Chapter 5 5

The surroundings were incredibly serene, with only the sounds of insects and the cool breeze audible.

Querencia was in a deep sleep when she suddenly felt a chill, causing her to burrow deeper under her blanket.

Despite the warmth of her bed, she continued to feel cold. It seemed like a cold draft was coming from the window, but Marina had closed it earlier.

Due to drowsiness, she endured the cold and went back to sleep. If the window was open, she was sure no one would enter her room on the fifth floor of the mansion. The Archduchy had strict security, and if anything bad happened to her, it would be the Archduke's fault.

She turned in her sleep and faced where the window was. The cold breeze had disappeared, and she felt comfortably warm.

A few minutes later, she felt a light touch on her forehead, tickling her, so she brushed her hand across her cheek.

"Urgh!" she groaned in annoyance and pulled her blanket up to her nose. Her eyes were still closed due to drowsiness.

While sleeping, she sensed her surroundings as if someone were watching her, right in front of her.

Out of curiosity, she slowly opened her eyes and blinked at what she saw.

"As...o?" she couldn't believe what she was saying.

A dog. It was just a dog. But why was it so big compared to other dogs? Its black fur gleamed in the moonlight streaming in from the window. Its eyes were red, like rubies, just like the Archduke's eyes.

She reached out to touch its head and rubbed it. Its fur was so soft. It must feel nice to... hug...

She gradually closed her eyes again but continued to stroke its fur. After a while, she noticed that the fur seemed to get softer – no, more like hair.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Her hand moved down, and she felt something that resembled... an ear? Then a cheek... a nose... and lips...

She opened her eyes wide in surprise.

She was touching the Archduke, and he had a shocked expression on his face. And he was... naked!

"M-m-my lord?" she stammered.

"MY LORD?!" Querencia suddenly sat up.

"Miss! Are you alright?!" Marina appeared next to her in a panic.

She looked at Marina, breathless. Was it all just a dream?

"Did you have a bad dream?" Marina asked with concern, feeling her forehead. "Your face feels hot." She held Querencia's hand. "But your palm doesn't. Are you okay?" She looked into her eyes with a puzzled expression.

Querencia bit her lip and touched her cheeks with both hands. They felt warm indeed.

But why? How? Oh gosh! Why did she dream of that? And of the Archduke of all people! And he wasn't wearing anything! Did that mean she desired the Archduke? Oh my goodness! She was an innocent maiden!

His soft cheeks. His soft lips. His straight nose. And his... his tempting body. Those eight packs... Oh my goodness!

"Miss! Your nose is bleeding!" Marina suddenly shouted.

Oh no! She had a nosebleed.

Querencia heaved a deep sigh when they were finally escorted to the carriage by the Archduke's butler.

"Take care on your journey, Miss," the butler said politely with a bow.

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Jodan," she replied with a grin.

The carriage started moving, and she stared out the window. She hoped to catch a glimpse of the Archduke. He hadn't shown himself since earlier, and she couldn't even find his shadow.

Was he so angry with her? What if he found out about her dream? Would he be even angrier?

She sighed and shook her head. It looked like Plan B would have to be put into action soon.

When Querencia arrived back at her mansion, several maids and servants greeted her as if she had just returned from a vacation, not an escape. What was wrong with them?

"Miss Querencia, would you like me to prepare a warm bath for you? It can help you relax and relieve fatigue," one said politely.

"What kind of meal would you like for dinner?" another asked.

"Would you like a massage later? It can help alleviate any body aches," yet another suggested.

She stopped in her tracks, took a deep breath, and turned to face the servants. "Am I about to die or something? The way you're all fussing over me, it's as if it's my last day." She said irritably and walked past them. "By the way, tell the baron that his beloved daughter is back, and he doesn't need to order you to take care of me anymore," she added with a serious tone, not caring about the servants' fear. She didn't have time to worry about others' feelings right now. "Do you understand me?" she asked them.

All the servants gulped and quickly nodded. "Yes, Miss," they all said in unison, bowing their heads.

She glanced at them for a moment before continuing her walk. While Marina followed her, she noticed the servants were still bowing with worried expressions. Marina had a sympathetic look on her face, making Querencia sigh.

"Don't be too soft, Marina. They might start talking about you next time," she said and entered her room once they arrived.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I just couldn't help it," Marina apologized.

