CH 86

Elysia was so shocked to hear that she had to live in the outer castle that she couldn’t say anything and just blinked her eyes. Why all of a sudden?

“What…?”

If she hadn’t looked outside yesterday, she wouldn’t have been so surprised.

However, the outer castle that she visited yesterday was hardly a place where people could live. She even wondered if it was the way to the dungeon and was glad she didn’t scream, ‘to live in that spooky place now?’

“Why… do we have to live in an outer castle?”

Her eyes went white when she was told to leave the main castle and move to such a place. Was it because of Damon’s orders? If that was the case, she understood because she originally expected to live in the villa or the outer castle.

…What was this now?

“Should I go from today?”

Even if she had to pack from today, it was possible. There was nothing of her in the Grand Duke’s castle since it was all the things Damon gave her. The only thing that belonged to her from the beginning was a box.

She had nothing to pack.

“What?”

“I only have one box, so I can go right away.”

“Your Grace? I think you’ve misunderstood something…”

Elysia had never thought that the things Damon gave her were her own. She knew she had to give it all back when she left the castle. She had nothing of her own.

“As I said, Madam is not the only one living in the outer castle.”

…She was not the only one who lived in the outer castle?

“Then?”

“Master also resides in the outer castle.”

Even Damon lived in the outer castle?

When she first heard about it, Elysia was so startled that she couldn’t hear it. Of course, there were some things that made her think she should go. She didn’t know if she was alone though it didn’t make sense for Damon to go, too.

“The Grand Duke…?”

Gradually she couldn’t understand what Julia was saying. The more she listened, the more she felt like she was falling into a labyrinth… Or did the original Damon prefer the outer castle? Was that why his office was also located outside?

“It’s because of the castle’s construction.”

“Construction?”

She wouldn’t have to move the room she was staying in unless they were undergoing construction to tear down and fix the entire castle.

“Yes, stair construction.”

“Ah…”

“I also reported to His Grace the other day… I think you don’t know.”

While she had heard of stair work, Elysia just didn’t know it would happen so quickly.

Damon had said that he would fix the stairs since she almost fell, so fixing the stairs was a welcome addition to her as well. It was stressful for her to hold people’s hands every day while going up and down the stairs.

“I think you will probably have to live in the outer castle from tomorrow.”

“I see, thank you.”

It was surprising that she wasn’t kicked out. At this point, they should have sent her somewhere… Oh, was it because the founding party wasn’t over yet?

“Ah, Julia, I have another question.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Apparently, Damon said that Julia had been with the Grand Duchy the longest, but Julia wouldn’t have worked until the previous Grand Duke. Even if she asked what she wanted to ask, it seemed that she would get an answer.

Instead, Elysia wanted to know whether she would attend the Grand Duchess’s affair internationally.

“The founding party.”

“Yes.”

“Is there any record of the founding party in the Grand Duchy?”

Clearly, Damon said there were no records left, although she didn’t know. It was a record about the Grand Duchess, so Julia, the chief maid, could have known.

“Which record are you talking about…?”

“Anything is fine. Especially if it’s a record about the Grand Duchess, it’s better.”

He said he didn’t know, yet there seemed to be instructions from the servants… especially for the head maid and the butler. It was the servants who got tired when they broke the family rules. There must be something passed on between them, even by word of mouth.

“For now, all I know is that the Grand Duchy has nothing to do with the founding party. During the foundation party, the Grand Duchy is quiet as usual.”

The Grand Duchy was the only quiet place in the empire during the festive founding party. At the time of the founding party, people of all ages and genders were excited.

“That’s why all employees are careful during the founding party. They can’t make a mistake or enjoy the festival.”

“Can’t the employees enjoy it, too?”

It was the first time she had heard of this. Even the maids shouldn’t bring up the story of the founding party… that was how they pretended they didn’t know?

Even in the County, everyone enjoyed the period of the founding party. Elysia had heard countless boasts of the maids she worked with. There was only one person in the County who couldn’t enjoy the founding party.

It was her.

“Yes. So, in order not to make a mistake, once you enter the Grand Duchy, you will be educated in advance from that point on.”

…Was enjoying the founding party a mistake?

During the founding party period, even the most nasty masters released their servants because there was no way to stop the festival that everyone enjoyed since it was a period of free play for everyone, regardless of status.

