Chapter 19.2

“Why are you so late?”

“Father, Christine is really upset. The chocolate Christine wanted to give to the Duke disappeared.”

I already knew Count Mceuena’s true color through the original story. Even so, the image of him wiping the tears welling up in his daughter’s eyes seemed like the perfect father.

But that look is all fake.

He is the one who tailors all of his children according to need and use, and among them, he only sets the highest value on Christine, an S-class guide.

‘Because of that man, I suffered a lot in the beginning.’

However, young Christine, who only knew that her father’s affection was true, immediately held on to her father and Duke Janus to complain.

Yelena and I sat in a seat that would not interfere with their eyes.

“…… Christine made a ribbon out of pale pink chocolate. But when Christine came upstairs, someone ate all of it.”

“Who did?”

“I don’t know. But I was really surprised.”

“Hmm, you must have been surprised.”

“And I was very, very upset.”

“Right, you must have been upset.”

Duke Janus only repeated Christine’s words like a parrot. He looked as if nothing had happened.

I too wanted to go back. My main purpose today was to sway Yelena, and so far it’s been going pretty well.

‘The atmosphere is pretty good, so I think we can eat until dinner, but how can I hold on until then?’

As I was idly appreciating the piano melody mixed with Christine’s chatter, I saw the boy Duke’s red eyes glinting at me.

His mouth seems to twitch, but I believe it’s just my illusion.

“Betty.”

“Yes?”

“What is this?”

He reached out and lifted my palm, revealing a pale, indistinguishable pink chocolate mark.

Christine, Yelena, and the other attendants were watching me before, so I couldn’t wipe it. But I knew I could safely pass it on because no one would look at my hand this closely.

I asked in the calmest voice possible.

“What?”

“No, I just…… I wondered what our Betty ate.”

He smirked and removed the dried pink chocolate from my hair. It was almost like crumbs, but Christine, who clearly saw the powder scattering in his fingers, gave a betrayed feeling and shouted ‘hooooh!’.

This Duke…… It would have been a perfect crime without you.

“Hey, this is a ruse! To trap me!”

First of all, I jumped up and spat out whatever came out. But it was to no avail, Christine’s pink eyes flashed.

“This, this, ungrateful rat…… I treated you well, so you dare to play with me?!”

“Christine!”

“No! Christine!”

In a flash, I saw Christine leaping toward me like an angry cat, and the Count and Yelena running in fright on either side, very slooooowly.

To see Christine showing her true colors in a crowd of people who she wanted to be adored by, meant that she was really upset.

I could understand why she was angry. Christine must have thought that everyone was at her feet all this time. She’s talented, she’s pretty, she’s noble.

But what a mess it would be if a commoner with freckles, moreover, a commoner who was trying to favor her, stabbed her in the back.

I almost threw myself toward the door when I heard a thud behind me.

I glanced around and saw Christine shouting wildly while Duke Janus held onto her.

“Uwaaahh! Let me go…… ! Don’t run away, you ugly, cheeky, beggar! I will beat you!”

Even the Duke, who held her tightly to a formidable momentum, was a little dazed. I barely got up, opened the door, and ran out into the hallway without looking back.

I ran down the hallway with no one.

Then I had no choice but to turn around and run to the room where the piano was.

“You…… This crazy, idiot…….”

It was because I saw Matthew, who had come out of the closet where he was locked up, squirming on the other side. I thought he would be locked up for half a day more, but he seems to be more energetic than I thought.

“Where are you running away! Come here?”

“Young, Young Master! Be careful!”

The butler, who happened to run into him, rushed over and blocked Matthew’s path to snatch him away.

To stand in front of a tyrant no less than Christine with a gray-haired body. Unknown butler, I will never forget your sacrifice…….

“Let go! I’ll punish you! Totally insane girl… … ! You dare…… to me!”

However, the result of the unknown butler’s sacrifice was insignificant.

The boy immediately shook off the slender old butler, like a sheet of paper, and closed the distance enough to grab my hair.

While avoiding him, I hurriedly opened the door to the room with the piano, but someone pulled the door open from the inside.

“Urgh.”

A flash flickered in front of my eyes as my nose hit something like a stone, then went out.

“Come here, you insolent…… !”

When I came to my senses, I was caught in the Duke’s side and dangling.

“What is this again?”

The Duke’s red eyes as I looked up, were giving off a terrifying force. At first glance, he seemed to be just as pissed off as when he caught me running away.