The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 52

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…”

“I’m sorry. This is completely our fault.”

Tom’s parents’ words of apology echoed through the servants’ dining hall.

They both looked exhausted, and between them sat Tom, his eyes red and his head hanging low.

Across the table sat the Marquis and Deborah. Unlike the wooden chairs for the servants, their seats were plush ones brought in from another room.

So, how did this situation come about?

Tom had treated Deborah poorly, and his parents had come to apologize. However, inviting them into her private room would have been inappropriate for several reasons.

The Marquis of Sisley had offered to join the meeting and suggested using the parlor, but the moment Tom’s parents saw the lavish room they were being led into, they turned pale and recoiled in shock.

Understandably so. If they accidentally dirtied the room, they wouldn’t be able to afford the damages. Even without that, being escorted into such an extravagant place to apologize to the lord’s household was overwhelming. They were so anxious that they looked like they were expecting some sort of punishment.

In the end, they decided that the plain and simple servants’ dining hall was the best place where Tom’s parents could feel comfortable enough to talk.

“Please, have some tea. It will help you relax.”

Swallow offered them tea, but the three of them remained standing, their heads bowed.

“Our foolish son said something terribly rude, and on top of that, he took your handkerchief and never returned it. We’re truly sorry.”

“…”

Tom’s father bowed even lower and pressed his left hand firmly on Tom’s head, forcing him to bow as well. His mother also lowered her head in apology.

“We’re so sorry. How could he be so disrespectful to the lord’s wife? We should have come sooner, but this boy hid the handkerchief from us. We didn’t know anything until the officials arrived.”

“Officials?”

Deborah’s gray eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively glanced at the Marquis beside her. He shook his head slightly and then turned to Tom’s father.

“I didn’t send anyone. Who were these officials?”

“Ah, they said they were from the royal capital. They looked very dignified in their fine uniforms, so I didn’t think they were lying. They already knew Tom had borrowed a handkerchief from the lady and asked to investigate.”

“Hmm. When did this happen?”

“During dinner preparations last night. We were shocked when we heard about it. When we asked Tom, he finally pulled out the hidden handkerchief. The officials asked him a few questions and took the handkerchief with them. They returned it today in the afternoon, so we came here right after.”

“What kind of questions?”

Tom lowered his head slightly and glanced at Deborah from the corner of his eyes. A faint, defiant glint flickered in them.

Noticing this, his mother hurriedly spoke up.

“Um, they asked what he talked about with the lady, whether she gave him anything else besides the handkerchief, what he usually does… Nothing particularly strange!”

“I see… I understand now.”

Deborah looked up at the Marquis as he murmured thoughtfully. Their eyes met. This time, she nodded slightly.

It must have been Riold’s men who visited Tom’s house.

(**That was a reckless move…**)

At that moment, Deborah finally realized she was being suspected of espionage.

The Marquis had already warned her not to leave the estate or contact outsiders. Yet, by carelessly giving Tom a handkerchief, she had inadvertently made it seem like she was passing secret messages.

…Still, since the handkerchief was quickly returned, and Tom wasn’t harshly interrogated, it wasn’t too serious.

If Deborah had actually been trying to use Tom for secret communication, she wouldn’t have told Riold so much about the roasted chicken incident.

That second prince—friendly on the surface but sharp underneath—must have thought things through. This was probably just a precaution rather than a serious investigation.

And for Deborah, it wasn’t a problem even if she was being watched. She smiled at the Marquis and turned back to Tom’s parents.

“I’m sorry. I caused trouble by giving him the handkerchief.”

“No, no!! Not at all! The problem is that he didn’t return it right away! We’re truly sorry!”

Tom’s father quickly forced his son’s head down again. But Tom still looked dissatisfied.

Deborah maintained her composed smile while thinking about what to do next.

Tom’s rudeness was childish behavior. His admiration for Magdala played a role too, so it wasn’t entirely his fault. His parents probably wouldn’t have come to apologize if they hadn’t been panicked by the sudden visit from the capital officials.

However, even if she was just a hostage with no real power, she was still the lord’s wife in name.

Would it be right to forgive such disrespect too easily? If Tom’s arrogance grew because of this, it could cause problems in the Sisley territory. On the other hand, as a hostage, she also shouldn’t interfere too much.

Deborah pondered for a moment before looking at the Marquis again.

Their eyes met immediately.

His gentle sky-blue eyes reassured her, making it easy for her to speak. By this point, she had already opened her heart to Gary and trusted him—though she hadn’t realized it herself yet.

“Marquis, I originally intended to give the handkerchief to him, so there’s no need to return it. However…”

She trailed off, and the Marquis nodded, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“She has already admitted her mistake and apologized, hasn’t she?”

“Huh?”

“Eh…?”

Tom’s parents froze in shock, then turned pale as they looked down at their son.

Because Tom himself still hadn’t apologized to Deborah.

“Of course, there was a misunderstanding. My beloved wife, Magdala, didn’t die in the war with the Mammut Kingdom—she died from an illness in a northern village.”

“What?”

Tom’s head shot up in surprise.

Gary Sisley smiled gently and spoke in a calm, guiding tone.

“And Deborah came to this country for peace. I can’t say I love her homeland, but she is a different matter. I want to respect her as a person. So—”

The hand on Deborah’s shoulder pressed slightly, making her lean toward him.

Their sleeves barely brushed, but her cheeks flushed red.

“Could you apologize to my wife? Just a simple apology is enough.”

“…”

Tom hesitated for a moment. He was still young, and it was hard for him to back down.

Deborah gently stepped away from her temporary husband and smiled again.

“Marquis, it’s fine. Your words are enough for me.”

“I’m sorry!”

Her words were drowned out by Tom’s loud voice.