Chapter 4

Cathy Runs to the Palace - Chapter 4 (4/353)

☆ Chapter 4 ☆

The lowered voice of the Duke was terrifying, but I really couldn't eat any more.

I'm already having trouble breathing, heaving and panting.

‘What should I do…’

While I was at a loss, unable to do anything,

“D-Duke, Your Excellency.”

The maid, who had been standing as if she didn't exist, stepped forward and knelt.

“May I speak freely?”

She had a serious expression.

It was a familiar atmosphere.

It reminded me of a historical drama where a loyal minister would advise a tyrant with a heart full of loyalty to the country.

What could she be trying to say?

“The Young Miss has a small stomach. She is different from the young masters. If she eats any more, she will have a stomachache.”

Huh?

The words she spoke, as if prepared to die, were a bit strange.

The Duke of Paeraton looked at the maid silently for a moment.

His cold face revealed nothing.

Finally, his well-shaped lips moved slowly.

“You?”

“I-I am Anna.”

Anna, huh.

I saw her face every day, but only now did I learn her name.

I had thought about asking her name several times, but her attitude, which seemed to put up a wall even before I could speak, made me give up.

I was used to giving up because I was often ignored when I stayed at the Taranka Viscount's house.

Anna trembled as she spoke, but the Duke only turned his head indifferently.

“You will be in charge of this child from now on.”

With those words,

Anna looked up at the Duke in surprise and then bowed deeply.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

As I watched her, a thought crossed my mind.

If he's assigning a personal maid to me, maybe…

“Can I stay here?”

“Nonsense.”

A cold answer came back.

But I understood that he didn't intend to kick me out.

‘Well, from the Duke's perspective, it would be a bit much to kick out a daughter on paper, wouldn't it?’

He entrusted me to a relative.

That's understandable.

But if he brought me back from a relative's house where I was being abused and then kicked me out again, that would be a different matter.

‘As a noble, reputation is also important, right?’

Even if he doesn't like me, he won't send me away.

Hmm, good.

My safety is secured.

‘I should have thought about this earlier. I was too scared all this time.’

After all, I've been denied my existence for almost my entire life since I was born here.

It can't be helped.

“Really, you can't eat any more?”

The Duke asked with a sharp gaze.

I nodded quickly, afraid he might insist I eat more.

“Alright.”

And then a moment of silence fell.

Hmm.

I tried to act as if nothing was wrong, looking around awkwardly.

The Duke continued to stare at me without taking his eyes off me.

Earlier, I was eating, but now, with nothing to do, receiving his gaze was very uncomfortable.

I fidgeted with my hands.

‘It's like he's thinking about how to deal with this little rat.’

Someone, please save me.

“Duke, Your Excellency.”

Perhaps he heard my plea.

The knock on the door was followed by the Duke's adjutant entering.

Thanks to him, I was able to escape the Duke's piercing gaze.

Phew, I thought my cheeks would burst.

“I apologize. Because you returned home suddenly today, we received a message from the palace…”

The Duke, who had been glaring at the adjutant with a frosty expression, sighed lightly and stood up.

I wondered why he came home early, but it seemed he had returned urgently due to an unexpected event.

Before leaving the dining room, the Duke looked back at me.

“Don't do anything useless and just stay put.”

Hmph, I made the windows so clean.

To call my noble labor useless...

But I only thought this in my head, and I nodded obediently like a good child.

What can a tenant say to the landlord?

‘Life is hard.’

I clutched my full stomach and moved slowly.

There's no need to try hard for someone who doesn't consider me a daughter. I realized this in my previous life.

‘If I continue to live here, I won't have to worry about my own safety.’

When it's time, food will be served, and warm water will be available. What could be difficult?

Compared to my life at the Taranka Viscount's house, and even compared to my previous life, this is like honey.

“Um, Young Miss.”

After arriving at the room, Anna, who I thought would leave immediately, hesitated and then spoke to me as if she had made a decision.

“Do you understand now? His Excellency has no intention of sending you away.”

“Yes.”

Because he realized that kicking me out would damage the reputation of the Paeraton Duke's family.

“You don't need to do menial tasks like sweeping or mopping here.”

“Yes.”

“You are still very young, and you are the Duke's only daughter.”

Huh?

“Just relax and enjoy yourself.”

Relax, huh.

I thought I hadn't shown any signs of my anxiety, but it seems Anna noticed.

