CH 38

Then, by any chance, who knows? Maybe Beatty’ll make them adore her.

Firina, who sometimes recalled the black eyes that begged for affection, laughed hard.

“Come to think of it… is it because she’s a sly rat that it has a good sense?”

It was ‘still’ before the plan was carried out, but how did it run away that day?

“Of course, it would be a coincidence, but now, there would be no such luck like that.”

Tak.

Firina took out a small bottle which was hidden in the innermost part of her handbag.

It was a splendidly embossed crystal bottle. The finely cut surface intentionally hid the poisonous contents.

“Hoo, hoo, hoo. If I just feed this…!”

At the end of the conspiracy, Firina’s eyes flashed with greed, imagining the fruit she would win.

***

Aunt appeared in the Duke’s Castle.

Beatty couldn’t sleep because of the unexpected appearance and woke up with a grim face.

After her breakfast was brought to her room, Beatty contemplated again.

‘So, why in the world did Aunt come?’

According to her, she may not have purposefully chased after the ‘unavoidable nuisance’.

Tilting her head, Beatty’s ears heard a fuss.

“The Master sent the Young Miss a present today, too!”

“Oh my! It’s fur today.”

“Do you know? This Northern Silver Fox was hunted by the Duke himself.”

“Everyone was curious about who would the Master drop it off because it was the best quality catch that even doesn’t have any flaws, but turns out, he gave it to the Young Miss as a gift!”

Ha!

Beatty’s complexion blooms with anticipation.

“Oh my gosh! Look at this fur texture. It’s the best quality with no flaws!”

Step. Step. Step.

With a fast step with excitement that can’t be hidden, Beatty has the best fur like a white snow mountain scenery in front of her.

“Young Miss?”

Like that, she passed by and headed to the table.

On top of it, there was a paper card that seemed to be mistaken for a memo at first glance without any decorations on it.

It was what Beatty had asked Father to do before.

“By any chance, if I can receive the present.”

“You can receive it.”

“Other than that, a letter, no, can you give me a card?”

The Duke, who nodded his head and gave an answer at the time, was sending cards—and even together with the gifts that she refused—regularly after that.

‘Today, too….’

Seeing Beatty who was looking at the card with sparkling eyes, the maids chuckled and helped with expectations.

“Oh my, today, too, the Duke sent the Young Miss a card.”

“He’s even thoughtful. What kind of conversation did he send today? Young Miss, please open it quickly.”

At the encouragement mixed with the teasing from her surroundings, Beatty’s cheeks blushed and then she picked up the card.

And then, flutter, on top of the card that she opened with excitement….

[Don’t forget your coat.]

“…Oh, uhm.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. It seems that he cherished so much about the Young Miss that he even cares about her outfit.”

‘Duke… If you’re going to be kind, be kind until the end….’

‘It’s not a letter that a person sent to his 8-year-old daughter… it’s not even some kind of a command.’

At the stiff writing style that was likely to be sent only to a subordinate, the smiling maids’ mouth hardened awkwardly, trying to wrap it up.

The Duke’s card was always like that.

Words that might be written only a sentence on the card that arrived along with the gift.

“….”

A card that appears to be insincere at the first glance, as usual.

Tightly.

Beatty held it dearly.

Looking around. Looking around.

“Ah, Young Miss. Here.”

The maid next to the Young Miss who was looking for something gave her a small bag.

A golden bag shaped like an acorn and woven with gold thread. This golden acorn bag was Beatty’s most favorite thing these days.

Beatty kept all the cards Father had sent to her during those times in it, and she always carried them wherever she went.

And whenever she had a break between her own work, refreshment time, or the time where there was nothing to do in the afternoon, she took it out and read it again.

A card with a few words at the most.

Even if she combined it all together, Beatty looked at a bunch of cards that could not be a piece of letter paper over and over again.

Beatty was expecting a card with only one sentence, rather than a mountain of gifts filling the front of her door every day.

‘Even if it’s only one sentence… he sent it to me.’

That meant a lot to Beatty.

‘Since I’ve never even once received a reply before.’

Tightly.

Holding the card tightly without realizing it, Beatty recalled the memory before she regressed.

[Hello, Father. I am Beatty. Thank you for giving me a name. I will cherish the first gift you gave me. By any chance, can I go to the Duke’s Castle? I am curious about Father’s face….]

From the letter she sent knowing nothing when she was young. 

[Hello. It’s Beatty. By any chance, did you not receive the previous letter? Since there was no reply….]

Letters that she wrote foolishly, because she was unsure and still believed in her fantasy of ‘a family’.

‘And I’m saying that it also cost me a lot to send it.’

