“He must be coming because the Grand Duke has collapsed.”
Rex continued on calmly. However, the stunned expression on his face made it clear how shocked he was right now.
There has been little interaction between Duke Bluea and the Grand Duke. They last interacted when Rex was sent to the Grand Duchy.
I squeezed Rex’s hand. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for him to see his father, the man who abandoned him, for the first time in so long.
“So, I couldn’t stop it.”
Gilbert said with a troubled expression on his face.
Gilbert seemed genuinely sorry for Rex, but what could he do to stop him from visiting his only brother?
He must be busy right now, fulfilling his responsibilities as head of household.
Now that I think about it, Gilbert appeared to have endured a great deal of hardship while I was asleep. He had bags under his eyes, which were most likely caused by a lack of sleep.
I quickly lowered my head again, fearing that Gilbert would turn his gaze from Rex to me as I snuck a glance at his face.
“I’m fine.”
“……I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say that; it’s not like I’m going to live my entire life without seeing him.”
You’re lying.
You were going to live the rest of your life without seeing him.
But I kept my mouth shut, not knowing what to say, while Rex tried to make Gilbert feel at ease with a smile on his face.
Gilbert, who had a regretful expression on his face, stroked Rex’s head.
“Just let me know if you don’t feel comfortable seeing him, and we can just say you were running an errand or something.”
“Wouldn’t that be too obvious? Actually, it wouldn’t matter to him whether I was present or not. However, it’s still appropriate for me to be there.”
Rex said it lightly, but there was nothing light about it.
If I had been normal, I would have responded to Rex’s words, but this time I remained silent. The one to blame for what’s happening right now is…
“Don’t say that, Rex.”
“But it’s true.”
“You are not someone trying to blend into the Grand Ducal family; you are one of my precious little siblings.”
At Gilbert’s sincere voice, Rex quickly shut his mouth.
I thought Gilbert, who was speaking so kindly, was remarkable.
“Mary, are you feeling well?”
His attention turned to me.
Gilbert was having trouble speaking to me, as evidenced by the slight tremor in his voice as he asked me.
I nodded silently.
“Then why are you unable to look me in the eyes?”
Gilbert gently stroked my cheek as he asked, but I was still unable to look up. His face made me think of Grand Duke Estin, so I couldn’t look at him.
I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze. Gilbert’s low sigh tickled my head.
“Rest a little longer.”
“……yes.”
“You don’t have to come out when your uncle gets here, okay? Just eat, take your medicine, and…….”
Gilbert, who was giving me advice, suddenly became unable to speak further. Declaring that he had to get ready for Duke Bluea’s arrival, he left the room.
He could have asked a servant, but it was clear that he came in person on purpose in case Rex would be shocked.
I couldn’t even see him off properly because I was so sorry for my actions.
“Do you want to eat more?”
“……No.”
“Are you going to get up?”
“Yes.”
“You should lie down more.”
“I can’t do that when uncle is coming.”
Actually, I didn’t want to see his face. I wasn’t in the mood, but I can’t let Rex face that person alone.
If it hadn’t been for me, Grand Duke Estin would not have collapsed, and that person would not have needed to visit the Grand Duchy.
I was to blame. That’s why I couldn’t just stay in bed and leave Rex alone.
I was about to call Carol when Rex spoke with his voice and his body trembling.
“I should have killed it.”
It was a statement that made my body freeze as I was about to get up.
“I should have apprehended the beast who tried to attack you.”
“No, why are you saying that all of a sudden?”
“It would have been my opportunity to repay the Grand Duke for saving my life.”
“Rex, please…….”
“If he didn’t take me in, I wouldn’t have met you, and my brothers. I wouldn’t know there are still good people.”
I called out Rex’s name in a pleading tone, but he continued to speak with a sullen face. I don’t understand why these innocent people are blaming themselves for my obvious mistake.
I remembered what Grand Duke Estin once said. He said he didn’t know what I was thinking with this little brain of mine.
That’s how I feel looking at Rex now.
What sort of thoughts could he possibly have about repaying kindness with that puny little brain of his?
“No, that’s not about repaying kindness.”
I spoke to Rex in a stern, older sister-like voice.
“Are you stronger than father?”
“No!”
