Chapter 16: 16

The Duke shook his head at their opinion.

“The child is here at my request. She has work to do.”

Her responsibility was to bring Loretta’s mental stability. Of course, Melody fulfilled that role faithfully as the Duke wanted – more than what he originally expected actually.

“You entrusted that child with work? Perhaps, does the Duke intend to make that child a servant?!”

“To use a slave trader as a servant would be giving a huge amount of ammunition to the other nobles to use to ridicule us with when they find out!”

They seemed to be treating Melody as a confirmed slave trader. After all, they believed that children of nobles were nobles and children of commoners were commoners, so it can’t be said that they were wrong in that notion. The Duke replied with a rather bitter face.

“That child is neither a slave trader nor a servant. She has been fulfilling my request so I have been treating her as a guest staying under my name.”

“G…guest?!”

“Duke!”

“Every human being has their own judgement!”

“You have to get her out right now!”

“How would your predecessors feel if they knew about this?!”

They would often use the words ‘your predecessor, the previous Dukes’ whenever they had something to nitpick about concerning how the Duke ran the house. It was also the most effective tool they had.

“Hmmm.”

The Duke touched his chin, thinking of his deceased father and grandfather. He knew they wouldn’t like the current situation nor his actions and would think that he is a disappointment for a son. But he wasn’t too afraid to be treated as a son they didn’t like.

“They would be very angry.”

The elders happily said, ‘Wouldn’t they?!’ to his answer.

“But it is up to the master of the mansion to decide who to invite in as guests.”

The Duke glanced around to the elders. When they met his gaze, they turned their heads slightly, embarrassed.

“There are so many people who attempt to violate that right…”

There was a deep silence. The Duke checked the time and immediately stood up. Seeing that they weren’t holding him back, it seemed that they had nothing else to say.

“Duke.”

When the duke came out, the butler who was waiting in front of the conference room bowed his head.

“The temple answered?”

“It just arrived.”

“I’m going straight to my office then.”

The high priest must have a wicked hobby.

As soon as he heard that the elders of the Duke Valdwin had come to the capital, he immediately sent a reply indicating that he would inquire with God about the relationship between the Duke and Loretta ‘tomorrow’. But on the condition that there must be an elder representative accompanying the Duke.

“They must’ve thought it would be great to have the Duke and an elder kneel side by side.”

“The visits of the elders also worked in your favor in the end, Duke.”

“They got praise for being unintentionally nagging.”

“Shall I tell the Young Lady and Miss Melody?”

The Duke pondered for a moment at Higgins’ question, but then nodded. Perhaps, the children also need to prepare their minds.

‘Are they mentally prepared?’

He was a little startled by his sudden thought.

Needless to say, he was going to the temple persistently until now to reveal the truth about his potential familial relation to children many times now. During that time, the Duke was always alone while the high priest read the results with his heart prepared for either outcome. He would do his best to nurture her if it was true but if not, then he was just trying to figure out whether the other person’s lie was a simple misunderstanding or an evil trick.

It shouldn’t have been much different now. The life she had now would continue if it was true. If it was false – if – if the child wasn’t his daughter….

‘What should I do?’

Recently, he had decided that he would take care of the lives of the two children. Finding a suitable house in the capital or their hometown, and finding a good guardian so that they can live without discomfort. They were already smart children so they would become people who do their part as they grow into adults even if they were just given minimal help.

‘That would be the right way.’

If he forced them to stay here, the children would have to endure the sharp gazes of elders and nobles, and it would be very painful for them.

“Ah, right. How about if you tell them the news? I’m sure they will love it. Besides, who else can talk to them about the ribbons other than you?”

The Duke shook his head at the butler’s words.

“No.”

Now, he didn’t have the confidence to easily separate from the two children if he got overly attached, and this was something that was weighing heavily on his mind.

 

* * *

 

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There was a dinner to welcome the elders that evening. Loretta and Melody also attended as guests of the Duke. The elders did stare at the two children but they didn’t say anything. It would’ve been more embarrassing for Loretta if she was alone, but she wasn’t shy at all because Melody was with her.

They returned to their room after having an uneventful and delicious meal. Then they washed and changed into their pajamas as usual. Normally, they would read a book or draw while waiting for sleepiness to come, but it was different today. Melody told Loretta to bring her favorite pillow.

“Why?”

“We have to go somewhere now.”

