Chapter 9 (1/2)

‘Is it because of our family?’

Dylan said he was the blood of the Duke of Leschine. The downfall of the Duke of Leschine was caused by the Duke of Cabezo. It is known that no one survived. However, there were people who could not find their bodies because the Imperial Army attacked the residence of Duke Leschine and drowned during the battle.

If they had survived, they would have fled and scattered. It didn’t make sense to say that the father and son broke up in the process.

“Dylan was awkward with me and couldn’t even talk to me at first. If that was the case then I asked him to call me by my name if he was going to do that, and he’s been so excited since then calling me ‘Victoire, Victoire’.”

“Stop it, Victoire.”

“Look at that.”

Elisabeth looked at Dylan with her eyes wide open, deliberately surprised.

It’s like, ‘How can a…. beast like that….’. There was a look of criticism.

“Elisabeth, what’s that look in your eyes?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Elisabeth bowed her head. Victoire laughed out loud at how cute it looked.

‘He laughed again.’

Elisabeth looked up carefully at the smiling Victoire. It was purely good that someone was happy because of her.

‘Even my biological father didn’t laugh because of me.’

It was true that even if the man was someone who wanted to take advantage of her, she felt good.

‘Yeah, because good is good.’

Elisabeth ate dinner that evening without leaving any food behind.

Marian, who combed Elisabeth’s hair, was surprised to see that Elisabeth laughed alone and then became sullen.

‘Is she hurt somewhere?’

But whenever she smiled, she looked perfectly healthy.

‘Does it make your mind unstable when you’re in an unfamiliar place?’

Marian anxiously asked.

“What’s the matter, Miss?”

“Ah, no. No, nothing happened.”

Elisabeth answered with surprise.

‘How did you know something happened?’

Elisabeth was very embarrassed. She didn’t seem to know that Marian could read her expressions on her face.

‘Miss does not seem to want to talk.’

Marian seemed to feel sad for no reason.

Even so, Marian felt bitter that she still can’t open her heart even though she has been feeding and washing Elisabeth, taking care of her bed, washing her face in the morning, and doing her best.

‘She hasn’t gotten close to me yet, so it can’t be helped. She’s a shy little girl.’

“Your Grace laughed because of me today.”

Marian was stunned and stopped combing. Elisabeth looked up at Marian with her eyes full of joy.

‘His Grace laughed? Please hurry and ask me why.’

It seemed that was what the young eyes were urging so much that Marian held back her laughter as it was about to come out.

‘As expected, babies are babies. I can’t help it.’

“Why did His Grace laugh? He doesn’t look like he laughs.”

“I told His Grace that it’s nice to be on friendly terms with Dylan. So he laughed.”

“Really?”

Marian, who Elisabeth asked her with a thud, had asked Elisabeth back, was genuinely surprised at Elisabeth’s answer.

‘His Grace only laughed about it?’

I couldn’t believe it.

Victoire never laughed even when the business was very successful, or when the sarcastic nobles ended up talking to him one more time.

‘He didn’t even laugh when he reunited with his own son, who had been separated from him for about a decade.’

And you just laughed when she told you to get along with your own son?

“But I’m also worried about some things.”

All of a sudden, Elisabeth became glum.

“Pardon?”

Marian struggled to follow with the child’s mood swings.

“His Grace and Dylan are as cold as winter towards each other. I don’t think they’re usually close, but I’m worried that I might have made them feel more awkward.”

“Those two are always like that.”

Said Marian as if it was not a big deal.

“What? They always eat like that? Like enemies?”

“Hohoho. Enemies. It’s just a little awkward father-son relationship.”

If the father-son relationship was that awkward, the father-son relationship would soon be cut off.

“Besides, did you hear that today was exceptionally bright weather?”

“It was exceptionally bright? That can’t be right. It wasn’t that bad.”

“It’s because Miss doesn’t know those two well yet.”

Marian neatly explained.

‘That’s right. I don’t know much about those two men.’

And Damon, too.

But the three men knew very well about Elisabeth, or Emilie. They knew about her from their first unfortunate encounter which was strange.

‘How could he have shown up there?’

Just a step before being sold to a robber, Victoire and Damon appeared and saved her. Now that you think about it, it seems that they’ve been watching Elisabeth for a long time.

Something like a ‘premeditated approach.’

“Right, Miss. It’s all done. Now you can go to bed after eating evening snacks.”

Said Marian. Elisabeth, who was lost in thought, had eyes of a rabbit.

“I can have evening snacks again?”

“You’ve always had it. Refreshingly.”

“But I ate a lot of dinner today.”

“It’s just chocolate pudding. You can eat it all.”

Marian smiled brightly and brought the prepared snack.

‘Ha. You really think I’m a pig?’