IFAHWIPUTML Chapter 32

"Absolutely despicable."

Regina muttered as she threw down the rag she'd been holding.

The more she mulled it over, the more absurd it became.

"Doing whatever it takes to get in the Duke's good graces..."

Regina grumbled as she chewed on her lip.

Yesterday, Verasielle had turned the entire estate upside down searching for Raphel.

On the butler's orders, everyone had to stop whatever they were doing and help search for the missing Raphel.

She'd acted so well, pretending to care for the child, that even observers were completely fooled.

She didn't care whether the others fell for her performance or not—the problem was that even the master of this estate seemed to have been taken in.

"But to call it acting... she really did seem genuinely shocked..."

Mürael, who was cleaning the stairs with Regina, murmured.

Verasielle's face yesterday, deathly pale as she searched for the child, had looked utterly sincere.

"It's all an act! Can't you see that?"

Regina snapped loudly. She'd shouted so loudly that it echoed throughout the first floor.

Regina had seen it.

She'd entered the room to receive her return-to-work notification from Butler Rohan, and witnessed the scene of Chayston unable to take his eyes off Verasielle.

He'd been making an expression she'd never once seen in all her time working at the estate.

His red eyes, deep as the ocean, contained only Verasielle.

When he'd never once glanced her way...

"That can't be. It can't be."

Regina anxiously bit her nails. Crunch, crunch. She felt like she'd glimpsed Chayston's emotion surfacing for just a fleeting moment, but she denied it again and again.

Because it shouldn't be that way.

Because she should be the one beside Duke Chayston.

"The Duke held my hand..."

Regina recalled when she'd first entered the estate, not long after her arrival.

Back then, everything had been difficult and clumsy, and she'd spent every night crying herself to sleep.

The workload itself was manageable for one person, but what was hardest for her was the existing servants' territorial behavior toward her.

They'd make Regina do all the menial tasks, and even after finishing her assigned work, she'd have to do additional jobs like cleaning the basement.

Three years ago, that day had been the same.

On her way to the basement for yet another forced cleaning. She'd been trudging along with eyes swollen from crying all night when it happened. Someone had grabbed her wrist.

Regina was startled by the sudden warmth on her wrist and looked up.

And there stood Chayston Halos.

The first time she met him, he'd been shining as brilliantly as if he held all the light in the world.

He was noble and dignified, like someone who lived in a different world from her own, so superior she could hardly dare to look directly at him.

At the same time, she'd wondered why someone like him would show interest in her.

"Hold still."

"What?"

Regina looked up at Chayston with a reddening face.

He was still fiddling with her hand using both of his.

"Why are you touching my hand..."

Even when she asked in a trembling voice, Chayston only gazed at her hand with serious eyes.

And after a while, he released the hand he'd been holding and left.

Regina clutched her thump-thump pounding heart and muttered as she watched his retreating figure.

"What do I do... I think I like the Duke."

That was the first time Regina had felt the emotion called love.

And after that day, she worked desperately to catch Chayston's eye, to get closer to him.

She endured her fellow servants' territorial behavior and worked tirelessly to be favored by the head maid.

Because only then could she be by his side.

But now, all her desperate efforts were on the verge of being reduced to nothing because of one person.

"How dare someone like her, toward our Duke..."

Regina muttered to herself as she climbed the stairs.

It had been fine that the Duke didn't pay attention to her. If she worked harder, someday he'd recognize her sincerity.

But she couldn't stand that money-grubbing baroness using his pure heart.

Verasielle putting on a fake performance of worrying about the child, and Chayston showing concern for her.

Regina bit her lip as she recalled yesterday's events again.

'Let's just wait a little.'

Like everyone else, that baroness's lies would soon be exposed.

Even if that child really was the Duke's nephew, that eyesore of an uninvited guest said she'd only be staying for a month, so she'd be leaving soon enough.

'Right. Nothing will change.'

Once that woman left, everything would return to normal. She could be by his side like before, together with him.

Regina smoothed out her crumpled expression and hummed a tune.

The next day.

"Fountain!"

The fountain she'd seen on the first day was still spectacularly shooting out streams of water with brilliant light.

Raphel ran around excitedly watching the rainbow-colored water streams fall in graceful arcs.

"Raphel, be careful not to trip."

Verasielle sat leisurely at the table, watching Raphel play.

'Well. Unexpected, really.'

She'd thought he was just suspicious and self-centered.

The more she got to know Duke Chayston, the more he felt like a person with a different disposition from her first impression.

He still acted prickly toward her, but whatever. As long as he was a good uncle to Raphaleon, that was enough.

Verasielle picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip of tea.

The slightly sweet black tea spread smoothly through her mouth with a subtle flavor.

"I'm bored."

Verasielle muttered to herself as she set down the teacup.

