IFLDMHF | Chapter 94

Episode 94

End of hardship, beginning of happiness.

It was not an incorrect statement.

However… I never expected to hear such words in this kind of atmosphere.

Even Euclid seemed flustered, as I saw him slowly retract his hand that had been reaching for the children’s shoulders.

Marianne, unaware of our reactions, still spoke with a choked-up voice.

“The Duke’s family’s debt has been fully repaid. That wicked Count Biers has been captured. And now, all that’s left for us is to live well and eat well. Aunt said so, so it must be true!”

Huh? Did I?

I was momentarily taken aback, but seeing Dior nodding vigorously at Marianne’s words, it seemed to be true.

As I hurriedly retraced my memory, a conversation we had around the time the creditors began visiting the duchy resurfaced.

— Aunt, are you really going to pay off the Duke’s family’s debt? All of it?

— Yes. Don’t believe me?

— Well, Amy did say Aunt is rich, but…

Even so, Marianne seemed bewildered, as if she couldn’t quite believe that such an enormous debt could be paid off.

Watching her like that, I found her adorable, yet my heart ached a little.

It was understandable that the butler, as an adult managing household affairs, would worry, but for a young child, who should have been carefree, to suffer over her parents’ matters and even stress about money—it was heartbreaking.

— The debt will be completely paid off. There’s nothing to worry about anymore; all that’s left is to live well and eat well. If you want something, just say it. Hah, when I think about how much you and the Duke have suffered…

As I spoke, I nearly let my emotions get the better of me and revealed my deeper feelings.

In an attempt to conceal them, I must have said something along the lines of “End of hardship, beginning of happiness,” but I never imagined she would remember and bring it up like this.

Although it wasn’t anything particularly inappropriate, I suddenly felt a pang of guilt, recalling how I had once scolded Amy for not being careful with her words in front of the children.

While I avoided Euclid’s gaze and cleared my throat, Euclid gently patted the children and subtly signaled that it was time to finish looking at the portraits.

Just as I was about to reluctantly follow after him, disappointed that I had missed my chance to hear stories of Euclid’s childhood, he suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at me.

“Oh, my wife. In all the recent commotion, I forgot to ask you something.”

Oh? Euclid had something to ask me?

For a brief moment, I felt a flutter of excitement, but then I tensed up, suddenly recalling the gold and black objects I had hidden.

Sensing the shift, even the children held their breath and focused intently on Euclid’s words.

“I can’t thank you enough for protecting the children. But… how did you end up coming out of their wardrobe?”

Speaking cautiously, as if broaching a delicate topic, Euclid lowered his voice despite knowing that no outsiders were present.

“To be more precise, may I ask how you came to use the secret passage inside the duchy?”

“…!”

I hadn’t expected Euclid to know that I had used the secret passage.

Though momentarily startled, I felt oddly relieved, as I had been waiting for the right moment to bring it up myself.

“Oh, that.”

Just as I was about to explain, I noticed the children’s eyes widening in surprise at the mention of the ‘secret passage.’

A mischievous smile tugged at my lips.

***

“W-Wow….”

Inside the library.

I smiled in satisfaction as I watched the children’s eyes grow round in amazement, their mouths hanging open.

“So… you found this purely by accident?”

Like the children, Euclid stared blankly at the entrance leading underground as he asked.

I did feel slightly guilty, but since it was almost entirely by chance, I answered without hesitation.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So you truly just happened to turn the clock’s hands counterclockwise three times, knock on the bookshelf next to it twice, and finally nudge the pendulum on the clock once?”

Retracing my demonstration step by step, Euclid looked incredulous.

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if knocking on the bookshelf twice was necessary.

But that’s how I had opened the entrance.

As I nodded, I carefully observed Euclid, who seemed deeply surprised, and cautiously asked,

“Did you perhaps… not know about this, Your Grace?”

Though Euclid had directly asked me how I knew about the secret passage, there was always a possibility he had been unaware of its existence.

After all, Euclid had abruptly taken over the duchy without formally undergoing the heir’s training.

‘Maybe he only learned about it because of me.’

However, Euclid quickly shook his head.

“No. I have long been aware of the secret passage meant for emergencies. It is documented in the confidential records that the head of the family must review upon inheriting the title.”

He added that he had planned to tell the children once they were older.

Then, he explained what had happened on the day I expelled Amy.

After dismissing the servants, he had inspected the broken wardrobe and discovered that I had exited the room using the secret passage.

Hearing this, I recalled how I had barely managed to break through the thin wall when escaping through the passage.

When I later checked Dior’s wardrobe, it had already been perfectly repaired, making me wonder if a restoration spell had been placed on it.

But it seemed Euclid had personally taken care of the repairs.

“I just find it remarkable that you, who are not a magician, discovered this purely by accident. Do you often use magical artifacts…? Ah, never mind.”

“Haha….”

As Euclid, still baffled, rambled on, he seemed to realize he was pressing too hard and quickly retracted his question.

But having been struck right in my guilty conscience regarding magical artifacts, I let out an awkward laugh.

“I’m just… rather lucky.”

Well, specifically, lucky when it came to money.

In any case, it wasn’t a great excuse, so I felt a bit embarrassed.

“I see.”

“As expected of Aunt!”

But rather than doubting me, both Euclid and Marianne simply accepted my words, which left me feeling even more bewildered.

Just then, Dior, who had been staring unblinkingly at the dark entrance leading underground, asked,

“Aunt, if we go down there, will it really connect to my wardrobe?”

“Yes. If you go down the stairs, you’ll reach a three-way fork. Head straight through the middle, and there will be a door.”

And beyond that door would be the back of the wardrobe.

Looking back, there was probably a simpler way to open it, like sliding the panel.

But at the time, I had been utterly consumed with rage upon hearing Amy’s cruel words toward the children.

‘That must be when I hurt my palm.’

I had been so frantic to reach them that I hadn’t even realized I had injured myself while trying to break the wardrobe.

As I recalled that embarrassing memory and fell silent for a moment—

“I! I want to go! To my room!”

Thrilled by the very existence of a secret passage in the home he had lived in all his life, Dior shouted in excitement.

Seeing his eager, adventure-filled expression made me chuckle.

“Shall we?”

Expecting this outcome, I figured it was safer for the adults to accompany them.

Euclid seemed to agree, nodding with a smile.

The moment he gave permission, both Dior and Marianne eagerly stepped onto the stairs.

“Wait!”

I quickly stopped them.

“You two, your clothes are too thin. Even though the weather has warmed up, it’s still quite chilly. And the underground passage will be even colder. You might catch a cold, so let’s put on some coats first.”

It was advice born from past experiences of getting sick after being careless.

However, upon hearing my sincere concern, the children’s expressions turned strangely unreadable.