Chapter 007
With just that smile, everything he had tried to ignore about that girl came rushing back.
Her face on the first day, awkwardly greeting me, came vividly to mind.
The girl who gave me earnest advice with her plump little lips in an effort to help me.
The girl who chattered cheerfully, introducing herself and asking me not to be wary of her.
The girl who lit up with joy whenever I responded to her.
The girl who shielded me from Somerset and Axel whenever they tried to bully me.
For some reason, I felt an inexplicable tightness in my throat, and my chest was pounding furiously, along with a slight thirst.
Finally, I was able to speak with Dedrick.
Not only that, but it seemed Jenkinson had put in a good word for him, as he started getting decent meals.
The appearance of the Duke this time had been a stroke of luck. Of course, there was no guarantee that luck would follow again next time.
‘He saw me, but…’
After that, I could not meet the Duke again. The one place I was unable to go was the floor where the Duke’s room and office were.
That area was completely off-limits to me.
So, even if I wanted to meet him again, it wasn’t easy.
Even waiting for him wasn’t an option. If he left the Grand Duke’s castle, it was rare for him to return quickly. Otherwise, he’d be holed up in his office, making it difficult to meet him.
‘He said he’d be leaving for the capital soon and would be gone for several days.’
I had to meet him before then, but it wasn’t easy.
I considered sitting and waiting, but if the Grand Duke was deliberately avoiding me, I would never meet him.
‘If he knew I was desperate to talk to him, and he wouldn’t come find me, which clearly means he doesn’t want to meet me.’
Again today, while moving wardrobes, I let out a deep sigh.
Still, I couldn’t just wait for the Duke.
I had to protect my Dedrick.
While going through the wardrobes, I often overheard conversations between Somerset and Axel, who seemed to be scheming something.
Just like now.
“Hyung, is this okay?”
The words sounded worried, but there was a playful joy in the voice.
The person calling Somerset “hyung” besides Dedrick was none other than Axel Blackwood.
He was Delani’s second son.
“If Delani had a second child, their relationship must have been good at some point, right? They’re only a year apart.”
Had things soured become after Amelia’s appearance? When you think about it, it seems like an affair…
But having a mistress besides his wife was something people pretended not to notice, to avoid making it complicated.
The novel didn’t go into much detail about it, so I wasn’t sure.
Even here talking about Amelia’s was almost a taboo topic, so nobody talked about it openly.
“What’s not okay? Because of that bastard, Mother…”
Somerset’s grinding teeth could be heard through the wardrobe.
How absurd.
This was all your mother’s karma; how is any of it Dedric’s fault?
I understood that blaming others was easy, but for these two, it seemed far too easy.
“Do you think I’ll just sit back and take it?”
“W-what are you going to do?”
His voice faltered, but there was a slight hopefulness in it.
He, too, wanted to torment Dedrick—it was clear from his tone.
Axel was just that kind of person.
Hiding behind Somerset, he relentlessly bullied Dedrick in a cowardly way.
Yet there was always something clumsy about him.
He had never received his mother’s love because of Delani’s overwhelming love for his firstborn, so he acted as though he’d give everything to Somerset. However, deep down, he was a boy with an inferiority complex towards his older brother.
“You know what this is, right?”
I carefully opened the wardrobe door.
Since it was a high-quality wardrobe, there was no sound when it opened. I could see Somerset and Axel through a small crack.
The two of them looked more like Delani than the Grand Duke.
Delani was a calm, beautiful woman with navy blue hair, and both of them had the same.
They had navy blue hair and were good-looking, but their faces, covered in greed, made them seem less attractive.
“This is a book that Father gave us this time. Economics. It is Dedrick’s.”
“So what?”
“Father doesn’t like people handling books carelessly.”
The moment those words were spoken, I immediately understood Somerset’s plan.
It seemed they were planning to destroy Dedrick’s book that had been stolen.
They were trying to embarrass him.
