Chapter 78
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 78
It was the classic entrance of a male lead in a romance novel, with timing so perfect it made me wonder if he’d delayed his arrival just to make a grand appearance at this exact moment.
“Are you alright?”
“Aside from a few splashes of wine, yes.”
“I am glad I was not too late.”
Gabriel smiled with such relief that it was impossible to recall his usual cold demeanor. It wasn’t a picture-perfect smile for the sake of etiquette, nor was it a cautious one meant to hide complex thoughts while walking on eggshells around me.
It was simply an unadorned expression of relief at having saved me. This… felt different. A strange, tingling sensation washed over me, like ants crawling up my arm. More than anything, it felt wrong to push away the person who had just rescued me.
I felt a bit strange. Is this why they say clichés are timeless?
“You didn’t have to shield me.”
“I was hoping to hear something else.”
“…Thank you.”
I never asked to be saved, yet he did it anyway, and now he was fishing for gratitude. At my words, Gabriel’s smile grew even brighter, as if that was precisely what he’d wanted to hear. His smile was so pure and refreshing that I felt I might dissolve, purified by its sheer light.
When I tapped his arm, signaling for him to let go, Gabriel hesitantly released his embrace. Duke Hosaquin, despite being the one who threw the wine, was glaring at the innocent Gabriel. I was the one who should have been angry here!
“Sir Gabriel. Do you know whom you are defending?”
“Yes. I am more aware of it than anyone else in this world.”
It might seem strange that he was defending a villainess, but Gabriel went a step further—he didn't care whether I was a transmigrator or a ghost.
Duke Hosaquin massaged his deeply furrowed brow as if suffering a massive headache. Perhaps because he had already vented his anger, he seemed calmer than before. But his rage flared anew when whispers of “The Duke threw a glass at his granddaughter” began to circulate. He glared intently at me and declared, “Listen carefully and mark my words. Amaranth has no daughter. You are not my granddaughter.”
His words seemed to imply that while he still held some lingering affection for the Countess, he hated me—the second coming of Count Rohanson—so much that he denied my very existence.
“I only turned a blind eye all this time because Amaranth begged me to. Even if I tolerated it, you can never, under any circumstances, be my granddaughter. Not even if I die.”
He even called out my intentions for approaching him. Well, of course. Since I’d made my move as soon as rumors of his failing health spread, he was bound to realize my goal was his inheritance.
But there was a more important detail in his words. Listening to the Duke, it sounded like the Countess had kept in touch with him in her own way. Hadn’t they cut ties for life?
And what did he mean by “tolerated” and “turned a blind eye”? Was there some secret about my birth? Given how much I looked like her, it wasn’t as if Count Rohanson had fathered me with another woman.
Could it be the opposite—that Amaranth had a child out of wedlock? I did look exactly like her, as if she had conceived me all on her own. Did the rigid Duke Hosaquin cut ties because I was an illegitimate child? That actually sounded highly plausible.
My head felt like it was going to split from the lack of information. I needed to read the second volume of Amaranth’s diary as soon as possible to uncover the truth. But now that Duke Hosaquin had declared he would never hand over the inheritance and had even thrown wine at me, would the Count still show up as promised? If I had known this would happen, I would have provoked him more moderately.
Without so much as an apology, Duke Hosaquin prepared to leave, having only deepened my confusion.
“Since blood has been shed at His Highness the Crown Prince’s banquet, I would have no right to complain even if my head were to be cut off. I shall go offer my apologies to His Highness separately. You had better get treated quickly.”
Blood? What did he mean by that? Just then, Gabriel staggered. I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist to support him.
“Sir Gabriel!”
Madame Toten cried out in shock. Panicked, I tried to make sense of what the Duke had meant.
Realization struck me. Come to think of it, why were Duke Hosaquin’s hands empty? Shouldn’t he be holding a wine glass?
My blood ran cold. What was dripping from Gabriel’s head wasn’t just wine. Duke Hosaquin had thrown the entire glass. That… that wicked old man—no, that geezer! If you hurt someone, you should at least apologize! Or at least pretend to be sorry! As I glared furiously at Duke Hosaquin’s retreating back, Gabriel, despite having his head split open, said something foolish.
“Are you worried about me?”
Why ask something so obvious! I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even answer. If he weren’t injured, I would have smacked him on the back of the head like Daisy. What are you smiling for, you idiot!
Though I didn’t answer, Gabriel must have taken my silence as a yes. He narrowed his eyes, as if measuring my reaction, and then his lips curled upward once more. Did getting hit on the head with a wine glass cause some brain damage? Did he enjoy making me worry after getting his head split open? Was he seriously enjoying this?
Terrified he might go down the wrong path and start intentionally getting hurt just to get my attention, I shook my head and retorted, “Why should I worry about you getting hurt when you’re the one who jumped in on your own?”
