Chapter 59
｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Sienna ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
Thunk, roll.
Something rolled towards her.
It was…
‘Candy?’
It was a very small candy, wrapped in yellow wrapping paper.
Well, more precisely, something that appeared to be candy.
‘Why is this suddenly…?’
Vanier noticed a similar candy on the princess’s desk.
It seems the candies on the desk must have fallen due to her moving things around.
Though her heart raced, thankfully she hadn’t been caught by the lady.
‘Above all, I have the letter in my hands.’
Vanier checked the letter.
There was no address or sender written on it, but the seal had the green snake insignia of the Peregrine family.
Moreover, the paper seemed quite old.
It was undoubtedly the letter Daphne had mentioned.
She wanted to open it and check the contents, but then it would be obvious that she had read it first.
“Let’s wait a bit. There’ll likely be a dramatic scene unfolding.”
Vanier chuckled sinisterly as she tucked the letter into her robe.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The next morning.
Vanier busily helped prepare the Duke’s breakfast.
Despite staying up almost until dawn and not having slept a wink worrying about someone else aiming for the letter, she didn’t feel tired at all.
Thinking about what was about to unfold before her, staying up all night was nothing.
“Please, have a seat, Your Grace.”
Vanier said, adopting a kinder tone than before as she assisted the Duke to his seat.
As soon as the Duke sat down, Daphne appeared as if she had been waiting.
“Good morning, Grandfather,”
Normally, that title wouldn’t sit well with Vanier, but she managed to force a smile.
‘That fool. She doesn’t even realize what she’s about to lose.’
Vanier smirked inwardly.
The Duke narrowed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.
“…You don’t seem well.”
“Hm? Oh… I just didn’t sleep well last night.”
“You didn’t sleep well?”
“No, I was busy playing with a mouse.”
Daphne chuckled meaningfully along with her cryptic words.
The Duke narrowed his eyes as if to ask what she meant, but said nothing.
As Daphne and the Duke continued their meal, a servant whispered something to the butler, Harlan.
“Now?” Harlan asked, and the servant nodded.
“Excuse me.”
Harlan quietly exited the dining room.
After a while, Harlan returned and addressed the Duke.
“Count Drave has arrived, Your Grace.”
The Duke’s eyebrows twitched slightly with mild displeasure.
“…suddenly showing up without any prior notice. Such a disrespectful attitude lacks manners.”
“He said he discovered a new herb in another country, but it has a short shelf life, so he thought you should see it soon.”
Harlan whispered softly.
“…he added that it might be good for the Duke.”
“…Hmm.”
Then Duke Peregrine’s eyes deepened. His gaze was still not entirely pleased.
However, as there was no reason to object, the Duke simply nodded without saying anything further.
After the meal, Daphne rose from her seat first.
Vanier watched her retreat with satisfaction, her lips curling into a pleased smile.
‘You see? It’s me who gets to stay by the Duke’s side at this crucial moment.’
“Please be careful standing up, Your Grace.”
Vanier said as she and Harlan supported the Duke, leading him into the parlor.
There, Count Drave sprang up to greet them. Unlike usual, he was grinning ear to ear.
“I found it; I found it; I found Amila’s letter!”
Before arriving at the estate, he received word from Vanier that she had found the letter.
Vanier, whom he had introduced to him, had found the letter from his late daughter.
This was a gift worth more than a fortune.
‘So I can use this as an opportunity to maintain a connection with the Peregrines.’
And if he played his cards right, perhaps even the dukedom…
Count Drave bowed politely, trying to hide the sinister inner thoughts that threatened to leak out.
“It’s been a while, Your Grace. Thank you for welcoming me despite the sudden visit.”
“Whether my generosity continues remains to be seen,”
The Duke firmly cut off the Count’s pleasantries.
It meant he wouldn’t let it slide if the reasons were frivolous.
However, the Count didn’t lose his smile.
‘Soon his face will be distorted with grief.’
The Count turned to Vanier with that thought.
“Vanier, you seem to be doing well. Are you diligently carrying out your duties?”
“I’m still lacking in many ways, but I’m working hard to not be a burden to His grace.”
A fake, but unremarkable, conversation ensued.
“That’s good to hear, for it’s not often that someone stays by the Duke’s side for so long.”
The Count spoke, his voice full of admiration.
“It seems that His Grace regards you like his own granddaughter. Haha.”
“Count,”
Harlan called the Count in a low voice. It was a sign to refrain from futile jokes.
But the Duke’s expression remained unchanged. This caused the Count’s lips to curl in satisfaction.