After yesterday's heart-stopping incident passed, the tedium of daily life had returned once more.

The ducal estate lacked nothing, so there was no discomfort in her stay, but she found the repetitive routine dull and boring.

Plus, staying here as a guest for such a long time made her feel constantly self-conscious.

She felt bad for Raphel, but she wanted the antidote to arrive quickly so they could prove he was Chayston's nephew and leave this estate.

It was regrettable, but her role ended there.

Once he'd found his family, she couldn't stay with Raphel when they shared not a single drop of blood.

She might occasionally visit as a friend or godmother, but that would only be possible if Duke Chayston permitted it.

He'd absolutely never allow it, and she had no desire to maintain a long connection with the Halos ducal house anyway.

Everyone has their proper place in life, after all.

She had to return to hers.

Verasielle gazed at Raphel playing, lost in thought.

Even after she left the estate, Raphel would be fine. Chayston and the female lead would be there for him.

There would be several crises, but they'd overcome them all successfully. Because protagonists don't die.

Honestly, she wanted to help from the sidelines, but she was just a bit-part extra, not a protagonist or even a supporting character.

She had no place in their story.

They had their own story. If she interfered wrongly, the original story might change, or she and her family might be put in danger.

So staying away from Raphel after leaving the estate was the best course.

'Still. I'll miss Raphel terribly.'

Throughout her life, she'd occasionally remember that month spent with Raphel at the Halos ducal house.

Verasielle grew thoroughly gloomy at the approaching separation.

"Please have some of this, Lady Verasielle."

Tia brought freshly baked pound cake.

"Thank you, Tia."

"Cake!"

Raphel came scurrying over, grabbed a slice of cake, and ran off.

"Raphel, be careful not to trip!"

Verasielle smiled cheerfully as she watched Raphel run.

She decided to forget about the separation for now. What mattered more was what memories she'd make with Raphel during the remaining time.

Because she wanted to see as much as possible of Raphel's innocent face, just like now.

"Oh, Tia. Could you bring some jelly?"

"Jelly? Yes, I'll bring it right away!"

Tia dashed toward the estate.

There was only cake and cookies on the refreshment table, so she'd asked for Raphel's favorite jelly.

Ah, she should have asked for the teddy bear shape Raphel liked while she was at it.

"Tia!"

Verasielle urgently called after the retreating Tia, but she was too far away and her voice didn't seem to reach.

She had no choice but to stand up.

If she quickened her pace, she'd probably catch up soon.

"Could you watch Raphel for a moment?"

Verasielle asked the knight Max standing behind them to watch Raphel, then hurried after Tia.

But she walked so fast that she was nowhere to be seen.

Verasielle was looking around trying to find Tia, who'd vanished without a trace, when—

"Really?"

"Yeah. That carriage accident the previous Duke suffered. That was... something the current Duke arranged."

Hm? What kind of nonsense was this?

When she heard strange voices from the bushes beside her, Verasielle walked toward where the sound was coming from.

"Even if the ducal title is desirable, how could he do that to his own brother..."

"Who says that?"

"Huh—gasp! Lady Verasielle..."

Their words were nothing but absurd rumors. And to think the ducal estate's servants were badmouthing their own master.

Verasielle frowned as she inserted herself between them.

The startled servants hurriedly bowed their heads.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Well, that's..."

They couldn't answer easily and hemmed and hawed.

Verasielle was inwardly shocked.

That Chayston had caused the carriage accident that killed the previous ducal couple and Raphel?

It was absurd.

Of course, she'd only read through the middle of the novel and the culprit hadn't been revealed, but Verasielle was certain Chayston wasn't the perpetrator.

'There was definitely a scene implying that the carriage accident, which had been described as coincidental, was actually someone's scheme.'

Moreover, Chayston had been the one who personally led the knights to investigate that incident.

For him, who must have suffered more than anyone, to become a suspect instead.

Verasielle couldn't contain her anger.

"Where did you hear it?"

"Everyone's been saying it..."

"Everyone? You mean the people in the ducal estate?"

"Yes..."

"Haa..."

Verasielle let out a deep sigh.

Come to think of it, the servants had been flinching nervously and looking frightened whenever they encountered Chayston—she hadn't realized rumors like this were circulating.

It would be a huge problem if this false rumor reached Raphel's ears.

His memories weren't even fully intact yet—if he came to hate the only family member who would cherish him, he'd never be able to trust anyone for the rest of his life.

It would flow in a different direction from the original story.

"That's not true. It's absolutely not true, so don't bring this up in front of Raphel. No—don't even let the word 'carriage' reach his ears."

"Yes, yes... We're sorry."

The servants hung their heads miserably.

"It's chilly out—is it all right for you to be outside this long?"

"Kyaaaa!"

Just then, a startled servant let out a shriek at the voice that suddenly came from behind them.