Chapter 80

Chapter 80

When Cayetana was the duchess, she, along with the previous Duke, were the masters of Blois. While Rosanne understood her jealousy of the mistress, she turned a blind eye to her misdeeds as long as they didn’t harm Blois.

But now, the owner of Blois was Dimitri.

Because of that, she had no intention of allowing Cayetana to harm Dimitri any longer. The world of Rosanne was Blois, and her top priority value to be protected was also Blois. Blois wasn’t just a family, but it encompassed the people who made up the family, including the fiefdom and their vassals.

‘Cayetana, I will protect you as long as Blois’s name is attached to you… but the same goes for Dimitri and Rowaine.’

While judging based on Blois, she was the most fair, but Rosanne was also the most unfair based on other standards.

So, in a way, winning her over was very simple.

All you had to do was work for Blois.

However, for Rosanne, who seemed to have given up all her power, the powerful people in Blois—even Dimitri—didn’t place much value on her.

To those powerful people in Blois, who had never tried to understand her standards of behavior, she was just a clueless old woman, someone they could see through but didn’t want to bother with. But recently, someone who poured pure sincerity into her without being calculated, appeared.

“Grandmother!”

Rosanne smiled wryly.

“Rowaine, how can you maintain your dignity, running like a foal like this?”

A little while ago.

Having quickly completed the Duchess’s duties for the morning, I hastily rose from my seat as I wanted to go to the annex as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Dimitri grumbled when he saw that I had been running in and out of the annex ever since the kittens arrived.

“If anyone sees this, they’d think you’ve hidden a lover in the annex.”

“What do you mean, a lover?! There are only kittens who are a hundred times cuter and lovable than that.”

“Ha.”

With a look that was partly displeased and partly relieved, Dimitri shook his head and adjusted his clothes out of habit. I left him with an “I’ll be back!” and gracefully descended the stairs after saying goodbye.

Originally, there were many visitors in the main building, but recently there have been many more, so it was necessary to keep a check on them. It was because sometimes, I’d run into guests unexpectedly… like now.

“You’re back again, Count Charlerois.”

“Ah, isn’t it the Duchess! You’re still beautiful today…”

“Thank you! The Count looks great, too!”

After a quick greeting to Count Charlerois, who had been coming to Blois every day since the emergency meeting of the elders, I made my way down the stairs as courteously as possible. However, once I was out the back door, I ran down the aisle without a second glance.

‘Cat—!’

My heart raced with excitement at the thought of burying my face in the kittens’ fluffy fur and round bellies, and blowing air on them to make a farting sound—Puuu, puuu.

As I was running, I could see grandmother Rosanne taking a walk on one side of the back garden.

“Grandmother!”

“Rowaine, how could you maintain your dignity, running like a foal like this?”

I waved my arms exaggeratedly back and forth.

“I-it’s an exercise! In order to fulfill my responsibilities, it’d be helpful to do physical training every now and then.”

“Anyway, enough talk. Have you visited Madam Elbas? It seems that she’s finally woken up and came to her full senses this morning.”

It was something I already knew from Agwen.

‘I’m not sure I want to visit Madam Elbas.’

However, seeing grandmother’s eyes, I felt like I should say hello at least once.

“I heard she was out, so I thought I’d visit her later.”

“Okay, go, and confess and apologize for the lies you’ve told in the past.”

She was talking about the time I lied about being pregnant because I didn’t want to hear the nagging. When I let out a small sigh, unable to hide my displeasure, grandmother Rosanne chuckled.

There was a hint of mischievous feeling in her smile.

“If you don’t want to listen to the nagging, why are you lying? This foal-like child.”

When I just laughed along with the bashfulness, grandmother patted me on the shoulder.

“You’re going to be a good leader for Blois.”

I was about to ask, “Me?” with a hint of suspicion, but then realized that would sound irresponsible to grandmother Rosanne, who didn’t know my divorce plans, so I rephrased the question.

“Do you really think so?”

“Sure. I was a foal like you.”

“Grandmother…?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, I remembered grandmother’s story of how she got sick from chewing poisonous plants while playing in the field.

“Somehow, I can imagine it.”

Then, as if she had been waiting for me to say, ‘I can’t imagine it’ Instead, she gazed at me with a slightly dazed expression before she cleared her voice and spoke with a stern look.

