Chapter 54
｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Divine ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
The journey down to the estate was extremely rough.
Why was the road so bumpy and the carriage seat so hard? If it weren’t for the cushion supporting my back, I might have died.
However, unlike me, Sukia, who was riding in the carriage with me, was humming for some reason.
“You seem happy, Sukia?”
“Of course. I tried so hard to secure this spot.”
Sukia said with a happy face.
“Everyone wanted this spot so badly. They thought they could take it from me…”
Sukia laughed proudly, but then she cleared her throat, looking a bit sheepish.
“By the way, Milady, aren’t you scared?”
“Scared? Of what?”
“That…”
Sukia trailed off, looking awkward. It meant it was something difficult for her to say.
I realized that the “scary” subject she referred to was the Duke of Peregrine.
Well, the current Duke of Peregrine was terrifying enough to be called as the demon of the battlefield and even called the reincarnation of the first hero, so it was natural for Sukia to be scared.
“I’m prepared for that much. Besides, I’m in a hurry too.”
“But…”
“Even if he scolds me, I’ll keep going to see him. What else can I do?”
Besides, being scolded didn’t really bother me.
Thinking that, I brushed it off, but Sukia’s expression wasn’t so good.
She seemed to be concerned about my natural resignation. I tilted my head slightly and gave her a gentle smile.
“Are you worried about me? Sukia, you’re a kind person.”
“What? Oh, no, Milady. How could I…?”
“Be careful. If you get involved with a bad person like me, you’ll be in big trouble.”
“If it’s you, Milady… I think I’ll be okay…”
“Huh?”
“Oh, i-it’s nothing.”
Sukia’s cheeks turned red as she lowered her gaze to the floor.
Meanwhile, I felt the carriage gradually slowing down.
After a while, the carriage door opened, and an elderly man with a monocle greeted me graciously with a smile.
“Welcome, Milady. I am Harlan, the butler of this estate. Thank you for coming all this way.”
I took his hand and stepped out of the carriage, looking around.
As expected, my grandfather, the Duke of Peregrine, was nowhere to be seen.
“The Duke is inside.”
The perceptive butler quickly added. I had expected that he wouldn’t come out to greet me anyway. I smiled and shook my head.
“I’m sorry for coming unexpectedly. I personally wrote a letter, but the Duke didn’t reply.”
The Duke of Peregrine hadn’t reached out even during Daphne’s poisoning incident.
Such a person wasn’t likely to respond kindly to Daphne’s sudden notice of visit.
Thankfully, Lyas had sent another letter, otherwise I would’ve been treated as a trespasser.
Well, maybe because the letter from Lyas defended me, there was no reply to that either.
‘I have my own urgent reasons, so I don’t mind him not responding.’
I smiled in resignation at that thought.
“Personally… you say?”
The butler tilted his head, looking a bit puzzled. It seemed that he only heard just now that I had sent a letter.
Curious, I slightly furrowed my brow and asked.
“…Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all. Please, do come in.”
The butler quickly masked his expression and led me into the mansion.
“The Duke is currently in his office. I’ll bring some tea, so please go ahead.”
With those words, the butler added the direction of the office.
Just then, the office door opened.
“I’ll be right back!”
A bright voice came closer—
Bang!
The door flung open before I could open it.
“…!”
I was almost knocked over from the impact. Startled, I widened my eyes.
A woman shorter than me, with a round, rabbit-like appearance and dark brown hair, paused as she opened the door.
“Oh, really. Who are you?”
She frowned as she scanned me up and down.
“Who dares block my way…?”
She seemed about to say something in a sharp voice when she suddenly flinched.
“I’m sorry, Milady. I didn’t recognize you!”
Then she paled and repeatedly bowed her head.
“What is going on?”
At that moment, a voice as cold as the north wind came through.
Only then did I look up and see inside.
There was a wide-open window, a green curtain symbolizing Peregrine, and in the center—
A person with a sharp impression and a physique that couldn’t be considered elderly was staring at me.
His eyes were like a hawk seeking prey.
When our eyes met, I instinctively realized.
‘This must be Daphne’s maternal grandfather, Chadan Peregrine.’
Indeed, just facing him felt like an oppressive force was choking my neck.
“I believe I asked what is going on.”
The Duke raised an eyebrow, urging an answer. I hurried to open my mouth, but the other girl was faster.
“I apologize, Your Grace. The lady must’ve been surprised by the sudden opening of the door…”
“…”
“Please, Milady, forgive my rudeness…”
It was an impeccable apology, but somehow…
‘She’s apologizing so much that I look like the bad guy.’
It seemed that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as Sukia, standing behind me, was giving a hollow laugh, “Ha! Ha!”
“Then I’ll be waiting outside…”
Fortunately or unfortunately, she didn’t say anything more. She just shrank away and quickly left the room.
“Well, Milady.”
The butler who had opened the door first called me inside.
Oops. I was so focused on the girl that I hadn’t even greeted the Duke yet.
Regaining my composure, I stepped forward and curtsied, holding my skirt.
“I apologize for the sudden visit, Your Grace. It has been a long time since I last greeted you.”
“…”
Despite the impeccable greeting, Duke Peregrine didn’t even return a formal reply.
He just narrowed his eyes and glared at me.
I smiled at him once more.
“What brings you all the way here?”
After a long silence, he asked in a chilly voice.
His tone suggested he didn’t want to waste time and urged me to get to the point.
Such people don’t appreciate unnecessary pleasantries.
‘In that case.’
I spoke directly.
“I’ve come to ask for your seal on the annulment papers.”
“Hoo…!”
The butler behind me swallowed a surprised gasp. He hadn’t expected me to state my purpose so bluntly.
However, Roderick had sent the annulment papers several times and Lyas had sent a letter detailing the purpose of my visit before I came here.
The Duke was surely aware and was just asking to intimidate me…
“Annulment?”
…or so I thought.
The Duke didn’t show the expected mocking or make a decision to drive me out.
“…”
He only frowned even more deeply.
As if he hadn’t heard anything about it.
I was so taken aback that I forgot to keep smiling and just opened and closed my mouth.
If the Duke hadn’t heard anything, it meant I had shown up unannounced.
Could there have been a mistake in communication?
‘But the butler seemed to know about my visit?’
Did it make sense that only he didn’t know about the annulment?
Just as I was stuck, not knowing what was going on:
“…I understand for now.”
The Duke said in a low, deep voice.
“We’ll discuss it again later.”
With those words, the Duke shifted his gaze from me and instructed the butler to show me to my room.
‘Wait a minute, is this rude greeting really the end after seeing me for the first time in a long while?’
“I…”
When I hurriedly tried to continue speaking—
Bang!
Before I could get a word in, the door swung open, and the woman with dark brown hair I had seen earlier came inside.
“Oh my!”
She exclaimed, her eyes wide as if she hadn’t known. The butler spoke with a troubled face.
“Vanier, how could you be so rude?”
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were still talking…!”
The woman named Vanier dropped her head apologetically.
“Since the Duke never attends to guests for more than a minute, I assumed it was the same this time… I’m really sorry.”
Her rabbit-like face with a distressed expression made her look pitiful to anyone who saw it.
But…
‘What is this?’
I was utterly speechless.
That woman clearly recognized me. Didn’t she address me as “Lady” herself?
Yet she barged in through the door and said that…
‘She thinks that even though I’m the Duke’s granddaughter and a noble lady, I’m not worth his time for more than a minute.’
I narrowed my eyes and gazed at her intently.
TN Divine: Oooh, the plot thickens!
Já quero a guilhotina pra essazinha