Edited

18. Because it’s the Duke’s only blood (2)

Deon, who had been staring at the Baron for a while, spoke up.

“Baron Sein.”

“Yes, your Grace,”

The Baron replied with an excited voice

But the words that followed made the Baron’s face grimace.

“It’s best if you pack your bags and leave my territory, before you get imprisoned for treason.”

“What? No…”

The startled Baron stammered.

“I think you misunderstood, I was just asking you to take good care of Leonie. I had no intention of disrespecting the Duke. In other words, it was not disrespecting me, but disrespecting Leonie…”

“So.”

The sharp tone was unfamiliar.

“Leonie’s blood runs in my veins. Isn’t it the same as disrespecting me?”

Deon gave a nod, ordering the two to be taken away by the waiting knights.

The Baron and his son were dragged away by the guards. I kept my eyes on the ground throughout until they left the hall.

The carpet on the marble floor caught my eye.

Although they were not my real family and I was not really emotionally affected by the situation, I still couldn’t adapt to this kind of misfortune.

I went to a terrace in a corner of the banquet hall.

A cold wind wrapped around my body. Although it was said that the weather had warmed up considerably, the northern region was still chilly.

She should have worn a shawl or something.

There might have been some high-quality fur in Leonie’s luggage.

If she wanted to wear a shawl, she had to ask Deon or the steward, but she felt a little guilty about asking for an expensive outfit before leaving the northern region.

She shook off the cold and rested her arms on the railing.

‘Is this the last time I’ll see this scenery?’

The building given to the guests had lights on. She saw the flames of the fireplace burning through the curtains.

Usually, everything was off, so it looked like an abandoned building. But now that the house was full of people, even the northern region looked cozy, like a place where people lived.

Maybe in a few years, the north won’t be such a cold place anymore.

Since blood is no longer needed, there is no reason to block outsiders, and above all, the ducal family will be more active than before when they have a hostess.

The snow that fell since last night was piled up on top of the fortress wall.

It was beautiful.

If you didn’t have to climb the mountain by stepping on that snow, you would have thought it was a beautiful and dazzling winter landscape.

The same snow may be romantic to someone, but unlucky to someone who has to clear it or go through it.

Unfortunately, the snow in the north was unlucky for me.

Soldiers were seen locking the giant castle gate.

Perhaps they were chasing away the Baron and his son and closing the door. I tried to shake off the thought, but the Baron’s words kept swirling in my head. Words about selling everything his daughter had.

No tears came out.

I don’t realize that this body is not mine and that Leonie’s previous life is not mine.

But the fact that Leonie’s future life would be mine was dizzying.

The Baron will continue to sell his daughter in the future. The social status of Baron’s Young Lady is mediocre, even among commoners and the nobility.

I sighed.

If I could safely sneak out of the North and escape on Marquis Caeon’s carriage, how would I live?

I had only thought about leaving, but I had never envisioned the distant future.

Sitting in a pile of debt, it seemed futile to return to the Baron of Sein. Could I even return to my original world?

I was gazing at the scenery of the North for a long time when I heard a voice from behind.

“Leonie, there you are.”

It was Deon.

He took off the cloak hanging on his shoulder and put it on me. The thick weight almost crushing me.

“Why did you come out without enjoying the banquet? The main character…”

His words trailed off.

“Go in and have more fun. I’ll finish getting some fresh air here and join you later.”

Since I had just experienced the previous situation, it was difficult to meet his gaze. Although they weren’t my real family, the overwhelming embarrassment couldn’t be helped.

He must have noticed my thoughts as he spoke.

“Look up, Leonie.”

His hand gently held my chin.

“You’re acting like you’ve done something wrong. Don’t bow your head anywhere. Why should you bow your head to someone like the Baron when you don’t even bow your head to me?”

“… I wasn’t bowing my head. I was just looking at the carpet pattern on the floor… I picked it out myself. It goes well with the North, doesn’t it?”

I tapped the blue carpet with my shoe.

At least I could come up with an excuse to defend myself.

The carpet had straight lines.

My pen had stopped at the straight line pattern. It looks good on the terrace.

“Sure. It’s great.”

He gave me a half-hearted lie.

After a moment of silence, Deon opened his mouth.

“Are you still bothered by those guys?”

“…”

“They haven’t gone far from the territory yet.”

He spoke in a low voice.

“Should I capture and kill them?”

He looked up at her.

It was a short joke, but it looked serious.

His face seemed calm, like saying he would pull out weeds on the side of the road.

For some reason, his cruel words were comforting.

