IFAHWIPUTML Chapter 33

Chayston removed his glasses with a face full of exhaustion.

The mine development issue had more than one or two aspects requiring his attention.

After comparing documents all night, he pressed hard on his tired eyes and rose from his seat.

Standing quietly by the window, he could see Verasielle sitting in the garden having tea time.

Seeing her reminded him unbidden of yesterday's Verasielle.

'I hope you realize Raphel is the Duke's nephew as soon as possible.'

Then somehow, he wanted to see up close that bright face wearing that clear smile.

His feet moved toward the garden as if drawn there.

Stepping directly into the garden, Chayston discovered Verasielle looking around searching for something.

'What is she looking for?'

Following Verasielle toward the bushes,

"Right. The carriage accident the previous Duke suffered. That... the current Duke caused it."

He heard the voices of servants talking about the rumors surrounding him.

Chayston remained impassive.

Not only was he aware of the rumors about himself, but since long ago many people had tried to tarnish him using absurd rumors, so he didn't particularly care.

However, thinking that Verasielle had heard that story made him uncomfortable.

He'd never properly explained himself to anyone until now, but strangely, he wanted to tell Verasielle it wasn't true.

But what if he couldn't explain it properly? He'd only be making trouble where there was none.

Whether she would completely believe his words was also questionable.

In the end, Chayston decided to stay silent.

As always, he just needed to pretend he hadn't heard and move on.

His mouth tasted bitter, but that seemed to be the best option.

He could only hope she wouldn't believe it at face value. He just hoped she would be different from the others.

Chayston turned to leave.

"How could anyone, even for a dukedom, do that to their own brother..."

"Who says that?"

But he had to stop immediately. Because Verasielle's sharp voice reached his ears.

Chayston's head whipped around.

He could see Verasielle's profile looking at the servants with a considerably angry face.

"It's not like that. It's absolutely not like that, so don't bring up this story in front of Raphel. No, don't even let the word 'carriage' enter his ears."

Her, warning them with a very fierce face that it wasn't true.

"The wind is cold—should you really be out here this long."

Chayston approached Verasielle's side with a faint smile, along with a warming emotion.

"Wh-what brings you..."

Seeing Chayston approach without any sign, Verasielle was quite flustered too.

Had he heard the conversation?

She stealthily examined Chayston's expression, but his cold face was no different from usual, so she couldn't tell.

"I asked if you should be out here this long when the wind is cold."

"Ah, I was about to go in soon. You should go."

"Y-yes, yes..."

The servants, their complexions pitifully pale, turned their stiffened bodies.

So flustered they even forgot to greet Chayston, the servants creaked their way toward the mansion.

They were clearly terrified, thinking Chayston must have heard the conversation.

"What if you catch a cold."

Chayston looked straight at Verasielle as he spoke. It was a statement made out of concern for Verasielle's health.

"I'll go in now. I just came out for a moment because Raphel was feeling stuffy."

Verasielle naturally took it as a statement of concern for Raphaleon and looked around, then toward Raphel playing in a corner.

'The timing of his approach without any sign, and he definitely couldn't have not heard, so why isn't he saying anything?'

She felt uncomfortable, as if she'd unintentionally participated in gossip about him. It seemed best to quickly take Raphel inside.

"Raphel."

When Verasielle called, Raphel whipped around.

Seeing Chayston, Raphel urgently looked around.

"Raphel?"

Normally he would come running into her arms when called, but Raphel looked around as if searching for something.

Raphel searched here and there with large eyes, then grabbed a flower that had fallen in the garden.

Clumsily grasping the petals instead of the stem, the petals crumpled in his small hand.

"Uncle! Present!"

Raphel ran on short legs toward Chayston with a beaming smile and held out the flower in his hand.

It was a pure-hearted desire to repay him for the star doll he'd received yesterday.

"Thank you."

Chayston gladly accepted the flower his small hand offered, crumpled beyond recognition of its original form.

Somehow he thought he understood a bit of that touching emotion his brother used to talk about.

"Hehehe."

Verasielle stroked Raphel's cheek in praise for doing well.

Everything he did was unbearably adorable.

"We'll head inside."

"I'll go in with you."

Ah, why again...

Verasielle was about to show her displeasure but closed her mouth, guilty as charged.

It wasn't like she'd spread the rumor herself, but she felt uncomfortable having been at that place for no reason.

"Raphel race!"

Raphel shouted innocently while running into the mansion.

Verasielle was about to run to catch Raphel but stopped, feeling it would be too obviously avoiding him.

"Is there anything uncomfortable about your stay?"

"Hm? Ah, everyone's been treating me well, so there's nothing uncomfortable."