Rex jumped up and refuted what I said.
“If you killed that beast instead of father, he would be mad. Don’t you think so? Because father is much stronger.”
“Sister…”
“So don’t say that. He won’t like it.”
It wasn’t comforting, but I hoped Rex would feel a little more at ease.
It’s all my fault, and I don’t want anyone else to feel guilty. But if I blamed myself here, Rex would have soothed me, saying it wasn’t at all. However, I didn’t want to hear that it wasn’t my fault, so I decided not to say that.
“Now, will you call Carol? Uncle is coming, so I need to prepare!”
“That man is the devil.”
Rex’s face darkened again.
“When I heard the story about the god of the underworld, I thought it might be him.”
I could tell Rex was very angry with Duke Bluea because of the way he spoke and looked when he mentioned that person.
It was nothing like when we were talking about Grand Duke Estin earlier.
“I really hope you never run into that person because I can’t even imagine the harm he could do to you, and if that person actually touches you, I don’t think I could handle it.”
I gently stroked the white fingers of Rex. I thought that even a thousand words of comfort wouldn’t reach him right now. I hope Rex doesn’t suffer too much. I hope he doesn’t turn to the dark side later on. I hope he will be happy.
Rex is my precious little brother.
“Don’t worry, Rex,”
“Sister doesn’t know him……!”
“If Uncle hates me, he’ll be more offended that I’m standing firmly in my place. Don’t you think?”
When I said something that made sense, Rex became quiet and continued by saying that he would bring Carol, but his expression remained uneasy.
He really didn’t want me to meet the Duke of Bluea face to face.
With a sad expression on her face, Carol ran to me when she heard that I was looking for her. She gave me a bear hug and then assisted me in getting dressed. I wore a pretty pink dress, but I still looked pale.
Before Duke Bluea arrived, I stopped by Grand Duke Estin’s bedroom for a moment.
He looked as calm as if he were taking a short nap.
“Dad.”
I called out to him in a small voice, but Grand Duke Estin didn’t even flinch.
I lightly stroked his pale fingers. I felt like he was going to get up and hug me at any moment.
“Have a good dream.”
Don’t they say that dreams are a manifestation of the subconscious?
Since I had a dream that I had to protect father, I wished he could dream of a cozy world where nobody needed protection.
The already gloomy atmosphere became even more so after hearing about Duke Bluea. Outside the castle, everyone gathered to greet him.
Aiden, who found me, smiled affectionately. He gently tapped my cheek, asking what’s wrong with my expression.
“Are you feeling a little better? You don’t have to come out.”
“Still…I have to.”
Theodore looked gloomy. If it were any other day, he would have been angry and stayed behind, but he just sat there quietly. Theodore seemed to feel guilty about something, too.
I wanted to tell him that it wasn’t his fault. In the midst of this, I began to wonder about the Duke of Bluea’s reason for visiting Conler Castle.
“The Duke of Bluea is here!”
The black carriage drew nearer. The carriage was strangely similar to that of the Grand Duchy of Conler.
Well, he was originally a Conler, so it wasn’t strange, but……. But it had a peculiar feeling.
I tightly held Rex’s hand next to me.
“Long time no see.”
Duke Bluea’s first impression was quite like Rex, but without the warmth that Rex had.
So, if Rex were to truly become a villain later on, I’m afraid it would feel like this. I held Rex’s hand even tighter.
“Uncle, what brings you here?”
“Ah, you’re already asking about my business here before I even entered?”
Duke Bluea replied coldly to Gilbert’s words.
No, he’s my uncle. But he’s not a Conler anymore, so I shouldn’t call him uncle. A strange resistance arose.
“That’s not what I meant…….”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter…”
Duke Bluea gave me and Rex a quick look.
“Let me introduce you to someone.”
Duke Bluea said it was okay to come out of the carriage now.
His voice was so affectionate that I was a little surprised. When I looked at Rex, he also seemed quite surprised.
Duke Bluea reached out his hand, and the person inside the carriage took his hand and came out. A black bobbed hair caught my eye. I held my breath a little.
“She’s your cousin and my daughter.”
My heart was thumping wildly.
If my memory serves me right, Jung Seulbi was the person he presented as his daughter.
