CH 23

Duke Marsetta hated all the time they spent together, including face-to-face conversations with Charelize.

“Do you know what you’ve done?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to see you. Go up now.”

He didn’t even accept her greetings. He just stared at her with contemptuous eyes and left.

“Father, you are back.”

“…”

Charelize thought that someday he would accept her. As she remembered the time when she comforted herself to win his heart, Charelize realized that she was stupid.

“It’s a name my mother gave me. I heard that the Duke didn’t come when I was born.”

“…that.”

“After shushing all the servants and waiting for the sun to rise in the morning… she soothed me from crying.”

“…”

“She named me with the hope that I would be loved by everyone on behalf of Your Grace, who never comes.”

Charelize didn’t know why her mother kept waiting for someone who didn’t have any thought of coming. She was saddened as she recalled her mother, who soothed her from crying.

“I’m not loved by my father.”

“…”

“How could I have been loved by everyone?”

Duke Marsetta was still speechless.

“You are… late. As I said before, the person who will accept that regret is long dead.”

Charelize wished that his mouth would close forever.

She moved her steps away from Duke Marsetta, leaving the cold words behind without a single trace of remorse. Seeing that his voice was not heard, he seemed to be standing still and watching her. The imagination of him looking at her back made her unpleasant.

“Princess, happy birthday.”

“…”

“Princess?”

“Is my father not coming again this time?”

Her childhood memories were haunted by the recurrence, even when she didn’t want to remember. To get rid of her miscellaneous thoughts, she purposely created a job and continued to work. Still, she couldn’t concentrate. Her head was dizzy to the point that she couldn’t even distinguish the letters on the paper.

It was disgusting to see him regretting it belatedly. No, the thought of him regretting it late just made her feel pathetic.  Just a little earlier, he treated her like a daughter. She didn’t like it because it seemed like she wanted him to call her by name affectionately.

This happened before Charelize was imprisoned in Helsen Prison. Duke Marsetta broke into her room and slapped Charelize on her cheek without any hesitation. The behavior of Duke Marsetta, who drove her as the culprit without even checking the facts, made her sad.

“If Lillian doesn’t wake up, you will die at my hands.”

“…”

“And whether Lillian wakes up or not, you will never become my successor again.”

Charelize couldn’t be the daughter of Duke Marsetta nor his successor until the end. It was also funny that she was abandoned because she was never considered as his daughter in the first place.

“Your Highness, it’s Hailey. May I come in?”

“…come in, Hailey.”

Hailey, who came inside, bowed her head and greeted Charelize.

“Greetings, little Duchess.”

“It’s not like we’ve seen each other once or twice, so you don’t have to say greetings every time.”

“Every time I see Your Highness, I say greetings… because it means respect.”

“Respect?”

“That’s right. Without Your Highness, I wouldn’t have survived.”

Hearing Hailey’s words, Charelize suddenly remembered the day they met for the first time.

“Welcome to the Duchy, Hailey.”

“…”

On the first day they met, she spoke to Hailey, who was hiding behind her mother and didn’t know what to do. It was the first time in her life that Charelize got angry when everyone told her that she should kick Hailey out. She didn’t expect Hailey to remember it even now.

“Countess Kabe… no, how is Countess Arien doing?”

“I don’t know because I already broke our ties a long time ago.”

“Hailey.”

“But my sister, who came to Madam’s funeral, informed me of her current situation. It’s my first time to see her face before, but how unfamiliar it was.”

“…is that so?”

“Yes. And… unlike me… I felt like she grew up receiving a lot of affection.”

It was easy to find the bitterness on Hailey’s face.

Hailey was the only daughter of Count Kabe and his wife. She was a talented person that couldn’t have been born again, even until she entered the Faculty of Swordsmanship at the Eralpier Academy.

However, Count Kabe’s successive failures in his business led them to a slump. Not only that, but his father also went into gambling, which eventually led to bankruptcy. Shortly before the downfall, Count Kabe and his wife divorced.

Count Kabe, unable to bear the hardships of life being chased by debtors, committed suicide by hanging himself. After the divorce, Countess Kabe returned to her parent’s house, and shortly after, she married again with Count Arien. Countess Kabe abandoned her only daughter, as she was not in the position to take Hailey to Arien County.

