IGJDW 18

Chapter 18

Evelyn reflected on how she had already lost her initial resolve and added politely,

“Well, at first, I was startled by how extravagant it was, but I think it’s a wonderful place. Thank you for preparing it for me.”

“As a husband, it’s my duty to provide a residence for my wife, so there’s no need to thank me,” Seth replied, his tone slightly curt.

While his words left no room for argument, Evelyn felt awkward and unsure of how to respond. Seth, who had been watching her squirm, finally spoke.

“Eve, I’m willing to give you anything you want—jewels if you want jewels, clothes if you want clothes. Whatever you desire, I’ll get it for you.”

“What?”

Was this the same man who had just told me to run ten laps around the training grounds?

As Evelyn stared at him in disbelief, Seth smiled faintly.

“On one condition—you must stay here quietly.”

Wow, what an easy condition. Truly.

Unable to hold back any longer, Evelyn asked,

“Your Grace, are you planning to lock me up here?”

“No, not yet.”

“…?”

His latter words were slightly unsettling, but at least for now, it seemed he didn’t intend to imprison her.

So why was he acting this way?

“I want you to stay here because it’s dangerous outside, and I have many enemies.”

“But isn’t that why you hired me? To deceive your enemies?”

“No, all you need to do is live here as my wife.”

His voice was firm, like a blade cutting through any argument. At that moment, Evelyn recalled what the King had said.

“Seth brought you here because I ordered him to find someone to fill the position. He wouldn’t have brought you to use as a shield.”

Suddenly, Evelyn felt her shoulders sag.

‘If all I’m doing is filling a position, then it doesn’t have to be me, does it?’

It could have been anyone they picked off the street, and they would’ve done just as well.

Perhaps Seth chose her for the same reason—because even a clueless slave could handle the role. It wasn’t a job that required her specifically or any special qualities she might have.

“Eve?”

Seth called out to her, his voice gentle, like soothing a child. It was moments like these that made her misunderstand his intentions. Sighing inwardly, Evelyn asked,

“Then how long do I have to stay here?”

After a brief silence, Seth answered heavily,

“All the problems will be resolved within two years.”

“Two years…”

In some ways, it was a good opportunity. She could relax and do nothing for two whole years.

‘But that’s not what I want.’

Evelyn wanted to be helpful to Seth. She wanted to repay his kindness and be acknowledged as someone indispensable.

She had already spent ten years locked away in a basement, and she didn’t want to spend another two years doing nothing.

“Your Grace, I haven’t given up yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I’ll prove how capable and useful I can be.”

She couldn’t afford to be disappointed just because he didn’t recognize her worth right away. Special positions had to be earned through effort.

Seeing her clench her fists in determination, Seth asked playfully,

“And how do you plan to prove that, young lady?”

“Well… that…”

She would have to start by running ten laps around the training grounds.

Watching her deflate, Seth laughed.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“Huh, okay!”

She had expected him to scold her to focus on what she was told to do, but his words of encouragement made her heart race.

However, her excitement quickly faded. As they climbed the stairs, Seth pointed out the window and said that the training grounds were over there.

The training grounds, located across the lake, were massive even from a distance.

It looked big enough to host simultaneous soccer and basketball games with room to spare.

…Maybe I shouldn’t even try.

Suddenly, Evelyn’s confidence began to waver.

***

A few days had passed since Evelyn moved into Seth’s residence.

During that time, she had conveniently postponed running laps around the training grounds and instead found a new hobby. She explored the area around the house, mapping out where everything was.

Seth’s residence was so vast that calling it a palace didn’t feel like an exaggeration.

Originally, the place had been a royal hunting lodge, but after one of Seth’s ancestors achieved great military success, the King had essentially thrown it at him as a reward.

The name “Freesia Palace” was said to have been chosen with little thought, something along the lines of, “Oh, you killed a lot of people in Freesia, so let’s call it Freesia Palace.” The King at the time must not have had much creativity.

Fortunately, Seth didn’t stop Evelyn from wandering around the palace grounds.

Even when she got lost in the maze garden, he didn’t scold her and came to rescue her several times.

However, after seeing her repeatedly getting stuck in the same spot, he tied pink ribbons to the trees to guide her—a gesture that Evelyn found mildly offensive. She had wanted to navigate the maze on her own.

“Let’s see—where should I go today?”

Evelyn pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. It was a map she had drawn herself. While it only marked the general locations of things, it was quite useful in a house with six gardens.

“…Young Lady! Young Lady!”

Just as she decided to head south, she heard someone calling her from a distance.

“Oh, isn’t that Anna?”