“For now, no.”

“For now?”

He frowned.

“Will you feel like that later?”

She nodded.

If I survive, I need a place to return to.

“They are my family.”

In any case, the person who would kill me in the foreseeable future was not my family but the duke in front of me.

Even though it was for my sake, the idea of easily killing someone was not pleasant.

It was bitter.

Now the blade was pointed at the baron, but in a few years, it would soon be pointed at me.

Pop! Pop!

Fireworks decorated the sky.

The colors were beautifully scattered across the night sky before fading away.

I gazed at the bursting fireworks in awe.

The surroundings were brightly lit.

Suddenly, nobles appeared outside, admiring the fireworks with their families or loved ones.

I looked at Deon next to me.

Every time the fireworks exploded, his blue eyes shimmered with various colors.

His pupils swayed quietly like a deep and dark sea.

“Duke.”

As the last firework went up, I spoke to him.

“You didn’t take the money. You said you would withdraw the money you gave to the Baron and make a deal with me. Then my contract…”

“Don’t worry. I will keep my promise.”

Because it’s a deal with you. Deon’s words made me feel relieved.

However, it took courage to bring up this topic.

“Um… “Duke.”. What Baron Sein, no, what my father said earlier…”

I tried to handle it calmly, but my voice kept trembling. I swallowed my saliva and continued speaking.

“I’ve never received that kind of education. I’ve never been instructed to approach someone like that. So please don’t misunderstand….”

“I understand,” he replied firmly.

I lifted my head and saw his usual expressionless face.

“…. What do you mean?”

“If you had received that kind of education, you would have tried to seduce me to obtain a title. You wouldn’t have barged into my office like this.”

He lightly pressed my nose as if teasing me, then let go.

The unpleasant emotions I had been feeling disappeared with that small gesture.

The last firework dispersed into the sky. The big fireworks lingered longer in the sky than the others.

“It’s beautiful…” I murmured quietly, looking at his profile instead of the exploding fireworks.

***

Tea time was held in the greenhouse.

It was unfamiliar to see the space where Deon and I were sitting filled with elegant women.

The greenhouse felt really bright. It was like only the surroundings of the greenhouse had melted.

Although there were no expensive flowers or rare pets growing like in other nobles’ greenhouses in the southwest, it was fortunate that it was decorated nicely.

Deon, you should thank me.

If it hadn’t been decorated to this extent, the noblewomen would have doubted the Duke’s financial status, and there would have been trouble.

Even outside the greenhouse, I could hear the laughter of the women chatting.

They stopped talking as soon as they saw me standing in front of the greenhouse door.

A brief silence ensued. Then, one of the noblewomen stood up, took off her coat hanging on the chair, and put it on her arm.

I can’t believe it… I came because I heard that tea time for noblewomen my age was being held, but am I going to be rejected here too?

While I was frozen in place and unable to approach the Ladies, the woman who was sitting down spoke up.

“Welcome, Lady Sien, the Baroness.”

With that, everyone started to speak one word at a time.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Please, have a seat here.”

The woman who had taken off her coat offered me her seat.

I thought there might be some hostility towards the only Viscountess who had been invited, but they turned out to be surprisingly kind.

When I sat down, they even turned the plate with plenty of desserts towards me.

Their cute appearance and friendly smiles made my heart feel at ease.

They all had a cute and petite appearance.

With their delicate looks, shyly covering their mouths and smiling, they seemed innocent like young girls.

“Our peer group is now complete! All the ladies here are the same age as Lady Leonie, or just one or two years older.”

The lady holding the fan smiled broadly, and her deep purple fan fluttered gently.

“We’ve been waiting eagerly for Lady Leonie to arrive. I missed the chance to greet her at the last party.”

“Me?”

“Lady Yvonne has been anxiously waiting for Lady Leonie. She has something to ask her.”

“Oh, Madam! When should I…?”

Her face flushed with surprise, and she locked eyes with Lady Yvonne. Lady Yvonne’s cheeks turned red, and she looked even more charming.

“What would you like to know?”

About the interior of the greenhouse? Or my responsibilities? Or perhaps the Duke’s taste. All the invited ladies were associated with the Duke and had some affection for him. It was clear that the young ladies were interested in the Duke’s preferences.

She held the teacup in her hand. The tea she had just poured was warm.

“It’s nothing special. I was just curious.”

Lady Yvonne hesitated for a moment, then smiled brightly and spoke.

“Lady Leonie.”

I lifted my teacup and waited for her to continue speaking.

“Are you pregnant?”.