Chapter 4

"Sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Rebecca woke up, checked the clock, and immediately apologized to me.

"I slept until this hour...!"

She hurriedly got out of bed and bowed her head.

"It's fine, Rebecca. Raise your head."

I sat on the edge of the bed, and our heads were at the same height.

Her worried face, her hair slightly tousled from sleep.

You look so cute even when you just woke up.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes... I overslept."

"If you got a good sleep, that's good, Rebecca."

I stroked her head to smooth out the bedhead.

"Did you sleep comfortably?"

"Yes, I slept very well."

"That's good. Do you want to sleep together again?"

"I, I want to, but I don't want to be a bother to Lady Sophie..."

"It's fine. I want to sleep with you too."

When I smiled gently, Rebecca also smiled happily.

Her smile is so adorable, just looking at it makes me feel happy.

I have to protect this child's happiness.

"Shall we go to dinner? Are you hungry?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not very hungry..."

After eating lunch, she had been sleeping for a long time, so it's understandable that she's not hungry.

"Then let's have a light meal."

"Yes."

I feel like she's more energetic than when we first met.

Maybe she's starting to open up to me a little.

I want to become even closer and love her more.

As we were about to leave the room and head to the dining room, a maid spoke to us.

"Madam, it's time for dinner with the Duke."

"Oh, that's right."

Lady Sophie and Lord Alan are married by contract, but they often have dinner together.

However, even when we have dinner together, we hardly talk.

It's a contract marriage, so it's natural that there's no love between us.

I married into the Duke's family a week ago, but I only met Lord Alan about two weeks ago.

We met once before the marriage, and the next time we met, we were already married.

Apparently, when he first saw me, he thought I looked like Rebecca.

"Is my dinner already prepared at the main house?"

"Yes."

That's a problem. I was planning to have dinner with Rebecca at the annex.

Ah, I know, I can take Rebecca to the main house.

"Rebecca, do you want to have dinner with me at the main house?"

"Um... Is it okay for me to have dinner with the Duke...?"

Duke? Rebecca calls Lord Alan "Duke."

I've been in the Duke's family for about a week, but Rebecca has been here for a year.

The fact that she still calls Lord Alan "Duke" shows that they're not close at all.

"Have you ever had dinner with Lord Alan?"

"Well, we have a dinner meeting once a month."

"Once a month..."

So you've only had dinner together about ten times.

"Do you talk about anything during dinner?"

"My progress in studies and training."

"Anything else?"

"Nothing much... The Duke seems very busy and leaves quickly after eating."

I see, you only talk about the bare minimum.

Lord Alan hardly talks to me during dinner, but he talks a little more to Rebecca.

Though the frequency is different—several times a week for me, once a month for Rebecca.

"Do you mind having dinner with Lord Alan?"

"No, I don't mind! The Duke is a very kind person."

"Kind?"

"Yes, he took me into this house. He is very kind."

Indeed, even though Rebecca is the daughter of Lord Alan's younger brother's family, there was no particular reason to take her in.

Why did Lord Alan take Rebecca into the Duke's family?

I don't know why, but for Rebecca, Lord Alan must seem like a very kind person who took her in.

"I want to get closer, but it's still a bit tense to talk to him alone."

"I understand... I still feel a bit tense even after having dinner with him a few times. It's natural for a child like you to feel nervous."

"Then should I eat alone today?"

"No, no... If Lady Sophie is there, I think I'll be fine!"

Rebecca said this with a shy look.

Oh, how many times do I have to be captivated by her...

"I'm glad, Rebecca. I want to have dinner with you too."

"Me too, I'm glad!"

"Then let's have dinner together at the main house."

"Yes!"

Rebecca answered with a bright smile.

We left the annex and headed to the main house.

On the way, I told a passing maid, "Prepare Rebecca's dinner at the main house. And make it a light meal."

When we entered the dining room of the main house, Lord Alan was already seated.

Actually, he had already started eating.

I'm sorry for being late, but I didn't expect him to start eating already...

"I'm sorry, Lord Alan. I'm late."

"No, it's fine. I apologize for starting without you."

Lord Alan apologized but didn't stop eating.

His manners are very elegant, the kind that every noble should aspire to... but even when he eats, it doesn't look appetizing at all.

For example, even when Lord Alan eats the finest meat, his expression doesn't change.

He would probably have the same expression even if he were eating rotten food.

His cold mask never wavered.

"Oh, Rebecca is here too."

"Good evening, Duke."

"Why are you at the main house?"

"I brought her, Lord Alan. I thought it would be nice to have dinner with Rebecca."

"Is it okay to have dinner with us?"

Rebecca asked Lord Alan, who was sitting, in a slightly trembling voice.

Lord Alan glanced at me and Rebecca, then returned his gaze to his meal.

"It's fine. But the preparation for Rebecca's meal might be delayed."

"Yes, that's fine."

"Alright, then."

It seems he allowed it.

It feels like he's saying, "Do as you please since I don't care."

I sat across from Lord Alan as usual, with Rebecca sitting next to me.

Lord Alan was sitting diagonally to Rebecca's right.

My meal arrived quickly, but Rebecca's meal hadn't arrived yet.

So I hadn't started eating yet, but Lord Alan tilted his head.

"Why aren't you eating? Is there something you don't like?"

"No, it's not that. I'm waiting for Rebecca's meal to arrive."

"Lady Sophie, you can eat first if you want!"

Rebecca said this in a flustered manner, but I shook my head.

"I'm waiting because I want to eat with Rebecca."

"Lady Sophie..."

