TS Duchess Eliza’s Internal Affairs

Chapter 7

Nanny's Daughter, Second Part

Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV

On a night exactly one month after Emily left for her apprenticeship at the mansion, she was spending some alone time with her mother in the servants’ quarters.

「And you know what, the Princess is amazing!」

「Well! That’s amazing.」

Anna nodded kindly, her voice dropping slightly as Emily spoke about Eliza with a twinkle in her eye. The young apprentice maid gesticulated happily about Eliza’s fondness for books and the fact that she never cries, and that she is so wise that she cannot be considered a toddler.

「Emily must really like the Princess now.」

「Yeah! It’s thanks to the Princess that I get to see my mother like this……But.」

「But… what’s wrong?」

Anna nods her head at her daughter, who suddenly turns her head down.

「I don’t think I’ve been much help to her.」

「What makes you think that?」

「She’s not a handful, and she’s smart enough to read a book without me reading to her…… What if the princess says she doesn’t want me? I want to be by the side of my favorite princess and be of service to her.」

「It’s alright. I’m sure there’s something you can do, too.」

Anna said, patting her daughter’s head lovingly as she made the auspicious remark.

「What should I do?」

「Let’s see… I suggest you think about what the Princess wants more than ever before. Maybe you’ll find out something that not even the Princess is aware of.」

Emily flashed back to her memory and remembered one thing that Eliza often does.

「There may be something I can do. Thank you! Okaa-san.」

「Work hard on it. Emily.」

◆

「Princess! Let’s go outside!」

The morning after Anna left. After I finished breakfast, Emily called out to me cheerfully.

「What’s wrong all of a sudden? Emily-onee-chan.」

「I had a feeling the Princess wanted to go outside. I’ll take you there!」

I was amazed at how insightful she was. I certainly want to get out. Because no matter how many opportunities I have to gain knowledge, there is nothing I can do without actually seeing this world. On the contrary, now that Emily was here and had access to so much information, that desire was growing by the day. I might have looked out the window more often.

I was grateful that she was aware of this and thought to take me out, but I shook my head.

「Thank you, Emily-onee-chan. But I will refuse. It’s dangerous.」

「It’s alright! Because it’s right up to your yard.」

Emily then pointed out the window. I stretched out and saw the pavilion in the courtyard. On top of some white stone steps, it looks cozy with the spring’s glorious sun shining through.

——It’s okay up there.

Bored with the life of a toddler, I forgot my position and nodded my head without thinking too much about it.

◆

「Uuh…」

「Emily! What the hell did you do!」

「I–I’m sorry. I’m sorry.」

I groaned and opened my eyes to see, in my hazy vision, one of the servants was crowding Emily with a devil-may-care expression on its face. She was, at some point, being held on her knees by someone. I tried to get up to assess the situation and moans again at the pain in my head.

「Don’t get up, Eliza. You’ll open up the wound on your forehead.」

It was my mother who was on her knees. My head was held gently and I could not move, but when I moved my eyes, I could see the pavilion that had been my destination earlier. The white stone steps at my feet had some bright red blood stains on them.

——Ahh, I understand now. I fell down over there.

The memory of what had just happened came back to me, and I remembered Emily crying and calling for help before she lost consciousness. She was still being choked.

「Eliza!!」

Any attempt to stop me was drowned out by the shouts of my father, who came running out of the mansion.

「What the hell is going on here!」

A voice roars out, intimidating the surroundings. I had never heard my father’s voice like this before. He seems completely deranged by the fact that his daughter was injured. One of the servants nearby glared at my father and hurriedly told him what had happened.

「It seems that Emily has taken the princess out and injured her!」

——This is bad.

Father turned to Emily. His shoulders shook and he stared at her in silence. I couldn’t see her expression because her back was turned, but I could tell from her frightened expression as she fell to her knees in fear that it was not a friendly one. Mother looked at Emily with pity, but remained silent.

Anna was not there. Emily’s father is on an off chance to go on a vigil around the territorial capital of Amyn. There was no one on her side here.

Father’s trembling stopped. I heard the sound of a deep breath. He is going to be calm and make a ruling as a lord. If Emily is punished here, her future is bleak. Because she will be branded as those who have harmed her Lord. Not only that, her father and Anna could even end up on the street. Because of my carelessness, the people who took care of me are being punished. In the face of such unreasonableness, I had unconsciously shed my child’s mask.

「Emily, I’m going to track you down from Clanetta…」

「Father!」

My voice was incredibly loud from my small body. I got up, slipping through my mother’s startled hands, and wobbled past my father, who was equally startled and stiffened, to stand in front of Emily as if to intercept her.

「Princess!?」

「Eliza!?」

The servants groaned, Emily’s tearful, sorrowful voice came up from behind, and Father’s almost backward voice came up from the front. I looked my father squarely in the eye and questioned his actions.

「Father! What did you just try to do to her?」

The high-pitched, infant-like voice, but with a certain will and reason lurking within it, surprised no one.

「E–Eliza…?」

「Please answer me, Father. What were you just about to do to Emily?」

When asked repeatedly, the father finally responds, albeit in an agitated state.

