Chapter 172

“Well, alright. I’ll contact you if I find anything.”

As she got up from her seat, Eshelrid didn’t forget to repeatedly remind Juliet.

“But a snake that steals human forms… Always be careful since we don’t know what form it will take.”

“Yes, I will.”

Juliet saw him off with a small hand mirror in her hand and a smile on her face.

As Eshelrid was leaving the reception room, a maid with an unfamiliar face appeared from the end of the hallway with a guest.

“Miss, your friend Emma is here.”

“Hello, Juliet. I didn’t know you had a guest… Oh!”

Emma, who was cheerfully greeting Juliet, suddenly noticed Eshelrid and widened her eyes.

“I’ll come back again.”

He bowed politely and disappeared down the hallway.

Emma looked curiously at Eshel, who was dressed in a magician robe.

“Who was that?”

“He’s a magician with whom I am acquainted. He’s been helping me with various things.”

“I see… Wow!”

Emma exclaimed as she saw the flowers filling the reception room.

While Emma was admiring the reception room, the maid from earlier brought in new tea cups.

‘An unfamiliar face.’

Juliet finally remembered the name of the unfamiliar maid.

“Thank you, Ronda.”

“You’re welcome.”

The maid smiled brightly, set down the tea tray, and left the reception room.

Juliet took note of the friendly new maid, who had been newly assigned to the annex a short time ago.

“Are you listening, Juliet?”

“Ah… Yes?”

Prompted by Emma’s voice, Juliet perked up.

“I’m sorry, Emma. What did you say?”

“Did you get a proposal, Juliet?”

Just a moment ago, Juliet was seriously worrying about the snake spirit and Eleanor, but the reality of Emma’s question pulled her right back.

“A proposal?”

All of a sudden?

“Yes! It’s the season of Judo Purification, right?”

Despite Juliet’s startled response, Emma’s eyes sparkled for some reason.

“And Judo Purification is a day for lovers!”

Judo Purification.

It was a custom to exchange gifts like flowers and small trinkets.

‘Not wrong, but…’

While it was overwhelmingly popular among couples, Judo was known as a guardian of families.

It was a custom for families to share their gratitude and affection, but it somehow morphed into something else.

Somehow, Emma looked quite hopeful as she asked:

“Seeing these flowers, I thought maybe the Duke proposed. Ah, was I wrong?”

Especially during this period, many lovers proposed while handing over flowers, so it was natural for Emma to misunderstand.

Juliet grinned.

“No.”

The gift of flowers was just for courtesy.

Originally, Lennox, who had no interest in religious events, probably didn’t even know what festival it was now.

Just like Juliet.

They had no time to concern themselves with trivial holidays.

“Oh, I see… But you’ll gift something to the Duke, right? Huh?”

No. I had no such plans.

Emma started to coax Juliet into going out together, but Juliet just smiled quietly.

Their conversation was quite enjoyable. Emma knew many interesting rumors, and Juliet was able to ponder while occasionally chiming in.

Suddenly, Emma who was trying to persuade Juliet again clapped her hands as if she remembered something.

“Oh! Juliet, did you hear about it?”

“Hear about what?”

“The love potion!”

Juliet paused as she was bringing her tea cup to her mouth.

“Just a few drops can make someone fall in love. Isn’t it amazing?”

Excitedly, Emma shared quite an entertaining story.

“Eunice used the potion to receive a confession, and Count Bellinger bought a potion that brings youth!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A potion that makes even the heartless fall in love, and a potion that provides youth.

The stories Emma shared were quite thrilling.

Lately, there was a rumor among the central nobility that these suspicious potions were in vogue.

“Anyone can fall in love at first sight with the love potion!”

With sparkling eyes, Emma looked cute and lovely, but the love potion?

“Oh, but Juliet wouldn’t be interested, right…?”

Juliet smirked.

“If that’s true, it’s quite a scary story.”

“Why? It’s a good opportunity to be with the one you have a crush on.”

“But think about it, you might fall in love with someone you don’t want to, right?”

“Oh…?”

Surprise showed on Emma’s innocent face.

“You’re right… Falling in love with someone you don’t like, that’s horrifying!”

Whatever thoughts she had, Emma shuddered.

At her words, Juliet quietly put down the tea cup she hadn’t yet sipped from.

Of course, this is assuming if it’s real…

Juliet didn’t take the existence of a potion that makes one fall in love at first sight too seriously.

Around Judo Purification, when young people filled with unrequited love were abound, there were quite a few peddlers claiming to sell love potions. Most of them were mere fraudulent schemes. They were swindlers selling cheap chocolates or alcohol labeled as potions or elixirs.

‘But the timing is rather coincidental…’

Juliet’s fingers tapped the table lightly.

And bad intuitions tend to be accurate.

After a brief thought, Juliet asked:

“Emma, do you happen to know where we could get those potions?”

“Oh, are you interested too, Juliet?”

For some reason, Emma, with a slightly flushed cheek, twinkled her eyes and whispered as if she were sharing a great secret.

“It’s a secret, but actually, we can obtain it through the maids of the Rose Palace!”