According to what Melody remembered from the book’s details, the elders didn’t like Loretta’s very existence. They valued ‘honor’ more than the ‘members of their family’ because they were afraid of unsavory rumors being said about them. The elders secretly took Loretta out of the mansion in order to stop her from going to the temple the next day. It would be tonight when they decided to do that, and the kidnapping was late at night when everyone was asleep.

Although the Duke tightened the estate’s security, it wasn’t very difficult for the elders to create a gap in the security because their servants were also ‘the Duke’s employees’.

“Awr we going somewer?”

Loretta asked, hugging the pillow tightly.

“Hmm, the safest place in the mansion.”

Loretta gently rubbed her head onto Melody’s arms as she asked, ‘Hewe?’. Because of her cute appearance, Melody almost said, ‘Yeah! Come into this unnie’s arms!’

… but she shouldn’t play such a prank at a moment like this because this time it is really dangerous.

“We’re going to a safer place. Let’s go.”

Like a main character in a spy movie, Melody opened the door slightly and looked around. A passing servant asked her, ‘What game are you playing now, Miss?’ but she pressed her finger over her lips. The servant swore to keep her secret at the risk of her life, and passed quickly.

The two children staggered through the hallway, and climbed the stairs where there was no one. It was rare for the Duke’s guests to go up the second floor, but no one stopped the children after they were given hats by him. The Duke didn’t specifically ban it, but Melody still would’ve violated it even if he had banned it because of today’s upcoming dangerous situation.

Melody stopped in front of a certain door with a cautious step. She mustered up her courage and knocked on the door after taking a deep breath. Melody steeled her heart and spoke as soon as the door opened.

“Can you… h-help us?”

Melody once told Loretta, ‘Find an adult you can completely trust when you’re in trouble’. Perhaps because it was Melody’s first time acting like this, she felt awkward and she was trembling after having to do something unfamiliar, so she stuttered slightly.

 

* * *

 

Before Loretta and Melody came to the Duke’s room.

The Duke called a separate person to tighten the security on the children’s room, because he had a strange feeling that something was amiss. He initially wanted to put them in another room on the second floor, but he was wary that the elders would find out. He stopped that thought because he was afraid it would escalate the situation. Of course, the most ideal situation would be to have the children be with him – secretly.

It was difficult to draw up a plan no matter how much he thought about it. Just when the Duke was thinking, he heard an unfamiliar knock. The reason there were ‘quiet’ knockings on his door every time was because the Duke’s people knocked in a predetermined pattern.

Maybe the elders came? He frowned slightly and swung open the door. He thought it would be alright for him to get angry at them for bothering him this late at night. However, luckily, an accident was prevented from happening the moment he opened the door. There were two children the height of his waist looking up at him with expectant eyes.

“….”

He was startled and didn’t say anything. Moreover, he hadn’t even straightened his face after frowning due to the thought of the elders pestering him again. Was she afraid? He saw Melody opening her mouth, her chin and lips were visibly trembling.

“Can you… h-help us?”

The Duke unconsciously answered, ‘… Hmm?’ replying with a short reply. Up until now, he had raised his three sons alone, but none of them ever came to him with a pillow.

And “help us”, what does that mean?

“What are you asking for help with?”

As the Duke looked at her asking for an answer, Melody answered with sincerity.

“Safety – I want the Young Lady to be safe.”

Melody had answered the Duke’s question with some hesitation.

The Duke felt strange. The elders have never behaved suspiciously in front of Melody, but here she was asking for his help for ‘safety’ reasons. Did she notice their intentions? Melody then added some words that sounded like excuses.

“Just in case. Young Master Ronnie also told me to be careful.”

“Ronnie?”

“Yes, and that’s why when I think about it, there was no one in the mansion we could trust more than the Duke.

“…why?”

It takes time to earn someone’s faith. The Duke did chat with Loretta and Melody from time to time, but not long enough to gain their trust.

“That, I already told you.”

But Melody was looking at him with a completely trusting face.

“That the Duke is Young Lady Loretta’s father.”

He wasn’t just Loretta’s father, but the father who became the main character’s doting father in the novel. In the original story, he took the lead in saving Loretta more than anyone else when she was secretly kidnapped by the elders – even though he hadn’t gotten enough convincing evidence that she was his daughter yet. Naturally, Melody thought that if there would be someone whom she could entrust Loretta’s safety to, the only person worthy of that trust would be the Duke.

“I get it.”

The Duke finally nodded. He didn’t want to shatter the expectations of a child who truly believed in him.

“I will guarantee her safety – in my name.”

He took a step back and opened the door wide, meaning, they could come in.

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