When I didn't say anything, the other maids also spoke cautiously.

At first, they seemed to want to stop Anna.

“Your small body is always in pain, and you keep having nightmares…”

“If you're sick, say so. Don't suffer in silence. The treatment for your calf must have been difficult…”

Huh?

I looked at the maids in surprise.

Didn't they find me annoying?

I thought they only took care of me because it was their job and didn't care about me at all.

They would quietly appear, do what needed to be done, and disappear.

When I tried to talk to them, they would answer in short, curt responses, which made me stop talking.

But.

“Did you worry about me?”

“Of course!”

Anna, who seemed to choke up, shouted loudly and then blushed.

“Ahem, of course, what are you saying?”

“I thought you didn't like me.”

“Why would you think that…

“You never talked to me, and when I tried to talk to you, you seemed to avoid answering.”

“We would never…”

The maids looked at me with troubled expressions and asked quietly.

“Does the Young Miss want to talk to us?”

“Yes.”

As I nodded, the maids' faces lit up with a faint smile.

“You are different from the other members of the Duke's family.”

“Yes, you seem like a normal child.”

Hehe, Anna, who was moved by the words, called out softly, “Nancy…”

Nancy. Nancy, huh.

Anna and Nancy.

As I repeated their names, Nancy's face turned pale.

“I-I apologize, Young Miss. I spoke out of turn…”

Well, since I was reborn, I'm not a normal child.

But is that something to apologize for?

“It's okay. I like being normal.”

It was true.

I always wanted to be normal.

A normal child. A normal student. A normal office worker.

That's how I wanted to live.

“You are so kind…”

Nancy looked at me with a deeply moved expression, and I laughed.

It felt strange to see someone who usually acted emotionless so easily moved.

But I didn't mind.

It was as if the maids, who had seemed like still objects, had come to life.

It was the first time I felt the vitality of people since coming here.

I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

After the maids left, I quietly crossed the room and stood in front of the mirror.

‘The Duke's only daughter.’

The words I heard earlier echoed in my heart.

‘…Family.’

Family.

Can you call people family just because they live in the same house?

I don't know. I've never had a family.

But.

“The brat you had with that cheap woman outside.”

“So, the Duke of Paeraton abandoned you. You don't even have magic, do you?”

“Be grateful to me for covering up the disgrace to the family.”

A mother I've never seen.

I tried to think that my mother wasn't like that, but in this life, I grew up hearing such words all my life.

‘Well, if I am the Duke of Paeraton's ‘real daughter,’ as Anna said, I don't need to be anxious.’

He won't kick me out anyway.

But what if I'm not his blood?

If I'm an illegitimate child from my mother's affair, and that's revealed, won't I be kicked out?

There's no way an affair would cause a problem for his reputation.

I bit my lip and looked at the mirror.

I didn't resemble the Duke of Paeraton at all.

His face, sharp like a refined sword.

My face, which looked gentle to anyone.

The Duke's eyes, red like blood.

My eyes, blue like Paraiba.

‘And my hair…’

Unlike the Duke's hair, which was as black as ink, my hair was a very, very light pink, like the petals of a spring flower.

‘There's not a single thing we resemble.’

And I don't have magic.

I'm not sure, but there must be a reason why the Viscount mentioned magic when treating me as an illegitimate child.

‘The Paeraton Duke's family must have magic passed down to them.’

I heard that magic grants abilities, yet I don't have the magic that the Duke's family is supposed to have.

The pieces of the puzzle that suggest I'm not the Duke's biological child are coming together.

‘If my real mother really had an affair and I'm the result…’

It won't just end with being kicked out. Might he kill me out of betrayal?

My radar for palace intrigue tells me.

The Duke of Paeraton has the attributes of a tyrant, a villain, and an antagonist.

‘Ugh, to survive, I need to make an effort, no matter what.’

To be a real daughter.

At least to avoid being killed out of raised affection.

I know the action plan for such situations very well.

‘After all, I've read thousands of romance fantasy novels!’

The me in the mirror giggled with a mischievous smile.

* * *

I clenched my fists, which were as small as potatoes, and took a deep breath as I looked at the large door.

Pant, pant.

Come on, I can do this!

I resolved with bright eyes, but the courage began to wane as I looked at the door, which was as imposing as the pressure I felt.

