Chapter 4
I couldn't understand what had just happened.
I stood in the Duke's office, staring at the door Rishima had disappeared through.
Only a few moments ago, she had stood before me and said something I never thought I would hear.
I genuinely don't want to marry you.
I narrowed my eyes.
That woman had spent years trying to get my attention.
She had followed me to social gatherings, sent me gifts, and repeatedly asked her father to speak to the emperor about arranging our engagement.
Yet today, she had looked at me without the slightest trace of desperation.
Something wasn't right.
"Your Highness?"
The Duke's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I turned toward him.
Duke Theon Grimaldi stood behind his desk, one hand resting against its polished surface. His violet eyes studied me carefully.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine."
I straightened my coat and glanced toward the door once more.
The Duke noticed my lingering gaze. His violet eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of his lips lifted as though he already knew exactly what was on my mind.
"You're thinking about what my daughter has said," the Duke remarked.
For a moment, I simply stared at him.
He said it with such certainty that it almost felt as though he could read my thoughts.
I let out a quiet breath.
"Wouldn't you be?"
The Duke's expression softened.
"Perhaps."
He moved away from his desk and took a seat near the window, gesturing for me to sit as well.
"She has been rather persistent about you for years," he said, resting an arm against the chair. "Even I was surprised by how suddenly her attitude changed."
I took the seat across from him.
"When she looked at me," I said, "she didn't seem disappointed."
The Duke's gaze sharpened.
"What do you mean?" I leaned back slightly, my eyes drifting toward the door again.
"She felt like a completely different person."
The Duke remained silent, watching me carefully.
"Rishima has always been obvious about what she wants," I continued. "Whenever she looked at me before, I could tell exactly what she was thinking. But today..."
I paused.
"There was nothing."
"Nothing?" the Duke repeated.
"No desperation. No excitement. Not even disappointment." I frowned slightly.
"She simply looked at me as though I were a stranger."
The Duke's expression became more serious.
"You aren't the only one who has noticed." I looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
He leaned back in his chair, his fingers resting lightly against the armrest.
"The servants have been talking about it."
I raised an eyebrow.
"They have?" He nodded.
"For the past week, I've heard them talking about how different she has become."
His gaze shifted toward the window.
"They say the estate has been unusually peaceful since she woke up."
I remained silent.
The Duke continued, his voice calm and thoughtful.
"Normally, there is always some commotion when Rishima is awake. A servant makes a small mistake, she loses her temper. Someone displeases her, and the entire household knows about it."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"But for the past week, there have been no arguments. No complaints. No servants coming to me because of something she said or did."
My eyebrows lifted slightly.
"That much of a change?" The Duke nodded.
"Perhaps..."
He fell silent for a moment.
"Perhaps my daughter really has changed." There was a faint hesitation in his voice, as though he were still trying to convince himself of the possibility.
I watched him carefully.
"You believe that?"
My voice carried a hint of doubt, and I couldn't hide the skepticism in my expression.
"I want to."
His eyes lowered for a moment before he continued.
"She has always been stubborn. Once she sets her heart on something, she refuses to let go of it, no matter how much trouble she causes herself or the people around her."
He paused, his fingers lightly tapping against the armrest.
"But this time was different."
His expression grew more solemn.
"She nearly lost her life." The Duke's voice softened.
"When I saw her lying there, barely conscious, I realized how fragile she truly was. For a moment, I thought I was going to lose my daughter."
He looked down at his hands.
"I suppose an experience like that can change a person's heart."
I remained silent for a moment.
The Duke's words lingered in my mind.
Could it really be that simple? I couldn't help but wonder.
Had nearly losing her life truly changed her?
Or was this simply another one of her schemes?
The thought made me curious.
For the first time, I found myself wanting to know what was really going on inside that woman's head.
After a moment, I pushed myself to my feet.
"I should get going."
As I turned toward the door, I paused.
Maybe I should simply wait and see.
If this was another scheme, she would eventually reveal herself.
But if she had truly changed...
I wanted to see that for myself.
"I suppose we'll find out soon enough whether this change of hers is genuine."
The Duke was quiet for a moment before giving a slow nod.
