EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 122

Chapter 122

 

“Where on earth have you been all this time?! And that bag—what’s with all that luggage…?”

Taze, who had run over in a hurry upon spotting me, panted heavily as he scolded me.

Then, seeing the massive bag that was nearly as big as I was, he looked utterly baffled.

I curled my toes in embarrassment.

‘…I look like a foolish little kid who ran away from home, only to give up and come back within a few hours.’

Not even managing to leave the premises properly… just wandering around nearby before getting caught.

“Taze, move aside.”

A chilling voice sent a shiver down my spine.

Taze looked like he had a lot to say, but like the loyal knight he was, he immediately stepped aside at his lord’s command.

“Raise your head.”

Fidgeting with my fingers as I stared at the ground, I froze at the duke’s cold voice.

It was the first time I had felt such fear since facing him back at the orphanage.

But it wasn’t the same kind of fear as before as it wasn’t because I thought he would harm me.

‘…I’m scared he’s disappointed in me.’

I was afraid he wouldn’t look at me with kindness anymore.

Suppressing my fear, I forced myself to lift my head, only to feel even dizzier at the sight before me.

Honestly, I had expected the duchess, Allen, Diana, and even Jack to be here.

But I hadn’t anticipated the grand duke and his wife, Ascart, or Bianca.

Especially the grand duke—his expression was terrifying.

‘Just how angry is he…?’

The man who once exuded warmth like sunlight now radiated an intense, burning fury.

His face looked like it might explode at any moment, and his gaze never left me for even a second.

Under that relentless stare, I started trembling involuntarily.

And then.

“Ah…”

“Let’s go inside first.”

Just as the grand duke took a step toward me, the duke swiftly stepped between us, shielding me from view.

I could breathe easier now that I no longer saw the people of the grand duchy. Just a while ago, I had wanted nothing more than a glance or a touch from them.

The duchess took my bag from my hands and spoke.

“Yes, let’s go inside and talk.”

And just like that, I was led into the mansion by her.

But even as I walked, I could feel the scorching gaze of the grand duke on the back of my head.

Then, Diana, who had been held back by Allen this entire time, rushed to me and grabbed my hand.

“Big sister, you didn’t leave Dana behind, right?”

“…”

“My brother was lying, wasn’t he?”

Her eyes glistened with tears, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer.

“What exactly were you doing?”

“Your face is freezing.”

Allen and Jack, grumbling beside her, also looked worried.

They didn’t seem to know the full story. That eased my nerves just a little.

But only for a moment…because as soon as we entered the drawing room, the atmosphere turned heavy again.

The duke dismissed all the servants before turning to Taze.

“Taze, you should go and rest now.”

“…Your Grace. Lia is like a savior to me. If you permit, I would like to stay.”

At Taze’s words, Jack straightened his back and stood beside him, making it clear he wouldn’t leave either.

Seeing the duke furrow his brows, I grew anxious.

Taze had once promised to repay my kindness, and now he was putting himself in an obviously difficult position for me. But I didn’t want to drag him into this.

“Just let them be.”

Surprisingly, the grand duchess spoke up in their defense.

“Everyone here seems to care about that child quite a bit. They have a right to know what’s going on.”

Her sarcastic tone made the duke scowl.

“Stella, you barged in here uninvited—what exactly is your problem?”

“Are you saying I’m the problem? You just got back and don’t even know what’s happened!”

The unexpected closeness between them as they argued made me forget my fear for a moment as I was too shocked.

And before I knew it, the grand duke had approached me.

His face was pale as he knelt on one knee to meet my gaze.

“A-Ah… My dear… You told the Grand Duchess… that you….”

“…”

“You said you were my daughter, Adriana… Is that true?”

The Grand Duke of Belus struggled to get the words out, his lips parting and closing several times.

Then as his voice finally fell silent, an eerie stillness took over the drawing room.

It was suffocating. I wanted to run away.

But the grand duchess was right.

Everyone had been searching for me in the freezing cold all this time.

Even if they thought I was out of my mind, the people who worried about me deserved to know.

“Yes, I said that.”

As I nodded, a collective gasp echoed through the room.

“Lia, you really said that?”

Ascart asked in disbelief, his eyes widening.

His shock made me smile bitterly.

The grand duke silenced Ascart with a glance before turning back to me.

“I see.”

