Chapter 50. The Confessed Maid
The Confessed Maid
"The bed... is too big and cold for just one person..."
His fiancée Rachel gazed at him with an intense look, pouring her heart into her words, but Lucian's reaction was entirely unexpected.
"Hmm... Should I get you a heating magic orb? Baron Richard's heating system must be lacking."
"No, that's not what I meant!"
Frustrated, Rachel took a step closer.
"Couldn't we warm it up with body heat instead?"
At this point, it was practically the same as saying, "Hold me right now."
But Lucian only nodded with a serious expression.
"Hmm... Rachel, perhaps you're not getting enough exercise if your body gets cold so easily. No matter how busy you are, you shouldn't skip daily workouts. And exercise needs to become a habit. Even missing a single day can lead to muscle loss—"
"I do walk for exercise!"
Rachel, thoroughly annoyed by Lucian's sudden fitness lecture, stormed out of the room.
What she needed right now wasn't a personal trainer—it was a beast who would ravish her.
"You... you clueless, dense idiot!!"
She could only stomp her feet in frustration before throwing a pillow across the room.
No matter how many times she tried flirting, the results were always the same.
She couldn't understand how Lucian could be so oblivious to a woman's feelings yet still have so many women in his arms.
In the end, nothing happened, and time passed uneventfully. Lucian and his entourage soon departed for the northern territory of Count Eckhart.
Watching the carriage grow distant, Rachel bit her lip.
This can't go on. If I keep waiting like this, I'll grow old and die before anything happens.
Their roles had reversed entirely.
Once Lucian returned, he would undoubtedly be tangled up with the countless maids in the castle—not to mention Sophia, who was always by his side. Now that she knew the reason behind his excessive libido, she couldn't just sit around like a fool, guarding her chastity alone.
Rachel rushed to her office and grabbed a pen.
She had made up her mind—she would use her father's (Baron Richard's) name as leverage.
A few days after arriving at the Count's estate, Lucian received an urgent message from Rachel.
To my beloved Lucian,
I hope you arrived safely.
I spend each day waiting for the moment I can see you again.
I apologize for bringing this up so soon after your return, but my father's pressure has become unbearable.
Because of the repeatedly delayed wedding, he has begun to believe you have no real affection for me.
And now... a marriage proposal has come from another ducal family in the capital. He is seriously considering it.
But my heart belongs only to you... Yet I cannot defy my father. There is only one way to stop this.
We must move the wedding forward. The preparations will be rushed, but... if we do not hold the ceremony within [one month], I may be sold off to another man.
Please... save me.
Yours, Rachel.
"What?! Another marriage proposal?!"
Lucian slammed his hands on the desk and stood up.
The trauma of his past fiancée's betrayal resurfaced. He couldn't bear the thought of losing the woman he loved again.
Moreover, House Eckhart was currently suffering from severe financial difficulties—they desperately needed the support of Baron Richard's family, the wealthiest in the south.
"Maria! Expedite the wedding preparations immediately! We have one month! Everything must be ready within a month!"
Lucian's shout sent the entire castle into a frenzy.
They had just returned from a grueling two-month journey to Kurkan, and now another major event? It seemed Lucian was never destined for a peaceful life.
From that day on, every single person in the castle was busy preparing for the wedding.
"Lay out the red velvet here! That chandelier still has dust on it!"
The Eckhart estate had turned into a battlefield—not of swords and blood, but of silk and floral scents.
Every available hand was mobilized.
The main hall was scrubbed from ceiling to floor. Every window was polished until it gleamed like crystal, and the marble floors shone like mirrors.
Gardeners bent their backs planting rare flowers imported from the south, while dozens of chefs in the kitchen experimented with banquet dishes, filling the air with mouthwatering aromas.
Tailors took up residence in the castle, sewing new uniforms even for the servants. The storerooms overflowed with the finest wines and ingredients.
This was on a completely different scale from the debutante ball earlier in the year.
This was a grand celebration befitting the union of the most powerful military family in the north—House Eckhart—and the wealthiest family in the south—House Richard.
[The Maids' Gossip]
During a rare afternoon break, the maids gathered in the lounge.
Though exhaustion was evident on their faces, their mouths never stopped moving.
"Goodness, have you seen Lady Rachel's dress? It must have hundreds of diamonds sewn into it. It's like a walking jewelry box."
