♡ TL: Khadija SK
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This was why Hazel had become more cautious in her actions compared to her days at boarding school.
Even so, she still harshly punished anyone who acted with excessive rudeness or pestered Charlotte in an irritating manner.
But she no longer criticized the vanity of noble ladies, pointed out their contradictions, or openly mocked the younger girls who gossiped about others.
Thus, from Charlotte’s perspective, it was only natural that her elder sister seemed to have changed.
“It seems I’ve disappointed you, Charlotte?”
“It’s not disappointment, sister. I just…”
Charlotte bit her lower lip, then lifted her head as if she’d made a decision.
She grasped Hazel’s cheeks with both hands and said clearly, word by word:
“At the Lance family’s ball, Duke Theodore must escort you.”
“…”
“Absolutely! We need to show everyone that you’ve captured Duke Theodore! That Duke Theodore is utterly captivated by you! Let’s prove it that day!”
Hazel was rendered speechless.
Everything Charlotte said was wrong.
Hazel hadn’t captured Theodore. The idea that Theodore was captivated by her was nonsense.
But he might indeed escort her.
Hazel wondered if she should ask Theodore to accompany her—for her little sister’s sake and to protect the Easton family’s honor.
***
Hazel awoke at the early hour of dawn and sat at her desk.
She retrieved a small necklace hidden deep within the drawer.
It was shaped like a seashell, and when she pressed its edge, it opened to reveal two photographs inside.
A man in a military uniform and a woman in a nurse’s outfit, both bearing a general resemblance to Hazel.
Soft yet strong eyes, elegant facial lines, and a resolute will shining in their gazes.
Hazel gently tapped the photos with her thumb, her lips moving.
“Mother… Father…”
It was an odd sensation.
Not because of the names, but because these two were indeed her parents.
Hazel had been born during a tumultuous period when the kingdom was waging wars of conquest.
She was born in the heart of enemy territory.
Her father, Gamish, was a commoner who joined the army and rose to the rank of captain through his achievements, making him a distinguished soldier.
Her mother, Hazel—yes, Hazel inherited her mother’s name—was a military nurse from a modest noble family.
They met on the battlefield and fell in love.
In circumstances where they didn’t know when they might die, their love blazed quickly.
During that time, Viscount Easton joined the army.
Due to an administrative error, he was sent to the front lines instead of staying in the rear, and Gamish took it upon himself to look after this clumsy young noble.
According to Viscount Easton’s recounting, Gamish saved his life five times.
To Viscount Easton, Gamish was a hero.
A commoner, yet full of lessons to impart.
Viscount Easton followed Gamish like an older brother, and it became natural for him to meet Hazel’s mother as well.
After a year, Viscount Easton was transferred to the safe rear lines, parting from the two, and was discharged from the army shortly after.
He served for two years, fulfilling his duty as a noble.
Though he didn’t achieve notable feats in the war, Viscount Easton earned praise and respect from those around him.
Later, he met Lady Easton, married her, and started a family.
He occasionally thought of Gamish but wasn’t worried about him.
Until that day came.
The day Viscount Easton awoke from a splendid dream, as he later recounted:
“I’m going to buy a lottery ticket. I had a wonderful dream.”
But that day, Viscount Easton didn’t receive a lottery ticket—he received something else: a baby in a basket, Hazel.
Inside the basket was a single letter and the necklace Hazel now held.
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To the esteemed Viscount Easton,
Fortunately, the war has ended. Five months ago, with the final battle of Imaguzi. Many have returned home. Perhaps Gamish has returned to his homeland too—if souls can travel as well.
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Gamish had died. Viscount Easton felt as though a part of his body had collapsed.
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…I tried raising the child alone. She was the fruit of the love Gamish left me. But it seems my luck has run out here.
…They say I have six months to live.
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On the war-torn battlefield, amidst malnutrition and suffering, Hazel’s mother had fallen ill.
The shock of losing her husband was the final blow, and she was diagnosed with a terminal disease.
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I considered leaving her at an orphanage, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I know this is a burden on you, Viscount Easton, but you were the only one who came to mind. Please, just don’t let her go hungry. Even a room under the stairs will do. You can use her as a servant later. If she takes after Gamish, she’ll be wise; if she takes after me, she’ll be skilled with her hands. I’m sorry.
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Hazel’s mother left her child to Viscount Easton.
She said he could use her as a servant, but he formally registered her as his daughter.
Lady Easton, who knew her husband’s past, agreed to this with delight.
Fortunately, the child, just over a year old, resembled Viscount Easton and his wife in their gentle features, and her age roughly aligned with their marriage, making it easy to claim her as their own.
“We need to choose a name for her.”
The child had no name.
It wasn’t clear if this was intentional or if her mother chose not to mention one.
After some thought, Viscount Easton selected “Hazel,” the same as her mother’s name.
“Hazel, from now on, you are Hazel Langbelle Easton.”
And so, she became Hazel Easton.
Viscount Easton’s family hurriedly left their city home and moved to their rural estate, where they raised Hazel.
In the estate, people assumed the couple had given birth to Hazel in the capital.
In the city, the household staff believed she was born and raised in the estate.
Until that day came.
When Hazel turned ten—six years after Charlotte’s birth—a cook who had previously worked at the family’s city home visited.
He knew Hazel’s past. He had been the one preparing milk and porridge for her back then.
The man demanded a hefty sum to keep quiet.
Though they knew it was wrong, Viscount Easton paid him.
The man disappeared after taking the money, but rumors spread through high society in the capital.
It was a detailed rumor: Hazel wasn’t Viscount Easton’s true daughter; her real parents were a commoner captain and a noblewoman from a modest family.
From that year, Viscount Easton’s family began spending the social season at their city home and attending various events.
They made efforts to have Hazel recognized as an active member of noble society.
Sadly, those efforts became meaningless in the year Hazel debuted.
At a banquet hosted by the Easton family, the elderly Lady Easton—the family’s grandmother—showed clear favoritism and disregard for Hazel compared to Charlotte in front of the guests.
The elderly Lady Easton had viewed Hazel with suspicion from the start.
She’d said Hazel wasn’t of Easton blood and was draining the family’s wealth.
The grandmother grew angrier when Viscount Easton and his wife treated Hazel exactly like Charlotte.
“How can blood be equal to a stranger? Raising someone else’s daughter will only bring regret. Marry her off to some man. Preferably send her in marriage to another country.”
Someone overheard the elderly Lady Easton arguing with the viscount in a secluded room. It took only half a day for those words to spread through high society.
Hazel had few suitors to begin with due to her unique personality, but they vanished entirely after that.
Viscount Easton and his wife felt deep regret toward Hazel, but she didn’t blame them. Nor did she hold a grudge against the old lady.
At ten, when the scheming cook threatened Viscount Easton, she heard the truth from her parents and sometimes imagined a day like this in her mind.
The day she’d be an Easton yet not an Easton.
The day everyone learned her origins.
In her imagination, Hazel would suffer and sometimes cry, leave home, run away, scream, curse others, or sink into despair.
But the real Hazel overcame it quietly and moved through high society with confidence. That was possible because of her family.
A family that embraced her with love deeper than blood: Viscount Easton, Lady Easton, Charlotte, Andre…
“My beloved family.”
Hazel recalled the faces of her dear family members and closed the necklace. For their sake, she had to remain confident and proud.
Even as the necklace dug into her palm, Hazel didn’t loosen her grip, staring at the sky.
Her eyes trembled, carrying a fiery, glowing spark.
***
Theodore came to visit the Easton family for the third time four days after their discussion about the contract.
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