IGJDW 13

Chapter 13

Evelyn, after some hesitation, pulled the cord hanging beside the bed. She knew it was meant to summon a maid, but this was the first time she had actually used it.

A short while later, a maid appeared with a look on her face that seemed to say, ‘What? Did someone like you dare to call me?’

What’s with her? Do I look like someone who snuck into the palace with a fake identity?

‘But right now, I’m a guest!’

And not just any guest, but a special one personally invited by the King herself.

Evelyn didn’t flinch under the maid’s gaze and asked,

“Do you know where the Duke is right now?”

The maid frowned as if to say, ‘You called me just for that?’ Still, perhaps finding it hard to ignore the question, she answered curtly.

“He is staying in the reception room.”

Thankfully, it seemed Seth hadn’t abandoned her and left entirely. Relieved, Evelyn smiled brightly and said,

“Then could you please let the Duke know that I’ve woken up?”

“Her Majesty has already informed him. There’s no need to tell him again.”

“Oh, I see.”

As Evelyn nodded absentmindedly, she suddenly felt an unpleasant gaze. The maid was openly smirking at her, as if mocking her.

‘Ah, is this the moment when I’m supposed to feel hurt?’

But Evelyn, who was used to being neglected, wasn’t fazed by something like this. After all, Seth had left her in an empty mansion for a whole month right after hiring her. Compared to that, being ignored for a few hours was nothing.

‘Now that I know where he is, I can just go find him myself.’

Back at the mansion, she had waited quietly because she didn’t know where Seth was. But now that she knew, there was no reason to stay put.

Evelyn quickly scanned her surroundings. She was wearing thin pajamas, and her dress and shoes from earlier were nowhere to be found. In the end, she had no choice but to ask the grumpy maid for help.

“I need to go out right now, but the clothes I came in are missing.”

“I’ll look for them.”

“If you can’t find them, just bring me anything I can wear right away.”

“Understood.”

The maid replied curtly before spinning on her heel and leaving the room. Evelyn craned her neck, waiting for the maid to return. But even after an hour, there was no sign of her.

Evelyn pulled the cord again, but this time, no one came.

‘What’s going on? This is way too much effort just to mess with me.’

If Evelyn reported this to the King, things would get awkward for the maid. So what gave the maid the confidence to act this way?

‘Did someone order her to stop me from leaving?’

Puzzled, Evelyn shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, not having clothes doesn’t mean I can’t go out.”

After rummaging through the room, Evelyn found a bathrobe and put it on over her pajamas. She also slipped on a pair of indoor slippers and boldly stepped out of the room. Then, she began running down the hallway, opening every door she came across.

“Duke!”

“Where are you?”

“Come out!”

“Are you here?”

But every room she opened was empty.

‘I have a bad feeling about this.’

Evelyn immediately quieted her movements. She had a hunch that making any more noise would be a bad idea.

One thing was clear: Seth wasn’t on the same floor. If she wanted to find him, she’d have to search downstairs.

‘I bet there’ll be guards down there.’

Evelyn crept down the stairs and peeked around. Sure enough, the tops of two knights’ heads, complete with swords strapped to their sides, were visible below the railing. Startled, she quickly retreated.

‘There’s no way I can sneak past them.’

Of course, getting caught might not be a big deal. But if someone really didn’t want her to leave, things could get serious. Worst case, she might be dragged back to her room and locked in.

After some thought, Evelyn returned to her room and opened the window. Looking down, she judged the height to be about the same as the second floor of an apartment building.

‘If I jump carefully, I think I can make it.’

If she had sneakers, they would absorb some of the impact, but her slippery slippers made her hesitate. Slowly, she stuck one leg out of the window.

‘If I stretch my legs as far as possible before letting go, it won’t be that high.’

Fortunately, Evelyn was as light as a child, thanks to years of living with an empty stomach. She figured that even if she fell from a height, she wouldn’t get seriously hurt.

“Here goes nothing!”

As expected, she easily managed to hang from the window ledge. But no matter how far she stretched her legs, the ground still seemed far below.

‘Should I just close my eyes and jump? Or climb back up?’

As she wavered, shifting her body slightly, a thunderous voice startled her.

“Eve!”

“Ahhh!”

Startled, Evelyn lost her grip. Her body plummeted, only to land in someone’s arms.

“What are you doing?”

Seth growled, his hair slightly disheveled as if he had rushed over. Evelyn blinked up at him with wide eyes.

“Wow, when did you get here?”

