The Black-haired Noblewoman, Who Disguised Herself, Seems To Have Been Doted On While Serving As The Caretaker For The Duke Who Dislikes Women - Episode 12

As they walked down the long corridor, climbed the stairs, and reached the door at the very end, Amanda called out from in front of the door.

“Excuse me, sir. I have brought them. Is that alright?”

“……Come in.”

The silver-haired person from earlier… it’s the voice of Duke Harrington. Is he in a bad mood because I made him wait? Or is it because of the pain from his injury…? His low voice makes me even more nervous, and my body stiffens.

Ms. Amanda opened the door and gave me a nod. I gave a small nod in return and cautiously stepped inside. Ms. Amanda quietly closed the door and left the scene.

“Excuse me…”

The office, furnished entirely with dark brown decor, has a calm atmosphere but also an intimidating presence. It might be because I’m feeling intimidated.

The Duke of Harrington, with his right arm in a cast, is sitting in front of the large desk at the back. Next to him is the young man with orange hair from earlier. Neither of them pays any attention to me.

The Duke of Harrington, while looking at the documents in front of him, is either placing them into a box next to the desk with his left hand or handing them to the young man standing nearby. …This person is Mr. Curtis, the one whose name I heard from Amanda earlier.

You seem busy…

After taking a few steps forward, I stood quietly and waited. Since I was told to come in, I would eventually be called.

The duke and Mr. Curtis were processing and handing over documents one after another, looking quite focused. After a while, the duke finally stopped and spoke.

“Alright. This should do. That’s enough. Leave it to me.”

“Yes, understood.”

After such a conversation took place, Duke Harrington, who had lifted his face, and Mr. Curtis, who had neatly arranged the documents in front of him, looked at me.

“You’re quite late…”

The duke was about to say something when he suddenly froze. Mr. Curtis next to me also stopped moving, eyes wide open, still staring at my face.
The room fell silent with a thud. Had time stopped? It felt like even the air had come to a halt. With two pairs of eyes staring at me with such intensity that I thought they might bore a hole through me; my tension reached its peak.

They have a really scary face… What should I do? It’s incredibly frightening. But I have to say it. To thank and apologize…

It was at that moment, when I thought that, and mustered the courage to speak up.

“Who are you?”

The Duke of Harrington asked me that in an even lower voice.

“Um, excuse me… I, um, I was helped earlier… in the forest. My name is Michelle.”

“……..?”

I wonder if they don’t understand.

The Duke of Harrington, with an increasingly suspicious expression, scrutinizes me from head to toe, his brow deeply furrowed.

“…What are you saying? Where did you come in from? Where is Amanda?”

It seems the duke has deemed me a suspicious person. He is openly showing his wariness and telling Mr. Curtis to bring Amanda.

“N-no! Your Grace, it’s me…! Look, earlier in the forest…! Because of my carelessness, I caused you a great deal of trouble…”

“Curtis! Subdue that girl!”

Huh… huh!?

What should I do? No way, you don’t remember…!? It was just a few moments ago, but that was…

The duke, with a fierce expression, looked at the suspicious intruder who had suddenly barged into the room. Then, Curtis, who was next to me, suddenly exclaimed, “Hmm!?” and quickly moved in front of me, staring intently at my face from a distance so close that I could feel his breath. I was surprised, but I stood my ground and didn’t run away.

“Ugh! Lord Lloyd! This child is the beggar from earlier!! You know, the one we found in the forest who fainted. I carried them and brought them back on horseback, remember? It’s that child. The one Amanda said she would bring here earlier.”

“No way.”

Did Mr. Curtis carry me on horseback after I fainted? It must have been quite a task. I want to properly thank him too.

However, it seems that the two of them are not in a position to think about that right now.

“It’s true! Just take a good look. Right? It’s a beggar kid, isn’t it?”

“You’re just a beggar’s child, aren’t you?” It’s hard to say, “Yes, I’m a beggar.” Because in reality, I’m not a beggar at all. I lived as a commoner when I was a child, but I do have the bl00d of the Everly family and my father’s family, the Flanders baronage. Until recently, I even lived in the Everly mansion… Well, I might become a beggar in the future, but…

While thinking about such things, I gave a vague reply.

“Yes, indeed, I am the one you helped earlier. Allow me to introduce myself again, my name is Michelle. Duke Harrington, Mr. Curtis, I sincerely apologize for the trouble I caused you. And… thank you for your assistance.”

The stern expression on the Duke of Harrington’s face, who had been silently listening to my words, slowly transformed into one of pure astonishment. And after I finished speaking, he murmured a single word after a moment.

“……It’s like you’re a completely different person.”

I was just told that by Amanda earlier.