Chapter 12

The countess walked into the powder room with a rough gait.

“Nora, why are you so slow?”

…… She can’t bear to pay negative attention to me openly, and it’s obvious that she’s nervous about Nora.

“The duke will be arriving in a little while, so why aren’t you ready yet?”

I wanted to let out a deep sigh as I heard it, but she impatiently pushed Nora away.

“This won’t work, get out of the way.”

“Kyah!”

I screamed briefly in surprise. No wonder, because Nora was holding my hair.

As Nora was pushed away, I too swayed on the chair.

‘Wow, I almost fell!’

I swallowed my dry saliva.

The height of the chair was quite high, so wouldn’t my leg have been sprained if I had fallen from here……?

“Miss!” Surprised, Nora called me in a shrill voice.

At the same time, Countess Ghiberti grabbed me tightly by the shoulder.

Her long-manicured nails dug into my bathrobe and pressed down on my soft skin.

‘Ugh, it hurts.’

I forced myself to swallow a groan that was about to leak out.

But whether I was in pain or not, the countess only grabbed my hair with a strong grip.

“Nora, give me the comb.”

“Yes? But…….”

“Hurry, we don’t have time.”

The countess flapped her fingers skittishly.

Nora had no choice but to give her the comb. Then the countess began to comb my hair.

‘Ouch!’

The ends of my hair, which had been combed out and undone, became tangled again.

The tangled hair gets caught in the comb and pulled out in clumps.

Ah, what is this?

My scalp is going to get ripped off! It hurt so much that I was about to burst into tears.

I couldn’t bear to say that I was in pain, so I swallowed the pain with a grunt.

Nora, tried to dissuade the countess.

“The lady’s hair is very damaged. Combing her hair like that might pull out or tangle her hair…….”

“Didn’t you hear me? Are you saying that His Excellency the Duke will not be back soon?”

Hey, aren’t you making it so obvious that you’re too lazy?

Even though I was in pain from getting my hair combed, I was a little stumped. But the countess was a really strong enemy.

“Even if it hurts a little, be patient. We can’t keep His Excellency waiting, can we?”

She said that in a brazen voice!

Are you doing this knowing that I have no choice but to pay attention to Siegfried?

And what’s more–

“A good child should listen to adults well, right?”

Smiling and secretly putting pressure on me?

No, this person?

Irritation started to rise up from my lower abdomen, but the countess’s combing showed no signs of weakening at all.

Ah, really?

It’s so hard to be a good kid!

***

After that–

After somehow finally dressed, that little Tatiana was walking down the wide hallway, led by the hand of Countess Ghiberti.

The countess walked with such a rapid pace that Tatiana had to stumble quickly alongside her, almost as if she were running, to keep up with her.

The girl panted heavily.

Even so, she couldn’t ask to slow down.

Nora, who had followed them, looked at Tatiana with a worried look.

‘Countess, you could walk a little slower…….’ Nora thought and swallowed a sigh that was about to burst out.

However, she didn’t dare to say anything bad about Countess Ghiberti. It was all the more so because the countess seemed in a very low mood.

Meanwhile, the countess was recalling what had happened earlier.

‘What on earth is that little girl for the duke asking to take good care of her?’

The countess looked disgruntledly at Tatiana. Half an hour ago, Siegfried called the countess out of the blue.

That was the beginning of everything.

Scritch, scritch, scritch…

A quiet office, where only the sound of a pen scratching paper resounded intermittently.

Countess Ghiberti stepped inside with a rather nervous face.

‘I heard you called for me, my lord.’

The pen stopped. Siegfried glanced up.

‘Here you are, Auntie.’

Faced with the golden eyes shining brightly like a beast, the countess felt her mouth dry up.

Even though Siegfried was a young man and much younger than her son.

…… Every time she stood in front of him, she got strangely nervous.

‘Why on earth did he come back alive?’

