Kneel Before The Villain

Chapter 32

It was true that I had my concerns, but they were not caused by the Duke.

I wondered why Annie suddenly brought up the story of the Duke who was not here, so I looked at her and soon came up with a fact.

'Come to think of it, the date of the Duke's return is not too far away.'

Seeing that the Emperor had said in front of the people that I could tell him anything I wanted, it was clear that the Duke had once again made a merit.

I thought it was great, but I didn't take great interest in it.

I shook my head, then sat still and looked at the teacup in front of me.

I could see the hot steam rising from the pale reddish tea water. I watched the scene closely and tapped the table top with a restless face.

It had already been a few days since I attended the imperial banquet with the Crown Prince. Lately, my daily life has been excessively peaceful.

The longer this peace has lasted, the more anxious I have become, lurking in the corners of my mind. It was strange.

'If it's Claire that I know, she won't let things go against her.'

She wouldn't just watch and wait. The Claire I knew would have stepped forward to provoke me and prevent me from getting close to the Crown Prince, and she should have done so a few dozen more times.

Did I misjudge Claire?

I thought for a moment, then quickly concluded that I did not.

'It can't be.'

Claire was quite persistent and wouldn't give up easily on what she had gained.

The Crown Prince was also not a great man who could deal with Claire easily. So there had to be some other reason for her not showing up now.

'What on earth is she up to?'

While I was contemplating, Annie opened her mouth.

"Lady, I got a call to pick up the pendant I left for repair. I'll go there tomorrow. If there's anything else you want to order, please tell me know. I'll get it on my way back."

The last time Annie was at a banquet with me, she picked up an unknown pendant, which was actually not very important to me. I had forgotten about it for a while because of other things, but now that Annie had mentioned it, I finally remembered.

"It took longer than I thought."

"Yes, it did. When I visited, the craftsman complained that it was more difficult to repair because it was more elaborate than he thought, but he never said it would take this long. I really need to ask him about it when I see him tomorrow."

"It's fine. It's not urgent anyway."

I thought of what I could do to defend Claire, but time went by without finding a clear answer.

In the meantime, before I knew it, the meeting with Hermes' Master arrived.

The shopping district, where the festival had ended, was relatively quiet compared to that time.

I got on the large carriage and looked up at the building in front of me in my daily clothes.

The last time I saw a messenger from Hermes come majestically over the gate of the ducal mansion, I realized that I could be interacting with Hermes' master.

Externally, it looked like I was trading goods with Hermes, so I didn't need to hide it.

Once inside, the servant led me to the back, as if he had been told about my visit beforehand.