Chapter 93

Chapter 93

The person who opened the door and entered the room was the butler. Like always, he had gloves on both hands and a scarf wrapped all the way up to the tip of his nose. His appearance looked terribly hot, yet he himself wore an indifferent expression as if nothing was wrong.

“Your Excellency, someone from the Imperial Family has arrived. I’ve guided them to the drawing room.”

The butler stepped forward until he stood before the Duke and spoke.

“His Majesty is always so sudden. Understood. Tell them to wait a moment.”

The Duke answered in a tone that suggested mild annoyance. Meanwhile, I lifted my eyes to study the Butler’s attire. I couldn’t understand why he’d show up looking so strange when he wasn’t even sick with a cold. Just as I was worrying, *Is he breaking out in a rash or something?*—as if sensing my gaze, the Butler suddenly turned to face me.

“Ah, I see you haven’t left for the day yet, Young Lady.”

A faint smile touched his lips as he asked. I gave a small nod, about to confirm it, when suddenly the Duke cut into our conversation without warning.

“Clock out now, Laura. Today’s work is done anyway. And that document organization—excellent job. Thanks.”

It was an order to leave early. And for the first time ever, it was *because* I’d done my work well enough to earn it.

“Ah! Yes, sir! I’ll be going then!”

Joyful, I hastily packed up my things and hurried out of the office. Truth be told, I’d been worried the Duke might ask more questions about possession, so his dismissal felt like a timely escape. The Butler, who still had to deliver word to the imperial guest that they’d have to wait, followed right behind me.

“Will you be all right without an escort?”

He came up beside me and asked. He must have thought I’d be afraid to walk back alone. I appreciated the concern, but it wasn’t yet the time of night when ghosts usually appeared. So I shook my head in refusal.

“No, I’m fine. The sun’s not even fully down yet.”

“Is that so? I can’t see it myself, so I have no way of knowing.”

“I see you were worried. Thank you for your concern.”

“Not at all.”

He shrugged as if it were nothing. The movement made his thick scarf ride up and then settle back down. My eyes couldn’t help trailing to that seasonally inappropriate outfit once more.

“Butler, can I ask you something? Why are you wearing that scarf? Aren’t you hot?”

“Ah, this? It’s cat grooming day today.”

“So it’s because of allergies?”

“Yes. It itches when it touches my skin—no help for it.”

He seemed to take meticulous care of his cat. Doted on it so much I wondered how he’d ever lived without one before. He was even burning with the determination to overcome his allergies for it.

“No wonder its fur always looks so beautifully groomed.”

“The fruit of my labor.”

At my words, the Butler’s mustache twitched with pride. But it only lasted a moment—he slumped again, as deflated as if he’d swallowed a bellyful of water.

“……And speaking of that cat. I can’t seem to spot him anywhere today. I was certain he’d be by His Grace’s side.”

He quickly added a note of concern. Clearly the news about a guest had only been an excuse; his real purpose seemed to be searching for the cat.

“Shall I help you look for him?”

“For Nabi, you mean?”

“Yes. I finished early today, so I have some time to spare anyway.”

I’d only fallen asleep late in the early morning, so I was a bit drowsy, but finding one cat didn’t seem too hard. Besides, where could that little thing wander but around the mansion? This ought to be nothing.

“I’d be grateful. However, I must go greet a guest, so please begin looking. I’ll join you later.”

The butler gave a short bow of thanks. After that, I parted ways with him and started roaming around, searching for where the cat might be. But no matter how I looked, I couldn’t find even the tip of his tail. Instead, I only found Shion, playing hide-and-seek all by herself.

“Unnie, what are you doing?”

The child poked her face out from behind a large pot at the corner of the corridor and asked me.

“I was looking for the cat.”

“Cat?! I saw it! The cat!”

She shot one arm up high and shouted, as if showing off.

“Oh. Where did you see it?”

“I saw it playing in the library!”

Shion stepped ahead of me and gestured for me to follow. I trailed after the child, heading toward the library she’d mentioned. Following the corridor, we ended up arriving in front of the Duke’s study.

Meow— Meow—

The cat’s cries came through the slightly ajar door of the study. But it sounded a little different from usual. It was terribly loud, and almost like a scream. The thought that the cat might be in danger made me startle, and I immediately pushed inside.

