as if he were a bomb about to explode.

He said, “I’ll give you the position of the Duchess in exchange for sharing a night of pleasure with you. Even if I say that, it doesn’t mean you’re willingly going to lie in my bed tonight, right?”

A strange sensation swept through Mayana’s entire body for a moment. It was as if a large feather duster had swept her from head to toe. It was a strange feeling, a mix of fear and an expectation that she did not want to admit.

Mayana felt most embarrassed about the fact that this expectation was not solely related to the glorious name of ‘Duchess.’

Cedeloy propped his chin with a ringed hand, gazing at Mayana with an interested look.

It felt like he could see through her, or maybe he knew nothing at all. Either way, it felt different from before.

It’s because of the darkness. Mayana tried to think hard, rubbing her stiff tongue against the roof of her mouth. Due to this darkness, strange thoughts and a… definite sense of anticipation kept welling up.

She said, “Of course, I won’t. No matter what happens.”

Cedeloy briefly wore a smile-like expression, then lowered his chin slightly.

“I know you won’t. But ‘no matter what happens’?”

Mayana’s mouth dried up. This tension was contagious. Initially showing a much more relaxed attitude, Cedeloy now seemed disturbed by the unfamiliar tension prickling his skin.

Occasionally, with each shift in the shadows or the flickering candlelight sneaking through the crack, her expression seemed to change.