“Where’s Rachel?”
“She must’ve been tired. She’s already fallen asleep.”
As soon as the Duke of Oates returned to his mansion, he looked for Rachel.
But it was already late, Rachel had given up on waiting for him and gone to bed.
“…I was going to leave early, but I was caught for no reason. They’re already interested in Rachel’s marriage.”
The Duke of Oates clicked his tongue softly, as if he didn’t like it.
As the Duke of Avery was on the verge of ruin, the nobles were constantly clinging to the Duke of Oates, determined to change their course.
When he was a little more relaxed, someone would talk to him again. Then when he tried to leave, he would be caught.
He sighed quietly as if he was exhausted.
Nevertheless, the reason why he suffered through those people was to show them how much he cared for Rachel.
He wanted her to have a firm position here.
“She…”
The Duke glanced up the stairs, and lowered his voice.
So, no one could hear him.
“Does Rachel seem to like the presents?”
“She was so happy that she couldn’t even open them.”
Mike gave a small nod.
“Haha, that’s a good thing.”
The Duke of Oates smiled as if he was relieved to hear that she liked them.
“When do you intend to go down to the territory, Father?”
“Hmm? Territory?”
“Yes, I think you should spend a little time with Rachel before you go.”
“I’m going to be here for about a week.”
Mike frowned at the Duke’s response.
“You’re staying here for a week or so?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell your aide in advance? I didn’t think that your work schedule would allow for it.”
The Duke gave a small nod.
“It’s been two years since we’ve seen each other. Of course I’ll have to make time.”
Mike gave a slight nod at the Duke’s cheerful smile.
“Alright. It’s late, so I’ll go up now.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow.”
“Have a comfortable night.”
Mike bowed his head, and turned his back on the happy-looking Duke.
Somehow, Mike felt anxious that if the three of them gathered together tomorrow, he would be left out again, but he tried to ignore it and climbed the stairs.
***
Knock Knock
“Duke, shall I arrange for some tea?”
“Yes, please do.”
The Duke of Oates gave a small nod in response to the butler’s question.
The butler immediately closed the door after receiving an answer.
Click
In the quiet room, there was only a faint orange light drifting into the room.
Rachel.
Rachel Oates.
She was a much more lovely child than he had imagined.
He could see she was frozen as if she was scared, but he was sure that she would get better as time went on and the girl opened her heart to him.
“….”
In truth, he wished he had a daughter, but the Duke of Oates had never considered adopting a child so grown up as his daughter.
He thought it would be difficult to open up to each other, and become family.
About two years ago.
When the Crown Prince first came to him, and talked to him about the adoption, he thought it was funny. It was ridiculous, and he didn’t feel any reason to obey him.
Of course it would be a good benefit to the family if he adopted the child he’d spoken of, as it would tie the Crown Prince and his family together.
That’s why he didn’t feel comfortable with the decision to adopt.
***
“Your Highness, it’s difficult for me to give an answer to what you said.”
“Why?”
“I can’t adopt a child, who I don’t even know their face or personality, just because it’s your request.”
“But I think the Duke would be the best family for her.”
Ian was filled with conviction when he said that.
Despite the fact that he was being stubborn, Ian’s words held a certain power to them.
He wasn’t sure if it came from the confidence in his voice, or the seriousness in his eyes.
“I can’t be a parent to a child I know nothing about. No matter how much it may be Your Highness’ request.”
The Duke spoke again, as if he was trying to persuade Ian.
“Even if I bring her into the family at your request, I wouldn’t be a good parent.”
He thought Ian would understand this much.
But that was the Duke’s complete delusion.
***
“Sigh…”
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The Duke of Oates sighed in exasperation.
“Your Highness, why are you here again?”
He’d sighed when he saw the Crown Prince’s face.
It was clear that this behavior was contrary to normal etiquette, but the Duke couldn’t afford to be so concerned. Because he’d already been tormented by the Crown Prince for two months.
“I came here because I remembered I had something to tell you.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t really care.”
“But didn’t you say you’d get attached to the child if you got to know her?”
Ian had been like this for the past two months.
The Duke said he didn’t know what Rachel looked like, so he had a portrait made of her. When the Duke said he didn’t know Rachel’s personality, Ian visited every day and told him anecdotes.