The cat was rolling around beside the desk as if in a fit. Then it spotted me and began hissing with fiery anger. Suddenly the target of its fury, I felt quite dumbfounded as I stepped closer. Looking carefully, I saw that its claw had gotten caught in a parcel lying there, leaving it unable to move forward or back.

Meow—

The cat let out a hoarse cry. The whine, tinged with annoyance, seemed to say, ‘Why are you only showing up now?! Hurry up and save me!’

It was a good thing this cat was cute… because it had no manners at all.

“Alright. I’ll get it off you.”

I gripped the cat’s paw, trying to pry its claws out of the wrapping paper. Then, without thinking, I caught sight of the Imperial crest stamped on the package. It’d been on my mind lately—how the Imperial Family kept sending things. Right then, the cat yowled and swiped hard. The thin paper tore with a sharp rip.

“Huh? Hey!”

I yanked the cat toward me, but the package was already shredded. Through the jagged tears, I glimpsed a beautiful woman’s face.

“Unnie, what’s this?”

Shion came up beside me, pointing at the package.

“A portrait…”

“A portrait! Then who’s the unnie drawn here?”

“Hmm…”

I stroked my chin, pretending to think. Truth was, I already knew that face in my head. She was the woman who’d been surrounded by people at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, talking with the Duke. Looking back, I remembered she’d even taken my side when the women who trailed after the Duke tried to frame me.

“I don’t know her name, but she’s probably from a house Count-rank or higher.”

I answered, studying the face in the portrait closely. Honestly, I didn’t know for sure, but her bearing and manner had made her high rank obvious.

“Then why’s this portrait here?”

The child asked again. I swallowed a breath before speaking.

“I think a marriage proposal came in for His Grace.”

“What’s a marriage proposal?”

“Um… it’s an offer to get married.”

“An offer?”

“They send a portrait like this and say, ‘Will you marry me?'”

Right. I’d thought the Imperial Family’s contact had been too frequent lately.

The reason was the Duke’s marriage negotiations. The Imperial Family meddled in high noble marriages.

“S—so… my oppa is getting married?”

Shion’s eyes wavered. It wasn’t even about her, but she looked shaken.

“It’s up to His Grace. He could refuse. Or… maybe not.”

“No!”

She suddenly screamed. Then she started punching the portrait with her fists.

“What’s wrong, Shion?”

“Oppa is bad!”

“No. His Grace isn’t bad.”

“No! He’s bad!”

The child stomped her feet, then huffed and stormed out of the study.

“This kid…”

I hurried after her, still holding the cat. I nearly collided with the butler, who’d appeared at the doorway.

“Ah, Butler-nim.”

“So you were here.”

“Yes. I found the cat too.”

The moment I handed him the cat, it leaped straight into the butler’s arms, then nuzzled its head against his scarf. The little creature seemed utterly smitten with him. He must have treated it well—she could feel that.

“Um, but… The cat clawed at it, so the package from the Imperial Family got a bit torn. Is that alright?”

I watched them for a moment before hesitantly continuing.

“The package from the Imperial Family…? Have you seen its contents?”

He asked me with a somewhat flustered expression. Of course I had. The wrapping was completely shredded—I couldn’t help but see it.

“Yes. A portrait, right?”

“…Th-That’s nothing important. Just a formality.”

“I know that much.”

“And if a marriage proposal comes in like that, we can refuse it with a plausible excuse…”

The butler’s voice was thick with nervousness, as if he worried I might be bothered by the Duke’s potential match. But all I’d meant to mention was that the Imperial package got damaged.

“I know. It’s fine.”

I waved both hands dismissively.

“Um… I’ll head back now. I’m a bit tired—I want to rest.”

I gave a curt bow, then passed him and walked toward my room.

‘Of course I know that.’

Truth be told, the butler’s concern was unnecessary. At my age, marriage talk was to be expected, wasn’t it? I knew that much.

‘…I know, but…’

Still, I couldn’t help the sinking feeling. I’d never once blamed my low birth before, but this time, I resented it a little. It made me ashamed—and heavy-hearted.