Chapter 04
“I’ll see you off.”
“No need.”
“But how could I let you leave just like that?”
The director was annoying, but Daphne let it go.
“Do as you please.”
Daphne decided to wait outside.
After some time, the child came out, holding something in her arms.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Y-Yes!”
“What is that?”
“This… I wanted to return it…!”
The cloak the child held was already stained and dirty.
Noticing Daphne’s gaze, the child lowered her head.
“Oh…! I’m sorry it got so dirty….”
Jacquette frantically dusted it off, but the stains remained.
“That’s enough.”
She had almost died, and yet this child was worried about a little stain.
“It’s best if you keep it. It suits you more.”
Daphne took the cloak from the child’s hands and placed it back over her shoulders.
Because the child was so small, the cloak dragged on the ground.
“Let’s go.”
As they walked through the lobby, she felt the eyes of other children peeking at them from hiding.
Stepping outside, the harsh cold wind hit her face.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Take care!”
With the director’s polite farewell, Daphne walked toward her waiting carriage.
Hearing heavy breathing, she turned to see Jacquette practically running to keep up with her.
Daphne slowed her pace for Jacquette’s sake.
Just as they stepped past the orphanage gates—
“Um, Lady Daphne.”
Jacquette’s voice made Daphne pause.
She realized she had never explained why she had taken the child.
That was her mistake.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“From today on, you are my daughter. So call me Mom.”
Jacquette stared at Daphne in disbelief.
“Can… can I call you that?”
“Of course. Or do you not want to?”
Jacquette shook her head quickly.
She hesitated for a long time before whispering in a trembling voice.
“Mom….”
“Yes?”
When Daphne responded, Jacquette hesitantly took her hand.
Her hand was so small that she barely grasped Daphne’s fingers.
After checking Daphne’s reaction, Jacquette repeated, this time with more confidence—
“Mom!”
The way Jacquette looked at her reminded Daphne of her childhood.
“Mother…!”
Her calls had gone unanswered.
So this time, she wanted to be the one to answer.
“Yes.”
Jacquette tightened her grip on Daphne’s hand.
It was a small, faint warmth, but for some reason, it felt incredibly warm.
When they arrived at the mansion with the child, no one paid much attention.
It wasn’t unusual in Himonas.
But the moment Jacquette spoke, the mansion was in chaos.
“Uh… Mom….”
Daphne had told Jacquette about their destination in the sleigh, but to the child, this was still a strange place.
The servants wore shocked expressions.
Daphne’s maid, Becky, looked especially pale.
She was probably worried about Daphne.
“Mom…?”
And then, the one whose reaction she was most curious about—
Daphne turned her gaze toward the man among the servants, looking displeased.
Baron Bruce, the Marquis’ aide.
If Daphne was the puppet of the Marquis, Bruce was his loyal dog.
Ignoring him, Daphne gently brushed the snow off Jacquette’s clothes.
“Becky.”
“Ah, yes! I’m here!”
Becky hurriedly stepped forward.
“Help Jacquette wash up and get her something to eat.”
“Understood.”
But Baron Bruce didn’t seem willing to let her leave without an explanation.
Daphne handed Jacquette’s small hand to Becky.
The moment she did, Jacquette’s face turned pale.
“Jacquette, stay with Becky for a moment. I need to talk.”
Daphne wasn’t used to speaking at a child’s level.
She tried to keep it simple and clear, but did Jacquette understand?
Despite her efforts, the child’s anxious expression didn’t change.
Becky, sensing the tension, quickly stepped in.
“Miss, shall we go? A warm bath will feel nice! If not, you might catch a terrible cold.”
“B-But…”
Jacquette glanced at Daphne repeatedly.
“If you wash up, there will be delicious snacks waiting! By the time you finish, Lady Daphne will be back.”
Becky knelt to meet Jacquette’s eyes.
Her gentle approach seemed to work, as Jacquette slowly relaxed.
Daphne felt relieved.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Okay—.”
Jacquette and Becky headed upstairs, and the other servants scattered.
Now, only Daphne and Baron Bruce remained in the lobby.
Daphne smiled innocently.
“Let’s talk, Baron.”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The moment the parlor door closed, Baron Bruce snapped at her.
Daphne smiled as if she didn’t understand the problem.
“You brought a child into your care? If the Marquis finds out—”
“Father ordered me to adopt a child. He didn’t specify whose name she should be registered under.”
“This is no time for word games.”
“It’s the truth. He told me to adopt a child with silver-gray hair and light brown eyes. That’s exactly what I did.”
“…….”
Bruce fell silent, deep in thought.
Even though she had followed the order, she knew he wouldn’t be satisfied.
She needed something more to convince him.
And she had just the right card to play.
“Actually…”
Daphne spoke slowly, making sure Bruce was paying attention.
“I saw the Crown Prince.”
“What?”
Bruce’s eyebrows shot up.
“He was there when I visited the orphanage. He was observing the inspections in secret. If not for that, I wouldn’t have done this.”
“No way…”
Now was the time to mix truth with lies.
Even if Bruce investigated, he wouldn’t be able to tell what was real and what wasn’t.
“The Crown Prince asked me about the rumors of missing children in our territory.”
That part was true.
“But why…?”
“I made my decision to avoid suspicion. And it seemed like the Crown Prince was searching for something….”
Bruce’s face twisted in frustration.
He didn’t like that Daphne knew something he didn’t.
“At this rate, it won’t take long for people to realize the last known location of those missing children is tied to House Himonas.”
“But you are still part of House Himonas. They will suspect you as well. Why claim the child yourself?”
“I have a way to remove suspicion entirely.”
Bruce tapped the table impatiently, waiting for her to continue.
“Find a woman from a branch family who was around my age. She must already be dead.”
Bruce listened carefully.
“From this moment, Jacquette will no longer be the Marquis’ daughter. She will be the daughter of that dead woman.”
A common story—
A hidden lover, an illegitimate child.
The woman dies of illness shortly after giving birth, and the lover disappears.
The only person left to know the truth is Daphne.
With a few forged letters, they could make it believable.
Bruce considered her words.
“If we do this, we can avoid unwanted attention.”
“Besides, my father wants me to marry Douglas, a branch family member, right? That means I’ll remain in the North. Whether the child is his or not won’t matter.”
“…….”
“You’ll report this well, won’t you, Baron?”
Bruce gave no response.
Annoying man.
Daphne left the office, feeling disgusted.
Her stomach churned.
She leaned against the wall, covering her mouth with a handkerchief.
Among the Marquis’ children, only she and Jacquette remained.
And Daphne’s biological father was not the Marquis.
It was Bruce.
He had volunteered for the Marquis’ first experiment—not out of loyalty, but because he loved the Marquis’ wife.
The Marquis, unable to have children, had used men like him to produce heirs.
“Disgusting.”
Both the one who conducted the experiment and the one who took part in it.
And perhaps the most disgusting of all—
Was herself.
The product of that horrifying act.
Daphne stood there for a long time.
Hoping the nausea would pass.
