Cecilia lowered her head slightly and turned around.

The maids and three knights from the grand duchy, including Benjamine, naturally followed her in the direction she was going.

After they disappeared around the corner of the hallway, only the people of Lagos Castle remained.

“Hoffman.”

“Yes, Milord.”

As Russell turned around, he said,

“Follow me.”

“Yes, Milord.”

Russell had many questions he wanted to ask Hoffman.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

In front of her bedroom door, Cecilia looked back at the people following her.

They were all the people who had come with her from the grand duchy.

It was strange that no one from Lagos Castle was present.

Cecilia wasn’t just a guest—she was the lady of the house, having married its lord.

‘I need to find out if the nanny is keeping them away or if the people of Lagos Castle are treating me coldly.’

After entering the bedroom, Benjamine grabbed Cecilia’s hands and massaged them.

“How cold you must have been. Your hands are like ice. Come sit on this sofa and warm yourself. What are you all doing? Bring a hot water bottle and some blankets for the Miss.”

At Benjamine’s command, the maids began bustling about.

Cecilia still felt chilly, so she obediently sat on the sofa as Benjamine led her.

Benjamine removed the vest that had been draped over Cecilia’s shoulders.

“What is this? Dressing the Miss in something that looks like a hunter’s vest?”

“It’s His Lordship’s. Make sure to keep it safe so I can return it to him later.”

“Ah… yes.”

Benjamine, with a displeased expression, set the vest aside.

She was quietly fuming inside.

‘Truly, the Grand Duke is too much. No matter how much he cares for the Miss, marrying her off into such rags is outrageous!’

Benjamine prided herself on having refined taste.

But everything in Lagos Castle seemed substandard to her.

“Nanny.”

“Yes, Miss?”

“Where is your room?”

Benjamine’s face lit up. She thought Cecilia was showing interest in her.

“My room is just down the hall to the left. If you call, I can come running right away.”

“And the rooms of the staff who came with us from the Grand Duchy?”

“They are all nearby as well.”

The fact that the servants’ rooms were placed near the madam’s bedroom was puzzling to Cecilia.

Was this meant as an insult, or was it a gesture of consideration?

“Did Lagos Castle prepare the servants’ rooms like that?”

“Oh, no. My room is the only one near here. The others are all in distant corners, far from your bedroom. How could those people possibly come quickly when you call? I had to strongly insist on having my room moved closer.”

‘So it was Nanny’s doing.’

Seeing Benjamine’s proud expression, Cecilia couldn’t help but smile to herself.

She realized something anew.

Benjamine was ignorant.

In noble families, not just anyone was chosen to be a child’s caretaker. They preferred either someone from a noble family or a commoner with experience and understanding of noble customs.

This was because children inevitably learn from those around them.

If Grand Duke Jericho truly cared for Cecilia, would he have assigned Benjamine as her nanny?

‘It’s easier to control someone who knows nothing.’

Everyone in the grand ducal household was in on it.

They all wanted Cecilia to remain just a pretty flower, a doll.

Cecilia had no memories of being forced to study or being scolded for her mistakes as a child.

That wasn’t a normal upbringing.

“Miss, here’s a hot water bottle.”

Benjamine placed the hot water bottle, handed to her by a maid, into Cecilia’s hands.

The hot water bottle, small enough to fit snugly in both hands, had been brought from the grand duchy.

It was a special waterproof leather pouch, wrapped in silk and embroidered with gold thread.

The more intricate the design, the more expensive it was.

But its effectiveness at keeping warmth wasn’t great.

Wealthy noblewomen often held these bags during winter walks as a way to flaunt their riches.

‘This must have been… a gift.’

She couldn’t remember who had given it to her.

She had received so many gifts.

After her second divorce and before her third marriage, Cecilia had spent several years at the grand ducal estate, living a life of luxury.