Episode 6
As planned, we were able to arrive at **Delphia Village** after three days.
Even though it was an ordinary morning like any other, the village was quiet.
Delphia was a small village where people rarely came and went, so when a carriage from a noble family suddenly appeared, everyone seemed frightened and hid inside their homes.
“Perhaps it would be better if we get down and walk from here. Driver, stop the carriage here.”
Grand Duke **Craiton** opened the small window connected to the driver’s seat and gave the order.
Only after the carriage slowly reduced its speed and came to a complete stop did the Grand Duke step down first.
Then he extended his hand to help me down.
I held the Grand Duke’s hand and stepped out of the carriage.
“So, child. Where is your house?”
“Please come this way.”
With the Grand Duke accompanying me, I walked along the familiar road.
After walking along the village’s main road, I turned into a narrow path where the market could be seen. Beyond it was a cluster of shabby houses packed closely together.
“Hmm…”
A low murmur escaped from the Grand Duke who was following me.
When I glanced back, his face was deeply frowning.
It seemed he found the worn-down houses unpleasant to look at.
To the Grand Duke of Craiton—whose rank stood just below the emperor among the nobles—this probably looked like a place no one could possibly live in.
But for the people who lived here, it was a precious shelter and the foundation of their lives.
Pretending not to notice the Grand Duke’s reaction, I headed toward the house where my mother and I lived.
“Mom!”
As soon as I entered the house, hurried noises came from inside.
“Mirabel…?”
My mother’s voice was heard, and soon she appeared from my room.
Her face had grown very gaunt.
Perhaps she had cried a lot—her eyelids were slightly swollen.
“W-Where did you go…? Do you know how worried I was?”
My mother rushed toward me, knelt on the floor, and cupped my cheeks with both hands as she spoke tearfully.
Seeing the tears quickly filling her eyes, there wasn’t much I could say.
“I’m sorry for leaving without saying anything.”
“Are you hurt anywhere? Are you sick?”
“…No.”
“Then that’s enough. That’s all that matters.”
After carefully looking me over, my mother opened her arms and hugged me tightly.
“Don’t ever leave like that again.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Mom.”
I gently patted my sobbing mother on the back.
Even though it had been a choice I had no other option but to make, for the mother who stayed behind it must have felt as if the sky had fallen.
“…Good heavens.”
At that moment, the Grand Duke’s voice came from behind.
Only then did my mother realize someone had followed me, and she let go of me.
“Cornelia?”
The Grand Duke’s voice trembled.
Still kneeling where she had crouched to hug me, my mother stared blankly up at him. Then, in a faint whisper as if she could hardly believe it, she murmured:
“…Father?”
I stepped back a little and watched the two of them.
The Grand Duke’s eyes shook endlessly.
Even after seeing the daughter before him—**Cornelia Craiton**—he seemed unable to believe it.
Since he had assumed my earlier words were simply a lie to seek help, it wasn’t strange that he was even more shocked after seeing the truth.
“Is it really… you, Cornelia?”
The Grand Duke bent his knees so he could meet my mother at eye level.
Finally facing his daughter, he slowly raised a trembling hand.
His hand touched my mother’s cheek, as carefully as if he were touching a delicate glass sculpture.
His gaze traced her tear-filled eyes, her straight nose, and her lips chapped from poor nutrition.
Soon, the Grand Duke’s breathing became rough.
My mother looked at him, unable even to wipe the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Then, hesitantly, she wrapped her hand around his.
“Yes, Father. It’s me… Cornelia.”
My mother forced a small smile as she spoke.
The Grand Duke’s eyes widened.
Even now he still seemed unable to believe that the person before him was truly Cornelia Craiton.
But he soon had to accept reality—
That the daughter he had longed for so desperately was right in front of him.
“Cornelia, my daughter!”
The Grand Duke pulled my mother into his arms and began crying loudly like a child.
Yet his appearance did not seem pitiful or shameful.
After all, he had just reunited with the daughter he had lost for ten years—how joyful and heartbreaking it must be.
My mother, held in his arms, hesitated before raising her hands and hugging his back tightly.
“I’m sorry, Father.”
Her voice too was thick with tears.
—
After some time, the crying gradually stopped.
Only after they had calmed down did my mother and the Grand Duke move inside the house.
