CH 7

With the help of three servants sent by the Grand Duke of Crichton, they organized their belongings.

The house was so small, and they didn’t have a lot of luggage, so they were able to organize my luggage quickly.

Finally, Mom took out a box containing my father’s mementos.

Even though my father passed away four years ago, the box containing the keepsakes was clean, without a speck of dust.

Mom looked down at the box for a long time with nostalgic eyes, then wrapped it again and stood up.

The servant said he would move the box, but Mom refused the servant’s help, saying that she wanted to take it herself.

When I came out, a carriage was waiting in front of the house.

It was smaller than the Grand Duke’s carriage. I think it is more appropriate to call it a cart than a carriage.

The servants were loading the wagons with the goods from our house.

“Why don’t you take it over there?”

Grand Duke Crichton, standing with his cane and watching the servants load the cart, proposed to my mother, who had come out with a box.

However, my mother shook her head and declined the offer from the Grand Duke of Crichton.

“No, this… I’ll take it with me. It’s Gale’s stuff… and it’s not too heavy.”

Grand Duke Crichton glanced at the box for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

“Of course.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Mom thanked Grand Duke Crichton with a rather humble face.

Grand Duke Crichton glanced at the carriage as he raised his hand and lightly touched my mother’s shoulder.

“The carriage we’re going to ride is waiting at the entrance of the village. We will have to walk a bit to get there.”

“Yes. Father. Mirabel, mom can’t hold your hand right now, will you join hands with your grandfather so that you don’t get lost?”

My eyes widened at my mother’s proposal, which I had not expected at all.

When I sneakily checked on Grand Duke Crichton, he smiled awkwardly at me.

Looking at Grand Duke Crichton like that, I understand why my mother made such a proposal.

There was no way that I, who had been living in this town for a long time, would get lost on the way to the entrance of the town.

Nevertheless, my mother’s recommendation to hold the hand of Grand Duke Crichton seemed like a suggestion, hoping that I and Grand Duke Crichton would get a little closer.

I guess it would be good to get closer to Grand Duke Crichton, who will be my grandfather from now on.

Besides, we are not that far from the entrance of the village, so I could do that much.

I hesitated a little, then shook my head.

“Grand Duke, can I have your hand?”

“Well, yeah.”

Grand Duke Crichton hesitated a little but reached out to me.

I held his hand and looked straight back at my mom.

Mom had a face that seemed to be regretting something.

Why?

“Let’s go now.”

While I was wondering, Grand Duke Crichton, coughed and began to walk.

It was a slow pace that made it easy to follow, even with my short legs.

When we arrived in the village entrance, the carriage was waiting for us, just like when we first got off the carriage.

My mother and I sat in the front seat of the carriage, and Grand Duke Crichton sat across from us.

Soon the carriage started slowly.

* * *

Over the three days they rode the carriage, mom, and Grand Duke Crichton shared stories they had accumulated over the past few years.

How much my mother loved my father, how she felt that she abandoned her family and ran away, and how much guilt she lived after running away like that.

Grand Duke Crichton said that it was only after losing my mother that he realized he had been greedy.

10 years.

The feelings of the two women, who had been running in parallel, finally met. They asked for forgiveness, and they understood each other.

The emotions that had accumulated in their hearts melted after seeing each other after a very long time.

And by the time Mom and the Grand Duke Crichton had released all of their emotions, we arrived at the Grand Duke’s Mansion.

The carriage that arrived in front of the Grand Duke’s Mansion slowed down and came to a complete stop.

“We’re here. Grand Duke.”

When the coachman announced our arrival, the carriage door opened.

Grand Duke Crichton got off first, and then Mom, and finally I got off.

As soon as I got off the carriage completely, the surroundings came into view.

There were a lot of people there to meet Grand Duke Crichton.

“Grand Duke!”

A tall man standing at the entrance of the mansion quickly ran towards Grand Duke Crichton.

He was a man who looked to be in his late 30s.

“Is the content of the letter true? The fact that you found Cornelia…!”

The man’s gaze, who had been asking, turned to her mother. Naturally, his words stopped.

Soon, the man opened his eyes wide and began to look at my mother up and down. He didn’t look at her with displeasure, but he seemed to be looking at her to make sure that the person in front of him was real.

Mom looked at the man and smiled.

“It’s been a while, brother.”

“Cornelia, you…”

The man, who couldn’t open his mouth easily, twisted his face as if crying, then strode closer to her and hugged my mother.

“If you were alive, you should have contacted me! Do you know how worried I was about you?”

The man spoke in a resentful voice.

“… I’m sorry.”

