Chapter 1

“Duchess Walten must be coming late again today?”

Kathleen stopped as soon as she was about to enter the garden where the tea party was being held.

“She is an esteemed figure. How could she not come today?”

“Not esteemed. Is there anyone who doesn’t know where she’s from?”

“Still, since her husband is a member of the Imperial Family, she must think that she is different from us.”

It started with the voice of a lady with a clearly sarcastic tone and was then followed by murmurs as she set her teacup down. Kathleen turned slowly and looked up at the clock tower in the central garden.

She was definitely not late.

“Madame, do you want to go in?”

The butler, who didn’t recognize the lady standing in front of the garden, asked. Kathleen stopped and hesitated for a moment, biting her red-painted lips.

‘I have to go in…’

She had to attend this party for her husband’s reputation. She very well knew she had to, but she couldn’t dare go in.

“She gained status with her body, but would she have thick enough skin to show up in a place like this?”

Kathleen’s heart felt as if it was being stabbed by the voices of the noblewomen as they gently cut a cake with a silver knife and criticized her as if she were nothing. However, she clenched her teeth and took shaky steps.

“Oh my! Duchess of Walten.”

“Y-You’re here!”

Everyone panicked and their complexion turned blue as if they had seen a ghost.

Kathleen tightly gripped her white lace-gloved hands. As she watched them quickly standing up trying to make space for her, she spoke in a low voice.

“You’ve made great effort in sending me an invitation, but unfortunately, something urgent has come up. I’m afraid I won’t be able to spend much time here. It’s quite unfortunate.”

“R-Really? Did something happen?”

“…Yes. I’ll send you an apology soon. Then, goodbye.”

It was a place where no one would welcome her anyway. As she thought this, Kathleen quickly turned around.

“Phew, that’s a relief. I sent her an invitation out of courtesy, but I was surprised to see that she really came here today.”

Even though she hadn’t left yet, the gossip that followed eventually forced her to get on the carriage she had used to come here.

“Let’s go back.”

“Yes, Madame.”

She wondered what the coachman would think of her today. He had to assist the Duke’s wife who was unable to adapt to the social world. Kathleen closed the window of the carriage and leaned against the seat.

Kathleen Walten.

Kelly was her name before marriage…

A cunning woman who hid her identity and worked as a maid for the Duke.

Everyone said she was lucky to marry the Duke of Walten who inherited Imperial blood.

‘At first, I thought the same way.’

For the first time in her life, she was afraid of missing the precious opportunity she had been given.

Little did she know that this opportunity was like poison that would corrode her to pieces.

“Madame, we are here.”

“Great, thank you.”

Kathleen quietly got off the carriage and entered the front door.

The sun had already set.

“Madame, the Master is back.”

Emily hurriedly ran to her and whispered as Kathleen handed over her shawl.

Kathleen nodded and asked, “Where is he?”

“In the bedroom, Madame. But…”

“Okay.”

Emily seemed to have something to say, but Kathleen didn’t listen. She entered the bedroom right away without changing out of her clothes.

“Duke.”

A tall man sitting on a chair turned, he checked her clothes then frowned as if he didn’t like it. He approached her in an instant.

Kathleen looked up at him.

“Where did you go? Dressed like that.”

He wondered if they laughed at her as she was dressed in clothes that didn’t fit the Duchess’ power and status.

Her nervous heart shook her resolve. Instead of answering his question, Kathleen managed to bring up the words she had practiced over and over again.

“I want to say something.”

“What is it?”

“I want to leave.”

Kathleen quietly watched as her husband’s face distorted.

“That’s funny.”

His cold eyes refused at once.

“Why should I allow it?”

“I wasn’t asking for permission.”

Kathleen only realized as she was saying goodbye.

That night’s mistake was made by Kathleen Kelly, not Alex Walten.

“I’m not coming back.”

The golden eyes, which had always looked at her coldly, grew bigger. As if he never expected it.

Why?

Kathleen couldn’t understand.

***

A year ago.

