Chapter 29

The butler nodded in understanding and stepped out. As the parlor door closed, I turned to everyone and said calmly,

“I have one request.”

Everyone looked at me.

“I want to talk to the two of them first.”

As soon as I finished speaking, everyone’s faces twisted in disapproval.

“Her Highness, you can’t do it alone.”

Selphius shook his head firmly.

“You’ll only dirty your ears by listening to them. It’s not worth it.”

Terdeau spoke resolutely, as if he were ready to kill someone.

“Shasha, there’s no need to talk to such scum. You should only talk to humans. It would be better to just...”

“Ceth, Aillette will listen. ...But, Your Highness, I also agree with everyone.”

Cethia, who was rolling up her sleeves, and Phineas, who was being affectionate, both held my ring finger tightly, looking worried.

“If everyone is here, they’ll only pretend to repent. I can’t just let this go. They won’t confess in front of everyone.”

“We can get their confession separately.”

Terdeau frowned, displeased. But I shook my head firmly.

“What if they don’t confess? They might even report us for kidnapping the child.”

“Well, we can just deal with it our way. They know about our curse, so it’ll be quick.”

“But...”

I glanced around at everyone.

“You all don’t like hurting people with the curse, right?”

Everyone stiffened, as if I had hit the nail on the head. I had also intended to hear what they had to say. Why they had abandoned this small, adorable child. I wanted to ask. And I wanted to get a sincere apology for Aillette. Everyone shook their heads, looking reluctant. Then, unexpectedly, someone took my side.

“Yes, if the Duchess wants to do it, she should.”

Gloria, who had been silent from the beginning to the end, finally spoke.

“It’s not like she’s going to die or go to war. Is there a need to stop her? You’re all making too much of it.”

“But, Lady Gloria, look at Shasha. She looks like she’ll fall over with just a tap. If those non-humans hit her...”

Cethia’s rambling made Gloria frown. She raised her hand to stop her and looked around the spacious parlor. Gloria’s finger pointed to a table almost pushed to the corner.

“Set up a partition from that table. Then the Duchess can talk to them without us.”

I nodded at Gloria’s suggestion.

“You can all listen directly and come to her aid if anything dangerous happens, right?”

But the others didn’t nod. Cethia’s lips twitched as if she had a lot to say, but she didn’t speak, intimidated by Gloria’s presence.

“What’s with these reactions?”

Gloria twisted her lips, as if she had never seen such a reaction from her family before.

“Do you all not trust the Duchess? Do you think she can’t get a confession?”

“No! I trust Her Highness!”

Selphius raised his arms and strongly appealed. Gloria sneered at his reaction.

“Then let the Duchess do as she wishes. She’s not your doll.”

Silence fell. But Gloria didn’t wait and immediately ordered the maids to set up the partition. When it was finally installed, Aillette clung to me with an anxious face.

“...Sis.”

“I’m fine, Aillette.”

Her gentle eyes were filled with worry.

“Shasha, if anything happens, I’ll throw the partition and come out. If anything happens, call me loudly.”

Please don’t throw the partition. I smiled awkwardly, and Terdeau asked calmly.

“Are you really okay alone?”

“Yes. We’re just going to talk, after all. And you’ll be right behind the partition.”

“Can’t give you much time. No matter what they say, three minutes is the maximum. I’ll open the partition and come in after three minutes.”

Three minutes? No way!

“Three minutes is too short. It’ll take five minutes just to sit down!”

“Then five minutes.”

Terdeau took out a pocket watch from his coat.

“Starting now, five minutes.”

He really looked like he would come in after five minutes. I sighed and spread my fingers.

“Ten minutes.”

“Five minutes.”

“Ten minutes. Five minutes will only be enough to greet each other and sit down.”

“Five minutes.”

“Then there’s no point in talking. Ten minutes.”

Terdeau sighed, as if he had finally given in. Then he said in a low, menacing voice.

“If anything suspicious happens, you know to come out.”

“Yes, I understand.”

In front of the family, I tried to act more like a couple. At times like this, it felt like we were really married out of love.

‘No, I need to focus.’

I shook my head resolutely, and Gloria clicked her tongue beside me.

“Do you all think the Duchess is leaving us? It’s just a partition. You should pray we don’t get caught instead.”

Gloria, who spoke coldly, stood up from the sofa. Phineas and Cethia hurriedly came to support her on both sides. As the partition was set up, Gloria glanced at me as she walked behind it. Her red eyes were filled with interest.

“I’m looking forward to your conversation.”

