Chapter 14
It was natural that all the people were dumbfounded.
Father took me and went out of the room.
I glanced at Father.
‘You’re saying it just like that?’
Is his creativity good? Or is his pride simply like a mountain?
Even if he didn’t know, Grandfather would probably be very angry.
“I’ve told them to pack the things in your room. You should also go and check whether there is anything you want to take.”
I nodded my head calmly.
‘So it turned out great in any case!’
What kind of a piece of cake is this?
At the Main Castle, sometimes when Grandfather emptied his place, either uncle (Father’s older brother), uncle (Father’s younger brother), or aunt came to substitute for him.
When it was like that, no matter what happened to me, there was not even a single person who would help me.
That’s why Father’s territory will be much safer.
I was walking in the hallway with Father when a group of people walked from the opposite side.
“Isn’t this Daymond?”
The man who had walked in the front of the vassals spoke to Father.
Light brown hair.
Green eyes like the midsummer’s green and thick bushes.
A kind impression.
As soon as I saw him, I recognized who he was.
‘Grimieh Astra.’
He was Grandfather’s eldest son.
“Are you leaving now?”
Uncle Grimieh approached with a happy face and asked.
He was a kind and friendly man, not like the eldest son of Astra who was like a predator den.
“Yes. What brings Older Brother here?”
When Father said that, Uncle touched his forehead with a difficult look.
“I came here to listen to the scolding which is always for the same thing.”
“Are they still pestering you by telling you to get married?”
“Well….”
Uncle Grimieh,
haha,
laughed awkwardly.
“It seems that everyone is worried because most of my younger brothers have a family, but I, the eldest son, still don’t have one.”
“While there are plenty of grandchildren, does he even need the eldest son’s grandchild?”
“Even more than Father, it’s surely from the surroundings that talks a lot about it. Ah, so that kid is my niece.”
Uncle Grimieh bent his knees and made eye contact with me.
“Nice to meet you. Uhm, your name… was it Erylotte?”
I nodded lightly.
Uncle Grimieh’s eyes gently bent.
“I said I’m your uncle, but turns out, I couldn’t even take care of you properly.”
“….”
“Let’s often see each other now.”
Uncle Grimieh originally lived in the Imperial Capital.
When he came to the manor once in a blue moon, he was all over the place because he was listening to wedding talks like this.
He must also have been all over the place because he needed to take care of other things.
It was almost impossible for him to take care of me.
Uncle carefully grabbed my hand and shook it.
At that time, the other vassals urged him.
“The Duke is waiting.”
“Ah…. That’s right. Let’s go.”
Uncle Grimieh greeted Father and me, then headed to Grandfather’s room together with the vassals.
The vassals’ worried voices were heard.
“If you still don’t have a family, you’ll be pushed out of the succession battle.”
“Didn’t you see that even Young Master Daymond has a child?”
It seemed that everyone was worried about he, who was the eldest son and had no children. However…
‘The child whom Uncle doesn’t even know about is growing up somewhere, though.’
The daughter who was left by Uncle Grimieh’s dead first love.
I’m talking about ‘Dahlia’, the main character of [I Possessed The Villain’s Granddaughter].
As I,
haha,
laughed awkwardly, I glanced at Uncle who was entering Grandfather’s study.
“Erylotte.”
I heard Father’s voice from my side.
I flinched and looked at him.
“You must go to your room.”
“Yesh.” [Yes.]
I nodded, and headed to my room.
In my room, the maids were sobbing as they were packing.
“Oh my, Young Miss.”
“If Young Miss leaves now, our workplace will change again! Oh my, oh my!”
“While serving the Young Miss, it was good, and you were incredibly adorable! To think that we’re going back to that scary Tower of Wisdom!”
“My goodness!”
…Turns out there was a reason as to why the maids were kind to me from the beginning.
The Tower of Wisdom, where the third generation was educated, was also the most difficult workplace in the Duke’s Castle.
