Abandoned Maid of the Grand Duke - Chapter 15
Since the Grand Duchess became pregnant, he hasn’t called for me and has spent all his time by her side. Many guests came to congratulate her, which was a convenient excuse. But let’s be honest—he was never too busy to find me before.
I hadn’t decided where to go. Given the timing, I would give birth in the summer, so I needed to find a place where I could rest. The last thing I wanted was to give birth drenched in sweat under the scorching sun.
Fortunately, I had saved up my wages all this time. It should be enough to buy a small house in a remote village. I know it’s dangerous for a woman to live alone in the countryside with rebel forces everywhere these days, but it’s a risk I have to take.
‘If only Paul were here…’
I could have pretended the child was his, but now it’s too late. Damn that Grand Duke. He’s no help at all. Why did he send Paul away in the first place?
At least Paul would have listened to my situation and tried to help.
At that thought, I shook my head, realizing it was too shameless. Paul married me knowing full well I was the Grand Duke’s woman, and now I expect him to accept my child?
Moreover, the female lead to be born from my womb would look just like her father…
“I am Lillian Kaltblüter. I’ve come to reclaim my place as the heir of the family.”
Everyone froze in their places, except for the Grand Duchess, whose gaze wavered greatly as she looked at the girl.
The girl had dazzling golden hair and clear, glass-like blue eyes, a chiseled nose, and a slender face with lips as red as those in a famous painting. If not for her long hair reaching her waist, she looked exactly like her father at that age.
Who could deny it? No one had time to say otherwise. As if the inevitable had arrived, the Grand Duchess’s gasp spoke the truth before anyone else could.
Considering how much she resembles him, to survive without being discovered, I’d have to find a secluded mountain area.
But then again, it doesn’t make sense. Why kill the maid but let the daughter live? If they had dealt with it all at once, it would have been simpler. This story lacks coherence from start to finish.
I sighed deeply, giving up on making sense of it all.
No matter where or how I go, survival seems impossible. I just need to leave here as quickly as possible. That’s the only way to live a bit longer.
With that thought, I decided to run away in the dead of night.
On the dawn of the Grand Duchess’s pregnancy banquet, I clutched my stomach—the source of all my nausea—and fled to a place where no one could find me.
***
“So, Julie ran away, you say.”
The Grand Duke’s grip tightened around the report, his knuckles turning white as veins bulged. It was the same hand that never shed its black gloves since the brutal suppression of the civil war.
In response to his low, threatening question, the aide who had been monitoring the maid trembled and quickly answered.
“There are reports she headed towards Chelsea through the city. We should be able to catch up to her soon.”
“Chelsea?”
“If we move quickly, we can reach her in half a day…”
Before he could finish speaking, the report on the desk was scattered across the aide’s face. Amid the fluttering papers, the Grand Duke’s murderous gaze flashed.
“Is that all you have to say?”
Chelsea was the stronghold of the rebels. During the civil war, countless lives had been taken by his hand in that very place. If those people learned that his woman was passing through, they wouldn’t let it go.
“Find her and bring her back before she reaches Chelsea.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“What are you waiting for? Get moving immediately!”
The rare roar of the Grand Duke sent everyone in the room into a state of silent panic. An oppressive atmosphere filled the space as no one dared to speak up out of fear of his wrath.
The only one who dared to break the silence was the Grand Duchess, her slightly rounded belly visible as she spoke without fear.
“Of all places, Chelsea.”
She was like a delicate flower, yet always ensured someone followed the maid closely. It was only for a brief moment that this person had been absent.
The reason was simple: the Grand Duchess’s pregnancy celebration had stretched their resources thin.
In the dead of night, during the mere hour they were absent, the maid had seized the opportunity to flee. Who would have imagined such a thing?
Everyone was dumbfounded. Who could have predicted that the woman who received all the Grand Duke’s affection would run away?
Except for one person: the Grand Duchess, Luina.
“How desperate must she have been?”
Exactly, how desperate must she have been.
Not only was he always fawning over her, but if she was out of his sight for a single day, he became paranoid, constantly surveilling, pursuing, and hounding her. If that wasn’t insanity, what was it?
Even in the midst of his busy schedule, he made sure to check if she ate her three meals every day. She must have been completely fed up.
Even on the battlefield, he kept secret watch over her and received reports. How creepy. It must have been terrifying for her. It’s a wonder she endured as long as she did.
‘Did she finally realize and decide to run away?’
