NOCEH~16

CHAPTER~16

“N-No way!

It’s absolutely not because of you, Mela, so don’t be upset.

It breaks Auntie’s heart when you cry.”

I didn’t know how much Mela had overheard, but she kept asking if it was all because of her, wearing such a guilty expression that it felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart.

I hurried over, pulled her into my arms, and gently patted her back.

“Then… did you get into a fight with that handsome Black Duke?

It’s not because of me, right?”

“Yeah.

I’ve never gotten along with that man anyway, so it’s fine.”

“…Huh?

Really?”

I must have answered a little too honestly without thinking.

Mela sniffled, tilting her head in confusion.

Unable to watch any longer, Hubert cut in with a pointed remark.

“You’re remarkably honest with a child, My Lady.”

I deliberately ignored him, cleared my throat, and tried to salvage the situation.

“Ahem!

What I mean is… um…

It’s simply not something you need to worry about, Mela.

Haha.

Okay?”

“Hmm, but to me it looked like Mister Duke really likes you, Auntie…”

“What?!”

I was so shocked by what she said that I ended up shouting right in front of her.

“Eek!”

Mela shrank her shoulders and hurriedly covered both ears.

“Mela, I’m sorry!”

I apologized over and over while patting her back to calm her down.

Though, honestly, I was probably the one who needed calming down the most.

Her words had completely caught me off guard.

People always said children could notice things adults overlooked, but this was ridiculous.

I knew it was only a childish assumption born from not knowing the history between Frezen Decart and me.

Still, a suspicion naturally surfaced.

Had Frezen said something to Mela behind my back?

Judging from his recent behavior, it wouldn’t be out of character for him.

Otherwise, why would Mela keep bringing him up?

“Anyway, the Duke Decart and I are absolutely not the kind of relationship you think we are!

So don’t misunderstand, okay, Mela?”

But for some reason, unlike usual, Mela refused to back down.

Perhaps because of that, the way she stubbornly pursed her lips felt especially irritating today.

“But I’m telling the truth!

The Duke was really worried about you.

Doesn’t that mean he likes you, Auntie?”

“Well… that’s not it…”

How could I clear up her misunderstanding without shattering her innocent view of the world?

Then again, maybe it was already too late to convince Mela, who believed it so firmly.

“Actually, I already know!

You and the Duke used to date!”

…She already knew?

When on earth did she find out without me knowing?

The unexpected revelation left me unable to hide my surprise.

“Hahaha…

Our Mela.

However did you learn that?”

“Well, the head butler grandpa told me.

And the maids too!”

Honestly, not a single helpful person around here.

I forced an awkward smile and shot Hubert a glare.

He simply shrugged with shameless composure.

“Helping children learn about the world early is also part of a butler’s duty, Countess.

Though you may rest easy.

I did not tell her that the two of you got married and divorced.”

“You just did, Hubert.”

“Ah.”

I swear…

Still, looking at it positively, perhaps this was for the best.

Now that Mela roughly understood what kind of relationship Frezen and I had shared, she probably wouldn’t call him “Daddy!” ever again.

Of course, because of our agreement, we could never become complete strangers again.

But at the very least, I intended to make sure Mela never met him again.

If she started getting strange ideas about being his real daughter or something, I might truly lose my mind.

“Anyway, Mela.

How are you feeling?

Are you a little better?”

Trying to clear my cluttered thoughts, I hurriedly changed the subject.

Seeing her here after spending days confined to bed, she had clearly improved.

Mela nodded and answered brightly.

“Yeah.

I’m better because you and the maids took care of me.

But the right side of my neck still stings a little.”

“Your neck?

Let me see.”

I immediately examined it.

The red rash had faded, but it hadn’t disappeared completely.

“Auntie…

Do you think I’ll get better?

I still feel dizzy…”

“Don’t worry, Mela.

Auntie will make sure you’re completely cured.”

Hearing those words come out of my own mouth, I felt terrible for having suspected her, even for a brief moment.

‘With this much mana, it means it can be controlled to some extent.

The body… and perhaps even illness.’

No.

That was absurd.

Even if someone possessed an enormous amount of mana, who would deliberately do such a thing?

Fortunately, I had managed to obtain a small amount of Andra fruit.

