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Chapter 39
“Thank you for coming all this way, Your Grace.”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Damon bowed respectfully toward the Duke.
‘Good, nothing to worry about.’
The Duke had been concerned that Damon might shout at Roze to leave, but he felt relieved that his worries were unnecessary. He looked at the Serviat family seated before him. Both Roze and Damon had swollen eyes, but Roze’s were the worst—so puffy she could barely open them. Seeing her like that, the Duke couldn’t help but laugh quietly.
“Kuk.”
Roze, sniffling and wiping her tears, looked up at the Duke’s laugh.
‘He’s not laughing at me, is he?’
But as she stared blankly, she realized with certainty that the laugh was directed at her. When their eyes met, the Duke chuckled again and turned his head, pressing his lips together to stop. He was truly grateful that someone had carried the injured Roze all the way here, but for some reason, that made the Duke’s laughter seem irritating. Still, Roze didn’t show her feelings—she didn’t have the courage to scold the Duke for laughing at her.
“How’s your body?”
The Duke asked without looking directly at her.
“I’m fine, thanks to you.”
“Truly, I am grateful, Your Grace. You carried our daughter all the way here.”
Rivera looked at the Duke with gratitude. The Serviat estate was quite far from the square. Because housing closer to the square was expensive, their fallen noble family had no choice but to settle in a quieter area. The estate itself wasn’t much to call a noble’s residence—it was closer to a cabin than a mansion. But for the two of them, it was adequate, with two floors and a basement.
“You arrived quicker than I expected.”
The Duke answered slowly, which made sense—he hadn’t walked but used teleportation.
“I’m sorry we have nothing ready for you. Please, have some food. We’ll prepare it quickly.”
“No, it’s fine.”
The Duke stood and shook his head, wanting to consider their feelings after such a long absence. But Rivera didn’t seem intent on letting him leave. She ran over, took his hand, and said:
“No, please sit. I’d be too upset if you left just like that.”
Her usual gentle demeanor made the Duke feel uneasy.
‘Damn it… with nothing in your head but pasta noodles. I could hang you upside down and feed you to the crows and still not feel satisfied.’
The Duke couldn’t shake the image of Rivera cursing him under her breath with that cold expression. She finally seated him and hurried to the kitchen.
“Please have something to eat. It would be disappointing to let you leave right after meeting again. As your teacher, Your Grace, it weighs on me to see you go without a proper meal.”
Damon emphasized the word “teacher” as he looked at the Duke. The Duke, awkwardly seated, exhaled and nodded.
“…Since it’s my teacher’s request, I’ll have a meal.”
The Duke straightened his posture. Roze, listening to their conversation, widened her eyes in surprise.
‘Roze’s father was the Duke’s teacher?’
She had no idea. The books never explained these connections in detail.
‘If he taught the Crown Prince, he must be exceptionally skilled in his field…’
Roze wondered what her father had taught, but asking now would seem odd. She pushed her curiosity aside.
“Still, it’s amazing. You remember the Duke? Well, maybe it’s natural… after all, you sang about the Crown Prince so much.”
“…Huh?”
Roze gave Damon a puzzled look. Remember the Duke? …Did we already know each other?
‘The Duke didn’t act like he knew me.’
Though he had addressed her as “Countess Wences,” it didn’t mean they had a childhood connection. She looked at the Duke in confusion, and he smiled subtly.
‘…What’s with that smile!’
“It seems I alone remember our childhood memories. Unfortunately, you have no recollection of me.”
The Duke shrugged nonchalantly. A cold sweat ran down Roze’s spine. Hearing about her unknown childhood made her feel dizzy.
‘No, calm down. If it’s just surprising that he remembers, our connection probably wasn’t that deep.’
She calmed her pounding heart by recalling Damon’s words.
“Darling, can you help carry the food?”
From the kitchen, Rivera called Damon. He immediately got up and went to help, breaking the conversation’s flow. Roze sighed in relief. Damon and Rivera returned carrying food in both hands. The aroma made her mouth water before she even realized it.
‘…It smells delicious.’
Roze, who hadn’t eaten since morning, eagerly looked at the dishes. Damon and Rivera kept placing food on the table until it was overflowing. A six-person table was fully covered with dishes, leaving no empty space.
“It’s hastily prepared, but please eat as much as you like.”
Rivera smiled shyly at the Duke and whispered to Roze: “Eat a lot too.” Roze clinked her cutlery together and took a spoonful of soup.
“Delicious…”
She hadn’t expected much from the countess, who likely had never cooked before, but it was surprisingly good. Roze ate quickly to satisfy her hunger.
“Darling, try this too.”
Rivera looked at her fondly. Then, slowly, she said:
“So, you have some happy news?”
Roze stopped eating and looked at her.
“The divorce news—is it true?”
“Oh, how did you know?”
Had the whole empire already heard? Roze widened her eyes, staring at her mother.
“The Duke told me when you collapsed.”
Damon, quietly eating, joined the conversation.
“If that’s the case, you might as well live well.”
He put down his cutlery and stared at Roze.
“Darling!”
Rivera glared at Damon, probably signaling him not to scold Roze.
‘She seems really angry… better apologize properly.’
In the original story, Roze had hurt their hearts. Although the circumstances differed, she hadn’t sought her parents for three years and knew how unfilial she had been.
“…I’m sorry for causing you so much worry.”
Roze fiddled with her nails and spoke quietly.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to you first.”
Her words of apology touched Damon, softening his once-gruff expression.
“I should have contacted you first, even if you left.”
“Are you sure about this? You didn’t just fight with that guy and leave?”
Damon eyed her skeptically. Roze, who had been staring at her fingers, lifted her gaze and spoke clearly to both Damon and Rivera.
“No. I’ll never return to the Wences household. I have no intention of nullifying this divorce.”
Rivera’s face lit up with joy. She stood and held Roze’s hands, overwhelmed with emotion.
“Good thinking, darling.”
Damon casually said to Roze:
“Yes, divorce isn’t a big deal. Just start fresh.”
He picked up a large piece of meat and, with a thud, placed it on Roze’s plate. Then he cut it into bite-sized pieces. Roze watched him silently. Damon noticed and cleared his throat, speaking sharply:
“Can’t even use a fork properly at your age?”
‘I was good with a fork!’
It seemed he was embarrassed but wanted to feed her. Rivera tapped Damon on the side and scolded gently:
“Enough, you’re seeing your daughter after three years.”
“I opposed the marriage until my eyes saw dirt, but she threw dirt in my eyes and left anyway. I warned her that one wrong step would sever our father-daughter bond, yet she ignored me and ran off to that scoundrel.”
Damon didn’t stop; he continued expressing his frustration. He recalled the day Roze picked up dirt and threw it in his eyes.
‘So, Father, are you satisfied now?’
Roze left, declaring she would become Roze Wences, soon to be married. Damon had no reason to forgive her easily.
…Roze, why did you do that? Why did you throw dirt in your parents’ eyes for that rogue Eric!
Roze couldn’t respond; she was clearly in the wrong. She had known from the novels that Roze had run away and even attempted suicide to marry Eric. But Damon’s account revealed facts she hadn’t known. She touched her forehead awkwardly.
The Duke’s gaze fell on her. She slowly turned and met his eyes.
“You were extreme.”
He stared firmly and pointed out her mistakes. Though it was the protagonist’s fault, not hers, she still felt a pang in her chest.
“I know.”
Roze pouted but whispered to the Duke, then decided to change the topic.
‘Better change the subject, or he’ll keep lecturing me about my past misdeeds all day.’
She forced a small, awkward smile and carefully spoke.
