The silent tension filled the Duke’s study. I glared at him without a word. The Duke, unfazed by my persistent gaze, maintained his poker face.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Please.”
The Duke nodded once and handed me a tea-filled elegant cup. I gazed at the steaming tea with suspicion. Surely it wasn’t poisoned. Perhaps he intended to kill me without a trace or blackmail me under the guise of concern for my life? No, it couldn’t be.
If the Duke wanted me dead, he would have done it already. He practically ruled this place. He wouldn’t bother with such elaborate schemes to harm me.
“You’re quite suspicious. It’s a good habit.”
The Duke spoke as he took a sip of his tea. I cautiously lifted my cup to my lips, following his lead. The warm and refreshing taste of the tea quenched my throat.
“…It tastes like lemon.”
Considering the pleasant flavor, it seemed to be made from rather high-quality tea leaves. It would be nice to brew a cup for the lady later if I could get my hands on some tea leaves.
“You must have many questions.”
I immediately raised my head at the Duke’s words, meeting his serene blue eyes. Without hesitation, I addressed him.
“Is it true that you do not dislike the lady?”
“How could I possibly dislike Selena’s child?”
So the lady’s mother’s name was Selena. Given what the lady had mentioned before, she probably wasn’t here.
“Do you… know how the lady is doing now?”
The Duke didn’t respond, but his silence was answer enough. He knew. He knew, so why…
“When the sun is up, she fears poison and can’t even eat properly, and at night, she fears blades and can’t sleep peacefully.”
“…What?”
“Of course, I know. I grew up like that too.”
The Duke casually replied. So, like the lady, he had been plagued by assassination attempts from a young age. There were still so many unanswered questions, and even more I wanted to ask.
But for now, I decided to start with what came to mind immediately.
“Are there forces aiming for Valaxar?”
“Yes.”
“But wasn’t it you who ordered the intrusion into the lady’s room yesterday?”
“Not just yesterday. Most of the threats against the Duchess were my orders.”
I wonder if that’s what they call speaking now.
My face involuntarily frowned at the sight of the Grand Duke confidently speaking.
“Why do you do such things? Aren’t you the daughter of the Grand Duke?”
“The owner of Valaxar, who fights with horses at the forefront, must never be weak. The future Grand Duchess who will take my place must be the same.”
“..Ha.”
So, in other words, have they been doing these things to raise the young lady strong?
I felt a sudden urge to curse at him.
Honestly, I had somewhat expected this.
This kind of situation was a common cliché in novels.
Fathers who treat the female lead harshly to the point of being mistaken for enemies. Most of them actually cherished their daughters.
They just hid their true feelings for various reasons and acted as strict fathers.
It was for the sake of their daughters.
Or they were cursed and had no choice but to act that way.
Or they simply didn’t know how to express themselves.
Various ridiculous settings and so on…
When reading, I just brushed it off.
But now that I was experiencing it firsthand, it was not as infuriating as I had imagined.
“Raising a strong person through a harsh environment is Valaxar’s way. I also grew up that way, and thanks to that, I could protect this throne.”
“So… are you saying that the young lady should also endure such hardships because you did?”
With the intention of listening to even nonsense until the end, I suppressed my anger and asked.
However, contrary to my expectations, the Grand Duke shook his head a few times before answering.
“No. I did not follow Valaxar’s long-standing rules.”
“…What?”
“To make Selena’s child endure such hardships. As a father, I couldn’t do that.”
I blinked blankly at his incomprehensible words.
What on earth is he talking about?
Was the attack I saw yesterday in the early morning just a fantasy?
“Wait and see.”
The Grand Duke got up from the sofa and walked to his desk.
He opened a drawer on the desk, took out a fancy box, and then opened it to reveal a pendant-like ornament in front of me.
When the Grand Duke opened the pendant, a photo stored inside was revealed.
The photo in the pendant contained two figures.
One was the Grand Duke, and the other was a beautiful woman with black hair.
“..Is this Lady Selena..?”