“You should probably go do your business now.”

At her words, I smiled sweetly and walked away.

‘Once you get to know her, she’s actually a cute person.’

When I arrived at the annex while humming a song, I found Esca sitting in an armchair and kittens sitting in rows in front of him. Seeing that, I walked briskly into the front yard of the annex.

‘…What’s going on?’

The kittens were sitting neatly in order of height, staring at Esca, who was preaching something to them. Couldn’t believe the sight, I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

‘All those fussing kittens were—!’

Esca, noticing me standing there in stunned silence, calmly greeted me.

“Duchess, you’re here.”

At that moment, the kittens turned around and called out to me in unison.

“Welcome, Duchess!

“….!”

…Did they become so polite overnight?

When Esca announced to the cats that it was time for them to take a break, the cats, who had been sitting dignifiedly, scurried off in all directions. Only then did this place feel as bustling and familiar as before.

Amazed, I turned towards Esca.

“How did you do that?”

“What are you talking about?”

He rose soundlessly from the armchair and replied with a gentle face. Somehow, even my breathing seemed to calm down when I looked at him.

I asked again in a slightly calmer tone.

“How are you dealing with the cats? Everyone has become very calm.”

“Is that so? I was just explaining it in a way that made sense to them.”

“How?”

“I told them that if they want to live together in human society, it’s wise to observe human manners together.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t believe it. It was because of the countless times I said that to Coco and Sasha, they both ignored me with a snort.

When I said that, Esca smiled.

“Next time, try to have a sincere conversation.”

“My heart has been truthful enough.”

“Madam Rowaine’s heart is…”

Esca stared into my eyes before finishing his words.

“It seems to be saying that it’s okay no matter what the cats do.”

“….!”

…How did he know?

I was so startled that I instinctively picked up a nearby cloth and wrapped it around myself without knowing.

Meanwhile, Esca spoke calmly without even a smile.

“Don’t try. The mind isn’t obscured by such things.”

‘…He must have been a mind reader.’

Esca gestured to me before he continued his words.

“Rather than that, there’s something that Madam Rowaine should see. Please follow me.”

“What is it?”

“Sasha is insisting on not eating.”

“Sasha?”

What was going on that Sasha, who rushed to eat something, suddenly refused to eat? As I followed Esca to the dining room in the annex, sure enough, Sasha was frowning at the food in front of her like he said.

“It’s fine if she doesn’t eat, but I told her to sit until she’s grateful for the food, and you’re still like that.”

“No, she’s just very stubborn.”

When I approached Sasha, the child opened her eyes and demanded me out of the blue.

“Let me sign a contract with the devil, Rowaine!”

“What? That discussion is already over.”

“No, I’m not done!”

Sasha shouted, banging her fist on the table. Then, as if following us, Coco appeared in cat form and leaped up onto the table.

“She lost a one-on-seven fight with some other guys yesterday, so she’s doing this because she can’t admit she lost, Angel.”

‘…That’s pretty impressive for a one-on-seven fight.’

Hearing the number seven, I could roughly guess whom she was fighting with.

‘Of the number of cats I brought, seven were the same age as Coco.’

So, it seemed that the belligerent Sasha had chosen strong-looking opponents and competed in strength.

“Sasha, did you compete with your siblings? That’s really courageous and amazing that you took on seven people at once.”

Despite my encouragement, she jerked her head to the other side as if she didn’t want to hear it.

“I’m going to sign a contract with the devil!”

Even though I tried to soothe her with all sorts of words, Sasha wouldn’t listen.

“I thought you said sincerity works?”

Eventually, exhausted, I asked Esca, and he stared back at me with a robotic, expressionless face before opening his mouth.

“Sasha’s desire is much stronger and more persuasive than Madam Rowaine’s opposition, so there’s no way you’re going to win her over.”

“Yes…?”

“Sasha has already made up her mind.”

Esca’s clear blue eyes seemed to be telling me I had to make a concession. I looked away, hating the look and feeling burdened. At the same time, I was a little offended that he was talking about someone else’s cat.

“If she can’t do it, then she can’t do it.”

“You know it well.”

“….!”

I glared at Esca, who returned my words to me. However, his gaze was so direct and unbearably transparent that I eventually looked away again.

__