“By the way, I met some people at the ball this time….”
While having a meal, Daniel glanced at his mother and spoke up. The gazes of the people in the restaurant naturally turned toward Daniel.
Daniel shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth, looking at his mother.
“Cornelia, it seems like many people at the prestigious gathering were here to see you. Did you find anyone you liked at this ball?”
Daniel asked his mother.
“What?”
Mother looked at me briefly to confirm and then looked at Daniel. Daniel’s question was too obvious.
Daniel looked at his mother as if he were a kind relative worrying about his niece.
“Just in case, I know that you haven’t forgotten Gale, but seeing you alone made my heart ache. If it was an unpleasant question, I apologize. Please understand.”
If someone who didn’t know saw it, it might have seemed like a concern for a niece who lost her husband and raised her daughter alone. However, I remembered the words Daniel said when he first saw me in the mansion.
Daniel was considering selling me to another noble family.
Moreover, I knew through Elliot that the mentioned individuals were nobles and there was a significant age difference between me and them.
Daniel, couldn’t help but have such thoughts when he looked at my mother, who was already a thorn in his side.
I was curious why Daniel suddenly proposed a welcome ball to announce our return to the Duke of Crichton, but now I had a rough idea.
“I appreciate your concern, but I don’t have any plans to meet other people regarding our Belle yet.”
Mother smiled gently and replied to Daniel’s words, her face no longer flustered.
It seemed like Mother thought that Daniel brought up such words because he genuinely worried about her.
I alternated my gaze between my mother and Daniel and suddenly spoke up.
“Does Great-Grandfather want to marry my mother and me off to other people as soon as possible?”
I blinked innocently and looked at Daniel.
Daniel was looking at me with a cold gaze. He seemed to be irritated because he had done something wrong.
“What are you talking about, little one?”
The Duke of Crichton raised an eyebrow and asked, seeming puzzled.
I turned my head and met the gaze of the Duke of Crichton.
“When I first met Great-Grandfather here, he said that if Young Lord Vyacheslav turned sixteen, marrying me off to him would make the authority of the Duke of Crichton more prominent.”
“Haha! It’s a well-known fact that Young Lord Vyacheslav has been talented since he was young and is outstanding in appearance as well, isn’t it? I was talking about it in terms of thinking about the future when Mirabel grows up.”
Even though my words hadn’t finished yet, Daniel took the opportunity to speak as if he had seized it. I watched him with a chubby face and then tilted my head, saying:
“But that’s not the end, is it? If it’s not Young Lord Vyacheslav of the Bayev Viscount, then it’s the Earl Khalid. And if not him, then the Duke Georges. You mentioned them like that. Did I get it wrong?”
It could be understood to some extent up until Earl Khalid, but the last mentioned Duke Georges was an exception.
However, Daniel smiled even more and opened his mouth, looking at me.
“Didn’t I say it then? Duke Georges is a well-connected person, so it would be good to seek his help when the time comes to find your marriage partner.”
While answering skillfully and slipping away, Daniel’s words made the Duke of Crichton nod with an “I see” expression.
It seemed like he thought
that I, a young child, had misunderstood.
“No, I heard it too. Grandfather clearly mentioned those individuals as potential marriage partners when he first saw Mirabel.”
Fortunately, Elliot supported my words. Elliot’s gaze toward Daniel had turned chilly.
Now that I thought about it, Elliot had also heard Daniel’s shabby words like I did.
Daniel looked momentarily flustered, alternating his gaze between me and Elliot, then turned to the Duke of Crichton with a perplexed expression.
“Oh dear, it seems like my words were misinterpreted by the two children. I’m torn inside, thinking that my grandniece and grandnephew resent me. Yes, that’s it.”
Looking at Daniel mumbling in a low voice with a gloomy expression, the Duke of Craiton sighed deeply.
“Daniel, even if your intention was genuinely like that, it’s not a good idea to discuss such matters in front of the children. It can lead to misunderstandings, and besides, isn’t talk of marriage something that is far in the future for young Mirabel? It’s not something you need to worry about.”
The Duke of Crichton seemed to think that Daniel’s unnecessary talk had caused misunderstandings.
“I hope you won’t mention such things to the children or Cornelia in the future. Until Mirabel and Elliot themselves feel inclined to consider marriage and meet someone they genuinely like, I have no intention of forcing anything. I hope you will respect my decision as well.”
