Chapter 4
The child looked at me with wide, startled eyes — as if she’d just seen a ghost.
I crouched down to meet her gaze.
“Hi, Olivia. What are you doing here?”
“…Just reading a book.”
“Alone?”
She shook her head quickly. I couldn’t tell if she meant no, I don’t want to answer or no, I’m not alone.
I smiled gently.
“What book is it? Maybe I could read—”
“Why are you here again?”
Her sharp tone cut me off.
I froze for a moment under her cold, suspicious stare. Then I forced a smile and said,
“Um… I came to apologize to you, Olivia.”
“…Again?”
“Yes. Evangeline—that woman… no, I—was too cruel to you. I let other adults scold and hit you, and I never stopped them. I’m really sorry for that.”
“….”
“I’m truly sorry, Olivia. No matter how many times I apologize, it won’t be enough. But I still wanted to tell you how I feel.”
Olivia’s small face twisted as if she were about to cry.
When I reached out to comfort her, she flinched and shook her head.
“…You’re lying again.”
“No, Olivia. I’m not lying this time.”
“You said before… that my dad was a bad sorcerer who brought curses. And that I was bad too — that bad things happen to people who stay with me.”
“I… said that?”
My voice trembled.
She bit her lower lip.
“Everyone agreed with you. They said it was right for a bad child like me to be punished. So why are you sorry now?”
“Olivia, I…”
“I don’t want your apology! I hate you!”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
I wanted to hug her, but the way she recoiled, trembling, made me sigh deeply.
‘I can’t just fix this with words. She’s been hurt for too long.’
No amount of apologies could heal years of pain.
But then… how could I ever erase Olivia’s resentment? The more I thought about it, the heavier my chest felt.
I looked at her wiping away tears with her small hands and spoke softly.
“I really am sorry, Olivia. It’s all my fault. I mean it. I’ll never hurt you again. So please—”
“My lady! Are you with Lady Olivia right now?”
A maid’s voice called from the garden.
I turned my head. “Why? What’s going on?”
“The Duke has returned, my lady! He just crossed the castle gates — he’ll be here soon!”
“…What?”
“So you and Lady Olivia must come to the main mansion to greet him.”
I went blank for a moment.
Claude had said the Duke would return soon, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon.
Just thinking about meeting him — someone I’d only read about in the novel — made my heart race nervously.
‘In the novel, Duke Nigel Clyde Este married Evangeline only because the Church demanded it if he wanted to adopt his illegitimate niece, Olivia. Their relationship was awful… he despised her for being corrupt and shallow.’
Yes — Duke Este hated Evangeline, who was called a Saintess but acted nothing like one. And Evangeline hated him right back, calling him a hypocrite.
‘He’s probably going to insult me the moment we meet.’
I tried to steady my nerves and turned to Olivia.
“You heard that, right? Let’s go together.”
“…I’ll go alone.”
“Don’t be like that. We’re going to the same place anyway. Let’s go together, okay?”
“….”
Her eyes were red from crying. She glanced at my hand but shook her head firmly, then walked back inside the cottage alone.
I sighed heavily and trudged toward the castle gates.
The maid waiting there looked uneasy.
“My lady… where’s Lady Olivia?”
“She said she’d go alone.”
“I see. All right then, my lady. Let’s hurry.”
Hearing that, the maid looked relieved and walked briskly ahead.
I followed quietly behind her.
“Welcome, Duchess of Este.”
When I reached the front of the main mansion, several servants and knights bowed deeply to me.
I almost bowed back before remembering — right, I’m the Duchess now. So I just gave a small nod.
An older man with gray hair approached politely.
“My lady, please stand here to greet the master.”
“Thank you.”
He wore a fine black suit and a monocle — clearly the head butler of the estate.
I nodded and stood where he indicated.
As I waited awkwardly among the servants, I saw Olivia walking in with a middle-aged maid.
The other servants glanced at the child coldly, their expressions full of disdain — not the way one should look at a noble girl.
So I smiled brightly and waved at her on purpose.
“Olivia!”
The servants who’d been whispering froze, staring at me in shock.
I ignored their reactions and said warmly,
“You’re wearing a hat and gloves. You look so cute. But isn’t it a bit warm? Are you okay?”
A few servants even gasped. It seemed none of them ever expected the Duchess to speak kindly to Olivia.
‘Let’s see if they still dare to look down on her after this.’
I gave a pointed look at the startled servants, then smiled again at Olivia.
Her cheeks flushed pink, and she folded her gloved hands in front of her shyly.
I was about to tell her how adorable she looked when the maid beside her muttered under her breath,
“She’s the reason the young lady wears gloves… and she dares act so shamelessly.”
The voice was quiet but full of bitter resentment.
I blinked in surprise and turned to ask what she meant—
But before I could, the sound of horns filled the air.
Knights on horseback entered through the main gate, their armor gleaming in the sun.
Everyone cheered and bowed deeply.
I copied them clumsily, sneaking glances at the riders.
‘…Wow.’
Among the knights in silver armor, one man stood out.
His short black hair fluttered lightly in the breeze, his sharp eyebrows framed crimson eyes like rubies, and his lips were set in a firm, stubborn line.
He was so handsome it was almost unreal. I had never seen a man like him before.
Then suddenly, he turned his gaze toward me — and walked straight over.
When he stopped in front of me, he gave a cold, mocking smile.
“I’m pleased to see you looking well… my Saintess.”
The moment I heard his voice, I knew who he was.
Duke Nigel Clyde Este — Olivia’s uncle and adoptive father.
And the man who, in the original novel, was killed by Olivia after her fall into darkness.
‘I didn’t expect the Duke to be this good-looking… or this intimidating.’
I could only stare blankly at him.
Then he suddenly took my left hand and kissed the back of it — but his touch was icy cold. I flinched, startled, and pulled my hand back slightly.
When he finished the formal greeting, he released my hand without hesitation. Then he turned toward Olivia.
“You’ve been crying.”
“…No, Uncle. I didn’t cry.”
She shook her head quickly, looking nervous.
The Duke frowned.
“Why lie about something so obvious?”
“…!”
“If you want to hide something, keep silent instead of lying. Clumsy lies will never protect you.”
