You Are Gentle, But You Don’t Love Me - Chapter 21

Since that night, Juliet had been unable to sleep properly.

Whenever she closed her eyes, unfamiliar lights flickered behind her eyelids like lingering afterimages—sharp silver, cool gold, blue, red. Colors she had never seen danced before her, tormenting her.

After staying up through yet another sleepless night, she would eventually succumb to a wave of sorrow, shedding a few tears before finally drifting into a fitful slumber.

This cycle repeated for days until, at last, the head maid intervened.

“Shouldn’t we begin preparations to reopen the castle gates?”

“…”

“Your Grace.”

“…Hm?”

“It’s time.”

“No, I heard you.”

It was an attempt to break her out of her gloom, since she had spent days locked away, not even stepping out for her usual walks.

But it wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion.

“…Alright, let’s do that.”

With the topic now broached, Juliet threw herself into refurbishing the castle.

Overseeing the estate was the Duchess’s responsibility, and there was no need to seek Cassio’s permission.

It left her with no time to dwell on anything else.

“How’s the hall floor?”

“It was replaced only a few years ago, and it hasn’t seen much use since. It shouldn’t need a full renovation.”

“Then a thorough cleaning will suffice. What about the curtains?”

There was much to be done.

The guest quarters, which had been sealed off entirely, the halls that had been left unused, the reception rooms, the banquet hall, and even the farthest corners of the corridors—everything needed tending.

Although the actual labor fell to the servants, Juliet still had to oversee the details.

“Is this all the silk we have?”

“Yes, Your Grace. We have additional fabric, but most of it is better suited for dresses rather than drapery. There are also some linen options.”

“No linen. I’ll choose from these.”

She gave orders, reviewed budgets, and ensured that even the smallest items met the standards of the Ducal household.

There was an overwhelming amount of work.

“Are you not exhausted? You should rest. We can handle the rest.”

“No, I’m fine. I’m not that tired.”

“…Your Grace.”

“How’s the progress on the guest wing?”

They hadn’t expected her to be this thorough.

She could sense the occasional worried glances from the housekeeper and the steward.

But staying busy, even if it was tiring, was better.

For both her body and mind.

Juliet moved with a diligence that surprised even herself.

The problem was that, in her excessive effort, she had nearly finished all the work within a week.

“What should we do…? There’s still some time left before we can finish.”

“I see.”

“Yes, and the embroidery for the summer bedding still requires more time.”

“Alright…”

The castle was still in the midst of renovations, and the maids and servants bustled about from dawn to dusk, completing their tasks.

Juliet, out of habit, had finished her morning preparations early and made her way to the small reception room she had been using in place of the study.

“…Your Grace.”

“Go on. You must be busy.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

According to the steward, the newly ordered silverware and ceramics wouldn’t arrive for another ten days.

The summer bedding was still being embroidered by the chambermaids. The curtains had been finalized just yesterday. The garden required no additional work.

There was, in short, absolutely nothing left for her to do.

Eventually, Juliet left the reception room and wandered down the corridor, stopping at the staircase.

How can you say it’s nothing?!

A week had passed since that day.

And in all that time, she hadn’t seen Cassio even once.

Should I go up? Or down?

According to Juan, he was recovering at an astonishing pace.

Still, given his history, the physician had strictly forbidden him from leaving his chambers.

She had expected him to slip away at least once, but surprisingly, he had been unusually obedient this time.

That was what made her even more uneasy.

If he had suddenly appeared, walking through the halls as if nothing had happened, greeting her like before, she might have felt reassured.

But since that night, Cassio had been listening to Juan’s instructions a little too well.

Should I go see him or not?

Perhaps the reason Juliet had been keeping herself so busy these past few days was to avoid these thoughts.

She had buried herself in endless tasks to push away the nagging worries that circled her mind.

As long as she was occupied, she didn’t have to think about him.

Juliet had always been good at pushing things aside.

But now, there were no more excuses left.

The day stretched endlessly before her.

It was just past noon. The sunlight outside was bright, though not yet golden.

Should I go see him or not?

Her dilemma began.

The main corridors of the castle’s inner wing, where Juliet and Cassio primarily stayed, received little sunlight.

