Chapter 16
Friday Family Dinner
A chilling glare swept over Eleanor as if it would devour her. It was so intense that even the maids carrying the food became more nervous.
‘It’s like he’s saying he won’t let me off if even the slightest bit of this is my fault.’
Eleanor easily inferred what her father was thinking.
She had already prepared an explanation. Conveniently, there were many maids in the dining room to relay her words, and there was no Nora to needlessly argue. It was the perfect environment to speak.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you, Father.”
“Forget the apologizes. Just explain.”
“A few days ago, I suggested to Arlo that we go to the ball together in order to mend our relationship. Arlo agreed, and I tried to behave wisely, just like you advised me. But for some reason, despite being my partner, Arlo ignored me the entire evening. When I tried to talk to him, he brushed me off. When I reached for his hand, he roughly pushed me away. It was truly humiliating.”
Her father was not the type of man who could empathize with feelings of shame or anything of the sort. Still, Eleanor had deliberately mentioned it because she was conscious of the other ears around them.
From what Eleanor had observed, the younger maids working in the duke’s residence loved hearing about men, especially stories about bad boys and the spiteful women who snatched them away. They would become irritated and act as though it were their personal issue.
The maid now setting the table was no different. Although she pretended not to be interested and looked away, she was undoubtedly listening in on the conversation.
“But later, I found out that Arlo acted that way because of a promise he made to Nora. Apparently, before the ball, Nora told Arlo not to talk to me or dance with me. He must have taken her words to heart because his feelings for Nora seem much stronger than we thought.”
The Duke of Astria’s eyebrows furrowed deeply, and a sharp glint flickered in his violet eyes. He was visibly displeased by Nora’s manipulation, yet at the same time, he seemed to be pondering something.
Eleanor noticed this and added a bit of exaggeration to her story with satisfaction.
“There were so many nobles present, and yet Arlo even mentioned Nora’s name. Imagine how much she must mean to him.”
“The prince mentioned Nora? Not you?”
“Yes… Or did Arlo tell you that I mentioned her?”
“Yes, he did. He used your mistake as an excuse to push for a tutor to prepare Nora for her debut this season. The nerve of that brat…”
“How could he tell such a lie! Father, you know my personality well. When have I ever spoken recklessly?”
The duke thought back to the way his daughter had conducted herself thus far.
Eleanor was generally a quiet and obedient daughter. Like her father, she only spoke when necessary and with a measure of wisdom.
On the other hand, the prince was constantly moving from one party to another, spouting needless chatter. Thanks to his outstanding looks, society had branded him as a prince who could be fearsome when angry, but also witty and charming. But to the Duke of Astria, Arlo was nothing more than a brash boy obsessed with his own arrogance, someone who didn’t know the meaning of self-control. A young fool who could cause trouble at any moment.
“Even if I was the one humiliated, I would be the one most affected if word about Nora got out. Why would I bring her up first?”
This, too, was a reasonable argument. Eleanor was smart enough not to act so carelessly.
“It’s one thing to disgrace me, but to lie to you, Father? How could he? Even if he’s blinded by love, he should at least have basic decency…”
The duke clenched his teeth with a grinding sound.
‘How dare they mock me? After all, who was it that put him in his place?’
Rage boiled from the deepest part of his chest, heating his throat as he boiled at the audacity of the prince and the scheming woman who used him.
Now that he had already promised to assign Nora a tutor, there was no taking it back. Even though he knew Arlo had lied, there was no way to prove it. It wasn’t like he could go around questioning each noble who had secretly attended the masquerade.
In other words, the prince had successfully tricked him.
Bang! The Duke of Astria slammed his fist on the table. The plates, filled with carefully prepared dishes, clattered loudly against each other.
The maids, startled, quickly retreated. Judging by their expressions, they would have preferred to leave the dining room altogether to avoid the duke’s wrath, but they couldn’t since they had to continue serving.
‘That’s enough to make him angry.’
Eleanor continued to feign sadness while carefully watching the duke’s boiling expression.
Although much of the information suggested that Nora was indeed his real daughter, for some reason, the duke refused to acknowledge her.
People would gossip, saying things like, “The bond you form while raising a child is hard to break.”
What nonsense. Eleanor found it laughable.
Her father was simply weighing his options.
Which one is more useful? Which choice would yield the highest price?
‘It’s about time to start making my move.’
Eleanor took a warm sip of tea to soothe her throat, then spoke again in a sorrowful and pitiful voice.
