Chapter 82

Chapter 82

“Ah, Morand.”

I rushed over and stood in front of him.

“I was going to call you anyway, but it’s fine.”

“Huh? Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing…”

Saying so, I held out the flower of heart that I had been holding in my hand until then.

“I heard it was difficult to get a special seat.”

Evan’s expression turned to shock. Still, I couldn’t help it. Rather than giving it to one of the three people who would fight, I chose the refuge of ‘I gave it to the person who made precious memories for the three of us.’

Looking at the flower I held out, Morand muttered blankly.

“No, I can’t—”

“Thanks to you, I was able to make so many fun memories with my family. Thank you so much.”

I wasn’t the only one who ignored Evan’s scorching eyes. Even though Morand also received his killing gaze, as if he could never yield, he accepted the flower of heart.

“Thank you, Miss Laria. Really… No matter what kind of persecution there is, I will risk my life and cherish it.”

“To risk your life, Morand…”

“Perhaps, there will be great winds and blows in keeping this flower.”

Just by looking at Evan’s face right away, Morand’s words seemed not to be exaggerated.

“…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have given it to you.”

For some reason, I apologized.

“What are you talking about? It is also an honor to protect.”

His expression in answering was very determined saying that.

“By the way, why are you all here?”

“Mis Laria, that’s…”

At my question, Morand sighed and lowered his head.

“Everyone had something to say to Miss Laria, so they were waiting.”

“What?”

“It seems we forgot.”

All the other servants had the same expression on their faces.

“Miss Laria is the one who will be the Mistress of this Duchy, and no matter how kind and kind she may be, we should have treated her more unconditionally than an outsider.”

…They didn’t treat me like that, so what were they talking about now?

As I tilted my head, he added, “I should have somehow got Miss Laria into the office. I apologize for keeping Miss Rosalind and the Duke until the end, even though I thought it was suspicious. It was not enough for me to just let you walk in vain.”

An apology like this was really unexpected, so I was quite puzzled.

“Well, I was the one that said that I would go.”

Lisa also intervened. She snorted her nose and crumpled the hem of her skirt.

“So is the vase… The kind Miss Laria… with her personality, of course, she would have told me to give it, though I didn’t think it through.”

“Yes?”

“I should have cut it all at once saying no, and I shouldn’t have let it go into Miss Laria’s ear at all. I was flustered for no reason?”

Morand uttered with a determined expression while holding the flower.

“So, we made a commitment.”

“…What?”

“We promise to protect Miss Laria, who is kind and good, as the top priority.”

It must have been a shock to everyone that I pretended to have been hit by Rosalind in front of everyone.

“We’ll do our best so that no one will argue about Miss Laria’s origins again.”

Then, Lisa said while crying.

“So, Miss Laria, you must never humble yourself.”

“Well, there’s no need for that…”

Not long after I came in as the Young Duke’s wife, I was recuperating, so obviously, there was no time to control the servants. Besides, I didn’t even think about it. I would be leaving, anyway. What was I supposed to do…?

Nonetheless, I had no idea that the Rosalind case would lead to such a result.

“If you know, do it right from now on.”

Suddenly Evan opened his mouth, holding my hand.

“I also felt a lot. Even if someone who resembles mother comes…”

He added coolly.

“If you insult Laria, I will not let you go.”

Strangely, there seemed to be side effects in the other direction, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Well, that wouldn’t be bad for me.

And so, we entered the room, washed, and changed into indoor clothes, but neither of us could sleep. We sat down and started talking.

“Well, maybe that’s a good thing.”

Evan spoke with his arms crossed and his characteristic indifferent expression.

“Could father really have interrogated her?”

I muttered mischievously.

“I didn’t know she was going to commit suicide…”

Although she didn’t seem loyal enough to commit suicide, it must have been that Duke Orlando had done something. Of course, I thought he would manage to prevent suicide in prison, though the guards of Duchy Icard need to be a little more nervous.

“It could not have been suicide.”

Evan said calmly whether he had similar thoughts before adding.

“She was sent by Duke Orlando, but this way we can’t even make a formal protest because we don’t have any evidence.”

“Ah…”

“They say they couldn’t find the tailor, either.”

The tailor was probably sent out secretly by Serena. The Bestian Guild did a really good job on this one.

“It’s not an easy opponent, anyway.”

When I showed him a puzzled expression, he replied comfortingly, “We are keeping each other in check, so this could happen. It’s not a one-time thing, so be careful. Nothing is really lost.”

“However…”

“It’s okay, Laria.”

As he brushed my hair, Evan finished his words.

“Don’t worry about it, just focus on recovering.”

“….”

“You’re going down tomorrow?”

“Yes…”

I nodded while fiddling with the music box.

If it hadn’t been for Rosalind, perhaps, we would have been spending a peaceful night looking at the decorations together by now.

Miss Olivia praised me a lot, Evan kept quietly taking care of me with an expressionless expression, and Duke Icard would not be able to hide his pride even if he kept his silence. Nevertheless, the mansion had now gone down a level due to Rosalind’s work.

“…How do you feel?”

I muttered quietly.

“The feeling of losing someone you love so much that you can’t move even though they only look alike.”

“Well.”

At my question, Evan smiled slightly awkwardly.

“I don’t want to know.”

He stared at me and added slowly.

“…Really.”

I blinked slowly in response.

‘…Maybe, that’s why Evan doesn’t love anyone.’

He was afraid to see his father so weak. That was why he grew up with a cold-bloodedness without giving his heart. However, I thought it would be a little sad if he grew up and became cold to me.

‘He’s cute now.’

“Let’s get along in moderation.”

Saying that, I took his hand and resumed my words.

“Like now, like a close friend… Care for each other and give for each other, and don’t put too much pressure on each other.”

“…Close friend?”

“Yes.”

It is said that Evan was a person with a personality that built walls to others. Still, I would also leave when the time was right, so I didn’t want to get along with him until then. We were married by arrangement, yet we were quite close because we met when we were young.

“Let’s get along, Evan.”

It was the last night before I had to go down to Borotna again. A complicated night when the trauma of the mansion exploded once more, and everyone was unable to sleep.

Despite all odds, the light in the Duke’s office did not go out. That office fire was famous throughout the Empire as it had never been put out since Matilda’s death, and that unquenchable fire seemed to represent Duke Icard’s heart.

A night in Icard where you couldn’t sleep comfortably, even on nights when others were resting. On that particularly difficult but also ordinary night, I glanced at the boy in front of me and said,

“Like now… without any conflict, comfortably and plainly.”

I am satisfied now. We were moderately friendly and kept our distance.

“Without any sorrow, no worries, no trouble between us, just like this.”

Evan stared at me and nodded his head.

“Yes.”

On such occasional nights, we were like friends who could talk to each other like this. As long as it stayed like this, it wouldn’t be too bad, even if it was an arranged marriage that was brought in for a purpose.

“If you want. If this relationship is good now…”

He added in a voice that was just about to enter a period of transformation.

“Let’s just stay like this.”

As he said that, he smiled. Evan still seemed like an innocent boy.

“I will listen to you. Do whatever you ask.”

The moonlight was bright outside the window.

“Like a good child.”

Even though the word ‘child’ didn’t suit him well, I accepted it considering his mental age.

“Always.”

Behind him was the baby bear children’s book that I had given as a gift.

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