“Does she seem unwell at all?”

“No, from what I saw, she seemed fine.”

Hoffman summoned the maids who had carried the bathwater to the madam’s bedroom in the morning.

He was growing slightly concerned, as Cecilia hadn’t left her bedchambers in nearly three days.

It would be a major issue if the madam fell ill while the lord was away.

“Since she’s up, she’ll probably want to eat something. Go tell the kitchen to prepare a meal.”

The maids exchanged glances without answering.

“What?”

“Would we be allowed to prepare it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well… the nanny…”

“You mean the Elder Missus. You should address her as the Elder Missus. Don’t make that mistake.”

“Yes, Hoffman. The Elder Missus has been preparing the Madam’s meals herself for the past few days, and no one else has been allowed in the kitchen.”

“…The Elder Missus is cooking herself?”

“It doesn’t seem like it. She brought the maids from the Grand Duchy with her to the kitchen and told us to leave.”

Hoffman frowned slightly, then relaxed.

“If she wants to personally take care of the Madam’s meals, just let her. As long as she’s not preparing our meals as well.”

“Yes, understood.”

After the maids left, someone knocked on the door a little while later. When Hoffman answered, Helen entered.

“You heard, didn’t you?”

“The situation in the kitchen?”

“That, but also about the girls who prepared the bathwater. They said they couldn’t attend to the Madam at all.”

“Perhaps the Madam still feels more comfortable with the people she’s used to.”

“How long will she keep doing that?”

Hoffman shrugged his shoulders.

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Then what about the maids set aside to assist the Madam? How long should they wait around? As you know, we’re short-staffed at the castle. It’s only been a few days, so no one’s complained yet, but soon people will start grumbling. Either hire more staff or do something to fix this.”

Hoffman sighed and nodded.

After Helen left, another knock came at the door shortly after. A soldier entered, carrying a cage with a carrier pigeon, and bowed.

“Hoffman, there’s a message from the Ewen Merchant Guild.”

“Oh, really? Let me see it quickly.”

The soldier removed the letter from the pigeon’s leg and handed it to Hoffman.

“Damn it…”

Hoffman sighed as he opened the letter.

It was a reply saying it wouldn’t be possible to send the furniture any sooner.

“Hoffman!”

The door burst open as the aide rushed in.

“The Madam has gone missing!”

“What do you mean, missing!”

“I don’t know. The Elder Missus is in an uproar. She says the Madam isn’t in her bedroom.”

Hoffman was about to stand up when another soldier came running in.

“Hoffman!”

“What now?!”

“His Lordship is returning. He’ll be entering the castle soon.”

Hoffman’s expression brightened. It felt like he could finally breathe.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

Cecilia, after leaving her bedroom, began walking without any particular thought.

‘I’ll meet someone if I keep walking.’

In the grand duchy’s castle, there were guards stationed in every section, and there were always maids cleaning window sills or stair railings in sight.

When she was younger, she had tried to sneak out to explore the outside several times but had never succeeded.

She expected Lagos Castle to be similar.

However, Cecilia soon noticed a difference.

‘There’s no one here. It doesn’t seem like they’re maintaining the place properly.’

For the seven grand duchies that ruled the continent, their castles were not just symbols of their power but a way to display their influence. They were always being cleaned, and whenever possible, new wings were added. Every year, a significant budget was spent on maintenance.

Lagos Castle, however, felt neglected.

Yet, surprisingly, it didn’t look shabby.

Instead, it had an antique charm, showing the passage of time.

‘They say this used to be an imperial palace. The scale is definitely different. The ceiling is so high…’

She looked up in awe.

The entire ceiling was covered in relief carvings.

It was the epitome of opulence.

The grand duchy’s castle had nothing like this.

‘It looks like it’s telling a continuous story…’

As she walked, still gazing at the ceiling, she began to piece together a rough idea of the story in her head.

‘It seems like mythology, but I don’t recognize it at all. Could it be an unknown tale?’

Suddenly, she sneezed.

Shivering, she crossed her arms over her shoulders.

Caught up in her exploration, she had returned to reality, now aware of the cold.