Chapter : 03
No, anyone watching would think I’d been caught trying to run off with the family fortune.
“Yes. I’ll do that.”
Even so, I nodded and agreed with the duke.
I honestly wanted nothing more than to lock myself in my room.
I desperately hoped he would finally dismiss me.
“Are you reflecting on your actions?”
“…Pardon? Of course I am.”
Startled by the duke’s sudden question, I hurriedly nodded.
“You call that reflecting? You’re holding your head high and staring at me like you’re annoyed! Are you mocking me right now?!”
Even as I thought it was ridiculous to scold someone for such a reason and still demand so much, I quickly bowed my head deeply, just as he wanted.
“…”
How many times had I bowed my head today alone?
A sigh threatened to escape at the pitifulness of my situation, but I bit my lip instead, afraid he’d find fault with even that.
“You imbecile.”
Deep contempt dripped from the duke’s voice.
The cold words he spat out branded me as pathetic and useless.
No—what am I supposed to do if you nag me even when I do exactly what you tell me?
I wanted nothing more than to kick the door open and storm out, but it wasn’t time yet.
Sadly, I had no money.
“The only thing shameful about my life is the fact that you’re my child. If I have a single flaw, it’s you!”
There was no mistaking his sincerity in that furious voice.
Hmm. It really seemed like that was how he viewed Patricia.
Of course, the idea that that was his only flaw was absurd, but judging from the Duke of Herarilla’s arrogance and conceit, self-reflection clearly wasn’t his strong suit.
“…”
“You’re nodding again? Are you playing games with me?”
“Games? Absolutely not! And I wasn’t nodding!”
I might have been, but I widened my eyes as if wronged and spoke in a voice on the verge of tears.
If his scolding went on any longer, I was going to lose it.
“Ha—get out. Now.”
Completely fed up, the duke waved me off, clearly unwilling to speak to me any longer.
I was dumbfounded by his attitude, but it was the very thing I’d been waiting for.
I wanted out too.
Bang!
Before he could change his mind, I hurried out and slammed the office door shut with all my strength.
The door was thick and heavy, so it didn’t make as much noise as I’d hoped—but imagining the duke flinching at the sound was satisfying enough.
Tap tap tap tap.
After that small act of rebellion, I rushed up the stairs, just in case the duke came storming after me in anger.
* * *
“I need to save up money and get out of this hellhole as soon as possible.”
Why should I live like this?
I couldn’t even leave freely, yet I was treated as the family’s disgrace—the one and only blemish on the noble Duke of Herarilla.
“Damn it… where are the jewels, anyway?”
I searched every single drawer in Patricia’s room.
In the end, I did find one glittering jewelry box.
“Haaah…”
Inside it were rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches—one of each.
Just one ring, one necklace, one pair of earrings. Only one of everything.
That’s it?
The large box was practically empty, pitifully so.
“Where did everything go?”
I rummaged through the thirtieth identical drawer in search of the missing jewelry—but of course, I failed again.
If Patricia had been a frugal person, I might’ve understood an empty jewelry box like this.
But she wasn’t frugal at all.
She had more than two entire rooms just for dresses.
And it wasn’t like the Duke of Herarilla was stingy with her money either.
Every quarter, he gave her a maintenance allowance equal to what a commoner would earn in an entire year.
So where the hell did all that money go?!
I was on the verge of losing my mind.
There was no way this was all the jewelry she owned.
Where did it disappear to? Was it stolen? Or did she hide it somewhere only she knew?
“Miss, what’s wrong?”
“Ah—! When did you come in?”
Startled by the maid’s sudden appearance, I released the handful of hair I’d been gripping and stood up.
“I knocked. Didn’t you hear me?”
The sharp-eyed maid shrugged, as if it clearly wasn’t her fault.
“Oh… I didn’t hear you. I was busy looking for something I lost.”
Accustomed by now to the hostility in her tone, I carefully tested the waters.
“It vanished without a trace—like a thief came through.”
“What are you looking for?”
The maid didn’t look flustered at all.
Well, if she’d taken something of mine—of Patricia’s—she wouldn’t be acting so confident.
