The duke moved his eyes as if thinking for a moment, but soon nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“What exactly have I been hired for at the duke’s house? A maid?”
“Something like that.”
It was not an answer that Mayana liked. She spoke again.
“What do you mean by ‘something like that’? Please be more specific.”
“You’ll find out when you get to the dukedom, why the hurry?”
“Because after you hire me as a maid, you might sell me off to a shrimp fishing boat.”
The duke was silent, seemingly gauging her words. After a while, he chuckled and said,
“If I’m going to sell you, I’d sell you somewhere more profitable, why a shrimp fishing boat? You don’t look like you’d fetch a good price there.”
Mayana crossed her arms and tensed her mouth. To her, whether it was Lord Povec or Duke Valterminster, there was no big difference. Even if she was accustomed to this society with its class distinctions, she couldn’t bring herself to bow down to nobles.
“It’s an honor that the respected Duke Valterminster would play word games with me. You’ve probably noticed, but I’m not of a very meek nature. It’s not a joyful day for me to just laugh at dull jokes.”
Was that too sharp? Mayana belatedly thought so.
But the duke was neither angry nor uncomfortable. He merely looked out of the window at the pouring rain, occasionally tapping the carriage floor with his cane.
The duke said,
“You seem to be that way. I guess we’ll get along well.”
“Get along well… with whom?”
The duke turned his eyes back to Mayana. For a moment, Mayana was struck by how clear his features were, even in the darkness.
“As I said earlier, your job at the duke’s house won’t be much different from what you’ve done so far. A maid. But more specifically, you can say you’ll be my daughter’s exclusive maid.”
“… Daughter?”
At Mayana’s surprised voice, the duke faintly furrowed his brows for the first time.
“Why so?”
“No, you… you didn’t look like you had a daughter.”
“Is there a difference between those who look like they have a daughter and those who don’t?”
His tone was teasing. Mayana said,
“No. So… I am to take care of the princess, then?”
The duke nodded.
“Taking care of her, sewing clothes, feeding and putting her to sleep, and teaching the basic things. Don’t worry, I have resident teachers for professional education.”
“But… there were no children at Lord Povec’s house. I have experience with siblings, but none with taking care of noble ladies or gentlemen.”
“There’s not much to it, really. My daughter is only seven years old. So, it’s still far from complicated with attending parties and such. Just do as you did earlier. If some rascal approaches my daughter, just kick him away, that’s what I mean.”
Mayana nodded, her face pale, but soon another question arose.
“But if I’m to be the maid for your daughter… shouldn’t you consult with the Duchess?”
The duke was silent for a moment, so Mayana continued.
“The Duchess will likely be very invested in the education of the princess.”
“Yes, she probably would be if I had a wife.”
Mayana’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean by that…”
The duke lightly raised his hand to stop her words.
“Shall we leave it at that? Imagine as you wish.”
Mayana slightly furrowed her brows.
“Are you saying it’s okay for me to imagine something that could tarnish the reputation of the duke’s house?”
Suddenly, the hesitating duke burst into loud laughter.
“Why are you laughing?”
“You really will get along with my daughter.”
“Mayana was at a loss for words again. The more she saw, the more she experienced, the stranger he was.
The maids who worked in his mansion said that Valterminster Duke was as cold and icy as ice itself. Still, they gossiped and fussed that he was a handsome man that you couldn’t take your eyes off.
But the real Valterminster Duke was quite different from what they talked about. He was certainly handsome, but his character seemed far from cold. If he was mischievous enough to make his daughter’s existence meaningless, it would be another matter.
The Duke looked at Mayana with a faint smile, as if seeing right through what she was thinking.
“Sleep when you can. You’ll probably be very busy from tomorrow.”
“Will we arrive tomorrow?”
“We’ll arrive when the morning is almost over. As I’ve said before, the Duke’s domain is quite far from the capital. Even in this weather, it’s the fastest route, so we can get there in half a day.”
The rain outside seemed fainter, perhaps because of the drawn curtains. As much as she realized it wasn’t a good situation, Mayana found it hard to deal with her heavy eyelids.
‘So much happened today…….’
Her dim vision slowly blurred. A thin streak of bright lightning came through a small gap in the curtain. The light, shining like a straight strand of silk, cut across Valterminster Duke’s face and then disappeared.
As soon as she closed her eyes, Mayana plunged into a deep sleep.
(This is a time separator.)
[You love me, right? Right? You love me? But you’re leaving for the capital tomorrow… So, for the last time… No? Is it not okay?]Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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