It’s surely because the personalities are incredibly violent.
On top of that, Hilda and Greta are a bit stupi… no, it’s because they are naive that it would have been harder to work.
‘Although I liked them because they were nice people.’
I secretly avoided the sobbing maids and packed up my bag.
‘I surely have to bring the jewel.’
Since I was carrying the bag which contained the jewel that Grandfather gave me as a return present, the maids held my luggage and sniffled.
“You’re leaving now, right?”
“Yupp.”
I was excited, but I couldn’t express it because the maids looked so sad.
After packing up, I came out of the Main Castle together with the maids.
The carriage which was going to pick me up had arrived in advance.
I was just about to approach the carriage when someone came running.
“Young Miss!”
“It’s Conrad.”
“You have to, stay safe and live in peace. Don’t get sick somewhere until we meet again…. I hope to see you again in a peaceful state, please, please…. How could I be away from the Young Miss for such a long time….”
With his forehead touching the back of my hand, Conrad groaned, “Hicc.”
It was a very desperate appearance.
The maids also sniffled and wiped their tears on their handkerchiefs.
‘It’s at most only two months, isn’t it?’’
If people who didn’t know saw this, they would think that I’m going to immigrate.
If the resting phase is over, I’ll come to the Castle again, though.
‘Did I seduce him too well?’
With a bit of a reluctant look, I said, “Yessh.” [Yess.]
“Conrad, shtay well.” [Conrad, stay well.]
“Yes, don’t worry about me and please rest peacefully….”
While Conrad spoke to me with an indistinct gaze, Enzo, who approached the carriage, shouted.
“Is this all your luggage? Is there nothing more to move!?”
“Yes!”
I answered and suddenly ran to the carriage.
Enzo, who loaded the luggage, lifted me up and put me into the carriage.
As I waited calmly, a few minutes later Father came.
“Fwathher.” [Father.]
“There’s nothing that you left?”
“Yesh.” [Yes.]
Father shouted.
“Leave for the territory.”
Thud, thud, thud!
The sound of soldiers stamping their feet resonated.
Soon, the carriage began to move.
***
Arriving at Daymond’s territory, I shouted, “Wow—!”
Father’s place was wonderful.
Perhaps because it was the farthest from the Duke’s Castle, it was not very developed, but rather, that’s why it had a quiet and still taste.
And it was as if the Territory’s Castle had been moved to a historic site just as it was.
I grabbed Father’s pants and went into the Castle.
At the front, the officials who were holding documents like mountains were crowding, and on both sides, employees were lined up.
“Congratulation on your return.”
“Congratulations on your return.”
As soon as the greeting was over, a woman who was wearing a red dress approached from the center with short and quick steps.
“Oh my gosh, Mister Daymond. How long has it been? I was worried that by any chance you might have been hurt on the battlefield, I…, I….”
While covering her mouth with a handkerchief, the woman looked at Father with sparkling eyes.
‘Who is this?’
Is she around her early, or mid-thirties?
Her clothes were also not that of the employee’s full-dress uniform, but rather an ordinary dress.
Enzo introduced the woman.
“She is Madam Rachel. She’s the butler.”
“Aha.”
I nodded my head.
‘So this person is Madam Rachel, who took care of the Territory’s Castle while Father was not present.’
Usually, when an owner leaves their house, their spouse manages the castle.
However, because Father doesn’t have a wife, Madam Rachel, who is the butler, took over the role.
Madam Rachel smiled sweetly at me.
“It’s nice to meet you, Young Miss.”
“Hwi.” [Hi.]
“Oh my, how lovely.”
Rachel,
uhuhu,
laughed once and immediately turned her gaze to Father.
“I will take your coat.”
“Forget it.”
Father refused without even looking at her and turned his gaze to my side.
“Erylotte, I’ll show you your room….”
—The moment he said that, gazes poured out like a tide rushed over.
