It took me four days to finally get up from my bed.
"Miss... Are you feeling better now?"
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Emily's tearful face.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Thank goodness! Do you know how worried I was? The Duke and the young masters were very concerned too."
"Really?"
I thought it was just a formal greeting, so I replied indifferently.
Then Emily nodded vigorously and chattered.
"Of course! The young Duke turned pale and carried you all the way to the mansion!"
"…My eldest brother did?"
"Yes! The Duke was so agitated that he ordered all the famous doctors in the capital to be summoned, and the second young master almost rushed to the palace before the butler managed to stop him."
I was inwardly surprised by Emily's words.
Of course, there might be some exaggeration, but I hadn't expected the people in this house, who tremble at the mention of Penelope, to care about me collapsing.
"Really, I was so worried about what might happen to you, Miss..."
"You must have had a hard time, Emily."
"It's no trouble! Don't say that. I'm your personal maid, after all."
It seemed quite a bit had happened while I was unconscious.
I found it a bit ridiculous how Emily, who had just been on the verge of tears, now emphasized her role as a personal maid.
"Oh, right! This isn't the time. I'll go tell the Duke that you've woken up!"
Emily bustled out of the room. I nodded calmly in response.
"Bring me some melon sherbet when you come back."
* * *
As soon as I woke up, I checked the mirror.
My face looked terrible, as if I had really been ill. Moreover, my neck, which had been touched by the prince's sword, was tightly wrapped in bandages.
"Why are there so many bandages?"
Anyone who saw me might think my neck was broken rather than just cut.
Feeling suffocated, I was about to remove the bandages but decided to wait a bit longer.
I thought it wouldn't be bad to act sick for a while.
After eating the clam stew and melon sherbet that Emily brought back diligently, I lay sprawled on the bed.
Knock knock.
There was a knock at the door.
"Miss, it's Pannel."
The visitor was the butler.
Since the last incident, he no longer barged into the room without permission.
However, I frowned.
'I clearly told him to send someone else if he had business to attend to.'
I hadn't fully forgiven the butler yet, so I sent Emily instead.
"Go and find out what he wants."
Emily left the room without a word.
A short while later, she returned with unexpected news.
"Miss, the Duke is looking for you."
"My father?"
The head of the household, who held absolute power in this house, wouldn't relay his orders through someone else.
I got out of bed, somewhat understanding why the butler had come to my room.
"Bring me a coat, Emily."
"Are you not changing clothes, Miss?"
Emily asked, looking puzzled.
I was still in a white nightgown, which wasn't appropriate for meeting an adult.
"Does a sick person dress up?"
However, I replied matter-of-factly as I put on the coat over my nightgown.
'Even though I'm an adopted daughter, how could he not wait a bit before calling me after I just woke up?'
Against my will, I had caused another disturbance at the palace banquet.
Last time, I was put under house arrest without mercy. How much more would I be scolded this time?
To avoid any blame, I needed to look as sick as possible.
Fortunately, I had lost a lot of weight during my near-death experience, so I already looked like a sick person without trying.
'Sigh, my fate...'
I sighed deeply and opened the door.
The butler, who had been waiting for quite some time, straightened up at the sound of my movement.
"Let's go, Miss."
He bowed deeply and gestured for me to go ahead.
'What is this?'
I knew the way to the Duke's study, but the butler had always led the way before.
Looking at him with a puzzled expression, he suddenly bowed deeply and said,
"I cannot walk ahead of my master."
I scrutinized the butler's face, wondering if he was mocking me for my outburst last time, but saw no sign of it.
Instead, he looked solemn, as if he had been sharpening his knife and waiting for this day.
"Go ahead, Miss."
His perfectly polite voice sounded different to my ears.
'It's as if he's saying, "I've been waiting for you. I'll serve you properly today."'
Like a shopkeeper greeting a long-lost regular customer.
The atmosphere in the Duke's household seemed particularly strange today.
'Strange, why are they acting like this?'
Every time I stepped out of my room, the servants who usually glared at me now averted their eyes and bowed politely as soon as they met my gaze.
I didn't realize it was because the butler was walking behind me with a stern expression.
"Miss, wait a moment."
When we arrived at the Duke's study, the butler, who had been silently following me, suddenly stepped forward.
Knock knock knock.
"Duke. Miss Penelope has arrived."
"Send her in."
With the Duke's permission, the butler opened the door with utmost respect.
"Please go in, Miss."
Even as I entered through the door he opened, I felt a strange sensation.
It was as if the butler had gone to a etiquette school while I was ill.
"Have you come?"
The Duke was sitting on a sofa in front of his desk, unlike the last time I saw him.
"You called me."
I bowed, and he nodded lightly, gesturing for me to sit.
"Sit down."
I sat on the sofa opposite the Duke and rehearsed the excuses I had prepared.
After a moment of silence, the Duke spoke heavily.
"The reason I called you today is... "
"Father, let me speak first."
I quickly interrupted him before he could finish.
I knelt beside the sofa, despite having just sat down.
"I was wrong."
My strategy was to take the initiative.
"During my house arrest, I haven't fully reflected on my actions, and I caused another disturbance at the banquet, disgracing our family."
The words I had prepared flowed smoothly.
I thought it would be better to take the blame first, and surely, after just getting up from my sickbed, I wouldn't be expelled.
"No, wait."
Sure enough, my strategy seemed to work, as the Duke visibly flinched at my actions.
"I won't dare ask for forgiveness. I know my mistakes best."
"What...?"
"Whatever punishment you give, I will accept it. So... "
"Enough!"
Just as I was about to finish, the Duke raised his hand and shouted, stopping me.
"Penelope Ecart."
The Duke called me with a deep, serious voice.
'Oh no, is this not working anymore?'
I felt a late worry and swallowed hard.
"…Yes, Father."
"Stand up."
"…What?"
I was completely taken aback by his unexpected words and repeated them in confusion. The Duke's eyebrows twitched.
"Ecart never kneels, no matter what. So don't lower yourself, Penelope."
"…"
"No one can make you kneel, as long as you are an Ecart. Not even the royal family!"
His voice grew particularly loud when he said 'royal family,' and he turned to me with a stern command.
"Understood? Stand up immediately."
"…Yes, yes!"
I immediately stood up and sat back on the sofa.
The Duke's immense charisma, which I had never seen in the game, made my heart race.
'What did I say wrong?'
Just as I was thinking this, the Duke began again in a solemn voice.
"Penelope. I didn't call you today to scold you."
"Really? Then... "
"I want to hear in detail what happened at the palace."
"…"
"Tell me. What exactly happened with the Crown Prince?"
At his question, I recalled the events leading up to my near-fainting.
I chased after the Crown Prince, thinking I might die, and almost got my neck cut by the sword he drew.
Then I managed to save my life by declaring my love for that madman.
Thinking about it made my heart race again.
"It was... "
Without realizing that the Duke was sharply observing my pale face, I struggled to come up with an excuse.
"I went to the maze garden to get some fresh air and took a wrong turn, which led me to the Crown Prince. But it just so happened that His Highness was in a bad mood... "
It was completely different from what really happened.
After coming here, I felt like I was becoming a professional liar.
But what did it matter? I couldn't tell the truth, and it wasn't entirely false.
"So..."
"…"
"Did the Crown Prince cut your neck just because he was in a bad mood?"
The Duke's eyes turned icy blue as he asked, noticing my hesitation.
"No, not exactly. It wasn't a... "
"Not a cut? Not a madman, but he still drew his sword at a noble lady just because he was in a bad mood!"