"Even though I said it's fine now, she still insists on bringing it."
Seeing their reactions, the Duke of Sorpel clicked his tongue as if he was annoyed.
But everyone could see that the corner of his mouth was twitching upwards.
"I envy you very much, Duke."
"I guess this is why everyone says you should have a daughter. I only have a son, so I can't have this much fun."
"Even though I have a daughter, she's never made me a cup of tea, let alone a snack."
"It's the same with my house."
"Not all daughters are like Miss Camilla."
As he listened to the words spoken, one after the other, the Duke of Sorpel slowly scooped up the sorbet and brought it to his mouth.
As usual, it's delicious.
"It's really surprising. She's usually such a troublemaker, but has she finally gotten her act together?"
Stop!
It was then that a young vassal spoke up, unable to take his off the wine sorbet, as if he was truly amazed.
It was Viscount Ersha, the youngest of the vassals.
"…"
The Duke of Sorpel's gaze turned to him.
"Seeing as she made something like this and gave it to the Duke, I guess she was very sorry about the accident that happened at the party last time."
The Duke of Sorpel's face became increasingly sour, and the people around him urged him to bite his tongue, but Viscount Ersha ultimately failed to notice.
"You."
"Yes?"
"I thought you said you couldn't drink wine?"
"Did I?"
"Even desserts made with wine won't taste good either."
"No, I love wine-"
"That's right, I forgot that you really don't like wine."
The Duke of Sorpel gave the butler an order, firmly cutting off Viscount Ersha's remark that he never said such a thing.
"I can't ignore my daughter's sincerity, so I'll eat that one. Bring it here."
"Yes, Duke."
"Ah, no…"
Viscount Ersha could not hide his bewilderment as he watched the sorbet disappear before his eyes.
At that moment, his gaze met the Duke of Sorpel.
"That— enjoy your meal, Duke."
'What did I do wrong?'
It was only when he looked into the icy eyes of Duke Sorpel that he realized. He realized that he had just done something very wrong.
He turned to the people around him for help, asking them to explain what was happening, but they just turned away and shook their heads.
* * *
"What should I make tomorrow?"
[There's a special sauce that I've developed, and I'm thinking of making canapés with it.]
Camilla left the kitchen, shrugging off chef Jellard's arm as he begged her to give him the recipe.
'Oh?'
Camilla, who was talking with the ghost chef Ferrol about the food they were going to make tomorrow, paused. A familiar figure stood to one side of the hallway.
"What are you doing there?"
She wanted to walk past him, but their eyes locked.
What was he doing alone in the hallway at this late hour?
"…"
He stared at her blankly as he stalked towards Camilla. Had he been waiting for her?
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
Isn't that what she's supposed to be asking him? What was he doing standing there, asking random questions?
"What do you think you're doing every night? Why are you suddenly doing things you never do?"
Ravi's gaze darted towards the kitchen, and Camilla finally understood what he was talking about.
"Cooking food? Why?"
Ravi's eyes furrowed slightly at Camilla's question.
"What are you up to?"
"What?"
"What are you doing all of a sudden?"
Camilla clicked her tongue as Ravi asked the same question again.
"Don't worry about it."
He sure is nosy.
Camilla turned to walk past him, but was stopped by the words that followed.
"Do you think that will make the Duke accept you into his family?"
Ravi's voice was unusually harsh. Should she say it was full of emotion? It wasn't his usual cynical self.
Was he drunk or something? She didn't smell alcohol.
"Do you think that's going to get him to recognize you?"
Camilla tilted her head at Ravi's pathetic, angry look.
'What's wrong with him?'
Why does it matter to him whether she makes food and brings it to the Duke, or picks flowers and brings them to him or not?
'Didn't we originally go on about lives without any regards for each other?'
It's such an unnecessary intervention.
"They don't acknowledge us."
"…"
Us?
'You said "us"…'
Camilla was silent for a moment.
'I guess he's talking to himself.'
Was he seeing a reflection of himself in her recent behavior, trying to impress the Duke of Sorpel?
Ravi, himself, trying his best to somehow be noticed by him.
"Don't do anything stupid. It won't do you any good."
"I know."
"…You know?"
"Yes, I know."
Camilla's answer was very short and to the point, embarrassing for the other part speaking in a feverish manner.
