Chapter 77

That's right.

I cut the onion that Han Jihyuk had brought in half, rubbed it in my eyes, and went to find my grandfather.

My head was so cold that I couldn't even cry.

‘If there hadn't been an onion, it really might have...’

I might not have been able to shed a single tear.

I usually do this kind of thing without any trouble.

I wiped my eyes with the cold handkerchief Han Jihyuk had given me.

“Ow, I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out.”

“So? Does it look like your grandfather fell over?”

Anyone could see that it was an Oscar-worthy performance, of course.

If someone had seen my acting, they probably would have given me a standing ovation.

I might have been a well-known actor in the Calsoi Empire if I hadn't been born as the granddaughter of a duke.

When my grandfather awkwardly patted my back...

I felt his emotions and got a bit absorbed.

‘His gestures were so awkward that tears came out naturally.’

It was probably the first time he had hugged a grandchild.

Without realizing it, my face contorted as I sobbed.

‘In the end, I almost cried for real.’

From this incident, it seemed that my grandfather quite liked me.

And being a wise person, he seemed to have noticed that someone had a hand in this.

‘He even seemed to know that I was already misunderstood.’

“Yeah.”

I answered.

Han Jihyuk glanced at me.

After hesitating for a moment, he spoke.

“Don’t feel guilty about using your grandfather today. You had a reason to...”

As he said this, I frowned.

“What?”

“Don’t be upset that you hurt your grandfather’s feelings with fake tears.”

I stopped in my tracks and stared at Han Jihyuk.

Then I tilted my head.

‘What is he talking about?’

When my grandfather said he would never forgive the culprit, I almost did a samba dance.

I cheered ‘Oh yeah!’ inside, clenched my fists in secret, and was in a frenzy.

“I’m not upset.”

Han Jihyuk, who seemed to be surprised by my confident answer, said in confusion.

“What?”

He had said I was scary, but now it seemed he had underestimated me.

I looked at Han Jihyuk with cold eyes and said,

“I’ll use anything I can. Not just tears, but blood, organs, everything.”

“...”

“So even if I fall into hell, I’ll never regret it.”

“...Why?”

Han Jihyuk looked genuinely puzzled.

I looked around and then at him.

“I was born right in the middle of a battlefield. My own flesh and blood cursed me as a baby.”

“...”

“To my grandfather, I am flesh and blood, but my enemies are also flesh and blood.”

“...”

“I can’t be deceived by the term ‘flesh and blood,’ and I can’t share everything just because we are flesh and blood. I’ve already experienced too much in my young life.”

My grandfather is the judge of this war.

Not just any judge, but the one who will declare the victor and pass on the golden scepter.

‘And if the judge doesn’t declare victory, our family will all die.’

I have something to protect.

And to protect it, this level of acting is nothing.

Han Jihyuk’s lips curled up slightly after hearing my words.

“I’m glad it didn’t weigh on your heart.”

He even ruffled my hair.

“You act like an older brother sometimes.”

“Annoying, right? Even if I worry about you—!”

“Why don’t you wash the handkerchief? Why does it still hurt after wiping your eyes?”

I grumbled and said,

Then I placed the cold, wet handkerchief over my eyes.

I pressed it firmly and winced.

After rubbing the onion so hard, my eyes stung.

‘It really hurts, seriously.’

I thought I was going to lose my eyeballs to the onion.

But, I did get something out of it.

“Dad is with Empress Anatoly because of me.”

“I know.”

“It hurts me so much.”

“...”

“So, please, just this once, let me be stubborn...”

At the words “just this once,” my grandfather’s expression hardened.

He stared at me intently.

I had never been stubborn for myself before.

I lowered my head under his gaze and waited for his answer.

My grandfather was silent for a long time.

It was a silence that made me wonder, ‘What if he says no?’

But finally,

“Alright.”

—The answer I wanted came.

It was the permission to counterattack from the head of the family.

I wiped away the remaining tears from my eyes and my eyes sparkled like a mischievous child.

* * *

The next day.

Empress Anatoly, as if it were the most natural thing, called for my dad again.

They occupied the entire garden.

Sitting across from each other at a table, they drank tea together.

It was a scene so affectionate that anyone passing by would think they were on a date.

Empress Anatoly, who had dressed up especially for the morning, covered her mouth and laughed.

Even with her hand covering her mouth, her smile stretched to her ears.

In contrast, my dad answered her questions with his usual expression.

“How is the tea? Is it good?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad you like it! Next time, I’ll bring Darjeeling. It’s my favorite.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, you mentioned borrowing a boat. Would you like to go with me? I’m struggling with what to say to His Majesty...”

“Yes.”

The empress openly displayed her affection.

People passing by glanced at the two in the garden.

And they all had something to say.

Those who didn’t know the full story all said,

“They look quite well-suited.”

“Maybe they’ll get together this time.”

“Even if it’s for his daughter, it’s hard to be together every day like that.”

“Perhaps Lady Erylliot’s character, which embraces even her daughter’s love interest, has won Lord Diamond’s heart...”

—That’s what they said.

It was mind-boggling to me.

But that’s reality.

This is the current public opinion.

If it’s like this in the duke’s castle, how different would it be outside?

Rumors that Lord Diamond and Empress Anatoly would get together spread widely.

‘Empress Anatoly must have quickly spread it in society.’

The gossips would have eagerly spread the word.

The servants gossiping in front of the garden met my gaze.

Their shoulders trembled at my intense stare.

Then, without a word, they bowed their heads and went their separate ways.

It was something that would never have happened before.

I was the most favored granddaughter among the third generation.

It was a well-known fact among the servants, who were sensitive to hierarchy.

If it were any other time, they wouldn’t have just bowed their heads after gossiping in front of me.

