CH 5

After my mother passed away, and I became a mercenary after wandering around to live, I thought my tears had dried up, but I couldn’t hold back my tears, probably because that happened now.

I bowed my head, trying not to shed tears in front of Grand Duke Crichton.

But it wasn’t easy.

I could hear the movement of the Grand Duke, who had been quiet for a long time.

In the end, the moment I thought I was entering the mansion without believing my words, something large was placed on top of my head.

I looked up and saw that it was the hand of the Grand Duke of Crichton.

“Hey, if you lied to me, I’ll scold you. Are you still going to ask me to check?”

Perhaps he was a little less angry now, Grand Duke Crichton said softly.

I replied by nodding my head at him.

“Yeah, as I said, you’ll find out whether it’s true or not if you go and check it yourself.”

After speaking, Grand Duke Crichton removed his hand from my head and looked at the aide, who was nearby.

“I’m going to check what this child says, so leave my schedule blank.”

“Yes? Ha, but…”

The embarrassed aide stuttered and then lowered his head.

“Yes, I understand. Then I will go in first and organize the schedule.”

“Okay.”

The aide left first.

The Grand Duke Crichton stared into the air with a complicated face next to me and suddenly looked down at me.

His eyes were still full of disbelief, but not as hostile as she had first seen.

“Baby, have you eaten?”

“… no.”

“Okay, then let’s go in and have breakfast.”

“Then, to Delphia Village…”

When I blurted out my words, Grand Duke Crichton smiled lightly.

“It will take some time to organize the schedule, prepare the wagon, and depart. Don’t worry, we’ll have time to eat.”

Grand Duke Crichton stepped into the house.

I also followed him.

The Grand House looked the same as when I visited before I died.

Looking around, I felt a strange feeling.

My mother must have been born and raised here. This is a place full of my mother’s memories.

But it was still a strange place for me.

“I’m going to have breakfast with this kid. Get ready.”

Grand Duke Crichton ordered the maid who was waiting in the mansion.

The maid bowed her head at Grand Duke’s words without saying a word.

“Little lady, would you like to come over here?”

The maid told me.

I glanced at Grand Duke Crichton and the maid for a moment.

I took turns looking at the Grand Duke and the maid for a moment.

It was because I didn’t know if I could follow the maid.

Grand Duke Crichton nodded at me as a sign of permission.

Seeing the Grand Duke nod his head, she followed the maid.

The maid prepared water so that I could wash my face before eating

Because I was not used to this treatment, I finished washing my face awkwardly and wiped the water with a towel handed over by the maid.

It was only after that I could enter the dining hall. As I entered the dining hall, I saw a long table with chairs lined up.

At first glance, all the furniture looked expensive.

Grand Duke Crichton was already at the head of the table.

As I sat down to the right of Grand Duke Crichton, the meal began to come slowly.

“Enjoy your meal.”

It was obviously the best and most sumptuous food I had ever eaten, but I couldn’t really savor it.

Even while I was doing this, my mother would be looking for me who had disappeared, so I wondered if it was okay for me to have a meal here and now.

“Are you worried?”

Grand Duke Crichton, who was continuing the meal, asked.

“Yes, as I told you, my mom is very sick. And since I’m away like this, I am worried, but to enjoy this luxury by myself…”

“You feel guilty.”

“… Yes.”

The delicious meal was only torn down for me right now.

If I could, I wanted to head to the village of Delphia on a horse rather than a carriage.

Whether he knew my heart, Grand Duke Crichton looked at me and made me laugh.

“I’m only saying this from the point of view of a father whose daughter left without anyone knowing. If possible, I would want my daughter to eat good things, wear good clothes, and see only good things. So, I’m sure your mother will, too.”

I glanced at Grand Duke Crichton.

Grand Duke Crichton still doesn’t seem to believe my mother is Cornelia Crichton.

After all, it was 10 years ago that my mother left this mansion.

Many people must have been many people who came claiming to know Cornelia Crichton’s whereabouts.

Grand Duke Crichton’s hopes must be shattered each time.

The Grand Duke, who had lived with a broken and fragmented heart, could not have readily believed me now.

But nonetheless, I felt his words sincerely.

Even though her daughter chose love and left the house, he still wants her to eat, wear, and see only good things.

Yeah, my mom wouldn’t want me to come back hungry either.

Even though I was reluctant, I slowly moved the spoon and started eating.

I didn’t really feel the taste as I put it in forcibly, but I did feel an empty stomach.

It wasn’t until breakfast was over that the Grand Duke Crichton aide showed up, who was organizing his schedule.

“Your Grace, we have the carriage waiting.”

