Chapter 7 – The Forbidden Floor (2)
A flame ceaselessly seized the Archduke’s castle. It echoed with a cacophony of deceased voices, all blaming her. A cursed archduke and a guillotine that would slice her neck. These were the things that awaited future Riddel in the novel.
It would happen, but…
Kill the witch! Cut off that filthy bitch’s head, that head filled with greed!
The sight of the guillotine before my eyes made me want to throw up.
Why did I end up here? Why do I have chains on my feet? Why did this happen? I haven’t done anything yet. Am I going to die like this? I won’t be able to meet my parents and friends again.
Will I die like this, with my head cut off by a guillotine? No, I can’t. I want to return to my own world. Why should my life end like this? No, I’m not going to perish in this world.
I slowly lost my strength, and then the raised blade of the guillotine swiftly descended upon me.
No! Go away! Don’t kill me. Stop!
My eyes blinked open, and I slowly caught my breath. Once I became fully awake and aware of my surroundings, I saw that the sunlight was pouring through the curtains.
Oh, it was just a dream.
But what kind of dream was that? However, I was glad that it was just a dream. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“What a loud wake-up call.”
Huh? Why was there a man’s voice in my room? My eyes darted toward the source of the sound.
“Archduke?” I asked out of confusion, because he was still sitting on the same couch as yesterday. He looked as if he was observing me.
What’s wrong with him?
Don’t tell me…
“Archduke, did you watch me sleep from that couch?”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“You’re the one who started talking to me first.”
“Did you not see that you were the one who woke me up?”
Oh, that’s what happened. Then, I had nothing more to say. Kyle’s face looked gloomy. I felt remorseful upon seeing his unpleasant expression.
“Uh, I’m sorry that my voice is…”
“The maids are waiting outside to assist you with your washing and breakfast. Then, the butler will show you around the mansion.”
He interrupted my words and stood up from the couch. I didn’t know whether he wanted to leave the room or not. I felt uneasy at the moment because it felt as if I had done something wrong.
“Have you eaten?”
“I haven’t eaten, but I will not eat with you, and I’ll repeat it again. Don’t talk to me!”
“But, the first person who started talking was….”
Bang!
Kyle just slammed the door behind him and left the room without listening to me.
You don’t even give me the time to argue anymore.
I felt a little pressure on my spine and stretched to relieve it. The images that I had seen in my dream were absolutely horrible. I vowed to do my best to not end up like the Riddel in my dream. I clenched my fist, determined to change my future.
***
With the help of the maids, I made myself presentable, then I went to the dining room and saw Jean there.
“Did you have a peaceful rest last night, madam?”
“Yes, thank you. Did you also sleep well?”
“Yes. Today’s weather seems better than yesterday’s.”
The dining room was very spacious. While we spoke, Jean escorted me to the table. There was a long, wooden table in the center of the room. As we approached the rather grand piece of furniture, Jean pulled out a chair for me to sit. The meal I was served was also quite luxurious.
There was grapefruit juice to stimulate the appetite and a bowl of warm mushroom soup with lamb meat that had a delicious smell. There was also freshly-baked, soft bread accompanied by various kinds of jam and spices, a slice of cooked bacon, and scrambled eggs.
“It looks delicious.”
The meal also tasted as delectable as it looked. The food had been prepared with high-quality ingredients, and the best thing about this place was that they didn’t mess with my meal.
“Was the food served according to your tastes?” Jean asked while pouring juice into my empty glass.
“Yes, it was all very delicious. I don’t think I’ll ever be sick, with this kind of delicious food every day.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. The chefs and the kitchen staff will be delighted to know this.”
Jean smiled gladly before speaking again as if something had come to his mind.
“Oh, and I’d like to escort you on a tour of this mansion after you are finished with your meal.”
This is probably what Kyle had mentioned earlier.
“Ok, I’d like to do that. I also want to explore the mansion today,” I smiled brightly while answering him.
***
After finishing my breakfast, Jean and I went through the hallways. The corridors felt strangely sparse in the morning.
“The hallways are a bit on the quiet side because there are fewer maids in this place compared to, say, a castle.”
Jean glanced at me while he said that. It was strange because usually, people of nobility cared a lot about the number of domestic workers they had on hand in order to either protect their title or to bluff their wealth. Therefore, even impoverished aristocrats would have many maids and often find themselves in debt because of that. My family had also been guilty of such a practice. So, it was a bit out of the ordinary that this place had so few maids.
I reasoned that no matter how high the salary a maid could earn here, people became afraid that they would be killed if they worked for the Archduke.
“It’s alright. I prefer a quiet place like this,” I answered as if it didn’t matter much to me. Truth be told, I was actually grateful that there were fewer people here, because having fewer eyes watching over me meant that I had the freedom to do almost anything.
“I’m glad that you prefer it like that.” He sounded appreciative of my answer.
After that, Jean gave me an introduction to the origin and history of the castle, the peculiarities of the family, and their heirlooms. He spoke with a slightly higher tone and seemed proud to explain everything to me.
“Then, may I assist you in taking you on tour through the rest of the mansion?”
Only
“Of course!”
That was good to hear.
Jean briefly showed me the first floor. There was a spacious living room and also a dining room that was filled with many fruits and light refreshments. He also told me that there was a garden I could visit if I exited through the backdoor of the hall.
The second floor was full of many rooms. There were over two hundred chambers on that floor, a massive number. As I went further up the stairs, they arrived at a certain room.
“This is the master’s office,” Jean said.
He then proceeded to explain the layout of the rest of the mansion. When we reached the end of the fourth floor, he stopped. Jean’s eyes were quietly looking at the stairs leading up to the fifth floor.
He grew silent and his body became stiff. After a while, he spoke again.
“I’m sorry to inform you, Your Highness. The fifth floor is an inaccessible place, even for you.”
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