Chapter 13
‘A man like the Duke is marrying a woman like her…’
Duke Winstaine was truly a perfect being.
He had noble blood, the incredible skill of a swordmaster, and stunning looks—there was not a single flaw in him.
Every time I saw him at the castle, my heart would flutter. Of course, I knew becoming the Duchess was nothing but a dream for someone like me, but just seeing him was enough.
And yet, this lacking woman becomes the Duchess just because she’s a noble? It all felt so unfair.
‘Just because of something like that…’
Even Rena and Annie, getting all moved just because of one cookie, were irritating to look at.
“Do you like the tea and cookies, Lady Grace?”
“Mm… yes… they’re good…”
“I’m so glad you’re enjoying them. I’ll bring you lots of delicious treats from now on.”
“Mmm… tha…nk you…”
That dimwitted girl must’ve grown up being treated like a princess just because she’s a noble.
As she looked at Grace, bitterness welled up inside Sally.
“Is something wrong, Sally?”
After the tea time ended, Annie walked up beside Sally and asked.
“No, why?”
“Your expression seemed a bit off…”
“Yeah, are you feeling unwell or something?”
“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”
Sally waved her hand. She figured there was no point in sharing her thoughts with Annie and Rena, who were acting friendly toward Grace.
“What was it that we’re supposed to do tomorrow again?”
“Oh, right. We’re supposed to start preparing for the wedding…”
Sally changed the subject. As Annie began cheerfully explaining, Sally realized—serving Grace was not going to be pleasant at all.
“Hey, did you see the new duchess?”
“No, not yet. Why?”
Grace stopped in her tracks as voices drifted from around the corner.
“They say she’s a complete idiot.”
Grace quickly hid behind a nearby wall, just poking her head out slightly. Two maids were walking by, each holding a broom and dustpan.
“They say she can’t even speak properly and doesn’t know how to do anything. Seems like they just sent over some dimwit.”
A dimwit.
They were gossiping about her. Grace felt her heart drop with a thud.
“Seriously? Then how did someone like that become a duchess?”
“I don’t know the details, but they say it’s a shame for the Duke.”
“I guess they can’t just send her back or anything, huh.”
“No idea. That’s stuff only the high-ranking folks know.”
The maids kept talking, and with each word, Grace’s spirits sank lower.
‘Am I… useless here too?’
Since arriving at the castle, people like Dorota, Annie, and Rena had treated her kindly. She’d had good food and a comfortable bed.
She hadn’t sensed any hostility in this place, so overhearing the maids’ words came as a shock.
“Who told you all that?”
“It was Sally. She said she got assigned to serve that woman.”
Sally…
Sally was one of the maids assigned to attend to her. Unlike Annie or Rena, Grace had felt something was off from their first meeting. Sally had greeted her, but she barely spoke and her expression wasn’t pleasant.
Grace was reminded of how the servants at House Reinheim had treated her.
How they’d avert their eyes as if she were bad luck, how they wouldn’t come near her like even brushing sleeves would dirty them, and how they had ignored her pleas when she begged them to help Emily during her illness…
“……”
Suddenly, Grace’s heartbeat sped up. She clutched her chest and bowed her head. Her breath became labored, and a dull pain throbbed in her chest.
“Why did someone like her have to come to our Duke’s household?”
“No idea. I’m worried about what’ll happen next. It’s always the servants who suffer when they have a dumb master.”
“I really hope I don’t get assigned to her.”
“Seems like Sally really wants her to just go back.”
Too absorbed in their chatter, the maids didn’t notice Grace nearby and walked right past her.
Grace stared blankly at their retreating figures before slowly lifting her head.
Her breathing gradually calmed, and her heartbeat returned to normal.
“No… It’s not… the same…”
It’s not the same. She repeated it to herself.
Compared to House Reinheim, this place was far better. There were no abusive half-siblings here, and people like Dorota, Annie, and Rena were kind to her. This was the first kindness she’d received since losing Emily, her only family.
At the very least, no one in this household had shown her open hostility. The passing servants didn’t give her contemptuous looks or avoid her. Even Sally hadn’t dared to insult her to her face—she’d even acted politely.
And Duke Winstaine… she didn’t dislike him.
She had feared him deeply before coming here due to the awful rumors. But he was different. He had saved her life and didn’t scold her when she spilled food—he simply told the maids to clean it up.
“Have you calmed down?”
“When food spills, just have the maids clean it up like that.”
Though he wasn’t particularly warm or affectionate, his calm voice and the way he brushed off her mistake helped Grace regain her composure that day.
I need to be here.
The thought flashed instinctively through her mind. Just imagining going back to House Reinheim, as the maids had said, was terrifying.
They had ordered her to become the duchess, and now she had been rejected. Who knows what kind of punishment would await her if she returned—perhaps something even worse than before. So staying here was clearly the better option for Grace.
“Hmm…”
Grace took out a piece of candy from her pocket.
Among the many desserts at Winstaine Castle, she especially liked the candies. The crunching sound and texture when she bit into them were fun. She’d pocketed some during tea time and now took one out in the hallway.
She unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. As the sweet and sour flavor spread across her tongue, her mood lifted a little.
She walked out to the garden. After spending several days here, she had almost completely memorized the path to the back garden.
Grace enjoyed spending time outdoors. Unlike at House Reinheim, she could stay where she wanted, for however long she liked—she felt free here.
As she was circling the now-familiar garden—
“Can’t you do anything right?!”
An irritated voice reached her ears. Grace stopped walking and looked toward the sound. Two people were standing nearby with pruning shears. One was a grown man, the other a young boy.
“Your trimming skills haven’t improved at all. When are you going to do this properly?”
The man shouted, pointing angrily at the boy.
“Lazy kids like you should be kicked out immediately. Paying you is just a waste of the castle’s money.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do better from now on. I truly apologize.”
The boy kept bowing his head, apologizing over and over. Grace couldn’t look away.
Unquestioning apologies. A head hung low. Things she herself used to do instinctively.
“And why are you so slow? I told you to finish this section yesterday, didn’t I? Were you slacking off?”
“N-no, sir. I really worked without resting… I swear…”
“Then why isn’t it done? Unbelievable.”
Even Grace, who knew nothing about gardening, could tell the area the man pointed to was too large to be completed by one person in a short time. Yet the boy said nothing and kept his head down.
“If you don’t pick up your pace and improve your skills, I won’t pay you. Do better!”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“You’re so slow and incompetent—it’s driving me mad! How many times do I have to tell you?!”
The man’s rant showed no signs of stopping. The boy’s shoulders drooped.
The head gardener was cruel. He showed no restraint in using harsh words during training. He assigned too much work, and if it wasn’t done perfectly, he threw tantrums. He often threatened not to pay wages.
But that was the burden of working under him. Even the other gardeners worked in fear of his temper.
“People like you don’t learn unless it’s done the hard way.”
The man raised his hand high—it looked like he was about to slap the boy. The boy braced himself for the pain and squeezed his eyes shut.
“S-stop!”
But the pain never came. Instead, a voice unfamiliar to them rang out.
