‘I could believe they were blood-related to that maid.’

I closely observed the Duchess, who was shivering and hugging her shoulders with both hands.

The Duchess seemed calmer than when she first appeared, but she was terrified as if she had encountered a frightening monster or ghost right in front of her.

The Duchess, who had become so docile that it was hard to believe she had acted like a madwoman just moments ago, muttered incomprehensible words to herself, but her eyes gradually regained their senses and sparkled with strong determination. It felt like something was about to happen any moment.

Tap-!

I was about to tell Sasha, who had somehow come to my side, that he should do something instead of just standing there, but Duke Vladimir moved a step faster and gave a silent order to the maids with his eyes.

With a stern face he had never shown before, he conveyed the message to quickly remove the Duchess from sight.

“We apologize, Your Highness.”

As the maids grabbed the resisting Duchess’s arms and dragged her away somewhere, Duke Vladimir immediately turned around to face me.

“My wife has been mentally unstable for years and has committed a grave offense. Would you kindly forgive her?”

“It’s fine. No need to worry about it.”

Strange. I recalled how clear the Duchess’s eyes had looked and felt a sense of dissonance. Of course, the Duchess had lost her reason and caused a commotion, but the face I saw at the end looked like that of a normal person, which was suspicious.

“I seem to have kept an honored guest standing for too long. I will promptly guide you to the reception room.”

“Very well.”

Even though I wanted to question it, it wasn’t something I could casually pry into, so I moved my feet.

‘As expected of the established nobility, Vladimir’s mansion rivals the imperial palace in scale.’

As befitting a noble family with a solid support base, Vladimir’s mansion was exceptionally impressive.

‘The energy here is strangely clean.’

However, one thing that puzzled me was the air inside the mansion.

Normally, places where people live have a mix of various energies, and I even sensed the energy of the dead from Duke Vladimir at the imperial palace.

But this time, there wasn’t even a faint trace, and it felt as clean and refreshing as a pristine area, making me wonder if they had hidden something somewhere.

“Please come inside, Your Highness.”

But even if something really had happened, what could I do about it? Even if the Vladimir ducal family had schemed something using the energy of the dead, there were limited actions I could take immediately.

I absolutely had to refrain from using my powers recklessly, as it would shorten my lifespan.

“Alright.”

Anyway, after that, I pretended nothing was wrong and entered the reception room with an indifferent face.

Rustle-

As I sat down in the indicated seat, my eyes were pleased by the fresh fruits emitting a radiant light and various pastries spread out on the table.

Moreover, the fragrant smell and delicious pastries approached like a puppy wolf wagging its tail, releasing the tension I had maintained until entering the reception room.

“The aroma is unique.”

I remarked in admiration at the tea’s scent that hit my nose as I picked up the cup by its handle to take a sip after the maid had poured the tea and stepped back.

The sweet yet mild flavor that lingered faintly was addictive.

“It’s black tea with added honey and pear. Would you prefer a different tea?”

“No. The taste is as good as its unique aroma. I like it.”

“Yes, if you wish, I will prepare some for you to take back to the imperial palace.”

It’s foolish to refuse when someone offers something good for free. I readily agreed with a nod, concluding that the reception room was just an ordinary room.

It was the same feeling I had while walking through the corridor earlier.

‘Just what was that energy of the dead I sensed when I first met the Duke 7 years ago?’

Such intense energy couldn’t have completely disappeared in just a few years.

I pondered and pondered while enjoying the refreshments, but decided to check it out when I had the chance.

“I’ve been in the carriage for so long that I’m not feeling well. I need to visit the restroom for a moment.”

“Yes, Your Highness. The servant waiting outside the door will guide you.”

Once I made up my mind, I immediately put it into action, making an appropriate excuse to leave the reception room.

“I’ll go to the restroom alone, you don’t need to follow me.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Then I’ll just tell you the location.”

I made an excuse that it would be embarrassing if someone stood in front of the door while I was using the restroom, creating a pretext to wander around alone.

“Poppy, you stay here too.”

It would be troublesome if she barked loudly and gave me away, and Poppy needed to keep an eye on those two to prevent them from doing anything suspicious in my absence, so I told her not to follow.

“Kya…”

Unaware of my intentions, Poppy looked shocked for the first few seconds, then soon made a sad whimpering sound. I didn’t have time to spare, so I coldly turned my back on the depressed Poppy without comforting her.

‘I’ve managed to get out, but I don’t see any servants in the hallway.’

If only necessary personnel were deployed, the Duke might be a more frugal person than I thought. Still, there might be traps somewhere, so I moved cautiously, muffling my footsteps as much as possible.

“Huh? Why do I sense such strong energy coming only from this room?”

What could be inside to emit energy like that of a battlefield? I tilted my head, wondering why I hadn’t noticed this room earlier when passing by with Duke Vladimir and Sasha.

Eventually, after looking around to see if anyone was watching, I carefully opened the door and entered.

Creak-

A spacious bedroom shrouded in silence, with only faint light enough to discern the surroundings.

“Oh?”

Unable to contain my curiosity, I walked towards the veiled bed, and let out a sound when I saw someone lying there.

‘Was this the source of that unpleasant energy?’

On the bed, a girl with fine platinum blonde hair extending well below her waist looked to be about the same age as me.