At the end of the aide’s words, Grand Duke Crichton looked at me.

I looked for a moment at Grand Duke Crichton’s outstretched hand. The traces of the years remained intact on his hands.

I took Grand Duke Crichton’s hand and climbed into my carriage.

After I sat down, Grand Duke Crichton got into the carriage and sat across from me.

He leaned his cane next to him and closed his eyes. He seemed to be taking a break.

Not wanting to disturb Grand Duke Crichton, I just watched him quietly.

Grand Duke Crichton was a kinder man than I thought.

He was the kind of person who was willing to make time for a child he was seeing for the first time.

Even though I said my mom’s name, he didn’t seem to accept the fact that my mom was really Cornelia Crichton.

Nevertheless, Grand Crichton decided to accompany her personally on the six-day round trip.

Of course, it was undeniable that there must have been a little hope for him that he had taken me.

However, it was unknown how long he would hold onto the hope that had already been shattered.

When my mother and Grand Duke Crichton meet, this person will be my grandfather.

I still remember the Grand Duke Crichton I saw before I died.

The person who was worried about me, and who was also in danger of dying, was less than an hour after meeting me.

He was the person I hated and hated all my life since I found out about my mother, but now that I know everything, he hasn’t done anything wrong in the slightest bit.

Rather, I felt a little pitiful.

Did you die at the same time as you knew the death of your daughter?

Then I suddenly remembered that the Grand Duke Crichton had called me “Baby” before his death.

It wasn’t a title to be given to a grown adult, but I didn’t hate that Grand Duke Crichton called me that.

If Grand Duke Crichton meets my mother and finds out that I’m his granddaughter, will he call me the same way?

A smirk leaked out at the curiosity that crossed my mind.

Then, wondering if Grand Duke Crichton might have heard the sound, I quickly turned my face and looked out the window.

Fortunately, I didn’t feel any particular movement on the side of Grand Duke Crichton.

* * *

It’s late at night. After stopping the wagon in a suitable vacant lot and having a simple dinner, I watched the people of Crichton rush in.

At first, I wanted to help too, but people turned down my help, saying that children don’t have to do this.

In the end, there was nothing to do, so I had no choice but to sit and watch the people walking around.

“I really wish you were Cornelia’s daughter.”

Suddenly, Grand Duke Crichton told me.

I turned my head to see Grand Duke Crichton. There was a deep longing in his eyes.

I was not foolish enough to not understand to whom the longing in his eyes was directed.

“I guess you were just trying to borrow Cornelia’s name to ask me for a little help. But for me, the name Cornelia is a nail in my chest.”

Grand Duke Crichton’s gaze turned to the bonfire that had been built to escape the cold.

Every time the sparks flickered; Grand Duke Crichton’s eyes seemed to flicker.

“If I had listened to Cornelia’s wishes, this wouldn’t have happened…”

Heavy regret flowed out of his mouth.

“It was all because of my greed.”

Grand Duke Crichton didn’t go into detail, but I knew what he was talking about.

Cornelia Crichton, my mother, was the fiancée of James Badgett Castro, who is now Emperor.

Originally, she would have married the Emperor and become the Empress of this empire.

However, my mother has someone she loves. It was Gail Houston, the guardian knight of my mother.

My mother wanted to break up the marriage and marry the Guardian Knight, but that wish did not come true due to the interference of the Grand Duke of Crichton.

In the end, my mother ran away from the capital with the guardian knight to achieve love.

That was the story of my mom and dad 10 years ago.

It would have been nice if she was happy to leave like that, but her father died fighting a monster in the forest adjacent to the village of Delphia.

After that, my mother raised me alone in the village of Delphia. She also continued to send letters of apology to Grand Duke Crichton.

It occurred to me that the feelings of my mother, who wrote the letter but did not receive an answer, were no different from the feelings of the Grand Duke Crichton in front of her.

I looked at the face of Grand Duke Crichton, who was deeply regretful, and reached out and wrapped his big hand.

Grand Duke Crichton looked at me with puzzled eyes at my sudden actions and laughed bitterly.

Then he pulled out his hand and gently stroked my hair.

“Thank you for comforting me”

“…”

I wanted to tell him that my mom is the real Cornelia Crichton and they would see each other soon, but I couldn’t speak for some reason.

Grand Duke Crichton, seeing my hesitation, smiled softly.

“Are you afraid that I will not help your mother if she is not my daughter?”

The Duke of Crichton guessed why I hesitated and talked.

“Don’t worry. Even if your mother is not my daughter, Cornelia, I would be happy to help you and your mother.”

The voice of Grand Duke Crichton, who said so, was particularly lonely.