“Yes. Isn’t she beautiful?”
She was indeed beautiful.
The description of the Grand Duchess’s lovely appearance inherited from her mother was not an exaggeration.
Although their hair and eye colors were different.
The young lady’s delicate features were preserved in the woman.
“But.. why her all of a sudden?”
A shallow wistfulness appeared in the Grand Duke’s usually cold eyes.
Could it be that he misses his departed wife?
“Selena vehemently opposed our Valaxar’s tradition, saying she couldn’t bear to see our daughter suffer because of such trivial matters. And I couldn’t dare to defy such words from my wife.”
At least the Duke genuinely loved the young lady. That means to the young lady, the Duke was a significant figure.
“I heard she passed away.”
“…Everything changed from that point on.”
The Duke placed the teacup on the table and looked at me with serious eyes.
“Although it’s a story of the past… I hope you’ll listen.”
I nodded without hesitation.
I came here to listen to everything about the young lady, whether it’s about the past, the present, or what might happen in the future.
“Four years ago, when the Duchess was five years old.”
The Duke began to unfold the story of the past.
I listened to his words without saying anything.
Five years ago, the atmosphere of the Duke’s residence was said to be much different from now.
The Duke was still stern, but he didn’t treat his daughter harshly, and the knights and maids of the Duke’s residence found the young lady with a lovely appearance adorable.
But the biggest difference between then and now was that the Duchess was alive.
“She was like sunshine. She seemed a bit naive, but everyone in the Duke’s residence sincerely loved her.”
The Duke gave enough affection to his daughter.
And the young lady showed a much brighter side than she does now.
If she had lived like that until now, she would have undoubtedly shown a much different appearance.
“As time passed, when the Duchess turned five, I realized how negligent and foolish I had been.”
In the suddenly changed voice of the Duke, there was resentment, anger, and even guilt.
“The world is cold, and it shows no mercy even to a small and young child.”
Under the powerful military power of Valaxar, peaceful days continued in the Duke’s residence of Valaxar.
Everyone living here was preparing for an event with excited hearts.
Selena, the beloved Duchess of Valaxar, was approaching her birthday.
As her birthday was approaching, everyone was preparing for her birthday party in their own ways, but Adrielle was still deeply troubled.
‘…a gift.’
With his mother’s birthday less than a week away,
Adrielle still hadn’t decided on a gift.
Her mother, who always cared for her and embraced her.
She wanted to give her a gift she would like, but he couldn’t think of anything suitable.
She managed to get gold coins from the Duke, but she still couldn’t use them.
As time passed with twists and turns.
Eventually, until the day before Selena’s birthday, Adrielle couldn’t make a clear decision.
“Ugh… a gift… a gift…”
As the morning approached.
Adrielle pondered while clutching her head.’
“Mother, what would be a gift that would deeply touch her?”
Once today passes, there won’t be any more chances, so I should’ve prepared today without fail.
“Oh, have you chosen a gift for Madam?”
At that moment, a woman approached with a bright smile.
She was a close person who had been assigned as her exclusive maid last year and had listened to many of her concerns.
“Lilith…! I can’t decide on a gift…”
Adrielle approached her with a pleading expression for help.
The woman named Lilith chuckled and asked Adrielle,
“Do you have anything in mind?”
“What about a teddy bear..?”
“Hmm… I don’t think Madam would like that.”
“T-then how about a storybook..?”
“A storybook might not be the best idea either.”
Adrielle’s dilemma deepened even further today as usual.
In fact, Adrielle had asked her a few times before, but the maid always gave similar answers.
“So, what should I do..? It’s Mother’s birthday tomorrow…”
Lilith kneeled down to match Adrielle’s eye level, seeing her distressed.
“Miss, actually, I heard something a few days ago. It’s a rumor that the Grand Duke really wants something.”
Adrielle’s eyes sparkled.
She looked at the woman with eager anticipation.
“W-what is it?!”
“Do you want to know? Ah, but this is really a secret.”
“Please tell me… Lilith…please..?”