So, she couldn’t send it as many times as she thought.

It was said that sending messengers to the North cost very a lot, so Beatty, who did not have much, could only send them once every few months.

Eventually without any expectations.

[Are you well? I don’t know if you read this letter, but I’m 18 years old now. Yes, it’s my Coming-Of-Age Ceremony soon. My Lord won’t attend, right? I don’t expect a reply. It’s just… because I think I should ask once.]

She remembered the last letter she sent.

During those times, if she had written it as if writing a diary really without any expectations… the last letter… maybe just in case.

Since what’s especially meaningful for shapeshifters are their Coming-Of-Age Ceremony. By any chance, wouldn’t he give some kind of answer, even if it’s just because of the family’s face?

It seemed that she had that kind of thought at that time.

Beatty blinked slowly, recalling the feeling of that time.

“….”

Now those letters became something that didn’t exist.

A letter that even Father would not have received because she had never sent it to him as she returned as an 8-year-old.

Although even in the future there will be no reply that’ll return for those letters.

Sideways.

Beatty looked down at the card she held tightly with both hands again.

‘Even though it’s not a… reply.’

Still, it was Father’s letter.

Questions that she was so curious about.

‘If I get a reply to my letter, what greeting should I start with?’

‘What does Father’s handwriting look like?’

‘And I… How will you call me?’

Not all of the numerous questions were answered, but with this card alone, somehow Beatty felt like it was filling up her empty stomach little by little.

Tilt.

Beatty tilted her head.

‘But I had eaten until full for breakfast.’

It surely was strange. Why did she think she was ‘empty’?

At that time.

“What is that?”

On a peaceful morning, an unsuitable sharp sound rang in the room.

It was Firina, Beatty’s aunt.

Flinch.

Beatty, who flinched her shoulder, quickly hid the card in her bag.

“Pure white fur…! Niece, isn’t it too much for you to wear? Aunt is worried that you will be colored with luxury since you were young.”

Fortunately, unlike her worries, Firina glowed her eyes and took a straight step towards the expensive fur.

The maids’ eyes became sharp at Firina’s words, pretending to admonish her niece when actually she was greedy for the high-quality product.

“Ahem. Ahem. I have something to talk about to my niece, so you guys go out.”

Firina ordered the maids as she liked as if she were imitating to be the hostess of the household.

After the surrounding eyes disappeared, Firina naturally took the best seat like it was her own house, and said to Beatty.

“So it has been a long time, Niece.”

“….”

“Do you not have anything to say to me?”

Blink. Blink.

Seeing Beatty facing her, straight without avoiding her eyes, Firina clicked her tongue.

“Tsk. Tsk. Do I have to teach you again on how to say sorry? And you’re not even thanking me for worrying about you.” 

Hmph!

Beatty turned her head as she snorted. It was an obvious rejection.

“What’s up with that attitude! Ha! Oh my. It’s been a while since we saw each other. This is all because you couldn’t receive my education during that time.”

By the rebellion of a child that she had always could easily wield, Firina was flustered for a while. Then she also had a mental victory by thinking like, ‘As expected, she is like that because she’s away from her high-class education.’

Even so, when Beatty didn’t react much, she cleared her throat and twisted her words.

“Come to think of it, I heard you got a name? Beatty.”

Beatty’s shoulder flinched at the sound of her name that came out of Aunt’s mouth for the first time.

“That’s a good name.”

‘Huh?’

It’s suspicious.

‘But there’s no way Aunt would say something nice to me?’

Beatty raised her guard.

Immediately after, Firina sighed as if she felt sorry for her, then she opened her mouth.

“But how should I say this…. Do you know? You may not have known, but actually, there is a unique custom in the Northern Region.”

Firina talked with a rather excited look.

“The Northern people consider names very important, so they don’t even want to give names to the children they hate.”

“….”

“Woah, looking at it, as expected, to think that the Duke didn’t say anything and you named yourself…?! I feel bad for you that my tears are all coming out.”

Firina said, pretending to wipe her tears that didn’t come out even if it’s pretentious.

“If not me, your aunt, who would let you know about things like this?”

Nod.

The way she raised her eyebrows made it obvious that she was trying to show off.

“I’m not sure if I can say this to you, but I’m just telling you as I’m afraid if you have any useless expectations, that I requested the Duke that still you’re his biological daughter, so can’t he give you a proper name for the sake of my dead Older Sister.”

That’s impossible?

Strange words came into Beatty’s ear, who was trying to ignore it and think that it was nonsense.

“Hoo. But what can I do? Since the Duke absolutely said no.”

“…He said that he didn’t want to think about my name?”