Evangeline, stunned, glared at him. The man's expression became quite interesting. But Evangeline immediately stood up and calmed her breathing.
"Anyway. I admit that I was rude late at night."
"Oh, I'm grateful that you recognize me."
"..."
She pretended not to know his voice, which sounded shallow. It was his turn to find out who she was and why she came here, but her lips were strangely dry.
O'Hara and the Theses. Neither surname was suitable to describe itself.
"So I'm..."
"My lady."
"...Yes?
"That's right, my young lady."
The man bowed his head and raised one corner of his mouth at an angle, as if he finally understood. Evangeline asked what that meant, and the man stared at her eyes strongly as if he were purple.
"Isn't the famous young lady who cried out every day? I've heard about it a thousand times about what your eyes and hair look like, but if you don't remember it, you're confused."
"Grandma. Then that is it...."
"It's Charles."
The man suddenly held out his hand and nodded roughly. Unlike her, who was surprised to hear that he was the grandson of her nanny, Charles' expression was not very bright.
"Oh, shouldn't we have greeted a noble lady like this? This is a place where there are almost no nobles, so I don't know anything. If my grandmother finds out, she'll be in a frenzy."
"No! It's not like that. I'm just a little surprised..."
"That's it. It's enough to know who is who."
Evangeline, who came to her senses belatedly, held out her hand, but Charles had already withdrawn his hand. It seems that she was reluctant to shake hands with the commoners, but in fact, she was not as happy as he said. Above all, she had some idea from the eyes he was looking at her.
'This man doesn't seem to be welcome to me.'
Or he already knows everything about her situation.
"...I'm sorry for coming to you suddenly. I came to see the nanny."
"Why?"
"That..."
When he asked her about the main reason, Evangeline was puzzled. She thought she was quite used to her situation now, but it was the first time she had dealt with people who were not aristocrats. It wasn't because she looked down on them, but the words and harsh expressions that were so direct were very unfamiliar.
Evangeline didn't even think that the man would wait forever for her to be embarrassed.
"Hey, my lady."
"It's because I have something to ask when I meet the nanny."
Evangeline quickly opened her mouth to the man, who nodded as if urging. Even though her voice trembled slightly, he opened his eyes, tremblingly.
"No, if that's the case, I think it's better not to meet her."
"I didn't come here to cause trouble or lean here. I also know that it shouldn't be like that."
"...Hey."
"Trust me. I know what you're worried about because I'm like this now."
"...It's not like that. It's not a situation where my grandmother will answer you if you ask now."
He frowned at Evangeline, who was holding his arm. Rather than suddenly reaching the touch of a noble lady, he seemed to be in trouble as she stared so eagerly that even he couldn't recognize it.
"She doesn't remember."
***
"Oh my God, my little lady is coming to see me!"
The nanny lying on the bed burst into tears as soon as she saw her. She recognized Evangeline at a glance as she opened the door and opened her arms first.
"I can't believe that our young lady, who used to be a little girl, has become such a beautiful lady."
"Nanny."
"The Count often sent me portraits of young lady. Hey, look here!"
Evangeline followed the nanny's gesture and looked at her portrait, squatting on the bed. From childhood to her debut in the social world, she was unfamiliar with her smile, as if she were drawn. It may be even more so because it seems that nothing is lacking.
"Every time I see it, I don't know how beautiful you are, and how proud I am to have raised and cared for such a person with my own hands."
"Nanny is also really..."
"Thankfully, the Count invited me to the engagement ceremony not long ago, but I forced myself to put up with it for fear that my body would be a nuisance."
The nanny, who had been excited for a long time and held her hand while talking, looked down at her legs in a cool way. It seemed difficult for her legs to stand properly. Evangeline, who had already guessed the situation from the moment she saw the wheelchair next to her, nodded as if nothing was wrong.
"It's okay, nanny. That's how I saw you again."
"Still, I should have gone to find you first, but this old woman has no face to let a precious young lady come down here."
"You don't have to."
Because of her nanny, who kept feeling sorry and didn't know what to do, Evangeline was also restless. But compared to what followed, this was nothing.
"My young lady is now a Duchess."
"..."
"Isn't that also Duchess Theses! After all, can't our young lady be silent in the world?"
"...Nanny."
She forced her mouth to open and became aware of Charles, who was still standing at the door. From the beginning until now, he has been watching over her from that place. After hesitating for a long time, Evangeline smiled broadly at the nanny.
"Yes! My nanny has been like that to me since I was a child. I can do anything."
"Of course! It's only natural for our young lady!"
The happy nanny hugged her tightly as if she had been waiting. Even after a long time, she still felt tears in the warm fragrance, but even such a small peace did not last long.
"By the way, when did my young lady grow up this big? I need to get your clothes back together."
"Huh?"
"You chased the Count out to the port again, didn't you? That's why your clothes are wrinkled like this. What if the lady of the O'Hara family is like this? You have to keep your dignity."
The nanny who shook off her plump clothes was full of pity. However, these clothes are wrinkled not because she followed her father to the port, but because she doesn't have the clothes she should wear in her current situation. She never thought she would hear the nagging she had heard when she was eight or nineteen years old.
"Nanny."
"Take it off quickly. It's no wonder my young lady is wearing such shabby clothes!"
"No. You can't do that."
"No. I don't see that. How can my young lady, who was raised in gold and jade, be like this..."
"Oh..."
When the nanny pulled the hem of her clothes, Evangeline was frightened. Surprised, she turned around, and fortunately, Charles left on his own. In the end, she put her finger on her finger, saying that she would change her clothes right away, and then the nanny closed her eyes.
"Miss, please change your clothes. I'll definitely get up and take a look..."
"Yes, I understand."
Evangeline, who had finally been released, looked down at her nanny's face as she fell asleep. When did she get so wrinkly? Filled with joy, warmth, and indescribable sadness, she cautiously left the room and closed the door.
However, even when she is inside, the difficult situation will not get better just because she is outside the door.
"...Hey."
"It's been a few years since she had dementia. But when she's fine, she's fine again."
With a rattling sound, Charles came out of the kitchen and blurted out the cup to her. Even though it was a complex and subtle scent that she had never encountered before, she kept her expression as calm as possible. In fact, even if he gave her poison instead of tea, she didn't have the spirit to distinguish between them.
"I see. It must have been very difficult for a nanny."
"No, she doesn't. She's happy in her own way."
"..."
"I think today is the best I've ever seen."
Instead of tea, Charles held a large mug of beer and muttered as he looked at the closed door. His frowning gaze returned to Evangeline, who blinked blankly.
"Were you sad?"
"...Yes?"
"I told you not to make any mistakes."
He gulped down his glass in frustration and looked at Evangeline's expression. Her face, which had been small, had shrunk in half.
"Well, it must be quite shocking to see a dementia-like patient in a place like this."
Even if they are ruined, the weakness and sense of privilege of the natural aristocrats cannot be helped. Moreover, it must be a drudgery to listen to a man like him, whom she thought would never mix in her life. Before entering this house, she was at a loss for what to do when she made a promise.
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