The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 32

The next morning.

Perhaps because she had spent more than half the day in bed yesterday, Deborah woke up quite early.

From afar, she could faintly hear the neighing of horses and the sound of hooves striking the stone pavement. Still lying in bed, she turned her gaze to the window and saw the slightly brightening sky just before dawn.

(Ah, the marquis was supposed to depart early in the morning…)

Thinking that it was quite early indeed, she turned to the other side. By her bedside, Shelly was fast asleep, resting her upper body on the bed.

“…”

It was understandable. Even after finishing her daytime duties, she had volunteered to stay up all night. But since she had taken on this role herself, if Mrs. Lauren found her dozing off, she might get scolded.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Deborah gripped the sheet tightly. Then, turning her back to Shelly, she deliberately rolled over with a large motion.

“Fwah? …Ah!”

The sudden tug on the sheet caused Shelly’s hand and chin to shift slightly, waking her up. “Lady Deborah?” she called out, but Deborah closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

From behind, she heard small rustling sounds—Shelly was probably fixing her disheveled hair and clothes from sleeping in a strange position. By the time Mrs. Lauren arrived, she would be able to sit properly and report that the night had passed without any issues.

Feeling relieved, Deborah soon drifted back into a light sleep.

◆

When she woke up next, white morning light was streaming in through the window.

“Good morning, Lady Deborah. How are you feeling?”

“Good morning, Mrs. Lauren… Where’s Shelly?”

“Her night watch has ended, so she has taken the day off.”

“Oh, I see…”

It seemed that Shelly had successfully handed over her duty to Mrs. Lauren. Feeling relieved, Deborah said,
“Thank you. I feel much better now. I think I can get up today.”

Yes. She had to show that she had recovered; otherwise, Swallow wouldn’t listen to her.

She headed to the dressing room to change. As she reached for her usual simple dress, Mrs. Lauren spoke up.

“Lady Deborah, I must ask you to refrain from wearing that for now.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Well… a guest might be arriving.”

“Oh, my.”

Hearing the slight hesitation in Mrs. Lauren’s voice, Deborah placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head elegantly. She recalled Vito’s words from yesterday.

“That was the chicken meant for tomorrow’s dinner. If Lady Deborah is fine with it, we just won’t tell the others, and they’ll never know.”

I see. The guest was important enough that they needed a whole roasted chicken prepared for them, yet the servants didn’t actually welcome them. Most likely, it was Count Supreme.

However, Marquis Sisley had instructed her to stay in her room. As long as she followed that order and remained in her chambers, she wouldn’t have to meet the guest.

And yet, Mrs. Lauren wanted her to dress appropriately like a proper duke’s daughter rather than in a simple gown.

“Surely… you don’t mean to say that this guest will force their way into my room?”

“…! Of course not! But just in case.”

“I see. Understood.”

The reason Deborah had been wearing simple dresses was in case she ever had to dress herself without assistance in the future. She had no particular attachment to what she wore. If told to wear something else, she had no objections, as long as it wasn’t something terrible.

And so, with Mrs. Lauren’s help, Deborah dressed in a luxurious gown for the first time in a while. Her natural beauty and excellent figure made her look dazzling.

“Since you’re already dressed up, why not wear some accessories as well?”

Mrs. Lauren eagerly brought out a jewelry box, making Deborah’s eyes widen slightly. The next moment, Mrs. Lauren’s eyes widened as well.

“Heh…”

Deborah let out a small chuckle.

“Mrs. Lauren, I see… you actually enjoy this sort of thing, don’t you?”

“…W-Well, there’s nothing wrong with that! I am a woman, after all. I like beautiful things!”

The usually strict and plain-looking Mrs. Lauren actually enjoyed dressing her up like a doll. That was quite unexpected.

Moreover…

“Ah! W-Wait! When I said ‘beautiful things,’ I was talking about the jewels and accessories!”

“Yes, of course. Fufu.”

Seeing Mrs. Lauren slightly blush and speak quickly, Deborah found it endearing. She decided to let her inspect all of her jewelry and opened the lids and drawers of her jewelry boxes.

“…Oh?”

As she opened the drawer where she kept her rings, Deborah’s hand stopped. Her gaze was fixed on one particular ring.

(I don’t remember having this…)

It was a ring set with a round ruby, the color of bl00d—so deep that it truly resembled bl00d.

Though the gem lacked transparency, it was well-polished, and a white star-like pattern radiated from its center.

It might be a rare star ruby.

(Did this belong to my mother or another family member? But something feels strange…)

By the time her father had ordered her to marry into a foreign land, Deborah’s belongings had already been packed. Could someone else’s jewelry have accidentally ended up in her things?

“…Lady Deborah? Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no. I was just lost in thought for a moment. More importantly, Mrs. Lauren, which accessories do you think would go best with today’s outfit?”

Pushing the question to the back of her mind, Deborah let Mrs. Lauren choose her accessories.

Since she was forbidden from contacting her homeland, she had no way of finding out who the ring’s owner was or returning it.