Free Web NovelChapter 18: Chapter 18: The Duchess’s Warning
Chapter 18: The Duchess’s Warning
Evelyne suddenly turned toward Andras.
"You should return to your room and freshen up," she said calmly.
Andras nodded.
"Alright, Mother."
Without another word, he turned and walked down the corridor.
The moment Lyra saw him leave, she instinctively moved to follow behind him as she always did.
But before she could take more than a few steps—
"Lyra."
Evelyne’s voice echoed through the hallway.
Both Lyra and Andras stopped.
The maid immediately stiffened.
Slowly, Evelyne shifted her gaze toward her.
"You don’t need to follow Andras right now," the Duchess said. "There is something I wish to discuss with you. Come to my room."
The moment those words left her mouth, Lyra’s face paled.
A wave of nervousness tightened around her chest.
Her fingers clenched against the fabric of her uniform as she unconsciously glanced toward Andras.
As if asking for help.
Andras noticed immediately.
For a moment, he simply looked at her before speaking.
"Go with Mother."
His tone remained calm and unreadable.
Hearing those words left Lyra with little choice.
"...Yes, Young Master."
Her voice came out quieter than intended.
Then she turned and followed Evelyne through the corridor.
Meanwhile, Andras continued toward his room alone.
The heavy doors closed behind him as he entered his chamber.
Without hesitation, he headed toward the adjoining bath.
Warm water soon filled the marble basin, and steam drifted lazily through the air.
Leaning back against the smooth stone, Andras closed his eyes.
Mother definitely called Lyra to question her.
The thought barely concerned him.
Evelyne might disapprove of certain things, but she was not unreasonable.
At most, she would offer a warning.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"I’ll ask Lyra what happened later," he murmured.
Meanwhile—
Inside Evelyne’s private chambers, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The room was elegant yet imposing, decorated with silver furnishings, crystal lamps, and dark blue curtains embroidered with the crest of House Darkmoor.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, yet somehow the room still felt cold.
Evelyne entered first.
Lyra followed carefully behind.
The moment the door closed, a chill ran down her spine.
Even without releasing her mana intentionally, Evelyne’s presence alone was enough to pressure ordinary people.
After all—
She was a Peak Eighth Circle Mage.
One of the strongest women in the Empire.
Evelyne calmly took a seat near the window before speaking.
"So."
Her voice was quiet.
"What exactly is happening between my son and you?"
Lyra immediately lowered her head.
"N-Nothing unusual, Duchess."
The answer came too quickly.
Evelyne’s blue eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why are you lying to me?"
Her voice remained calm.
That calmness was far more intimidating than anger.
Lyra felt her throat tighten.
Under Evelyne’s gaze, it felt impossible to hide anything.
After several seconds, she finally spoke honestly.
"M-Me and Young Master.." she whispered fearfully. "We have been intimate."
Silence filled the room afterward.
Evelyne showed little reaction outwardly, though her eyes narrowed slightly.
Then she asked another question.
"Did you seduce him?"
Lyra’s eyes widened immediately.
"No!" she answered quickly. "It wasn’t like that at all. Young Master was the one who approached me first."
And it wasn’t Young Master’s fault either... He was only punishing me because I made a mistake."
Hearing that answer, Evelyne quietly leaned back in her chair.
Inside her mind, however, she wasn’t surprised at all.
Honestly, she had already expected this outcome.
She knew her son’s personality better than anyone.
If something happened between Andras and a maid, there was almost no chance the maid initiated it herself.
Andras had always been selfish by nature.
Cruel too.
Especially toward servants.
Evelyne closed her eyes briefly before speaking again.
"If my son was the one who initiated it, then I won’t punish you for it."
Relief flashed across Lyra’s face.
But it vanished as soon as Evelyne continued.
"However," she continued calmly, "you must remember your position."
Her blue eyes locked onto Lyra’s trembling figure.
"Andras already has a fiancée."
Lyra lowered her gaze silently.
"You are a maid of House Darkmoor," Evelyne continued. "Nothing more."
Her voice wasn’t harsh.
But the meaning behind those words was clear.
"Do not attempt to seek recognition or status through your relationship with him," Evelyne said quietly. "I’m saying this for your own good."
Hearing those words, Lyra bit her lower lip softly.
Outwardly, she nodded obediently.
But deep inside--
Another emotion surfaced.
Hatred.
Not toward Evelyne.
Toward the woman she had never even met.
Andras’s fiancée.
Just hearing about another woman standing beside him made bitterness spread through her chest.
Andras is mine.
The thought appeared instinctively inside her mind before she quickly suppressed it.
Lyra lowered her head further.
"I understand, Duchess," she whispered sadly. "I will remain Young Master’s maid and won’t bring further trouble to his reputation."
Evelyne watched her silently for several seconds.
Then the cold mana filling the room slowly disappeared.
The frost around the windows melted almost immediately.
The pressure in the room gradually faded.
"Good."
Then she turned her gaze back toward the window.
"You may leave."
Lyra bowed deeply.
"Yes, Duchess."
Then she quickly left the room.
The moment she stepped outside into the corridor again, she let out the breath she had been holding the entire time.
Her heart was still beating rapidly from fear.
But despite that fear
One thought continued lingering stubbornly inside her mind.
She did not want to lose Andras to another woman.
