EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 112

Chapter 112

 

“Huh?”

Not understanding what was just said, Lia tilted her head slightly in confusion.

Seeing this, the Marquis bit down hard on the soft flesh inside his cheek.

‘This adorable little thing!’

Her swollen eyes were round as marbles, and the way she tilted her head like a curious squirrel was indescribably cute.

He had no idea why she was so adorable.

‘Is this what people mean when they talk about the joy of having grandchildren?’

Of course, Lia was a complete stranger to him by blood. But there was no better way to explain the unfamiliar warmth spreading in his chest.

It wasn’t as though the Marquis had any complaints about his own grandchildren.

Ascart was a kind and well-mannered child, and Clara was nothing if not polite.

But neither of them ever ran up to him with a gleeful ‘Grandfather!’ before throwing themselves into his arms.

Now, seeing a child who wasn’t afraid of him and who acted so affectionately, he found himself inexplicably drawn to her.

“So, what I’m saying is… you can call me Grandfather.”

The Marquis spoke gruffly, trying to conceal his emotions.

“Ah…”

Lia’s eyes widened in surprise, her pupils quivering.

The Marquis worried he might have said it too sternly, but Lia was too stunned to speak.

In her past life, she had called him ‘Grandfather’ without a second thought. It had become such a habit that the word had just slipped out.

Yet now that he had given his permission, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Only one thing had changed.

There was now a possibility that the Marquis was truly her grandfather.

That was all.

But even so, the words got stuck in her throat, and her heart fluttered strangely.

Just then…

“Father, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”

A voice, as cold as frost, rang through the drawing room.

 

***

 

Yesterday, I had only heard that voice once, but I recognized it immediately.

My body reacted faster than my thoughts.

“…!”

As I had expected, the woman standing at the entrance of the drawing room was none other than the Grand Duchess.

She had likely just woken up—her long hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a comfortable dress.

Her cold eyes were fixed on us.

But before I could even worry about her icy gaze, my attention was seized by something else.

The sight of her exposed arm.

It was so thin, so frail, that my heart plummeted.

‘Is she unwell?’

Now that I looked closer, her complexion was pale, almost sickly, like someone who had been bedridden for a long time.

“I…”

I parted my lips, about to say something…

“Were you feeling lonely, so you sought her out the moment you woke up? Grandfather? Did I hear that correctly? It’s so absurd that I almost believed I was still dreaming.”

The Grand Duchess’s icy voice continued as she slowly approached.

Only then did I realize that she was furious.

‘Why? Wait, what were we just talking about…?’

Feeling momentarily dazed, I suddenly remembered…

The Marquis had told me to call him ‘Grandfather.’

“You didn’t hear wrong. What’s wrong with her calling me Grandfather? Would you rather she call me Grandmother?”

The Marquis confirmed his words, doubling down.

“Ha! That’s the most ridiculous—”

“What’s so ridiculous about it? You’re making a fuss over nothing. Seeing how you’re reacting, I suppose I don’t need to worry about your health. You seem perfectly fine.”

“Father!”

As the argument between father and daughter escalated, my heart pounded wildly.

The two of them hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and yet, because of me, they were fighting instead of having a warm reunion.

It felt like all of this was my fault.

“I’m sorry!”

I blurted out an apology.

The Marquis and the Grand Duchess both turned to look at me at the same time.

“It’s all my fault. I kept calling the Marquis ‘Grandfather’ by accident… I misspoke, that’s why this happened.”

Feeling intimidated by their piercing gazes, I barely managed to get the words out.

The Grand Duchess’s icy stare bore into me.

“You.”

“Y-Yes…?”

“Who taught you to speak out of turn like this? Is this what you learned at the Elard Ducal House?”

“…”

I was at a loss for words, and a wave of sadness washed over me.

To be honest… I had hoped, just a little.

So far, both the Marquis and Ascart had been incredibly kind to me.

Though I was embarrassed to admit it, there were moments when it felt like their kindness went beyond mere politeness.

‘Almost as if they were drawn to me, like family…’

So, I had foolishly thought… perhaps the Grand Duchess would also treat me the way they did.

But I had been mistaken.

The joy I had felt when she finally looked me in the eye and spoke to me…

That happiness had plummeted straight to the ground in an instant.

A crushing sense of sorrow overwhelmed me, making my eyes sting.

But… it was my fault.

A mere maid had forgotten her place and overstepped.

I had been foolish and arrogant. My comfortable life at the Elard Ducal House had made me forget my place.

“I-I’m sorry.”

As I quickly bowed deeply, a single tear fell to the floor.

I hadn’t even realized I was crying.

