CH 24

“I have already turned down his offer. And… it’s not only time-consuming to search for another partner but also not polite for Lord Justina, who lost his maternal grandmother.”

“That’s true. It’s already been rumored…”

“…”

“Then, what are you going to do, Your Highness?”

Hailey frowned and continued.

“Alone.”

“What do you me—”

“I will attend it alone.”

Hearing Charelize’s words, Hailey widened her eyes and made a surprised expression. The problem was that the person who spoke those words looked so calm.

“Your Highness! How could it be… not, you can’t. It’s not anyone else but you. If you attend it alone, words will definitely come and go… again…”

“It’s better than attending with another partner.”

“However…”

“I have an idea, so don’t worry too much, Hailey.”

Hailey, who opposed Charelize, had no choice but to give up in the end.

“If that’s the case, I will go out for a while to send someone to the Marquis.”

“Yes, I beg you.”

Once again, Charelize’s time passed slowly. She thought it was necessary to partner up with someone else. She ignored the movement of the clock second hand and concentrated on looking at the documents. Then she went out to the balcony to reset for a while and took a deep breath.

There was a small echo deep in her lungs. The cold night air that made her body shiver passed her cheeks.

* * *

The next afternoon.

“Viscount Argen.”

“P-Please speak, Your Highness.”

“…have you been drinking?”

The setting sun was clearly visible through the window. Compared to the beautiful scenery, the air in her office was cool.

To explain it, papers with ancient characters have recently appeared in the North. The place where those were found was the villa owned by Charelize, and all rights were transferred to her. A kit if attention has been paid to how this will be handled.

Charelize ran a business to interpret ancient characters. She then entrusted it to her vassal, Viscount Argen. She was handed over a written report on what had been going on so far.

Charelize noticed that there was a strong alcohol smell from somewhere. When she lifted her head and looked at Viscount Argen, his face was bright red as he hiccuped over and over. He must have been drinking.

“Th-that’s….”

He looked embarrassed, stuttering at the question.

Charelize tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath to control her rising anger. She was about to finish reading the rest of the report. Even if she didn’t take a closer look, she was annoyed at the sight of what was lousy.

“If you’re going to be like this, what will my face be for trusting you with my work?”

“… I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

“Are you aware that Queen Lilze even invested in this business with her own money?”

At Charelize’s sharp comment, Viscount Argen sweated profusely. She even brought up that Queen Lilze, who was well known for being devoted to Goddess Resina, invested using her own money. That’s why Charelize didn’t like this situation at all.

“It’s not too late now, so if you’re not confident, hand it over to Count Luwen.”

“If you give me one more chance, I’ll never let you down.”

“Get out of here.”

“Yo-Your Highness!”

“I’m sure I ordered you to get out of here.”

Charelize gave him a resolute order. Viscount Argen couldn’t help but be discouraged when he heard her cold voice. Charelize never took back what she had said once. Eventually, he opened the door to leave with his shoulders dropped.

“…butler?”

“Greetings, Viscount Argen.”

His eyes met with the butler, who was waiting outside.

“Did you come to see the little Duchess for business?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I have to go now… see you later.”

“See you later, Viscount.”

The butler approached Charelize, who was signing the papers. The smell of alcohol was still in the entire room.

“Young Master, this is the confirmation statement for this month’s expense.”

Charelize put down her quill and received the confirmation expense from the butler.

Since ancient times, whether to pay or manage all assets was the sole authority of the hostess. After the death of Duchess Marsetta, Charelize took over the authority. Due to the sponsorship of Eralpier Academy, she was busy for a while. She gave the butler authority to manage it temporarily.

Charelize looked through the details of the expense confirmation given by the butler, wearing her glasses.

“What about the money that was used to build Baroness Buzz’s villa… and the amount of jewelry I didn’t know?”

And she soon discovered something that was terribly unpleasant.

“At the Duke’s order, Lady Lillian also gets allowances.”

