Yuri pushes a cart that is full of food down the brightly lit hallway, to get ready for the Duke's and Lady Sabrina's dinner.
Ever since the banquet, Sabrina Arden has started to stay in the Duke's mansion, as the Duke stated that he will watch over her until the situation regarding about Vanessa Carlson being poisoned is solved. And it has already been over two months since then.
Vanessa Carlson has woken up after a week of the banquet, other than still being very weak from the poison, it seems like she also became traumatized of someone attempting to harm her. Either the Crown prince felt some kind of pity for her or whatever the reason is, His Highness Mikel promised to protect her and moved her over to his palace until the situation is resolved. However, maybe because of other people's jealousy or maybe because people have nothing better to do, a rumor has started to spread.
Rumor stated that Duke Lumen and High highness Mikel are not in a good term right now because of the women that they brought back to their estates are enemies. And that because both of them are madly in love with their "future crown princess" and "future duchess" that they are willing to start a war against each other, or something like that.
Now Yuri doesn't know how the crown prince side is doing, but she know that both the Duke and Lady Sabrina didn't seem to care about these rumors. They let people say whatever they want to say, since both of them are very tough minded. Just like that, Yuri has concluded how plot goes for this world. Rumors are rumors in the end, with no evidence and proof, but Yuri felt like the "future duchess" part is about to come true.
For the last two months that Sabrina Arden has stayed in the Grand Duke's estate, the relationship between the Duke and the Lady seems to get stronger and stronger. Yuri can tell that every time the Duke sees Sabrina, a gentle smile just suddenly forms on his handsome face. A smile that he only show to Sabrina. And every time the Duke smiles at Sabrina, Yuri can see the slight tinted blush that erupted on her cheeks, making her look more lovely than ever. Yuri just stayed quiet at the corner of each room, as she watch the two love birds proceed on with their romantic relationship. Yuri was also schedule to be one of the attending maids that is going to be taking care of Sabrina Arden's needs in this mansion. In which Yuri was very glad it happened that way because she found out something big. And it was that Sabrina Arden is actually a transmigrator also.
When Yuri was attending Sabrina with her morning routines, Sabrina blurted out how she wished that there is WiFi in this world, so that even if she is under house arrest, she has something to ease her boredom. After that, Yuri made sure to gain every chance of staying near Sabrina's side quietly. From there on, Yuri has concluded a brief description of the 'original' plotline.
The original female lead, Vanessa Carlson who has a power that only the witch descendants have, but the witches are not liked by the popularity. Which initiated a witch cleansed couple hundred years ago, but some lived, hiding their powers and identity like a rat so that they won't be kill, and it seems like Vanessa Carlson's ancestors are one of the couples that were able to pass on their bloodline, though it was a secrete to the society. Then, the FL met with the original male lead, which is Mikel Luxington, who is the Crown Prince of the Sun Empire. Eventually he found out Vanessa's secret power, but still loves her nonetheless, while protecting her from danger and people's sneers. As for the Grand Duke Lumen Augustine, who was the original second male lead, also secretly loved Vanessa, despite him also knowing her secret power. Sabrina Arden fell in love with the Grand Duke, and was jealous of Vanessa who was able to gain Lumen's love. It seems like she also discovered Vanessa's power, and she was about to used this secrete against her, but before it happen, Lumen himself killed Sabrina off, in order to protect Vanessa. So on and so forth later, Lumen held a revolt against the empire, but in the end he failed and die also.
---So in conclusion, the 'original' plot of this novel, is that Vanessa and Mikel is in love with each other, Sabrina loves Lumen, while Lumen loves Vanessa. The original Sabrina died on the hand of Lumen, while Lumen died after a failed revolution. Afterward, Vanessa and Mikel lived happily ever after. So in a sense Sabrina and Lumen were the 'original' villains of the plot.-----
Yuri was talking to herself in her thoughts, as she set up the dining table for the Duke and Sabrina to eat in. After she finished setting up, she stand in the corner of the room, waiting for the two love birds to come in so that she can provide them with their meals.
When the love birds finally walked into the dining room, Lumen pulled out the chair for Sabrina to sit. While Sabrina gave him a gentle smile as a way to show her gratitude to him. Once they set down, Yuri laid their meal on the table and poured the wine in their cups. Afterward, Yuri walked back to her original corner and stay quiet like a dead mouse until one of them calls for her. As she watched those two people eat and smile at each other from time to time, a thought suddenly came through her. Yuri wonder's if that "original" plotline of this world is the "original" plot for her or if it is for Sabrina. Afterall, Yuri is not sure if the novel that she transmigrated into is a transmigration novel or not. If it is, then that means that Sabrina is also a character herself....
With this thought in mind, Yuri suddenly has a slight migraine from thinking too much.
---ugh, so messy---
Yuri thought to herself as she furrows her brows together. But then she let out a quiet sigh, where people can barely hear it
---not like it matters if Sabrina is an actual character in this current plot that she is in or not. Lets not think too much and just watch it unfold.---
Right. It doesn't matter to Yuri either way, which ever it is. She is just "Maid Z". A maid of this world, where no one even knows her name, nor asking for it. Suddenly she thought of someone again, the person that she saw in the banquet. That person where she can't see his face properly because of the shadow that cast over him at the corner of the room. However, his pair of red eyes are prominent to her vision, a pair of eyes that gives off an uneasy feeling, but at the same time, it is seductive to Yuri to the point of staring at it shamelessly even after he noticed her stares.
