Chapter 117
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118.
"Good afternoon, Duke."
A passing servant bowed respectfully to Julian.
The servant's face was familiar, though not memorable enough for his name to come to mind.
'You need to understand the difficulties your employees face.'
Rebecca's words suddenly surfaced in his thoughts. She had a habit of reproaching him as though he were some tyrannical employer.
"You there."
"Yes?"
The servant, who had been hurrying along, turned at Julian's sudden call.
His eyes widened as he wondered what mistake he had made.
"Is there... any discomfort in your work?"
"I... beg your pardon?"
"I'm asking if you lack anything!"
Unaccustomed to this sort of conversation, Julian found himself raising his voice in frustration.
He regretted it immediately, but the words had already escaped.
With a master several times his size shouting at him, the servant looked as though he might faint on the spot.
Watching the trembling boy, Julian felt deeply uncomfortable.
It wasn't as though he intended to harm him—merely asking after his well-being shouldn't cause such terror.
Rebecca was right; he was clearly a dreadful employer.
"Oh dear... Now, Kelvin, the Duke wasn't trying to scold you. Isn't that right, Duke?"
Croa, who had been observing from behind, feared someone might actually collapse and quickly stepped forward.
At Croa's gentle tone, Kelvin's nerves settled somewhat, and he cautiously lifted his face.
Croa gave Julian a subtle nudge in the ribs.
"Surely you were calling him to bestow a reward upon this poor boy, weren't you, Duke?"
"Ah, yes. That's right. Kelvin, was it? Where do you work?"
At his words, Croa pressed her palm to her forehead.
Kelvin was the boy who attended to Julian's meals at every sitting.
How little attention must he have been paying not to remember the name of a servant he saw face-to-face every single day.
Yet the mere fact that he had thought to inquire after his well-being was nothing short of miraculous.
Croa whispered to Julian's ear with an expression of deep emotion.
"Duke! Isn't this the boy who brings water and beverages with every meal?"
At Croa's words, Julian's ears flushed crimson.
The more he learned, the more he felt like garbage.
"Ah, I suppose my memory failed me for a moment. Kelvin, thanks to your devoted service, I was able to... drink delicious water. I'm truly grateful."
It was an odd compliment, but relieved at not being scolded, Kelvin scratched his head with a pleased expression.
"Not at all, sir. I was merely doing my duty."
"Then, as a reward for bringing me such delicious water, I shall give you that water pitcher!"
Julian pointed to the ceramic water pitcher the boy was carrying.
Croa clicked her tongue in exasperation.
"The... water pitcher? Surely there are other fine things you might offer, Duke?"
"That's quite valuable too. I want you to have it."
"I... thank you so much..."
Just as Julian said, the water bottle Kelvin held so carefully was indeed expensive.
It was an antique that had supposedly belonged to royalty from the Eastern Country.
Kelvin, uncertain whether he truly deserved to receive such a rare treasure, kept glancing back and forth between the water bottle and Croa with an awkward expression.
Croa exhaled a long sigh and waved her hand dismissively.
"I'm looking forward to this evening's meal, Kelvin."
Julian slipped away from the scene as if fleeing.
Once again, the cleanup fell to Croa.
'Blast it, blast it!'
Thanking someone for giving delicious water—what kind of foolish nonsense was that?
Yet her mood wasn't entirely sour.
The first time was always difficult; everything after that came easily.
After bathing, Julian made his way to the Bedroom, greeting the servants he encountered along the way.
The servants who heard his warm greetings looked at him with expressions suggesting they wondered if their master had finally lost his mind.
Still, Julian felt secretly pleased with himself.
It felt as though I had completed the task Rebecca had set for me.
'I should do even better from now on.'
Humming to myself, I entered the marital Bedroom I shared with Rebecca.
The Bedroom, which had lain covered in white cloth like a coffin, now seemed to come alive.
Never imagining I would use this place again after my father's death, I sat down heavily on the bed with a newfound sense of wonder.
As I breathed deeply, I caught the subtle scent of soap mingling with Rebecca's fragrance.
Somehow, sleeping beside her in this vast bed had already become familiar.
Simply lying next to her without doing anything in particular brought me nothing but joy.
Karim used to chuckle and urge me to enjoy myself fully during the honeymoon period.
I wondered what expression he would make if he learned I hadn't even spent the first night together.
I let out a soft laugh.
Then I yawned languidly and lay back on the bed.
The soft blanket wrapped around my body just right.
'Lily...'
The thought of sharing dinner with Lily pressed down on my chest like a heavy stone, suffocating me.
She was a truth I didn't want to face.
Since Rebecca would lift the curse, there was no reason I couldn't treat Lily like family.
But I hesitated.
She was precious and I wanted to protect her, yet I was afraid to touch her with my own hands.
I feared she would shatter at my rough touch.
I was certain I would ruin her one and only childhood.
Knowing all too well how miserable my own childhood had been, I didn't want Lily to walk the same path.
Sometimes I thought it might be all right if Rebecca helped, but fear still gripped me.
