DON'T GET CONSCIOUS

GYPSY tilted her head to one side while watching her maids Lola and Pipa moved with difficulty.

Well, the two still successfully dolled her up by styling her hair, applying make-up that best suited her face, and dressing her up as the temporary head of House Woolsey. Still, despite them doing their job as usual, she couldn't help but notice their stiff movements.

"Lola, Pipa, are you two hurt?" Gypsy asked worriedly. "I could smell herbal medicine from both of you."

Using potions for servants was too much, even for House Woolsey.

The grand duke and the grand duchess didn't even bother using potions to heal her injuries in the past because she wasn't worth it.

That meant the servants didn't have access to the potions, either. So, if they were hurt, they would have to rely on using herbal medicine. The people working for the duchy were nobles, too. But the ones working at the villa were lower nobles from the countryside who had no actual power or influence.

"Don't worry about us, Your Ladyship," Pipa said, while smiling weakly at her. "We just put some ointment for body pain."

"That's right, Your Ladyship," Lola added. "We were just too excited for this day that we didn't get enough sleep."

[Ah, they're lying.]

She just smiled and pretended to believe them.

[Although they're treating me nicely now, Lola and Pipa still bullied me in the past. I'm not particularly attached to them, so I don't care about their well-being.]

"I see," she said while smiling innocently. "Let's go. I can't be late for the conference today."

She stood up, but instead of leaving the room, she halted when she caught her reflection in the mirror.

[Oh, I look pretty chic today.]

She wasn't wearing a fabulous dress.

For this occasion, she was required to wear an equestrienne uniform. She knew she would get blood all over her clothes later, so she wore black.

[Plus, I'm still supposed to be mourning, so wearing all-black is inevitable.]

To match her outfit, she asked her maids to tie her hair into a high ponytail. And since she knew her face would be distorted with pain later, she also asked her maids to make her as pretty as possible. At least, she wanted to be beautiful while suffering.

[Thank goodness the original Lady Gypsy's visual is top-tier, even her body.]

"Noonim?"

She flinched when she heard Yvo's voice, then she saw his reflection in the mirror.

[I didn't feel his presence until he spoke…]

Talk about creepy.

She turned around and was surprised to see that Lola and Pipa already left the room. Hah. Yvo must have told her maids not to announce his arrival.

"Young Master Yvo," Gypsy greeted him enthusiastically. Then she approached him with quick steps to show that she was excited to see him. Of course, it was all a part of her act as Yvo's very loyal follower. "You look extra dashing today!"

That wasn't entirely lip service.

Yvo also wore a mourning black suit. After all, it had only been a few days since the late Grand Duke Evan and Grand Duchess Rosette Woolsey passed away. Even if he wasn't attached to his parents, he had to put up an act that he did.

[But his face looks brighter than usual?]

She couldn't name what kind of expression Yvo had at the moment. But it definitely wasn't the face of a son mourning the death of his parents.

"Noonim, what's wrong?" Yvo asked while observing her face. "You're staring at me intensely."

She almost laughed at how blunt he was.

"I was just thinking that you look happy today, Young Master Yvo," she said cheerfully. "Of course, I'm happy to see you in a good mood. But can Young Master Yvo tone it down in front of the vassal families later?"

Yvo's face suddenly turned blank. "Is that an order, Noonim?"

She gasped, and immediately shook her head. "It's not like that, Young Master Yvo," she said. This time, she wasn't acting. She was truly afraid that Yvo must have misunderstood her, and she didn't want him to think she was bossing him around. "I'm just worried about what the vassal families might say if they saw your face shining brightly."

Argh.

She got goosebumps from her own cheesy words.

He tilted his head to one side while giving her a calculated look. "Noonim doesn't have to worry about that," he said casually. "Noonim is the only one who notices the minuscule change in my expression, anyway."

"T-That's not true," she said, avoiding his now heated gaze. "T-The vassal families monitor you, so you have to be careful…"

"Noonim is the one who pays the most attention to me– not the vassal families."

She raised her hands to cover her face because, for some dumb reason, her cheeks felt warmer than normal. So, she was probably blushing. But how could she not get conscious when a ridiculously handsome young man like Yvo stared at her as if he was memorizing her face?

"I'm j-just trying to look out for you, Young Master Yvo," she said, still avoiding his gaze. "We may not be blood-related, but I'm still older than you. I thought I should take care of you in place of your real sister. I-I know that Lady Yvette is irreplaceable and I'm not trying to imitate her. It's just that–"

"Noonim."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Let me see your face."

She slowly put her hands down, but she still couldn't look at him in the eye. "W-We should go if we don't want to be late, Young Master Yvo."

"Why is Noonim's face so red?"

"It's h-hot."

"Noonim, this is the North."

She just laughed awkwardly at her lame excuse, then she tried to change the subject once again. "We should really go, Young Master Yvo."

