CH 13

The carriage stopped in front of Grand Duke Crichton’s mansion.

I was able to get out of the carriage only after my mother got off the carriage first.

Since I’m only nine years old, my legs were so short that I had to hop off the carriage many times.

“Welcome back, my lady and little lady.”

When we got off the carriage and entered the front door, the waiting servants and maids greeted us.

It was still hard to adjust to having so many people welcome me in this way.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I hesitated and went inside.

My mother looked at me and laughed softly.

I belatedly looked up at my mother, squinting my eyes full of dissatisfaction, but she couldn’t erase her smile.

“Cornelia, Mirabel. How did it go?”

Soon after, Grand Duke Crichton came down the stairs. I could clearly see the worry that filled his face.

“Father, if you come down like that, you’ll fall.”

“What’s the big deal about falling over? Did you have a safe trip? Does the Emperor have too much resentment towards you?”

Grand Duke Crichton asked cautiously.

Mom closed her mouth for a moment at his words, then shook her head.

. We had enough conversations and talked about our feelings. His Majesty the Emperor understands me now.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried to send you alone.”

“No, I understand your concern. But you don’t have to worry too much because it worked out well.”

Mother reassured Grand Duke Crichton.

“But I’m a little tired, so I’d like to go in and rest today. Uncle said he’d come in the evening, so I think I should get some rest.”

“Well, go and get some rest. I’ve been holding on to you for nothing.”

After hearing Grand Duke Crichton’s words, Mom went straight up to the bedroom with me. But I did not intend to follow her to the bedroom like this.

“Mom, the Grand Duke…”

When she heard the way I addressed the Grand Duke, mom suddenly looked sad. I faltered for a moment, then opened my mouth again, because I now knew why she was making that expression.

“I’d like to talk to Grandpa about something. So, you go in first.”

When I said “Grandpa”, Grand Duke Crichton’s face brightened.

I didn’t realize it, but it seems that Grand Duke Crichton also wanted me to call him Grandpa.

My mind still felt distant, so it would take a while to recognize him as a complete grandfather, but it was not so difficult to call him that.

Besides, my mother and Grand Duke Crichton wanted this too, so I decided that it would be better to call him Grandpa.

“Yes, baby, I’m really curious about the story. Cornelia, I’ll talk to Mirabel separately and send her to you, so go in first and get some rest.”

“All right. Then Bell, Mom, will go up first.”

“Yes!”

Mother went up the stairs first, and Grand Duke Crichton looked down at me with a pleased face. However, he did not make any suggestions or movements.

I looked up at Grand Duke Crichton in wonder and tilted my head.

“Can we talk here?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Come here.”

Grand Duke Crichton started guiding me in a hurry. Meanwhile, I forgot to ask the maid if she had any milk and snacks left for me to drink.

As for refreshments, I ate and drank a lot at the imperial palace, so I wasn’t particularly drawn to them, but I didn’t refuse because I thought I would get thirsty while talking.

Grand Duke Crichton took me to a familiar parlor. After all, it was the drawing room where I met my death.

I looked into the drawing room with a fresh look.

There was no significant difference from the drawing room I saw at the time, except that some paintings were changed and that the statues were a little different.

“Please sit there.”

The position offered to me by Grand Duke Crichton was the same as it was then.

Even though it is a drawing room, there are only limited places to talk, so this part is natural.

I turned around, startled by the sound of the door being opened.

There was a maid who had brought milk and cookies that Grand Duke Crichton had ordered earlier on the tray.

Realizing that I was more nervous than necessary, I took a deep breath and cleared my mind.

Soon, milk and cookies were placed in front of me.

Grand Duke Crichton looked at me with a soft gaze and opened his mouth carefully.

“Do you have anything to say to me, my dear?”

I looked around before answering.

Now, Grand Duke Crichton and I weren’t the only ones in this parlor. Grand Duke Crichton’s two assistants, four servants, and two maids stood at a distance, waiting.

“Grandpa, can I talk to Grandpa only?”

“Only with me?”

“Yeah. Without anyone else.”

“There is nothing that can’t be done… Wait a minute.”

With a puzzled look on his face, Grand Duke Crichton kicked everyone out of the drawing room.

I could breathe a sigh of relief only after the people began to go out one by one and finally confirmed that the maid who had brought the milk had closed the door and left.

“What’s the matter, my dear?”

Grand Duke Crichton asked me, not understanding why I wanted to talk alone.

