In the evening, Leticia strode down the hallway and into the dining room where Hazel, the maid, led her to.
Even before she gets to the room where Hugh was said to be waiting, Leticia was exhausted. She was adorned with ornaments that she didn't know why Hazel forced her to wear.
"I'm just going to eat. Why do I need to wear this?" she mumbled as she looked down at the pastel colored dress that she wore that had frills on the sleeves and the chest area.
"Did you say something Miss Leticia?" Hazel asked.
"No, nothing… Let's just go. The Duke must have been waiting."
Oh, that's right. This way…"
Hazel opened the door and as the door opened, Leticia immediately saw a familiar face seated at the center of the dining room.
Different from the way she used to see him, Hugh was adorned with luxurious men's clothes. He was wearing a navy blue suit vest and a white cravat with a sapphire jewel in the middle and was wrapped around his neck while his hair was swept back.
Leticia golden orbs focused on the changed hair that the royal family of the Otis Kingdom are known for.
'If I didn't know him before this and saw him for the first time today, I would also understand why they call him scary. I would definitely be shivering if I was called like this.' Leticia thought.
The rustic brown hair and eyes that she was used to seeing everyday immediately changed into raven color, a sign that he has royal blood in his veins.
'... but goodness! I knew he was a top-tier hottie but looking at him right now it's like he came straight to life from being sculpted by a famous sculpture!' she added.
Before she became too absorbed in appreciating his beauty, Leticia woke up when she met Hugh's eyes.
She immediately positioned herself to greet him, 'Just greet him like how the noble ladies who visited the church do' Leticia thought as she held the edge of her skirt into a fan and slightly lowered her head. "I greet His Grace, the Northern Duke-" but before she could finish her words she was stopped by a hand on her shoulders.
Leticia looked up and saw that Hugh was there. 'When did he come so close?'
"You don't need to do that now." Hugh said as Leticia met his unknowing stare.
She narrowed her brows and thought, 'Now?'
"It's just us here so you don't need to formally greet me like that…" Hugh explained as if he saw the confusion in her eyes.
And as he said no one was around them as Leticia looked around.
"Are you sure? You know that I'm a commoner, right?"
Hugh snorted when he heard her reply. "I know but still I'm asking it because I'm used to you calling my name."
"..."
Leticia just stared at him.
"Why? You can't?"
Hugh said as he looked at her. Leticia could see that Hugh still had a nonchalant and scary countenance that was his usual expression but the way he asked the question it almost felt like he was disappointed with something.
'Is it just me?'
But maybe because she was with Hugh for two months and saw how he was around her house and how he was considerate and passionate about cooking her meals and helping around the house that she could at least guess some of his change in mood.
Or at least that's what she thought.
"I'll do what you say, Hugh." Leticia agreed and smiled toward Hugh.
The corner of Hugh's mouth slightly went up as he saw her smile as he heard his name uttered with the same sweet tone that Leticia always used when she was calling him.
"Let's eat, Leticia. I told the chef to prepare the best…" He said as he stretched his hand to escort her to her seat.
Leticia held his hand like it was natural and the two had a pleasant meal after weeks of not eating together.
***
At the news that the Duke returned to his palace in the Capital, Queen Matilda was in rage.
"How incompetent!"
Clang! Crash!
The teacup flew right beside Carla's face, the lady-in-waiting of the Queen. She could only bow her head and accept the Queen's rage as she told her the news about the Duke coming back a lot earlier than they expected.
"Where's that bastard now?!" Queen Matilda asked as she huffed air in anger.
"He's at his residence now in the Capital. It's reported that he will bring the news about the subjugations of the bandits tomorrow morning during his audience with the King." As Carla told Queen Matilda, she could only flinch at the end of her report as a crashing sound reverberated inside the Queen's parlor.
Swish! Crash!
Another dish broke as the Queen threw it at the wall, this time it was the saucer of the teacup.
"Call the leader of the Royal Knights this instant!" Matilda screamed.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Carla immediately left as she knew the temper of the Queen.
As Queen Matilda was left alone at the parlor she was seething through her teeth as she learned that Hugh was going to have another achievement attached to his name.
Then suddenly she smirked, "I'll definitely give you a present that you will surely like.", Matilda looked down at the papers that were on her table. "Just wait for the surprise…!"
***
The next day, Leticia woke up by the sunlight that penetrated through the glass. She heard the chirping of the birds and smiled as she expressed her delight.
Then she remembered that she didn't get to discuss with Hugh about when she would leave his palace.
Because she didn't want to spoil the mood as they only get to be reunited in the evening.
So, today, Leticia was determined. "I need to talk to Hugh about the reward. I can't stay here any longer..." she said as she remembered her goal to live quietly and also travel around.
Then suddenly a knock came to her door. "My lady, it's Hazel…"
"My lady?" she became confused as to the change of addressing her.
"Come in, Hazel." she replied.
"Good morning, my lady. Did you have a good sleep?" The maid, Hazel, cheerfully said as she walked beside her bed and put the basin on the table.
"I brought you warm water to wash your face... "
"Thank you as always!" Leticia smiled at the maid.
"Also, my lady, the Duke asked if you would like to have breakfast together?"
Leticia stopped her hand from reaching the towel that was soaked in the warm water to look at Hazel.
"But His Grace is supposed to go to the Royal Palace this morning, right?"
"That's right! But the Duke said he wanted to have breakfast with you…"
Leticia became quiet. 'Does he intend to do what he does during his stay at my house?' She recalled a memory in which every morning Hugh was standing at her kitchen preparing their breakfast before she went to work.
Hazel watched Leticia smile as she was deep in thought.
"My lady, can I ask you a question?" Hazel couldn't resist anymore.
"What is it?"
"What's your relationship with the Duke?"
Again, for the second time, Leticia abruptly stopped wiping her face.
"The Duke just owes me a favor."
"Really?"
Leticia chuckled as she saw the innocent eyes of Hazel that were full of curiosity. 'I understand her. I also doubt sometimes why Hugh was trying so hard to repay me when all I did was dress his wounds.' she thought.
Then Hazel suddenly added something, "What kind of favor did he owe you, my lady? For the Duke to pay you this much attention?"
"..."
"Oh! I'm not implying anything, my lady! It's just that this is the first time that the Duke allowed a lady to stay at his residence. Some nobles only got to have an audience with the Duke for an hour and immediately went back to their own place. Even the head butler, Hans, told us to pay attention to how we address you! That's why I'm calling Miss Leticia, my lady!"
"..."
"... I mean, that's why a lot of us servants are curious about the reason. I'm sorry if I offended you, my lady."
As Leticia listened, she also got an answer to why Hans changed the way he addressed her as well as the servants that greeted her.
And this morning too, she thought that it was estranged when Hazel, who always called her Miss Leticia, suddenly talked to her in a formal way.
'But why though? I'm not a noble, so I don't really understand the customs.'
That's also the reason why she just ignored it when they started to talk to her formally.
'Hugh must have been the one to give that order.' she concluded.
When Leticia was in deep thought, Hazel called her. Worried that she might have offended the guest of the Duke.
"My lady?"
Leticia flinched, "Oh, it's nothing! Can you tell His Grace that I will join him for breakfast? I'll just change my clothes."
Hazel smiled as she saw that Leticia was not angry at her, "Yes, my lady!"