I needed to develop the antidote as soon as possible.

First, I had to remove its toxicity.

As I impatiently thought about curing Mela as quickly as I could, her voice reached my ears.

“By the way…

Does that mean you and the Duke will never fall in love again?

Like before?”

“…H-Huh?”

Mela blinked her big eyes innocently.

Just when I thought I had successfully changed the topic, we were right back to it, and a headache immediately started forming.

“The head butler grandpa said you and the Duke were childhood friends.

If you were friends and even got married, doesn’t that mean you were really close?”

Ugh.

Just look at those innocent eyes.

They were so clear and sincere that I almost felt guilty telling her the truth adults knew.

“I like the Black Duke…

I mean, Duke Decart…”

“Why?”

I asked sincerely, genuinely curious as Mela pouted in disappointment.

What exactly was there to like about stubborn, prickly, and taciturn Frezen?

“Because the Duke is handsome!”

The answer came without a moment’s hesitation, leaving me speechless.

Surely the reason she’d suddenly called him “Daddy!” that day wasn’t simply because he matched her taste?

Then again, children did have strange preferences sometimes.

Completely oblivious to my inner turmoil, Mela beamed.

“And he looks super rich too!

Auntie Evlyen, why don’t we just live with the Duke?

Then maybe the Leella family can finally escape being poor!”

“What?

Absolutely not!

Over my dead body…”

That was when Hubert finally decided to butt in.

“Shall I fetch some dirt for your eyes, Countess?”

I silently cursed him with my eyes before turning back to Mela.

“And…”

Mela hiccupped as if she were about to cry.

Her chubby fingers fidgeted nervously before she cautiously spoke.

“The Duke promised me he’d protect you, Auntie…”

“…”

I couldn’t answer.

Time passed.

Before I knew it, night had fallen.

“…”

Everyone else was asleep, but I couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

Instead, I remained in my study, finishing the work I had left undone.

“Ugh…

Finally finished.”

I always liked the scratchy sound of my quill gliding across paper.

Only after signing the last document did I stretch and roll my stiff neck.

‘The Duke promised me he’d protect you, Auntie…’

Perhaps because of the quiet stillness of the night, Mela’s words echoed in my ears once more.

It had been such a simple sentence, yet it felt as though my heart had dropped into my stomach.

‘Even if I can’t make you smile, I can protect you for the rest of your life, Evlyen.’

He had said the same thing back then.

The memory suddenly resurfaced, filling me with bitterness.

I forcibly shut my eyes, trying to push the thoughts away and fall asleep.

“Protect me?

Yeah, right.”

“Countess, more letters have arrived.

Quite a few this time, surprisingly.”

I had only meant to rest my eyes for a moment, but I’d ended up falling asleep in the chair.

My entire body ached, from my arms to my neck.

As I stretched to wake myself up, Hubert approached carrying several letters.

“Thanks, Head Butler.”

Just as he’d said, there were quite a few.

Well, only four.

But for a family like ours, whose social connections had almost completely disappeared, that was extraordinary.

I looked through them one by one before stopping at a letter bearing an unfamiliar seal.

I’d definitely seen that crest somewhere before…

Yet no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t remember.

As I tilted my head, Hubert, who had quietly stepped beside me, spoke.

“Now then…

Isn’t that the crest of a noble house, Countess?”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.

I just can’t remember whose it is.

Well, I’ll find out soon enough.”

Without giving it much thought, I broke the seal and slowly began reading.

“To the esteemed Countess Leella.

I imagine this sudden letter must come as quite a surprise.

Perhaps it is presumptuous of me to write to you in such a manner.

Yet my heart simply would not settle, leaving me no choice but to write this letter.

The truth is, I fell in love with you at first sight.

No, even before you became the Countess—back when you were still Lady Leella.

Your beautiful golden-blonde hair, as radiant as sunlight, and your even brighter smile captivated me.

I know someone as insignificant as myself could never dare approach you.

Even so, I wished to convey my sincere feelings.

If only I might receive a single line in reply…

No.

If you would grant me the honor of meeting you even once, it would mean the world to me.”

“No way…”

Only after reaching the final period did I realize this wasn’t an ordinary letter.

In other words…

It was a love letter.