"I don't have the slightest intention of becoming part of their family."
"What?"
Family? It doesn't matter.
There was only one reason why she was doing this.
"I don't want to die."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to live."
"What are you talking about?"
"That's all there is to it."
"Hey!"
With those words, Camilla walked past him.
She felt Ravi looking at her with confused eyes but she just pretended not to notice.
'Yeah, that's all there is to it.'
Family?
'I don't need that.'
Chapter. Give Back What You Get
"It's a beautiful day today."
[…]
[…]
"A cup of coffee would be perfect."
[…]
[…]
"Shall we go for a walk?"
[…]
[…]
"…"
Okay. Okay.
"What? What is it? What are you doing? If you have something to say, say it quickly."
Camilla, who was enjoying her leisurely time sitting on a chair by the window, had no choice but to look at the two ghosts, Derrin and Ferrol, who were staring at her.
[What did you mean yesterday?]
"Yesterday?"
Camilla asked innocently.
[Yesterday you told your brother that you wanted to live.]
[Miss Camilla, what did you mean?]
Derrin, who had already heard the whole situation from Ferrol, wiped the usual smile off his face and continued cautiously.
[Are you sick?]
[You want to live? What did you mean by that?]
He was referring to the conversation she had with Ravi last night. But how would she explain it?
"Everyone wants to live. That's all there is to it."
After thinking about it for a moment, Camilla replied lightly, as if it were no big deal.
She can't tell them the whole situation, right?
What if she said she knew the future and was doing all this to survive?
'Both of them might leave because they can't help but think of me as a crazy bitch.'
Still receiving questioning looks, Camilla turned her attention back to the window.
As she gazed out of the window admiring the scenery with blossoming flowers, she suddenly realized something.
"I have a question as well."
[…? Ask me anything.]
"What do you know about the 'Flower Garden Incident'?"
She wonders if those who roam around the duchy know…
[A flower garden incident? What flower—? Ah…!]
* * *
"It's wide."
The endless field of roses reminded Camilla of the magnificence of the Duke of Sorpel.
Whose garden is this big?
"Is it here?"
[Yes, it's here.]
As she listened to the butler ghost, Derrin, answer, Camilla glanced at her feet.
Before she fully possessed the body of Camilla Sorpel, there was a minor— no, very upsetting incident.
A few months ago, Duke Sorpel received a report. It was about Camilla, who was digging up the rose garden and making a mess.
He sighed heavily, thinking that she must've lost her composure and destroyed her surroundings without any reason. Still, the Duke summoned her and asked her why she did that.
But Camilla remained tight-lipped, as always, at Duke Sorpel's question, without making proper eye contact.
'Damn it!'
It was an incident that happened over and over again in her repeated life, and the result was always the same.
'I get so angry every time I watch it!'
It was driving her crazy!
Here's what happened:
Several maids and servants who hated Camilla stole a piece of jewelry she had kept in her possession.
It was none other than a keepsake of her deceased mother.
The maids, who had stolen the ring with a red ruby on it, took turns mocking her.
'I hid it in the rose garden over there, so go look for it.'
'What? Are you going to hit us again,'
'Have you forgotten what the Duke said? He said that if you misbehave or cause a disturbance, he would lock you in your room.'
'Do you think the Duke would believe you? Or us?'
'We're really good at fake-crying now, aren't we?'
'We could just say we've never seen a ring like that before, Miss.'
'No! It would be better to tell him that she had lost it and is taking her anger out on us.'
In the end, Camilla had no choice but to look for her mother's ring through the rose garden alone.
She searched and searched and searched, forgetting that her hands were becoming a mess by being pricked by rose thorns, but in the end, she didn't find anything.
The day's event ended with Camilla being scolded by the Duke, who heard everything about it after she made a mess of the garden.
And with the help of Derrin, the butler ghost, who had seen everything that day, Camilla was able to pinpoint the exact spot the maids had hidden the ring.
Thud.
Camilla used the small shovel she had brought to dig.
It wasn't long before she was able to find the ring in the spot Derrin had shown her.
"…"
Camilla looked at her hand, which was covered in dirt.
She could still see the tiny scars that remained. She was poked and scratched by the rose thorns the last time she searched here.
"It was you guys."
This is what those guys had started first.
Camilla's eyes lit up as she polished the ring.