After finishing his words, the Duke of Crichton looked at me and Elliot.
“Elliot, Mirabel. I understand what misunderstandings Daniel’s words might have caused for you. But he didn’t say those things with ill intentions. Don’t hold it against him too much.”
Following his gentle words, I glanced at Elliot. It seemed that Elliot had the same thoughts as me as he looked at me.
I understood well enough that Daniel’s thoughts and the Duke of Crichton’s thoughts were quite different.
In any case, the Duke of Crichton had already forced a marriage once and experienced the loss of his daughter. He seemed to be speaking in a bittersweet tone, as if he didn’t want to go through such pain again.
“Yes, it seems we misunderstood. I apologize, Your Grace.”
Elliot reluctantly replied.
I didn’t bother to answer and just looked at the Duke of Crichton. He raised his hand and gently stroked my head.
Then, he turned to Daniel and spoke again, as if scolding him.
“If you mention unnecessary things to the children again, I will have to be angry with you. Do you understand, Daniel?”
“I just said it because I was glad to have nieces and nephews. But now that I know it caused misunderstandings, I won’t mention such things again.”
Daniel’s eyes showed a hint of annoyance as he replied with a forced smile.
The Duke of Crichton didn’t pay much attention to him and looked back at Cornelia. His gaze toward her was as warm and affectionate as usual.
“And Cornelia.”
“Yes, Father.”
As soon as my mother answered, the Duke of Crichton hesitated for a moment and then smiled.
“It applies to you as well, not just the children. I can’t bear to lose you again. Do you know how much my heart was torn apart when you left ten years ago?”
“….”
“I don’t want to let you go from my embrace if you’re okay. However, that doesn’t mean I’ll hold you back and prevent you from going anywhere. What I mean is, no matter what happens, I trust and support you, so don’t worry about other people’s opinions and live the way you want. Marriage is no exception.”
As the Duke of Crichton finished speaking, a slightly disrupted breath could be heard from my mother.
“Thank you, Father.”
After my mother finished her response, the interrupted meal resumed.
Daniel, who usually always had conversations with the Duke of Crichton, didn’t say much this time, probably because he was in a bad mood.
However, his gaze toward me and Elliot became sharper.
I pretended not to know anything and continued the meal casually.
I was certain of the Duke of Crichton’s intentions.
At least, it seemed unlikely that the Duke of Crichton would remarry my mother against her will.
In this situation, it wouldn’t be easy for Daniel to easily approach my mother.
Just confirming that fact made this meal a truly satisfying time.
Perhaps in the future, if this Duke of Crichton’s family doesn’t encounter any unforeseen circumstances, my mother would be able to live happily here.
I glanced at Elliot discreetly.
Elliot seemed slightly displeased that Duke Crichton didn’t believe his words, unlike me.
As I glanced at Elliot for a moment, I couldn’t help but think that maybe he could help me.
Daniel, who was hostile towards me, was someone who knew this mansion better than anyone else.
It would be great if he could use his influential status as an adult, but it didn’t seem like Duke Crichton or Brian harbored any strong animosity towards Daniel.
Of course. Daniel had always intended to take over this mansion for a long time and only showed a kind side to our generous father.
Even my mother, who had returned to the mansion after a long time, didn’t seem to restrain Daniel.
And since my mother had left Duke Craiton’s mansion empty for too long, she was unfamiliar with the current situation here.
So Elliot was the perfect person to help me.
After we finished the meal, I quickly got up from my seat.
“Elliot.”
I called out to Elliot, who was getting up from his seat, to prepare for the afternoon education session.
“What’s the matter?”
Elliot asked me, confused.
“Can you help me with something?”
“Help you? With what?”
I grabbed Elliot’s hesitating hand and led him outside the corridor.
“Mirabel?”
While showing signs of confusion, Elliot didn’t pull his hand away from mine.
Thanks to that, I was able to safely lead him to the first-floor garden.
The servants of the Duke’s household confirmed that we were in the garden, bowed their heads in greeting, and left the area.
“Could you give us some space? I have something to discuss with Elliot.”
I requested the favor from Cornelia, Anita, and the servants accompanying Elliot.
After bowing their heads in acknowledgement of my request, they moved away from us.
Now that we were alone in the garden, I looked directly at Elliot.
“Elliot, what do you think of Daniel?”
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
Next chapter will be released on August, 5. To read chapters in advance support us on Patreon!!
