IWAP - Chapter 90

"Isn't the story over yet?"

The door opened gently, and a small head peeked out. Elle's cheeks were puffed out, as if the conversation had taken longer than expected and she was tired of waiting.

"Come on in, Elle." 

"Hehe, Bee...Ugh!" 

"Elle!" 

"Baby!"

Elle, who had been running towards me calling my name, staggered as if she had sprained her ankle. Anasha and I, who were sitting on the sofa, got up to catch Elle, but the child standing behind her moved faster.

“Elle, are you okay?”

“Ugh.”

Anasha hurriedly approached the two children lying sprawled on the floor as one. Perhaps thanks to the child groaning beneath, Elle looked perfectly fine without a single scratch.

“Rai, what about you?”

"It's okay."

Anasha, having lifted Elle from above first, immediately raised the child lying underneath. Drops of blood had formed on the child's arm, as if it had been scraped against the floor. Although the wound looked quite painful, the child merely winced and did not cry or whine. The stubborn mouth and mischievous eyes were familiar.

'So you were a half-breed from Inayari.'

"Oh dear, I'll need to treat this. Please wait a moment." 

All the maids had been dismissed for the conversation. Anasha hurried outside to get the medicine.

“Rai, does it hurt a lot?”

"It's okay, it doesn't hurt at all."

Elle, unable to find the opponent, paced around anxiously, stomping her feet. Rai held Elle's hand and patted it.

"Rai always says he's fine." 

"It's really fine..." 

As Elle started to tear up, Rai wore a troubled expression.

"It's a little scraped, but it'll be fine if I apply some medicine. Don't worry, Elle." 

I patted Elle and sat him on the sofa. Rai, who had been holding hands, also followed suit and sat down next to Elle.

“Are you really okay?”

"Yeah, it will get better if you apply the medicine."

“Yes. I’m glad.”

At my answer, Elle nodded as if finally relieved. Next to Elle, Rai... puffed up and grumbled.

"See? I told you it was okay." 

"But Rai is a liar." 

“When did I lie?”

"Every single time. You always say you're fine. You said you were fine last time too, even after breaking your leg. Rai is an idiot!"

Elle screamed at Rai as if furious at the mere thought. At Elle's fierce reaction, Rai realized his mistake.

He scratched his cheek with a blank expression.

'When did those kids become so close?

"Alright, stop now and let's see the wound."

Anasha, who had returned before anyone realized it, joined the children, holding the medicine.

"Fortunately, at this level, it won't be a flaw." 

Anasha carefully examined Rai's wound and muttered in relief. She smiled brightly as she gently applied the medicine she had brought.

"Thank you for protecting Elle, Rai."

Rai looked embarrassed and awkward at Anasha's thanks.

"Come to think of it, Bjornne and Rai are acquainted, aren't they?"

"Yes. I didn't know you were here." 

"It seemed dangerous for Rai to stay at the top. There was also your advice, and I called him to the Count's mansion because I needed him as Elle's playmate as well." 

The people currently staying at Count Pison's mansion, down to the lowest-ranking maid, were either those who had been loyal to the Pison family for generations or people on our side connected to the merchant guild. Certainly, it seemed there was no need to worry about Rai leaking out here.

"I am also studying hard with Elle to enter the academy."

Anasha's words reminded me of the promise I made to my child.

'Did you say you wanted to become a noble to protect Bjornne?'

Rai was still holding Elle's hand tightly. I pictured the child throwing himself toward Elle as she was falling just moments ago.

"I guess Elle was your Bjornne."

"Well, that's..." 

Rai's face flushed. The child stammered as he looked back and forth between Elle and me.

"Ugh, you're being mean. Bjornne."

“Is that so?”

As he shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal, Anasha laughed out loud again. Lai lowered his head, feeling embarrassed, and kicked the innocent floor with his feet.

"My name is Elle. Not Bjornne."

Elle tilted her head as if finding it strange.

"Bjornne is a Bee, right?"

At Elle's innocent question, Rai's face turned bright red like a burning sweet potato.

"Elle, the name doesn't matter. What matters is that you are the one Rai must protect."

"I don't understand what you're saying, Bee."

"Elle will naturally find out when she grows up more."

I stroked little Elle's head. Elle giggled and snuggled into my arms. The sweet scent that came from Elle tickled the tip of my nose.

I turned my gaze toward Rai, who was still blushing. I stared into Rai's orange eyes.

I looked at it and opened my mouth.

"I hope you keep the promise you made."

Rai, who had been wide-eyed, soon nodded. His stubbornly closed lips seemed to perfectly reflect the child's personality.

It was impossible to know how much Rai, who was still a young child and had the weakness of being a half-Inayari, would be able to protect Elle. However, I thought that if there was at least someone by Elle's side to comfort her when she was hurt in the future, that alone would be enough.

She may not be able to feel it now because she is young, but after the coming-of-age ceremony, Elle, just like Landt, will also not be able to blend into this social circle. It is a very exclusive place, and her mother's background and the weakness of being blind will sometimes hold Elle back.

Of course, I wouldn't just sit back and watch until the children were hurt. There was a lot to do before the children made their debut in society.

"Duke Deisha is waiting." 

As I was taking off my coat while receiving the butler's report, I froze at his words.

"What?"

"Duke Deisha has requested to see the Young Lady." 

“Why him?”

The butler looked at me with a puzzled expression, noticing my unusually sharp demeanor. I frowned, completely unconcerned by his reaction.

"I don't recall there being a request for a visit?"

"He visited shortly after the Young Lady went out. I told him that she was absent..." 

