I Start with a Bad Hand!

Agnes felt sweat slick her grip on the hem of her maid uniform. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, she quickly weighed her options. The servants’ staircase she had just ascended was right in front of her.

‘Is running away the best option right now?’

If it’s the duke’s servant, it would be more natural to respond to the question. Besides, the west warehouse is near the servants’ quarters, so it’s not strange for a maid to be wandering around here. Just respond in the usual manner. As she prepared to turn halfway around, she was interrupted.

“Why did a servant come out of the west warehouse? State your name.”

Damn. She hadn’t expected to be seen exiting the warehouse. Agnes kept her head down, staring at the approaching shoes. They were shoes from a renowned artisan, ones her brother had coveted but never managed to acquire, reserved for high-ranking nobles. This person wasn’t a servant. At best, a guest; at worst… a noble of the duke’s household.

“…Anne, sir.”

“Who ordered you to go into the warehouse?”

“That’s…”

Whose name could she give to get past this? What if they called that person to verify? Agnes imagined the worst-case scenario, which would be that only one of the gem or herself would return to Dietrich.

‘…Could I secretly swallow it?’

Without realizing it, Agnes was fingering the gem hidden in her pocket. Before a body search, this was the only way to hide it. The person was now standing directly in front of her.

“…Look at me. Lift your head.”

The voice, now tinged with a peculiar hesitation, was younger than she expected. What’s this? Caught off guard, Agnes slowly lifted her head and met the man’s eyes.

‘Oh, damn it.’

She cursed inwardly. It was the second son of the duke, Evan Elexion.

“…Wearing a wig and glasses… I didn’t recognize you from afar. You’re the friend who’s always with Lady Dietrich, right?”

Agnes stared at the second son of the duke with wide eyes. The faint moonlight in the dark corridor illuminated his silver hair.

‘Why isn’t he in the banquet hall but here…?’

Agnes remembered Dietrich mentioning the second son of the duke, whom she had once helped by the lake. Was this a stroke of luck? No, if he considered Dietrich and her as separate entities, it was still a dangerous situation. She tried to read Evan’s expression, but the backlight made it difficult to discern his face.

At that moment, a strange noise echoed from afar.

“Caw-! Caw-! Caw….”

It was Dietrich! Agnes knew instinctively. It was the signal to draw the guards as far from the west warehouse as possible. Evan turned his head reflexively toward the crow-like sound. He seemed to pause, staring at the source of the sound as if recalling something, giving Agnes a chance to make a break for it.

‘Run now and deny it later. Getting this gem to Dietrich is the priority.’

However, her escape was short-lived. Evan caught up to her effortlessly. Instead of interrogating her, he simply grabbed her and began leading her away. He glanced back at the source of the noise and spoke in a flat voice.

“…The servants’ staircase will be chaotic right now.”

This way. His lean but strong hand gripped her shoulder, guiding her in a different direction from the staircase she had used. He pushed her through a door she hadn’t noticed before. Despite her efforts to resist, she couldn’t overcome the strength of the duke’s second son.

‘Where is he taking me? Is this some kind of torture chamber?’

Evan glanced down at Agnes, whose body had stiffened with tension.

“…Close your eyes.”

I can’t let an outsider know about the secret passages in the duke’s mansion. With one hand still on her shoulder, he covered her eyes with the other, guiding her forward. His touch was surprisingly gentle, but this only added to her confusion.

Right, left, left, right, spinning directions. As she tried to memorize the turns, Agnes recalled Dietrich’s words.

“Hey, do you think the Grand Duke’s family is a joke? Do you think the Grand Duke’s family is something to be taken lightly? Outside the academy, you won’t be protected by the rules anymore. You can’t just go around causing trouble like you did with Aiden.”

Ah, what am I thinking? That advice is useless right now. Agnes tried to think of someone else. Perhaps the prince, who had done many surprise attacks and infiltrations into enemy territory, might have some useful advice….

“…You plan to pretend to be a servant in the duke’s house? Hahaha, ahahaha! If you want to save your life, go in there and don’t say a word. Don’t even think about acting, ha, ha!”

Not helpful. Agnes thought of Dietrich again.

“When it comes to life and death, loyalty doesn’t matter. Just say I ordered it. Whatever happens.”

Her steps slowed. Dietrich had insisted on that, but Agnes knew she could never say such a thing. In a reversed situation, Dietrich would never say that either.

After a while, even with Evan’s hand covering her eyes, she sensed the darkness around her gradually lightening. Evan didn’t stop walking. From the hard marble floor, to the cold stone floor, and then the sensation of grass beneath her shoes.

At some point, Evan removed his hand from her eyes.

“This is as far as I can help you.”

When she opened her eyes, she saw a small animal burrow hidden beneath the bushes. Agnes turned to look at Evan. Now that she could see his face clearly, the second son of the duke had a faint, enigmatic smile on his lips.

What does that smile mean? Agnes looked at the burrow warily. What could be on the other side? There could be people waiting with swords drawn. Or it might be too high to jump down, or there could be sharp traps….

Evan, noticing her hesitation, let out a light laugh. Then he bent down and opened the burrow to show her. Beyond it, there was a low hill. Agnes recognized the place. Over that hill, there was a spot where she could catch a carriage.

“I owe your sister a favor.”

Evan extended his hand with a gentle voice. After a moment’s hesitation, Agnes took his hand and climbed through the burrow.

***

“Again, you?”

As I waited with Icarus by the statue, it wasn’t long before Cedric and a group of guards came rushing over. Even from a distance, Cedric’s intense presence was palpable. Icarus stepped forward to intercept him first.

“It was an accident.”

Cedric’s brow furrowed, veins bulging, as he glared down at the smugly indifferent Icarus. Despite being blocked by Icarus, Cedric’s gaze remained fixed on me, his breathing heavy and unsteady. The eldest son of the duke asked Icarus through gritted teeth,

“For what reason… did the Prince,”

“There’s a rare statue here that I couldn’t even see in the palace. I was tempted to touch it and didn’t realize it was protected by a security spell.”

I shrugged as I watched Cedric. But then I noticed flickering lights in the distance. I thought all the guards had already come with Cedric.

‘What’s that…? Is that also Cedric?’

It was strange. As the lights drew closer, I saw another Cedric approaching with several knights. I turned to look at the Cedric in front of us, who hadn’t noticed the approaching lights yet.

‘…Are they creating clones inside the duke’s house or something?’

How else could there be two identical Cedrics? As I glanced back and forth between the two Cedrics, I couldn’t hide my confusion. The Cedric in front of me followed my gaze and slowly turned his head.

Cedric’s face began to relax as he noticed the approaching figure. His expression shifted from shock to a mix of anxiety and discomfort. I stood there dumbfounded, watching the other Cedric draw closer.

As the figure finally reached us and stood before me, I understood the situation. I couldn’t take my eyes off his face. He didn’t need to explain who he was; his distinguished presence spoke for itself. Everyone but Icarus and me bowed their heads in respect.

“…Father.”

Cedric spoke in a trembling voice. The sharp, aged eyes of Duke Elexion were fixed on me.