“Lillian?”

Charelize narrowed her eyebrows.

“Did you say it was the Duke’s order?”

“Yes, young Master.”

“Where the hell am I supposed to start…”

Charelize was stunned. The Duke was making arbitrary decisions without asking for her permission. Bringing an illegitimate child could also be said as a hasty decision.

“We must formally protest to the Duke!”

“How long has it been since the Duchess passed away that he brought in the illegitimate child…”

“I heard that he even gave the Rosnia Room. Didn’t he know what kind of room it was but still gave it to her?”

Still, words and rumors spread all over the place, including from her vassal, which gave Charelize a headache. Even Lillian staying in the annex was a situation that needed to be considered. Nevertheless, she didn’t mention anything to Duke Marsetta.

The encounter with Lillian, whom his missing fiancée gave birth alone and didn’t even know she existed, was a dramatic, fairy-tale-like thing for him. In fact, the main reason that she didn’t bring it up was that she was tired of talking to the person she couldn’t communicate with. In the end, she was still being generous.

“How did she handle the jewelry she bought?”

“As far as I know, she gave them to the guests who came to the tea party last time.”

All Lillian did was build a villa for Baroness Buzz and buy jewelry for the guests at her tea party. The more Charelize thought about it, the more ridiculous it was, and she cooled down her head for a moment.

“Where is the Duke now?”

“Master is in his study.”

“When we talked, his words didn’t flow at all, so I just passed him. I’m really curious how far he will let this go.”

“…”

“I will go to Duke right now.”

Then she answered the butler, who was waiting for her answer.

“Yo-Young Master, I will go quickly and tell you about it to the Duke.”

“Why, don’t tell me that Lillian… and The Duke are spending time together?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Duke Marsetta was now spending time with Lillian.

“It’s not a matter for the butler to bow your head.”

“Young Master…”

“It’s an issue that should have been addressed anyway, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to listen together.”

With a sigh, Charelize headed to the study where Duke Marsetta and Lillian were. As she descended the stairs and passed the hallway, she saw portraits of the predecessor dukes hanging side by side. At some point, her gaze was taken away, and as she looked at those for a long time, she felt a complex and subtle feeling that couldn’t be described in words.

Without realizing it, she remembered the moment when it was decided she would study abroad in the Peschte Empire.

“I was wrong, Father… I will be more obedient in the future. I don’t want to study abroad. My mother… I don’t want to be away from her…”

“I’ve already completed your registration for Rosielt Academy dormitory.”

“There is Eralpier Academy in this Empire. But why do I have to go all the way to Peschte Empire? I was wrong…”

“Just looking at you makes me angry. My chest feels stuffy. Are you mad I hate seeing your blonde hair resembling your mother?”

“…I will cut it.”

“What?”

“If Father hates it so much… I will cut my hair. So please don’t send me there.”

Charelize was worried about her mother, who was coughing all night, spilling dark red blood. And above all, she didn’t want to go. He wanted to send her to a distant empire simply because he didn’t want to see her. Charelize even seriously said she would cut her hair to stay there.

“If you don’t go to Rosielt Academy, you won’t be my successor.”

If she couldn’t become the little Duchess, she couldn’t protect her mother. With that, she went there instantly, without even trying to get a chance to be recognized.

It was just before leaving for the Peschte Empire. She stood for a long time in the hallway, where portraits of the predecessor dukes were hung.

“While I’m away, please let my mother get better from her illness.”

Gathering her hands, she prayed to the Goddess with earnest wish.

“Please let the day come when my father and my portrait can be hung here side by side.  And… Please help me to be recognized by my father.”

She made her last wish when she was about to turn back.

‘I want to be loved by my father.’

She couldn’t bring it out of her mouth.

The words she had only kept in her heart never came true. She still wasn’t loved and wasn’t recognized as his daughter. None of Charelize’s wishes had come true. After her mother’s death, she thought there was no such thing as a Goddess blessing and protecting her.