Mom comforted him by patting the back of the man, who was forcing himself not to cry.

“No, it’s okay now that you’re back.”

The man soon released my mom from his arms. His face was full of joy as he looked at her mother again.

Then he suddenly looked down at me.

“What about this kid?”

“Yes, she’s my daughter and Gale’s daughter.”

My mom let go of my hand and pushed my back lightly to make me stand in front of the man.

“Mirabel, say hello. It’s your uncle, Duke Brian Crichton.”

Oh, I’ve heard of it.

That the Duke of Crichton had a son who had the title of a duke. And that person was also my mother’s brother.

“Hello, I’m Mirabel.”

Brian bent his knees with a curious face and made eye contact with me.

“It’s amazing how you look half-and-half like Sir Houston and Cornelia. Nice to meet you, niece. Feel free to call me uncle.”

I nodded awkwardly and opened my mouth.

“Yes, uncle.”

Hearing my words, Brian smiled brighter than ever.

“Come to think of it, I have a son about the same age as you.”

Brian stopped talking and looked back.

“Elliot! Come here.”

“Yes, Father.”

A brown-haired boy who had been standing in the distance approached us. It was a dignified and elegant gait.

Perhaps that child was Brian’s son.

Brian said he was about the same age as me, but he looked about three or four years older than me.

“How have you been, Grand Duke?”

“Yeah, thanks for your concern, I had a good trip.”

“I’m so glad you found my aunt.”

Elliott, who had first greeted Grand Duke Crichton, greeted my mother.k

“Nice to meet you, Aunt. I’m Elliot Crichton.”

“It’s been a long time. You’ve grown remarkably. The last time I saw you, you were barely walking.”

Finally, Elliott looked at me.

His round eyes were filled with curiosity.

“She’s Cornelia’s daughter and your cousin. Be nice to her.”

He smiled at Brian’s explanation and reached out to me.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Elliott. I must be older than you.”

His bright, wrinkle-free appearance seemed to show his personality.

I reached out and took Elliot’s hand as if shaking hands.

“I’m Mirabel. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

“Now, if you’re done greeting, let’s go in. Cornelia and Mirabel must be exhausted from riding the carriage one after another. We can talk slowly, so please let them rest now.”

Grand Duke Crichton, who had been watching Elliot and I greet each other, suggested.

I was in a very tired state even though I was only sitting in a horse-drawn carriage.

Most of all, I was traveling by horse-drawn carriage for nine full days. So, I wanted to rest for a while, Grand Duke Crichton’s words were like rain during a drought.

Grand Duke Crichton, who had just entered the mansion, stopped walking when he heard the servant’s words approaching.

As if he had heard something he didn’t like, he frowned and talked to the servant again. Then he looked at me.

“Well, Mirabel, baby. You should stay in Cornelia’s room today. I told them to prepare your room, but I guess it’s not ready yet.”

“Yes, It’s fine.”

Grand Duke Crichton looked at me with a proud face and smiled.

“Cornelia, your room is the same as when you left. Do you remember where it is?”

“Of course.”

“Then you must be tired today, so why don’t you go and rest.”

“Yes, Father. Let’s go, Mirabel.”

My mom held my hand and led me to the room.

Mom’s room was located at the end of the hallway on the third floor of the mansion.

“Wow.”

When I saw the beautiful room I had seen for the first time, I burst into admiration.

While living as a mercenary, I stayed in a luxury hotel several times, but the hotel room was not as beautiful as this room.

Unlike me, who looked around in amazement, my mother was looking around the room with longing eyes.

I didn’t want to break my mother’s longing and appreciation, so I quietly went to bed and sat down.

The bed was soft and cozy.

3 days by luggage carriage and 6 days by luxury carriage. When I was in the carriage, I slept on a hard floor, and when I was moved to a luxury carriage, I had to lie down on an extra bed to sleep.

Well, the extra bed used by nobles was quite a luxury item for me, who had been a mercenary for a long time, but now that I am nine years old, my body is still not used to homelessness yet.

She had accumulated a lot of fatigue from homelessness for nine days.

I wanted to go to bed early, so I took off my shoes and lay down on the bed.

How long has it been since I slept in a proper bed?

“Bel, are you tired?”

My mom approached me and asked.

It was a lie if I said no, so I nodded honestly.

“Okay, then go to bed early, I’ll sing a lullaby next to you.”

Mom covered my neck with a blanket and sat down on the bed. Then she slowly patted me and began to sing a lullaby in a low tone.

It was the lullaby that my mom always sang to me.

As I closed my eyes following the nostalgic song, my consciousness slowly began to fade.