The employees who were holding documents like mountains were staring at Father with tearful eyes.
Perhaps because of how sincere the light in their eyes were, even I could read the room.
‘Sure enough, if it’s five years, work must be piled up like crazy.’
Since even if other people took over it, there would still be things that would have to be approved by the owner.
“Ewylotte, go awone!” [Erylotte, will go alone!]
At that moment, the officials’ expressions instantly brightened up.
Father said.
“Still, I—”
“Go alone!”
“However…”
“I cwan go awone!” [I can go alone!]
“….”
Father was silent, and the officials who thought that this was the time flocked to him.
“The castle wall has collapsed, but there’s no money to build it back up…!!”
“It’s a rag because the weapons are old, but the money…!”
“There’s a forest fire in this village, but because there is no supporting fund that can be given…!”
Father was dragged by the officials who were censuring on the verge of tears.
Madam Rachel,
huhu,
laughed as she saw that scene.
“We’ll have to bring tea and snacks to the meeting room.”
“Uhm, if I do that, then the Young Miss….”
At the servant’s words, Madam Rachel turned her gaze to my side. Then, when she saw Enzo, who stood blankly, and smiled broadly.
“Of course, I’m going to guide her to her room personally. Let’s go, Young Miss.”
I followed Madam Rachel, and went up to the second floor.
“Here are the stairs leading to the Young Miss’ room. Uh—, the room is over there, and….”
Madam Rachel, who was roughly explaining, stole a glance at me.
“Uhm, Young Miss.”
“Yes.”
“By any chance, is there any rumor about a woman by the General’s side?”
“…?”
“I know the rumor of the Young Miss’ mother. It was said that she spent a night on the battlefield, but because it went wrong, she had a child…. Other than that rumor, are there no other rumors about women?”
Just what’s up with this person?
Are you saying that people say things like this to a kid normally?
If I were an ordinary kid, I would have been extremely shocked.
Madam Rachel hugged her arm and leaned her body slightly toward me.
It was not an attitude of treating her master’s child.
“How about a woman who sticks to the General, or the old people of the Duke’s Castle pestering him to marry. Do you know anything about it?”
“…No.”
Madam Rachel shrugged.
“So you’re not any help.”
After mumbling like that, she pointed to a certain room with her fingertips.
“The room is over there. Then, bye.”
With that, Madam Rachel went down the stairs.
I, who had only seen very polite people at the Duke’s Castle, felt it was preposterous.
Even at the 12th Tower, there was no person like this.
‘Since she has never seen a child, if it’s a three year old, she must’ve thought that I wouldn’t know anything, right.’
However, children are surprisingly agile and smart.
They can remember well who ignored them, and what those people said to them.
‘First of all, let’s go and see the room.’
I went into the room that Madam Rachel pointed to.
“Whoaa….”
In the Duke’s Castle, the guest room was urgently renovated and used, so the room itself was small.
However, Daymond territory’s room was very, very large.
Bathroom, toilet, bedroom, dress room, drawing room. And there was even a study, even though it was small.
Wallpaper with soft colors.
Warm-colored furniture, unlike the glamorous-colored furniture in the Duke’s Castle.
A soft carpet with a cute pattern.
On top of that, the window was very, very big, and I could see lots of trees.
‘It’s exactly like the rooms inside a fairy tale!’
Actually, since I’d longed for this kind of interior since I was Yoo Hyemin, I really liked the room.
‘Who had told them to decorate the room so beautifully like this?’
It didn’t seem like the insincere Rachel prepared it herself, and–
It also didn’t seem like the officials who cried out saying that there was no money would have prepared it.
‘Then… Father?’
I felt it as I experienced it, but Father seemed to be a little friendly in nature, contrary to rumors.
I jumped onto the bed.
‘Soft… Oooh, I like it.’
I had a slight headache, perhaps I got motion sickness as I came riding a carriage, but since I was lying down, there was no other heaven.
