The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 50
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- The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You"
- Episode 50 - I Might Have a Very Bad Personality
A long silence filled the parlor again, a room meant for conversation. It was so quiet that even the soft sound of the teacup being placed down could be heard.
But Deborah did not say anything more. She simply watched.
“Maybe… you’re right.”
Gary murmured as he kept his eyes on the letter.
“I was arrogant. I thought I understood her heart completely, even without words.”
A sharp intake of breath could be heard. It was probably from Ashley, but neither Deborah nor Gary turned to look at him.
“In this letter, she wrote, ‘Don’t hold grudges. Don’t hate anyone.’ I always thought she was talking about Cornell and your country… But maybe that wasn’t all…”
He let out a deep sigh and fell silent. Magdala had been asking Gary not to hate himself either.
“…Ugh.”
Madame Lauren couldn’t hold back a sob. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it against her eyes.
“My lord, I am so sorry.”
Ashley stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“I was arrogant too. I believed I was the one who understood the lady best… No, I wanted to believe that. I thought at least that much should be allowed.”
“Ashley… No, you did well. Maggie trusted you like a real brother until the very end.”
Hearing their conversation, Deborah finally realized how deeply Ashley had cared for Magdala. Now, she understood why he had always looked at her with such sharp eyes. It felt like the fog in her mind had lifted.
She let out a small breath of relief. But then, Gary’s next words made her heart skip a beat.
“By the way, Miss Deborah, you spoke quite specifically about an escape plan earlier. You’re not planning to run away from this mansion, are you?”
“Ah…!”
Deborah flinched and looked around nervously. Her eyes met Swallow’s, who gave her a troubled smile.
“My lord, last night, Lady Deborah said she wanted to leave this house. She was worried that her presence as a person from the Mammut Kingdom would make things difficult for everyone.”
“I see. But as I just said, you are not responsible for what happened to Maggie. Also—”
Gary’s warm and relaxed smile returned as he looked at Deborah.
“Since I was entrusted with you by Prince Riold himself, it would be very troublesome if you were to leave. Please, stay in this mansion.”
“…”
Deborah lowered her gaze and gripped her skirt tightly in her lap.
“…Can I really stay here? Won’t I be a burden to everyone?”
“Not at all. In fact, we’re grateful to have you here.”
“…Grateful? That’s an exaggeration.”
“Not at all. You helped when Prince Riold came, and if you hadn’t spoken your thoughts about Magdala, we would have remained trapped in our own misunderstandings. I hope you will continue to share your honest opinions.”
“…”
Deborah nodded slightly while keeping her head down. A single transparent tear fell onto her tightly clasped hands.
◆
“Ahh, I’m so frustrated! I’ll never get another chance to see the prince up close!”
“Someone should have told us when Lord Riold arrived!”
“Exactly! I was just sleeping in my room at the time… When I think about it, I feel so regretful!”
The next morning, as Deborah finished her walk and was about to return to her room, she overheard two maids whispering in the hallway.
She had noticed them earlier but couldn’t make out their conversation. However, as they got more heated, their voices became clear. One of them was unmistakably Shelly.
Deborah glanced at Madame Lauren beside her. The older woman cleared her throat loudly.
“Ahem!”
“!!”
The two maids straightened up in a panic.
“I understand how you feel, but save that talk for after work!”
“Y-yes! We’re sorry!”
“Also, even the master didn’t know that His Highness would visit. It was just a coincidence. There’s no point in sulking over something that was out of your control.”
“…Yes.”
The two maids drooped their shoulders in disappointment. Not only had they missed seeing Riold because they weren’t on duty, but they also got scolded by Madame Lauren. They must have felt incredibly unlucky.
Deborah thought they looked pitiful. She wanted to cheer them up and came up with a playful idea.
“But maybe it was lucky you weren’t there. I heard Count Supreme went wild. Ashley’s face was swollen this big.”
She held her hands up beside her cheeks, exaggerating the size. Shelly and the other maid widened their eyes in shock.
Seeing their reaction, Deborah decided to make the story even more dramatic.
“That’s why Ashley is off duty today. And Swallow, who’s taking his place, got kicked badly in the stomach. He’s pretending to be fine, but I saw him struggling in pain earlier.”
“Eek!”
The maids shuddered, imagining what would have happened if they had been there. Just as they turned pale, Deborah smiled sweetly.
“See? Maybe it was better that you weren’t there.”
“Y-yes! Well then, excuse us!”
Shelly and the other maid quickly bowed and rushed back to work.
Once they were out of sight, Deborah turned to Madame Lauren, who was staring at her with a slightly open mouth.
“Mrs. Lauren, I have a problem.”
“…What is it?”
“I think I might have a very bad personality.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I only meant to cheer them up, but halfway through, I started enjoying scaring them a little.”
Deborah’s face remained calm as always, but she was being much more honest than before.
Madame Lauren couldn’t help but think that, deep down, Deborah had a mischievous side, just like a playful child.
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