The Duke’s silence was an affirmation. It meant they were likely on the same page.
Now was their chance. The Count winked at Vanier.
Sensing his gaze, Vanier cleared her throat and spoke up.
“Ahem, Your Grace. There’s something I’d like to show you.”
She said in a kind, soft voice.
“I found it by accident… and thought you should see it, Your Grace.”
As she spoke, she reached for something in the folds of her apron.
But at that moment…
“Ah, there you are.”
A gentle voice descended upon them from above.
Daphne was approaching them.
“Hello, Count Drave. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Ah… Hello, Your Ladyship,”
Count Drave forced a smile and greeted reluctantly.
“But what brings you here…?”
“I heard that you took care of my mother’s health. I wanted to thank you.”
Daphne smiled brightly as she said it.
This caused a flicker of panic to cross the Count’s face.
The situation would be awkward if someone else read Amila’s letter in front of Daphne, her daughter.
‘What is she up to now…’
Meanwhile, Vanier, who had been biting her lip, soon put on a smile again.
The Duke still didn’t know about the letter’s existence. So even if Daphne asked where this letter came from, she could simply plead ignorance.
Naturally, Daphne would get angry and reveal her true nature, which she had kept hidden all this time.
And the Duke would see it for himself.
Between the caregiver, who had dutifully performed her duties, and the granddaughter, who suddenly appeared acting familiar, it was obvious which one would be seen as the victim.
With Vanier smiling as if everything were fine, the Count remained silent.
Seeing their unspoken agreement, Daphne naturally took her seat.
“So, what were you talking about?”
“Vanier said he had something to show the Duke.”
“Really?”
Daphne’s gaze turned to Vanier at Harlan’s words.
Vanier straightened her posture and pulled out from her apron what she had been holding—a letter with the family crest stamped on the outside.
“No, this is…”
“I found this letter. I happened to come across it while cleaning,” Vanier replied quietly, glancing at Daphne.
Daphne’s previously gentle smile had turned rigid.
Vanier suppressed a laugh that threatened to escape.
‘You should have locked your doors better.’
Although she wanted to openly mock her, it was more important to sway the Duke’s emotions first.
Sure enough, the Duke’s face stiffened. Sensing this, the Count urged her on.
“Vanier, go ahead. Please read it.”
“Yes.”
Vanier slowly tore open the letter.
At the top of the letter, it read:
[Dear Duke,]
For a letter from a daughter to her father, it was quite formal.
But since the Duke was a rather stern person, Vanier likely thought nothing of it as she began reading the letter.
“Dear Duke, it has been a long time since I last wrote to you. I have wanted to keep in touch, but I lacked the opportunity and courage. I am truly sorry.”
“Oh, my goodness,”
The Count muttered, his face a mixture of brokenness and sadness.
Such a reaction was necessary to make the situation seem more heartfelt.
In response, Vanier’s voice began to convey emotion as well.
“The reason I wrote this letter personally is because I have something to tell you. That is…”
At that moment, Vanier’s voice, which had been reading the letter, abruptly stopped.
Furthermore, her hand holding the letter began to tremble.
The Count, who was waiting for an appropriate reaction, gave her a questioning glance.
The Duke and Harlan, who had always maintained an impassive expression, also looked at Vanier with curiosity.
But Vanier couldn’t easily continue speaking.
The person who stole the letter last night, Vanier, was also reading it.
Everything she had done wrong was written clearly in the letter.
‘What on earth…!’
Surely, this must be a letter from Amila Peregrine…!
Vanier stood there, trembling, unable to say a word.
“What’s wrong, Vanier?”
The gentle voice sent a shiver down Vanier’s spine.
As she looked up with trembling eyes, there she saw…
“Is there something strange written on it?”
Daphne had a faint smile on her lips, visible only to her.
It was the smile of someone who knew everything.
‘And that thing in Daphne’s hand is…’
It was the candy that had fallen on the floor last night.
That’s when Vanier realized.
The letter was supposedly left by Amelia Peregrine, unknown to the Duke.
The mysterious words she had left lured Vanier into her own room.
And even calling the Count, her accomplice.
‘All of this…’
It was a trap set by Daphne to catch her.
As Vanier’s face turned pale, Daphne twisted her lips and smiled.
‘You thought it was a real letter, didn’t you?’
But how…
The letter contained Vanier’s confession in her own handwriting.
‘No wonder she’s glaring at me like she’s going to kill me.’
But she didn’t write a single lie.
Daphne smiled slyly as she met Vanier’s terrified gaze.
