Chapter 10
“Lady Grace, you scared me!”
“……”
“You mustn’t go into the forest alone. You could have been seriously hurt!”
As soon as they returned to the room, Annie, looking like she was about to cry, blurted it out. Duke Winstaine had briefly explained to the head maid and Annie how he had come across Grace, and when they heard she had almost been attacked by a beast, they looked as if they were about to faint.
“Y-Yeah…”
Grace nodded. Although Annie’s tone sounded like she was scolding her, it didn’t make her feel bad.
That concerned look in her eyes—Grace had only ever seen it from Emily. Everyone else had ignored or despised her.
“First, let’s get your coat off.”
Annie helped Grace out of her coat. Grace flinched slightly, but unlike earlier, she didn’t recoil from Annie’s touch.
“Why don’t you take a bath before dinner? You’ve had a long trip, after all.”
“Okay.”
“Alright, I’ll get the bath ready for you.”
Annie placed the coat in the wardrobe and entered a white marble door in the corner of the room. Soon, the sound of running water echoed out, and after a while, she came back.
“Lady Grace, you may go into the bathroom now.”
Grace walked toward Annie and stepped through the open door. But instead of leaving, Annie followed her into the bathroom.
“Why…”
“Pardon? Is there something wrong…?”
“Why… are you coming in?”
“Well… I’m supposed to help you bathe, of course?”
Annie tilted her head, as if Grace’s question was the strange one.
“I can… bathe myself, though…”
“From now on, I’m in charge of taking care of you, Lady Grace. That includes bathing you.”
“Uh… I see…”
Someone else bathing her—it was something that had never happened before, so she felt awkward about it. Still, Grace couldn’t bring herself to refuse firmly.
“O-Okay then…”
She gave a reluctant nod.
“This way, Lady Grace.”
“W-Wow…”
Following Annie’s lead, Grace was stunned when she saw the large white marble tub.
She let out a soft gasp. The tub was filled with floating dried flowers, and warm steam rose with a sweet fragrance. It felt like she had stepped into a garden.
“W-What is all this?”
“This region has many fragrant flowers. We dry spring and summer blooms and use them for bathing. Even after drying, they still hold a strong scent.”
Annie reached out to help Grace.
“Let me help you undress now. Could you raise your arms?”
Grace followed her instructions. The dress was gently removed with Annie’s hands. When the slip was lifted and her bare skin was exposed, she felt a bit embarrassed, but she kept her gaze down and tried not to show it.
Something felt off. Annie, who had been chatting away, suddenly went silent after removing the slip. Curious, Grace turned to look back. Annie’s face had gone pale.
“Lady Grace…?”
“What… is it?”
“T-These scars…? What are they?”
Annie was too shocked to finish her sentence.
“Oh… that.”
Now Grace understood. Annie must be looking at the blackened burn scar on her back and the whip marks that covered her entire back.
The burn scar was from three years ago—Benjamin had inflicted it.
One day, in a bad mood over something personal, he vented his anger on her. Displeased with her answer, he had branded her with a hot iron.
The whip marks were from repeated abuse by her half-siblings. In their youth, they had struck her with riding whips—one of them particularly hard, leaving lasting scars.
“Um… well.”
In recent years, they hadn’t used whips or branding irons on her, and having grown used to her own scars, she had almost forgotten about them.
“I… fell down.”
Grace mumbled the first excuse that came to mind. She was too flustered to think straight.
“That doesn’t seem right. These don’t look like… accidental marks. It looks more like someone—”
“No… I… I said no!”
Grace frantically waved her hands and shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about what her half-siblings had done to her.
“…Alright.”
Annie stopped asking questions and let it go. She removed Grace’s undergarments, and Grace was now fully naked.
“You can step in now.”
“…Haah.”
As the water enveloped her, Grace let out a deep sigh. The warmth spread through her body, melting the tension that had been there all along.
“Is the temperature okay? Not too hot?”
“N-No, it’s perfect.”
Grace smiled softly at Annie. Annie seemed like she was about to say something, but closed her mouth and turned away. Then she brought over a small container and a cloth from the corner of the bathroom.
“I’ll lather you up now. Could you give me your arm?”
“Please sit here for a moment, Lady Grace.”
After the bath, Annie seated Grace on the bed and began to dry her hair with a towel. The soft rustling sound of the towel on her hair felt oddly soothing.
Once most of the moisture was gone, Annie brought out another small jar and applied its contents to Grace’s hair.
“This scent…”
It was wonderful. Grace brought the ends of her hair close to her nose. The scent was warm and comforting, like sun-dried cotton blankets.
“Feeling thirsty, Lady Grace?”
“A little…?”
Now that she thought of it, her throat was indeed dry. It must have been from staying in hot water for too long.
“Just a moment.”
Annie left and soon returned with a tray holding a cup. The cup was half-filled with steaming white milk.
“Ah…”
As she took a sip, Grace let out a small sigh. The warm milk flowed down her throat, spreading a cozy warmth in her stomach.
“Do you feel better?”
“Yeah… I do.”
“That’s good. Please enjoy it for now.”
Seeing Grace’s brightened expression, Annie beamed.
“I wanted to bring you a small snack too, but since mealtime is soon, I left it out. The sun sets early here in winter, so dinner is earlier. See? The sun’s already going down.”
“You’re right…”
Outside the window Annie pointed to, the red twilight was fading. The clock inside showed just after five. It was certainly an early sunset.
“Please rest until dinnertime. I’ll come get you then. Oh, and if you’ve finished your milk, I’ll take the cup.”
“Th… thank you.”
Grace placed the empty cup on the tray Annie held.
“You don’t need to thank me for everything. It’s my duty. And if there’s anything you’re missing compared to the servants back at the duke’s estate, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”
“Okay. I will…”
After Annie left, Grace leaned her head against the bedpost.
Duke Winstaine…
While preparing the bath, Annie had explained many things. That the man who saved her was Duke Frederick Winstaine. That he had been returning with his knights from a trip beyond the forest.
Grace closed her eyes and recalled the duke’s face.
The rumor that his face was hideously disfigured was entirely false. He was strikingly handsome, like a sculpture. Though he exuded an intimidating chill, he didn’t match the nickname Monster at all.
“They say he enjoys massacres. He smiles when he kills people. Loves the sight of blood.”
“If his troops don’t perform well, he tortures the commander for days.”
“He locks up pretty boys, toys with them, and kills them if he gets bored.”
Were the rumors true? Was he beautiful only on the outside, but cruel on the inside? But he had saved her from being torn apart by a beast. If he truly enjoyed blood, he would’ve let her die…
So then…
“Lady Grace? Lady Grace, wake up.”
“Mmm… huh?”
Grace blinked her eyes open at the gentle shake. Annie was looking at her with concern.
“You must have been exhausted. You fell asleep sitting up—you didn’t even notice me come in.”
“Oh…”
“It’s time for dinner. His Grace the Duke will be there too.”