It's the Duke's study, and even the door is so intimidating.

‘Stop making excuses.’

I know.

The reason I've been standing in front of the door for a few minutes without entering.

It takes a lot of courage to approach someone who will reject you and someone you know dislikes you.

“What is this scrawny rat?”

The Duke's words when he first saw me kept coming back to me.

Sigh, to act naturally in such a situation, let alone to be affectionate.

The heroines in palace dramas were really brave!

Only now do I realize how amazing the heroines who survived under many tyrant fathers were.

‘Phew, just count to three and go in.’

I put my hand on my thumping heart and counted to four.

Just as I did, the heavy door opened silently.

Startled, I took a step back without realizing it.

From the gap in the door, the Duke's adjutant said,

“Young Miss, His Excellency is asking you to come in.”

How did he know I was here?

The adjutant opened the door wide, urging me to come in, so I swallowed hard and stepped into the study.

The study was even larger than I imagined, and there were more people inside than I expected.

But among the many people, who were just background, my eyes only saw the Duke of Paeraton.

A presence that stood out.

Sitting on the sofa in a relaxed posture, he looked more like a lazy predator than a person.

Very dangerous and cruel.

The Duke's red eyes stared at me coldly.

I tried to calm my shrinking heart and smiled brightly.

“Daddy!”

I ran over and clung to his leg.

“I missed you.”

I looked up at the Duke with a silly smile.

They say a smile can disarm anyone. Smile, smile.

It takes time to get used to each other, so I can't be scared.

I tried to endure the Duke's piercing gaze,

“…Gulp.”

Somewhere, a sound like someone choking was heard.

I turned my head to see an uncle clutching his collar, looking like he was about to faint.

No, I'm the one who's scared, why is the uncle scared?

Not just him, everyone in the study had frozen expressions.

Faces that looked like they would shatter if touched.

It was as if they had seen a time bomb.

‘Is this not right?’

The strength in my arms, which were tightly hugging the Duke's leg, began to wane.

‘Aren't they supposed to look at me fondly and say I'm cute, and ask if I missed my daddy?’

You have to try being spoiled and receiving love to know.

In my previous life, I was an orphan, so it felt really awkward to act spoiled with adults.

The Duke, perhaps annoyed by the fuss I was making at his feet, didn't kick me but lifted me up.

‘Phew, what a shock.’

Why does he keep lifting me up like a dog?

“Did you miss me?”

The Duke asked slowly, tilting his head.

A threatening tone, his red eyes glowing darkly.

I tried to calm my trembling body and nodded.

The words to act spoiled were stuck in my throat, and my mouth became mute.

“…You seemed uncomfortable.”

I'm still very uncomfortable.

‘No, did he know I was uncomfortable? ’

Was that person the one who stared at me with a terrifying gaze while I was eating?

Did he stare at me on purpose to make me choke?

“No, I'm not uncomfortable.”

Despite my inner grumbling, I shook my head.

“It's just because I'm not used to it.”

The Duke raised an eyebrow.

“Because I haven't seen you for a while.”

“…”

“So, can we be together now?”

I stretched out my hands towards his face, which was slightly away from me.

“To get used to each other, we need to stick together!”

Yeah, yeah, we need to stick together to get used to each other.

If we have a bond, even if he finds out I'm not his real daughter, he won't kill me.

Hmm.

“…”

The Duke was silent.

Was his arm getting tired? The hand holding me trembled.

I swayed in the air, and my outstretched hands—

“Huff…”

Poked the Duke's cheek.

Gasps were heard simultaneously from all around.

It sounded like a chorus.

Do these uncles have no other expressions besides looking like they're about to die?

I looked at the uncles beyond the sofa and took a deep breath.

Stay calm.

I couldn't have done something inappropriate to the Duke's cheek, right?

The sensation in my palm was too soft to be skin.

I must have touched his clothes. The Duke must be wearing silk.

It felt warm, like a person's body temperature, but it must be his clothes.

No, it can't be. Please…

I glanced down.

The Duke was looking at me with his usual stern expression.

A face that made my heart race just by looking at it, but it was a bit different from usual.

Of course, it was because my small hand was pressing against the Duke's cheek.

Hehe, for a married man and a father, he has really good skin.

It's as soft as a baby's.

Sweat started to trickle down my face.

At that moment,

Words appeared in front of my eyes.

‘What, what is this…!’