FCHTIB Chapter 36

36

'Waaah…?'

Railey was baffled by Jennifer's sudden shift in behavior.

After all that childish nonsense, she was now politely apologizing?

'What's her angle?'*

Railey narrowed her eyes and asked.

"What do you mean by your rudeness earlier?"

"I mean when I tripped you… and when I said disrespectful things. Also, for continuing to act rudely, I sincerely apologize."

"……"

To her surprise, Jennifer was calmly listing all the wrongs she had done.

Of course, Railey wasn't going to just accept those words at face value.

'The only reason Jennifer has been able to act so arrogantly as the Grand Duke's daughter's maid must be because she has someone powerful backing her.'

Railey didn't know the full story yet, but it was reasonable to assume that Jennifer's past behavior had gone unpunished because she had at least the implicit approval of the Grand Duchess.

Now, to see such a dramatic change right after visiting the Grand Duchess?

That made it highly likely that Jennifer had been instructed to act this way, or was following a deliberate plan.

Having reached that conclusion, Railey responded politely but cautiously, not wanting to let her guard down.

"Thank you for saying that. I won't make an issue out of it either."

"Thank you for your generosity, Lady Railey. Is there anything I can do to make up for my rude behavior?"

"……"

Can a person really change so drastically in just a few minutes?

At this point, it was basically announcing "This is a trap!" out loud.

Obviously, Railey wasn't foolish enough to fall for that and ask for anything.

"I'm fine. Since you are the maid attending to Her Ladyship, the Grand Duke's daughter, I just hope you take good care of her."

Instead, Railey subtly pointed out Jennifer's previously arrogant attitude toward her own mistress.

She thought Jennifer might snap back, but surprisingly, Jennifer simply nodded with a sincere expression.

"Understood. I'll do my best to serve Lady Aidelica."

"Yes. Then, if the chance arises, let's meet again…"

As she turned away from Jennifer, Railey couldn't shake off the strange feeling.

If she had the nerve to act so shamelessly, why did she resort to childish tactics like tripping someone?

'Well, that's not important right now.'

When she arrived at the lounge, a servant respectfully guided her.

"Please wait here for a moment."

"Alright."

She was told to wait until the carriage that would take her back was ready.

As soon as the attendants left and she was alone, Railey whispered so softly it was barely audible.

"…Are you there, everyone?"

Then, as if in response to her will, colorful little fairies appeared before her eyes.

[Thanks for calling me, thank you!]

If it was a fairy living in the Grand Duke's estate, there was a good chance it knew a lot of information.

But there was one problem, getting answers from the fickle creatures in a short time was difficult.

So Railey asked quickly,

"Would you be willing to follow me?"

[Yay! I want to! I want to go! I'm going!]

The fairy spun in circles around Railey, thrilled as if it had been waiting for her to say that.

It had been a bit of a gamble, just trying it out, but it worked, thankfully.

When she was younger, Railey once went out on a trip, and a fairy from that area followed her.

So she had hoped the same would happen this time too, and it seemed like her instincts were spot on.

Of course, there was no guarantee that this fairy would answer her questions properly…

But it was still better than doing nothing.

A servant then approached and said respectfully.

"Everything is ready. Please come this way."

"Yes."

As she began walking through the corridor, the fairy flapped its wings and followed her closely.

With a faint smile, Railey moved ahead, but then, she suddenly felt something strange.

It was the sensation of someone's gaze, sharp and prickling against her skin.

The feeling was coming from the direction of the garden, beyond the colonnade.

She turned her head on impulse, and froze in surprise.

A jet-black baby fox was staring at her from a distance.

'Could it be… Young Master Serge?'

Her husband, who was supposed to be quietly at home, what was he doing here?

Railey was completely taken aback.

***

Railey wasn't the only one startled when their eyes met.

'But I'm using a perception distortion… Why is she staring right at me?'

Perception distortion.

It wasn't magic from the Magic Tower, but a unique technique used only by beastfolk with demonic blood.

The technique didn't just make someone invisible, it erased their presence entirely.

No aura, no sound, no scent, nothing that would even suggest something existed there in the first place.

It was one of the more convenient techniques only usable in beast form, unless his mana was unstable and he lost control, he could use it at any time to hide.

So why was his wife looking right at him, as if the spell didn't affect her?

'Did the spell break somehow?'

But there were no signs of pheromone overflow, and he could feel the magic still holding firm.

So then what was the issue?

To confirm, Serge moved through the bushes to test her reaction.

If her gaze followed him, it would be proof that the technique didn't work on her.

But before he could be sure.

The maid guiding Railey seemed puzzled by her sudden pause and asked.

"Is something wrong, my lady?"

"Ah… I just thought the garden looked really beautiful."

The maid casually glanced toward the garden.

Naturally, to her eyes, there was no sign of a "black fox" or anything unusual.

"The gardens at the Grand Duke's estate are very well-kept. Would you like to take a quick look before you leave?"

"No, it's alright. Everyone's probably waiting, I should head back."

"Yes, then…"

Railey and the maid began to walk.

From that moment on, Railey didn't look back in Serge's direction even once.

'Was it… just a coincidence?'

Serge tilted his head slightly, then quickly started to run.

If he wasn't home by the time his wife returned, she would think it strange.

So, for now, he decided to keep his suspicions in mind, and get home before she did.

***

Meanwhile, Railey, following the maid, also tilted her head slightly in thought.

'Was that not Young Master Serge? Did I imagine it?'

When she glanced back toward the garden a moment ago, there was no sign of the black fox.

Maybe it was just a trick of the eyes, or perhaps she had mistaken some other black animal for Serge.

'Still… I should be more careful going forward.'

From what she remembered in the original story, the beastfolk had access to unusual techniques.

Some of them could only be used in animal form, and there were even instances where they intentionally transformed just to use those spells.

She couldn't be sure that what she saw earlier was actually Serge.

But if they happened to meet like that again…

'It's wiser to pretend not to notice.'

Whether they were using beastfolk abilities for spells or sneaking around, Railey decided she must maintain the stance that she knew nothing.

'Let's act like I didn't even see the tip of his tail, better to live like a blind person.'

***

Back at the northern wing of the estate, Jennifer returned and greeted formally.

Aidelica nodded and asked.

"You're back, Jennifer. Is my mother doing well?"

"She was resting and I couldn't meet her in person, but I was told by the attendants that she's feeling much better."

"I see. By the way, Lady Elestine has already gone home."

"Yes. I ran into her on the way back and exchanged greetings."

"Good… I plan to read until dinner. You should get some rest too."

"……"

Jennifer almost immediately wanted to refuse the Grand Duke's daughter's suggestion.

She wanted to ask whether Lady Elestine had said anything rude, use that as an excuse to probe into what kind of conversation the two had.

'…!'

But no words came out of her mouth, against her will.

It was because of an order so deeply ingrained in her mind that it had taken root in her subconscious.

"I'm fine. Since you are the maid attending to Her Ladyship, the Grand Duke's daughter, I just hope you take good care of her."

"Understood. I'll do my best to serve Lady Aidelica."

That one statement, Railey's words, had instilled such a powerful compulsion in her that her body now moved in obedience to it.

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🍓; *What's her hidden motive or true intention?