The Duke of Walten, who was said to have tried to rebel, was killed by Hopewell who then took over the Duke of Trivelian. Hopewell was deemed a hero.

However, not all of Walten’s maids thought so.

“Yesterday, he touched a 13-year-old who just came in.”

“Oh my god! A kid again?”

“That’s right.”

“But how could he do that? Isn’t the new Master already over 40?”

“That’s why everyone’s going crazy! Oh, my. Who would have imagined that? I didn’t know that a person who was supposed to be so gentle and generous, unlike a noble, would have a preference for a child who is the same age as my daughter.”

Rumors quickly spread among the maids. So although Kathleen usually worked alone, she was able to hear quite a few stories about her new Master.

“I can’t believe such a person is a hero.”

As she heard the maids’ chatter, Kathleen stood up as it was time to go and bring water to the new Duchess’ room.

The child the Duke touched yesterday was a maid who was staying in the room next to hers, so she felt worse, and eventually, the water from the kettle shook and spilled. Kathleen was forced to go to the well.

“Haa, it’s cold.”

The well in the middle of winter was quiet. Kathleen placed the kettle down and bent her back to throw the bucket in the well.

“Who are you?”

“Aah!”

A man’s voice came from behind her. Kathleen was so startled that she lost the bucket and dropped it into the well.

“Lord, Lord-”

Looking behind her, she saw a red cloak, which was only permitted to be used by the Empire’s only Duke. Her eyes suddenly became dizzy.

“Why are you so surprised?”

The Duke of Hopewell had a big smile. Kathleen was confused and knelt down on her knees. A lot of dirt stuck to her skirt, but she didn’t even have time to think about it.

“Why are you drawing water alone at such a late hour?”

“That is.”

“Huh? Tell me.”

The Duke of Hopewell came closer and ran his finger across Kathleen’s jawline. She got goosebumps at the white fingers that touched her skin. Kathleen trembled and she avoided his gaze.

“The Madame wanted water to be prepared for her to drink at night…….”

“Oh, you’re a kitchen maid.”

Is there no one around to stop the new Master? Kathleen looked around desperately, but not even the chief maid nor the butler, let alone her fellow maids passed by.

‘It won’t be. I’m twenty-one.’

They said that the new Master only liked young maids. She recalled all the rumors that had spread so far, and there had been no one over 14 years old.

“I usually like young buds that have yet to bloom. However, you are a little different.”

The new Master’s hand tried to brush through Kathleen’s collar. Kathleen barely resisted screaming and stopped herself.

“You must not do this.”

Whether it was the cold wind or fear, she kept trembling. Her teeth were clenched and there was an unpleasant sound.

“What?”

The new Master’s face contorted.

“Are you daring to disobey your Master?”

“No, no. It’s not that.”

“If it’s not a rejection, then take off your skirt immediately.”

She hated it.

No matter how much money her Master had paid her to work, Kathleen did not want to comply.

“Right now!”

The new Duke growled. Kathleen’s eyes heated up and her tears fell.

“This b*tch!”

When Kathleen didn’t move, he became furious. He drew the long sword strapped to his waist.

“Aah!”

“You dare reject your Master when you’re just a maid? Does that mean you don’t recognize me as a Duke?”

“No, my lord. Please, spare me!”

It was scary.

She had never been afraid of her former Master, the Duke of Walten, who was rumored to be bloodthirsty and ran wild on the battlefield, as she hardly ever met him. However, the new Duke, who was said to be gentle, was terribly terrifying.

Kathleen trembled as she looked down at the sharp blade that touched her neck. She could feel pain as the forged blade cut through her soft skin. She closed her eyes because she thought her throat would be cut off right away.

“Master!”

However, someone ran up to her, stood in front blocking her, and knelt on the ground.

“Master, please spare her!”

It was Emily.

Her roommate who had been working on a shift all night, who loved saying she had a day off, knelt at the Duke’s feet in her stead and begged.

“What’s this, another b*tch?”

