It Was Me, Not You

“I’m sorry, Diana. I should have caught you falling, but I didn’t know you would slip like this. You haven’t been feeling well yet.”

“…”

Diana didn’t understand for a moment what she heard.

Seia came up to Diana and lowered herself and grabbed her arms.

As if to stand up

And Seia whispered quietly in Diana’s ear.

“If you say something weird to father, I won’t let you go.”

Diana rose quietly as Seia led her.

Rather than being afraid of Seia’s threats, it was because she could not make a fuss in front of the Grand Duke.

And even if he finds out that the Grand Princess pushed her and verbally abused her, Seia is the only golden daughter of the Grand Duchess.

It is obvious whose side the Great Duke will take.

As Diana stood up calmly, Seia apologized with tears hanging around her eyes, changing her expression as if she had threatened her.

“I’m so sorry, Diana.”

Diana was horrified by Seia’s appearance.

How can a 10-year-old do this? 

She thought she was a powerful child in front of the public since she was never chosen.

Even so, seeing her act by changing her expression at every turn made me feel like I looked like someone I knew well.

Seia really had a lot of similarities to Leah.

If Seia wasn’t the daughter of the Grand Duchess, it wouldn’t be strange to be Leah’s daughter.

“Did you fall?”

The Grand Duke’s voice lifted the room.

Diana replied, looking down at the Grand Duke’s words.

“…Yes, I suddenly lost strength in my legs and fell.”

“Are you still feeling better? Baron said it’s gotten a lot better.”

“It’s gotten a lot better. I felt dizzy for a moment… There really is now.”

When Diana replied, his eyebrows wriggled and turned to look at Seia.

“Seia, but why are you here?”

“Oh, the maids told me that Diana was staying in the mansion.I wanted to see Diana’s face.”

Diana, who remembers exactly how she was about to hit her face until just now, was dumbfounded, but she couldn’t just think inside and show it on the outside.

“Dina’s face?”

The duke narrowed his brows.

He looked at Diana and Seia once and then asked Seia again.

“Did you get along with Diana?” 

Seia’s pale gold eye shook as if she was embarrassed for a moment by the Grand Duke’s question. Seia’s eyes glanced at Diana.

Seia, who saw Diana sitting still without saying anything, soon smiled at the question.

“I don’t see her often, but I always cared about her. Although Diana was not recognized by the father, she was my blood sister anyway.”

Seia, like a very nice child, said, looking down as if she was sad that Diana was not recognized by the Grand Duke.

If other people saw it, they would think that Seia cared about Diana.

However, the Grand Duke’s expression did not change much when he saw Seia.

Rather, it was a moment, but uncomfortable feelings passed by the Grand Duke’s golden who saw Seia.

What is it? I heard that she was the only precious daughter left by the Grand Duchess who loved her to death, wasn’t she?

The Grand Duke blinked slowly, then looked at Seia and said,

“I’m glad you were taking care of Diana. I was worried that I might not be able to tell you about this beforehand, but I’m glad you didn’t.”

At the end of the Grand Duke’s words, Seia rushed to the Grand Duke and grabbed him by the arm.

“What do you mean you feel bad? I really don’t care. Rather, I’m happy to be in the mansion with Diana. I’ll take care of Diana from now on, so don’t worry.”

Seia rubbed her forehead against the duke’s arm with the smile of a good child in the world.

It was definitely a lovely sight, but somehow the Grand Duke didn’t respond much.

Diana was suddenly questioned. Is it my illusion that the Grand Duke doesn’t seem to have much affection for Seia as he did before and this time?

After the Grand Duke returned to the Grand Duchy, the maid’s story was all about how much the duke cared for Seia.

From buying an expensive dress that the capital recognized, he will give  all her favorite dolls, accessories, and rare items.

In addition, the cold Grand Duke said that he smiles whenever he sees  Seia, and whenever they gather among themselves, Diana even knew.

However, the current appearance felt a little different from the stories of the maids.

It’s not full of affection, but rather seems to be uncomfortable with Seia.

“Thank you for saying that.I hope you don’t fight with Diana from now on.”

The Grand Duke gently stroked Seia’s head with his other hand. Looking at it, Diana exhaled a short sigh inwardly.

Yeah, that can’t be true. You’re uncomfortable with the only daughter left by the Grand Duchess. Diana erased her useless doubts from her head, thinking she had a ridiculous idea.

“Yes, I will keep my father’s word.”

Seia’s voice, full of happiness, came. I wondered if my father would be that good, but on the other hand, I envied Seia.

The fact that there are parents who protect and love them.

Diana’s biological mother and father were both alive, but neither was a person to protect her.

People who don’t know when the Grand Duke and Leah will kick Diana out. Maybe they’re the most dangerous people for Diana.

Parents are the most dangerous people to their children.

