DYBAR - Chapter 122 < Duke of Elkin, the Lies and the Truth >

DYBAR - Chapter 122 < Duke of Elkin, the Lies and the Truth >

Do Your Best And Regret

In her childhood, when she was living at the residence of the Duke of Madeleine, Olivia, after dinner, instead of going up to the attic on the fourth floor, stood against the wall of the stairs and wiggled her fingers.

The chill running down her back made her flinch, but she longed for the sound of the laughter coming from the drawing room.

The symbol of a harmonious and strong family with warm warmth, lively conversation, and smiling while stroking rosy cheeks.

Something was never given to her.

So from the time she learned of her as an illegitimate son, she thought it was very strange.

Her father already had the Duchess and Conrad, whom he loved dearly, and Jade and Ethella.

So then, how was she born?

How did her mother meet her father?

***

"Princess, no. Young Lady's mother was a woman who lived at the very end of Eddington Street. She had green eyes and the blood of a dancer, but she wasn't ashamed to sing, so she was famous."

Eddington Street. A place that is no different from the entertainment district of the island.

With those words, the Princess sent the servants away.

The Duke of Elkin wiped away his frozen face. The boldness from earlier was gone, and what was in front of him now was nothing more than a little girl missing her mother.

While the Princess's eyes softened, the Duke of Elkin perfectly framed a dramatization in his favor.

A great nobleman who spends the night with a poor green-eyed woman and coldly pretends not to notice.

Of course, she had to be the best among them.

Actually, it was that night that he found out about the Young Lady's mother. So, It was a day when the Duke of Madeleine and him were drinking, and the Lady was twenty. 

"It must have been twenty years ago."

Duke Elkin slowly lowered his gaze. He could clearly see that the Princess's hand was shaking slightly as she held the teacup.

"That day, the Duke of Madeleine drank too much. It was my first time seeing something like that. As you know, the Duke has always been in control."

"..."

"You know, it's not easy for a dancer who is criticized for being lowly to spend even one night with a great noble like the Duke of Madeleine. It's awkward to say, but... "

Here the Duke of Elkin sighed quietly. He did not forget to constantly check the Princess's movements through his thinly curved eyes. It was not possible to see what expression the Princess was making as she lowered her head.

Therefore, the Duke of Elkin pretended to be worried and drove a wedge.

"It seems that the Duke of Madeleine took the Young Lady's mother by force. Who knew that the refined Duke's drinking habits would be so base?"

When the trembling holding the teacup stopped for a moment, the Duke of Elkin took a deep breath. He could barely hold back the corners of his mouth rising and laughing.

It was clear that the Princess was shaken. Because no daughter could keep quiet about her mother's tragic story!

"It was not a good example for a noble, but he was so drunk that day that I didn't even notice it. I regret that, princess."

"Is that all you know about my mother?" 

"No way!"

Her trembling was evident in the Princess's voice. The excited Duke of Elkin immediately shook his head. Then he looked at the Princess's face, suppressing his excitement.

If the Princess's green eyes met his with her head down, the sound of her heartbeat racing through her veins would make her eyes twice as big.

"Before Young Lady's mother died, she sent a letter to the Duke."

"Who would have told her the name of the Duke of Madeleine so that she could send that letter?"

 "It's me."

In fact, it was information that the dancer had leaked in the hope that she would go to the Duke of Madeleine's mansion and cause trouble. He never thought she would disappear completely from Eddington Street from that day on. That too, a person like shackles who was just lying down.

The Duke of Elkin subtly lowered his voice. And whenever he went to the orphanage, he leaned towards the Princess as he usually did as a warm supporter.

"Imagine if the Young Lady was left at the turning bell alone. Can you live a precious life like now, being treated as a reserve Grand Duchess?"

"..."

"So, it wouldn't be wrong to say that I helped you in some aspects of your life."

Rather, it helped create it. But that story couldn't be told in this tear-jerking, heartbreaking adaptation. It was a pity.

However, it was possible to make the Duke of Madeleine the worst person.

"But what about the Duke of Madeleine? He didn't act like a father at all, but instead just took advantage of his daughter. If you don't have any feelings of resentment or hatred, you would be deceiving yourself, My Lady."