"Hmm, I see."

After watching our exchange, Lord Alan snapped his fingers to get the butler's attention.

"Have Rebecca's meal prepared quickly. You don't have to bring everything at once; bring each dish as it's ready."

"Understood. I will do that."

Hearing this, Rebecca and I were a bit stunned.

We didn't expect Lord Alan to give such an order for us.

The butler left the room, and I realized I should thank him.

"Thank you, Lord Alan. For going to such trouble."

"Thank you, Duke."

"This is the least I can do. There's no need to thank me."

Lord Alan said this matter-of-factly, but his eating pace seemed a bit slower than before.

After a while, one of Rebecca's dishes arrived, and we started eating together.

"Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu."

"..."

Well, Lord Alan has already said "Itadakimasu," so there's no need to say it again.

After that, we ate in silence for a while, but I had something to report to Lord Alan.

"Lord Alan, I have something to report."

"What is it?"

"I dismissed the Countess Nable, who was in charge of Rebecca's education."

"…Why?"

He stopped eating and looked at me sharply.

I flinched a bit under his gaze but explained the reason to him.

"Because she was giving Rebecca an overly strict education."

"Rebecca became a duchess at the age of nine. It's natural for her education to be stricter than that of other young ladies."

"But there are limits. The strictness of the education was something even I, as an adult, have never experienced. It was unnecessarily making Rebecca suffer."

And the main reason I disliked the governess wasn't just the strictness of the education.

"Especially, Countess Nable was giving Rebecca a high-handed education. This made Rebecca shrink back and prevented her from showing her true abilities."

"…I see."

Lord Alan took a sip from his glass and looked at Rebecca.

"Rebecca, what do you think?"

Rebecca, who was sitting next to him, flinched at being addressed.

"I've been asking you about your education once a month. I've heard your impressions of Countess Nable, but you've only said she's a good person."

"Um...!"

"Was that a lie?"

"Lord Alan, that..."

I was about to speak for Rebecca, thinking she couldn't explain...

"Lady Sophie, I'm asking Rebecca."

"..."

I couldn't say anything. I looked at Rebecca, who seemed scared.

Lord Alan's gaze was the same as always, but his cold stare must be unbearable for a child like Rebecca.

Especially since it sounds like he's scolding her, it must be even more frightening.

"Um... um..."

"..."

Rebecca couldn't say anything, but Lord Alan kept his gaze on her.

I couldn't say anything, so I had to rely on Rebecca to speak up.

But I wanted to help a little, so I gently held her hand under the table.

"Lady Sophie..."

"Rebecca, calm down. Just say what you feel."

"..."

Rebecca looked at me with teary eyes, then decided to look at Lord Alan.

I held her trembling hand firmly.

"Sorry, Duke. I was lying. Countess Nable was very scary. When I made a mistake, she hit me, and it hurt."

I didn't see her being hit today, but it seems she was indeed being physically abused.

It's really unforgivable...

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Lord Alan asked Rebecca matter-of-factly.

I think he's not scolding her but just asking a question, but Rebecca probably feels like she's being interrogated.

But Rebecca, holding my hand a bit tighter, continued speaking despite her trembling body.

"I thought this was normal education in the Duke's family... I was afraid that if I complained, I would be scolded or abandoned."

"…I see."

"I'm sorry for lying..."

Rebecca bowed her head.

There was a moment of silence, then Lord Alan called out, "Rebecca."

"Raise your head."

"...Yes."

"Rebecca, I'm sorry too."

"Wh...?"

Rebecca's eyes widened, probably not expecting Lord Alan to apologize.

"I knew that Countess Nable was giving you an overly strict education."

I was also surprised by this.

"I heard from the servants about the kind of education you were receiving. But the reason I didn't dismiss her was because you didn't say anything."

"I...?"

"You were enduring the education and not complaining. That's why I didn't dismiss her."

"Lord Alan, does that mean you were turning a blind eye to Countess Nable's behavior?"

I glared at Lord Alan and asked him more forcefully.

How could he know that Rebecca was being physically abused and do nothing about it?

"Rebecca is a duchess."

"So you think she should endure that level of education? That's too much!"

"No. It's not about enduring, but about speaking up and asking for her dismissal."

Lord Alan continued to speak in a matter-of-fact tone, as befitting the head of the Duke's family.

"As a duchess, you should have spoken up and asked for her dismissal. I thought you should have the ability to do that. That's why I did nothing. As a duchess, you are in a higher position than a countess. If you had pointed out all the problems with the education, it would have been easy to ruin the Nable family."

"But Rebecca is only ten years old and has only been in the Duke's family for a year. It's difficult for her to think and speak in such a way."

When I said this, Lord Alan's eyes widened slightly.

But he quickly returned to his usual expressionless face.

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry, Rebecca."

He didn't bow his head, but he said a sincere apology.

It seems he can admit his mistakes and apologize when he realizes he's wrong.

"No, Duke, it's my fault for lying."

"Yes, Rebecca also has a part in this. From now on, think carefully before speaking."

"Yes, I understand."

This person... he's so strict with children.

But as the head of the Duke's family, Lord Alan was trying to properly raise Rebecca.

However, if things continue like this, Rebecca might end up starving for love and destroying herself in the future.

If Lord Alan and Rebecca can become closer, the possibility of changing that future will increase.

From now on, I want to improve not only my relationship with Rebecca but also the relationship between Lord Alan and Rebecca.

After that, Lord Alan finished his meal first and left the dining room.

Rebecca and I continued to have dinner in the dining room.