“Your Majesty, why do you want to meet Jennie?”

Unlike Grace, Jennie would never reveal her mistress’s secret. Still, Rubica was obliged to do her best to stop her from meeting the queen.

“Oh, I…”

The queen hesitated for some time before she answered the question.

“I’d like to have her do my makeup.”

“Your… makeup?”

“Your maid is one of the people who transformed Miss Grace with Madam Berry.”

The queen unfolded her fan, quite embarrassed. That made Rubica realize she wanted to meet Jennie not just because she wanted to find out who Madam Berry was.

“Then, you wanted to meet Madam Berry because…”

“I wanted to discuss a style that suited me. Why, an old woman like me cannot wish to become pretty?”

Any other lady would have tried to escape the situation with shallow flattery by saying, ‘Your Majesty, you are already beautiful enough.’

However, Rubica couldn’t react quickly to such a situation. She was clearly surprised, which made the queen feel rather better.

Shallow flattery is pleasant to the ears, but it also diminishes the trust of the speaker. The queen had heard more than enough flattery.

Plus, she liked that Rubica just couldn’t fool people, probably she had enough of the king, who always hid his thoughts and liked to control the situation, as her husband.

Maybe that was why Edgar loved her. If there was one person who suffered from those who hid their true purpose and flattered more than the queen did, it was Duke Claymore.

“Oh, um, I will ask Jennie. I’m sure she will be honored.”

If the queen’s aim wasn’t to find out about Madam Berry but to discuss cosmetics, Rubica had no reason to object to it.

Plus, doing makeup to the queen was going to be a great honor for Jennie. It would help with her career a lot.

“Good, then bring her as soon as you can. I will pay her well.”

The queen was glad to hear a positive answer and smiled. She had summoned Rubica every day and asked strange questions like which cream she used and if she did her makeup herself or had a maid do it for her, and it turned out it had been all about Jennie. Then maybe she would stop summoning her too often when she got to meet Jennie.

‘That being said, being with the queen is much more comfortable than being with anyone else.’

After their arrival at the capital, Rubica had lost track of time for some days watching cool buildings and people. Even though the Claymore’s mansion in the capital was smaller than the one in the dukedom, in there every detail had been neatly done, and she had a lot to observe.

Being invited to tea meetings and looking around other nobles’ mansions was another great joy.

However, as it was always amongst peers, she had to be careful with each word she said, considering factions, power struggles, and relationships between noble families.

Of course, every time someone tried to criticize her, Gabriel or her mother immediately scolded them for it, but to be honest, all of it was just too tiring. She now even missed Claymore’s bothering relatives.

“Well, I see I’ve been making you stay for too long. Edgar must be waiting for you.”

The queen felt quite good after getting the answer she wanted, so she let go of Rubica earlier than usual. A servant offered to guide her way out, but she politely refused.

She had visited the king’s palace so often that now she knew most of its passages. She also knew who to bow to and who to avoid encountering, so she didn’t need much help.

“Elise, what do you think about planting that flower in our garden next year?”

“I think it will look good with our roses. It would be better to plant it in the middle so that it will be seen from His Grace’s window.”

Most of all, with a servant, Rubica couldn’t afford to take time to look around the palace with Elise. The servant always led her to the fastest way out and hurried back to his position, and he clearly didn’t like it when she asked about a statue or a painting.

“What is that dress the lady in the painting is wearing?”

“That is a dress of the ancient age, the time before Seritos was founded.”

She spent some time to see the ample line of the white dress. But then, she saw a girl crouching in a corner. She was dressed like one of the palace’s maids, but her fiery red hair looked extremely familiar.

“Gabriel?”

Rubica called the name, half in doubt, but it made the girl fall on her back in surprise. Yes, it was Gabriel.

Before Rubica could ask what on earth she was doing dressed as a maid, Gabriel quickly put a finger on her lips. Rubica looked around and whispered, “What are you doing here?”

“I was watching Christopher and Princess Charlotte.”

“Pretending to be a maid?”

“Yes. I will be too noticed if I get around as myself. Plus, every time I run into a maid or a servant, they all bow to me, so this is easier.”

But if anyone found out she had snuck into the palace pretending to be a maid, her family could be in trouble.

Sometimes Gabriel did the least expected thing. Well, it must have taken her a lot of guts to publish a gossips magazine in secret as a count’s daughter.

“Gabriel, if you really have to spy on them, you shouldn’t do it yourself. I’ll look for an expert…”

However, Gabriel jumped to her feet before Rubica could finish saying that.

“Oh, Christopher is leaving. Your Grace, if you’ll excuse me.”

She bowed, turned, and ran after Christopher. Of course, Rubica was very worried about her.

“Elise, I think we can’t let her do this.”

“Um, I think everyone will soon find out she’s not a maid.”

“Yes, we must put a stop to this. I will go after her, you go back and tell Edgar.”

“Okay.”

Even if Gabriel was busted, if Rubica was with her when it happened, she might be able to save her. Therefore, she quickly followed after the girl.

“Oh, Your Grace!”

Gabriel, who was hiding behind a pillar to look at Christopher, was surprised to see Rubica coming. “Please go home. I’ve got this.”

“Gabriel, you’re about to get busted. Your whole family will be in trouble if it happens.”

“Even Princess Charlotte couldn’t recognize me.”

“But I did.”

Well, Gabriel didn’t have anything she could say to that. Still, she didn’t want to give up now.

“Can’t you just ignore me once?”

Rubica opened her mouth to say it wasn’t going to happen, but then Gabriel turned and jumped to hide behind the next pillar.

Why was she trying to spy on Christopher? Regardless of it, Rubica had no choice but to join in her little spy-act.

“Aha, I see Baron Jacob is your conspirator.”

Gabriel pouted to see the face of the man Christopher was meeting in the garden.

She was glad she had thought of spying. Even though her The Little Bird’s News had various sources, it didn’t have one in the king’s palace.

They couldn’t try to have a source there, lest the king’s spy entered the publishing team.

It might sound unlikely for a king to try to have influence over a gossip magazine, but politics is all about showing splendid causes and doing all kinds of illegal things underneath.

“Gabriel, are you saying this is dangerous?”

“Don’t worry, I’m only trying to get information. I won’t jump out there. Please stop worrying and go home. You can’t be seen. If they see you, there won’t be a second chance.”

She replied without replying to her question, but now Rubica really couldn’t leave and firmly shook her head.

“I am obliged to protect you.”

Gabriel shrugged. She could see she couldn’t convince Rubica. With the duchess dressed for an audience with the queen, it was only a matter of time before Christopher saw them.

However, she had put too much time and effort into this to just give up. That raggedy maid outfit alone had cost all of her monthly allowance.

“Alright, you can come with me. But I’m not giving up now.”

“Okay.”

As she said so, she pulled Gabriel toward the wall.

“You weren’t hiding properly, Christopher could have just turned and seen you.”

“What?”

Then Rubica started to move, hiding behind pillars and walls. She did it so perfectly that their target couldn’t even get a glimpse of her hair. Gabriel blinked to witness the duchess’s unexpected spying skills.

“Where on earth have you learned this?”

“I never learned. I just figured it out throughout the course of my life.”

“What? I know you’re from a merchant family, but this is…”

“Shhh!”

Christopher had reached the entrance of the palace. He talked to the doorkeeper, probably to have a carriage brought. Rubica put an ear on the wall to eavesdrop.

“He’s going to Argot Street. Gabriel, you won’t be able to leave the palace. You’re dressed as a maid.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.”