At this hour, when the sun was high in the sky, the contrast was particularly stark.

Beyond the windows, the world was bathed in light.

But within the corridors, the shadows only deepened.

The air felt strangely cool, like being submerged underwater.

Unconsciously, she clasped her hands together.

Her fingers had grown cold, but lost in thought, Juliet failed to notice.

Nor did she realize that a small group of young maids had gathered nearby, silently watching her from a distance, holding their breath.

She looks like she’s thinking about something.

Is she going to take a nap? Didn’t she sleep well last night?

The young maids, who handled the smallest tasks around the castle, whispered among themselves.

They had been assigned to hang the newly approved curtains in the corridor, but the moment they saw their mistress standing there, deep in thought, they completely forgot about their task.

It was understandable.

Lately, their favorite topic of gossip during breaks had been none other than the love story of the Duke and Duchess.

That can’t be it. If she wanted to rest, she could just go to the gazebo like usual.

And she wouldn’t be standing here for so long, hesitating.

Most of these young maids had entered the castle when Juliet married into the ducal family.

They had been more disappointed than anyone when, just five days after their wedding, Cassio had left for war, closing the castle gates behind him.

They had been filled with excitement at the thought of witnessing the fairy-tale romance of their beautiful master and mistress, only to have their hopes shattered in an instant.

Then…

What else could it be?

But ever since the Duke’s triumphant return, the castle had been buzzing with stories of how gentle he had been toward the Duchess.

The younger maids, who had not yet earned the privilege of attending directly to their mistress, had only heard about these moments secondhand.

Yet even hearing them was enough to set their hearts aflutter.

Remember that time?

Oh… ah!

And then, the two had gone out together—only for the Duke to return, unconscious.

The Duchess had spoken with him alone, then run from his room in tears. Since then, the Duke had not left his chambers.

It was like something straight out of a romance novel.

And now, here was their mistress, standing frozen at the foot of the stairs, seemingly debating something.

How could they not be intrigued?

It was a wonder none of them had dropped the curtains they were holding.

It’s obvious, isn’t it?

They exchanged knowing glances, barely able to contain their excitement.

She’s going to see the Duke!

Their eyes curved into delighted smiles.

Though they had been trained for years as castle maids, and thus refrained from openly whispering, their exchanged glances spoke volumes.

If their looks had made noise, the corridor would have been as loud as a flock of skylarks in midsummer.

Then why isn’t she going?

Oh, come on. Maybe she’s just shy!

Thankfully, their silent conversation remained unheard, and Juliet remained lost in thought, unaware of the audience behind her.

The maids, meanwhile, huddled together, silently cheering her on.

Your Grace, have courage!

I read in a novel yesterday—brave women always win the handsome men!

Oh! She’s going! She’s going!

One of them nearly squealed but quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.

Fortunately, the Duchess seemed not to have heard. She swiftly turned the landing and disappeared.

One, two, three—after counting a few beats, the group finally burst into hushed giggles.

“I hope they make up soon. The senior maids have been terrifying lately.”

“The housekeeper is the scariest of all.”

“If we don’t finish hanging these curtains soon, we’ll find out what real fear is.”

“…Let’s get back to work.”

The maids, having thoroughly enjoyed their little spectacle, hurried back to their task.

They removed the thin, pale blue curtains that had hung there for years and carefully set them aside before replacing them with the new ones.

“Ah, it’s raining.”

“Summer’s really here.”

“By the way… why did the Duke suddenly fall ill?”

Despite their chatter, their hands moved quickly.

They had finished hanging about half the new curtains when—

Bang!

A sudden, loud noise echoed from upstairs.

The sound of a door slamming shut.

This was followed by the rapid thud of footsteps descending the stairs.

A small figure rushed past the landing and disappeared below.

“…That was the Duchess, wasn’t it?”

“Why so soon…?”

“Did they… not make up?”

The maids, momentarily stunned, exchanged nervous glances.

Had something happened again?

The once-playful atmosphere turned somber.

It seemed their master and mistress had not reconciled after all.

And judging by the look on their faces, the housekeeper was about to become even more terrifying.

Their hands, which had momentarily stilled, resumed their work with renewed urgency.