Nerys found it amusing to see herself being looked at as something extraordinary.
She already knew about the petty trick of arriving late for dinner, the deception of being informed of a different dinner time in this household that she was familiar with.
However, that didn't mean she would dutifully attend the dinner. There was no need to decline the opportunity to make a strong first impression.
So, she deliberately left her room just 5 minutes late. Worried that her prank might not go well, Delma had kept Alice busy in advance, so there was no one to disturb Nerys.
"Nerys, come in."
Nellusion, the only one smiling in the room, stood up. He seemed genuinely pleased with Nerys's arrival, personally pulling out a chair for her and asking why she got lost and if Alice didn't guide her properly."
"Nerys sat down and replied.
"Alice seemed busy, Brother. After she combed my hair earlier, someone called her, and she left. I waited in the room and came out alone."
It wasn't a lie, but Nellusion understood the situation well. Valentin glared at Nerys as if to kill her. Nerys, unfazed, smiled broadly at Valentin.
"Valentin, long time no see. I used to see you at school all the time, but it's rare to see you after graduation."
Nellusion's stern gaze was on Valentin. Valentin forced a smile with trembling lips.
"Oh, yes..."
"Long time indeed."
Before Valentin could finish speaking, the Duke interrupted. Nerys turned to the Duke.
"Nice to see you again, Your Grace. I owe you a great deal and apologize for not coming to greet you first."
"What debt? In the end, didn't we refund all the tuition fees? Even if you received a scholarship, you could have just accepted the first year's tuition without deliberately repaying it at a young age."
"My mother and I dislike being indebted. Thanks to Your Grace's care, I could enroll in the academy, which is a great favor in itself."
"You were a top student throughout your time at the academy and now you speak well!"
Despite her true feelings, there was nothing to fault in Nerys's warm tone. The Duke praised Nerys with a hearty laugh, then exchanged satisfied glances with Nellusion.
As Nellusion returned to his seat, he continued to send Nerys friendly glances. The Duchess, seeming displeased by this fact, spoke in a slightly sharp tone.
"You don't rise from the table until after sitting down, Nellusion."
The criticism about table manners was actually a suggestion of 'Why are you personally pulling out her chair with your status, when there is a steward?'.
Nerys felt a sense of familiarity in the uncomfortable voice of the Duchess.
Long ago, when she was first adopted into this family, the scariest thing in the world for Nerys was the Duchess. However, as time passed, she became more afraid of the Duke.
The Duchess had physically abused and starved Nerys, claiming she didn't fit into the family. She cut Nerys's hair with scissors on the spot when she was accused of wrongdoing. She nitpicked about etiquette.
However, without saying a word, the Duke politically exploited the result of the Duchess's actions, creating a 'timid and well-mannered' Nerys, using her for political gain.
The Duke wore the crown through a political alliance using the elegant facade of Nerys.
The Duchess tried to make Nerys's life miserable by pretending to be an elegant noblewoman.
The two were truly a couple who resembled each other. They had a reputation in society as a perfect couple with strong loyalty to the crown and well-behaved children like Nellusion and Valentin. They were seen as a harmonious couple who bore and raised children like Nellusion and Valentin.
Nellusion understood his mother's words very well but laughed awkwardly.
"It's the first time since I was very young that I'm hosting Nerys, so I should do it myself. Nerys is like my sister."
The Duchess and Valentin's faces twisted as if they had bitten into something sour at the same time. However, the Duke was already engaged in conversation with his son.
"Exactly. Nerys, if you have any difficulties while you're here, tell either the Duchess or Nellusion. There seems to have been an unpleasant incident, but we trust you."
Of course. Adrian must have already told them that he brought her with false accusations to show off his abilities.
Nerys deliberately smiled a lonely smile.
"Thank you, Your Grace. I don't know how long it's been since I received such warm hospitality."
The expressions of the Duke and Nellusion showed a level of understanding that comes from knowing someone for a long time. The Duke cleared his throat slightly, as if to cough.
"I heard about your mother's situation from Nellusion. You must have gone through a lot. Don't worry and consider this house as your own. We were willing to refund the tuition fees, after all."
In the previous life, it was a shameless act to receive exactly what was paid in the previous life as tuition fees, but Nerys put on a convincingly moved expression. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Just as she did when she was with Nellusion earlier, it wasn't difficult for her to feign tears this time as well. Just recalling any of the things she endured from the family members in her previous life made her head go blank, eyes well up with tears.
"Thank you. I don't know how much those words mean to me. Thank you, both of you."
After a long dinner, a few glasses of wine after the meal, and endless conversations in the drawing-room.
Although it appeared to be a welcoming gathering on the surface, it was, in fact, a time akin to an interrogation.
In a polite yet sharp manner typical of high society, the Duke questioned Nerys about her trajectory up to this point, including information about Maindlandt.
It was strange to know the way people at the pinnacle of society conversed, even after graduating from the academy. Therefore, Nerys sometimes pretended to be appropriately ignorant, mixing in a bit of stupidity or feigned ignorance, creating a story where she was 'coerced' in Maindlandt, 'used her abilities as directed,' and 'received little information.'
The Duke had a stern and diligent face, but his inner thoughts were similar to his son Nellusion. And having spent several decades more than Nellusion, he was not easy to deal with.