"I suppose we will."
A thoughtful look crossed his face, and for a moment, he said nothing. It seemed even he wasn't entirely certain what to make of her daughter's sudden change.
"Thank you for your time, Your Grace."
I offered the Duke a brief, respectful bow before stepping through the doorway.
~~~~~~~~
A few days later
I found myself at the temple.
Since I was volunteering, I wore something much simpler than the clothes Rishima usually wore.
I wore a modest, ankle-length dress with long sleeves and a plain design. There was no elaborate embroidery or expensive jewelry, and my hair was tied back simply to keep it out of my face while I worked.
I had also refused to bring any servants with me.
When I first told them I was going to the temple, they had immediately offered to accompany me, insisting that someone should be there to assist me.
But I turned them down.
There was no point in bringing servants if I was only going to make them do the work I had volunteered to do myself.
Besides, I didn't want people at the temple treating me differently just because I was a duke's daughter.
If I arrived surrounded by servants, it would be difficult to convince anyone that I was genuinely there to help.
The simple clothes made moving around the temple much easier. I didn't have to worry about getting expensive fabric dirty while carrying food, cleaning tables, or helping with other tasks.
The work itself was nothing compared to what I had been used to.
Back when I was a firefighter, my days were filled with emergencies, heavy equipment, exhausting drills, and situations where a single mistake could mean the difference between life and death.
Compared to that, carrying baskets, arranging food, and helping around the temple felt almost relaxing.
Strangely enough, I also found myself more comfortable here than I did at the ducal estate.
At the estate, there were always servants ready to do everything for me. They prepared my meals, arranged my clothes, carried things for me, and constantly asked if I needed anything.
I knew that was simply how nobles lived, but having so many people serve me still felt uncomfortable.
Here, I could actually do things for myself. I could work with my own hands, help others, and feel useful.
If anything, the temple gave me a sense of peace I hadn't expected.
While I was at the temple, I helped the priestesses and other volunteers with various tasks.
At first, people seemed unsure of what to make of me.
I couldn't blame them.
Rishima's reputation had reached far beyond the walls of the ducal estate.
Almost everyone knew about her temper, her arrogance, and the trouble she had caused.
So when I began volunteering at the temple, it naturally became the subject of whispers.
"Is that really Lady Rishima?"
"I heard she nearly died."
"Do you think that's why she suddenly changed?"
"I don't know. She has caused so much trouble before."
"Perhaps she's only pretending to be kind."
Their voices were quiet, but the temple courtyard wasn't exactly large.
I could hear every word.
I pretended not to notice and continued arranging the food on the tables.
It wasn't exactly pleasant hearing people talk about me like that.
Well... technically, they weren't talking about me.
They were talking about the Rishima they knew.
The Rishima whose reputation had been built long before I ever opened my eyes in this body.
If I were in their position, I probably wouldn't believe me either.
I simply continued with my work.
A little while later, I noticed a group of children gathered near the courtyard.
Some were sitting patiently while others were chatting among themselves, their eyes occasionally wandering toward the food being prepared.
I picked up a basket of bread and walked over to them.
"Here you go."
I handed a piece to each child.
"Thank you, my lady!" Their cheerful voices caught me off guard.
I smiled faintly.
"You're welcome. Make sure everyone gets one."
The children happily accepted the bread and moved aside for the others.
I reached for another piece when I noticed a few more children approaching from the other side of the courtyard.
"Here, take one each."
The children gathered around me excitedly.
Then, all of a sudden, one of them ran past me.
Another followed right behind.
"Wait-"
Before I could move out of the way, one of the children accidentally bumped into me.
"Ah!"
I lost my balance.
The basket slipped from my hands, and I fell backward onto the ground.
"Ouch!"
A few pieces of bread scattered across the floor.
"My lady!"
I heard the children's startled voices around me.
I winced as I tried to sit up.
Then a hand appeared in front of me.
"Are you alright?"
I looked up.
My eyes widened.
For a moment, I could only stare at the young woman standing in front of me.
Pink hair.
Bright blue eyes
That gentle expression.
There was no mistaking it.
It was her........