Chapter 9

“Ah! Duke…?!”2035a8f90af53b7d

As I lifted my 6a0139121b head, the Duke was 667bbbea67 standing on one side 70d56e50e6 of the reception room, 77ef8a13cd getting up from the 68a4309401 sofa.8c42a3974613d684

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Next to him was Gordon, the Duke’s personal physician.8faee1786e72cdea

‘When on earth did they get here?!’d328b0cd539f3f76

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I was astonished by their sudden appearance. Since I hadn’t sensed anyone coming in after Edwin, it meant they had been here from the beginning.39c1d2b62169c8b4

That also meant c7dc7f7b9d they witnessed all 4dc4b9b923 of my embarrassing 1088eaee8f actions just now.43f076135eaec8d9

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‘Darn it…!’7e7774aa93c7af7c

I was immediately filled cc144274b1 with regret. Not only had 1d837885b9 I failed to 1a5540a882 heal, but I e1f7edb0e8 also had been f8e4f6d039 crying uncontrollably, making 18254a39a1 myself appear even 2a5d39597a more pitiful than 7aba195aa2 Diana.0894a4f148d7aafe

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Tears, which I had managed to stifle with Edwin’s handkerchief, now flowed freely.d7eeff698e8c7552

“I-I’m so sorry!”fc08afe4f160ab66

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I blurted out without thinking. But a cold rejection followed.330f015ef4251109

“Enough.” ”aca34737938b31e0

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Hu, huuh….”1628ac4a9cf514e1

I tried to hold back, really, I did. But I couldn’t help it. My sobs welled up in response to the Duke’s stern demeanor.75c5dd14274e1892

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In that fleeting moment, I e47510ceee envisioned what would happen next.9712884d59ea3c7b

What if I returned 30103e4169 to the temple without 4922e1a9e0 having treated Joshua? He would inevitably c14a924944 die as planned, 39b25b3738 without me having 530793d15f identified the cause e0c99e4f0f of his illness.628f91a1e77a8fe5

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In the end, f015ba75c0 I would be c41d6804b8 left behind in 2a3ec4b357 the temple without 49ab5bf787 the sponsorship of b8fd5456bd the Duke, having 23fb5dc975 failed to prove 603530644a my worth. Maybe that would be better.dd2054a2910c1dbc

After all, if I weren’t there, the Duke’s downfall might not occur.187dd9b72b4ac024

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However, from time to 8bc047cabb time, I vividly remembered dcca779c40 them, the Duke who b0c10576be would sit in his e3946f8049 study and drink when 0ab3c54574 the anniversary came, and 4ffbcda3ee Edwin, who would leave 04d18b516f for training and not 318f9d394e return all night.54f539ebd482e9a2

Ensuring they didn’t experience such misery twice was the least I could do. But if I couldn’t even do that…1f241c10e5c2af3e

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‘Then why did I come back?’9dfe2026d72627a4

Was it just to play 062be737a5 the role of the villainess 4c26b89933 tormenting the heroine out of 8888af66ed inferiority, as in the original 6e36f6c312 story?d44f4c4c349ee292

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To live as 4a48c7e7a2 a fool once ecaeafc7eb again, only to cd307f342c die in misery 774720887f once more? This time, hot tears fell b133a5a555 down my round cheeks. Edwin looked at me 6da0e8a831 in surprise.a97d0745efec151e

“Hey, why are you crying…?” ”d13e41a0a6f6b3e0

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I-I couldn’t, couldn’t heal him in one go…?”a2bf3f8d561e7f57

“……”3dd911e02f698c66

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“I guess I’m more useless than Diana… Is that what you’re saying? Ugh.”2cab02bab12ac918

The Duke, with an uncertain d4a224f09d expression, closed his mouth. I sniffled and stammered.e90de15b9b51af81

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“I can do it too… It’s not that I can’t. You might not believe it, but… I was healing somewhere else first.”670b4fb6f2262b50

“……”e3226dc31ce4b05e

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“I can heal wounds like that as well.”0ebd759d88f59944

So please, believe me.3cdfd7210bff2a7a

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I tearfully said that I 7c9754df17 could heal multiple times. As I focused d79bbedbd7 and clenched my 179326f86f hand, fortunately, this 3d2fe91074 time the small 1d8081b4a3 balls of light, 5ad65e5eac like ping pong 65a2f21b05 balls, gathered easily.e3af216da3eacf11

