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Chapter 29
“Do you think that’ll work?!”
Bang!
I slammed my head down again.
The maid flinched at my incomprehensible behavior, then quietly slipped out of the room—but I couldn’t do anything.
I had no idea what the Grand Duke was thinking.
No, he was far too different from the Leandro of the original story.
‘Is it because he pities me?’
Even if I hadn’t said it outright, the Grand Duke Leandro must have realized it by now.
That I’m not the villainess in the rumors, but rather a pitiful pawn used by the Count of Tekins.
‘It’s a bit much to say he’s just being nice because I’m his fiancée.’
If not out of pity, I couldn’t find another explanation for the current situation.
After all, pretending to be a fiancée only needs to happen in front of others.
So there was no reason to be this good to me in private.
‘Yeah, it must be pity.’
It must be because he pities me that His Grace the Grand Duke Leandro is being so generous.
“……”
I blankly stared at the certificate full of numbers, then folded it up.
I tucked it deep into the back of the desk drawer.
Oddly enough, the noise in my mind quieted instantly.
‘Guess I’ll eat something.’
Stretching my arms high above my head, I gave a long, refreshing yawn and stood up.
“Beloa.”
As I approached the bed, there she was—Beloa, fast asleep right in the middle of the mattress as always.
I sat down at the edge of the bed, smiling faintly.
She was so small, yet rolled around so energetically in her sleep.
We always started sleeping in the middle of the bed together, but when I woke up, I was always barely hanging on the edge.
‘How did I end up finding this cute?’
Beloa used to sleep curled up in a corner like she was afraid of being hit.
The fact that she could now sleep like this felt like a good sign.
Still, I wished she would eat a little more.
“Beloa, Beloa.”
“Mmm… uhh?”
“Wake up. It’s time for a meal.”
“Mm?”
“Food, food!”
“Maa…”
Seemingly hungry, Beloa sat up, mumbling something vaguely like what I said.
“Ahh.”
She groaned a few times, still not fully awake, then reached her arms toward me.
She wanted to be held.
“Let’s go.”
I gently lifted her up into my arms.
‘She really is light.’
All I did was share a bit of that “small tear,” and yet—
The heaviness in my body vanished, replaced by energy.
And Beloa seemed to be doing much better, too.
‘Thank goodness.’
I hugged Beloa tightly and slowly made my way down to the dining room.
Then I ran into someone.
“Sir Deann?”
“Lady Tekins.”
Deann immediately recognized me and bowed politely.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.”
I returned his greeting with a smile and asked gently,
“Um… Sir Deann, how is your younger brother doing?”
It wasn’t really a question I needed to ask.
After all, his expression said it all—he looked genuinely happy.
“He’s doing much better.”
As if he’d been waiting for me to ask, Deann answered with a beaming smile.
“As you said yesterday, I started feeding him little by little, and the effects were immediate. At first, even swallowing was difficult, but now he eats just fine. He can even move his head now.”
He couldn’t even move his head before?
I listened carefully and nodded.
“That’s great.”
“I’ve only been feeding him small amounts since he struggles to eat—will that be okay?”
“That’s fine.”
I continued walking as I answered.
“Focus on feeding him slowly. Since swallowing is hard, you can squeeze it into juice if needed.”
“I see.”
“But the best thing is still to feed him the whole fruit. Only use the juice method if there’s no other option. And don’t cook it—it loses half its effect once it’s heated!”
“Yes, understood!”
With a loud reply, Deann pulled out a small piece of paper from his inner pocket and began furiously writing down everything I said.
“Is there anything else I should do? Or anything else I should watch out for? I’d really appreciate your advice, Lady Tekins.”
His earnestness made me chuckle softly.
There was something likable about his sincerity.
“And one more thing…”
I added a few more tips I knew from the original novel about “Tears of Pluani,” then slipped in an extra comment.
“And you should take some too, Sir Deann.”
“Me?”
His pen, which had been scribbling at lightning speed, suddenly stopped.
“I don’t need it. I’m pretty sturdy, actually.”
“No, you should take it.”
I replied firmly.
“I know this might be sensitive, but such serious illnesses can sometimes run in families. Just in case, I recommend you take a little too.”
Even a small amount of Pluani’s Tears should help him recover without issues if he ever gets sick.
“I understand.”
When I spoke so seriously, Deann nodded without resistance.
“I’ll do that. And… there’s something I want to say, Lady Tekins.”
Deann tucked the paper back into his pocket and bowed deeply.
“Sir Deann?”
“I’m sorry.”
He bowed and apologized.
“You already knew, didn’t you? That I didn’t really like you.”
“Well…”
Only a fool wouldn’t have known. I trailed off, and Deann gave a bitter smile.
“I misunderstood. No, I knew I was wrong, but I still convinced myself otherwise.”
“……”
“For that… and for all the rudeness I’ve shown you until now, I sincerely apologize.”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly as I looked at him bowing.
I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t bothered me before.
‘But it’s not like I can stay mad when someone apologizes like this.’
And above all—wasn’t this that kind of development?
You know, the one where someone misunderstands you, apologizes, and then becomes one of your loyal allies?
I didn’t mind it.
“I accept your apology.”
I smiled brightly and asked,
“So, all your misunderstandings and doubts about me are cleared now, right?”
“Not quite.”
This jerk?
“To be honest, Lady Tekins, you’re hiding a lot. It’s hard to trust you blindly, especially with all the rumors about you being a villainess.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong. I nodded without thinking.
“But at the very least, I’ve realized one thing for sure: you’re not on anyone else’s side. You’re on His Grace Leandro’s side.”
Then he added,
“And I also believe that the things you can’t say… must be due to some serious reason.”
His eyes sparkled like someone who had finally found clarity.
“I misunderstood you before. That’s my fault.”
Deann continued,
“Lady Tekins, you’re a good person. So, from now on, I’d like to be on your side—as the fiancée of His Grace!”
He finished with a broad grin.
“I look forward to working with you, my lady!”
Hearing him change how he addressed me in real time, I blinked slowly.
Something feels off here. Hello?
