Chapter 19
“Um… Ellie, I’m sorry.”
I was apologizing to Ellie, who was still crying and trembling.
“Sniff… Miss…”
“I won’t go off on my own like that again.”
“Waaaah! No, Miss! It’s my fault for taking my eyes off you… From now on, I’ll never leave your side! I’ll stay glued to you! I’ll watch over everything you dooo! Waaah!”
Wow… She’s basically saying she’s going to monitor me 24/7.
But since she’s crying while saying it, I can’t exactly say no.
“And that squirrel you brought back… You’re not seriously thinking of keeping it, are you?”
“Um, I haven’t decided yet.”
“Sigh… Chloe, you can’t act so freely like you used to anymore.”
“Okay…”
“Chloe… I’m sorry for bringing you here without explaining things properly.”
“……”
“If I could, I’d tell you everything. But…”
That was true.
I’d never heard about my situation from Mom directly. I had only learned things through other people.
But I’d never really resented that. I already knew about Mom and Herald’s relationship, and I figured she didn’t know how to explain it to me.
More than anything, I hated seeing that expression on Mom’s face.
Instead, I felt guilty for making her look like that because of my own actions.
“Mom…”
“Once everything settles down, I’ll tell you everything. So just wait a little longer, okay?”
“Yeah! I’m okay, Mom.”
Knock knock.
Just as the tension began to lift, a knock sounded on the door.
“The Duke is asking to see both of you.”
“……”
“Huh? Me too?”
“Yes.”
“Chloe, can you go by yourself?”
“Huh? What about you, Mom…?”
“I have too much work. I won’t be able to go with you. Carter.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Tell the Duke this: I’m busy playing the role of Duchess as he wishes, so don’t call for me again for a while.”
“…Understood.”
“……”
“……”
Herald didn’t bother to hide his irritation as he sat before me.
And having witnessed the reason with my own eyes, I kept my mouth shut.
Mom had always been cold toward the Duke, but things now seemed even worse than when they first met.
She must have been furious to send me alone like this.
Did they have a fight while I wasn’t around?
“Hoo…”
His chest, already large and broad, swelled dramatically as he sighed.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll begin ability manifestation training. Go to the training grounds in the morning.”
“Okay…”
“……”
“……”
Silence again.
After some time passed, his golden eyes turned from the window to me, his face heavy with thought.
Seizing the moment, I spoke up first.
“Did you fight with Mom?”
“What? No, it’s not that…”
“She was really mad.”
“……”
Maybe I hit a nerve—he just mouthed words without sound, then turned back to the window.
What did he do this time?
“Haah…”
I sighed deeply. I hadn’t even figured out how to fix their relationship yet.
I didn’t know how things began between them or why it ended so badly.
I was already stressed thinking about that… and now this?
Boiling with frustration, I glared at Herald. Secretly, of course.
“I just…”
After what felt like forever, his lips finally moved.
“I just informed them about your registration.”
“Reg…istration?”
“I officially registered you into House Eraiten and informed the temple and imperial family. She got furious, asking why I did it without consulting her.”
Huh?
So I got registered into Eraiten without even knowing?
I tilted my head slightly at the sudden information, but Herald kept speaking without even glancing at me.
“The temple already sent confirmation that you are indeed my biological daughter. I’m sure this news has reached the branch families and the imperial court. You were going to be registered eventually, whether it was now or later.”
“Um…”
“Adeline probably thinks I’m using you to force her to stay here. But I didn’t register you with some manipulative intent! Once news spreads that a child of Eraiten blood has appeared, all eyes will be on you. There’s no way I could leave you and Adeline vulnerable. People are already gossiping because she left the mansion. If I hadn’t registered you, worse rumors would have started.”
“Excuse me, Your Grace?”
“Hah, she must really hate me. So much that she can’t see the logic behind it—”
“YOUR GRACE!”
Ugh, I fumbled my words again. But that was his fault for ignoring everything I was trying to say!
“Did you tell Mom about those rumors?”
“…What?”
“Did you tell her you registered me to stop the rumors?”
“……”
I didn’t need an answer. It was obvious.
He hadn’t understood Mom’s feelings at all, and worse, he made things worse all on his own.
At this point, I felt like canceling everything and just tearing up the contract.
I didn’t think he’d be this clueless.
Honestly, this thoughtless nature was probably a big reason why their relationship had fallen apart in the first place.
“Pff…”
I let out an exaggerated sigh, which made Herald flinch.
It seemed like he realized he’d done something wrong—though he clearly didn’t understand what.
If he were the kind of person who understood that kind of thing, things wouldn’t have gone so wrong with Mom in the first place.
“Sigh… This is frustrating.”
I thumped my chest with a fist as if trying to dislodge something heavy stuck inside.
“Do you really not know why Mom’s mad?”
“What? Well, you’re officially registered now, so if you leave—”
“That’s not it!”
Herald’s eyes widened. Then he frowned deeply, clearly confused.
“If not that, then why—”
“You didn’t tell Mom beforehand that I’d be registered, did you?”
“……”
A clear hit. His shoulders flinched hard.
“You made the decision without telling her and only explained afterward, right? Without giving her a reason.”
“……”
Still no reply, but his golden eyes, which had looked so stern earlier, were now wavering.
“Haa… So I was right.”
“……”
At my dramatic sigh, one of Herald’s eyebrows twitched high.
His face was frightening enough to startle anyone—but not when I was this mad.
Right now, I needed to get Mom to calm down.
“Apologize.”
“What?”
“Go apologize to Mom!”
I couldn’t take it anymore and ended up shouting.
“She’s mad because of that! So…”
I inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled.
“Just go and tell her you’re sorry!”
“What? But…”
What, is he too proud to apologize?
He covered his mouth with his hand and hesitated.
“Ugh! Just go and say you’re sorry! What’s the big deal?!”
“I-I don’t know how to apologize…”
“Huh…?”
“I’ve never… apologized in my life…”
“……”
…Wow. This man is truly hopeless.
Unable to hold back my rage, I shouted again.
“JUST GO AND TELL MOM YOU’RE SORRY!!”
The very next day, I was at the training grounds for my ability manifestation training.
I wore the training uniform Ellie had dressed me in.
Pepe had complained that it didn’t suit me, but I didn’t agree.
Purple overalls, a black shirt, and my hair tied up high in a ponytail—just the kind of comfy outfit I loved.
The lace around the neck was a little annoying, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
I really wanted Mom to see this outfit first, but she seemed busy preparing for the tea party, so I didn’t go to her.
Still…
“So, who’s coming today?”
“Your teacher, of course.”
Ellie answered kindly from beside me. But it didn’t clear up my confusion at all.
“Yeah, but who is that, exactly…”
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m a bit late.”
“Huh…?”
Why is Finn here?!
