There is No Key to His Cage - Chapter 16
“So beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? The previous Grand Duchess, Diana, arranged it all.”
“Grand Duchess…?”
If it’s the wife of the previous Grand Duke, could it be referring to his mother?
Elena looked at her with wide eyes.
“Yes, the Grand Duke’s mother. Come this way for a moment.”
Following her, they came to a gray tombstone surrounded by red roses.
Reading with her rudimentary knowledge of the imperial language, she saw the name ‘Diana de Scylla’ inscribed.
“The Duchess loved roses. That’s why there are so many in the garden.”
“Ah….”
To think she decorated this vast garden all by herself.
And so beautifully at that.
“She must have been an amazing person.”
“Yes, she truly was remarkable. Moreover, befitting her name Diana, the goddess of the moon, she was the only one who could hear divine prophecies.”
“Ah….”
She had heard of her before.
The Empire’s only saint, Diana.
It was said that her prophecies had helped avoid numerous wars.
She was known to be that capable.
“Why… did she die…?”
From what she’d heard, she had died without anyone knowing.
It seemed unlikely for a healthy person to die so suddenly.
“That’s a closely guarded secret, so I don’t know much about it either. She was such a beautiful person…”
Jane’s eyes welled up as she looked at the tombstone.
Elena gently patted her on the back, offering comfort.
“It’s okay. She’s in a better place now.”
Jane nodded, closing her eyes in prayer.
Watching her intently, Elena also closed her eyes and prayed for her.
“Well then, let’s continue our tour.”
The vast garden was filled with various flowers like irises, sunflowers, and cosmos.
With even a maze garden to catch the eye, it felt like being in an amusement park.
“Later, let’s have tea together in the greenhouse, my lady. It really lifts one’s spirits.”
“Sounds good.”
Elena agreed with a bright smile.
After leaving the garden, Jane guided her to the waterfront.
“Wow, such a large lake.”
At the lake, located far from the mansion, ducks were waddling in a line.
A small boat floated on the water where sunlight scattered.
The reeds and willows around the lake swayed in the wind, creating a spectacular view.
“Can we ride that boat?”
The large boat docked by the shore seemed to beckon as if urging them to ride it quickly.
“Unfortunately, there’s no boatman now. Where could he have gone?”
“Boatman?”
“Yes, there’s usually a boatman here. It’s probably because the Grand Duke is away.”
“Ah….”
She suddenly realized that everything in this mansion revolved around him.
There wasn’t a place untouched by his influence.
“You should come ride with the Grand Duke later. I once saw the previous Grand Duke riding with his wife, and it was so beautiful.”
Jane clasped her hands together like a girl in love.
However, the thought of riding in the same boat with him didn’t appeal to Elena at all.
Quack quack-
“Huh?”
Hearing sudden quacking, she looked down at her feet.
Small ducks had approached, surrounding her while making noise.
“How cute….”
She had always liked animals, and now she was seeing ducks here.
Elena crouched down to pet the ducks.
“They’re not running away?”
“Usually they do, but oh my. They must really like you, my lady.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m wearing the same color….”
She wondered if they were following her because she was wearing a pale yellow dress, the same color as the ducks.
Jane smiled warmly, watching Elena play with the ducks.
“Jane, I feel good when I’m with you.”
“Really?”
Surprised by the sudden confession, Jane looked slightly bewildered.
“Yes, really. I feel at ease when I’m with you. So, thank you.”
If asked who the best person in this mansion was, it would undoubtedly be Jane.
There couldn’t be anyone kinder or warmer than her.
“I’m really happy to be with you too, my lady.”
Jane’s gentle smile made her look just like an angel.
Her faint smile instantly filled Elena’s body with energy.
“Alright! I should cheer up too!”
She would regain her strength and definitely escape this mansion.
And she would fight against his power, never giving in.
“Let’s go, Jane! Show me more!”
“Now that’s more like our lady.”
Dong- Dong- Dong-
Just then, the clock tower in the distance chimed three times, marking the hour.
The bell’s sound, in harmony with the fluttering of birds, was peaceful.
“Ah, it’s already 3 o’clock, my lady. It’s time for the tailor to arrive.”
“Sigh… Already?”
“Yes, unfortunately, we’ll have to continue our tour another time.”
“Okay….”
And so, the enjoyable tour of the Grand Duke’s mansion with Jane came to an end.
Once again holding her hand, Elena trudged back into the mansion.
The thought of facing the tailor soured her mood again.
Jane, seeming to notice this, smiled slightly and said, “It’s alright, my lady. It’ll be over quickly.”
That’s not it.
It wasn’t about the time, but the fact that she was being fitted for a wedding dress.
The idea of fitting a dress made it feel like she was really going to marry him.