They would have begged on their knees, pleading for mercy.

‘They must think that my grandfather’s silence means he’s lost affection for me.’

I ignored them and walked past the servants to the garden.

Two guards stood at the entrance to the garden.

I looked up at the guards and said,

“Tell Lady Erylliot that I’m here.”

The guard immediately relayed my message to the empress.

After a brief silence, the empress called out loudly enough for everyone to hear,

“Come in~.”

Her voice was affectionate.

‘She’s obviously shouting so everyone can hear.’

To create a family-like image.

After her permission, I walked gracefully to the table in the garden.

“Hello, Empress Anatoly.”

I held my skirt and greeted her elegantly.

“So, what brings you here, Erylliot?”

Empress Anatoly placed her interlocked hands on the table.

She rested her chin on them and smiled at me.

She definitely seemed more relaxed than before.

It was a posture she wouldn’t show in front of the son of a duke.

She must have felt very close to my dad.

I ignored her actions and smiled, saying,

“I’ve come to fetch Dad.”

Then I approached my dad.

Dad’s pupils narrowed as he looked at me.

The empress’s eyebrows twitched, but she forced a smile in front of Dad.

“What to do? General Diamond and I have things to discuss. We’re talking about how to best present your case to His Majesty.”

She always said that and called Dad away.

I had been watching.

I had assigned Ombre to keep an eye on Dad in case she pressured him under the guise of a meeting.

‘But I never saw them in a meeting.’

Yesterday, she chattered about a place she wanted to visit.

The day before, she chattered about her childhood.

Today, she chattered about gossip about people around her.

Dad listened to the empress’s stories silently.

I met her gaze with a nonchalant expression.

“It’s fine.”

“...What?”

The empress, taken aback by my answer, said,

“I’m confident! I can speak well even in the palace. It’s a misunderstanding. And...”

“...”

I deliberately spoke clearly, pretending to be an innocent child.

“Grandfather will help me!”

I emphasized the four letters of ‘Grandfather’ and smiled brightly.

The empress’s face hardened.

‘Don’t you think that if Duke Astra steps in, it will be resolved?’

Don’t you think all your bad deeds will be exposed?

I secretly smiled, raising one corner of my mouth, and said,

“Dad, let’s go.”

“Erylliot.”

Dad called my name affectionately, and I said, lowering my eyebrows,

“I don’t like being sad...”

“...”

“Dad, when I’m sad, you’re sad. Why do you think I won’t be sad when you’re sad?”

I frowned and pulled on Dad’s arm.

Dad looked at me intently without a word.

“I won’t eat anything if you don’t come. I’ll starve all day and become a skeleton.”

“...”

I bit my lip and looked up at Dad.

“I don’t like a house without Dad.”

“...”

Dad stared at me, who was being stubborn.

Then, he looked at the empress.

“I’ll be going now.”

“General!”

The empress exclaimed, but Dad picked me up and said,

“My daughter can’t become a skeleton.”

Dad was always the same.

He always pretended to give in to my stubbornness.

He didn’t trivialize a child’s sadness and always thought of my feelings first.

I laughed and touched foreheads with Dad.

“Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

I looked at the empress, who was trembling, while hugging Dad’s neck.

‘She looks like she’s about to explode with anger.’

You, with your abnormal thought process, can be jealous of such things.

Now, go wild.

You crazy woman.

* * *

As we left the garden, Dad patted my back affectionately.

In contrast, I had a very dissatisfied expression as I clung to him.

After a while, when we were in a deserted area, I said,

“Put me down.”

I glanced at Dad and said,

“Why?”

Dad, who was surprised, asked again.

“I want to get down.”

Then I jumped out of Dad’s arms, which were slightly bent.

Dad still looked puzzled and stared at me.

“Shall we talk over a meal?”

Dad bent his knees to meet my gaze, trying to calm me down.

At that moment, my three older brothers approached in a row.

“There you are.”

“Erylliot.”

“Where were you?”

Lately, even if I told them not to follow me, they inevitably did.

And they glared at anyone who glanced at me as if they wanted to tear them apart.

‘It felt like I was walking around with three hunting dogs at my back.’

I held the hands of my brothers.

First, I held the hands of Richmond and Balzac.

Then I glanced at Dad.

“I want to have dinner with Balzac-ni.”

Thud.

Dad looked at me as if a rock had fallen on his head.

Dad, who was surprised, said,

“Then, shall we have tea?”

“I want to have tea with Joshua-ni.”

Second thud.

Dad’s voice was increasingly puzzled.

“Shall I read you a book?”

“I want to read with Richmond-ni.”

Third thud.

Dad looked as if the sky had fallen.

The three brothers, who usually smiled and were happy, looked at me and Dad alternately.

They knew Dad had been dragged around by Empress Anatoly because of me.

The three brothers were reading the situation, wondering if it was okay.

“Erylliot...”

Dad called my name with a sad look, and I felt my lips trembling.

It was the supporting actor penalty that comes with emotional turmoil.

I thought it was all gone, but it came back because my heart was troubled.

“I’m sad too!”

I said, frowning.

“...”

Dad didn’t answer.

“Dad, I don’t like it when you do that...”

“...”

Dad didn’t answer, so I finally stammered,

“If I say I’ll save Dad and then meet a boy you don’t like, you wouldn’t like it, right?”

“Of course not—!”

Dad answered immediately, as if he didn’t even want to imagine it.

“See?”

I also know the heart that wants to protect me.

Dad, who had put aside his pride to fulfill his role as a parent, is a strong person.

‘I know that well.’

I also know that the situation is beyond control.

And that this was the best choice Dad could make.

...And that Dad will make the same choice whenever something like today happens in the future.

But.

“I’m a burden to Dad...?”