Edwin frowned when I showed a2cbd89a72 him.e738ec510f622020

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“No, it’s not like that…”663dfacae32a96c1

“Oh, you must have misunderstood what I was saying.”49211c328319b7c8

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That’s when the Duke, who had been standing a little away, suddenly approached and stood in front of me.f539a2a022204cc3

“Bellze.”648f9d6518c57fa1

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Without hesitation, the Duke kneeled 948f5882de and met my eyes, taking cfcefa6e6a my outstretched hand and gently e95f29d53c folding it.56b465349ada92f4

Because of that, bac780fe86 the energy I 51e66b0074 had gathered with d188ebc062 great effort dissipated 728f786501 in an instant.feb8cc5b73d585c1

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At that moment, I looked somewhat forlornly at my fist, which was less than half the size of the Duke’s hand.58567ef2b9c65706

“…Stop the treatment. Joshua’s condition has improved considerably thanks to your healing power.”7bf6f13226177e61

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The Duke relaxed 05d1f51999 his expression and 2ae57a9a04 said to me. I trembled in surprise.510d08ba1edbd343

It was a gentle fe51d5da15 voice I had never 5013c85e1c heard before, not in 1d8f49bced my past life or bdfc725620 when I dealt with 81ffea1fbd Joshua earlier.f70cc2eb0c8ed5c1

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“Puhh!”94c67c4e0886faf5

Similarly, Gordon, who was pouring 91d1507ee2 tea behind the Duke, let 08216b7d55 out a full sigh.10bd386532cef41c

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Improved… Did he just say that?’c848310f3b5e8e59

The Duke never used such e76b1e1460 an irritating tone. Always, -했다 (did), -하라 (do) 085d47deb8 and other imperative forms.ef1727bbb7eb11cd

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There were only two forms…fde150eb10836aea

‘Could it be… I’m really going to die?’1bf615d33e99db50

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Why would he suddenly use b8e09d1b64 a tone of persuasion, speaking 9241a2cc3e differently than he usually does?d3ccead1d81fbd92

The only time he uses a tone like this is when he’s trying to convince someone before killing them.9b4c157041d859fe

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Kugugung! I heard a sound as c917aec742 if a wall was collapsing 5954362c6a somewhere. In a trembling voice, 8d82a1a21f I asked for confirmation.9453aebc03368c74

“Im… im-improvement? I-I’m good at healing…”c0890a5f4aad412a

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“Yes, improvement.”18d340a9b762937c

“……”197ff550c6c80a5d

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“Oh, maybe you’re too young to know the word ‘improvement’ yet.”7669026f5735b5c4

“……”43d3fdbf4d4acca5

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“Joshua’s condition has improved, so you don’t need to exert yourself any further. And as for the wound on his knee…”492429fff34e1db0

The Duke, who had been 40121e934a speaking in a calm voice, 07defab5ea suddenly turned around with an 93c35f049d embarrassed expression.063969d33a94d1db

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Gordon, who had been holding a teacup while standing, snapped to attention at that look and said, “Ahem! Since the bleeding has stopped, you can leave the wound on your knee as it is.”98588589ecd3ebd5

“……”5388bcd79afb4056

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“Relying solely on your energy will actually lower your self-healing ability.”b19648687652dfe5

“So that’s it,” the Duke added with a shrug of his shoulders. He probably looked at Gordon to supplement his explanation.3653d0dac913f255

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‘…That makes sense.’c1071b17c8b11316

I nodded my head with a bewildered face. Healing based on energy wasn’t a cure-all. Just like modern medicine couldn’t solve everything.0e137f3384784a3e

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Anything in excess could lead 10f6f75daa to resistance and side effects.ca7dd608104b6645

‘So… when you said ‘improvement,’ you meant Joshua improved?’d05ef7a7724cfb52

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I tried to recall the Duke’s words, forcibly turning my uncooperative head. Upon reconsideration, I couldn’t believe how I had misinterpreted his words so nonsensically.9e82f41a04a1db4f

But the Duke’s attitude was equally shocking. He, known for his stiffness even in front of the Emperor, was now kneeling in front of a mere commoner child.fa7a6869485d0cce

