How Can You Pay Back The Kindness I Raised With Obsession?

“It seems like the Grand Duke has a dark heart for the nanny in the eyes of others.”

The moment the Grand Duke muttered something boring, Luna, who was having a pillow fight… oops! She received a hit and asked aloud.

“Brother, do you have a dark heart for Hazel?”

“No, of course not.”

“Whew, I’m glad.”

At the Grand Duke, who narrowed his eyes, Luca shouted, pointing at the single bed.

“Big bro, sleeping over there is so cool!”

She suddenly thought that the children might want to sleep with the Grand Duke. Well, the last day of the year is spent with family.

“Uh… You can just sleep in that bed… I am not particularly uncomfortable.”

It’s a different bed anyway. However, the Grand Duke was uncomfortable.

“Everyone would misunderstand if I sleep in the same room as the nanny.”

Oh, was it?

“Then I’ll go to the maids’ room…”

She was about to say she was going, but the Grand Duke turned to the people passing by in the hallway and said,

“I will sleep in the knights’ room.”

At that moment, the knights stood still as if they had heard shocking words.

“Yes?”

“Which room is it? Guide me.”

“There are no spaces in our room.”

“It’s fine if you two sleep in the same bed.”

“Why don’t you spend some quiet time with your wife instead?”

Had it already been rumored? Just as her face was all burning, the Grand Duke strode out into the hallway and shut the door.

“Victor, shut up.”

The Grand Duke’s angry voice reverberated through the hallway.

* * *

“Was it a hard day?”

The children who held out to stay awake until the sun came up eventually fell asleep. She pulled the blanket over the children’s shoulders and lay there staring blankly at the ceiling. 

The sun would rise soon, what should she do? How did people spend the new year there? She forgot to ask the kids. After coming there, she spent the New Year alone with Lady and Daisy in the cabin. The two of them would be literally serving as butlers in the Grand Duke’s house.

“Yes, I am studying.”

Suddenly, reminding her of today’s resolution to study magic, she just remembered the magic book she had brought along as a reading material on her travels, and brought it from her bag to her hand with her fingers crossed. There weren’t many more quiet moments like this.

She looked back at the sleeping children once and opened the book. Then she read a little more of the chapter of the sensory transference spell.

‘A magic whose difficulty varies depending on the complexity of the transfer target and the presence or absence of free will. Let’s not forget even walls have ears. Painted on the wall, the picture of the person drawn, the picture alone is enough…’

Was it a hard day for her too? It was a time when she fell asleep while reading a book. She heard calm music outside the window, and when cheers burst out, she opened her eyes.

What’s going on? Carefully getting out of bed and opening the window, she was at a loss for words. The aurora was embroidering the black night sky. No, it’s not even the North Pole, so there couldn’t be auroras. Besides, the aurora wouldn’t be pure white.

“And… What is that?”

Just then, the window of the next room opened and someone poked his head out and asked.

“It was done by His Holiness the Pope.”

It was the voice of the Grand Duke.

“Can he call angels?”

Following the light pouring down from the sky, angels descended to the village in the south. Seeing that they were holding an instrument in their hands, she wondered if what she was hearing right now was heavenly music. There was no answer, so she turned around and saw that the Grand Duke was looking at her, not the angels.

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you know that His Holiness had the ability to create illusions?”

“Ah… That’s right, haha.”

She didn’t know it, but she pretended to have forgotten and turned her eyes to the night sky again. It’s not real, it’s fantasy. It’s a great ability. While she was admiring it, the Grand Duke looked at her again and called out.

“Miss Hazel.”

“Yes?”

For some reason, his eyes felt obstinate. Unknowingly, as she adjusted the shawl over her nightgown, he softened his eyes and spoke again.

“Have a happy new year.”

“Your Highness, Happy New Year too.”

The Grand Duke nodded his head, and he turned his gaze to the night sky and the people feasting beneath it. As he leaned out the window and leaned against the window-sill, a silver necklace slipped out from between the loosely buttoned shirt collars. It was while she was watching the rocket that she had a newly made get caught on the Grand Duke’s neck and shake.

“Where are you looking?”

“Pardon?”

It was only when the Grand Duke closed his eyes as he buttoned his shirt that she realized what a misunderstanding she had been.

“I didn’t see that!”

She also frowned and changed the subject.

“By the way, what about the knights?”

The Grand Duke was alone.

“They stretched out the keg.”

“Can they? It is forbidden to be careless.”

Usually, the villains take advantage of this opportunity to attack.