"So you're saying he barged in headfirst?"

It was customary for nobles to obtain permission in advance by mail or through an intermediary and set an appointment time when visiting another noble's mansion. Duke Deisha's sudden, unannounced visit was considered quite rude.

'Was Duke Deisha always this rude?'

I racked my brain, but nothing specific came to mind regarding Duke Deisha. To me back then, Duke Deisha was nothing more and nothing less than her father, whom I hated to death.

“What is his business?”

"He said he would speak after seeing the young lady."

I could not understand why Duke Deisha had come to see me, who was not even my father. I had no desire to meet him, but I had no valid reason to refuse him since he had come all the way to my house.

"I’ll come down as soon as I’m ready. Tell him to wait just a little longer." 

Finally, I sighed and relayed the message to the butler. The butler left the room, and the maids began to change my clothes. I felt suffocated, as if something were stuck in my chest.

"Nice to meet you, Duke Deisha. I am Bjornne Rossa Elliott."

"Nice to meet you, Lady Elliot." 

As I entered the drawing room, Duke Deisha rose from the sofa where he had been sitting. A sturdy physique uncharacteristic of his age. White skin, distinctly different from the majority of Westerners who were tanned from frequent sun exposure, and his golden eyes, exactly like Sid, were not different in the slightest from the image of him I remembered.

"First off, I apologize for the rudeness of showing up at a house without permission." 

"Please take a seat. I assume it is a matter urgent enough to warrant such rudeness."

Duke Deisha's eyes sparkled with interest. He sat on the sofa and began to observe me overtly. The Duke and I remained silent as we scrutinized each other while the butler brought out tea and stepped back.

"Aren't you curious why I came to find Young Lady?"

It was only when the teacup was about half empty that he spoke first. I put down the teacup I was holding and met the Duke's gaze.

“You tell me.”

The corners of his mouth curved upward as if he found it amusing.

"Does Young Lady even have a hunch about what I'm going to say?"

"How could that be?"

“That’s interesting.”

The Duke leaned back against the sofa, crossing his legs. Clasping his fingers together and resting them on his knees, he looked as comfortable as if he were in his own home. I felt an unpleasant sensation, as if the roles had been reversed for some reason.

I had never faced the Duke in this manner. Including that time, it was the first time he had come to see me. I couldn't even guess what his intention was in seeking me out. I did not like how things were unfolding differently from what I remembered.

'The situation is different from when the First Consort was in office.'

The matter concerning the First Consort reflected my intentions. Because I myself provoked her and changed the course, the result was different from the previous time.

'Did they notice that I'm investigating?'

Even back then, aside from her affairs, it was fair to say that I had no contact with the Duke. Moreover, with her...

It goes without saying that we met just once in passing.

After the meeting held at the Imperial Household, it was revealed to the world that I was the actual owner of Pison Trading Company.

No matter how secretly they moved, they could not guarantee that they would not be caught by the Duke.

'What if they came looking for me after noticing the movements of the Pison top team watching them?'

Certainly, other than that, there was no reason for the Duke to look for me.

"I heard that my daughter owes a debt to Young Lady." 

"I don't understand what you are saying." 

It was a completely different story from what I had expected. Since I had no idea about his intentions, I kept quiet.

"That child grew up without a mother, so she is rather unfamiliar with the etiquette of the nobility. I, too, have been unable to pay attention to my daughter's education, using busy work as an excuse."

"..." 

"It looks like she got quite a harsh scolding from Young Lady."

"It seems you are mistaken about something."

“Is that so?”

He wore a smile on his lips as if it were no big deal. I lifted the teacup and swallowed the remaining tea.

"It was not the Duke's daughter whom I scolded, but the court ladies attending to her. I merely cautioned those who had forgotten their status and acted rashly." 

"It seems the message was conveyed incorrectly."

The Duke chuckled and muttered to himself.

The tea held in my hand had cooled to lukewarm before I knew it. At my gesture, the waiting butler quickly approached and served me hot tea. The Duke's teacup was barely empty, but the tea would have cooled just the same.

Just as the butler was about to change the Duke's teacup as well, he raised his hand to stop him.

"I'll pass. Hot tea really isn't to my taste."

"Shall I bring you a cold one again?"

"I would appreciate it if you did that."

"Please wait a moment."

The butler bowed toward the Duke and gestured to the waiting lady-in-waiting. The lady-in-waiting quickly left the reception room, and the butler stepped back.

"As expected, prestigious families are different right down to the attitude of their employees." 

“That’s too much praise.”

"So, I thought I would ask you a favor, Young Lady." 

He released his loose posture while leaning against the sofa and leaned toward me.

"I wish Young Lady would help my daughter with her manners." 

"..." 

I stared at him without answering. I couldn't even guess what on earth the Duke was thinking.

"As I said earlier, my daughter grew up too freely. To the nobles of the capital, she must look like a wild child."

"If needed, I can introduce you to a competent etiquette teacher." 

"A competent teacher..."

The lady-in-waiting who had gone out returned and placed a cold drink in front of the Duke. The Duke resumed the conversation that had been briefly interrupted by this.

"Young lady, I don't know if you know this, but the West is quite rough. She grew up lonely in a place where she didn't even have peers, so honestly, I'd rather you be her friend than her manners teacher."

"I apologize, Your Excellency the Duke."

"Does that mean a refusal?"

“Yes.”

“Why?”

"I don't think I'll get close to the Duke's daughter."

“Is it a feeling?”

“It’s a hunch.”

"Oh dear, that is truly regrettable news for both my daughter and me."

Previous                    Next