CH 7

Oh, I’m really not this cowardly.

There were so many things I had gone through from the bullying of my previous life, to me becoming the best at the orphanage in this world.

However, I couldn’t help but feel strangely intimidated when coming to Conler’s castle.

It’s because it was such a luxurious and beautiful place.

I had to do well.

Even though this world didn’t revolve around me, and was a world where I couldn’t be the main character, I still wanted to avoid the ending of being exiled to Nicor.

I’d rather live very quietly by myself.

Marrying my fiance? I don’t even want that.

So just…… I mean, my very simple goal is to appear good in front of my father without being called a nuisance Young-ae so that I can receive my inheritance

‘The problem is that my father is Grand Duke Estin, who is Britina’s Ice Flowe……’

When Bonita said that I had to go to the office after getting dressed, I let out a small sigh.

Hearing my sigh, Bonita looked down at me for a moment and then stroked my hair with a gentle hand.

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“Bonita……”

“It’s okay, my lady.”

Well, I don’t know what the hell was okay.

Still, looking at Bonita’s friendly eyes, I gained a little courage.

“My lady, why are your legs shaking so much?”

The amount of courage I gained was so small that It couldn’t even reach my feet, so my legs trembled with each step.

Perhaps she felt quite sorry to see me like that, but Bonita, who was guiding me in front of me, took my hand.

I never met Grand Duke Estin in person, but…… I had heard of his deeds in the writing beforehand, so it felt like my heart was going to burst.

Now. Let’s calm down.

The heart doesn’t burst so easily.

The splendid and dazzling light coming through the huge window was reflected in the marble of the hallway and shimmered.

Seeing this, it is understandable why Mary was so blinded in the original work.

She should have been loved and raised as the youngest daughter in such a huge and magnificent place, but after she was born, she was kidnapped and raised in a mountainous place.

The magnificent hallway was full of paintings and sculptures that were enchanting even from the eyes of a non-artist like me.

Wow, how much would it cost to sell just one of these……

Huge portraits hung on the colorful walls.

While I was almost dragged by Bonita, I eagerly looked down the hallway, stopping for a moment in front of the portrait of a man with platinum blonde hair.

‘There was platinum blonde hair in Conler?’

“Ah, he is the first head of Conler.”

Bonita explained if she felt my puzzled eyes.

It was then that I understood.

If it was Conler’s first head, he was the person who contributed to the founding of the Britina Empire, and eventually married a demon that brought the blessing of the demon to his family.

‘So this person doesn’t have black hair.’

I didn’t know since I haven’t met my father or brothers of the Conler family yet…… but It gave such a friendly impression that I thought it wouldn’t have looked like this now.

Where the hell did the blood of the first head go?

Did this mean that there was no blonde that could beat black hair?

Bonita, who was holding my hand and leading me, eventually stood in front of the door embossed with a giant eagle.

Judging by the more glamorous and old-fashioned door compared to the other rooms, it seems that this was Grand Duke Estin’s office.

“Gulp.”

As if she heard the sound of me swallowing, Bonita gently smiled at me, then knocked on the doorknob a couple of times.

“You may come in.”

I heard Lucas’s familiar voice from the inside. I felt helpless and looked at Bonnie, who beckoned me to go in.

“Am I going in alone?”

“You should, shouldn’t you?”

“Can’t Bonita come with me?”

“Sir Lucas is there too.”

Lucas or not, I really needed Bonita right now.

As I continued to hold Bonita’s sleeve despite her attempts of comfort, she smiled as if it was troublesome for her to go in.

I thought I shouldn’t beg her anymore, so I turned my gaze away from Bonita and stared at the eagle in front of the door.

So beyond these eyes was my father.

“You are her daughter. You will be fine.”

Oh, I am his daughter.

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Even if I didn’t say anything, she could see the worry on my face, so Bonita smiled and pushed me on the shoulder.

I awkwardly opened the door and walked into the office.

Unlike the mansion decorated with colorful artworks, Estin’s office was neatly decorated in black.

Oh, so this is what the house of a Kwangkong* that I had only ever heard of before looks like.

(*- 광공, its a term mostly used in BL, to describe someone who is more masculine/overpowering, it can also mean someone who is an obsessive maniac or something)

Through the black curtains hanging from the huge glass window that occupied one of the walls, I could see a huge lamp looking over at the large garden.