It was natural that he did not understand.

If I were a normal nine-year-old, I wouldn’t want to be left here alone with Grand Duke Crichton.

But I had something to say to Grand Duke Crichton.

“Grandpa, I told you about my mother’s letter before. Do you remember?”

“A letter? Oh, yeah. You said Cornelia sent me a letter asking for forgiveness. I remember.”

Grand Duke Crichton belatedly recalled his memory and nodded.

“Somebody in this mansion has taken it away. That’s why the letter didn’t reach Grandpa.”

At the end of my speech, Grand Duke Crichton blinked for a moment. Then he burst into laughter.

“Oh, you’re talking about that. However, personal letters are often missed. Besides, Cornelia sent a letter to a mercenary or merchant, so perhaps the guards did not convey them to me.”

Grand Duke Crichton seemed to be trying to figure out why the letter didn’t arrive in his own way.

But knowing nothing, he seemed to expect that the letter was simply missing during transit.

Though the truth is, it was stolen by Daniel Crichton.

“If it had been a few letters, it would have been very likely. But no. Mom writes at least twice a week. As she said, she sent it through a mercenary and sometimes through a merchant. She sends at least 20 letters in a year. But all of them went missing.”

It made no sense logically.

At that time, I consoled my upset mother and blamed Grand Duke Crichton a lot, but after learning the whole truth, I hated Daniel Crichton, the real culprit.

Because of Daniel Crichton, I couldn’t cure my mother’s illness, which could be cured in three months. So, I had to watch my mother die helplessly.

Is that all?

I had to dig with my own hands to bury my mother’s body in the cold ground.

The fact that I had to bury my mother in the cold soil was more terribly painful, rather than the pain of digging up the soil with my bare hands and my nails falling out.

The emotions and memories of that time remained vivid enough to engulf me.

I found out too late that it was all because of Daniel Crichton, and I was killed too.

Now that we have returned to the past, it was something that should never be repeated.

“That’s certainly strange, if I had sent it every time on such a regular basis, it would have been reported to me at least once…”

Replied Grand Duke Crichton, with a short groan.

He didn’t know how often the letters were sent, so he thought it was only natural that the letters were missing.

“There is someone in this house who stole my mother’s letter.”

“But Mirabel, my dear, why would they steal my letters? There’s no reason for that, is there? No, if there really is such a person, who is it?”

I opened my mouth for the answer and then closed it again.

The Grand Duke of Crichton seemed to think that my words were nonsense. He did not even suspect his brother 10 years in the future.

Seeing Daniel Crichton taking control of the mansion and the image of Grand Duke Crichton, who faced betrayal, was still clear in my mind.

If I name Daniel Crichton here and now, would Grand Duke Crichton believe me?

Which is thicker, trust in me, who just became his granddaughter, or trust in Daniel Crichton, who has aged with him for decades?

A brief conflict crossed my mind.

“A man who doesn’t want my grandfather and mother to see each other again. Is there anyone like that around, Grandpa?”

Eventually, I blurted out my words vaguely.

“Well, I don’t think anyone would steal a letter for me in this mansion.”

“…”

To be honest, I wondered if I should tell him that I had gone through everything in the future, but I quickly stopped.

Even I was in a situation where I was in doubt as to why I returned to the age of 9 and whether this situation is real.

It was funny to think that someone else would unconditionally believe what I said. Even if that person is my family.

They would dismiss my absurd statements as lies, and it would be fortunate if they did not treat me as insane.

I paused for a moment, then gathered my thoughts and licked my lips again.

“I understand, but I’d like you to look into the letter. This is my request as your granddaughter.”

I lifted the glass of milk and placed it in front of me, hoping that Grand Duke Crichton would not listen to me in vain. Then I drank the milk at once and placed the empty cup on the table.

“Well, I’ll get going.”

“Wait a minute, my dear.”

I was about to rise from my seat when Grand Duke Crichton called me up. I wondered what he was doing, then he took a handkerchief out of his pockets and wiped my mouth carefully.

I don’t know if it was wiped clean, but Grand Duke Crichton, who looked at my face, smiled happily.

“You can go now,”

I looked at Grand Duke Crichton and nodded, and I immediately turned and left the drawing room.

Although I failed to tell Grand Duke Crichton who the enemy was today, I was not disappointed.

It was only for a day.

It’s only been a whole day since I came back to this mansion with my mother.

If I stay here a little longer, I will be able to find out who Daniel Crichton’s spy is.