Morning broke. As always, I woke up to the noisy sounds of people moving around. The maid and Rebecca were already in the bedroom, waiting for me to wake up. Glancing to the side, it seemed that Terdeo had woken up earlier and left his seat. I always thought it was amazing how he would be up and ready before I even woke up.
"Good morning, Your Highness, the Duchess."
"Good morning, Your Highness, the Duchess!"
I got out of bed energetically, receiving greetings from everyone. But as soon as I sat up, I clutched my waist and frowned in pain.
"Ouch."
A stifled groan escaped me. My back hurt.
"Your, Your Highness, the Duchess. Is something wrong?"
"My back, it hurts."
Of course, it would be strange if it didn't. We ran around so much at the festival yesterday. Yesterday, Terdeo seemed to enjoy the festival as if he were settling an old score. My legs and back ached from all the intense running. I stretched my arms high, trying to loosen up my stiff body. Then I sensed something odd.
"What's going on? Why is everyone so quiet?"
It was as if they had all made a pact to remain silent, standing still and staring at me. I looked at everyone with a puzzled expression, and Rebecca, who was standing beside me, asked shyly.
"Your, Your Highness, the Duchess. Perhaps a warm bath to loosen up your body would be good?"
"First thing in the morning? Why?"
"Well, after a passionate night between a man and a woman, it's good to relax in hot water to ease the stiffness."
A passionate night between a man and a woman? Then I realized why everyone was looking at me with such a satisfied expression. I must have understood their misunderstanding.
"No, no! It's not like that!"
I hurriedly denied it, but no one seemed to believe me. One of the maids even left the room with a blush, saying she would prepare a warm bath. I was really embarrassed this early in the morning! I got out of bed, clutching my aching back.
"Stop talking nonsense and help me put on my dress quickly!"
Stop looking at me with such a satisfied and proud expression! Do I really have no say in this family? Rebecca, seeing my red face, ran over with a fan and started fanning me.
"Rebecca, did you have a good talk with your friend yesterday?"
I suddenly remembered that I hadn't heard how Rebecca was doing after playing with Terdeo until late last night. Rebecca shuddered at my question.
"Ah, yes."
But it didn't sound like she was fine. The word 'playboy' that Terdeo mentioned yesterday came to mind.
"Did that guy do anything bad to you?"
"What? No, nothing like that! It was just so awkward that I thought I would die. Honestly, I wanted to run away from the Duchess last night."
Rebecca shook her head with a gloomy expression. Well, it's natural to feel awkward when you meet an old friend after a long time.
"Did you two get along well when you were young?"
"Yes, we did. His mother was a commoner, and Lord Fortun kept him hidden. I don't think many people in the empire knew about him."
"I thought the Fortun family only had a daughter."
Now that I said it, it sounded strange.
"But you said almost no one in the empire knew? The Duke knew, right?"
"Well, the Duke might have heard rumors for diplomatic and political reasons."
Ah, that makes sense. I nodded, and Rebecca casually talked about her past.
"I helped him a lot when he was with other people. He was a fool who couldn't do anything without me."
What? Who? Adelius? I looked at Rebecca with a blank face. Rebecca, lost in her memories, was smiling faintly.
"That doesn't seem like him."
He wasn't unable to speak; he just didn't have much to say because he was so good. ...Well, he was different when he was young.
"Since he was chased away to a foreign country, I've only heard rumors and never seen him."
Rebecca muttered, shaking her head as if she didn't want to think about it.
"Ah, by the way, the items we bought yesterday will arrive today! If you have no urgent matters, would you like to try them on again later?"
"Sure, I'll do that. I have nothing planned for today, so I'll stay at the mansion."
Rebecca nodded happily and left. I headed to the dining room alone.
"Seems like the Laphireon family really gets along well."
"Huh? Why do you say that?"
"It's just unusual. Usually, the servants are all dismissed, and the family eats alone. Even the butler, Mr. Bah, said he didn't need to help during meals."
I felt a pang. I tried to maintain my composure at Rebecca's comment.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it's quite surprising to see such a close family!"
Well, it is unusual. In noble families, it's common to dismiss servants during meals.
"Then, Your Highness, the Duchess, I'll see you later!"
"Sure, see you."