“Father, is the duchess that Astria needs… really me?”
“…What are you saying?”
“I love Astria dearly, and it pains me to say this, but… I’m losing confidence. I overheard the maids saying that Nora is smarter and more capable than me. They said if she received proper education, she could perform the role of duchess well, and she seems very eager to contribute to Astria.”
Though Eleanor had never directly heard such comments, it was easy to imagine Nora’s followers spreading such gossip among the staff. In truth, Nora was somewhat clever, though whether she was wise was another matter.
“Arlo’s heart is with Nora, and now that the rumors are out… I’m not sure if it’s really in Astria’s best interest for me to remain in this position.”
Eleanor bit her lip as if holding back tears.
“Maybe it would be better for me to step aside, and for Nora to marry Arlo as the duchess of Astria. That might be more beneficial for the family…”
She deliberately avoided mentioning anything about who was the true or false daughter, making it seem like she was willingly sacrificing herself for the sake of Astria, unable to bear Nora’s wickedness.
As she had planned, her words shocked everyone present.
For someone who had lived their whole life with noble status to willingly give it all up for the sake of Astria—such a noble sacrifice! To the maids, it was nothing short of admirable. In their minds, they silently cursed the unfaithful prince and scorned the scheming Nora, while elevating Eleanor to near saint-like status.
But the Duke of Astria’s thoughts were different from the servants’.
‘What if Nora is the real one?’
Of course, he had considered this possibility. Dozens, hundreds of times, in fact. And every time, he had always concluded that it was better for Eleanor to be the true daughter.
However, seeing how things had developed recently and after hearing Eleanor’s words, a different possibility started to emerge.
What if Nora truly were the real one?
The Duke reevaluated this possibility as he slowly looked Eleanor over.
The daughter he had raised was beautiful and elegant. Even without the royal family, she could fetch a high price elsewhere.
“…You’re truly considerate, Ellie. I’m moved as your father by how well you’ve grown.”
The businessman in him had made a quick decision and spoke again.
“Perhaps, as you said, that might be what’s best for Astria. But even if Nora is recognized as the true daughter, you won’t be cast out of this household, so don’t worry.”
“…What?”
“We can simply say that we adopted you from a distant relative. Falsifying some documents isn’t difficult. Even if things change, not much will be different for you. We can always find another marriage arrangement.”
“Marriage arrangement…?”
“It may not be with the royal family, but I’ll make sure it’s a good match. So, don’t worry too much.”
The duke nodded lightly and continued.
“Ellie. Do you really think I would abandon you?”
His voice sounded unexpectedly kind. His assurances that not much would change, even if she wasn’t his real daughter, almost sounded touching.
“Of course, Father wouldn’t do that.”
As expected.
Eleanor was his most valuable asset. He had invested too much in her to simply discard her because of recent events. He wouldn’t let her go until he had recouped his investment.
When he said, “Not much will change,” that’s what he meant.
‘Which means I need to keep working.’
She needed to push him to the point where he had no choice but to let her go.
She needed to become a burden, a liability—something no longer worth keeping.
“For now, let’s eat. The chef has put a lot of effort into preparing this meal, and it’s getting cold.”
“Yes, Father.”
Still wearing a sorrowful expression, Eleanor nodded politely.
At that moment, Damian finally arrived, signaling a shift in the atmosphere.
“Father, I’m sorry I’m late. I stayed up late reading and studying, so I overslept…”
“Tsk, come and sit.”
“Yes. Good morning, Sister. Hmm, you look a little tired. Are you feeling unwell?”
His face showed a hint of amusement as he tilted his head and asked. There was no way he hadn’t heard the rumors circulating around the capital. It seemed he was enjoying having found something to tease her about.
“I just didn’t sleep well.”
“Well, make sure to get enough rest.”
However, he wasn’t foolish enough to provoke her openly in front of their father. He settled for a smug grin and let the matter drop.
With the tension seemingly resolved, the servants followed Damian into the dining room and resumed serving the meal as usual.
Just as the dreadful family dinner was about to resume, an interruption occurred.
“Master, excuse me for a moment.”
The duke’s personal servant cautiously approached.
“What is it?”
“Well, sir… there is…”
“There is what?”
The servant hesitated, seemingly struggling to find the right words.
But before he could finish, an unexpected visitor poked their head through the door, announcing their presence.
“Um, it’s me, Nora.”
Her innocent face peeked through her golden hair.
“Would it be alright if I joined you for the meal?”
