Celiya realized from Ellie’s words that she had feelings for Dietrich beyond that of a servant to her master.
And that Ellie was wary of her.

‘It seems he didn’t properly explain about me. Typical of that insensitive person.’

Even putting herself in their shoes, it was strange to just say to take good care of a criminal who assassinated the emperor. Since Dietrich hadn’t explained about her to the maid, Celiya decided to give a vague answer.

“Lovers? More like the opposite.”

At Celiya’s answer, Ellie’s face showed relief. With her wariness lessened, Ellie spoke in an even softer tone than before.

“I apologize for the rude question. There have been no women close to my master until now… May I perhaps assist you with bathing?”

“It’s fine. I prefer bathing alone.”

“…I understand. Please call me anytime if you need anything.”

Ellie left the room with a slight bow. Celiya softly laughed as she watched the door Ellie had exited through.

She knew Dietrich’s appearance was exceptional, but she didn’t expect him to even captivate a blind maid.

-What is your relationship with my master?

Ellie’s words echoed in Celiya’s mind.

‘Come to think of it, I’m not sure how to define our relationship exactly,’

Celiya thought it made sense that Dietrich hadn’t explained. Even to Celiya, her relationship with Dietrich was a very, very strange one.

Neither enemies nor allies, an ambiguous relationship.

‘That’s not important to me anyway. In any case, Dietrich is trying to use me, and I just want to know how that guy knows about abilities.’

Shaking off her thoughts, Celiya undressed and entered the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, rose-scented soap and towels for washing were neatly arranged on the floor.

Celiya dipped her hand into the filled bath. The water temperature was neither too hot nor lukewarm, but just right for bathing.

Celiya immersed herself in the pleasantly warm bath.

She quickly felt better with this proper bath after such a long time.

As she was enjoying the bath, Celiya belatedly realized she hadn’t brought a change of clothes.

‘Surely no one will come in.’

Even if something happened, she could use her ability, Celiya thought.

Dietrich could not disobey the empress’s order. If he failed to bring Celiya at noon as commanded, the empress would cling to this matter to the end.

The empress’s son, Jeremy, had been making all sorts of excuses to try to strip Dietrich of his military authority.

Today, if he disobeyed the empress’s order, it would be like giving strength to Jeremy, who was desperate to strike at him.

Since she said to come by noon, he had to finish preparations before noon arrived.

As soon as the emperor’s funeral ended, the empress had even bribed the chef in charge of cooking at Dietrich’s mansion.

Dietrich noticed this in less than half a day and drove out the chef, buying food from outside the palace. Of course, since he couldn’t leave his post, he sent his adjutant Anderson.

“Here is the food directly procured from outside.”

Anderson was laden with food baskets full of bread and fruit in both hands.

The foods in the baskets all looked fresh.

Dietrich picked up one of the freshest-looking food baskets and spoke.

“Good work. Put the rest of the food in any empty room.”

“In an empty room, not the kitchen, sir?”

“They might do something unnecessary in the kitchen while the mansion is empty.”

“Understood.”

Anderson added with a bow.

“I will look for a new chef. Someone trustworthy who won’t be bribed by the empress.”

Dietrich said nothing.

Knowing the empress, she would likely bribe the new chef as soon as one was found to keep pressuring Dietrich.

Though Dietrich now held military authority, the moment Jeremy ascended to the throne, his military authority would naturally pass to Jeremy.

Jeremy greatly disliked him, so he might even try to remove him from the position of Imperial Knight Commander and strip away his duke title.

It was a fight that anyone could see was disadvantageous for him.

The three dukes would likely stand by and watch such things happen in the palace, as always. Like moving pieces on a chessboard.

Just as they had used the emperor’s stupidity to destroy their own country.

One variable was that Celiya, who possessed an ability, was in his hands. Fortunately, it seemed no one but himself knew that Celiya had an ability.

The scent of hyacinth that had dazed his mind still seemed to linger in his nostrils.

At the same time, the image of Celiya in agony, coughing up blood, came to mind.

‘Does using the ability damage the body more and more?’

It made sense. She had been fine until then, but after using her ability, her whole body was left in tatters.

-…More.

As he recalled Celiya biting her lips and not letting go, Dietrich’s eyes sank deeply.

Dietrich had been watching Celiya the entire time he was giving her his saliva.

Ready to kill her immediately if Celiya opened her eyes and realized he was giving her his saliva, if she noticed the healing power in the saliva.

But Celiya never opened her eyes until the end. After happily receiving the saliva, Celiya parted her lips after a long while and uttered just one word.

-Sweet.

Celiya, who smiled brightly as if truly happy, fell asleep right there, snoring softly.

As if having a happy dream, with a satisfied smile on her lips.

Fortunately, even after waking up, Celiya didn’t seem to remember this fact.

‘…Having eased her pain somewhat, I can only hope she plays her role well.’

