“’This can’t be happening?’”

“Yes.”

The maid furiously nodded her head. One by one, the other maids stepped forward, quoting similar stories.

“I heard it, too. Those words.”

“I believe she would often say, ‘No way…’”

“I heard her, too. I heard her muttering that there was something wrong and that it couldn’t be.”

However, no one really knew the reason behind her words. That was the only strange thing the maids remembered. Yelena, lost in thought, dismissed the maids.

“This can’t be happening?”

What did that mean?

Even after listening to the maids’ testimonies, it seemed that all of the people who resigned had said that.

Yelena contemplated as she looked at the floor. Suddenly, she raised her head and said, “Abbie.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Abbie, who had been standing nearby, approached her.

“Can you prepare the following things by tomorrow? Firstly…”

***

Yelena took a deep breath to relieve her anxiety and touched the bracelet on her wrist. Finally, she knocked on the door of the residence.

“Duchess,” Incan said as she opened the door, looking down at Yelena with astonishment. Yelena lifted the bottle in her arms.

“I have a problem I’d like to consult with you about. Do you have a moment? It’s a little awkward to talk to you empty-handed.”

“…”

“It’s a rare wine.”

That wasn’t a lie.

Yelena carefully prepared a particularly expensive alcohol. It was expensive, strong wine. Incan glanced between Yelena and the bottle of alcohol in her arms and then stepped from the doorway.

“Come in.”

‘I heard you like alcohol. It seems like the rumors are true.’

Yelena calmed her accelerated heartbeat and stepped through the door that Incan had moved aside from.

Incan closed the door and turned around before speaking. “I think it’s too early to enjoy a drink.”

“Is it? But it’s a difficult issue to talk about without alcohol.”

Yelena placed the bottle of wine on a table on one side of the room and examined the room’s lighting.

It wasn’t very bright because it was early in the evening, but it wasn’t so dark that it was difficult to see. Yelena touched the curtains and asked, “Can I close the curtains? I prefer drinking in the dark.”

“… Sure.”

Yelena made the room as dark as possible, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

“You should sit down, too.”

At her casual invitation, Incan hesitated for a moment before sitting across Yelena.

“What kind of problem would you like to talk to me about?”

“It’s not a big deal. However, if it reaches the Duke’s ears, I’ll find myself in trouble,” Yelena said as she opened the bottle and poured it into a glass.

Incan offered to do it, but Yelena shook her head.

“But as you know, you’re the only one in the castle right now.”

“…”

“Apart from that, I also thought that you would be tight-lipped.”

Yelena pushed the full glass to Incan.

“If I’m wrong, please tell me now.”

“…”

Incan silently looked at the wine glass in front of him. He picked it up and emptied it in a single gulp.

“… Okay. What you say here today will remain here.”

“Thank you. I’m glad my eyes were not wrong.”

It was a relief.

Yelena grinned and pushed the bottle towards Incan.

Incan picked up the bottle and filled his glass.

Yelena picked up her glass and pretended to drink while pouring the contents onto her lap. On her lap was a thick towel that she had brought along with the wine.

The dim lighting in the room obscured her behavior relatively easily.

“The wine is very strong.”

“Good alcohol is strong.”

“Is that so?”

Even though Incan only had one drink, he seemed to be getting drunk already.

‘Was it that strong?’

Yelena moved the glass filled with the wine under her nose and sniffed it.

‘… It’s strong.’

She could tell just by smelling it.

‘Abbie, you gave me something really strong.’

She had asked Abbie to bring something strong, but it would be difficult for Yelena to drink a whole glass of this wine.

‘Please do me a favor: towel.’

Yelena pretended to get drunk as naturally as possible and clinked her wine glass with Incan’s.

Incan, who usually enjoyed drinking, seemed to like strong alcohol.

1. She’s saying that her judgment was not wrong.