Chapter 22

When I heard people talking about protecting me or saying that I was his woman, I would laugh at them saying, ‘What are you going to protect?’, but this man’s words had a different meaning.

His eyes were sincere.

Besides, Larissa and I were actually being chased by our scary father and crazy brother.

That is why I heard the words that he would protect me more desperately.

“From now on until Fortus returns, it might be dangerous for your presence here to be known. You must wait until His Majesty the King’s signature on the marriage papers arrives.”

When His Majesty the King was mentioned, suddenly everything began to feel too real.

“I’m sorry, but would you mind not coming out of the room for the next three days?”

I nodded obediently.

***

Being locked up in a room was a bit boring, but it was bearable.

Fabian ordered someone to bring me some interesting-looking books, so I spent some time reading them aloud to Larissa.

Reading a book to a small child made me feel at ease.

‘I remember reading a children’s book to my nephew.’

Larissa looked like she was dead emotionally, but she had a good meal nonetheless.

I seemed to know a little bit about her favorite food. Larissa likes things sweet and sour.

She reacted more with her tongue than seeing and hearing. I thought as I watched Larissa eat peach jelly.

Larissa ate the sweets slowly, little by little. She had been eating a cup of jelly for thirty minutes.

“Don’t eat too much, it’s lunchtime soon. The maid will be here.”

I said so, but there was a happy smile on my lips.

‘Maybe it’ll be okay if I go down to the kitchen later and try making simple things myself.’

It’s not at all aristocratic to cook by yourself.

Still, I thought it would be a good stimulus because I had to use both hands.

Oh, I hope everything will be over quickly so that we can go out together.

The forest that I had seen on the train journey shimmered before my eyes.

I am sure that walking in the beautiful natural scenery will give Larissa good treatment.

‘She will be happy too.’

– Oh, damn it! I couldn’t even curse in front of him.

At that moment, I was awakened by a sound coming from outside the door.

It was the voice of someone’s heart.

– He’s not even our master, how about you just ignore him?

– If I do that, my neck will fall. Damn it! I thought it was a little more peaceful these days, but who would have known that the Grand Duke would suddenly die, and the relatives would come to visit?

It was time for the maid to bring the food.

‘Who is the troubled master who is not your master?’

I have a feeling that something very bad is about to happen.

Without time to think, I jumped out of my seat.

Larissa flinched at the sudden movement. Perhaps she thought I was going to hit her.

“No, Larissa. It’s not like that.”

I approached cautiously, but hurriedly, and took Larissa’s hand.

“I have a somewhat ominous feeling. Larissa, can you go to the next room for a minute?”

I felt Larissa’s hands tremble, but she did not resist. I quickly brought her to the next room, sat her down, and placed a cup of peach jelly in her hand.

“It’ll be fine, just eat slowly. I’ll be back soon.”

As soon as I patted her hand holding the jelly and hurriedly returned to the room, a knock was heard outside the door.

“My lady, it’s dinner.”

“Come in.”

As the door opened, I saw a maid pushing a serving cart.

She was the maid who kept bringing me and Larissa meals throughout our stay in this room.

She looked back with an anxious expression on her face. Naturally, my gaze also turned in that direction.

A man was walking into the room behind the maid.

He was a tall, black-haired boy, one span taller than the maid.

The boy, who appeared to be in his mid-teens, had white skin and blue eyes.

He rolled his eyes and looked around the room.

‘You look a little like Fabian?’

Maybe a brother?

Because Fabian never said he was the only child.

“……!”

Then I realized that the intruder couldn’t possibly be Fabian’s real brother. Fabian’s brother was not recorded in the nobility directory.

‘I thought red eyes with black hair were the best, but blue eyes aren’t bad either.’

Then he made eye contact with me.

The blue eyes of a pretty handsome boy looked over me, went down, and then came back up.

“What? What kind of old-fashioned clothes are you wearing? Is this Fabian’s taste? Just looking at her, she doesn’t seem like a noble lady.”

Those words came out of his mouth before he even asked who I was.

