In a spacious room with a rough estimate of 60 square meters was a luxurious wooden bed with silk blankets, colorful tapestries that adorned the room’s walls, and the finest chandelier that could only be hung on a ballroom was hung in the room.
This was the room that Rexid gave me when I returned from signing the contract.
As I was always busy making a living by swindling, I wandered here and there and was always a temporary resident, so seeing the cushion of the finest bed, which was unfamiliar, enraptured me.
Lying on the bed like a stuffed bear, I happily appreciated the sparkling jewelry ring on each of my fingers.
“Do you like it?”
Rexid, who was leaning loosely over a distant armchair, asked with a pathetic expression.
I answered promptly.
“I love it. You should’ve kidnapped me earlier.”
As I was heading out of the safe, I picked up all the jewels I liked.
I put it all on my body as much as I could…
By the time I left the safe, with a bit of exaggeration, I was in a state where I couldn’t even walk properly because my whole body felt heavy.
In addition to the ring, a heavy necklace decorated with pearls, diamonds, and ruby was hung around my neck.
It was said to be the treasure of the royal family that Rexid received in return for defeating the rebels of the Small Kingdom in the northernmost part of the continent.
“If you want anything else, tell me. I’ll go there with you.”
“Wow…”
What kind of feeling should I say was the most similar to this situation?
Yeah, I felt like I was carrying an unlimited VVIP card and occupying the department store by myself.
A department store with no missing countless products, and all of them were worth the prices, but you don’t have to pay.
Isn’t this how you feel when you go out with the owner of the department store…?
At this point, I could say it was more like a treatment I received for being unfairly kidnapped.
Well… it’s not something I received for free anyway.
“But what am I supposed to do right now?”
“Let’s talk about that after we eat.”
“Come to think of it; I’m hungry.”
“The chef’s skill is fine. Let me know if you have food you particularly prefer. For a month, you must have eaten nothing but the tasteless food in the prison camp.”
As soon as Rexid finished what he said, there was a commotion outside the door.
“You don’t even know if the food will be to her liking or not, it’s too excessive. Listen to your mother.”
“But still, don’t you think I’ve prepared just the right amount needed for the gathering?”
“This is the right amount? I’ve never seen such a large amount of food.”
The voice of an elderly middle-aged woman and the voice of a younger man were alternately heard.
Perhaps because the voice was loud, Rexid slightly frowned and said,
“Don’t whine and get in here.”
“Yes, Master!”
Soon the door opened, and a pair of men and women showed their faces.
A middle-aged woman with a warm impression and a man wearing a kitchen apron each pushed a trolley with food and entered.
The eyes of the two-headed towards me, who just woke up after lying in bed.
The two looked at me for a long time with a surprising look for some reason. In the long silence, I tilted my head awkwardly first.
“Hello.”
“Oh, my… hmm, our Young Master finally…”
With eyes full of gratitude, the woman shut her mouth and stared at me for a long time, then ran to the seated Rexid and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Look, young master! If you live zestfully, there comes a day when you can greet such a beautiful woman as your bride!”
“No, what, what are you saying, Masha? Ah, Haven’t you heard from Owen yet?”
An employee who makes a fuss hitting on the owner’s shoulder. Somehow it was an awkward picture, but Rexid, who called the woman Masha, seemed to have a familiar relationship with her.
“Just a month ago, he was stubborn, saying he wouldn’t meet girls nor get married!”
“It’s my first time seeing you, but you’re beautiful, Lady!”
Past the bickering Rexid and Masha, the man who seemed to be the chef approached me.
“I’m Marco, the chef in charge of the mansion’s meals. Would you please give me the honor to kiss the back of Lady’s hand?”
“Nice to meet you, I’m… um….”
….Is it Viper?
My gaze, which was hesitant about how to introduce myself, glanced at Rexid.
He was also looking at me.
I was alone from the time I was born, and I might have borrowed someone’s stomach to be born. Everything I told Rexid on my way here was a lie, but the one thing that was not a lie was that there were no parents who named me.
I didn’t really want to be called by a specific name, so I changed my alias and lived…
But right now, I can’t think of any name to introduce myself, so I was hesitating-
“Rosika.”
Rexid answered in my stead.
His expression, from giving me a strange name, was bitter for some reason. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
‘Is it a name with a story behind it?’
“Yes, that’s right. It’s Rosika. It’s embarrassing but I don’t have a last name. Please call me Rosika. Nice to meet you.”
“Lady Rosika, it’s an honor!”
Chef Marco lightly kissed the back of my hand, which was extended.
He was an attractive man with a scruffy brown beard, and he looked like he was in his early thirties.
“How could I have forgotten. I have to introduce myself. Lady Rosika, I’m Masha.”
Masha, who looked like Rexid’s mother figure, gave a warm and kind impression. She approached me suddenly, held my hand, and sparkled her eyes.
“Oh, my God, my God…When I was in the royal court 20 years ago, I was really surprised to see Princess of Eisenbach, who brought the kingdom’s royal decree. I thought, ‘How could a person be so pretty?’”
“Yes, yes…”
“But today, I saw someone prettier than the Princess of Eisenbach!”
Masha’s specialty seemed to be making a fuss. She grabbed my cheek and turned it around, amazed, and she added.