“I have a babysitter who knows how to turn enemies into frogs, so it’s useless to worry.”

She was taken aback by the Grand Duke’s bone-chilling joke.

“And because I am.”

The Grand Duke, who added that, disappeared through the window. He said he was leaving without saying goodbye, but he wasn’t. When he came back, he had two steaming cups in his hands.

“It’s not working hours, so there’s no excuse to refuse.”

She received the cup the Grand Duke passed out the window. A sweet smell wafted through the air with warm warmth.

“Wow, delicious. What’s in this?”

“…Oranges, cinnamon, apples, red wine.”

“Oh, they put it together and boiled it?”

The Grand Duke nodded his head, and he added.

“It’s a drink that people here drink on New Year’s Day.”

“I see.”

“Anyone here…”

Good. She would have to try making it when she got home.

The first drink she had after coming there was sweet.

* * *

Elliot muttered the same thing to her, squinting at the witch in the carriage seat next to him.

‘It’s amazing.’

Witches were originally a mysterious species, but the reason why Witch Hazel looked mysterious to Elliot was a bit different.

“Where are you looking?”

The witch glanced at him, and she returned the scolding she had heard from him yesterday at the window. Even though it seemed strong, there was a corner of the corner. She seemed to know a lot, but of course she didn’t know what you needed to know.

It’s amazing, and it’s award-winning.

The witch noticed, so he couldn’t keep watching, and he looked out the window. The walls of the White Palace could be seen between the guards who guarded the wagons tightly. It was the palace of the Holy See, located in the archipelago. The Holy See was located on the top of a sacred mountain, not far from the Grand Duchy.

Since the pope presided over the blessing ceremony to open the New Year’s festival, it should be held at the Vatican, but it has long been a tradition to hold the ceremony in a place where nobles could easily gather because the mountain was rugged. The blessing ceremony was held with the heads of all noble families, starting with the imperial family, gathered in the main hall of the palace. After that, everyone gathered in the great hall in front of the audience room to have an audience with the pope.

“Majesty.”

The nanny, who had been looking around with her wary eyes, came over to Elliot and whispered something out of the blue.

“Are those who want to harm the children the same as those who did evil to Your Highness’ parents?”

It seemed fierce, but it was sharp. Elliot was speechless for a moment at the correct guess, and the nanny added one more word.

“I wonder if any of the nobles are like that?”

This was an obvious guess anyone could have made. But Elliot had to be sternly warned.

“Miss Hazel, don’t dig any further.”

It was difficult for him even if he wandered around and wandered around in the wrong place, even if he didn’t know how to find the right answer.

“The nanny’s job is to watch over her children. Do not forget that you are under no obligation to find the culprit, and just do your duty.”

“…yes.”

Just as he was furrowing his brow at the nanny’s sullen answer, the door to the throne room opened and priests came out to announce the pope’s message. After meeting the imperial family first, the pope allowed only the Grand Duke to have an audience.

“His Holiness’s lopsided affection is still the same.”

He was about to enter the audience room following the priest’s guidance, but he heard disgruntled whispers from other nobles behind him. They thought the pope favored the Grand Duke, but Elliot knew very well that he did not.

‘I wonder if he hates me for stealing his lover.’

The adults waited in the waiting room in front of the audience room, and only the children and nanny were ordered to come in first.

‘Why is the nanny called?’

It seemed that the Pope’s sinister intentions were clearly visible. After a while, his younger siblings, who had gone inside, came out with their nanny, leading a row of priests who had given gifts.

“Like the last year, my pretty sister gave me a lot of presents.”

“What a beautiful sister…”

Elliot frowned at her.

“His Holiness has allowed His Highness the Grand Duke to have an audience.”

The priest who had just come out of the audience room spoke in a solemn voice.

“Captain of the Guard.”

Elliot went inside, leaving only Daniel with him. He was told that the person the Pope wanted to meet was Daniel, not him. As the two entered, a young woman who was sitting on a high chair at the end of the throne room slowly stood up and she approached. As expected, the Pope’s eyes were on Daniel, not Eliot.

“It’s been a while, His Holiness.”

“Grand Duke.”

The Pope, who came down from the podium, greeted him casually and then greeted Daniel.

“Sir Daniel, long time no see.”

The Pope held out his hand to Daniel on his knees. Elliot didn’t look straight at the usual kiss on the back of her hand and looked away from her.

—————————————————————

Translator Note:

A little aclaration: the Pope in this story is a woman, but they refer to her as ‘his highness’ with masculine honorifics.

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