Adrielle pleaded, holding onto Lilith’s sleeve desperately.
Unable to resist her fiery gaze, Lilith reluctantly replied,
“There’s a famous alchemist-made blue diamond released on the market, and lately, the Grand Duke has been talking a lot about that gem.”
“But… money isn’t a problem for me!”
“Money is one thing… but actually obtaining it might be quite difficult. I’m not sure if it’s possible.”
“How… do we obtain it..?”
“Well, they’re going to auction it tonight in the merchant district. But only those with tickets can enter.”
“I… don’t have a ticket..”
A little girl grumbled with her lips pouting.
With a raised corner of her mouth, Lilith whispered softly into the girl’s ear.
“Miss, actually, I have a ticket.”
“Really?!”
“Shh. It was really hard to get, so you must keep it a secret.”
In a whispering voice, the maid cautioned, and Adrielle cautiously nodded along.
Lilith took something out of her pocket and carefully handed it to Adrielle.
“It’s a very precious ticket. You must go quietly, as it might be taken away if others find out.”
“Um…okay! But…I’ll still tell Mother before I go.”
“Oh, dear. Don’t you know about surprises? Surprise?”
“Surprise..?”
When you unexpectedly hand over a gift, the emotion doubles! Perhaps Grand Duchess, with her personality, would shed tears of joy, wouldn’t he?
“T..tears too?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Imagining the sight of a mother shedding tears of joy, Adrielle’s heart naturally swelled with pride.
Adrielle vigorously nodded her head and expressed her gratitude to Lilith.
“Thank you, Lilith! I will definitely bring her back.”
“Yes. However, it could be dangerous, so I will ask one of the knights to accompany you. They will guide you.”
“Thank you, Lilith.”
The child held Lilith’s hand tightly with an excited heart and smiled brightly.
In fact, if I had thought a little more, there were suspicious points everywhere..
But the child, who had just turned five, didn’t even have a hint of doubt.
Just holding the ticket in his hand as if it were a precious jewel.
The silent tension filled the Duke’s study. I glared at him without a word. The Duke, unfazed by my persistent gaze, maintained his poker face.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Please.”
The Duke nodded once and handed me a tea-filled elegant cup. I gazed at the steaming tea with suspicion. Surely it wasn’t poisoned. Perhaps he intended to kill me without a trace or blackmail me under the guise of concern for my life? No, it couldn’t be.
If the Duke wanted me dead, he would have done it already. He practically ruled this place. He wouldn’t bother with such elaborate schemes to harm me.
“You’re quite suspicious. It’s a good habit.”
The Duke spoke as he took a sip of his tea. I cautiously lifted my cup to my lips, following his lead. The warm and refreshing taste of the tea quenched my throat.
“…It tastes like lemon.”
Considering the pleasant flavor, it seemed to be made from rather high-quality tea leaves. It would be nice to brew a cup for the lady later if I could get my hands on some tea leaves.
“You must have many questions.”
I immediately raised my head at the Duke’s words, meeting his serene blue eyes. Without hesitation, I addressed him.
“Is it true that you do not dislike the lady?”
“How could I possibly dislike Selena’s child?”
So the lady’s mother’s name was Selena. Given what the lady had mentioned before, she probably wasn’t here.
“Do you… know how the lady is doing now?”
The Duke didn’t respond, but his silence was answer enough. He knew. He knew, so why…
“When the sun is up, she fears poison and can’t even eat properly, and at night, she fears blades and can’t sleep peacefully.”
“…What?”
“Of course, I know. I grew up like that too.”
The Duke casually replied. So, like the lady, he had been plagued by assassination attempts from a young age. There were still so many unanswered questions, and even more I wanted to ask.
But for now, I decided to start with what came to mind immediately.
“Are there forces aiming for Valaxar?”
“Yes.”
“But wasn’t it you who ordered the intrusion into the lady’s room yesterday?”
“Not just yesterday. Most of the threats against the Duchess were my orders.”
I wonder if that’s what they call speaking now.
