Chapter 114
The Grand Duchess didn’t show it, but she was slightly surprised.
She had assumed the child was forced into wearing a maid’s uniform and serving the young lady, suffering hardships without being properly cared for.
She had been about to say something to Duke Elard to make him apologize to the child, but realizing the truth now, she felt she would have been embarrassed had she spoken earlier.
However, her momentary embarrassment was nothing compared to Bianca’s disappointment.
‘If she’s being adored this much by the Duke’s household…’
She started to think that staying here might be better for Lia than taking her to an unfamiliar principality.
Even so, Bianca couldn’t understand why her heart felt so heavy.
“Ascart. Is this the child you mentioned?”
At that moment, the Grand Duke, who had been talking with the Duke, suddenly turned to Lia and asked.
Locking eyes with him, Lia felt her heart race.
He bore a strong resemblance to Ascart but had a more intense aura.
Yet, of all the adults she had met, he had the warmest, most gentle presence.
It felt just like when she first met Ascart, comforting and kind.
Maybe it was because she thought of him as her father.
“My dear, I’ve heard a lot about you from Ascart.”
“Ah, I….”
Startled by how he addressed her, Lia blinked, unable to greet him properly.
His radiant green eyes curled gently with amusement.
“I heard you corrected the magic circle’s error?”
“Uh… y-yes!”
“Thank you. Do you have an interest in magic? From what I hear, you seem quite capable with mana…”
Finding herself in an unexpected conversation with the Grand Duke, Lia’s mind went blank.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke!”
But even that conversation was cut short.
“What is it, Duchess?”
The Duchess, looking anxious, interjected.
“Dinner must be ready by now. Let’s have our meal first.”
At that, the Grand Duke chuckled awkwardly and nodded.
“That was rude of me. Well then, my dear, let’s continue this conversation another time.”
As he spoke to Lia with a hint of regret, the Duchess forced a smile and added,1The Duchess is Diana’s mother and the Grand Duchess is Ascart’s mother. The same goes for the males.
“You should come too, Your Highness (Ascart). It’s a shame Lucio isn’t here, but we’ve prepared dishes you like.”
“Hmm. Now that you mention it, I don’t see the Duke’s eldest son.”
“Lucio has gone on a brief estate inspection. Oh, and the mages who insisted on meeting Your Grace went with him.”
“Aha. So that’s why the manor is so quiet.”
If those mages were here, they would have caused an uproar just to see the Grand Mage.
Relieved by the absence of such trouble, the Grand Duke nodded and moved toward the dining room.
The Duchess, following him, glanced back.
Lia, who had seemed momentarily transfixed, was now heading upstairs with Diana, who had complained about being hungry.
‘Is this really the right thing to do?’
The Duchess wore a conflicted expression.
She owed her life to Lia. Because of that, she had resolved to dedicate the rest of her life to ensuring Lia’s and her family’s happiness.
Although adoption had been rejected by her sons, she had long since accepted Lia as family.
But Lia shone too brightly, attracting far too much attention.
‘At least dealing with Lady Faelunt was manageable, but…’
Bianca and Ascart were formidable opponents.
And to make matters worse, the magic Lia showed talent in was far more advanced in the Principality of Belus than in the Empire, making things even more precarious.
‘I’m willing to grant her anything she desires, but….’
If possible, she wanted to keep Lia close and care for her herself.
The exclusion of children from the banquet had been at the Grand Duke’s request, but deep down, the Duchess had been somewhat relieved.
Yet, seeing Lia’s slumped shoulders as she walked away left her feeling unsettled.
***
Regardless of anyone’s inner turmoil, the dinner banquet remained lively and cheerful.
From the light appetizers to the hearty meat dishes and the sweet desserts that concluded the meal, the dining table was filled with the warmth of long-missed reunions and endless conversations.
Even Duke Elard, who rarely enjoyed gatherings with anyone outside his family, seemed to be having a good time.
However, when his gaze briefly rested on the Grand Duchess sitting across from him, the smile on his lips faded slightly.
Time may fly like a river, but his one and only friend had changed far more than he had expected.
He could still vividly recall her ten years ago, beaming with a brilliant smile or even further back, when she would run around with flushed, apple-red cheeks, full of joy.
