So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 17

Chapter 17

— — —

[To the Grand Duke,
Hello, Grand Duke.
I’m the person living in the cabin in the forest.
I want to go to the festival tonight.
May I?
If I’m with the maids, safety won’t be a problem.
Even you wouldn’t be able to beat their everyday strength.
And I’ve been training every morning, too.
Anyway… I’ll behave and just look around, then come straight back.
I could sneak out, but you’re still the one feeding me and letting me sleep here, so my conscience would hurt.
If you don’t send any particular message, I’ll take that as permission.
Thank you!]

“Hah.”

He didn’t need to see a signature. The sender was obvious.

Even the round, bubbly handwriting looked exactly like her.

Xenos let out a dry laugh at the Grand Duchess—who had disguised a notice as a request for permission.

Is she trying to be considerate… or not?

She’d clearly avoided even using the title “Grand Duchess” because she didn’t want to irritate him.

Yet the contents were bold to the point of audacity.

Honestly, if Xenos hadn’t found it, it might’ve slipped by unnoticed entirely.

Was that what she wanted?

She claimed sneaking out would make her feel guilty—yet the letter was shoved deep between documents, almost as if she hoped it wouldn’t be discovered.

The contradiction made his brow furrow.

And then—slowly—an off-kilter smile spread across his face.

“Carl.”

Xenos stood and called to Carl, who was waiting beside the desk like he’d been drawn there.

With a smooth motion, he handed Carl Renée’s letter.

The old butler skimmed it and replied with a knowing look beneath his monocle, as if no explanation was necessary.

“I’ll make the preparations, Your Grace.”

* * *

“Are we… really allowed to do this?”

Betty’s eyebrows drooped in worry.

Despite that expression, her hands were busier than ever.

I forced down my exasperation.

“For someone who’s worried, you’re braiding my hair with a lot of dedication, Betty.”

“That’s because your hair is as soft as silk, Madam! And the red ribbon suits you so perfectly!”

“You look so beautiful!”

At Betty’s words, Nina and Dora shouted in unison and eagerly piled on.

For once, their over-the-top praise actually felt… weirdly reasonable.

I leaned closer to the mirror.

“Hm… maybe you’re right.”

My silvery-white hair was being braided into two neat plaits under Betty’s skilled hands.

She threaded red ribbon through the braid like highlights, then tied the ends with crisp bows.

Then I put on the red dress Garnet had hurriedly made—declaring it was a must for my “first festival.”

Even I had to admit I looked pretty cute.

Pretty…

From the moment I possessed this body, the face had been completely my type. But dressed up properly like this?

It was honestly satisfying.

Wow. I’m cute.

This life… really isn’t bad.

My satisfaction level was shooting straight up when—

“If I were a painter, I’d capture you on canvas right now!”

“Should we grab a brush? We can’t be the only ones who get to see this!”

Ria and Marie were practically crying, shoving fists into each other’s mouths like they were trying to stop themselves from screaming.

I thought I’d built an immunity to their fangirling after spending days with them…

But the maid squad kept breaking the laws of sanity.

“Guys… that’s why we’re going to the festival…”

I climbed down from the stool, trying to regain control.

We’d already wasted a ridiculous amount of time on their hype and my makeover.

If we missed the once-a-year festival because of this, I’d riot.

In a hurry, I swung open the front door—

Then spun around and started roll call like a machine gun.

“Anyway! Everyone ready? Let’s see… Garnet, Nina, Dora, and Ria, Marie…”

Something about their faces looked oddly dark, but I finished counting and turned back—

“…And Betty’s here too. Okay, let’s go— Aah!”

Maybe I was too excited.

I turned too fast and slammed straight into something hard and—strangely—warm.

“Ow! That hurt…”

Clutching my forehead, I looked up.

And right in front of me—

A broad, firm chest.

Wait. A chest?!

That high up, that big…?

I jerked my gaze upward, startled—

“Guh—!”

“What are you so shocked for?”

The last face I ever wanted to see.

The Grand Duke was standing there.

And he was dressed up so sharply he practically sparkled.

I froze in place.

Looks like this body’s “freeze when startled” instinct came with the package.

When I just blinked at him, the Grand Duke lifted one corner of his mouth like he’d misunderstood something.

He looks like such a jerk.

Yes, he’s handsome—but that smile? Straight-up villain energy.

I didn’t even know what story this was, but if he wasn’t the main villain, he was at least a shadow-boss type.

Cold sweat crawled down my back.

“I received your letter. You left it in such a wonderfully visible place.”

Damn it. Nina had said she hid it perfectly while cleaning the office.

As if she felt wronged too, Nina met my eyes, slapped a hand over her mouth, and shook her head frantically.

I nodded slightly to reassure her.

Yeah. This isn’t Nina’s fault. We were just unlucky.

Then I looked across the maid squad’s pale faces one by one and realized—

If anyone could handle this, it was me.

Gulp. My throat went dry.

I signaled the maids to stay back, stepped forward as a shield, and faced the Grand Duke head-on.

I lifted the hem of my skirt and bowed, forcing myself to speak with formal politeness.

Please let this match local etiquette.

“I couldn’t dare take up your valuable time. Forgive my discourtesy.”

You psycho. If you don’t forgive me, what then? You’re the one who told me not to be seen!

My thoughts and my words were in completely different universes.

Maybe he read that too, because he sneered.

“Forgive you? How amusing. We’ll see. I’ll decide after watching what you do today.”

“…Pardon?”

Don’t tell me—

Is he saying he’s going to the festival too?

No. No way. That can’t be it.

It has to be my misunderstanding… right?

I forced a smile.

But the sound that came out was shaking like crazy.

“Ah… haha. Hahah…”

Damn it. I sound so pathetic.

But he was the Grand Duke—huge enough that he looked almost twice my size.

After being doted on by my overprotective maids, I’d drifted far from the concept of “predator and prey.”

Now the sheer physical difference hit me like a wall.

I asked awkwardly, “When you say ‘today’…”

“It means I’m coming with you. Do I really need to explain something this basic?”

Why. Are. You. Coming?!

But after dropping that bomb, he just stood there with his arms crossed, looking down at me like this was the most natural thing in the world.

I snapped my head toward the maids.

They were pale too—like they were hearing this for the first time.

Clearly, their plan had completely imploded.

All I saw were miserable faces.

When I backed up instinctively and leaned toward them, warm presences pressed against my back one by one, silently giving me courage.

I was just about to get emotional—

When a tiny whispering started behind me.

“I wanted to release lanterns next to Madam today…”

“Even if he’s the husband, he should get in line…”

“We were here first…”

“A stone that rolled in is pushing out the stones that belonged…”

They cut themselves off like they realized they shouldn’t say it out loud, but—

Yeah.

To them, the Grand Duke had basically become a shameless “industry insider” who stole their hard-earned surprise date with their favorite idol.

Status didn’t matter.

Even the maid squad, with all their glorious muscles, couldn’t beat that one man.

I accepted reality fast.

Fine. Then I had only one option.

My secret weapon:

The Fake Sick Skill.

COUGH. I suddenly feel unwell. I should rest.

“Petty and cheap. I’d rather not go at all.”

“…What?”

“…Oh. Did I say that out loud?”