This was a different matter entirely from simply being kind to the servants.
A single moment of carelessness could inflict a wound that would haunt her entire life.
It would have been better not to meet at all than to risk that.
It would have been better to raise her in a safe place and then send her to people overflowing with love, unlike himself.
'Perhaps it would be best to arrange an adoption instead.'
Josephine would occasionally hurl such resentful words at Julian.
He had not been without thoughts of adoption.
But was there truly a place that could wholly accept a child cursed by the Duke's Residence?
Unable to reach a proper conclusion, Julian exhaled a groan heavy with anguish.
* * *
The dining table was laden with an unpretentious yet meticulously arranged spread.
Lily stared blankly at a thick sausage glistening with juices, cheese dripping copiously from its surface.
Under normal circumstances, she would have devoured it without hesitation, but today her appetite had vanished entirely.
A harmonious family meal was something Lily had always dreamed of—a wish like something from a fairy tale.
Though her wish had finally come true today, Lily found herself thoroughly deflated.
Lily lifted her head and stole a glance at Julian.
Her brother's already cold face carried an even sharper chill than usual.
Though Rebecca occasionally smiled in her direction, it was far removed from the warm family dinner she had seen in storybooks.
At Julian's indifference—offering her not even a glance as he merely sipped his wine—tears quickly welled in Lily's eyes.
'He doesn't know what to do.'
Rebecca shook her head upon noticing how rigidly Julian's hand gripping the wine glass had stiffened.
The siblings of House of Johannes were far more awkward with each other than she had anticipated.
Dessert would arrive soon, yet the exchanges between them were barely worthy of being called conversation.
To make matters worse, tears were now streaming down Lily's cheeks.
Rebecca hastily redirected the conversation.
"Isn't the sausage truly delicious? Julian specially ordered it from the Kitchen chef because you're so fond of it."
At Rebecca's words, Lily's head snapped up in surprise.
Upon meeting Lily's tear-glistened eyes, Julian nearly bit through his own tongue.
With her hair adorably tied in two ribbons, Lily looked even more endearing than usual today.
Regardless of what I might have done wrong, that single tear rolling down those plump cheeks was undoubtedly my fault.
The moment that realization struck, I felt an urge to stab my own thigh with the fork.
'Spending time together was indeed a terrible idea.'
Regret crashed over me like waves. I wanted nothing more than to flee this moment.
Just as I began to shift in my chair, Lily spoke shyly with a smile.
"Th-thank you...."
Lily quickly brought her knife to the cooling sausage and began cutting it earnestly.
She then placed a generous piece into her mouth and chewed contentedly.
Her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel with food stuffed in its mouth.
Witnessing this sight for the first time, Julian found himself gazing at Lily with fascination.
Gulp—
Lily neatly wiped her mouth with a napkin and broke into a radiant smile.
"Delicious!"
Her smile was so radiant it could disarm even the most guarded heart.
Julian felt his tension melt away, and without thinking, he found himself smiling in response.
"Oh, I... smiled..."
Lily's eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of Julian's smile for the first time.
As her appetite finally awakened, Lily devoured her portion of sausages in the blink of an eye.
Julian rested his chin on his hand and gazed at Lily with quiet contentment.
The frozen atmosphere that had pervaded the Dining Hall was beginning to thaw.
"Then I shall bring out dessert."
Carrot cake and pudding arrived in swift succession.
Julian's lips, which had remained sealed shut like a clam until now, finally parted.
"I heard you dislike sweets. This cake uses as little sugar as possible. Do you like carrots?"
"Yes! I love them!"
At last, I heard my older brother's voice—it was far deeper and more dignified than my faded memories of him.
Lily spooned the carrot cake into her mouth, repeatedly exclaiming how delicious it was. Julian's eyes curved into crescents.
Rebecca smiled as well and spoke.
"Most girls your age dislike carrots, but Lily is quite remarkable."
"Is that so? I've never met children my own age, so I didn't know. What do children like me do for fun? I'm curious!"
It was an innocent question, but one of Rebecca's eyebrows arched sharply.
Never met anyone her own age before.
She knew Julian kept Lily confined, but she had assumed he would at least provide her with peers to befriend.
Rebecca glared at Julian before speaking.
"Well then, this would be a perfect opportunity to make friends. Autumn brings many tea parties. I'll select some suitable young ladies your age. It would surely be enjoyable..."
"Absolutely not!"
Julian's voice erupted sharply. Lily, who had been growing excited at Rebecca's words, flinched and trembled.
Seeing Lily's frightened expression, Julian pressed his hand to his forehead.
But this was non-negotiable.
"Lily. The world is full of people with sinister intentions. Especially at your age, you cannot yet discern such malice. So wait until you're older before making friends."
"Yes..."
Lily nodded with a resigned smile.
Veins bulged prominently across Rebecca's forehead.
The Runaway Countess Returns
E-book Publication
January 12, 2022
Author
Long night sky
Publisher
Desert Fox
Publisher.
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submissions.
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.
@wjt_fennecfox
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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