But now, her face bore the weight of life’s hardships. Her once-sharp words had dulled, and her frail frame and pale complexion revealed the toll of her struggles.
“Duke. I understand it’s nice to see an old friend after so long, but if you stare at my wife like that, I might start getting jealous.”
The Grand Duke spoke with a warm smile, his words carrying no real trace of concern.
Still, it was enough to make the Duke furrow his brows.
“Your Highness, please refrain from joking about such things. Stella and I are closer than siblings, if anything. Rather than staring, I was probably glaring.”
For the normally cold and rational Duke Elard to sound this irritated was a rare sight, and Ascart was visibly surprised.
But the others, who seemed used to this reaction, simply watched the scene unfold with amusement.
“Well, considering you even promised to wed your children together, I suppose my remark was inappropriate.”
Grinning mischievously, the Grand Duke continued teasing, as if determined to provoke the Duke further.
This revelation was news to most of the table, and everyone who had been chuckling suddenly looked shocked.
But none were as surprised as Ascart.
“Huh? Father, what are you talking about…?”
“Haha. Surprised, Ascart? Your mother and Duke Elard once made a promise that if they had children, they would have them marry.”
“S-So that means….”
“If you had been born a girl, or if the Young Duke were a girl, then, as promised….”
You would have been engaged.
The Grand Duke shrugged as if it were no big deal, but the Duchess turned to her husband with a questioning look.
‘Did you really make such a promise?’
The Duke jumped up in protest.
“No, that was just something Stella made up to mess with me! It meant nothing!”
“Dominique. I never understood back then, and I still don’t now… why does the idea of our children marrying make you so upset?”
For the first time in the evening, the Grand Duchess narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“And we even signed and sealed a pledge. So technically, the promise still stands.”
“Hah! A pledge? You mean that scribbled mess on a piece of paper you used as an excuse to avoid studying? You forced me to sign it!”
“If I remember correctly, it was the result of a fair duel.”
“Fair duel, my foot! Logically, who do you think would win—a seasoned swordsman or someone who had only been training for three months? Let’s have a rematch!”
“Sigh. Dominique, you’ve grown petty with age. At least when you were thirteen, you cried your eyes out but still accepted your loss.”
The Grand Duchess sighed and shook her head, exasperated.
The Duke immediately flared up.
“How can you expect me to take a childhood promise about our future kids seriously?!”
Seeing her old friend jump up in frustration after so long made the Grand Duchess’s lips curl into a small smile.
It had all been a joke, both back then and now, just a way to tease her friend.
As if the promise was still valid. She didn’t even know where that pledge was anymore.
‘…Or is it still in the Duke’s manor?’
Now that she thought about it, Dominique had been so distraught after signing it that she had hidden it in the main estate’s library.
She had told him she’d nullify the promise if he found it.
Since he never mentioned it again, he must have failed to locate it.
While the Grand Duchess was contemplating whether to tease him further, Ascart muttered in bewilderment.
“What is this…?”
He knew that his mother and the Duke had been childhood friends, just like him and Lucio, but he couldn’t quite understand their conversation or the situation unfolding before him.
At that moment, Bianca, who was sitting beside Ascart, quietly spoke.
“Your Highness, Duke Elard learned swordsmanship from Her Highness. Of course, she was my teacher as well.”
“Really?”
Ascart looked completely taken aback, and Bianca gave a bittersweet smile.
She had assumed he would remember since, when he was very young, the Grand Duchess had often wielded a sword even in the Grand Duchy. But judging by his expression, it seemed he had no recollection of it at all.
Well, considering how those days felt like a distant dream even to her, it wasn’t surprising that the Grand Prince had forgotten.
“If you keep showing such obvious dislike, I’ll formally send a marriage proposal for the young lady.”
At the slow, deliberate words of the Grand Duchess, silence fell over the dining room.
The cold-blooded man, who seemed like he wouldn’t shed a single drop of blood even if pricked, apparently cared deeply for his family.
The Duke’s face turned pale as if he were about to faint, making him look so comically shocked that the Grand Duchess nearly let out a small chuckle.
Just then, a trembling voice spoke up.
“Mo-Mother! Diana is far too young!”