At the unexpected question, Verasielle tensed up. Was he laying groundwork before discussing the rumors? All sorts of thoughts occurred to her.

"I see."

But Chayston only answered that way and said nothing else.

Verasielle, who had been quite tense waiting for what he would say, felt deflated when Chayston seemed to be pretending he hadn't heard.

'Why?'

Why wasn't he trying to explain about the rumor?

Perhaps because of his indifferent attitude, she felt uncomfortable despite having committed no crime.

Besides, why was he so quiet today of all days...

Finally, unable to bear it, she spoke first.

"I'm sorry."

Chayston looked at Verasielle with his still expressionless face.

"For what."

"The rumor. I didn't try to listen on purpose, but somehow... I think you must have felt bad."

"It doesn't matter."

"What? Why? You're not the culprit, Your Grace. So why do you just leave it alone?"

Right—if he'd intended to correct the rumor, he would have addressed it from when the rumors first started circulating.

If he had, the Duke's servants wouldn't be gossiping today that the Duke was the culprit in the carriage accident.

What could the reason be? Why wouldn't he try to clear his name when he hadn't even done it?

Verasielle was puzzled.

She could have just let it pass as if nothing happened, but she didn't want to.

Not only because her discomfort would obviously keep her tossing and turning all night, but also because this matter wasn't just Chayston's problem alone.

Verasielle didn't like that he, Raphel's only guardian, was caught up in bad rumors.

The idea that someone who even decorated a room in advance for the nephew he would someday find had killed his own family—

It made no sense whatsoever.

"How can you be so certain of that, my lady?"

"Because you're not that kind of person."

In the novel, that is.

She wanted to add that but held it back firmly.

She hadn't read far enough to where the mastermind behind the incident was revealed, but whether in the novel or now, he didn't seem like someone who would harm family for his own safety.

"..."

As if quite surprised by her words, Chayston's pupils widened.

"There's no way you would do such a thing, Your Grace."

Chayston captured in his eyes those green irises looking straight at him without averting their gaze.

He was reflected in eyes holding an intelligent light.

Those eyes looking at him untainted by artifice were upright.

What did she even know about him to be so certain?

A subtle tremor arose in Chayston's heart. The complete trust and faith directed at him brought a strange ripple to his heart.

Understanding him without him having to speak first. Believing in him even without explanation.

It was strange. Why on earth was this woman...

"If Your Grace were the culprit, you wouldn't have let Raphel live. Whether that child was real or fake, you would have quietly disposed of the variable outside."

"..."

"Right? Why go through the trouble of bringing him into the household? It would only create more gossip. Unless you're a fool."

Chayston's eyes landed on the red lips moving ceaselessly like rapid fire, as if she'd been waiting.

Her voice defending him with chatter like bird chirps was melodious.

"And you wouldn't have decorated Raphel's room like a paradise either. Right?"

Verasielle tilted her head toward Chayston, who was staring at her intently without words.

She didn't like that Chayston had treated her as a fraud, but that was the truth, after all.

Meanwhile, Chayston's mind was currently hazy.

His body felt hot as if feverish, his vision blurred.

How could she be like this?

He had judged her based on the frivolous talk others spread...

How could she not be swayed by others and judge people solely by what she herself had experienced and seen?

She was a strong person. Someone stronger and more upright than him.

Chayston felt ashamed of his hasty judgment from the past.

At the same time, his two eyes saw nothing of the surrounding environment—only Verasielle, only her.

Brilliant cherry blossom petals scattered in all directions above her head.

Cherry blossoms in this pervasive autumn.

It was clearly an illusion, but because Verasielle and the background suited each other so well like a painting, he never wanted to wake from this dream.

"Your Grace. Your Grace?"

Verasielle waved her hand in front of the Duke standing blankly with his mouth slightly open.

However, the Duke still wore a dazed expression, as if his soul had left him.

"Are you all right?"

Surprised by his abnormal behavior she'd never seen before, Verasielle brought her face close to Chayston's.

"..."

Chayston blinked slowly and realized Verasielle's face was close enough to feel her breath.

"Your Grace, are you all right? Your face is red!"

Startled, Verasielle cried out.

Chayston's face was flushed bright red. Flustered, Chayston bowed his head deeply.

However, his ears, which couldn't be hidden, were ripened red like radishes.

"N-no, I'm not."

"Are you sick somewhere? Do you have a fever?"

At the Duke's face red as someone with a fever cold, Verasielle asked worriedly.

He'd scolded her about catching a cold, but now it seemed he himself had caught one.

"...I'll go in first."

Chayston hastily hid his reddened face with both hands and ran into the mansion.

His heart was pounding so hard it couldn't beat any faster.