After Rebecca left, I sat alone in the dining room. Terdeo and Selphius were not there, and only Finneas was sitting alone.
"Good morning, Your Highness, the Duchess."
"Good morning, Mr. Finneas. Did you have a good night? I don't see Terdeo or Selphius."
"Selphius woke up a little earlier and should be getting ready to come down. Terdeo... "
"Here I am."
Before Finneas could finish, Terdeo's voice came from behind me. I lifted my head to meet Terdeo's gaze, which was looking down at me. Thud. My head bumped into Terdeo's firm chest.
"Ouch."
Unlike me, who was aching all over, Terdeo seemed perfectly fine. Is this the difference in stamina? Terdeo turned his gaze to the butler and said casually.
"I'm skipping breakfast today. I have to leave urgently, so prepare the carriage. We're leaving right away."
"Where are you going without eating breakfast?"
At my question, Terdeo looked down at me with a slow, lazy gaze. His long eyelashes half-covered his red eyes, which were focused on my face. Terdeo stared at me silently for a while.
"I received a report that the location of the person who poisoned you has been identified."
"......!"
That bastard!
"Given how the traces disappeared without a trace, it might be a skilled individual or a group."
"What?"
"Based on my guess, it's not just one person but a group acting with the same motive."
Poisoning me... No, more accurately, planning to assassinate the Laphireon family, and it might be a group? I was taken aback.
"Do you remember the time when a journalist published a sensational article?"
"How could I forget?"
"The journalist also left no trace, just like now."
"......!"
"Is this a serious question?"
At my serious expression, Finneas asked hesitantly. I nodded intensely. I had even considered stabbing myself with a sword to see if I would die or not.
"Since you're having a conversation with me and eating breakfast, it's clear that Your Highness, the Duchess, is alive, right?"
"Then, is my blood the blood of a living person? Not a dead one?"
"Yes, it is."
Hearing Finneas's confirmation, I let out a sigh of relief. I wasn't a dead body after all.
"Did you have a bad dream? You seem quite shaken. Should I get you some calming medicine?"
"No, I'm fine."
If medicine could help, I would have already taken all the good ones. Finneas looked at me with concern. Well, it's natural to look shaken after asking such a question. Just as I was thinking of an excuse, Selphius appeared in the dining room, wearing the Delphine Academy uniform and walking awkwardly to his seat.
"Selphius! Wow, it really suits you."
"Selphius, you look beautiful."
Selphius, blushing, turned his head away at our compliments.
"It's just the same uniform. What's there to suit or not?"
He sounded annoyed, but his red ears betrayed his true feelings.
'You really are cute.'
"Is the Duke not here yet?"
"Terdeo had to leave early today because of some business."
"Ah..."
Selphius let out a small sigh, a mix of disappointment and relief. After Selphius spat blood, Terdeo strongly opposed his enrollment at the academy, insisting on sending him to the countryside or keeping him at the mansion. I understood his concern for Selphius, and I couldn't easily argue against it. I had even regretted keeping Selphius here when I saw him spitting blood. But Selphius remained firm. He argued that if he had to leave because of the blood, then everyone in the cursed family should do the same. Moreover, he said he couldn't be a successor if he was trapped in Terdeo's shadow. He wasn't wrong, but Terdeo was stubborn. I was at a loss on how to persuade him, but an unexpected ally helped resolve the situation.
'Terdeo, you were the same when you were young. When you were confined.'
'......'
'You wanted to go out, and Lord Gloria allowed it. That's why you grew up so well.'
'......Uncle.'
'Can't you see what Selphius needs by remembering your own childhood?'
Terdeo, who had been confined in his youth, understood Selphius's feelings better than anyone. Thanks to Finneas's thoughtful persuasion, Terdeo finally allowed Selphius to enroll.
"From now on, Mr. Finneas will take you to the academy every day and pick you up when it's over."
"I'm not a child."
"Still, we want to do this for you."
Selphius pouted but didn't refuse. He glanced at me a few times but didn't ask anything. I could take him, but I didn't want to run into Dodorea. I was still getting invitations from her almost every other day. I didn't need to meet her in person to give her an excuse to invite me to the palace.
'I'll spend the day leisurely at the mansion, maybe read some books.'
I rested my chin on my hand and looked out the window at the sunny day.