“Did anyone come into my room?”
Instead of answering her question, I asked one of my own.
I couldn’t exactly tell her I was looking for jewelry.
After all, she was one of the duke’s people.
“Not at all.”
She shrugged and laughed as if the idea were ridiculous, but her eyes weren’t smiling in the least.
That cold gaze swept over me from head to toe, full of disdain.
“I see. That’s enough. You can go.”
I waved her away lightly.
Something about her faintly mocking expression made me not want to be around her any longer.
I’d had more than enough contempt and disregard for one day.
“Haaah…”
Even though I hadn’t done much, my body felt unbearably heavy.
Left alone after sending the maid away, I collapsed onto the bed.
“Why is there no jewelry…”
It felt like freedom had slipped even farther out of reach.
“Dresses won’t fetch much if I sell them.”
Staring at the closet packed with useless dresses made a wave of sadness wash over me.
Nothing ever went the way I wanted.
Those useless dresses felt like a reflection of my own situation.
“…No—wait. Why is this my fault? This is all the duke’s fault. Calling his own daughter a flaw? An imbecile? Who says that?”
The more I thought about it, the more awful a father he seemed.
His words only irritated me slightly, but for Patricia—who had lived hearing them her whole life—they must have been deeply wounding.
Thinking about that made me feel a little sorry for her.
“Fine. I’ll admit I wronged Lawrence Gerhardt.”
Lawrence’s anger, at least, was understandable.
But the Duke of Herarilla’s rage was impossible to understand—and I didn’t even want to try.
Just thinking of his face made my blood boil.
“This isn’t right!”
Was sneaking outside really such a grave crime?
The one locking me in was the crazy one.
Climbing off the bed, I sat at my desk and pulled out a clean sheet of paper to soothe my frustration.
Love your enemies.
I’d heard that saying before.
Taking up my pen, I began blessing my enemy.
Wishing him great fortune.
This letter originated in Dourai and has traveled once around the world each year, bringing good luck to its recipient. This letter, now in your possession, must leave your side within four days. You must send 28 copies of this letter to friends who need good fortune. Otherwise…
My heart fluttered with anticipation as I stared at the page filled with tiny, densely packed letters.
I couldn’t help wondering what expression the duke would make when he received it—how he’d react.
“Perfect. Perfect!”
The thought of bringing good luck to my father made a smile spread across my face.
Seems like I’m not completely lacking in filial piety after all.
Maybe it was satisfying that long-buried sense of duty as a child—
I couldn’t stop smiling as I sealed the letter into its envelope.
* * *
Normally, I’d have lain in bed tossing and turning until the maid came to wake me—but not today.
Had the duke received the letter by now?
My heart bounced pleasantly at the rare excitement in my otherwise dull life.
I wanted nothing more than to rush out and see his reaction, but today of all days, I had to be careful.
If I acted differently than usual, he might suspect I was the culprit.
So I had to wait quietly until breakfast.
“…One hour until breakfast.”
I opened a book to pass the time.
“……”
Not even ten minutes later, I shut it again.
“This is damn boring.”
Reading hadn’t been fun these past few days.
“Haaah…”
There wasn’t much I could do in the Duke of Herarilla’s estate.
Patricia hadn’t been close with a single maid.
Those who feared her treated me with the bare minimum of respect, but none wanted to talk for long.
And it wasn’t like she was close to her family either.
There was no one in the estate Patricia could call a friend.
Yes—Patricia was an outcast.
For the past month, I’d spent nearly every day reading books.
It was the only way to fight the boredom—but even that had grown tiresome.
I was sick of words themselves.
“I’m bored.”
The reason I’d memorized every servant’s movements and schedule—and why I’d rummaged through the same drawers thirty times under the excuse of looking for jewels—was simply because I had too much time.
Life was so dull that searching drawers thirty times with a purpose was more entertaining than sitting around doing nothing.
Unable to attend social events, ostracized at home—
“Ugh… I wish someone would just give me money and tell me to go live on my own.”
Feeling weighed down by this miserable life with no end in sight, I crawled back under the covers.
In the end, I could only lie there, staring into space, until the maid came again.
