CH 16.2

sylphj06-7 minutes 22.04.2023

With a heavy heart, Grace realized that Benjamin’s status as a duke was appropriate for moments like this and took the money.

No matter how much she thought about it, the amount was excessive.

“Still, let’s have dinner together with his money, as a gesture of my husband’s goodwill.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why not?”

Grace asked Cleta in a slightly sullen tone, not sure herself why.

“Weren’t you looking forward to the festival with your husband?”

“I’m not particularly fond of festivals, but my husband suddenly suggested we go.”

“….”

“By the way, he’s never suggested going to a festival or gathering together before.”

“…Is that so?”

Cleta let out a puzzled voice as she recalled Benjamin’s affectionate behavior. Grace also thought that it was possible for her to show a puzzled reaction.

‘Well, looking at Benjamin’s behavior, it’s understandable.’

But her mood turned sour.

Grace couldn’t understand why her mood suddenly turned sour.

She squinted her eyes and then snapped out of it.

‘Is it going to be like the original in the end?’

She thought that because they would be together for this festival, Aria and Benjamin wouldn’t have an opportunity to roam the festival together.

However, because Grace made the choice to help Cleta, Benjamin ended up wandering around the festival alone.

“Well, He’ll meet Aria now.”

He might ask her to join him, saying he came to the festival with his wife but couldn’t enjoy it together.

‘But I have no regrets about helping Cleta.’

It was more meaningful to help Cleta than to challenge the original story.

If she made a little more effort, she could sell all the remaining soap bars.

“So let me help Cleta with my own savings. If I make a profit, I can repay it.”

According to Grace’s memory, she rarely indulged in luxury. At most, she would buy books or something similar. Money was more than enough, even overflowing.

‘I don’t know if I’ll make a profit, but let’s give it a try.’

If she failed, it would only highlight her incompetence as the Duchess in the annex.

This was a gamble that Grace was making with her almost non-existent reputation.

‘Even if it fails, it will only be one more example of my incompetence.’

If she were to involve Cleta in the business and fail, the blame would fall only on Grace.

As long as she was on the same boat as Grace, all attention would be on her.

“Of course, children must love meat, right?”

Grace rubbed her chin and pondered over the menu for the party.

⋆★⋆

All the soap had been sold.

Grace didn’t know the exact cost of the materials she had brought, but she assumed it was profitable. Besides, there were plenty of herbs and essential oils in the annex, more than enough to use for this purpose.

‘And the children enjoyed it, so it’s worth it.’

Grace had taken off her mask without realizing it. She couldn’t remember where she had put it, but it didn’t matter. Grace wasn’t someone who possessed a beauty that demons would covet, but she still had faith.

A child accidentally poked one of Grace’s freckles while eating a donut.

“Why?”

“Did you eat a donut too, Aunty?”

“Huh?”

“You got sugar on you.”

Grace burst out laughing as she heard someone describe her freckles as sugar for the first time.

“Does it look like sugar?”

“Well, upon closer inspection, it looks like cinnamon powder too.”

“Thank you for saying something nice, miss.”

“I’m telling the truth.”

Grace giggled as she put on the hood of her cloak. Cleta had handed her a portion of the money they had earned, but she refused it.

“Use it to buy food for the kids.”

“But still…”

“I did something good today, and I’ll brag about it until I die.”

With some of Benjamin’s money he gave, she bought plenty of delicious food for the children. Grace was also hungry, but she had eaten too much at the festival’s beginning.

‘Still, I’ll endure it.’

She couldn’t gain the weight she had lost.

“I’ll come back next time.”

As Grace stepped out of the orphanage with a smile, the dark sky greeted her, seeming to prepare to receive flying paper lanterns. There were many people around.

She was obviously thrilled a moment ago. But now, her mood had suddenly sunk.

“….”

‘It’s strange.’

Just a moment ago, she had been feeling so good and capable of anything. 

She couldn’t understand why her heart felt so heavy now. Grace’s emotions always changed quickly, like the color of the sky just before sunset.

Grace tightly pulled her hood over her head. At first, she had wondered why she was given this cloak, but now she was grateful for it.

She was grateful for this cloak that covered her body.