Sighing deeply, Elena entered the room like a corpse.
The familiar air of the room seemed to worsen her mood again.
To think she’d have to see his face again tonight.
It was dreadful just imagining it.
“When is the tailor coming?”
“Soon. Please wait a moment, my lady.”
“Okay.”
After waiting for a while, sipping tea, there was a knock on the door.
Knock knock-
“Come in.”
With the sound of knocking, a short man poked his head through the door.
“Good day, my lady. I am Favier, the tailor. It’s an honor to meet you today.”
Favier, with his curly mustache, greeted her politely like a dapper gentleman.
For a moment, she almost burst out laughing at his comical mustache, but she managed to cover her mouth with her hand, avoiding an embarrassing situation.
“Nice to meet you, Favier.”
“I’ve been briefly informed, Lady Elena. I hear you’re about to be married….”
“Yes.”
Her expression hardened momentarily at the word ‘marriage’.
Noticing this, he cleared his throat and spoke softly.
“To be entrusted with the dress of such a beautiful lady, I, Favier, am truly delighted.”
He spoke with a grin, uttering flattering words.
Though not particularly pleased, she couldn’t send him away now.
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
As he nodded, a woman who seemed to be assisting him approached with a long measuring tape.
“Then, excuse me, my lady.”
The woman, with her hair neatly tied back, measured Elena’s height, chest, waist, and hip circumference, calling out the exact measurements to the tailor.
Favier stroked his long mustache once, then picked up a black fountain pen and began writing something diligently.
“There, all done, my lady. Now, let’s look at the catalog.”
The thick catalog he handed over was filled with about a hundred pages of beautiful dress designs.
The catalog, meticulously categorized by color and style, clearly showed his hard work.
However, there weren’t many dresses that caught her eye.
“They’re all pretty. Pretty, but nothing really appeals to me.”
Compared to the dresses she had seen in her previous life, these all seemed rustic and inferior.
No matter how expensive the fabric, none of the designs really caught her fancy.
Still, for a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, she wanted to wear a beautiful dress.
“That paper, for a moment.”
At her words, the tailor quickly handed over the paper.
He glanced at the notebook, wondering what she was up to.
“The dress I’m thinking of is….”
The kind of dress she had often seen on the internet before.
A mermaid wedding dress.
A dress that follows the lines of a woman’s body, reminiscent of a mermaid, one she had always wanted to try on.
Though she couldn’t draw well, she knew roughly how it should look, so she wielded the pen as best she could.
“Here, a dress shaped like this with a flared bottom. And I’ve added lace to make it more luxurious. Also, I’d like the lining to be made of dobby fabric, and the outer layer to be slightly see-through tulle fabric with tiny jewels meticulously embedded.”
It was surprising how useful the things she had learned in her cultural classes were turning out to be.
It seems going to university was worth it after all.
“Yes… Let me take a look…!”
Inwardly, he might have scoffed, thinking what could a noble lady possibly know about this.
But as he took the notebook, he looked at her with an astonished expression.
“This… This is a design I’ve never seen before. I couldn’t even imagine a dress that fits so snugly… This is revolutionary, my lady. If you wear this dress, all the noble ladies will be envious!”
Though she had merely copied a modern design, it felt good to receive praise after so long.
“Ahem… Well! I did do something, didn’t I?”
“Yes, my lady! We shall name this dress after you – the Elena dress. It will be a truly beautiful piece. You are truly remarkable.”
He kept admiring the notebook, his eyes sparkling as if he had encountered the greatest artistic masterpiece of his life.
Well, he’s probably more excited about the money he’ll make.
“I will have it completed three days before the wedding, my lady. I swear on the name of Favier, I will present you with the finest dress.”
He bowed again like a gentleman, twirling his tiny hand, and left the room with a satisfied expression.
“Ah, finally it’s over.”
She felt so tired despite not having done much.
It seemed like taking a nap would be a good idea.
“I’m tired….”
Elena quickly sat on the bed and stretched.
“But my lady, how do you know so much?”
Jane, standing beside her, asked with a slightly tilted head, looking puzzled.
“Well, I’ve been around the world, you know?”
At that, Jane burst into laughter and smiled warmly.
“Then, my lady, you look tired, so please get some rest. I’ll take my leave now.”
“As expected of Jane. You’re quick to notice.”
“Of course. I’ve been with you for years.”
“Huh?”
For years?
Did she make a slip of the tongue?
As Elena raised her head with a puzzled expression, Jane looked flustered.
“Ah, it’s nothing, my lady. Please rest well.”
“Ah… okay. Goodbye.”
Jane’s behavior as she hurriedly left the room was different from usual.
“Well… it’s probably nothing.”