“But you are still angry for my sake.”
“I’m angry?”
“Yes. You drop your polite speech when you are angry, My Lady.”
Did I just speak informally? I suppose I did. I had learned that a noble must maintain composure under any circumstances. If Doline saw this, she would probably faint, weeping that all her lessons had gone to waste. Sorry, Doline. I guess it can’t be helped since my soul has only been a noble for three months.
“It feels as though you are angry on my behalf. I am quite pleased.”
Gabriel’s words made me want to burst with frustration. I didn’t even know why I was so angry. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone get hurt because of me. When the servants of the Rohanson estate were injured, I was only startled and horrified, not angry like this. What made Gabriel any different? Why did his injury irritate me so much?
Was it because we had gotten a bit closer? True, if Canna had been hurt like that, I would have turned this entire hall upside down and committed the ultimate sin of throwing a wine glass at Duke Hosaquin’s head myself. Yes, that was it. Gabriel got hurt shielding me after getting caught up in someone else’s family feud. If I didn’t worry and get angry, would I even be human?
Gabriel quickly regained his balance and stood up straight. Looking at him soaked in red, I sighed inwardly. Because it was red wine, of all things, I couldn’t tell how badly he was bleeding. Switching back to a formal tone, I said, “You should get treated, just as Grandfather said.”
“But the dancing will begin soon.”
Is that what’s important right now? It’s not like treatment takes long; he just needs to splash some holy water on the wound and come back.
“Even if you stay, you’re in no condition to dance with me.”
“Ah. The wine would get on you, My Lady.”
Gabriel stepped back as if only just realizing it. He took my words literally. Did he really think I was refusing to dance with him just because I was worried about getting wine on my dress?
I wanted to scold him, but since I had already blurted out that I wasn’t worried, I couldn’t take it back. Since he had no regard for his own well-being, he probably wouldn’t listen to my concerns anyway. It was better to just play along.
“So go change and come back. Hena has some holy water, so get some from her and treat your wound.”
“I have holy water… No, never mind.”
Gabriel hesitated, unable to finish his sentence. Holy water… what? Ah, did he mean he already had some? Come to think of it, Gabriel was a paladin, so it was only natural for him to carry a vial of holy water at all times.
Then why couldn’t he just go and treat himself? What was keeping him here? Don’t tell me it’s because of me.
“I am simply afraid of what might happen to you, My Lady, while I am away.”
I guess I was right. Since I’d nearly been hit by a wine glass while he was briefly called away, he must be anxious about leaving me alone again. But Duke Hosaquin was the one deliberately stirring up trouble. Wouldn’t I be fine as long as I stayed quiet now?
“If you’re anxious, I promise to behave. There are many eyes watching us here, aren’t there?” I appealed to his logic, implying I would stay quiet now that we were the center of attention.
Hearing my words, Gabriel wore a strange expression and suddenly looked up into the empty air, then nodded as if he understood.
“Yes, indeed. There are always eyes watching you, My Lady.”
“Sir Gabriel, you might not find me very reliable, but I will stay by Lady Rohanson’s side,” Madame Toten chimed in.
Only then did Gabriel finally relent.
“Then I shall return quickly. My Lady, please be careful.”
He bowed politely and left the banquet hall. Warning me right up to the very end. I guess his lack of trust is entirely separate from his feelings for me. Honestly, it’s so hard to send an injured person off to get treated.
Seeing the gazes fixed on the departing Gabriel, it seemed the rumors of me being a villainess who had a paladin wrapped around her little finger were only going to grow worse.
Anyway, I wonder if he’ll actually get treated properly. He wouldn’t really just change his clothes and come back, would he? No… Raphaella or Uriel will take care of him. This is why a male lead always needs a competent lieutenant. Without someone like Raphaella, Gabriel would have met an untimely end long ago from throwing his body around so recklessly.
Now, to clean up this mess. Duke Hosaquin had already fled, and I had sent Gabriel off, so I was the only one left to handle the aftermath.
“Madame Toten, I am terribly sorry for showing you such a disgraceful scene,” I said, raising my voice slightly so everyone around us could hear, though I pretended to address her alone.
“I only missed my family and wanted to share stories of my late mother, but it seems Grandfather still finds me untrustworthy.”
“Lady Rohanson… Do not worry. Duke Hosaquin will surely open his heart to you one day.”
Madame Toten played along perfectly, subtly shifting the blame to make Duke Hosaquin look like the villain. I had approached him with pure intentions, but the Duke had suddenly lost his temper and thrown a wine glass.
To those who didn’t know I had provoked him, it simply looked like a cruel grandfather tormenting his estranged granddaughter. I was going to drag his reputation straight to hell. That’s what he got for leaving first.