"..."

"In front of everyone, he turned a blind eye to you, gave you a bad name, and even made your dress different from the little Princess. In fact, it was the Duke's fault"

Only in a whisper-like voice did the princess slowly raise her head. There was a momentary sparkle in her dazed green eyes.

This was it.

The Duke of Elkin's heart was pounding. Well then. It was clear that the Princess had an old resentment lurking in her heart. Right now, he was just playing the role of a catalyst.

"If I had had a daughter as bright and beautiful as you, I would never have treated her like that. If I had had such an intelligent and beautiful daughter as my daughter, I would have been a good father from then on."

The story flowed smoothly as if his tongue had been greased with oil. It was this easy to appease the Young Lady.

The Duke of Elkin seemed to have forgotten that the Princess in front of him was the same person as the daughter who had put her to sleep earlier, and twisted her as cunningly as a snake.

"So, My Lady lady. If you want, just tell me."

A formality appeared over the Duke of Elkin's words, which were openly condescending. It was a secret means of expressing equal dealing.

"Do you not hate Duke Madeleine? Don't you want to take revenge on the person who left the Young Lady alone for so long? You and I have taken different paths, but even now, we can reach the same goal."

Duke Elkin whispered sweetly and slyly. The Princess's mind was read as it flickered like a candle before his eyes.

"Your Majesty also promised that if Young Lady returns to your original position, you will be given more power than the Duke of Madeleine, but...."

Duke Elkin paused for a moment and looked around the room. His greed flashed in his brown eyes.

She was filled with things much rarer and more valuable than the items in the hallway. He always thought the Grand Duke's spoils were all she had. And more than that.

And if he considers the mineral tax rate. The Duke of Elkin's throat rang slowly. The Duke spoke affectionately, without revealing anything as much as possible.

".... If you prefer where you are sitting now, just tell me privately. I can make Young Lady as Princess Elkin again and promise you a stronger position as Grand Duchess than anyone else. Of course, without telling His Majesty. How is it?"

Now that he sees it, even that teacup that the Princess is holding in her hand seems valuable. Is it Heferti's treasure, or is it the handiwork of the Serachi tribe? 

If the Princess becomes 'Princess Elkin', those items will also be made with his own hands!

It was a time when the Duke of Elkin's eyes became red.

"The Duke of Madeleine doesn't have a habit of drinking."

Duke Elkin blinked for a moment. The Princess's answer was not what he expected.

Even though she lived a life of mistreatment, does she still have affection? 

Ha. It felt like laughter was about to burst out. The Duke of Elkin looked at the Princess with pity and shook his head.

"What is that! Young Lady. You don't have to protect him like that."

"I'm not trying to protect him, it's because I know better than anyone else. The Duke's cardiovascular disease was caused by that heavy drinking."

Rumors abounded throughout the empire that the Duke was suffering from severe cardiovascular disease.

However, Olivia and the former butler were the only people in the empire who knew that the disease was caused by the alcohol they drank every night.

"Hazel, Hazel....."

Olivia remembered the painful name he had muttered with his eyes wide open, unable to shed tears. The moment his faltering eyes looked at her, he collapsed and fell asleep.

"So, I don't believe that the Duke, who was drunk, would have forced himself on a woman."

"Hey, Princess, no, lady. It looks like you want to defend your father who didn't even give you affection."

"My former butler would say the same thing. The Duke of Madeleine does not have a drinking habit."

"No, this is different from his usual drinking habits! I even took medicine... !"

Oops. 

This time the Duke of Elkin's eyes widened. Olivia looked into his dumbfounded brown eyes and quickly grasped the facts.

What the Duke said just now means that "the Duke mixed the Duke of Madeleine's alcohol with some kind of intention at the time?"

"Princess, no, Lady. That's not it,"

"That would mean that my mother was used, and therefore the Duke contributed greatly to turning me into an illegitimate child to be criticized, right?"

Olivia quietly blinked her eyes. She once had several hypotheses about her birth. However, she believes that the truth is...

This is so trivial, wouldn't it have been better not to know?