Nerys made an effort to appear willing to cooperate with the Elandria family to the best of her ability. Fortunately, after exchanging glances with his son a few times, the Duke showed a look of understanding.
"He seems to trust his son rather than being convinced by my explanation."
Nellusion, who excessively trusted Nerys's judgment and words, was a talent who had no one to follow among his peers, despite this. The Duke particularly trusted his son's caution. Fortunately for Nerys.
After the conversation ended, Nerys returned to her room feeling drained and changed into new clothes with Alice's help before lying down on the bed.
"Wishing you a restful night, Miss. If you need anything, just pull this cord anytime."
Alice bowed, pointing to the luxurious golden tassels adorning the lavishly furnished room.
"Alright, off you go. You worked hard today."
Alice carefully observed Nerys's every move with loyal and diligent eyes. Nerys kindly responded, pretending not to notice such scrutiny.
Soon, Alice turned off the bedroom lights and left the room. Nerys listened attentively as the sound of footsteps faded away.
In the moonlit room filled with moonlight streaming through the window, how carefully did she control her breathing?
"Miss."
Dora was suddenly standing by the bedside.
Nerys sat up slightly and smiled, asking, "Was the way to the room okay?"
Compared to the daytime when various merchants and townspeople came and went, the noble mansion at night was much more guarded. Dora casually replied, "As far as I can tell, there should be no problem guarding you by your side at night. You can rest assured."
Even the Silver Moon couldn't enter the Elandria Duke's estate. Of course, it was difficult to infiltrate the interior like the knights of Nora or Tifian, who continuously sent information outside, but a one-time intrusion might be easier... Still, wouldn't it be risky?
Nerys looked at Dora's expression. Seeing her relaxed expression, she smiled.
"This mansion's defenses aren't so lax, your skills are indeed exceptional. So, is there anything special to report?"
Night made intimate conversations difficult. Therefore, Dora unusually smiled in response to Nerys's question.
"Yes, Miss. His Grace has just entered the mansion on the outskirts of this street."
"What?"
Due to the strict vigilance during the escort from Maindlandt to Hwangdo, and to avoid giving the enemy any excuses, Nerys and Dora refrained from contacting the outside. Nerys suspected that Cleddwyn had surely sent his subordinates to follow her.
However, she didn't expect him to come personally. Nerys widened her eyes.
"He suddenly left the castle empty and came all the way here? Why?"
Dora was surprised by Nerys's reaction. What was it... wasn't it natural for him to come?
Seeing Nerys's puzzled expression, Dora bit her tongue.
"Anyway, understood."
Oh, even with Dora's simple mind, it was clear where those words came from emotionally. She cheerfully and confidently responded to the embarrassed Nerys.
"Yes, Miss."
Nerys sighed. She wasn't embarrassed like Dora thought. It was awkward.
"If this is how it's going to be, then leaving you behind was pointless."
She didn't want him to see what was happening here. She couldn't send everyone back now.
"Are some of our people inside this mansion?"
"As far as I know, there are no people inside this mansion. This mansion has strict criteria even when selecting a servant, and they must be recommended through acquaintances."
"Prepare to send a few people in. It wouldn't hurt to plant some of our people here."
As Dora suggested, the Elandria Duke's estate had strict hiring practices. Nevertheless, just in case, it seemed that Nerys would have to work directly inside.
Nerys gestured for Dora to come closer. She then whispered an address. Although the diligent Dora quickly memorized what Nerys said, she didn't quite grasp the context and blinked in confusion.
Smiling slyly, Nerys spoke, "The house I mentioned is where the head servant's brother lives. While it's not well-known among the servants, some of the Duke's staff have caught his attention. If there are good job opportunities, subtly mention that you can introduce them and give a few small gifts."
Among those with close enough relationships to recommend people within this household, the head servant's brother was the most trusted recommender.
Of course, if this information were known in other households, anyone would try to use him as a conduit for recommendations, so his role was carefully concealed. Nerys wouldn't have known about this if she hadn't observed during her years in this house.
"But we don't know when they'll be hired, right? I was thinking of sending one or two people away and having them pose as newcomers. That way, we can do it right away."
"Then you'll be found out soon. The servants in this house are trained to report any unusual behavior to the butler. Don't worry. We'll need more people soon."
Dora stared at Nerys intently. Nerys raised the corner of her mouth slightly.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You seemed different than usual, so I was just checking if you were feeling unwell."
"Is that so? ...Maybe."
When she first returned, the enemies in this house were still young. Nellusion was still a boy with a visible innocence, and Valentin was simply a child.
So, back then, meeting with enemies felt like a dream. Those kids who tried to make Nerys's life miserable during her school days ended up making their own school days miserable. But as for 'death'...
Whether Nerys had the ability back then is beside the point, but could she really wield a knife against those kids whose biggest goal in life was to do the least homework and wear the most expensive clothes in class?
Now that Nerys had gained that ability, Nellusion was a full adult, and Valentin had grown into the image of that wicked little sister from the past. There was no more roughness.
It was just a matter of testing how strong the roots of this vast empire were and burning those who thrived on those roots.
It would take a few years, but it would be done.
Many thoughts raced through her mind. Nerys closed her eyes and reviewed her plans.
Perhaps, everything would start from tomorrow morning.