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chapter 18
Before speaking to me, the lady who recommended Miss Renold sneakily glanced at the faces of the people gathered around the table. She was probably checking whether anyone present had ties to the Attley family.
“To be honest, Miss Renold endured all that because she’s such a good girl.”
Fortunately, there was no one like that, and the lady spoke. She lowered her voice, perhaps just in case.
“I heard the Attley family said to send her over as soon as she recovered, but who would want to return to that house with that devilish brat? I hope, for the sake of good Miss Renold, that the Winchester family hires her properly.”
Whether it was because they were acquainted or because Miss Renold’s reputation was truly good, she eagerly voiced her opinion.
“I’ll try to get in touch.”
I, too, felt a pang of sympathy thinking that Miss Renold had suffered at the hands of Daniel’s reckless ex-husband and wanted to meet her.
And considering she had endured so much from that scoundrel, I couldn’t help but imagine she must be a very diligent person.
“You’re really dedicated, aren’t you?”
As I listened seriously to the ensuing discussion among the ladies about raising children and famous tutors, someone suddenly spoke from beside me.
By the words alone, it sounded like a compliment, but the tone had a sharp edge that made it clear it was anything but.
When I turned my head, unsurprisingly, a woman with a mocking smile stared at me.
“Even so, it won’t make much difference. Everyone knows Lord Winchester isn’t particularly interested in that girl, so there’s no need to pretend to care so much about her.”
…? What did she just say?
“She’s a child of unknown origin anyway. There are even rumors that she’s not really Lord Winchester’s daughter. They say he just took pity on an orphan he met on the battlefield and brought her home.”
…? Seriously, what is she saying?
“And she doesn’t really resemble Lord Winchester either, does she?”
As if she thought this would drive her point home, she let out a smirk after saying it. And naturally, I understood the meaning behind her words and expression:
That Daniel might not be Lord Winchester’s daughter.
Unlike me, who was angered by the woman’s insinuation about Daniel’s origins, the other ladies began whispering among themselves.
“Well, there is that rumor, isn’t there?”
“Other than the same blue eyes, she doesn’t really resemble him. Even the eyes—Lord Winchester’s eyes are that light, almost piercing blue, while the girl’s are a deeper shade of blue, aren’t they?”
“Oh my, have you actually seen the rumored daughter? I’ve never even caught a glimpse of her; the late Lady Winchester hid her so thoroughly.”
“Long ago, I was invited to the mansion by Lady Winchester and caught a brief glimpse. Come to think of it, her hair was platinum blonde. There has never been a platinum blonde in the Winchester family before.”
“That’s true. That hair color isn’t common, right? Blonde itself is rare, but platinum blonde? Impossible, unheard of.”
“Then, perhaps her hair resembles her birth mother’s?”
The conversation, which had been buzzing, gradually turned toward speculating about Daniel’s mother. Unable to find the right moment to intervene, I was swept along by the flow of discussion, my fists clenching under the table with tension.
“Um, does anyone know anything about Daniel’s real mother?”
The chatter suddenly ceased. Instead, the ladies exchanged glances with me or each other, silently gauging reactions.
“From what I’ve heard, she was the child of a maid who once worked for the Winchester family.”
The first to speak was the lady who had recommended Miss Renold. Perhaps she wasn’t actually close to Miss Renold but was just someone who talked a lot.
“She was a very beautiful maid and got close to the young master she served. But as soon as she had the child, the late Lady Winchester reportedly kicked her out of the mansion immediately.”
“That’s different from what I’ve heard. I was told that Lord Winchester fell in love at first sight with a very beautiful foreign woman on the battlefield, and they had a child together. That ethnicity is known for blonde or platinum blonde hair.”
“Oh my, that’s different from what I’ve heard! I heard it was a beautiful priestess and the young Lord Winchester who had a child together. Remember when Lord Winchester briefly served as a guard at the temple? The child is six years old this year, so it lines up perfectly.”
“Oh my! That’s true! Then who is this priestess? Is she still at the temple?”
“Oh, how could the priestess who bore the child still be at the temple? She would have been dismissed long ago.”
Each lady shared her own version of Daniel’s mother, but they were all just suspicions or hearsay. Nobody knew for certain.
However, there was a commonality in the guesses:
‘Very beautiful,’ and ‘unknown.’
It was a natural assumption. Seeing Daniel’s beauty and charm even at a young age, it was easy to imagine that her mother must have been stunning.
Even if one didn’t know Daniel well, anyone aware of how handsome Lord Winchester is would naturally imagine a remarkable beauty as his partner.
‘Who could it possibly be?’
I wondered. The woman who must be so very different from an ordinary person like me.
“She’s just an adopted child, that’s all.”
The rude young lady who had spoken first boldly reiterated her opinion.
“If she weren’t, then why would the late Lady Winchester have hidden the child so thoroughly? And Lord Winchester himself? He knows the rumor exists but doesn’t exactly deny it. Clearly, she isn’t his blood.”
Ah, seriously! Does she think she can just spout nonsense and it counts as truth?!
“Excuse me!”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer and shouted.
“Have you actually seen our Daniel?”
The woman glared at me instead of answering. She hadn’t seen her, clearly.
“Our Daniel resembles Lord Winchester so much! If you’d seen her, you wouldn’t say such things. Do you know how pretty and cute she is? Her hair is smooth and shiny like it was woven from morning dew! You mentioned her eyes earlier, right? Sure, they’re slightly different from Lord Winchester’s vivid blue, but those deep, lake-like blue eyes are so clear and beautiful! Her round, adorable eyes—there’s no way to even describe it! And her nose! She’s still young, but her nose is already well-formed, clearly inherited from Lord Winchester. You know how sharp and sleek his nose is—it’s so fine a fly would slip off! Our Daniel’s nose is sharp, her nostrils are cute, and her round tip is adorable! And her soft, plump, firm cheeks are utterly addictive. Her tiny, chubby fingers are so cute, and watching her walk on those little legs and feet makes you think a doll is moving on its own. Our Daniel is truly… perfect! Absolutely! Too! Cute!”
By the end, I couldn’t contain my excitement, clenching my fists and standing up abruptly.
“……”
Silence fell across the table.
Ah… maybe I got a bit too carried away.
“Ahem, ahem. Anyway, that’s how it is.”
I sat down gracefully again, extended my pinky elegantly, and sipped my tea.
Phew~ this house makes good tea~