Everyone disappeared behind the partition, and the maids neatly cleared the teacups and the blood-stained carpet from the table. Not even a whisper could be heard. Despite trying to stay calm, my head was burning with anger. Then, a knock came. Tap tap.

“Come in.”

As the door opened, a woman in an expensive shawl and a man with a rather noble demeanor entered boldly. I briefly told the maids following them.

“You don’t need to serve tea. Take it away.”

Why would you serve tea to someone like that? The maids answered, “Yes,” and left the parlor. Without even looking around, the two sat on the opposite sofa.

“I came to find Aillette. She’s here, right? My daughter.”

The arrogant Aillette’s birth mother, Melin, spoke coldly as soon as she sat down. I didn’t answer. She seemed anxious and shouted again.

“My daughter is here, right? If she wasn’t, you wouldn’t have let me into the mansion. Where is she, my daughter?”

Instead of answering, I slowly examined the two from head to toe.

“What, what is it? You’re making me uncomfortable.”

“The shawl looks quite expensive.”

“What does that have to do with you? Bring my daughter to me now.”

“Aillette’s dress was very dirty and tattered. The length didn’t fit her either. But your shawl...”

I leaned my chin on my hand and spoke slowly.

“Looks recently bought and quite expensive.”

At my words, Melin’s shoulders trembled in shock, and she clutched her shawl.

“You’re the same. The hat, the cane, the watch. They’re all quite valuable. Where did you get the money? Of course, they’re not top-tier, but...”

“I, I only came to find my daughter! Give me my daughter. You kidnapper!”

“Kidnapper?”

I sneered thinly.

“Don’t make such a big deal. Aillette is a formal guest, inheriting the blood of Laphireon. The uninvited guests are not Aillette, but...”

I frowned and scanned the two.

“...You, who come here without any manners and don’t show respect to me.”

My sarcastic words made Melin interject hurriedly.

“So, Aillette is here? Then call her quickly. We’re in a hurry. We don’t have time to waste.”

“Don’t you care about the child? You only think about taking her away, not about her well-being.”

“W, well! Of course, I think she’s fine. Aillette is fine, right?”

“She’s not.”

I answered immediately as soon as Melin finished her question.

“She’s been suffering from a high fever for two days and only woke up today. She’s severely malnourished and has a very weak immune system, making her prone to illness. Especially when I bathed her myself...”

I trailed off, and the two visibly stiffened, their faces showing signs of unease.

“She had many scars on her body. Some were still healing.”

“At that age, children often get bruises from playing. I can’t watch them all day, you know.”

Melin laughed awkwardly.

“We’ve been doing our best for Aillette... We sometimes need to discipline her... Don’t move if you don’t know...”

The man, who seemed to be a merchant, pointed at me and shouted. Instantly, an unknown murderous aura flowed from behind the partition. The awkward formal speech he had been using didn’t last five minutes. It was clear he hadn’t learned it properly.

“I don’t know what you heard, but it’s all lies!”

Melin raised her voice.

“The child lies like it’s second nature! If we didn’t love her, would we have come here to find her? We would have thought it was fine if she disappeared!”

If they showed even a hint of remorse, if they really did, I wanted to make them sincerely repent and apologize to Aillette. I wanted to make them beg for forgiveness in front of their child. But the two were shameless. They showed no remorse, no sign of regret for their actions. They didn’t even confess to what they had done. It seemed they subconsciously believed they hadn’t done anything wrong and that their actions were justified. After all, if they had known their actions were wrong, they wouldn’t have done such things to a child.

‘As a human. How can you do this?’

I clenched my fist, ready to strike, but the partition opened.

“I... don’t lie.”

The two’s gaze shifted past me to behind me. I turned my head with a sad expression.

“My, my baby!”

At Aillette’s appearance, Melin opened her arms wide and smiled awkwardly.

“Let’s go home, sweetie. Mom and Dad came to take you home. Your brother misses you a lot at home.”

“...Right, Aillette. Dad came all the way here to take you. There’s no need to stay in such a place. Let’s go. Come here.”

Aillette’s body trembled slightly. Her feet were injured, making it hard for her to walk, but she took a step without anyone’s help. Aillette moved slowly. Then, Selphius, who was behind her, grabbed her wrist urgently.

“...You.”

“I’m fine, Selphius.”

At Aillette’s faint smile, Selphius bit his lip and let go of her wrist. As Aillette moved towards us, the two’s faces brightened.

“That’s right, my baby. Come here!”

But the child’s steps didn’t lead to them.

“Mom, Dad. I’m sorry.”

Aillette clung to my clothes with trembling hands. Her fingers were so tight that they turned white.

“I don’t want to go.”