The Rose Palace is the residence of the Empress.

‘So it is.’

Just as suspected. It was clear that the suspicious drugs being distributed in the capital were the doing of Elizabeth, that snake.

On one hand, it was confirmed that the snake spirit was behind the turmoil caused by the beasts last time, too.

Last time it was smoke bombs that drove them mad mad, and this time it’s love potions and youth potions.

Does that snake have the ability to produce drugs at will?

Even if the potion wasn’t real, it was clear that the snake was quite proficient in worldly schemes, very unlike a spirit. Almost like a human.

‘The most competent and diligent spirit I’ve seen.’

Juliet grumbled to herself.

What kind of mischief is being planned with that potion this time?

‘Well, it’s not bad to be cautious in advance.’

Juliet recalled the unfamiliar face of the maid who left the reception room earlier.

And she adjusted her seat towards Emma and asked:

“Emma, can you tell me more about that potion?”

* * *

“…She’s not really that stunning, is she?”

“Huh? What did you say, Ronda?”

“Oh, nothing.”

The maid Ronda, who had returned from the reception room, quickly switched to a cheerful face.

The maids in the annex, except for Ronda, were all long-term servants who had worked in the Duke’s house for a long time.

Seemingly cautious in nature, Juliet, the young lady of the annex, hardly got close to new servants.

Thanks to that, although several weeks had passed since Ronda had joined the Duke’s house, today was the first time she had seen Juliet up close.

Ronda recalled the rumors about Juliet Monad, grinning slightly.

‘So much for being an extraordinary beauty. Just a self-conceited noble, huh?’

The image of Juliet Monad described by gossipy housemaids, had almost seemed like a legendary temptress who had ensnared the Duke.

But Juliet, seen up close, was just a little pretty, and seemed no different from other noble young ladies who acted modestly.

Having imagined a stunning beauty who could captivate with a mere glance, Ronda felt somewhat overconfident.

Ronda, too, had been praised for her beauty all her life.

As she descended to the lower floor, she fiddled with something in the pocket of her apron.

It was a small glass bottle filled with crimson liquid.

Upon arriving at the kitchen on the first floor, an elderly head maid awaited.

“Did you serve the tea to the young lady?”

“Yes, head maid. How’s your back?”

Ronda swiftly inquired about his well-being.

Disguising as a maid and hiding in the Duke’s house was never an easy task.

It took several weeks just to get into the Duke’s house, but thanks to manipulated recommendations and forged identities, Ronda was able to work as a maid in the annex.

Intercepting the recommendation letter midway and secretly manipulating it were by no means easy, but behind Ronda was Prince Cloff, the Second Prince.

Of course, it wasn’t mere fortune that the head maid had hurt her back two days ago.

Originally at this time, it was the head maid’s duty to serve tea to Duke Carlyle.

However, seemingly in a lot of back pain, the head maid looked around.

“Then Marina, you take this to the main house…”

Ronda didn’t miss the timing and raised her hand sharply.

“I’ll go instead!”

The head maid raised her eyebrows as if surprised.

“Ronda, you?”

“Yes. Marina hurt her wrist anyway, didn’t she?”

“I’m fine…”

“Head maid, I can do it!”

“Hmm.”

Ronda was so proactive that the head maid had no choice but to nod in approval.

“Alright. But remember, hand over the tea to secretary Elliot, and come right out. Understand?”

“Yes!”

The head maid reiterated her instructions to Ronda until the very moment she was about to serve the tea.

“Never upset the Duke.”

Ronda nodded, but it went in one ear and out the other.

It was a warning she had heard relentlessly since she entered the Duke’s residence.

Avoid encountering the Duke as much as possible.

At first, she thought it was because of rumors that he mercilessly dismissed low-status lovers, but that wasn’t it.

Observing the Duke’s house meticulously over the past few weeks, Duke Carlyle seemed far from the rumored libertine, rather ascetic.

“The Duke dislikes anyone touching his body.”

Hence, he didn’t even have a servant for dressing.

It seemed like some kind of noble’s mysophobia.

‘Finally..

Eventually, the head maid handed over the lidded tea cup meant for the Duke to Ronda.

Hastily picking up the tray and heading towards the main house, Ronda tried to stay calm, but recalled the tedious effort to meet the meticulous standards of the finicky head maid.

‘If I complete this task successfully, I’ll be rewarded.’

Ronda was a subordinate of the Second Prince, Cloff.

Balancing a tray with a clinking teacup, Ronda tried to calm her excitement as she ascended the main stairs.

Two days ago, she had received two discreet orders from the Second Prince.

The first one was to investigate if there was an unidentified presence with powerful magic in the Duke’s mansion. This could be something like a powerful magical artifact or a grand magician.

However, the only magician visiting Juliet, their guest, seemed to be an ordinary one. Ronda couldn’t find any signs of a mysterious presence or powerful magic.

The second order was more intriguing.

‘Take the opportunity to drive a wedge between them.’

Ronda suspected that the Second Prince must have had a reason to send her, a woman known for her exceptional beauty, to this place.