Dietrich decided to ask Celiya about her ability while personally handing her food. Also to inform her of precautions for meeting the cunning empress.

Not having eaten for days, this much food should be more than enough to fill her stomach. The basket he was holding was full of freshly squeezed milk, fresh apples and plums, and bread baked that morning.

Dietrich stood in front of Celiya’s door.

Knock knock.

“It’s me.”

Dietrich knocked, but there was no answer from inside. He quietly gazed at the wall clock hanging in the hallway.

The clock pointed to 10:10. It was a time when not even two hours remained until noon, when the empress had said.

Knock knock.

Dietrich knocked several times, but there was still no answer from inside. Unable to waste any more time, Dietrich finally forcibly opened the door and entered the room.

“…”

There was no one in the room. Dietrich placed the food basket on the desk and carefully examined the room. It was then that the bathroom door attached to the room opened.

Dietrich turned his head towards the source of the sound. There was Celiya. Celiya who had just finished bathing.

Celiya was wrapped in a white towel instead of clothes. As if it was somewhat difficult to cover her entire body with just one towel, her snow-white thighs were clearly visible below the towel.

Blinking her eyes several times as if assessing the situation, Celiya narrowed her eyes. Then she pointed at Dietrich and said.

“You…”

Dietrich quickly turned his head away. Celiya’s mocking voice pierced Dietrich’s ears.

“You entered the room on purpose knowing I was bathing, didn’t you?”

Dietrich felt wronged. He turned his body to face the opposite direction from where Celiya was and protested.

“I knocked several times, but you didn’t hear.”

“How could I hear that when I was in the bathroom?”

“If I had known you were bathing, I wouldn’t have come in.”

“…”

Celiya glared coldly at the back of Dietrich’s head. She hadn’t expected Dietrich, on whom her ability didn’t work, to barge into her room.

If it had been another man, she would have stopped his movements with her ability and kicked him hard in the vital area.

Celiya’s gaze turned to the food basket on the desk. She had been starving to death, not having eaten anything for days.

Celiya walked towards the desk where the food basket was. Tightly tying the towel so it wouldn’t fall to the floor, Celiya monitored whether Dietrich was looking at her or not the entire time she was walking.

Fortunately, Dietrich was covering his eyes with one hand. Celiya felt strangely relieved seeing that even his earlobes weren’t reddened.

Celiya took a bite of an apple from the basket. Perhaps because it had been so long since she’d eaten, the food tasted exceptionally delicious.

Celiya put down the apple she was eating, took a few sips of milk, and then devoured a baguette right there.

As Celiya was about to grab another plum after eating her third one, Dietrich’s very suppressed voice was heard from behind her.

“…I’d appreciate if you’d put on some clothes before eating any more.”

Only then did Celiya realize Dietrich’s presence. She had momentarily forgotten he was there, having been distracted by the food.

When she stayed at the viscount’s house, the Brillions mother and daughter had urged her to eat foods made of all sorts of weeds, so she couldn’t remember the last time she had tasted proper food like this.

Come to think of it, even when she was in prison, Dietrich had always brought her delicious food. Even if it was based on the purpose of using her, Celiya didn’t see that as a bad thing at all.

If you want to use someone, it’s much more effective to gain their favor rather than their antipathy.

It’s not for nothing that Dietrich, who had no foundation, sat in the position of Imperial Knight Commander.

“Why don’t you put on some clothes?”

Dietrich’s disgruntled voice erased Celiya’s thoughts.

“The food you brought is just too delicious, you see.”

Dietrich said nothing. The deep sigh he let out instead of a reply represented Dietrich’s current state of mind.

Celiya picked up a morning roll instead of a plum. She stood in front of the wardrobe, chewing the bread in her mouth.

Dietrich was clenching his fist while covering his eyes with one hand.

Seeing Dietrich’s fist that looked like it wanted to hit her right away, Celiya let out a small laugh and flung open the wardrobe door.

Inside the wardrobe, instead of fancy dresses worn by noble ladies, there were clothes like those worn by commoners. Underwear was neatly folded in the drawer below the wardrobe.

Celiya was satisfied. Not only could she change by herself, but these would be easier to move in than dresses with cumbersome decorations anyway.

“Can I just choose anything from these to wear?”

Dietrich answered Celiya’s question.

“Yes.”

Celiya took out the most comfortable-looking underwear and an achromatic colored dress. The clothes smelled fresh and fluffy, as if new. Celiya changed into the clothes in one go.

“I’m done. You can look now.”

At Celiya’s words, Dietrich removed the hand covering his eyes.

“…”

Dietrich’s eyebrows wrinkled miserably as he looked at Celiya. As Celiya tilted her head, Dietrich looked at her with contemptuous eyes and said.

“Can’t you eat without getting those damn bread crumbs on your mouth?”