Chp.3 : Test the waters.

The day was planned to go peacefully.

Even though there was a ball in the evening, Janice had long decided to never attend it.

"After that letter from Bob, I am more concerned about who my accomplice is. I don't clearly know who that person is, but I have to search that person soon." Janice pondered over this for a very long time.

And then suddenly,

"My Lady, The duke has arrived." Said Mary as she suddenly busted into the room.

Janice gave no reaction to her and gave her a cold stare.

"Mary." She gave her a smile as cold as ice.

"Yes..yes my lady?", Mary's expression quickly changed from happiness to shivering with fear.

"Come here." Ordered Janice.

Mary, with her head facing the ground and almost trembling in fear, walked towards Janice, who was sitting on her couch with her legs crossed.

"Don't you know that bursting into the duchess' private room is not permitted, or do you think this is some kind of a playground?", asked Janice again with a smile.

"I apologize my lady." Said Mary.

"Oh! Now how am I going to feel satisfied with just a mere apology, hmm?" asked Janice as she got up from her seat.

The door was partially open and Marie noticed that the duke was walking towards Janice's room.

She immediately kneeled down in front of Janice who was now in extreme fury.

"What is with her? Why is she suddenly kneeling in front of me?" thought Janice to herself.

"I just wanted to teach her a little lesson to make her know her place, but what is she up to now." Janice thought.

"I am sorry My lady, I didn't mean to disrespect you in any way, I was just happy that the duke returned and came to give you this happy news, but I didn't know you will be this displeased with it. This is entirely my fault, I will receive whatever punishment you give me." Said Mary as she smirked to herself.

Immediately, Janice noticed that there was somebody standing behind the partially opened door.

"Oh! so this is the game you want to play Mary? I will play along." Janice thought calmly and changed her expression.

"Yeah! you have to get punishment from me, for your behavior Mary." Janice calmly agreed.

Mary suddenly looked up with a shocked expression.

"Wha… what?" she started trembling again but knew very well that the Duke will come in to save her.

"Yes!" smiled Janice as she walked towards Mary who was currently kneeling.

"You should've told me the duke was here before he came and stood behind the door. You clearly told me now, and thus I couldn't prepare to invite him, so you are definitely at the fault, aren't you?" questioned Janice.

Mary was still dismayed.

One, because she didn't know how Janice became so eloquent and two, because the duke wasn't still coming inside to stop Janice from slapping.

"What is suddenly happening in this house? How did both of them change in one night?" Mary thought to herself, who was certainly confused.

"How could you do this, you deserve …" Janice raised her hand to slap Mary but the Duke calmly opened the door.

"I see, you haven't changed much Janice. Even before, even now." Said Noah Gilbert calmly, as he walked through the door and entered the room.

"This is the duke? He surely came in. But will he stop me from slapping her? Let me test the waters." Janice quickly thought to herself and raised her hand.

Meanwhile, Mary's hopes got high as the duke finally came into the scene.

But *Slap* "You are still a servant, don't you think so?", said Janice as she gave Mary a hard tight slap.

Whereas the duke, just calmly walked toward the couch and sat there with the cup of tea, he poured for himself.

Mary's entire world fell apart with that one slap. Her arrogance that she clearly expressed through her expressions, were vanished in a single second.

There were a few other servants who have gathered outside Janice's room to watch, but even they were shocked and dumbfounded at the same time.

"He didn't react or showed a single emotion when I slapped her? This is confusing, but at least the servants will now have a thing to fear. This slap was productive." Janice thought to herself.

"This is time to wind up this drama." Janice thought.

"You should know your place better, Mary. But you don't.", said Janice with the gaze of a resting snake.

"You are fired." These words were the final poison.

"Get out." Janice calmly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped her hand.

Mary stood up trembling and quickly dashed out of the room.

"This will be a long road to walk on." Thought Janice and gave out a big sigh.

"But now I have to think about the most pressing problem, The Duke." She thought as she turned around.

She calmly walked and sat down opposite of Noah on the couch.

"He is certainly good-looking. No, he has a look equal to a heavenly being. The red hair that is perfectly showing his forehead and red eyes that hide his true self deep inside. Even his perfectly carved face is pretty, no wonder Janice fell so deeply in love with him." Janice thought to herself.

She poured the tea for herself and swirled a sugar cube in the cup.

"So, what brings you here duke?" she said without even looking into Noah's eyes.

There was a silence of a brief moment.

"Even his name is Noah, isn't this too much of a coincidence?" Janice thought to herself.

"I came to inform you about tonight's ball." Replied duke Gilbert.

"Did she just call me, duke?" he frowned slightly.

"I am sure I don't need to prepare much for the ball hosted by the family of your rumored girlfriend." Janice gave an aggressive response.

" I see you have become chatty, after returning from the vacation." He gave a numb response.

" What you call a vacation, I would prefer to call it a death trap, duke." Said Janice as she placed down her cup.

Noah gave him a cold stare. "It was indeed unfortunate.", he replied calmly opposite to his glare.

"He is quick with his words. Smart." Janice had a slight smile as she thought to herself.

"But despite that fact, I will prepare for the ball so I'll meet you in the evening." She calmly responded.

