Episode 72
Delano, about to hand me the report he had organized, noticed the bandage wrapped around my hand and asked in surprise,
“Madam, are you injured?”
Hearing this, Anne, standing behind, looked utterly shocked, as though she’d been struck.
It seemed like she was blaming herself for failing to notice my condition earlier, especially since she’d already submitted a private report to me before Delano arrived.
Seeing Anne’s expression, a mix of guilt and self-reproach, I hurriedly waved my hand to dismiss her concerns.
“It happened a few days ago. It’s not a serious injury.”
Almost instinctively, I glanced at Euclid. He hadn’t asked once how I got hurt or what had happened with the children, yet now, he furrowed his brows in concern.
“Does it still hurt a lot?”
“No, it’s almost healed.”
In truth, it was barely a scratch—just enough to draw a bit of blood because of my delicate skin. However, I’d unnecessarily rewrapped it with a fresh bandage simply because I’d enjoyed the moment when Euclid had tended to it himself.
“I hope it won’t leave a scar,” he said.
“I think it’ll be fine,” I replied.
Our conversation felt somewhat superficial, as if skimming over the core issue, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.
Meanwhile, Anne, consumed with guilt, stared tearfully at my hand, as though she desperately wanted to inspect the wound herself. At that moment, there was a light, cheerful knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
Though familiar, the sound was not entirely welcome.
“Auntie! It’s Marianne!”
“And Dior!”
Even Delano, who rarely showed emotion, looked at the door in disbelief, surprised that the children had sought me out after just five days apart.
While Anne, with a face that seemed to say “As expected of Madam!”, looked delighted, my feelings were closer to Delano’s. It wasn’t as though the children had any particular reason to be so attached to me. Yet ever since that day, they had kept seeking me out.
‘The problem is that others will undoubtedly think the children are behaving this way because they’re scared of me and trying to appease me.’
That was why their visits weren’t entirely welcome.
There was another oddity as well.
Objectively speaking, I had a face that tended to intimidate children, and after seeing me lose my temper that day, it would have been natural for them to be even more fearful and distant.
‘But strangely, it feels like they like me.’
Perhaps… was I overthinking?
Feeling a little embarrassed, I finally opened my mouth.
“Come in.”
As if they’d been waiting, the door flew open immediately.
“Auntie, it’s lunchtime. Let’s go to the dining hall together!”
“Ah, Uncle is here too!”
The children chirped excitedly, like little birds fluttering about. Their words left me momentarily stunned.
‘Wait, they came to my office before even going to Euclid’s?’
Did they really like me? But why?
***
Evgenia couldn’t understand.
But from Marianne and Dior’s perspective, it would have been stranger not to like her.
It was obvious. She had driven out Amy, who had always made them uneasy, in a single stroke, and even after discovering their circumstances, she hadn’t lashed out in false anger.
Instead, she had reassured them, saying they were a source of strength for their uncle, and that knowing the truth wouldn’t change anything.
Even more, she had kept their secret despite facing undue suspicion herself, all to protect their cowardly selves who lacked the courage to confess.
Their fears and anxieties had slowly melted away, and lately, every day felt brighter.
How could they not adore her?
‘Everyone else must be blind.’
People often claimed that Evgenia had a severe face and a cold tone that made her seem intimidating, but Marianne thought it was because they hadn’t seen the real her.
When Evgenia had scolded Amy, it had been terrifying—so much so that even Marianne, who wasn’t Dior, had felt like she might wet herself right then and there.
Only after witnessing that side of her did they realize how gently Evgenia had always treated them.
‘That’s why today, I’ll tell him!’
Marianne resolved to finally confess the things they hadn’t been able to tell Uncle. She couldn’t stand the thought of Evgenia being misunderstood any longer.
Though it had taken five days to muster the courage, the children had made up their minds to speak after lunch.
For now, they busied themselves tending to Evgenia, a task they had become quite adept at over the past few days.
“Auntie, try this.”
“And this too!”
For some reason, the children had made it their mission to personally feed Evgenia, who had hurt her hand trying to save them. It had become their most important daily task.
“It’s really okay now.”
Evgenia declined stiffly, her face hardened.
But the children seemed to understand now—it was an expression of awkwardness and embarrassment.
“Still, please say ‘ah’!”
“Ah…?”
The fact that she didn’t outright refuse, even if pushed a little harder, was proof enough.
In truth, Evgenia felt a bit embarrassed and was also worried about what others might think, but she liked the affection the children showed her.
However… she was a little conscious of Euclid’s gaze.
In fact, at first, when Evgenia knew nothing, she thought she might have been disappointed in Euclid for not realizing the children’s situation sooner.
But now that she had learned how hard the children had worked to hide it, she wasn’t disappointed at all. Instead, she worried about how shocked Euclid would be when he finally found out.
Moreover, knowing there was a secret they couldn’t tell, it bothered her that the children, despite liking Euclid so much, couldn’t fully express their feelings.
Even now, she noticed Euclid’s peculiar expression as he watched the children fussing over giving her food.
‘Is he feeling left out?’
Evgenia, unable to guess the complexities of Euclid’s circumstances or his inner thoughts, merely found him slightly pitiful and immensely adorable.
Of course, amidst all this, she continued to accept the food the children offered without hesitation.
At this moment, everything felt so peaceful—so much so that neither the secret she was keeping from Euclid about the children nor the truth about her identity related to ‘Gold’ and ‘Black,’ which she had been avoiding, came to mind.
However, happy times are never allowed to last long.
“Your Grace, Count Biers has arrived. He wishes to see you.”
At the sudden appearance of an unexpected guest, everyone at the dining table, including Euclid, froze.
The children, in particular, were petrified, their forks still held mid-air.
Evgenia involuntarily looked at Marianne.
She had told the children that since they had chased Amy Biers away, either she or Count Biers might come to the ducal estate.
If they were unlucky, the count might accidentally reveal the secret to Euclid before the children could muster their courage.
Marianne, having already prepared herself mentally, gave a nervous nod.
Evgenia, relieved and proud, looked at the children before standing up.
“I’ll meet Count Biers first, Your Grace. Please finish your meal slowly.”
“What? Why would you…?”
“Because I’ve been curious about his face while organizing the ledgers.”
That shameless man who had claimed to act for her trading company while receiving distribution fees from the ducal household without fail!
Even without detailed explanation, Euclid seemed to sense the sharpness in her words and gave an awkward smile.
“I can handle this myself. There’s no need for you to—”
“And the children have something they want to say too.”
“The children?”
Euclid, clearly caught off guard, looked at the children, his expression stiffening slightly.
Perhaps he sensed that this might be the moment when he could learn about the scene from five days ago and the crying children.
Evgenia, watching Euclid sit back down halfway through rising, dismissed the butler who had delivered the news of Count Biers’ arrival, along with all the other servants present in the dining room.
Then, accompanied by Anne, she headed to the drawing room where the count was waiting.
“Madam!”
Delano came running, out of breath, having apparently heard the same news.
“Oh? Where is His Grace? Don’t tell me… Madam, are you planning to meet Count Biers yourself?”
“Hmm, His Grace will come shortly. But…”
Why do you look so happy?
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