It was Duchess Marsetta who took pity on Hailey, who had been shunned by her parents. Although her family already fell, she brought Hailey, the only direct descendant of the vassal family, who was loyal to the Duke. She paid all of Count Kabe’s debts and gave Hailey a chance to work as the exclusive maid of Charelize, who would become the little duchess.

When Hailey was in danger of not being able to attend the academy again because of the insufficient tuition, Duchess Marsetta offered to support her, but Hailey refused. As Hailey, the promising talent dropped out of the academy, everyone around her was busy trying to stop her. Not just the sympathetic nobles who felt sorry for her situation but also Duchess Marsetta. The Duchess said that the day she will regret it will surely come, and Hailey put a lot of emphasis on her choice.

Charelize also wondered why Hailey had turned down the sponsorship and decided to drop out. But she didn’t ask about it. She didn’t want to embarrass Hailey, though it would be complicated. She just stood by her side, waiting for her to tell it herself.

“Your Highness was the only one who didn’t ask me why I made the decision to drop out.”

“Are you regretting your choices?”

“…is that even possible?”

“As long as you have no regrets about the decisions you made.”

“I never regret it. The decisions I made.”

“I’m not someone who lives my life for you, but someone who walks with you.”

Hailey smiled at Charelize’s words.

“I don’t want to see my mother again. However…”

“However?”

“I want her to be happy.”

At that time, Hailey had a somewhat relieved face.

“When I become the Duchess, stop working as my exclusive maid.”

Hailey was taken aback by Charelize’s advice to quit her job as her exclusive maid.

“Your Highness…?”

“Stay by my side as Countess Kabe. No matter what anyone says, you’re the direct descendant of Count Kabe, Hailey.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as Charelize continued her words.

“I feel very fortunate that I’m little Duchess’s person. Even if I die, I don’t think I will ever regret my decisions.”

“You’re making me terrified once in a while. By the way, did something happen?”

Charelize gave a faint smile and then asked why she came in.

“That… I’m here to deliver a letter from Marquis Justina. And…”

“What the hell is going on?”

“It is said that the former Marchioness Justina passed away at dawn.”

She spoke her words as she gave the letter, which had been in her hand before, to Charelize. Hearing the death of former Marchioness Justina, Charelize hurriedly ripped open the letter.

[To the little Duchess of Marsetta.

I understand that it is rude to say that I am not able to meet you in person, but I would like to ask for your understanding as it is an urgent matter. At dawn last night, my mother, who was fighting with her illness, returned to the arms of Goddess Resina, and I had to go to the estate to hold her funeral. Neither I nor my sons will be able to attend the succession ceremony of His Excellency Grand Duke Innovestin. I would like you to know that my eldest son has been willing to accept the request for a partner that he had previously proposed to, and what he considered a family honor has not changed. So, I will cut back on my words and apologize once again.

-Raniel Yves Justina]

Charelize had a lot of concerns about choosing a partner to join in the succession ceremony of Grand Duke Innovestin.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to be my partner in the succession ceremony of Grand Duke Innovestin? I’m sorry if you were offended, little Duchess.”

“…No, Lord Justina. I will gladly accept your offer.”

“Thank you, little Duchess.”

He had a good reputation in society, and she liked his good-natured personality, so she accepted his offer. However, to experience such a tragedy when the succession ceremony of Grand Duke Innovestin was not far away made her head hurt.

“How long does Marquis Justina’s estate take from here?”

“Even if you go in a hurry by carriage, it will take about three days, Your Highness.”

Listening to Hailey, Charelize made a troubled expression on her face. Even if she went in a hurry, it would take three more days. It was difficult for her to attend the funeral of former Marchioness Justina.

“Send someone to honor the deceased and her family. In addition, with this letter, they said they couldn’t attend the succession ceremony, so we don’t have to worry about them anymore.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Charelize was perplexed that she had no partner to go in an instant. Words have already spread that she accepted Marquis Justina’s eldest son’s request. Rumor-loving servants easily spread the word that they would be engaged soon. Time was running out, so asking someone else was difficult.

Charelize sighed, not knowing what to do.

“How about Prince Arensis?”

“Suddenly?”

“When he visited the Duchy last time, didn’t His Royal Highness request to partner up with him?”

Hailey came up with something that could be a solution.

Charelize recalled Arensis, who had disappeared instantly using a power that cannot be described in words.