Her appearance, deeply asleep like a princess from a fairy tale, was even mysterious, but the way her hands were neatly folded on her chest gave no sense of being alive at all.

Ah, come to think of it, isn’t this child a descendant of the second human race rooted on earth, unlike me who has lived for hundreds of years?

‘No matter how I look at it, she just seems to be sleeping.’

Moreover, although one should usually admire or be in awe of something beautiful, there was a strangely eerie sense of death’s weight, making it creepy. This made me even more curious, so I decided to approach and take a closer look…

Creak-

“…Your Highness?”

The door opened without any prior sound, and a chill swept over me from behind.

“Why are you here, Your Highness?”

Damn it, why did Sasha appear?

“The mansion is so large that I got lost and wandered here.”

I was flustered but put on a brazen face and came out boldly.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, that’s a bit strange. According to what you said, our servant must have given you a poor explanation and sent you off.”

What do I know! Just accept it if that’s what I said!

I inwardly broke out in a cold sweat at the feeling of my heart tightening.

“Anyway, there are two restrooms in this area. One is at the end of the corridor opposite this room.”

However, unexpectedly, Sasha didn’t press the issue and smiled gently.

“And this room belongs to my sister.”

“This child is your sister?”

“Yes, her illness is severe, so she’s never been outside.”

To think that this beautiful shell, which might not contain anything inside, is Sasha’s sister! I turned back, feeling bewildered. No matter how I looked at it, her face seemed far removed from Sasha, who hid gloominess behind his smiling face.

“My sister is frail and needs rest. I apologize, but would you please leave now?”

“Hmm? Why?”

“Ah, my sister is very shy. She gets anxious when strangers are nearby. Besides, it’s almost time for her to wake up and take her medicine…”

Sasha, who added that he hoped I would forgive his rudeness, was adamant.

“Alright, I understand. By the way, where is the other restroom besides the one across from here?”

I decided to quickly withdraw, not wanting to insist on staying next to that corpse-like child against such stubbornness.

‘It seems like the energy emanating from that girl has intensified since earlier.’

Right on cue, my stomach churned severely, helping me put on a good show of being in pain.

“If you exit and turn left, then go straight ahead, you’ll find it.”

“Thank you, I’ll be going now.”

I hurried to move, feeling my intestines twisting with nausea.

Hurriedly-

‘Sasha introduced that girl as his sister, but his eyes looked more like those of a lover.’

Later, as I was about to reach the door, I glanced back slightly and saw Sasha, perhaps not expecting me to look, rubbing his sister’s hand against his cheek with a sorrowful expression, making me think I’d seen quite a spectacle.

* * *

‘Even though I’ve left the Duke’s mansion, I still don’t feel well.’

A few hours later.

“My daughter, are you very tired?”

Hecate, who arrived at Vladimir’s mansion just in time for our departure, apologized for not being able to come together in the morning due to official duties, saying it was fine to go together from now on.

“Let’s visit the second family today and then rest.”

“Yes.”

Barely suppressing my churning stomach, I suddenly wanted to inquire about the Duchess’s information and asked a question.

“Oh, right! I saw the Duke’s wife at the mansion, and I was surprised because she looked a lot like the maid who was revealed to be a spy seven years ago.”

“Oh my, you met the Duchess?”

Did Hecate also know about the Duchess’s condition? The way she covered her mouth with one hand, looking serious as soon as I brought it up, was unusual.

“It’s probably because the Duchess is from the coastal region that our Darjeeling felt that way.”

Meanwhile, Hecate, who seemed to have noticed my gaze, quickly softened her expression and shared some information I didn’t know.

“Originally, the coastal area at the edge of the continent was led by small tribes before being annexed by the empire. All the people from that region have blonde hair and blue eyes.”

“Ah, so it was simply a regional characteristic.”

And here I thought there was some tremendous secret.

Feeling deflated with no significant discovery, I leaned back against the seat and slouched.

“Oh, Darjeeling! Here, take this chocolate. It’s a gift for the little emperor who worked hard today!”

“Thank you.”

Then, perhaps seeing my posture as a sign of exhaustion, Hecate held out a piece of chocolate.

‘Replenishing sugar after grueling official duties is essential.’

And chocolate is the best for that!

I couldn’t hide my delight. After all, chocolate was a snack I enjoyed in my previous life as well.

“If I had known you’d like it this much, I would have brought more. Want to guess where our next destination is?”

“Isn’t it Fleur? Dad said it’s customary to visit the imperial family’s close associates first.”

“As expected, our imperial princess is astute. As you said, the second place we’ll visit is the Fleur family.”

I quickly answered while chewing and savoring the sweet yet slightly bitter taste of the chocolate.

‘Sigh, even though we haven’t had any contact since I was three years old, I wonder if it’s really necessary to go… but I guess we have to follow custom.’

Poppy, lying on my thigh, begged to have just one taste of the chocolate, but I pretended not to see.

Gulp-

“!”

Oh no. I felt something get stuck in my throat right after swallowing, and I coughed until my face turned bright red.

“D-Darjeeling! Mommy will pat your back, so stay still!”

Hecate, her face turning pale blue, immediately came to the seat next to me and rubbed my back, while I tightly gripped poor Poppy and thought.

‘To think I’d choke on chocolate! More importantly, I can’t breathe and feel like I’m dying!’