"Sure that will do.", Noah said as he got up. He walked towards the door.

"I wish to know all the secrets you are hiding Janice." Thought Noah to himself as he opened the door and walked out of it.

Janice gave out a long sigh.

"Everything is just becoming more complicated. Why is everything a complete mess in the first place?" Janice thought to herself.

"What happened with Janice, was duke a part of it too?" she had countless thoughts rushing in her mind.

Janice knew that she had to grow close and win the affection of the duke, but earlier in the morning she read a newspaper.

The thing that caught her attention was the headline news -

'Duke Gilbert and his girlfriend Wendy Brooks to attend a late-night dinner party: Is the Duke's marriage in danger?'

And that's when she searched everything and started to link all the incidences that happened. Slowly, one by one she got to know the reasons behind what exactly was happening and who was Janice Tyler before she came here.

"She was certainly a villainess but she was a victim first.", Janice mumbled to herself.

Firstly, Janice comes from a fallen aristocracy. Secondly, Noah wasn't always a playboy but surprisingly after his marriage he had an affair with Wendy Brooks who is the daughter of a count, and lastly, all the servants in this Gilbert Duchy only follow Wendy's orders and the duke doesn't oppose this even slightly.

Everything over here is already a set-up game and not much that could be played from Janice's point of view.

Janice had only two tasks those are, to get closer to the duke and find her accomplice. But now her first task was to know who exactly was Wendy Brooks.

"The only reason to attend today's ball is to measure exactly how powerful is Wendy. But also I must try and plan to talk more with the duke as well." Janice thought to herself.

The evening came quickly and it was time for the ball.

Janice had Cindy and a new maid named Beth, to help her out with basic preparations.

Both of them were certainly walking on eggshells due to a sudden change in Janice's attitude. But now Janice had a mind on only one thing and that is, "Why are all these dresses, so uselessly bright and tacky?", she thought to herself.

"With these, I will only look like a cheap noble rather than a duchess. This was definitely Wendy's doing." Her head was throbbing.

"I demand a change of a dress.", Janice commanded.

Both Cindy and Beth were caught off guard.

"But my lady you always loved pink dresses and also a lot of laces." Responded Cindy carefully.

"But now I don't want them anymore. Let me check my wardrobe myself." Saying this Janice quickly stormed to open her wardrobe.

She quickly surfed through all the dresses and took out a beautiful blue dress.

"I will wear this. Prepare the other things accordingly." Commanded Janice.

Cindy and Beth both were shocked at the sight of that dress but still bowed reluctantly and started helping Janice.

It was a blue dress. A dress that resembled the wide and endless night sky. The one that could certainly make her feel like she was wearing an Armour. She didn't know who gave that dress to Janice, or was it even her favorite or not, but it was the dress that resembled her current self.

'A lost Survivor.'

"I like this dress, it looks pretty. It also isn't tacky, I loved the shine it has." she looked happy.

Soon her preparation was done and she had to walk towards the main door of the main mansion. That's where their carriage was supposed to be.

The duke was standing there, watching his pocket watch.

"I guess I am on time." Said Janice as she noticed his actions while walking towards the carriage.

"I'm surprised you are.", Noah responded as he let out his hand to help Janice climb the carriage.

Both of them got on the carriage and it was supposed to be a little longer ride. It was almost dark outside. And both of them were silent on the carriage. Neither of them looked at each other.

Noah carried his paperwork and Janice carried a book. There was absolute and peaceful silence and neither of them intended to break it.

"My lord we have reached the Brooks residency." The footman informed.

Both of them packed their works and got ready to get down.

But suddenly there was a stone in the middle of the road, and the carriage got a sudden jerk.

Due to it Janice unintentionally fell over on Noah's laps. She could clearly hear his calm heartbeats and feel his broad chest.

"This feels strangely familiar." Janice thought to herself.

"Oh! I apologize your highness duke." She quickly got up and went to her seat.

"He didn't even twitch. Is he even a man? I mean Janice Tyler is really beautiful. Hmph." She thought to herself.

"Damn what am I thinking, I have a life to save. My life." She quickly came back to reality with an embarrassing feeling.

They were finally ready to get down.

Noah got down first and lent his hand to Janice to get down.

"I hope you remain as peaceful as you could. Don't cause a ruckus in there." Warned Noah as he lightly whispered in Janice's ears.

Janice gave him a diplomatic and calm smile.

They walked towards the ballroom.

"The duke of Gilbert duchy, Noah Gilbert, and duchess Janice Tyler have arrived." Announced the guard.

"Oh is she the new duchess?"

"We have only seen her before in the newspapers. There wasn't even a wedding."

All kinds of whispers were going around the entire ballroom as Janice and Noah made an entrance together.

But the main one was,

"Did she really wear that dress to this ball?" It was like everyone was perplexed and joyful at the same time.

"What is up with everyone's reaction." Janice calmly thought to herself as she was growing more anxious to know.

Suddenly a man with black hair and green eyes appeared in front of them and bowed in front of Janice to hold her hand and kiss it.

"You are certainly courageous one duchess Gilbert as always." He said cunningly.

"You are as nosy always too, your highness crown prince." Replied Janice slyly.