My face involuntarily frowned at the sight of the Grand Duke confidently speaking.
“Why do you do such things? Aren’t you the daughter of the Grand Duke?”
“The owner of Valaxar, who fights with horses at the forefront, must never be weak. The future Grand Duchess who will take my place must be the same.”
“..Ha.”
So, in other words, have they been doing these things to raise the young lady strong?
I felt a sudden urge to curse at him.
Honestly, I had somewhat expected this.
This kind of situation was a common cliché in novels.
Fathers who treat the female lead harshly to the point of being mistaken for enemies. Most of them actually cherished their daughters.
They just hid their true feelings for various reasons and acted as strict fathers.
It was for the sake of their daughters.
Or they were cursed and had no choice but to act that way.
Or they simply didn’t know how to express themselves.
Various ridiculous settings and so on…
When reading, I just brushed it off.
But now that I was experiencing it firsthand, it was not as infuriating as I had imagined.
“Raising a strong person through a harsh environment is Valaxar’s way. I also grew up that way, and thanks to that, I could protect this throne.”
“So… are you saying that the young lady should also endure such hardships because you did?”
With the intention of listening to even nonsense until the end, I suppressed my anger and asked.
However, contrary to my expectations, the Grand Duke shook his head a few times before answering.
“No. I did not follow Valaxar’s long-standing rules.”
“…What?”
“To make Selena’s child endure such hardships. As a father, I couldn’t do that.”
I blinked blankly at his incomprehensible words.
What on earth is he talking about?
Was the attack I saw yesterday in the early morning just a fantasy?
“Wait and see.”
The Grand Duke got up from the sofa and walked to his desk.
He opened a drawer on the desk, took out a fancy box, and then opened it to reveal a pendant-like ornament in front of me.
When the Grand Duke opened the pendant, a photo stored inside was revealed.
The photo in the pendant contained two figures.
One was the Grand Duke, and the other was a beautiful woman with black hair.
“..Is this Lady Selena..?”
“Yes. Isn’t she beautiful?”
She was indeed beautiful.
The description of the Grand Duchess’s lovely appearance inherited from her mother was not an exaggeration.
Although their hair and eye colors were different.
The young lady’s delicate features were preserved in the woman.
“But.. why her all of a sudden?”
A shallow wistfulness appeared in the Grand Duke’s usually cold eyes.
Could it be that he misses his departed wife?
“Selena vehemently opposed our Valaxar’s tradition, saying she couldn’t bear to see our daughter suffer because of such trivial matters. And I couldn’t dare to defy such words from my wife.”
At least the Duke genuinely loved the young lady. That means to the young lady, the Duke was a significant figure.
“I heard she passed away.”
“…Everything changed from that point on.”
The Duke placed the teacup on the table and looked at me with serious eyes.
“Although it’s a story of the past… I hope you’ll listen.”
I nodded without hesitation.
I came here to listen to everything about the young lady, whether it’s about the past, the present, or what might happen in the future.
“Four years ago, when the Duchess was five years old.”
The Duke began to unfold the story of the past.
I listened to his words without saying anything.
Five years ago, the atmosphere of the Duke’s residence was said to be much different from now.
The Duke was still stern, but he didn’t treat his daughter harshly, and the knights and maids of the Duke’s residence found the young lady with a lovely appearance adorable.
But the biggest difference between then and now was that the Duchess was alive.
“She was like sunshine. She seemed a bit naive, but everyone in the Duke’s residence sincerely loved her.”
The Duke gave enough affection to his daughter.
And the young lady showed a much brighter side than she does now.
If she had lived like that until now, she would have undoubtedly shown a much different appearance.
“As time passed, when the Duchess turned five, I realized how negligent and foolish I had been.”
In the suddenly changed voice of the Duke, there was resentment, anger, and even guilt.
“The world is cold, and it shows no mercy even to a small and young child.”
Under the powerful military power of Valaxar, peaceful days continued in the Duke’s residence of Valaxar.
