The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 13

Deborah was in the lounge. Of course, under the supervision of Mrs. Lauren.

On the day I first came to this mansion and spoke with Marquis Sisley, I remembered that there were several portraits hanging on the walls.

She gazes at the wall and her eyes are drawn to a pair of paintings housed in a small oval frame.

In the frame on the right, there is an image of a young, gallant man with blue eyes, looking slightly to the left and smiling gently. In the frame on the left, where his gaze is directed, there is a young and cute woman, almost like a girl, facing to the right, blushing, and also showing a smile.

These two paintings are hung on the wall in such a way that the two figures in the paintings seem to gaze at each other through the frames.

Undoubtedly, it depicts the young Gary Sisley, the Marquis, and his wife, Magdala.

Magdala had chestnut brown hair and eyes, with plump cheeks. She was cute, but not exceptionally beautiful.

However, from the painting, one could sense a kind of compassion and warmth akin to that of a Madonna, and Deborah gently lowered her deep red eyelashes.

(The previous wife was someone who loved everyone and was loved by everyone.)

Deborah couldn’t extract much information from Shelly, but she felt that it was probably something like that. In the Mammut Kingdom, Deborah was admired by several young ladies and had people who could be said to be on good terms with her on the surface. However, when it came to being loved, it was a different story.

My parents always demanded that I be the perfect young lady for the prosperity of the family, but even though I was praised for achieving that, I never had the confidence that I was truly loved. I also didn’t know if my brothers loved me.

And above all, I never felt a shred of affection from Prince Aaron, who was supposed to become my husband in the future. However, I had no complaints about him.

Because that was the role assigned to Deborah, and she believed that fulfilling that role perfectly was the most important thing, and Deborah herself never loved Aaron.

No, it might not just be Aaron; Deborah might not fully understand “loving someone.” She has never been forgiven with a smile after making a mistake. When she failed twice in front of Shelly and Shelly smiled and treated her kindly, Deborah was extremely bewildered.

And then, I became increasingly unable to bear it.

(I really am just a useless freeloader here.)

The knowledge of land management and politics she honed in the Mammoth Kingdom, her demeanor at tea parties and evening gatherings, and her beauty—none of these are of any use in the Marquis de Sisley’s household. Her value is only as a hostage, but even that is a lie. This truth burns her heart, slowly and painfully, making her anxious. She thinks she has no worth here, that she shouldn’t be here, yet at the same time, she can’t bring herself to escape.

“Mrs. Lauren, I have a favor to ask.”

“Yes, how can I help you?”

While staring at the painting on the wall, Mrs. Lauren was taken aback by the sudden words that Deborah uttered.

“That joke from the other day, you really can’t do it? … I want to try learning to be a maid.”

After taking the morning off and returning from the city, Ashley changed into her butler uniform and, while making her rounds around the mansion, saw something unbelievable.

“Oh, Lady Deborah, there’s still some cloudiness left, isn’t there?”

“I thought I polished it properly… but what am I doing differently from everyone else…?”

“Well, it’s not very polite, but wouldn’t it be fine to just blow on it with a ‘huff’?”

“Hahaha! Shelly, you mustn’t tell Lady Debora about that!”

It was the sight of Debora, surrounded by Sherry and the other maids in the dining hall, diligently polishing the silverware with a cloth.

“Wha…!?”

Ashley, on the verge of screaming, barely managed to swallow her voice and looked at Mrs. Lauren standing nearby. Although Mrs. Lauren was ostensibly watching over them, her expression still bore a hint of displeasure.

Ashley approached the lady and, in a hushed but reproachful tone, asked.

“Mrs. Lauren, what is the meaning of this!?”

“Since Lady Deborah has expressed her desire to try it. We have also obtained your husband’s approval.”

“Your husband!?”

The young butler, his face flushed with excitement, turned on his heel and headed briskly towards his master’s office.

“I’m back! Thank you for the time off!”

“Ashley, thank you for your hard work. How was Swallow?”

“Yeah. You’ve actually been looking younger since you retired! …But more importantly, why is Lady Deborah pretending to be a maid?!”

“I heard it’s because they have nothing to do and are bored.”

“…Huh? No way, do even the duchess daughters in the Mammut Kingdom have to do menial work?”

The Marquis de Sisley smiles with interest.

“No, no, of course not. It would be a shame to just be a hostage with nothing to do and be a freeloader, so she wants to at least gain some experience with menial tasks. It’s just a whim of the young lady, I suppose.”

“……!”

Ashley’s face turned even redder, and she bit her lower lip.

“……Is that an insult, suggesting that the House of Sisley is so impoverished that we can’t even keep one hostage?”

“Does Lady Deborah look like the kind of young lady who would say such a nasty remark?”

“With that expressionless face and only fake smiles, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Marquis Sisley recalled Deborah’s face when she came to consult with him earlier and deepened his smile just a little more.

“Expressionless, huh? At least it was different today.”

Indeed, the expression was lacking, but the gray eyes that stared straight at the marquis seemed to possess a life unlike the glassy quality they had before.

“Well, it was a bit awkward, but I didn’t think there was any lie in her words about wanting to be helpful. If you’re suspicious, why not just keep an eye on her while she’s working?”

Ashley flinched at the word “clumsily.” Swallow’s words resurfaced in his mind.

“For example, that bride is a bit weak here, or something like that.”