「The guilty must be punished.」

「Where is the guilty one?」

「It was Emily who hurt Eliza.」

「This scratch was caused by my own carelessness!」

「But this would not have happened if that person had not taken you out!」

Even when I told him that Emily was not to blame, Father was not convinced. At that moment, my left vision suddenly turned bright red.

「Princess!」

The maids screamed. It seemed that the wound on my forehead had opened and blood was pouring out.

「Get her medical attention now!」

「It’s useless!」

I blackmail those around me who are in a panic, and faces my father again. I dared to show my wounds to my father, whose eyes were wide open at his daughter’s great exhortation.

「Father. How long will it take for this forehead wound to heal?」

「Ah, yes. It will get better as soon as you patch it up. So be quiet…」

「Yes, it is. This wound will soon disappear. But you are going to inflict an indelible wound on this Clanetta?」

「What do you mean……?」

I spoke earnestly. Clanetta’s prestige would fall to the ground if I punished a vassal who had done so out of love for her master, even if it was because her actions had backfired. I also claimed that my father was a trusted knight and my mother was a nanny who had raised me in good health, and that this punishment was a betrayal of their loyalty as well.

「But you are Clanetta’s firstborn! You are our very treasure! Eliza!」

「The treasure of Clanetta is not me! What greater treasure can there be than a loyal retainer and hard-working citizens!」

I shouted, and silence surrounded us. No, I keep hearing only choking sobs. The servants were sobbing. And these men knelt at the father’s feet and began to plead one after another.

「Duke, please, please, please forgive Emily!」

「Please do not let this bring sorrow to our gracious Princess! We’re begging you!」

「We’re begging you!」

It was an unbelievable sight. The vassals, who had been trembling with the anger of their lord until a moment ago, were so moved by the words of a single infant that they were making desperate entreaties, even soiling their bodies with dirt.

When the father saw this, he let out a long breath and said,

「I understand everyone’s feelings. But we can’t be totally blameless. Emily is suspended for one month. The same shall apply to his father Marcel and mother Anna. So be it, Eliza.」

「If she can return to work as soon as her suspension is lifted.」

「Of course. Emily is your precious subject, isn’t she?」

I nodded vigorously and at the same time realized what I had just done. What I had said and done so far is not that of a two year old by any stretch of the imagination. As I was trying to figure out how to excuse myself, the servants, whose clothes were stained with dirt, cheered like an explosion.

「No doubt about it! Those golden eyes were not false! After all, the Princess is the second coming of Empress Elizabeth!」

「Long live Lady Elizabeth! Long live Clanetta! Long live Rynegard!」

While the servants, who were praising me with their mouths, were making their eyes black and white, my father was talking to my mother.

「Really, Eliza could be the reincarnation of the child of Rynegard.」

「Oh, I have said so from the very beginning.」

「That loveliness. I used to think she was an angel.」

I am more embarrassed than relieved that I was able to fool around with so much parental stupidity. I turned back to shake off my shame and saw Emily, her eyes red with tears.

「Princess… Why did you do this?」

Her eyes were brimming with tears and dripping down to her nose. I took off my apron and wiped Emily’s face.

「You are my first vassal. Then, my friend. A lord loves its loyal subjects. Besides, it’s only natural that you’d want to cover for an innocent friend.」

「I am, Princess’ friend?」

「That’s right. So be sure to come back. Emily!」

「…Yes!!」

Emily’s dark eyes filled with tears again, and she suddenly held my head in her arms.

「Princess. Thank you very much. Thank you very much…」

「Ahh, hey, I’m not scarred yet, is it? It doesn’t hurt…」

The scar on my forehead had somehow lost its shadow and shape. At this time I understand a part of the「extra」that God once told me when I was reincarnated.

However, the fact that my wounds healed so quickly led me to be regarded as sacred by the old vassals.

◆

The next day. Emily, under house arrest, was facing her parents in the living room.

「Emily.」

「Yes.」

Marcel, the rocky father with gray hair and tanned, reddish skin, opens his mouth gravely. But Emily was unfazed and looked straight at her father.

「Our family was saved by Lady Elizabeth. This debt of gratitude must be repaid with a lifetime of work.」

Emily nodded firmly.

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「Even though the princess is loved by God, there will be times when she is therefore in danger. Then you will protect her.」

Marcel placed a rugged dagger on the desk.

「In this month, I will teach you all of my techniques. Emily. Are you ready to protect her with your life?」

Without hesitation, Emily took the hilt of her dagger, raised it to the heavens, and proudly declared to her parents.

「I will! I promised the princess that I would return to the one she called her friend and that I would serve her!」

Here was born a peerless loyal subject who would spare her life for Eliza.

◆

「Really, it’s comfortable…」

Eliza mumbled this in the middle of her reminiscence and fell asleep with her hair stroked. She guess she was tired from the daily grind. Emily gently picks Eliza up from the chair and carries her to the canopy bed. She gently kissed her once scarred forehead and whispered, holding her long black hair in her hand so that it would not fall over Eliza’s face.

「I will make sure to protect you. My master, my friend, my beloved.」

The summer night passed quietly and peacefully, leaving behind the slight sound of the door closing.