Everyone living here was preparing for an event with excited hearts.
Selena, the beloved Duchess of Valaxar, was approaching her birthday.
As her birthday was approaching, everyone was preparing for her birthday party in their own ways, but Adrielle was still deeply troubled.
‘…a gift.’
With his mother’s birthday less than a week away,
Adrielle still hadn’t decided on a gift.
Her mother, who always cared for her and embraced her.
She wanted to give her a gift she would like, but he couldn’t think of anything suitable.
She managed to get gold coins from the Duke, but she still couldn’t use them.
As time passed with twists and turns.
Eventually, until the day before Selena’s birthday, Adrielle couldn’t make a clear decision.
“Ugh… a gift… a gift…”
As the morning approached.
Adrielle pondered while clutching her head.’
“Mother, what would be a gift that would deeply touch her?”
Once today passes, there won’t be any more chances, so I should’ve prepared today without fail.
“Oh, have you chosen a gift for Madam?”
At that moment, a woman approached with a bright smile.
She was a close person who had been assigned as her exclusive maid last year and had listened to many of her concerns.
“Lilith…! I can’t decide on a gift…”
Adrielle approached her with a pleading expression for help.
The woman named Lilith chuckled and asked Adrielle,
“Do you have anything in mind?”
“What about a teddy bear..?”
“Hmm… I don’t think Madam would like that.”
“T-then how about a storybook..?”
“A storybook might not be the best idea either.”
Adrielle’s dilemma deepened even further today as usual.
In fact, Adrielle had asked her a few times before, but the maid always gave similar answers.
“So, what should I do..? It’s Mother’s birthday tomorrow…”
Lilith kneeled down to match Adrielle’s eye level, seeing her distressed.
“Miss, actually, I heard something a few days ago. It’s a rumor that the Grand Duke really wants something.”
Adrielle’s eyes sparkled.
She looked at the woman with eager anticipation.
“W-what is it?!”
“Do you want to know? Ah, but this is really a secret.”
“Please tell me… Lilith…please..?”
Adrielle pleaded, holding onto Lilith’s sleeve desperately.
Unable to resist her fiery gaze, Lilith reluctantly replied,
“There’s a famous alchemist-made blue diamond released on the market, and lately, the Grand Duke has been talking a lot about that gem.”
“But… money isn’t a problem for me!”
“Money is one thing… but actually obtaining it might be quite difficult. I’m not sure if it’s possible.”
“How… do we obtain it..?”
“Well, they’re going to auction it tonight in the merchant district. But only those with tickets can enter.”
“I… don’t have a ticket..”
A little girl grumbled with her lips pouting.
With a raised corner of her mouth, Lilith whispered softly into the girl’s ear.
“Miss, actually, I have a ticket.”
“Really?!”
“Shh. It was really hard to get, so you must keep it a secret.”
In a whispering voice, the maid cautioned, and Adrielle cautiously nodded along.
Lilith took something out of her pocket and carefully handed it to Adrielle.
“It’s a very precious ticket. You must go quietly, as it might be taken away if others find out.”
“Um…okay! But…I’ll still tell Mother before I go.”
“Oh, dear. Don’t you know about surprises? Surprise?”
“Surprise..?”
When you unexpectedly hand over a gift, the emotion doubles! Perhaps Grand Duchess, with her personality, would shed tears of joy, wouldn’t he?
“T..tears too?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Imagining the sight of a mother shedding tears of joy, Adrielle’s heart naturally swelled with pride.
Adrielle vigorously nodded her head and expressed her gratitude to Lilith.
“Thank you, Lilith! I will definitely bring her back.”
“Yes. However, it could be dangerous, so I will ask one of the knights to accompany you. They will guide you.”
“Thank you, Lilith.”
The child held Lilith’s hand tightly with an excited heart and smiled brightly.
In fact, if I had thought a little more, there were suspicious points everywhere..
But the child, who had just turned five, didn’t even have a hint of doubt.
Just holding the ticket in his hand as if it were a precious jewel.