---...I wonder what his role is in this world---
Soon after, the soon-to-be couple finished their meals and Yuri was cleaning after them. After the master has finished eating, is also the time when the servants can start having their meals. Thus, after she left the plates in the kitchen for the people that are in charge of washing dishes to wash it, Yuri grabbed her portion of the meal and sat at the corner of the table in the kitchen, near a window. As she eats and stare out to the window, she starts to daydream. She wonders when she will meet him again. Through out the two months after the banquet, she haven't thought of that mysterious person much, but once she does, she thought of it for a long time. How he would look like and how he would sound like...
However, her daydream cuts short together with her dinner. Leah walked into the kitchen, and said in her usual demeanor voice
"Whoever that was in charge of setting up the Duke and the Lady's meal today, prepare some light refreshments for them also in the study room, after you are done with your meal"
Yuri sighed a bit. She look at the big piece of dried bread that is in her hand, and the big bowl of rich clam chowder soup in front of her. Yuri has always disliked wasting food, after all, it is not easy to put food in the plate. However, ever she came here, the meals that she has been eating were never missed, and always were in big portions. As much as she doesn't like to waste food, she's also not used to eating big portions like this. Even though she slowly getting used to it, she still not able to handle it, so she get way less than the others, in order to avoid wasting the hard earned food.
She put couple more spoons of soup in her mouth until she felt like she can't eat anymore, before she stand up and leave the table. She slowly prepare refreshments that the chief told her to, since the chief knew what the Duke likes and don't like, and also a huge pot of chamomile tea. When she is done she pulled the cart full of food to the study room. She knocks on the door before going in. The door opens, and she saw Leah standing inside room, gesturing her to come in before closing the door behind her. She then took the cart from Yuri and whispered.
After being part of the Grand Duke's servant for around three to four months, Yuri understands that if the head maid herself is the one that is serving, then it usually meant that there is a guest in the room. And in order to not make any mistakes in front of the guest, the head maid herself takes care of the main work.
Yuri slightly nodded her head to show her understanding before she slowly and quietly walk to the corner of the room. Even though Yuri is a bit curious to see who the guest is, she didn't lift her head up. Since the head maid has always told the maids to not look around or become curious when they are in front of their master, since it will look unprofessional. Usually Yuri doesn't really listen to Leah's words, but since the she is in the room herself, then Yuri felt like it is better to follow her direction before she gets in trouble with her. However, that doesn't mean that Yuri's ears are not listening. Even if she doesn't want to listen, it's not like she can avoided it completely, since she's not deaf. Plus the fact that Yuri felt like its boring to just stand and do nothing until they told you to, so she felt like she might as well join in their conversation, inside her own head.
A familiar elegant and lovely feminine voice spoke out.
"Thank you for coming at such a late evening, and I also do apologize for making you come all the way here, since getting in touch with you is not easy. So once we were able to get in touch with you, we do want to see you as soon as possible."
Sabrina sounds like she is truly grateful to the person that she is thanking. However, there is no voice replying her back, and Sabrina also didn't say much afterward. Yuri can hear the slight sounds of plate hitting the table gently, and the sound of steaming tea being poured into the cups. Yuri cam smell the sweet and comforting scent of chamomile.
"Please feel free to help yourself. I bet it was a long journey for you to get here, so I prepared some chamomile tea, hoping that it will sooth you up."
The Yuri heard Lumen's voice, robust but also elegant. But there was also no extra movement heard, just silence, which became kind of awkward, so Sabrina continued on the conversation.
"I have heard something interesting about you, Mr. Merchant...that you're able to get your customers anything that they want...thus, I was wondering if you're able to find me the thing that I wanted...even if it may not exist...."
Yuri slightly lifted one of her eyebrows, showing her interest in the conversation, while her head remain slightly down, so no one can see her expression.
Then, Yuri heard a slight movement of clothes rustling together, as a light *cling* sound from cup being picked up, rings in Yuri's ears.
A quiet smirk was then heard in Yuri's ears. She wasn't sure who it's from, but it is relatively unfamiliar sound. There was a couple seconds of silence, but soon a light and soothing voice came out
"This chamomile tea is from the most northern part of the continent, good choice."
Yuri find the voice very soothing, but at the same time, she can feel a slight coldness in the voice. Curiosity always make the cat jumps out from the bag, and so did Yuri curiosity. She tilt her head slight upward, so that she can see the people in front her. Lumen and Sabrina are both sitting down, back facing towards her. While Leah is standing quietly behind the the Duke's back, where Leah's back is also facing towards Yuri. Her eyes slowly moves upward, seeing a person with long slender fingers held up a cup with steaming tea in front of his lips, enjoying his every sip.
She listens to her own slow deep breathes, as her eyes are laid on him, his every movements are etched in her eyes, until his pair of red pupils stare back at her.
The uneasy feeling of greed that resides deep in his eyes...and the contentment that seems to still linger in his stares, all seems beautiful to Yuri...
---Indeed...beautiful and dangerous...---