Rachel helped him when he was young, and was being beaten by the other princes. She was scolded when she was caught sneaking a kitten that was abandoned by its mother into the Imperial palace.
She cried when she made a mistake while running errands for the maids.
She’d fallen into the pond while feeding the carps in the Imperial palace.
She was depressed when she handed over the money she’d saved to her mother, who’d abandoned her.
“Sigh…”
The Duke of Oates sighed softly.
While he was doing that, Ian cut in with another anecdote about Rachel.
What the Duke was really afraid of was neither Ian, who came every day, nor the current situation, where he had to spare his time.
The more he heard about Rachel, the more he grew attached to her.
It was a fact that he no longer hated this time.
***
“Your Highness.”
The Duke looked at Ian, who’d visited him again today.
It was half a year.
The map of when he’d visited him was clear in his mind.
It had been half a year since he’d first heard about Rachel.
“I’d like to ask you a question.”
“Please feel free to ask.”
“Do you like her?”
Ian nodded.
When he confirmed it, he remained expressionless and looked indifferent.
“Then why did you leave that child alone? Why didn’t you bring her to the Imperial palace?”
“I’m waiting for the Duke’s answer, aren’t I?”
But the Duke still couldn’t understand Ian.
“Do you wish to have that child as your Crown Princess?”
“I want to give her good things. I want to welcome her as the Crown Princess, if that is what she wishes.”
Ian nodded.
“Hmm, so the reason His Highness has come to visit me, and asked me to enroll a commoner into our family, was so she can become the Crown Princess, then you will gain our support.”
“I will be the Emperor with or without support, and I will gain greater Imperial power than any of my predecessors. Whoever the Crown Princess’ family may be, I won’t need that help.”
Having a powerful Imperial family without any supporting forces?
The Duke of Oates had thought he was being childish, but the look in Ian’s eyes that seemed so self-assured, it made him think that perhaps he wasn’t being.
“Why would you do this?”
“I told you already, I want you to be her family.”
“Then why did you have to choose me? I’m sure it’s not difficult to find a nobleman who would enter her into their family register without any hesitation at Your Majesty’s request. Is it because I’m a Duke?”
Ian blinked slowly, and then opened his mouth again.
“I like the Duke. I’m relieved that my request wasn’t easily accepted without hesitation.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t you think about your responsibility for a long time before you follow through with an action? As the Duke said, it may not be difficult to find a nobleman who would put the child into their family. But they won’t really care about Rachel, they’d just be in it for themselves.”
Ian stared at the Duke for a moment.
“If Rachel was no longer of any use, they would throw her away as easily as they did when they accepted her. That’s why it has to be the Duke.”
“…Is there anything different about me?”
“If the Duke accepts Rachel, it means that she will indeed be accepted as family. The Duke I know would be there for her when she’s in trouble. I think she could rely on you.”
The Duke was momentarily dissatisfied with Ian, who seemed convinced about who he was. As if he knew everything there was to know about him, how else could he be so sure that he knew what he would do.
In addition, the role that he was asking him to play, he would’ve wanted to do as well.
Ian was doing all he could to find someone who would help Rachel when she was in trouble, someone she could rely on.
As long as they didn’t let go of Rachel’s hand.
But what could help Rachel more than him being Emperor?
“Then, Your Highness, you will do your part, won’t you?”
“Even if I could, I wouldn’t want to be everything to her. It’s easy to be isolated if you rely on just one thing.”
Ian laughed softly.
“Even if it’s possible? What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve been hated for so many crimes that I’ve committed.”
“….”
“If you are loved by many people, won’t the wounds heal a little? Then won’t she look at me again? That’s what I think.”
The Duke tapped his desk softly.
There were still a lot of things he couldn’t understand about Ian.
“You don’t have to come to me again.”
“Your Grace?”
For one thing, he felt the same way as Ian.
“I don’t think Your Highness needs to struggle so much for my daughter.”
He wanted to be a support to Rachel, who must have had a hard time alone.
***
Shortly after the Duke concluded that, there was a war in the Levskaya Empire.
If they lost the war, the title of Ducal Lady would be nothing but a shackle. So, the Duke waited to meet Rachel until after the war.
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After two years of waiting during a fierce war, the Duke was finally able to meet Rachel.
***