“…”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. This wasn’t a s*icide attempt—I was just trying to escape.”

She waved her hands vigorously to explain, but Seth, who had been glaring at her, spoke in a flat tone.

“I didn’t think you were trying to kill yourself.”

Then why was he so angry?

As Evelyn stared blankly, Seth sighed.

“Anyone would be alarmed to see their fiancée hanging from a second-floor window.”

“It wasn’t that dangerous. I checked above and below before jumping.”

“…Next time, don’t jump. Call me instead.”

“Huh? Would you actually come if I called?”

Startled, Evelyn asked, and Seth let out a low chuckle.

“If my wife calls, of course, I’ll come.”

“Really?”

Wow, what a great employer. The future of this Kingdom seemed very bright.

While Evelyn marveled, Seth set her down and took off his coat to drape it over her. She didn’t refuse and wrapped it tightly around herself. The bathrobe alone had left her feeling a bit chilly. While the coat had seemed like a half-coat on Seth, it practically felt like a blanket on her.

“This is so light and warm. Aren’t you cold, Duke?”

“I don’t feel the cold.”

Seth replied as he buttoned up the coat for her. Evelyn had hands of her own, but it seemed Seth saw her as a child incapable of doing it herself.

‘Or maybe he sees me as a mischievous puppy.’

If a dog jumped from the second floor, it was only natural for its owner to be shocked. Evelyn decided to forgive Seth for being angry.

‘Looking at someone handsome always brings peace to my heart.’

Without his coat, Seth’s lean figure was on full display. The tailored clothes emphasized his slim waist and long legs. Evelyn found herself wondering who had designed them.

Unaware of her admiration, Seth extended his hand, saying it was time to go. Evelyn took it without much thought, her indoor slippers making a soft squeaking sound as she walked.

Hearing the noise, Seth picked her up again. Evelyn, now used to it, shifted into a comfortable position in his arms.

“So why were you trying to jump from the second floor?”

…It seemed the interrogation wasn’t over yet.

Sighing at her employer’s persistence, Evelyn confessed.

“I was trying to escape and come find you.”

She recounted everything she had experienced, including what the King had told her and the maid’s rude behavior. Seth listened silently as he carried her.

Soon, they arrived at the garden.

The vibrant space, adorned with flowers and statues, was filled with men dressed in black, standing in orderly rows. Even the horses standing beside them were black, adding to the somber atmosphere.

On the opposite side, a group of women stood in stark contrast. Among them, Evelyn spotted the maid who had been rude to her earlier.

The men silently saluted Seth, while an older woman from the group of women hurried forward.

“Duke, what is the meaning of this? You know men are not allowed in the Lily Palace. How could you bring knights here?”

“My fiancée fell from a window.”

The woman, who had been about to argue further, clamped her mouth shut like a clam at Seth’s words.

Seth continued speaking slowly.

“She said she opened the window out of frustration when no maid came to her, and her hand slipped.”

Evelyn quickly leaned against Seth, feigning weakness. The older woman turned to the maid, her gaze demanding an explanation. The maid’s face turned pale.

“This is unacceptable. I deeply apologize. Is the young lady hurt…?”

“By the grace of the gods, she isn’t seriously injured. But she’s shaken, so I’ll be taking her with me to care for her. Please convey my thanks to Her Majesty for her hospitality.”

“W-wait a moment!”

But Seth turned and headed for the carriage without looking back. The men blocked the older woman from following.

Once inside the carriage, Evelyn asked worriedly,

“Is it okay to leave like this?”

“It’s fine.”

Seth replied firmly and closed the carriage door. Moments later, the carriage began to move. Evelyn tried to look outside through the opposite window, but the curtains blocked her view. Giving up, she turned to Seth.

“Do you think that maid will be punished harshly?”

“Are you worried about her?”

“Well, I kind of want her to get scolded, but I’d feel bad if it’s too severe.”

“The head maid, Fiona, is quite strict. That maid won’t be dismissed, but she’ll cry her eyes out.”

“Oh no, poor thing.”

Evelyn quickly covered her mouth, but Seth’s sharp eyes caught her expression.

“Eve, even when you cover your mouth, your eyes are still smiling.”

“Ugh, can’t you just let this slide?”

As Evelyn scolded her oblivious employer, the carriage suddenly slowed down. An all-too-familiar face appeared near the window.

It was the senior knight who had helped her beat up the slaver.

“My lord, there’s an unknown figure following us. What should we do?”