Anna was one of the maids assisting the head maid in taking care of Evelyn. Normally calm and composed, Anna’s hurried approach gave Evelyn a bad feeling.

“Young Lady! There’s a problem!”

“W-What is it?”

“The moving-in rice cakes you ordered—oh, the moving-in gifts!”

“Oh, the moving-in gifts? What’s wrong with them?”

Seeing Evelyn’s alarmed expression, Anna quickly shook her head and said,

“No, it’s just that the chamberlain brought them over himself.”

“What?!”

Evelyn had been preparing a special event to celebrate her move to the new house.

It was a tradition to distribute moving-in rice cakes to neighbors as a way of introducing oneself and asking for their favor.

Not that Evelyn was particularly attached to Korean customs, but it was an excellent way to make a good impression.

‘I need recognition! Recognition!’

Right now, Evelyn desperately needed attention and support.

This was her way of resisting Seth’s attempts to turn her into a mere decoration. It was also preparation for the inevitable confrontation with Larisa Moore in the future.

‘When the fight breaks out, I’ll need as many allies as possible.’

With that in mind, Evelyn had scraped together every penny she had.

A total of 5,200 gold.

Of that, 5,000 gold had been confiscated from the slave trader who had sold her. While she had tried to return it to Seth, he insisted that it was her ransom money and refused to take it.

The remaining 200 gold came from her monthly allowance. Seth gave her one platinum coin each month as pocket money, which she had saved up since she didn’t have much to spend it on.

With the funds secured, Evelyn had compiled a list and placed the order. She was now waiting for the completed samples.

She hadn’t expected the chamberlain to intervene at this point.

‘Did I overspend? Or is he here to scold me for being wasteful?’

While Seth wouldn’t care if she threw money around, the chamberlain, who managed the Duke’s household finances, might feel differently.

“Young Lady, please don’t run like that—you’ll trip!”

At Anna’s warning, Evelyn stopped herself from running in a panic.

Right. There was no need to panic. She had convinced the head maid of the necessity of the moving-in gifts with her eloquence.

She would face this situation head-on, armed with logic and persuasion!

***

The chamberlain chuckled softly, saying,

“I hope this old man hasn’t inconvenienced you by occupying this space without permission.”

At the sight of the chamberlain sitting in the drawing room with a gentle smile, Evelyn’s confidence shrank rapidly.

‘Mom, there’s a sly snake in my room.’

She looked toward the head maid for help, but the maid could only give her a helpless look. Evelyn quickly sat across from the Chamberlain and put on a bright smile.

“Of course not. You’re always welcome, Grandfather.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

After some hesitation about how to address him, Evelyn decided to call him “Grandfather.” Fortunately, he seemed to like it, as his face lit up with genuine delight.

In truth, this old man was the real power behind the Duke’s household.

He had once served as the royal chamberlain for both the King and her predecessor, but for some reason, he had suddenly retired to become the chamberlain here. He was an elder among elders, a man so esteemed that even the King couldn’t treat him lightly.

‘Compared to him, I’m a total novice. Better not overstep.’

Summoning all her humility, Evelyn engaged in polite small talk with him. When she felt the timing was right, she cautiously asked,

“Well, may I ask what brings you here?”

“Ah, yes. I heard that you ordered this.”

The chamberlain said, placing a white box on the table. Evelyn, trying not to show her nervousness, maintained her cheerful smile.

“Yes, I did. Where I come from, there’s a custom where people moving into a new home share food with their neighbors as a way of introducing themselves and asking for their goodwill.”

“Is that so? What a wonderful custom.”

The chamberlain nodded with a kind smile.

Was this the prelude to criticism?

Evelyn braced herself, her gaze sharpening, but then the box was gently pushed toward her.

“I thought you might want to see the finished product, so I hurried to bring it to you. Please, open it.”

‘Wait, he’s not here to scold me?’

Evelyn hesitated, watching him carefully, before slowly reaching for the box.

The lid of the box, crafted from white wood, featured a rose design. While there had been suggestions to embellish it with mother-of-pearl or gold leaf, Evelyn had opted for a simpler, more natural look, requesting the design be branded onto the wood for mass production. The result was elegant and beautiful.

When she opened the lid, she found four items resting on a red cloth inside the box: a glass jar of sugar candies, a tin case of tobacco leaves, a jar of ointment for wounds, and a bottle of liquor.

While these items had been common in her previous life, they were considered rare and expensive here.

The sugar candies, in particular, were a luxury item. With sugar being so costly, it took three days of constant rolling to make them, which naturally drove up the price. Evelyn couldn’t help but feel like she’d been cheated out of her money, even if it was for something as trivial as candy.

“Pardon me, but did you personally select these items, Young Lady?”