Chapter 42.2

“Is it really for Mom?”

Looking at my dad who didn’t answer, I urged him.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll need clothes when I wake up.”

“Then why did you weigh Cecilia?”

“I just hugged your mom and moved her.”

I could feel the warmth contained in the words he uttered. I couldn’t even hug my mom. Then, was it him who moved my mom and I when we suddenly appeared on the first day?

My lips flinched automatically.

“Wow… I thought you had someone else move us.”

“For safety, it’s better for me to move it myself.”

“Wow! Dad is a really… good person.”

“I’m not a good person.”

“People who say they’re not good people are all good people, so my dad is a good guy.”

I smiled so brightly that I couldn’t see his eyes and looked at him.

Just in time, the Grand Duke also made eye contact with me.

“It’s good not to trust people too much.”

“I know!”

“…Do you know?”

“Yes! But I’ll still believe you. My dad is a good person.”

In this life, I hope that my beliefs will be right. It doesn’t look like it’s going to break any time soon.

If my faith is betrayed in this life…

‘At that time, I may lose confidence.’

I laughed, swallowing words that were about to come out of my mouth.

“…When you said that, I felt an unknown sense of responsibility.”

“Unknown sense of responsibility?”

“Yes, it’s the responsibility that I have to protect you, even though my children grew up on their own.”

If it were only the Grand Duke and I, I would have told him not to do so.

My mom and I were people who will leave here anyway, so he doesn’t have to have the responsibility to protect me, but there was Madame Elloine here, and there was Cecilia who was being measured, so I just laughed.

Soon, Cecilia had finished being measured.

Then Elloine moved again. The clothes and shoes in the room were taken out of the drawing room, along  with the people she brought. It didn’t take long to know that all of them were simply sent to my room.

“Are you coming to my room now?”

“Okay. Just in case, I’ll go to your room with you.”

The Grand Duke placed knights in front of the drawing room door to guard as the parade of clothes passed. He stood at the back with me.

“Really?”

“Okay.”

“Is it because you’re worried about Harris?”

“…It’s weird.”

It was around when the Grand Duke slowed down with me as he opened his mouth.

His face, which had shown a small smile on his face just like any other person, also hardened.

“Something weird?”

“I thought Harris was such a good kid. She was a sweet, cute, kind and lovely child to everyone. There are things I haven’t decided on about that kid yet… but I thought she was that kind of kid.”

“Aaahhhh…”

The Grand Duke’s footsteps gradually slowed down as he followed the clothes.

“But I keep hearing different stories. I heard similar things before, but I implied that it wouldn’t be the case. After you came, I could clearly see Harris’s hidden side.”

“Umm…”

“So from then on, I’ve been looking closely. And then I realized what the family’s servants had been saying were right. I thought it changed after you came, but it didn’t. Harris has changed to that since she was recognized to some extent as the child of the Grand Duke.”

Why did every word he said sound so sad?

Why did he look so sad as he accepted a reality that he didn’t want to believe?

“I wonder if growing up alone as a child created that kind of personality. How can she become a sweet child to everyone, like the child I originally knew… I wonder if she could be like that.”

“…”

“Anyway… I want to apologize to you. I didn’t know Harris acted like that when left unattended.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I heard from somewhere that family members are not sorry. If you’re really sorry, then that’s good.”

The eyes of the Grand Duke, which were blurry like a dead fish, gleamed. There seemed to be a lively feeling in them.

“It wasn’t Dad’s fault here.”

“This is how you talk.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not that I didn’t say anything to Harris. I told Harris not to do anything. But the child asked what was wrong when she didn’t do anything and asked if I had changed.”

“I see. So you don’t have to worry about it. That way, I don’t get hurt or anything. It’s a bit annoying, but I think it’s also interesting.”

Actually, it was not okay.

It was so annoying, and I hoped she stopped paying attention to me.

I wanted to get out of here quickly even because of Harris.

However, the Grand Duke was concerned. If I said that, he’d feel sorry again.

So I forced myself to laugh.

“…Bebe.”

“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”