Without Siegfried, the Duke of Orleans would have belonged to her son!

The countess tried to suppress the dissatisfaction that suddenly popped up. Then, she forcibly pushed up the corners of her lips and smiled.

‘It’s your first day back as a duke, but you didn’t even rest a little bit…….’

‘It’s okay. More than that, I have a few things to tell you about Tatiana, so I called you here.’

‘Tatiana… … the young Miss.’

Miss.

The word bounced around in her mouth. It felt like her stomach got twisted from an angry heart.

At the same time, Siegfried leaned back in his chair, continuing.

‘The child’s body is not very healthy, so please take care of the health by attaching a dedicated primary care physician.’

‘…….’

Who the hell is she?

Countess Ghiberti was really puzzled.

Didn’t he say earlier, as soon as he entered the townhouse, “Please make it as convenient as possible so that the child does not feel uncomfortable”?

But the odd thing about this was.

‘…… He didn’t show any of that kindness to his own nieces and nephews’

Siegfried had had almost no interaction with his father, the previous duke, or with his relatives. Of course, the long-standing feud with the previous duke was the source.

Apart from that, Siegfried was basically not someone with a caring personality. It was bizarre that such a duke would pay such attention to a child.

‘Ah, right.’

Siegfried added words as if he had just come up with them.

‘I’ll have dinner with Tatiana, so please prepare that part as well.’

‘…… yes, my Lord.’

The countess, who was reflecting about the conversation at that time, bit her lip.

She glanced down at Tatiana, who trotted beside her.

‘I don’t know yet, but if…….’

If Siegfried would adopt that kid as his daughter.

If so, the chance that the countess’s son or grandson will inherit the title of Duke of Orleans would be even lower.

‘At this rate, my grandchildren are going to be pushed back by that little girl, right?’

In a sudden surge of displeasure, countess Ghiberti curled her brows and shot back at Tatiana, “Why are you walking so slowly?”

Hearing that ferocious voice, Tatiana stiffened her shoulders.

“What would you do if the duke arrived at the dining room first? Hurry up and follow me.”

Tatiana was teased stingingly about her short legs.

The countess, who was annoyed at the movement of the child, immediately turned her head away while clicking her tongue.

‘Yeah, I’m just turning a blind eye to that hateful little girl for now.’

It is true that in order to inherit the title of duke in the future, you have to look good to Siegfried.

Only after controlling her mind many times.

Countess Ghiberti was barely able to calm the seething displeasure.

***

I saw a large door in the distance.

‘Oh.’

I admired it inwardly. When someone is the only duke in the empire, even the dining room door is shiny, I guess?

But then.

‘What?’

Suddenly Countess Ghiberti stopped walking.

Then she reached her hand out to me with a gentle smile on her face.

“Now, would you like to hold my hand? I’ll take you into the dining room.”

“…….”

I looked down at the hand that was reaching out to me with cold eyes.

No, until just now, you acted as if walking with me itself was unpleasant, didn’t you?

Why are you pretending to be friendly all of a sudden?

But anyway, I’m in a position to play a gentle and nice kid.

“Yes!”

Pretending not to know anything, we quickly held hands. The countess flinched, but she did not shake my hand away.

So, we entered the dining room side by side and holding hands.

Siegfried, who had been examining papers while reclining on a chair in the dining room, glanced up.

“Tatiana.”

“Siegfried!”

As always, I came to Siegfried’s side.

“Are you busy?”

“Well, I can’t say I’m not busy.”

Siegfried shrugged lightly.

“But it’s your first time here at the duke’s estate, so shouldn’t we at least have a meal together?”

“…….”

That gentle answer made me a bit subdued.

“…… Did Tati come down to the dining room on purpose?”

I don’t want to be a troublesome child, but somehow I feel like I’ve unintentionally interfered with Siegfried…..

Then, as Siegfried secretly narrowed his brows–

“You made me care.”

–A large hand came up to the top of my head.