"Only if Noonim looks at me first."

[What a stubborn young man.]

She mustered up the courage to turn to Yvo…

… only for her gaze to fall to the floor as soon as their eyes met.

[Is it just me or Yvo looks more handsome today? What's wrong with me? I should have been immuned to his good looks by now.]

"Noonim, did I do something that scared you again?"

She shook her head. "No, you don't scare me today."

He tilted his head to one side as if he was confused. "Then why couldn't you look at me?"

[Should I just be honest? Yes, let's just be honest. I can't lie in front of Yvo anyway.]

Plus, complimenting his looks was a way to butter him up, too.

"I told you already– your face is too bright today," she said while clenching her hands tight. God, she couldn't believe she was uttering such cringe words at her age. "Young Master Yvo, I get conscious when someone as handsome as you stares at me as if you're memorizing my face."

The corner of Yvo's mouth turned up in a lopsided smile. "Noonim is conscious of me?"

She bit her lower lip to stop herself from talking and making more mistakes, then she offered her arm to him. "Let's go."

He looked down at the arm she was offering to him, then his gaze went back to her face. "Is it okay to touch you, Noonim?"

"If it's alright with you, then it's okay," she said, then she smiled at him. "Young Master Yvo, thank you for being considerate this time. I'm glad you're learning what consent means."

"Because I don't want to make Noonim uncomfortable."

Aww… she was touched.

[It's like raising a wild child.]

"I don't enjoy skinship because, for the past five years, I only get hurt whenever someone lays a hand on me," she confessed. She tried to smile, but it probably ended up looking sad and bitter. "So, if you see me flinch whenever you approach me and you have done nothing to scare me, please understand that it's my reflex kicking in."

"I understand, Noonim," he said, then he slowly and carefully linked his arm with her arm. "I'll be more careful from now on."

She smiled brightly at him, and this time, she wasn't faking it. "While you're at it, can you also announce your arrival?" she asked carefully while they were walking out of the room. "I'm weak, so I don't feel your presence. It would be nice if you don't sneak up on me."

"Okay," he said, as he pushed the door open.

"Huh?" she asked when she realized no one was guarding the door. "Where is Winston?"

Yvo turned to her with a blank look on his face. "Noonim calls Captain Volk by his first name?"

"We're friends," she said with a smile. "He's my only real ally here."

"I see," he said indifferently, then he faced forward. "I asked Captain Volk and your maids to leave. I'm here anyway, so you don't need your guards."

"I need guards, though," she insisted. Carefully. And with a smile. "After all of this done, you're going back to the academy, Young Master Yvo."

"I'll leave Killian to you," he said casually. "Killian is the strongest knight we have in the duchy. He's the best suited to be your personal knight, Noonim."

"But Sir Killian hates me," she said with an awkward laugh. "Can't Winston just stay as my personal guard, Young Master Yvo?"

"Killian is a better knight than Captain Volk."

"But I feel safe with Winston."

Yvo looked at her, then he let out a deep sigh. "I'll think about it, Noonim."

"Thank you, Young Master Yvo," Gypsy said while smiling genuinely at him. "I will work harder in order to serve you well."

***

[PREDATORS.]

Gypsy was acting calm on the outside, but she was screaming internally.

Count Eugenio Woolsey, the late Grand Duke Evan Woolsey's younger brother.

Marquis Allen Scott, a nobleman in his early fifties. Short, a little plump, white-haired, and had a nasty look on his face.

Count Ford Watson, a nobleman in his mid-thirties. Tall, fit, gray-haired, and handsome than most younger men she met in the duchy.

[Their aura is no joke.]

Those were the three figures that represented the Woolsey's vassal families.

There were other nobles in the conference room that occupied the seats around the long table, but she focused on Count Woolsey, Marquis Scott, and Count Watson.

"We are here to witness if the Great Edur, the guardian of the Woolseys, would accept Lady Gypsy Woolsey as the temporary head of the family," Count Eugenio Woolsey, the de facto leader of the vassal families, said in a commanding voice. "The first trial will now begin."

She stiffened up when everyone in the room turned to look at her with cold, calculating eyes.

It was obvious that the majority of the nobles didn't approve of her.

Moreover, she was the only woman in the room.

[Pressure much?]

"Noonim," Yvo, who was standing beside her, whispered in her ear. Then he lightly touched the small of her back, as if to gently push her forward. It was okay since she barely felt his touch, and she knew he only did that to encourage her. "You got this, Noonim."

That made her smile, and she eventually relaxed.

The first trial was simple. All she had to do was create a replica of "her" Core to prove to the vassal families that she had the blood of the Woolseys running through her veins. It was easy since the Grand Duke Evan Woolsey already taught her how to do that.

Gypsy closed her eyes, then she opened her mouth and slowly breathed through her mouth. [Here goes nothing.]

***

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