Lucas, who was next to him, looked at me and raised his hand slightly with a smile as if trying to tell me to relax.

I appreciated his efforts, but even if you do that…… The tension won’t go away.

I wiggled my fingers and looked at Grand Duke Estin’s back in dismay.

Then Grand Duke Estin turned around and stood towards me.

This….. This was my first meeting with ‘Dad’.

Grand Duke Estin, shining under the sunlight, was so beautiful.

As I came inside the office, he seemed more like a work of art made by the an artist than any other sculpture I saw in the hallway.

The fine black hair and the eyes that seemed to capture the night sky did not resemble the portrait of the first head I saw earlier.

I looked at Grand Duke Estin’s face as if possessed, and he approached me.

He knelt down on one knee and made eye contact with me, who was far shorter than him.

The eyes that seemed to contain the starry night sky now contained me.

Eyes that seemed to darken even the Milky Way in the night sky.

Looking at myself reflected in it, I felt like my throat was being squeezed.

He looked at my eyes without saying a word, and that moment was so quiet.

For some reason, I was cautious about breathing out, so without realising I held my breath and stared into his eyes…… I tried to look at him, but it was difficult to keep looking at him, so I was looking at his chin.

Oh my gosh. Even his philtrum was gorgeous. It is said that the philtrum is formed when an angel comes down and pressed their finger in the middle of a baby’s mouth to tell it to keep what happened in heaven a secret.

Perhaps for this man the angel pressed with all their heart and soul while making a pledge.

The angel who did this…… They didn’t know he would grow up to be so scary did they?

“You.”

“Y-Yes?”

I was thinking of anything that could come to mind to escape from reality, but his red lips, located under that pretty philtrum, moved. Did he just say ‘You’?

I was so surprised that my reply came out with a stutter.

At my stern reply, Lucas quietly grabbed his stomach behind Grand Duke Estin and laughed.

This person is really……

I wanted to raise my fist and hit him, but I couldn’t because Grand Duke Estin was staring at me.

“Mary Conler.”

Mary Conler……

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I think this was my first time hearing my full name from someone else’s mouth, but it didn’t feel as unfamiliar as I thought it would.

But this is what my biological father called me.

Perhaps it was because even if the voice held little affection, it was still the voice of a father.

His black eyes seemed to want an answer, so I answered cautiously.

“……Yes.”

“Are you that strong?”

Eh, what is this all of a sudden?

I tried to figure out the true meaning behind his words, whose intentions were unknown.

Even as I blinked, Grand Duke Estin didn’t seem to close his eyes at all.

His eyes were very healthy. Not Conler, but lutein……

By the way, was he asking this as a way to test whether or not I was a good fit for the Conler family?

After looking into those eyes for a moment, I nodded cautiously.

“Enough to win against an adult male?”

“……That.”

Could it be?

I hesitated for a moment, not knowing what kind of answer he wanted, and then Grand Duke Estin stood up.

“Then why did you do that?”

……I didn’t know why he was asking this question since he probably heard the full story already.

Not having the courage to explain anything, I glanced at Lucas and who just shrugged his shoulders.

Really, since earlier this person has been……

No matter how much I explained, would this person understand my position?

Was he trying to preach me by saying that stealing was bad no matter my intentions? But in a way, the theft was done there first. I was just trying to get it back.

Do you guys know the ideals of the righteous Hong Gildong?

My lower lip came out of frustration, but I could not express his displeasure in front of his cold face.

After hesitating for a while, I carefully opened my mouth.

“That is……”

“Justice is not always right.”

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“……”

“Sometimes it is better to be stronger than justice.”

I don’t know, but I was at a loss for words for a moment at the words that were just like Conler.

The Conler family was probably the only family that allowed their children to be educated like this.

Perhaps it means that you have to be strong in order to carry out your justice to the world.

I bowed my head and held the hem of my skirt.

“No, but……”

“What do you mean ‘No, but’.”

Maybe it’s because I still had the memories of my previous life.

The habit of saying ‘No, by the way’ was still there.

As if he didn’t like me trying to refute, 11 characters were engraved on his fine forehead.

My hand that held the hem of my skirt trembled, but still……

“You may think it’s reckless…… or that it’s stupid.”

“Is that so?”

“But I…… I don’t regret what I did.”