Head maid Maria clicked her tongue while rubbing her shoulders. Though she was putting on a show of exhaustion—uncharacteristic for her—she couldn't hide her sour mood. Despite knowing that nothing would really change, the thought of the master she had shared the most intimate moments with becoming another woman's husband left her with a bitter taste in her mouth.
"The food is no joke either. I tried a sample cake yesterday, and it just melted in my mouth. Do you think we'll get to eat some on the wedding day?"
Ari's eyes sparkled with excitement. She had already concluded that even if the Count married, his insatiable libido would still require her services. She was thoroughly enjoying the wedding preparations, convinced that even Lady Rachel would understand—his needs were simply too much for one woman to handle.
"Tch. Typical noble extravagance. Still... you can tell the Count is putting a lot of effort into this. Lady Rachel is lucky."
Ella (Victoria) feigned cynicism, but her envious gaze betrayed her. She, too, had once dreamed of such a wedding—back when she was still a noble lady.
Lili was also present, quietly nibbling on cookies in the corner.
Though she had been with the Count once during the succubus Bella incident, she wasn't officially a retainer maid who had gone through his personal selection.
Since that day, the Count had been too busy to seek her out, and Lili found herself stuck in an awkward limbo—neither his woman nor just an ordinary maid.
By the window, I-seo sipped her tea silently, her dark eyes passively observing the castle's bustling activity. Though she appeared detached, her mind was solely occupied with thoughts of the experiments she wanted to conduct with the Count once this hectic period was over.
And then there was Nancy—who, contrary to her usual boisterous self, sat with her chin resting on her hand, staring blankly into space.
Her mind was filled with memories of last night behind the stables.
"Miss Nancy... Will you marry me?"
"...Give me time. Just one month."
The rough hands of the guard captain, his earnest gaze.
Her heart had sunk when he mentioned that the Count had tacitly approved.
But why did it have to be one month?
That was the same day as Lady Rachel and Count Lucian's wedding. By then, she felt she would finally have her answer.
Am I... really such a terrible woman?
She had hesitated instead of giving an immediate answer to the man who had risked his life for her.
But she needed to be sure—of her own feelings, and of the Count's words.
To soothe her restless heart, Nancy stepped out into the garden.
In the distance, she spotted a familiar silhouette walking from the training grounds.
"Huh? Captain!"
She instinctively raised her hand to wave.
The man who had stubbornly promised to wait for her. Seeing him might ease her tangled emotions.
But then—
"Hahaha! Really? I had no idea."
Someone was walking beside him.
Kara, the new squad commander they had brought back from Kurkan.
Her sun-kissed skin, toned muscles, and sharp warrior's gaze exuded a rugged charm.
The two were chatting casually as they walked.
Though it was just a conversation between comrades, the usually stoic guard captain was laughing.
The same man who was always like a stone statue around others—now grinning openly in front of this unfamiliar woman.
"......"
Nancy's hand froze mid-air before she quickly turned away.
Seeing him so at ease with a woman who was her complete opposite made something inside her twist.
Are all the men I like like this?
Even though she knew the captain wasn't that kind of man, a single tear welled up as she retreated to her room.
From that day on, Nancy lingered around Lucian under the pretense of work.
Carrying tea, cleaning the halls—she hoped his gaze would linger on her.
That he would either stop her—"Don't go"—or coldly dismiss her—"Just leave."
It was the same situation as before.
But Lucian was far too busy.
Between financial troubles, territory management, and wedding preparations, he barely had time to breathe. Even when he saw Nancy, he said nothing.
Then, one afternoon, they crossed paths in the hallway.
"Count..."
Nancy called out without thinking.
Lucian stopped and looked at her. Those red eyes—the same ones that had once burned with desire for her.
But now, there was no hunger in them.
He seemed to read the hesitation in her wavering gaze.
Yet he said nothing.
He didn't stop her.
He didn't push her away.
Instead, he offered her a faint, bittersweet—yet tender—smile before walking away again.
Ah...
Nancy stared blankly at his retreating figure.
That smile was his silent answer.
I'll let you go. Be happy.
But instead of relief at being freed from her master's possessiveness, she was overwhelmed by the loss of no longer being his
"special maid."
Perhaps the truly indecisive one wasn't either of the two men—but herself, wavering between them.
[Images: 368-376]