Although it, of course, did not belong to her.

Nonetheless, there was a reason. The Countess did not like Elysia to rest a little or even to smile a little. Even if it was the founding party, of course, she couldn’t let her be comfortable, so Elysia became the only person in the Caitlin family who was not entitled to enjoy the founding party.

“Why… it doesn’t matter if the maids enjoy it.”

“That’s the Grand Duchy’s rule.”

They had the right to enjoy it, whoever they were, whatever the situation.

However, the Grand Duchy shouldn’t show it off… It was strange, but it was too strange. It felt like erasing the founding party itself. There was no way this would have happened otherwise. They seemed desperate to erase it somehow.

“Then… of course, the grand duchesses must have never attended.”

“I don’t know. Shall I look for some records or something?”

Elysia now realized that Julia was lying. Even the servants in the house were not allowed to enjoy it, so there was no way the Grand Duchess was present. It was just words to reassure her that was going to attend the founding party this time.

“Yes. Thank you.”

Why did the Grand Duchy want to erase the founding party?

She couldn’t understand the reaction to act as if it had never happened. Obviously, the first Grand Duke made a great contribution to the founding of the empire, but he then pretended not to know about such a commemorative event…?

Usually, it was not enough to boast widely about their achievements.

“Your Grace has nothing to prepare when you go to the outer castle. We will prepare everything. If there is anything else you would like to bring, please let me know.”

“Hmm… I don’t think there is anything. We’re coming back to the main castle anyway, right?”

“Yes.”

How long would the construction take? It was only fixing the stairs, so it wouldn’t take long?

“Since it is a stairway, how long will it take?”

“I think it will take about a week. We decided to fix not only the stairs but also the very old ones.”

Well, there were too many things to do around the castle. There are so many that it’s hard to list them all.

“For now, it will take ten days.”

“Yes, but is there a place to stay in the outer castle?”

“Yes, don’t worry, we’ve cleaned the room.”

She didn’t think cleaning the room would do anything… they just had to change the castle itself. It was a problem from the beginning. As long as Elysia lived in the outer castle, it seemed that she would not step out of the room. It would be a disaster if she even lost her way.

“Because the founding party is ten days away… You should prepare there.”

That was why she thought it would finish within a week since it would be convenient to prepare in the main castle. When she suddenly remembered that there were only ten days left, Elysia became anxious. While she had nothing to prepare for, she couldn’t stop being nervous.

“Yes. So, that’s why the Grand Duke asked to go to the dressing room with Your Grace tomorrow.”

“Dressing room?”

“Yes, to get your party clothes tailored.”

Tailor clothes again…?

Her clothes were overflowing in her closet. Among them, of course, were party dresses… or was it to tailor Damon’s party clothes?

“The closet is overflowing with clothes.”

“It is an important party. Usually, at every party, everyone gets a new dress.”

Nonsense. So, when was she going to wear all that overflowing dress? She still couldn’t wear them all…

Thinking that the dress would continue to get more in number, Elysia opened her mouth as she couldn’t quite keep her mouth shut. If this kept up, the Grand Duke’s castle would be overflowing with her dress.

Before that, Damon seemed like he could buy a new castle. Her life with him was short, but she got a sense of who he was.

“He must be busy… I’m okay.”

When she heard that she was visiting the dressing room with Damon, Elysia shuddered inside. She didn’t know what rumors would circulate if he and she were to visit. There would be a lot of nonsense about them getting along.

Above all, it was difficult to be certain if he would not cause trouble in the dressing room. Elysia wanted to avoid even the slightest possibility.

“And I don’t feel like I need a new one.”

It was a waste to tailor another one with an already overflowing dress, and she was afraid to go out with Damon. The only thing she was okay with was meeting within him the Grand Duke’s castle. Even just going to the greenhouse made her tremble so much…

There was no way she could go out with him.

“He said to go to the jeweler, too.”

“…To the jeweler?”

Julia acted like she hadn’t heard her. Seeing that, she guessed what kind of order Damon would give.

Still, going to the jeweler, Elysia was surprised again. The Grand Duke’s castle wasn’t just overflowing with dresses. Currently, there were also so many gems that she didn’t even know where all of them were…

“Since you are also attending a party for the first time… it’s better to pay attention.”

But even so, when Julia said that, she couldn’t refuse.