I thought this bastard was handsome up until ten seconds ago, so he’s openly arguing?

And his mind was thinking like this,

– Tch! He didn’t have good eyes because he was mixed with low blood.

‘Well, I don’t think I’m very fancy now.’

Except for the pajamas and dressing gowns that were given to me by the Grand Duke, all I had left was the dress I wore when I came to the Grand Duke’s house. The old yellow dress that Nora gave me in the dressing room.

Arguments that come along have to be dealt with properly, but I suppressed my sarcastic skill that was about to burst out. It was because this cheeky little boy knew that I was Fabian’s guest.

‘If he finds out that I am not just a guest but his fiancee, and that we even signed the wedding papers, the entire mansion will be overturned.’

So for now, I had to keep it a secret.

At least until Fortus returns with His Majesty the King’s signature on the marriage papers.

“What’s your name?”

I asked in a stern tone, as politely as possible.

“I am the grandson of this house, and I came to drive you out?”

The boy twisted the tip of his lips and said with a smile. That expression was very funny.

‘Besides, it’s kind of familiar.’

A smiling expression of a handsome face. This was what my brother, Villain, always did.

At that moment, I put aside my sassy attitude.

“You are the grandson of this house, what a strange name.”

“What? You idiot. That can’t be a name!”

Look at your answer, you look like a middle schooler.

I giggled on the inside and spoke softly on the outside.

“The Grand Duke’s grandson is Fabian Laurent, but no matter how I look at you, you’re not Lord Fabian.”

When I made fun of him by mentioning Fabian’s name, he frowned and shouted,

“Is that child the grandson of this house? I am the only real grandson. My name is Richard Laurent.”

Oh, is this the child Fabian was talking about, the son of his uncle?

‘Was him fifteen this year?’

I put a smile on my lips with satisfaction.

“Oh, I see.”

“What’s your relationship with Fabian?”

Richard glared at me with a smile and spouted lines like a morning drama.

‘We got engaged.’

……I can’t say that.

‘How could he have known that Fabian had brought me?’

Fabian could not have said it with his own mouth, so this child must have heard it from the employees. Perhaps the employees that saw me and Larissa getting off the Grand Duke’s carriage.

I don’t want to say that I am Fabian’s guest.

“I have nothing to do with Lord Fabian. My aunt’s mother-in-law’s in-law’s grandson is his assistant. Do you know? His name is Fortus.”

Richard tilted his head slightly as if he was not interested in Fortus, and made a mysterious expression.

‘He looked like a boy his age.’

I spoke casually,

“I came to see my relative, Fortus. I didn’t come to see Lord Fabian. We met by chance, and we all rode a carriage together.”

I used Fortus’s name. He did not say his last name, so there is a high probability that he will be a commoner. Because commoners generally have no surnames.

‘A distant relative of a commoner is, of course, a commoner.’

Or it could be an untitled lower aristocrat.

I smiled and added, “And since the Grand Duke gave me permission to stay here for a while. Even if you are the grandson of this house, you would not be able to drive me out of your own accord.”

Hearing this, Richard took a few steps closer, with both hands in his pockets, thrusting his face in front of my nose and growling.

“His Highness the Grand Duke is dead. You don’t know? The funeral is two days later. It would be better for those who are not members of the family to go out.”

I glared at the blue eyes that were only half a span taller than me.

However, Richard’s expression subtly changed. He narrowed his eyes, and said,

“Hmm… I didn’t know because the clothes were so old-fashioned. But your face is pretty good.”

Huh, do I have to hear this from a two-year-old?

And my face is more than pretty good. I mean, I’ve only seen one person prettier than me.

Then I heard Richard’s inner voice.

– It is understandable to see that he brought this commoner woman and hid her. Doing things without honor…… I mean, he can’t hide his blood.

What are you talking about?

How the heck were you educated?

The face I thought was handsome before was no longer so.

I was stunned, so I muttered a small mumble on purpose.

“What do you mean, squid?” [1]

[1] If someone calls you a squid, it means you are ugly.