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Chapter : 07
‘I wonder who this person is…?’
The moment I saw the woman’s face, I immediately recognized who she was.
Because she looked exactly like Sally.
“The young lady already has another schedule today.”
She was Margaret, Rachel’s nanny—and Sally’s mother.
At her words, Rachel closed her slightly opened mouth.
I glanced back and forth between Rachel and Margaret with half-lidded eyes.
‘Even if she’s trying to protect Rachel, does that mean she can just ignore Rachel’s opinion completely?’
No matter how I looked at it, Rachel’s expression clearly seemed like she wanted to go outside.
I’ve never raised a child in either my past life or this life, so I don’t know much.
But I could tell for sure that Margaret’s attitude was not that of a proper guardian.
“Well… but I still have some time left before my tea time with you, right? Can’t I go and come back before that?”
I put on an innocent childlike face and started lightly provoking Margaret.
A person’s true nature shows not when they are smiling, but when they are angry.
“Today’s outing is not possible. Do you have trouble understanding what I’m saying?”
“Then would it be okay if I get permission from the Duke and come back?”
At my words—spoken as if I were a harmless child—Margaret’s expression twisted sharply.
What I had just said could be interpreted as:
‘Your opinion doesn’t matter anyway, right? As long as the Duke agrees.’
Of course, I was just a nine-year-old girl in appearance, so it might seem like I meant no harm.
‘But that’s exactly why it’s more infuriating.’
That even a nine-year-old would ignore her authority like this.
And just as I expected, Margaret dropped her gentle nanny act and spoke coldly.
“It seems you don’t understand yet, but I am the one responsible for the young lady’s entire education. My word is essentially the Duke’s word. Do you understand now?”
Oh, so I’m being treated like a clueless child.
But inside this body is someone with memories from a past life—not just a nine-year-old.
‘Hmph, I won’t fall for that kind of gaslighting. The problem is…’
I glanced at Rachel, who was watching this situation unfold.
Rachel hadn’t protested that she wanted to go out.
That meant she accepted the nanny’s words, no matter her true feelings.
‘If I clash with the nanny here, Rachel will only end up resenting me.’
For now, just learning that the nanny wasn’t a good person was already a big gain.
‘Maybe I should step back for now.’
Just as I was about to de-escalate the situation—
“Now that I think about it, have I ever stopped that child from going out?”
A shadow fell from the staircase.
“…The Duke?!”
The Duke appeared.
Margaret’s face turned pale the moment she saw him.
“Y-Your Grace! I was only worried about the young lady…”
“If you’re that worried, then just assign more guards.”
The Duke said this while briefly looking at Rachel.
Rachel met his gaze for a moment, her eyes wavering—then quickly looked away.
‘I see… so in the original story, Rachel and the Duke didn’t get along.’
In the original, Rachel eventually goes dark, leaves the family, and cuts ties with her grandfather.
‘I thought they drifted apart after she went dark—but they were already distant from childhood.’
While I was observing Rachel, I suddenly felt a gaze and turned.
The Duke, having taken his eyes off Rachel, was now looking down at me with that same cold, piercing gaze.
I swallowed.
‘Is this what pressure feels like?’
His height made his intimidating gaze feel like it was pressing straight down on me.
Still, I didn’t look away and instead smiled innocently.
Somehow, it felt like I had to.
Like when facing a predator—you shouldn’t break eye contact.
After a moment of silence, the Duke spoke.
“If you want to go, then go.”
At those unexpectedly generous words, not only I but Sally and Margaret all widened their eyes.
“Of course, you must return before sunset.”
Margaret, recovering late, tried to object.
“H-However, Your Grace! The young lady has etiquette lessons in one hour—”
“Then move them to tomorrow.”
The Duke cut her off as if it were nothing.
“Owen. Prepare the carriage.”
Then he immediately gave orders and turned away.
‘Wow… this is the taste of power?’
As I stood there dazed by this unexpected stroke of luck, I finally noticed the looks from Sally and Margaret.
They were glaring at me like they wanted to kill me.
Seeing that, a new idea formed in my mind.
‘Seems like both of them just want to get rid of me.’
On the other hand, the Duke, for some reason, seemed to like me.
‘Should I play both sides?’
With a wicked smile, I quickly moved beside the Duke.
“Your Grace!”
He didn’t answer, only turned his head slightly to look at me.
I bowed politely.
“I wanted to greet you properly, but I couldn’t because you seemed busy.”
“I recall you already greeted me in the kitchen.”
“But that was just as Rachel’s playmate. This is the first time I’m formally greeting you.”
The Duke looked at me quietly, as if considering my words.
“My father taught me that when visiting a friend’s house for the first time, you should always introduce yourself properly.”
“You were raised under a good father.”
“So…”
I seized the moment.
“May I have dinner with you tonight?”
In short—it meant, “treat me to a meal.”
For anyone regardless of status, even among friends, this wasn’t common. If I weren’t a child, it would’ve sounded absurd.
Rachel looked at me in disbelief.
And Margaret, who had been watching me disapprovingly, immediately lashed out.
“As expected, I should never have allowed an uneducated commoner child in here—Your Grace, this child—”
But her attempt was cut off by the Duke’s hearty laughter.
Then—
“Very well.”
It was granted!
“There’s no reason I can’t share a meal with my granddaughter’s friend.”
Everyone in the room was shocked.
The Duke looked at me quietly for a moment, then turned and added:
“Owen, prepare a banquet.”
* * *
I thought I had finally succeeded in going out with Rachel…
“I’m not going.”
Even after getting the Duke’s permission and driving off the nanny and Sally, when we were finally about to leave—
the actual person involved refused to go!
‘Her eyes earlier clearly said she wanted to go outside…’
I looked at Rachel with half-lidded eyes, then suddenly remembered the original story.
“Why? Why don’t you want to go?”
“I just don’t.”
“There must be a reason you don’t want to go to the village, right? Tell me—I’ll fix it!”
As I pressed her, Rachel let out a reluctant sigh.
“It’s noisy and chaotic. I don’t like it.”
Hearing her answer, I was certain my guess was right.
She said she didn’t like it because it was noisy and chaotic, but in reality…
‘She’s afraid of people’s stares.’
Afraid the townspeople might recognize her.
Afraid they might whisper about her being the child of a traitor.
‘Maybe even that cold attitude is just a defense mechanism.’
Thinking that far, I felt a bit sorry for this sharp-tongued young lady.
“I can solve that. So don’t—”
“I can solve it!”
I shouted quickly before Rachel could turn away.
“I said I’d fix it, didn’t I?”
Rachel still looked unconvinced, but I smiled confidently.
“Just trust me.”