Dazed, I lifted my head, only to see the Grand Duchess staring at me, eyes wide as if in shock.

And then—

Suddenly, she reached out toward me.

My vision blurred for a moment, and instinctively, I flinched, shrinking my shoulders and squeezing my eyes shut.

“…”

Nothing happened.

Confused, I cautiously opened my eyes to see the Grand Duchess, her expression rigid.

‘No, no…’

I had wanted to show only my best side, but I had made another mistake.

I thought I was finally okay. So why was this body, this young, fragile body, still unable to let go of its old habits?

But deep down, I knew the truth.

I had been truly afraid of the Grand Duchess’s icy expression.

Then, I saw her slowly withdraw her hand, her face still stiff.

Grab.

“…What are you doing?”

Before I knew it, I had caught hold of her frail hand, prompting her astonished response.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Let go.”

“…Yes.”

Regretfully, I let go of her hand, my movements slow and reluctant. Then, I turned to the Marquis and bowed.

“Well then, Marquis, I hope you recover well. I’ll be going now.”

“…Alright.”

The Marquis, who had been frozen in shock after seeing me cry, slowly nodded.

I offered him a small, reassuring smile.

By deliberately mentioning ‘recovery,’ I hoped the Grand Duchess would realize he had been injured.

More than anything, I wished they wouldn’t continue fighting after I left.

“Wait, Lia! The weather is cold, don’t walk. Stay here, I’ll have a carriage prepared.”

The Marquis called out urgently, stopping me.

Though the two estates were neighboring, their grounds were vast, making the distance to the main gate quite considerable.

Still, it wasn’t so far that I couldn’t walk there as a casual stroll.

I hadn’t come with Lady Diana, so I didn’t feel right accepting such considerate treatment in this situation.

I was just about to decline when—

“Lia?”

The Grand Duchess, who had been silent, raised an eyebrow.

“Is that your name?”

“…Yes! My name is Lia.” ¹In Korean, the letter ‘ㄹ’ could be pronounced L or R or something in between. So although in English it’s more convenient to write it Lia rather than Ria, the Korean pronunciation would likely lean toward the latter.

I was briefly taken aback by the sudden question but quickly responded.

I recalled how people in the Principality of Belus had always reacted strangely upon hearing my name.

I didn’t know what it signified, but if it could help uncover my true identity, I wasn’t about to ignore it.

“It doesn’t suit you at all.”

But the response I received was unexpectedly cold.

“Stella!”

At the same time, the Marquis bellowed at the Grand Duchess, his voice filled with reprimand.

It seemed another argument was about to break out.

Feeling that I wouldn’t be able to endure witnessing it, I quickly bowed my head and escaped from the drawing room.

An indescribable feeling of desolation overwhelmed me.

I felt wretched, disappointed, and hurt.

I knew I couldn’t expect everything to go my way right away. But still, the situation felt unbearably bleak.

Just then…

“Lia!”

A voice called out behind me.

Turning around, I saw Bianca running toward me in a hurry.

Come to think of it, I had noticed her briefly when I left the drawing room in a daze.

Maybe she had been there with the Grand Duchess from the start, and I just hadn’t realized it.

“Hello, Lady Bianca.”

She was someone I had longed to see again.

Yet, because of everything that had just happened, the moment felt painfully awkward.

And as if she had indeed seen everything, Bianca spoke with a hardened expression.

“Lia, I know Her Grace’s words must have hurt you, but please try to understand.”

“…What is there for me to understand?”

I should have said I was fine.

But my emotions were in turmoil, and before I could stop myself, my reply came out curtly.

‘Lia, Emily, Emma… They’re just common orphan names given at the orphanage.’

It wasn’t enough that I had been labeled an insolent maid—now, even my name was unacceptable?

A heavy sense of melancholy washed over me.

As I sighed, shoulders drooping, Bianca hesitated, swallowing hard before explaining,

“It’s because your name is the same as Her Grace’s nickname for the Grand Princess.”

“…What?”

What was that supposed to mean?

My heart pounded as I realized this could be an opportunity to learn more about the Grand Duchess.

“Her nickname?”

I carefully controlled my voice to keep it steady.

Bianca closed her eyes for a moment as if suppressing a deep sorrow, then opened them again.

“Yes. Before the Grand Princess was even born, Her Grace had already chosen a name for her and a nickname, too. ‘Lia/Ria.’”

In that moment, I remembered the expressions of those who had paused upon hearing my name.

“…Lady Bianca, may I ask what the Grand Princess’s full name is?”

I struggled to contain my pounding heart as I asked.

Bianca gave me a bittersweet smile before nodding.

“Adriana. Adriana Belus.”

That’s it for today, see you all tomorrow ~