At a time when I felt bitter again, the duke said, lifting his hand that had been stroking Seia’s head.

“Yes, but Seia, it’s time for the etiquette teacher to come, so I think you’d better go back to your room.”

Seia checked her watch with a sullen look and looked at the sky.

“I can’t believe it’s already that time…Dad, you’re going to the office now. Take me to the room. Can’t you take me and go to the office?”

Seia’s etiquette education, the Grand Duke’s office, finally the two of them would leave my room.

Diana breathed a sigh of relief secretly at Seia’s words. I was waiting quietly hoping that they wouldget out of the room, but I heard the words of the Grand Duke, which were different from Diana’s thoughts.

“No, I need to talk to Diana. So you’d better go back first.”

The Grand Duke carefully removed Seia’s hand who was holding his arm.

Although it was an infinitely soft touch, not only Diana but also Seia seemed embarrassed by the duke’s action, which felt the meaning of a strong rejection, and the pale gold was shaken greatly.

“… Am I really going alone?”

Seia asked the duke again with a look of sadness, but the duke’s expression was unshakable.

“Yeah. If you don’t like going alone, I’ll call a maid. Mrs. Carroll would have come by now. You’d better go and prepare for the class.”

The duke soothingly said in a soft tone, but refused to listen to what Seia really wanted

Seia also responded positively to the Grand Duke’s words, saying, “Can’t”  more stubbornly.

“I can go alone. Then I’ll be on my way. Father.”

“Yeah, go up carefully.”

When the duke forced Seia out of the room, who hesitated as if to take her foot off, Seia was forced to turn around.

When I thought she was leaving the room so quietly, Seia suddenly looked back at Diana.

“Diana, let’s get along well from now on.”

She said with a smile, but Seia’s eyes were not smiling.

In her eyes, which seemed unlikely to get along well in the future, Diana sighed deeply and bowed her head.

“I look forward to your kind cooperation. The Grand Princess.”

Take care of me, too. Seia, who spoke in a feeble voice as if scattering in the air, left the room without looking back.

Diana could see from the back how angry Seia was now.

Should we lock our doors from now?

If I could really do that, I wanted to block Seia’s visit.

When Diana passed one crisis and wondered what to do with the new Seia crisis, the duke called Diana.

“Diana.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“…What about the room?”

“What?”

At the moment, she did not understand the Grand Duke’s words and asked back, and his eyebrows rose slightly.

Diana belatedly understood his question and quickly continued.

“I love it. Thank you very much.”

Diana bowed to the Grand Duke.

However, after straightening her posture, the duke bent as if he had become uncomfortable.

When I swallowed my saliva, wondering what I had done wrong again

The Grand Duke opened his mouth.

“Lowering one’s back is what commoners do. …Since you are not a commoner, do not bow to anyone from now on.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The difference between illegitimate children and commoners is not big, but rather, illegitimate children who are not recognized are ignored by commoners, so it can be said that they are in a worse position than commoners.

But Diana answered meekly because she couldn’t argue with the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke looked around the room as he looked at such Diana.

“…There’s not much to it, there’s nothing.”

The Grand duke looked around the room and moved his lips, but she couldn’t hear well because his voice was too small.

I wondered what he said, but I couldn’t ask back because it seemed like I was talking to myself.

It would be that had nothing to do with Diana anyway.

“I want to rest.”

Although she recovered a lot, she suddenly became tired because she was nervous because of Seia and the attack.

I want to sleep in bed. When my body was drained from fatigue,

“…Haime. Argh!”

Diana yawned a lot without realizing it.

She hurriedly covered her mouth, but the golden eye was already looking down at Diana.

Diana hurriedly said, lowering her closed hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“…You look very tired. You don’t have to be sorry. I’m sure you’re not fully recovered yet.”

“…”

Diana didn’t know what to say, so she shut up quietly. 

The duke spoke again with a shorter sigh of such Diana.

“Sigh, take a rest. If there’s any inconvenience in your life, tell the butler, okay?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Diana subconsciously stooped and stopped to greet him.

“Oh, I told you not to greetlike this.”‘

Diana quickly straightened out her dim posture and examined the face of the Grand Duke.

Fortunately, he didn’t look so angry at my mistake.

After frowning for a while as if he didn’t like something, he turned around and left the room without saying anything.

It was not until the door was heard to close that Diana relaxed and breathed out a long breath.

“Sigh, I’m finally done, but I keep… You don’t have to be like this, do you?”

It seemed like a storm passed by as if she was going to wake up to herself who liked that she had her own space away from the cabin.

Seia may be bothered, but the Duke will not visit Diana often.

And Seia’s bullying was enough to bear compared to Leah’s.

As she lay in bed thinking everything would be fine, the fluffy prison gently embraced Diana’s body.

“Oh, that’s nice.”