Chapter 148
She blinked for a moment.
What did that guy just say?
She pinched her cheeks in disbelief.
Well, it was real.
“…”
Still in front of her was Duke Regent on his knees. His face is expressionless, tears streaming down his face, and his hands are trembling slightly.
Why does he look so weak?
It felt so strange to see him sitting there looking like he could break down at any moment.
‘It doesn’t look right.’
Even in her mother’s memories, Duke Regent had fallen to his knees, but he had never cried. He never looked this regretful.
To be honest, she didn’t feel sorry for him.
Unlike his father, who was a victim of circumstance after circumstance, Duke Regent hadn’t caused it.
Still, this moment reminds her of a conversation she had with Duke Idikels one day.
“Don’t you hate Duke Regent? You said it’s been a long time since you’ve been able to return home because of him.”
“Yes, yes, I do, but I don’t know. I don’t hate him.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it painful to be unloved by someone you love?”
“Even if it’s self-inflicted?”
“Because to me, Duke Regent seems like a lonely, clumsy human being.”
She doesn’t know what made this redneck philanthropist tick, but it was a memorable conversation.
‘It would be easy to turn a blind eye.’
But she didn’t want to.
If she turned away, this man wouldn’t give up on her.
He’d hover around her, bump into her dad, and there was no guarantee he wouldn’t try to kidnap her again.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
This man looks like her.
Her former life, to be exact.
She projected her own memories of the past as she looked at the man who was constantly rejected, rejected, and tormented by her birth mother’s memories.
She remembered the long, dreary days of hovering on the periphery, hoping her mom would look back.
She knows what it’s like to stare at the back of someone who never looks at you for so long, it’s not easy to look away.
He’s a bad person.
Really bad.
But it still bothers her.
‘Ha, why am I so nice?’
As she held out her hand, she thought to myself, “If I hadn’t been so stuck in the past, so wrapped up in the hurt, none of this would be happening now.”
This was all because of some kid who couldn’t stand to leave her alone.
“…”
She looked at Duke Regent staring blankly at her palm, and she felt like she shouldn’t have.
Not long ago, she was the one who insisted on returning it.
‘I’m still a little embarrassed, shouldn’t I take it back?’
The moment she thought that, she was surprised by the tears that started falling like a faucet.
“Ugh, why are you crying like that, you’re a grown man, stop crying.”
“Because I thought you were going to die.”
“I’m so ridiculous. I didn’t even listen when you said you were sick.”
“…”
Duke Regent shut his mouth again, as if he had nothing to say, and she couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him.
The man who had never said a word to her was being dominated by her in such a one-sided way.
She felt a surge of power.
“It was wrong, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“You did a lot of things wrong, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“So you should be good to me, right?”
“… Yes.”
“Try.”
Sensing her finite attitude, Duke Regent turned to her with a sly glance.
“Does that mean I’ll forgive you?”
“I don’t think I can do that yet.”
“…”
“If you work hard to clear your karma, I’ll forgive you someday.”
It was strange to see him nodding as if he was relieved to hear that.
“So, do you accept it?”
Not so easily.
“If I make a few promises?”
“… Promises?”
“Listen to me.”
As if it were that easy, Duke Regent nodded immediately. She was so suspicious of his obedience that she added an extra word.
“You must listen very carefully, because if you don’t, I will never forgive you.”
“I will.”
“And don’t fight with my dad.”
“…”
Duke Regent’s eyes, which had been revitalized, lost their shine again. After a moment of silence, Duke Regent turned to Arellin and asked cautiously.
“Am I not allowed to return the favor?”
As she thought about it, it wasn’t just Duke Regent who hated her dad. Dad hated him, too.
“Hmm. Then I’ll take it as a mitigating circumstance.”
“And what else? Say more if you want.”
“Be polite to my mom and dad.”
“…”
Duke Regent’s expression hardened slightly. As if unsure of what he was thinking, he turned to Arellin.
“When you say mom, you mean Sir Mehen?”
“Yes.”
Who else could be her mom but Mehen?
Duke Regent’s expression crumbled at her confident answer, and he nodded, looking as if he’d been forced to accept something he found hard to believe.
“I see. I’ll be polite.”
“And my father?”
“…”
The silence that immediately followed.
“…”
“…”
“Negotiations broke down?”
Duke Regent bent with a reluctant expression.
“I will… Try.”
***
Peace returned to the Halbern mansion.
“I am so glad to hear that. I hope the lady regains her health soon.”
“You know, I was so worried that something was wrong with her again.”
After another round of exchanges, three uninvited guests emerged from a corner of the hallway, where a group of users, none other than the Lady Fool, were passing by, chatting about this and that.
“Your Highness, are you sure Arellin has returned to the mansion?”
“Didn’t I hear wrong?”
The uninvited guests were none other than Sperom’s Lesser Demon Twins.
“No, I clearly heard her talking to her father.”
It was Crown Prince Pession.
The three children, who had sent a formal request to Halbern for Arellin’s well-being upon her return to the capital mansion and had been rebuffed, were united in a rare moment of togetherness.
“But, Your Highness, you really do know Halbern Mansion. You’ve been here a lot, haven’t you?”
“Of course I have. I’m Honorary Halbern now.”
Pession had been in and out of Arellin’s house as often as he’d eaten.
The Halbern mansion was not difficult to navigate, except for the many off-limits areas.
‘If the adults won’t let us see Arellin, we’ll go see her.’
That’s how the three hid in Halbern Mansion.
“We can go that way.”
“Is Arel really there?”
“Have you ever been in Arel’s room?”
The children’s confidence in their sneaky (?) topic was quickly tested.
“Mehen, as your lord, I command you. Tell Arellin to kick that bastard out right now.”
“I refuse to give such a personalized order.”
“No, I refuse. What on earth is our daughter thinking?”
“Good and noble thoughts, I’m sure, unlike anyone else’s.”
“… Is that a story about me?”
“I’m glad you got it. You haven’t lost your mind yet.”
“Honey, that’s too much.”
“Do you really want to die?”
Lord Mehen and Archduke Halbern enter the room.
The three children stood still, holding their breath as they watched the two bicker.
“Ha, to think you let her get away with it. Who does she really look like, and is she so nice?”
“Sister Sione?”
“… I like her, but in good conscience, she wasn’t very nice.”
Normally, the three children would have been caught unawares by the Archduke of Halbern’s mood, but the Archduke of Halbern was distracted, so they were able to slip through unnoticed.
“Phew.”
“Thank goodness.”
“I thought we were going to get caught and sent back.”
The three kids, each with their own reason to see Arellin, moved back in the direction of her room.
“The mansion is quite cluttered.”
“Arellin must have been really sick.”
“Can we really see her?”
“Arellin, aren’t you still sick?”
And so on. They were walking down the mansion talking.
“What are these guys?”
A man with long, silver hair tied up in a haphazard bun rounded up the clumsily hiding children.