As expected, Somerset grinned wickedly and added,
“Especially if he finds out that he had torn up the book he had personally given to us, he won’t forgive him!”
I highly doubt that…
Somerset seemed to think Dedrick had brought the Grand Duke into the picture to retrieve the keepsakes, so he planned to use the same tactic against him.
By involving the Duke, he was trying to get Dedrick on his bad side.
It was clear that these were childish schemes. Luckily, they were within my ability to handle.
If they’d been worse, I might have made a fool of myself, claiming I’d help while only causing more trouble.
“But can’t he just get another book?”
“How’s he going to get one? No one here would help him.”
Somerset’s lips curled into a nasty smile as he opened the book wide.
Rip! Tear!
Watching him tear the book with determination, I quickly headed toward Dedrick’s room.
‘If they have such a plan, then it’s my turn to intervene.’
It was a great chance to get back at them.
As soon as I arrived at Dedrick’s wardrobe, I threw the door open and called out tp him excitedly.
“Didi!”
“……”
He glanced at me and then turned away with a sullen expression.
What happened to him now?
“Did Somerset come by?”
No way—I’d just seen him a moment ago. But Dedrick’s mood always sank when Somerset or Axel had come around.
“…No.”
Then why was the atmosphere so heavy?
I rolled my eyes around, sitting casually on the wardrobe.
What was it?
What’s going on?
But that wasn’t the issue right now.
“Where is your economics book that the Grand Duke has given to you?”
He flinched and dropped his head, fidgeting with his hands.
So he already knew it was gone.
“It’s okay. Somerset stole it, but I’ll take care of it.”
“Stole it?”
“He plans to show the Grand Duke that you don’t treat books with respect and get you in trouble. But as long as I’m here, that’s not going to happen. Don’t worry.”
After hesitating for a moment, he asked,
“…Is that why you were gone?”
“Yeah. They’re always looking for ways to bother you, so I have to find out what they’re up to. This time, we’ll turn the tables on them! I’ll swap the book!”
“…”
Even after my explanation, Dedrick didn’t respond much.
I crouched beside him and looked up at his pale face.
Seeing his downcast expression, I cautiously asked,
“Should we go for a walk?”
He looked at my face and let out a soft laugh.
…Is my face that funny?
Rustle, rustle…
Dedrick glanced sideways at the girl’s gray hair dragging across the floor.
Even as her hair brushed the ground, it didn’t stir any visible dust. So, no one seemed to notice that she was there.
His sharp, ocean-deep blue eyes darted toward her, observing her keenly, and then he stiffened.
As soon as their eyes met, her lips curved into a wide grin, causing him to avert his gaze in a hurry without realizing it.
This girl, for some reason, always looked delighted whenever she saw him.
Unlike others who grimaced at the mere sight of him, her constant cheerfulness was something Dedrick just couldn’t get used to.
But the girl, perhaps sensing his discomfort, asked cautiously,
“Should I walk a little farther away? If it makes you uncomfortable, I can do that.”
Without thinking, Dedrick grabbed her sleeve as she began to step away, his lips parting slightly as if to say something.
While he appreciated her help and the fact that she’d retrieved the heirloom, but a part of him felt uneasy.
Surely, she wasn’t helping him for no reason.
If he could figure out her motives, he’d know whether to keep his guard up or whether he could trust her.
Dedrick didn’t want this lingering discomfort to continue.
Finally, he looked at her and asked,
“Why are you helping me? What do you gain from it?”
The answer came without hesitation.
“Because the wardrobe in your room is basically my lifeline.”
That was something she’d mentioned when she first introduced herself.
Dedrick hesitated before asking again,
“That’s the only reason?”
“No!”
As expected.
There was something more.
Feeling his throat tighten, he nervously licked his dry lips.
But then,
“You’re the only one who can save me.”
Startled, Dedrick’s eyes widened.
“…Me?”
“Yeah. You’re my lifeline. It has to be you. No one else will do. That’s why I cling to you—to survive.”