“I am this child’s friend. Please forgive this child’s rudeness. Please please…….”

“This is ridiculous. One ignores the Master and one blocks the Master?”

Whush.

It happened in a blink of an eye. A flashing long sword cut through the sky with the voice of an angry man.

“Ahh! No!”

A decapitated neck rolled onto the white snowfield. Hot liquid splashed across Kathleen’s face.

“No…no!”

Her screaming voice was so unfamiliar that she wondered if it was her own. Kathleen staggered and tried to run to Emily. However, the Duke with the long sword was not so generous.

“Where are you going?”

Shhhk.

A sharp blade flashed through the cold air. Kathleen lost strength in her legs and collapsed.

“Roll up your skirt now or die at my hands.”

She clenched her teeth. She hated it. She didn’t want to follow either of the two he suggested. Kathleen trembled as she stood up. She then turned around and ran to the well.

“What are you doing!”

The angry voice of the Duke of Hopewell could be heard, but Kathleen did not hesitate. She threw herself into the well.

Plop!

The well water was so cold that the chill penetrated deep into her bones. The strong shock made her head ache. As her body gradually sank into the dark water, Kathleen slowly closed her eyes.

Then, suddenly, her eyes opened.

‘Ugh!’

The cold disappeared in an instant, and warm air enveloped her body. Kathleen took in a deep breath and lifted her body up.

“This, how did this happen?”

She threw herself into the well, and when she opened her eyes, she was in a room. Kathleen looked around frantically. She had been lying down and was covered in an old but cozy blanket

Outside, she could hear crickets chirping. Kathleen hurriedly opened the door and came out.

‘It clearly snowed yesterday which should have already piled up.’

The evening wind was also strangely cool. It was frustrating. When she saw ragged carpets in the hallway, she moved closer and tried to find the traces of snow.

But the carpet was clean and dry with no traces of wetness.

How did winter suddenly turn into autumn? Had she been lying unconscious for nearly a year?

She didn’t understand. Kathleen went back to her room and looked at her diary. Today’s date that she had written in her journal was September.

Kathleen was shocked and came out again. She looked around everywhere. It was only after she went through the entire castle that she finally realized.

She went back in time.

She returned to the time before she died.

Tears welled up. God must have taken pity on her and brought her back to life.

Kathleen knelt to her knees in the castle’s backyard, overjoyed.

‘Thank you. Thank you so much!’

She didn’t know how it happened, but she returned from death. Kathleen wiped the warm tears from her eyes and stood up to go find Emily.

“Hck!“

She heard a strange noise from the small room in front of her. It was mainly used as a warehouse in winter, so it was left empty.

“Someone might hear.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already sent the other servants back.”

Bright moonlight shone through the small window. A man and a woman panted as they held each other. The door they leaned against rattled.

As she said, there was no one in the backyard. There were no maids, servants, or the butler. There was only one person, Kathleen.

“Hah, nanny…!”

The man’s low voice was clearly audible.

‘If it’s the nanny’

The former Master, the Duke of Walten, was the Emperor’s illegitimate son, who had lost his biological mother at an early age. Despite the Empress’ persecution, the nanny, who raised him from an early age, was favored by the Duke of Walten and recently even received the title of Baroness.

She had never heard of her having a lover, but it was not something necessary for her to know as she was nothing more than a kitchen maid. Kathleen decided to stay silent and pretend not to know. As she was about to go back to her room…

“What will happen to His Excellency?”

“By now, the dr*g would have already started working. It’s a very powerful dr*g, so I’m sure.”

“But what if he really dies?”

“That person is going to let it slide. After all, the Duke of Walten has no children, and we must take care of his property before it goes to the Imperial Family. That’s how we can live together, don’t you think so too?”

The nanny raised her voice and laughed as she panted, her breath filled with satisfaction.

Kathleen remembered the red blood dripping from the white snow, and her whole body froze.

If he dies and Hopewell becomes the new Duke, Emily will die again. She had nothing more to think about. Kathleen turned and ran towards the old Master’s bedroom.