“Yes. I said it because… no matter how I think about it, I believe I’m your lost daughter.”

“Can I ask why? I heard there’s a necklace involved.”

Luckily, the grand duke didn’t seem to be the type to get angry easily.

I had expected him to explode like the grand duchess, but instead, he calmly asked for an explanation.

Swallowing hard, I answered.

“That… I thought it was proof, but I was wrong. Do you see a necklace around my neck?”

“No, I don’t see anything like that.”

“Then, what color do my hair and eyes appear to you?”

“Well… brown.”

“As expected…”

I had anticipated that response, but it still made me feel a little down.

“My dear, could you explain a little more?”

The grand duke, looking just as troubled as I was, gently urged me on.

For the first time in my life, I was about to reveal my secret. My heart felt like it would jump out of my chest.

I took a deep breath and spoke.

“A mirror.”

“A mirror?”

“Yes. Actually, everyone else has always told me that I have brown hair and brown eyes. But when I look at myself, it’s different. The reflection in the mirror… my hair is a light pink, and my eyes are an even deeper shade of pink. Just like Her Grace, the Grand Duchess.”

At that, the Grand Duke sucked in a sharp breath, his body stiffening.

Then…

“How much longer do we have to listen to this nonsense? Can’t you see she was trying to run away?”

The Grand Duchess stepped forward irritably.

“I don’t know where she picked up these stories, but it’s obvious she’s lying to pretend to be my daughter—”

“Darling!”

“It’s not a lie!”

The Grand Duke and Diana both shouted at the same time, cutting off the Grand Duchess’s words.

The Duchess, who had been frozen in shock until now, was startled when Diana suddenly intervened.

She reached out toward her, but Diana dodged and ran straight to me, throwing herself into my arms as she teared up.

“Big sister isn’t lying! Her hair is pink! Her eyes are pink…!”

Hearing her sniffle, I swallowed down the lump in my throat and forced a bright smile.

Then, looking at the stunned Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, I spoke slowly.

“I’ve lived my whole life thinking I was the strange one. That there was something wrong with my eyes. But… the young lady says she sees me as someone looking just like Her Grace. So… so…”

Despite my forced smile, warm tears spilled down my cheeks.

“Uwaaah! Big sister, don’t cry! I’ll scold her for you! I hate her! Even if she’s your mom, I don’t want her!”

As soon as I started crying, Diana’s sobs grew even louder.

Watching the situation unfold, the Duke seemed to decide it was too much to handle and gave an order to Taze.

“Take the children out of here at once.”

Taze bit his lip, clearly worried about leaving me alone.

Even though my face was a mess of tears, I smiled reassuringly and nodded.

In the end, Taze led the reluctant Diana, along with the still-dazed Allen and Jack, out of the drawing room.

Once the door closed, I slowly scanned the faces of those remaining.

‘There’s no way anyone here believes me.’

After all, the only one supporting me was a child, and I had no proof. There was no reason for them to take my word for it…

I felt terrible, knowing that I had only put Diana in a difficult position because of me. My heart ached, and more tears welled up.

But it was too late to take anything back now, so I pushed forward.

“I wasn’t trying to run away… I was going to the temple. I didn’t want to cause trouble for the Duke’s family because of me, so I was trying to leave quietly. I thought that if I could find out something… I would come back…”

I wanted to speak clearly, but my emotions overwhelmed me, making it hard to form words.

Why was this happening to me? The pain was unbearable.

“My dear, don’t cry. Seeing you like this… it feels like my heart is being torn apart.”

I flinched at the unexpected warmth that brushed against my tear-streaked cheek.

Looking up, I saw that the Grand Duke’s face was also covered in tears just like mine.

Forgetting my own sobbing, I stared at the transparent streams running down his cheeks and asked in surprise,

“Your Grace… why are you crying?”

He paused in his quiet sobs, then smiled through his tears.

“Because I’m happy.”

“…You’re happy?”

“Yes, my dear. All this time, I kept telling everyone that I would find my daughter. But the truth is… I also prayed that, even if I could meet her just once before I died, that would be enough. And sometimes, I thought that even if I never met her, I just hoped she was alive somewhere, living well.”

His voice, filled with regret and sorrow, made my own tears flow endlessly.

The Grand Duke gently wiped them away with his fingers and whispered,

“But now… now, my dear, you have come to find me first…”

“…!”