If it was this disappointing, should she have just buried it?

Olivia remembered her mother's face for a moment. It was assumed that she was a noble priest from Lowell, but she was stigmatized as a mother and a dancer. The gap was so great that Olivia swallowed her gasping breath.

Her brightly smiling mother, in her memory, wondered why on earth she had slept with the Duke of Madeleine?

She was her mother who loved her so much. What on earth did she do that for?

Meanwhile, the Duke of Elkin woke up in a hurry. His face was completely white.

"I guess I'll just go back now."

"Duke."

Even at the brief call, the Duke looked surprised, as is usually the case with someone who has made a big mistake.

Olivia's heart sank as she faced the Duke of Elkin. Unable to tell whether this was anger, or something more, she smiled gracefully, as was her habit.

"The Duke is a noble from the Empire who visited me for the first time since I came to Vikander. You can't leave a bad aftertaste after seeing someone off due to poor treatment."

"No, I guess I should go back now...."

"Or would you rather wait and have your first meal with His Highness the Grand Duke?"

"Your Highness the Grand Duke, is probably still in the system....?!"

"Oh, you didn't know?"

Olivia nodded her head with a smile on her face.

"His Highness the Grand Duke arrived in Vikander last night, earlier than the Duke. I guess His Highness wanted to keep his arrival a secret, just like the Duke."

The Duke shouted urgently, in a bitter tone of sarcasm at the Duke's betrayal of the emperor.

"Now, wait a minute!"

Even as he was buying time, the Duke was in constant agony.

Nonsense. He said there was no reason for the Emperor to kick him out. However, the special nature of Vikander aroused the suspicion of the Duke of Elkin.

Is there really no reason for the Emperor to kick him out?

Anxiety and nervousness overtook the Duke of Elkin. Could it be that the Emperor betrayed him? 

After preventing Vikander from leaving, is the Emperor going to join hands with Duke Madeleine again?

The Duke of Elkin tried to laugh heartily. He wanted to show that he was not discouraged, but eventually, his laughter turned into a plea.

"If I know one more thing, one more truly valuable piece of information about the Princess's mother, would you clear the way for me to return right away?"

Olivia crossed her arms for a moment.

In the quiet drawing-room, beyond the half-open window, there was a sharp sound as the armor of the knights standing guard clashed with each other.

When that sharp sound scratched his sensitive skin, the Duke of Elkin screamed like crazy.

"Old woman! The Princess's mother lived with an old woman in the cheapest inn on Eddington Street!"

At that moment, Olivia's eyes wavered just a little.

What an old woman.

When she was born, there was no grandmother around.

Is that a lie or true?

***

Meanwhile, Tristan is a rich granary area.

Baron Javron, Tristan's vassal and lord's agent, looked at the warehouse with a vain look on his face.

"Unbelievable..."

He couldn't tell anyone. The grain tax rate has doubled this year, which is not even a good harvest. Even the grain that they thought they would eat until the next year was completely taken away by the imperial knights who left a little while ago.

"If it's this empty, what do we eat until harvest?"

The mumbling of one of the retainers behind him caught his ear. The Baron looked at those standing behind him for a moment and then walked towards his office.

Just because the Princess, who was said to be the second coming of a Saint, was their Lord, it was noticeable that the faces of the people who had endured poverty and injustice were shaken.

This was all because of the true identity of the Saint published in the newspaper.

To them, the Emperor was like heaven, and the Princess was no different from the Saint. In fact, such a Princess was not a Saint.

She was someone that not even the Emperor could trust.

The Baron shook his head, startled by his own thoughts.

This was an idea worthy of a traitor. If someone reads his thoughts... 

The Baron's spine tingled.

Clearly, His Majesty the Emperor had deep intentions.

But...

The Baron sighed repeatedly. In the face of reality, respect and reverence for the Emperor instantly disappeared like dust.

Anyway, as the person in charge of the territory at this moment, he threw away his hesitation and started writing the letter. His plea was not directed to the Princess, who always did not respond.

The subject of the letter is a silver-haired maid.

- Dear Olivia.

If she was a real Saint like the ones in the newspapers, she would have an answer.

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