***
I, who had stayed in my room until dinner time, came down to the dining hall when it became meal time.
In the dining hall, there was Father and Rachel, who was waiting at the table.
Father who saw me said.
“Do you like your room?”
“I wike ith!” [I like it!]
“Okay.”
“Tenchu.” [Thank you.]
“It’s nothing.”
Rachel,
uhuhu,
laughed as she poured water into Father’s glass.
“General cared about it though, so of course she’ll like it.”
Rachel’s gaze who was looking at Father was very sticky.
She had changed her clothes already, it was a luxurious dress that can only be seen at a party.
In order to not discriminate against other butlers, the main butler’s clothes are not separately designated.
Even so, usually, it was a neat attire, but her dress was too fancy.
‘So, she likes Father.’
And it was also because of that that she asked me that earlier.
Indeed, Father is still very young at 29 years old.
And with how handsome he is, Father was obviously the best even in Astra, which boasted people of splendid appearance.
Moreover, he’s also the Duke’s son, and on top of that knows martial arts. He is surely the best on the Continent.
‘It is also a certainty for him to be crushed on.’
Whether it was truly like that or not, I focused on the meal.
Meatball pasta that I liked best was on the menu.
I was sucking in the noodles, but Rachel,
tap-tap,
tapped around my mouth with a handkerchief.
“Oh my, Young Miss. Looks like you have to learn table manners again.”
Father, who was looking at the documents while eating, turned his gaze to me.
Rachel covered one cheek with her hand and sighed.
“This kind of thing is usually what mothers usually teach, though….”
While doing so, she glanced at Father.
‘What is this auntie saying?’
Although I couldn’t say that I eat like an adult since my muscles are not fully developed yet, I did the ‘noble’s meal’ in my own way.
Etiquette was the area where I had received the most praise even at the 12th Tower.
“It’s okay, Young Miss. Since I’m here, I can help you in many ways.”
“….”
“Uhm, General. The Young Miss’ table manner’s education is like that… so how about eating together with me for the time being…?”
Saying so, Madam Rachel blinked largely.
‘Huh?’
If you’re like that, won’t Father be annoyed?
Although I didn’t care about whatever Rachel did, there must be no matter where Father thought of me as annoying.
I said quickly.
“It’sh okay!” [It’s okay!]
When I said that, Father and Rachel looked at me.
“I wearn from Tweacher.” [I’ll learn it from Teacher.]
It meant that I would learn it anyway if I went to the Duke’s Castle to be educated.
Rachel’s lips trembled.
“Before that, even if it’s a little, it’s surely better to go after getting used to it. And there will be also words coming out from between the direct lineages….”
“Fwathher can teach.” [Father can teach me.]
“The General is busy. If you think of your father, will you leave this kind of matter to me?”
It was a tone as if giving a lesson to a child who made ridiculous unreasonable demands.
Then she held my hand as if she was comforting me, however,
‘Ugh!’
—My hand was all hurt at how hard she held it.
It seemed to mean, telling me to not say any more useless words.
I sighed inside.
‘Seriously.’
I’ve been patient with Rachel throughout today.
With the matter of her ignoring me when Father was not present.
And the matter of her using me to show her good side after criticizing me.
‘But I can’t stand violent things.’
“Weirdh?” [It’s weird?]
I tilted my head on purpose. Then Father, and the servants who were waiting looked at me.
“Fwathher is busy, but why ish Rachel twying to eath with Fwathher?” [Father is busy, but why is Rachel trying to eat with Father?]
“That’s….”
Perhaps she thought that a child wouldn’t know how to speak logically, Rachel was flustered.
Not missing that chance,
clap!
I clapped my hands in delight.
“Ah, so Rachel wikes Fwathher!” [Ah, so Rachel likes Father!]
Usually, even if I knew this kind of thing, I wouldn’t bring it up.
Rachel’s face turned red as if it was going to burst.
And Father…
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