“Is this a person or a fairy? Doesn’t her hair look like soft strawberry whipped cream, and her eyes look clear like the coast of Transcelona, Marco?”
As Masha spoke, Marco nodded vigorously up and down. It was to the extent that I was worried his head would fall off.
I was fairly good at keeping my calmness, but I wasn’t immune to compliments on my appearance. It was natural since I had never shown my real face to others.
Every time I tried to change my face, I was aware that my real face in the mirror looked pretty, but I didn’t know if it was worth this much of a fuss…
‘Is it pretty?’
I decided to postpone the objective judgment in case my self-consciousness would grow unnecessarily.
I had a hunch that Masha gets easily excited and overly surprised even though it might not a big deal.
“Just one unfortunate thing is, you’re too thin. Do you go around eating properly?”
“Didn’t I say we should prepare food enough for four people, Mother?”
“You’re right. It wouldn’t be enough even if she eats three plates at each meal.”
Masha grabbed my wrist and twitched her lips with sad eyes. When I was flustered, not knowing how to react, fortunately, Rexid put the brakes on their fuss.
“Cut that crap, and If you realize she is thin, could you let her have her meals?”
“Oh my! Is that so? I must have lost my mind. Marco, what are you doing?”
“Yeap!”
When Masha called him, Marco started moving the foods on the trolley onto the table one by one.
Sumptuous, delicious meals, which were difficult to get a taste unless you’re from an aristocratic family.
Masha, who was smiling happily at me with her wide eyes open, soon led me to the table.
“I’m in charge of all the chores in this castle. It’s my job to clean, do laundry and also prepare the bedding of our young master, who hasn’t grown up yet.”
“Oh, you were a person who couldn’t even spread the blanket by yourself.”
As I responded playfully, Masha started laughing.
Rexid, who was still seated, was furious.
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“Of course, I do know that he can make the bed by himself. I just want to do it for him. Here, now sit down.”
Masha seated me across from Rexid and kindly handed me a fork and knife. Somehow, I felt like I was a six-year-old child.
“Marco here is my son. There’s nothing that I can’t do, but the only thing I don’t have is good cooking skills.”
“The cooking skills that was supposed to go to my mother came to me.”
Marco, standing alongside Masha, said with his nose up straight. He seemed somewhat proud.
“You won’t be disappointed. He was quite famous when he was an imperial cook. When Her Majesty the Queen of Eisenbach visited the Western Empire, she tasted Marco’s sautéed chicken and even sent a personal correspondence to the imperial family.”
“She asked me If I could go to the kingdom because she couldn’t help but think of the good imperial chef’s chicken sauté.”
At his mother’s words, Marco’s humble pride, which rose, added those words.
This boisterous atmosphere was unfamiliar but not so bad.
However, perhaps it didn’t please Rexid, since he picked up a fork and knife in a gruff manner.
“Masha was my nanny when she was in the palace. When I was fifteen, we came to Drax territory together. It’s already been ten years since then.”
Afterwards, Rexid, pointing at Marco with his chin, added.
“And that messy bearded chef is Masha’s son. He had been working as an imperial cook and came here three years ago.”
“Aha, I see.”
I wondered why she kept calling him the young master, but it seemed to be her habit when she was the nanny of Rexid in the palace.
“Not only do they look alike, but the way these two pairs are talkative resembles each other too. I’m sorry, but try to get used to it. I asked them to fix it, but it never worked.”
“Umm, I don’t mind it. They are friendly, and it feels good.”
“Oh, my! Oh my! How can you be tender-hearted as well? From where the hell did this wicked young master bring such an angelic lady as his bride?”
What on earth did I say to become an angelic lady who is tender-hearted…
I couldn’t get the gist of it, but I thought it was Masha’s personality, so I ended up laughing.
“What have you been saying since before, Masha? Didn’t you hear from Owen? That, that …”
Rexid, who was in a rage and said, was suddenly hesitant.
“Bride, that’s… that’s not why I brought her here! And…”
And as if it were absurd, Rexid looked at me and smiled.
“Tender-hearted? An Angel? Very well, if you know the truth, you’ll get upset.”
“Oh, my. Look at that rude mouth. Now he’s trying to drive a wedge between us who just wants to get close.”
Masha held my shoulder and teased Rexid.
In the end, Rexid sighed as if he had given up and began to cut over the meat dish in front of him.
“Anyway, it’s not like that, so stop talking nonsense.”
“Yeah. I am also someone who was hired by His Grace. So be comfortable.”
I helped Rexid to correct it, but those two only laughed slyly at me.
Marco raised his nose and looked proud for some reason, and Masha lightly tapped me on the shoulder, twitching her tight lips.
“That’s how everyone starts.”
“Oh, come on…!”
“When I heard that the young master suddenly brought a female guest, how surprised I was.”
“Me too. Since his childhood in the imperial family, he had eccentric behavior. Every time the princesses of the Eisenbach royal family, who are said to be so lovely, came to play, he hated and avoided them.”
“Hey.”
“At that time, I thought he was embarrassed. However, he didn’t meet any woman even after he got older. Then I was convinced-”
“I told you to stop.”
Rexid gritted his teeth and hurriedly blocked Marco’s words.