The Virtually Exiled Duke’s Daughter Is Troubled When Her Fiancé in a Neighboring Country Says, "I Will Never Love You" - Episode 60

Autumn was in full swing. All the wheat fields had turned golden and were being harvested.

In the town near the marquis’s mansion, preparations for the harvest festival had begun. Everyone was excited, and the festive mood could be felt everywhere.

Within the Sisley territory, except for the northern region, the wheat harvest this year had been plentiful.

Only in the northern villages, where there had been prolonged periods of rain and cold temperatures during summer, could it be considered a poor harvest. However, this was the same region that had suffered from an epidemic last year. The marquis had already exempted the northern villages from taxes both last year and this year. They would likely manage somehow.

If this was the situation in the northern villages, then the neighboring Mauzy territory, which lay even further north, must be in a much worse state, the marquis thought, recalling the report he had received from Riod.

“Ashley.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I need Swallow to connect me with that source.”

“Understood.”

This was an order to gather rumors about the neighboring country through informants via Swallow. Understanding the marquis’s intent immediately, Ashley left the study without delay.

◆◇◆

“Lady Deborah, thank you so much!”

Tom’s mother and sister bowed deeply. The decoration on the sister’s hat had become a sensation at the harvest festival.

People who had looked down on the poor farmer’s daughter now changed their attitude and bombarded her with questions: “Where did you get that hat decoration?”

When she answered that she made it herself, they were shocked but praised her. Some even asked her to make one for them, placing actual embroidery orders.

Deborah was genuinely happy to hear this and decided to share what she had been considering for a while.

“You’ll have some free time during winter, right? I want you to continue training for a little longer. Eventually, I want you to be skilled enough to teach others.”

“Teach… us!?”

“But we have no education!”

The two were overwhelmed, but Deborah didn’t back down.

“You say you lack education, but didn’t you manage to do it just by following my instructions? If you teach others the same way, you’ll be fine. Of course, you can charge a small tuition fee when you open a class. It would be an easier way to earn money than taking embroidery orders.”

“A tuition fee? That’s impossible!”

Their faces turned pale as they protested, but Deborah, as if expecting this reaction, smiled warmly.

“Well, that’s a problem.”

She said it so casually that Tom’s mother and sister were left speechless.

“To tell you the truth, I want to spread embroidery in this region. But since I am a hostage, I can’t leave this mansion to teach in town. On the other hand, if I accept more students here, it would trouble the marquis.”

“Uh… I see…”

“That’s why I need someone to teach in my place. And the only ones who can do it are your family… Oh dear, what should I do?”

Deborah valued their sincerity. She trusted that they would feel obligated to return the favor and wouldn’t exploit the class for greed. Entrusting work to honest and reliable people was a rare fortune.

“Please, won’t you help me spread embroidery by opening a class? I’ll provide fabric, thread, needles, and even my own embroidery samples and diagrams.”

“Well… but…”

They hesitated, looking at each other in uncertainty. Deborah, still smiling, pressed further.

“It doesn’t have to be right away. Once you’ve trained enough and feel confident, that’s when you can start. Okay? Think of it as helping me out.”

“Um… if it’s only when we feel confident…”

“That should be fine…”

“Thank you! That would help me so much!”

Deborah’s beautiful face lit up even more with gratitude. Seeing how genuinely happy she was, the two must have realized there was no turning back.

◆

“The wheat harvest in the Mauzy duchy has indeed decreased significantly this year. It can be considered a poor harvest,” Ashley relayed Swallow’s report.

The Marquis of Sisley let out a deep sigh.

“I see… Wasn’t that the most fertile farmland in their kingdom? I hope the people won’t starve.”

“However… there is an odd rumor spreading among the people in the neighboring country. Some are saying, ‘Could this be the wrath of the gods?’”

“What do you mean?”

Ashley’s expression became slightly troubled.

“It seems some people believe that Lady Deborah, who was as kind as a saint, was actually a true saint blessed by the gods. And that the cold snap happened right after she left the country.”

“What? That’s ridiculous… This is different from the information we received from His Highness.”

“That information came from the upper class.”

Ashley hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat.

“…Well, from those in relatively lower ranks among them. But this rumor is coming from the common folk, who would suffer the most in a famine. They tend to believe in saviors and saints who will rescue them.”

The marquis, who had almost risen in shock, sank back into his chair and nodded.

“I see, that makes sense.”

“The problem is that such people don’t try to solve their problems themselves. Instead, they look for someone to save them.”

“…You mean, Lady Deborah?”

“Yes. Some are saying that to appease the gods’ wrath, they must retrieve the saint who was taken by the neighboring country. So far, it’s a minority view, but…”

“‘Taken’—is that what they think? In reality, she was forced upon us.”

The Marquis of Sisley couldn’t hold back a wry smile. Far from taking her, the Mammut Kingdom had suddenly declared one day, “We are sending a bride.”

Clearly, their people weren’t told the truth, and now they were making unreasonable claims.

If Deborah had been a selfish and troublesome princess, he would have gladly sent her back with Riold’s approval.

But now—

“Well, I have no intention of returning what was forced upon us.”

Hearing this, the young steward Ashley also gave a faint smile and replied, “Yes, my lord.”

Deborah had once said, “The lady of this house had her struggles, but she was also happy.”

Because of those words, the marquis, Lady Lauren, and Ashley had been saved. They felt indebted to her for that. More than that, they simply wanted to see her happy.

Warm soup, having a role to fulfill, and being able to speak her mind without hesitation—these small everyday things made her as happy as a child. Every time the marquis saw her smile, he felt something warm inside.

He thought to himself.

He would never love Deborah the way he loved Magdala. But he might come to love her as a daughter or a sister—as family.

…When the last of his doubts about her was completely gone.

If he were to send her back to her homeland, she would once again be forced to live as a lifeless doll.

So even if he still had lingering suspicions, he believed that keeping her here was the best choice for her.

◆

Sometime later, Riold sent a message. Unlike his usual informal notes signed as “R,” this was an official letter bearing the royal seal.

A delegation from the Mammut Kingdom had arrived at the border.

They refused to leave until Deborah read a letter from her family and sent a reply, claiming they needed to confirm that “the bride, a symbol of peace, was safe.”

After reading this, the marquis pressed a hand to his forehead.

He could already picture Riold smirking coldly as he muttered, “They really think little of our country.”

The letter had already been unsealed and inspected. The marquis read through it as well.

“…Summon Lady Deborah.”

When Deborah was called to the study, she looked puzzled. But as soon as she heard it was a letter from her family, her expression stiffened.

Seeing this, the marquis felt conflicted.

(Does she truly feel no love or attachment to her family?)

Yet the letter was filled with affectionate words.

“My lord, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“Could someone read the letter aloud to me?”

The air grew tense.

Lady Lauren and Ashley widened their eyes at Deborah. The marquis asked slowly,

“…You don’t want to look at it yourself?”

“Yes. I don’t want to be suspected of anything. There might be a hidden code in the letter.”

“Even though it was inspected at the border?”

“I don’t doubt those who checked it, but I must prove my innocence.”

Her calm yet firm stance made the marquis sigh in surrender.

“Very well. But in that case, you won’t be able to confirm if it’s really from your family. At least check the signature.”

“Of course.”

He folded the letter, showing only the bottom where “Ozma Mauzy” was signed.

Deborah nodded slightly.

“There’s no doubt. That is my elder brother’s handwriting.”