“So… you’ve been living in this house all this time?”
The Grand Duke asked as he looked around the house.
Though it was a typical home in Delphia Village, the old and shabby interior was far from satisfactory in his eyes.
“Yes, but it’s actually more livable than you’d think.”
My mother replied as she put water on to boil.
The Grand Duke was extremely shocked that my mother was making tea herself.
He even tried to stop her, saying she didn’t need to serve tea, but my mother firmly insisted that she wanted to at least offer tea to the father she had reunited with after ten years.
In the end, the Grand Duke couldn’t bring himself to stop her and sat in a chair waiting for the tea.
“What happened to that fellow, Gail?”
“Gail… passed away four years ago while protecting the village.”
“…”
The Grand Duke let out a quiet sigh.
“Then you should have returned to the mansion.”
At his hesitant remark, my mother’s hand paused for a moment.
When she couldn’t bring herself to speak for a long time, I opened my mouth instead.
“Mom wanted to ask Your Grace for forgiveness.”
“Mirabel!”
My mother called my name in surprise, but the Grand Duke had already heard.
“Forgiveness?”
“Yes. So she sent letters to Your Grace. But no matter how many she sent, there was never a reply.”
“Letters? What do you mean…?”
The Grand Duke looked at my mother in shock.
Of course he didn’t know. **Daniel** had been intercepting the letters.
“So you’ve been sending me letters all this time? To ask for my forgiveness?”
“…Yes, Father.”
Finally understanding the situation, the Grand Duke let out a hollow breath.
“And I knew nothing…”
He covered his face with both hands and didn’t raise his head for quite a while.
Even when my mother placed a teacup before him and sat down across from him, he didn’t move.
After some time passed, he slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red.
“I’m sorry. I should have been the one to find you first.”
“No. I’m just grateful that you came.”
Though my mother spoke as if she were fine, I knew that inside her heart was burning just as painfully as the Grand Duke’s.
“Yes… thanks to this child…”
Trailing off, the Grand Duke looked between my mother and me.
“Is this child your daughter?”
“Yes, she is. Gail and I’s daughter. Her name is Mirabel.”
My mother smiled gently and looked at me.
“Mirabel, this is your grandfather. Say hello.”
Even though the proper moment had long passed, I bowed politely as she told me.
“My name is Mirabel.”
“I see… now that I look at you, you resemble your mother when she was young.”
The Grand Duke’s large hand rested gently on my head and softly patted it.
“Thank you, Mirabel. If it weren’t for you, I might never have met Cornelia again.”
“No, it’s because Your Grace listened to me that you were able to meet.”
If he had dismissed my words as lies and ignored me, just as in my memories, the two of them would never have met.
In truth, the Grand Duke hadn’t believed that my mother was Cornelia Craiton.
Even so, he didn’t ignore the desperate plea of a commoner child and chose to listen—that was why he was able to meet my mother.
“But Mirabel said you were sick. Is that true?”
“…”
My mother couldn’t answer.
The Grand Duke seemed to understand the meaning of her silence and bit his lower lip.
“…So it’s true.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. You have nothing to apologize to me for. Let’s return to the mansion first. To treat your illness properly, we’ll likely have to go to the capital.”
The Grand Duke hurriedly stood up, and my mother and I followed.
But my mother looked hesitant.
“Is it really… okay for me to go back?”
“Of course it is. That place is your home. Brian will be happy to see you too.”
My mother stared at the floor for a moment, thinking, then raised her head. A faint smile appeared on her face.
“Alright. Please wait a moment then. I need to pack some things.”
“You’ll need help. I’ll call the servants—let them handle it. You’re not well, so don’t push yourself.”
“Thank you, Father.”
After receiving her thanks, the Grand Duke cleared his throat and stepped outside.
My mother looked at the closed door for a moment before turning to me.
“Mirabel, come here for a moment.”
“Okay.”
I ran over on my short legs and stood in front of her. She bent down and hugged me again.
“You brought your grandfather because you were worried about me, didn’t you? Thank you… and I’m sorry. But next time, don’t do something so reckless. It’s too dangerous. To me, Mirabel is more precious than anything. Understand?”
“Yes. I understand.”
Only after hearing my firm answer did my mother finally let me go.
