The Duke's Tears
Idel Clementine watched the duchess's gaze falter and a cold sweat beaded on her back. She wasn't angry about this. Not at all.
'If I let the duchess keep seeing me as a good girl, Melissa won't stay quiet.'
The thought of what the half-witted woman might do next was too awful to imagine.
'How much effort have I put into dodging Melissa's eyes while pretending to be harmless?'
'I can't let all that effort go to waste.'
“That's not what I meant.”
Idel instinctively turned her gaze toward the Duke of Clementine, the man who showed her the gentlest favor of all, and flatly denied Jiana's words once more.
“Hey, talk to me! You didn't even come——”
“Enough, Idel. Don't embarrass me any more. I'm sorry. I know I was late, but can you forgive me even now?”
Jiana clasped her hands together at her chest and bowed stiffly, delivering the apology with surprising force.
The lie she had once found so awkward now sounded perfectly natural.
It meant she had truly ingrained the habit of admitting her own faults.
Even though it was a lie, her hands trembled slightly with tension, but that very tremor made her seem more genuine.
The maids let out soft gasps at the Duke's solemn lips and Jiana's serious eyes.
“Oh my, Jiana-sama is trembling! It seems she's really ashamed. What a precious sight!”
“Ah… her cheeks are flushed, and that little hand of hers…”
“If what Jiana-sama says is true, the two of you were heading down the side path together? How… cute!” The maids' words were mostly sympathetic to Jiana, but a few deranged souls who saw Idel in a good light added their own opinions.
Idel chewed her lower lip in the suddenly softened atmosphere.
'What on earth is wrong with all of them? Why are they so careless?'
'The master's orders and the servants' actions. Are these idiots all suffering because of Melissa?'
Taken aback by the unexpected situation for a moment, Idel's frozen mind began to spin rapidly.
'No matter how much I deny it, it won't reach these people's ears. If Jiana's lie about taking me down the side path works, the Duke's opinion will be hard to accept. Then……'
There was no other choice.
The plan had been completely different, and danger would be inevitable, but she had no choice but to argue the opposite.
Deciding, Idel glanced around sharply, then shook with fear.
After that she deliberately murmured softly enough for everyone to hear.
“……Lies……”
“What?”
“Jiana is a liar!”
The suddenly loud, sharp voice shattered the atmosphere that had been so relaxed.
Idel gritted her teeth in a burst of emotion and stomped her foot.
She glared at the stunned Jiana with fierce eyes.
Tears welled in her wide-open eyes, brimming with humiliation.
“The side path, eek! You said there was a side path nearby…… But when I looked, there was none!”
“Eh?”
“The side path, hic! I was trying to go there, but not here—— our house… I was trying to find my real home…….”
Idel let out one choked sob after another, tears falling like rat droppings from her eyes as she pointed at everyone in the room without blinking.
“I hate it, black! I hate the Duke too, I hate the Duchess, I hate her, eek! I hate her too! I hate those who only say no, and I hate it here, I hate it there!”
“……”
“Home… hic! I want to go home! Hic, this isn't our home…… I want to go see my friends who miss me, hic!”
Her face was scarlet with the effort of shouting.
Jiana's expression was no better.
Startled by her little brother's words, Jiana's eyes welled up with tears as she stamped her feet.
“I, Idel…… that's not it, I, um, you……”
“Eek! I won't believe you again, eek! Everyone is a liar!”
Idel clenched her fists and lunged at the helpless Jiana.
No, more precisely, she had been about to run.
“Idel!”
“Idel Clementine! Snap out of it!”
The instant Idel kicked the ground and threw herself forward—— had the world not spun, her body would have collapsed to the floor.
The Duke's face, barely catching the falling child, showed panic.
The body that had been perfectly fine just moments ago now burned like a firebrand.
“……High fever. Take her to the main residence immediately. Call for Dr. Iman.”
Even Idel was startled. In the arms of the hurried Vincent, she unconsciously muttered.
'Wasn't I supposed to drag things out like this…? Wait, no way….'
'Yeah, see you next time. Ah, customer, go home and rest well. For real?'
Viled, you little brat. If that was the meaning, I should have been told properly!
* * *
Vincent and Rowena rushed back to the main residence together and sent Jiana away after calming her about the separation, then immediately summoned the family physician, Dr. Iman.
The fever, the rapid breathing, the beads of sweat—— it all looked serious.
Sylvia, moving busily, scanned the servants' faces and then turned to Idel with a head tilt.
“……This doesn't require it.”
“Nonsense.”
The Duke cut her off with a furrowed brow while she was still half-conscious.
“Is Iman not here yet?”
“He has been in the pharmacy since the start, so it will take him some time to reach the main residence. His age is advanced, but I will send another person just in case.”
“Good. Send knights with them just in case.”
“Yes.”
Considering the urgency, Sylvia quickly arranged everything and, with a few experienced servants left behind, took the doorknob.
As the personal maid of the Duke and Duchess—— separate from her affection for the former countess and Idel—— Idel was officially recognized as a member of the Duke's household.
'And the health of a household member is one of the important pieces of information no underling can see.'
Sylvia, remembering her duty as a lady's maid, checked the servants' faces for any mishaps and gave calm instructions.
“When the doctor arrives, don't delay—— take her inside at once. Prepare cool towels and clothes for any assistance.”
“Yes, Miss Sylvia.”
“And the girl I was watching—— who was it again? The one who received the medicine.”
“Eh? Ah, me…….”
“Oh, here you are. You will stay right here in perfect readiness. You understand what that means?”
Diane felt her vision blur at Sylvia's words.
That meant if Idel turned difficult, she would be dismissed like a sacrifice.
Diane's face crumpled in panic, but then she straightened.
“Do you not understand?”
“Y-yes! I will remember!”
Diane stood at attention and bowed politely to Sylvia.
The lady's maid was firm in principle, yet kind among the maids, but to Diane—— the lowest servant—— she was as distant as the stars.
A person from whom the words 'I don't know' were difficult to extract even if true.
“Good.”
Sylvia was satisfied with Diane's answer and reached for the doorknob—— when sharp voices erupted from the corridor along with commotion.
“Since it's an urgent matter, we brought her to the main residence, but the Duchess cannot see Miss Idel! This is part of the disciplinary——”
“Disciplinary? Right now Idel has collapsed, and you dare mention discipline in front of me? Do you think you're mocking me? Before I cut out your tongue, get out of my way!”
Sylvia straightened her posture in shock at the scene, which was far too noisy to believe had been quiet until now.
Her expression toward Melissa was cold and unyielding.
“You may not enter.”
Rowena's eyes flashed sharply between her red hair.
With lips slightly crooked, she opened her mouth with force.
“I am the child's mother.”
“Idel-sama's mother is Duchess Rowena.”
“…Ha! I see. But what now? The Duchess is my sister.”