She sighed deeply. Why was Marina so tender-hearted? That's why people took advantage of her. She had been like that since childhood. If she hadn't hired her as a maid, she would have been bullied by the other servants for sure.

"Fine. You can go now. Rest well," she told Marina, who nodded and left.

Once Marina had left and the door was closed, Querencia flopped onto her bed. The journey had been exhausting. It seemed she still had motion sickness.

She closed her eyes and felt her surroundings. There was still someone watching her. Perhaps she would do what she needed to do later.

Since someone was still keeping an eye on her, she decided to sleep for a few hours. Marina woke her up when it was time for dinner, bringing her favorite food to her room.

She immediately felt tempted. "Thank you, Marina," she said with a smile and started eating.

After she finished, she wiped her lips with a napkin and asked, "Did Baron say anything to you?" She had wanted to ask this earlier but had put it aside to enjoy her meal.

Marina shook her head. "He didn't say anything earlier. From what I heard, he's at the imperial palace because the crown prince summoned him," Marina replied.

She clenched her fist at the thought of those two demons scheming together. It seemed like their conniving had begun.

"Sigh. Looks like the parasites are starting to suck up to each other," she muttered, crossing her arms. Marina, who was clearing the dishes, looked at her.

"Calm down, Miss. Bacteria isn't good for your health, so don't worry about them," Marina replied calmly, giving her a concerned look as if she'd lost her mind.

"Marina? Since when did you start talking like that?" she asked, surprised. Marina, as far as she knew, never spoke negatively.

Marina innocently smiled. "From you, Miss," she replied directly, making her feel guilty.

"Marina," she said her name, feeling bad. She didn't want Marina to speak like this; her father might scold her for influencing his daughter. The shy and timid Marina had been replaced by someone like her.

Marina pouted. "Yes, Miss," she replied with a frown. She seemed upset, but she was doing it for Marina's own good. Now she realized she had been a bad influence. Sigh.

"After you're done, go to sleep, Marina. You already have dark circles under your eyes," she said, touching Marina's cheek.

"Huh? Dark circles? Do I have them?" Marina immediately turned the stainless steel tray into a mirror. She gasped. "Do you know how to get rid of them?" she asked desperately.

She winced. Where was the Marina who didn't care about her appearance, even with pimples on her face?

She furrowed her brow. "Tell me, Marina. Do you have a crush on someone?" she asked with a grin. Marina wouldn't be acting like this if she didn't have a crush.

Marina suddenly blushed, surprising her. "I-I don't, Miss!" And then she ran out of the room with the dishes.

She couldn't believe she was staring at the door Marina had just run out of. Marina said she didn't have a crush, but she blushed and ran away. Hah. Unbelievable.

Querencia just shook her head at her maid.

Afterward, she got up and went to the bathroom. She took a shower and prepared herself for bed.

In a few moments, she emerged from the bathroom, walked to her bedroom window, and closed the curtains. She didn't want anyone to see what she was about to do.

Once she was done, she climbed into bed and sat down. She dried her hair with magic and retrieved the ring from under her pillow. She whispered something to it, and it lit up, showing what had happened when the Archduke had kicked her out. In modern terms, it could be called a spy cam, and the item she held now was its counterpart, where the recording would go. It was like an SD card.

"What happened to him?" the Archduke asked, but there was no one there. Did he go insane because she left?

Psh. He was so presumptuous.

Suddenly, a man appeared beside the Archduke. "He fell on his bed and started crying as soon as the maid approached," he said.

She furrowed her brow. So, this was the man who had been watching over her? She had no intention of crying then, but she forced herself.

When the man disappeared, the Archduke was momentarily lost in thought, as if deeply contemplating something. Eventually, he looked at his chest. He was probably checking the brooch.

Tsk, she wouldn't return it even if he begged her to.

She sighed as she watched the Archduke pick up the ring. His actions seemed remorseful, and she smirked. Her plan seemed to be working well. Her fake crying had also had an effect.

She took the magic from the ring, making it a regular item like the others. Without its magic, the other one would be useless too. She needed to erase all traces to avoid being caught using magic.

No one knew she had magic, and she had no intention of telling anyone. It was her deepest secret. No one should know she was an elemental witch.