Chapter 11
Grace got out of bed in a daze. Annie led her to the dining room on the first floor.
“Welcome. His Grace the Duke is waiting for you.”
A servant, waiting at the entrance, bowed and opened the door. Grace slowly walked inside.
“……”
The Duke of Winstaine was seated at the center of a jet-black marble table. The table was already crowded with food, to the point that it was hard to find a gap between the dishes. Noticing her presence, he lifted his gaze from the table.
“G-good morning.”
Meeting his pitch-black eyes again, Grace felt a wave of tension rise in her throat, but she forced herself to speak.
“G-Grace…”
“Lady Grace Reinheim, I’ve heard your name.”
“……”
“I’m Frederick Winstaine. Please, sit down.”
The Duke pointed naturally to the seat across from him with a calm, even voice. Grace timidly sat in the seat he offered.
“You must have had a hard journey.”
“Yes…”
“I had them prepare plenty of food. Please, help yourself.”
“Th-thank you…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Duke picked up his fork and knife.
Grace cautiously served herself the dish closest to her and placed it on her plate. She carefully cut a piece of meat and placed it in her mouth, chewing gently.
“…!”
Delicious. Grace’s eyes widened in surprise.
She had never tasted such tender meat before. With every bite, a sweet and tangy sauce spread in her mouth. When she added some vegetables with her fork, their freshness was immediately noticeable.
“Is the taste to your liking?”
“It’s very…”
Perhaps because of the Duke’s emotionless expression, even such a simple question made her nervous. Grace took a discreet deep breath.
“I’m glad.”
“Did anything happen on your way here?”
“No… nothing at all. Th-thanks to you… it was fine…”
Grace tried to smile, but it didn’t quite work.
“I’ve instructed the staff to make sure you lack nothing. If you need anything, feel free to tell them.”
“Yes…”
“You shouldn’t go into the forest alone.”
At the mention of the forest, Grace flinched involuntarily.
“There are many dangers. Like earlier, you might face serious trouble. You must avoid going alone.”
“Yes…”
Grace nodded. The Duke turned his attention back to his meal. They ate in silence for a while. Grace felt like there was something she needed to say.
“Um… um…”
“Yes?”
“Th-thank you… for saving me…”
She stammered as she spoke. She had just realized she never thanked him for saving her earlier.
“Ah.”
The Duke paused briefly, surprised by her sudden words, but soon nodded as if he understood.
“It was nothing.”
“S-still… thank you…”
Grace reached out to bring another dish in front of her.
But perhaps because her hands were still shaking or simply due to clumsiness, her grip slipped. The plate tumbled to the floor with a scraping noise, spilling meat, vegetables, and sauce everywhere.
“Ah…”
As she looked at the mess under the table, Grace’s vision went blank. She had made a foolish mistake even after coming all the way to the Duke’s estate.
“…I did it again.”
“…What?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Grace trembled, her face pale.
‘I’ll be punished now…’
Tears welled up in her eyes. She remembered when she once spilled food before. Benjamin and his brothers had forced her to eat moldy cookies and spoiled milk. When she refused and knocked the plate away, the cookies and milk spilled to the floor.
“You arrogant little—”
Benjamin had scoffed, then declared he would punish her for the mess. He dragged her to an old, abandoned annex and locked her in the attic. The place was full of dust and had no caretaker.
That day, darkness fell as she remained trapped in that cold, forgotten room. The fear of never getting out overwhelmed her. Grace pounded on the door and begged all night, but no one came. She wasn’t released until a full day had passed.
“I-I won’t… do it again…”
“…Lady Grace.”
“I-I’m sorry… the attic… I’m scared… I won’t… do it again…”
“Lady Grace.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks from her crimson eyes. The Duke set down his utensils and called out to her. But Grace was already lost in her panic.
“I’ll never… never again…”
“……”
“I won’t do it again, I promise…”
The words she used to plead with her half-brothers poured out. No matter how much she begged, they didn’t spare her from punishment. And if she didn’t beg, they would torment her even more, saying she lacked remorse.
And this man… was the terrifying Duke with all those monstrous rumors. He had saved her earlier, but if she upset him, who knew what he might do? Fear consumed her again.
“Ugh… sob…”
“……”
The Duke did not get angry. He simply stared at her with a calm face. That only made Grace more afraid. It felt as if he was silently deciding how to punish her.
“Stacy. Miranda.”
The Duke called the maids standing in a corner of the dining hall. They had been watching Lady Reinheim ‘s strange reaction in stunned silence.
“Y-yes, Your Grace!”
“Clean this up.”
He pointed to the spilled food on the floor.
“Yes, understood!”
The maids moved swiftly to follow their master’s order.
“……?”
Meanwhile, Grace, who had been trembling with her eyes shut, opened them in confusion. The Duke hadn’t yelled or punished her. The maids were simply cleaning up the mess with rags and buckets. The Duke looked at her with the same calm gaze.
No one scolded her. Neither the Duke nor the servants criticized her. No one glared or demanded she clean it immediately.
“Did any get on you?”
“N-no.”
A maid examined her carefully. Grace shook her head. There were no stains on her hands or dress.
Another maid placed a new fork and knife in front of her.
“Have you calmed down a bit?”
“A-ah…”
“When food spills, just ask the maids to clean it.”
Grace saw the maids leave the dining hall with the cleaning tools. The Duke picked up his fork again. Grace, still trembling, picked up a piece of bread. She tore it gently and placed it in her mouth.
Even as she cautiously glanced around, nothing happened. No scolding, no punishment, no confinement. She almost forgot she had spilled the food at all.
Her breathing slowly steadied. Her pounding heart began to calm.
“Um… um…”
“……”
“Can I… eat?”
“Go ahead.”
The Duke replied as if it were nothing and returned his gaze to his plate. Grace picked up her spoon with trembling hands.
“……”
As warm soup touched her tongue, the rest of her tension began to melt away. Grace continued her meal slowly.
Knock knock. A knocking sound echoed. Frederick put down his pen and looked up.
“Come in.”
“Your Grace.”
“What brings you here at this hour?”
It was Dorota, the head maid, who entered. Unlike usual, her expression was serious—almost solemn. Frederick straightened up, sensing the importance of her visit. Dorota rarely approached him unless it was urgent.
“I have something to report regarding Lady Grace Reinheim, who arrived yesterday.”
“Speak.”
“It’s from Annie’s report. While helping the lady bathe… she noticed some severe scars on her body.”