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With trembling eyes, I alternated 11b82e5b13 my gaze between the Duke 79d0f943ce and Gordon, and eventually shifted 5cce9621d2 my gaze to the bed.16fdc54773c53200

Despite the commotion, Joshua 53400fbd66 was still deeply asleep.d29b579d60880b4f

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“B-But…”8cb40093b1c536c8

“……”0890dcb757248988

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“He still hasn’t woken up…”bf150397f7dc7274

“He was jumping around like a colt all day yesterday, so it’s natural.”61f0dc4f1d23db07

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The answer to e0f3079de6 my question came 8b92b51cfc from somewhere other 10e0b3f42b than the Duke 4c16347ddc and Gordon.7b9b1c41029703fe

“While you were passed out, he was leaping around like a foal and collapsed when the sun came up.”931af49f5278a7d1

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Edwin said bluntly.bd2b7f3abd1e5e79

“Ah…”fb646b5174ca6d7d

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A belated sense of relief washed over me. I had been worried about how to prove that my healing abilities could help Joshua’s illness.f778cccecf682bc8

To have the person himself show it was a stroke of luck. But still…613a5b62d58927a9

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‘Did I keep insisting even when it was unnecessary?’f59f775b4093d278

I glanced at Edwin, who hadn’t smoothed out his furrowed brow.1ee888af3df56136

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However, his gaze toward me didn’t hold any irritation. Rather, it was more like…c39ef49992bf0d4c

‘It’s the same look he had when he saw me in a similar situation in my past life, when I went to play at the pond with the noble children and got ostracized and fell into the water…’58d4b6236e0e2426

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Annoying and troublesome, yet 4aca7b821b impossible to turn away d0c4bbb0ee from.9acd36051fb299a1

“It’s been a long time since Young Master has been so lively.”df5520d32be7b883

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“Now that you mention it, it was the same back then.”07463e1bc66dddea

That was it. In response to 79696f2bf7 a suddenly heard 446a0174f8 voice, I snapped 5d62721d02 out of a 5aa2e6839b brief reverie.50c8b6d1508437bd

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“On the day he returned from the orphanage courtyard, saying that a sister had healed his injured knee, he spent the whole day running around, just like today.”6a24ab8d7aac26a0

“……”defc98e019a0026a

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“I never thought there would be another reason…”c63f2713144b49c4

The Duke looked at me with slightly sentimental eyes. I had never expected to deduce that myself. While we remained silent for a moment, his lips twitching, another large hand was placed on top of my small clenched fist, which rested on the Duke’s hand.35ec642cf0abf63b

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“Thank you, Belze.”1cb4d141e1d2a946

“…”a3249e4de471bc43

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“Back then, and now.”ca20081fc215e3f5

“…”6aae9862d693d4d9

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“Thanks to you, our home is lively again after a long time.”573849485052d221

The Duke, who 821ce26f5d enclosed my hand 425b8d89f5 with both of c094febb14 his, expressed his 4e9407b69d gratitude to me. In his upright and serious 5b2560c170 gaze, my breath momentarily caught.9995fc651b80629e

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“You’re about to come of age too, Belze.”90b14285f41a2bc0

Why did that moment remind me of what the Duke had said to me when I returned after making a ruckus with Diana’s followers and a gang of girls? On that day, the Duke hadn’t scolded me. He had just reminded me, with the same upright and serious look as now, that I was past the age to play like a child.fcd73c5892cf72f7

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At that time, I had been trembling in fear all day, afraid that I would be expelled from the Duke’s mansion once I came of age. But such a thing never happened. Instead…862731e43b7b674e

“As a gift for your upcoming 18th birthday, your father was preparing for your formal enrollment into the Duke’s mansion.”a386e38604c82b8b

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“Ah, no…”4bd71fb3f699a247

I shook my head 2158d9f0a3 in fear.8fa6b9f00957ec22

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‘Please, don’t say such things.’dda38ff693f42ab5

I wanted to deny the Duke’s words. Someone like me had no right to hear such words. All of this was nothing more than an effort to alleviate my guilt.93288f1fd7e3db05

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As fleeting memories of the past and the Duke’s voice overlapped before my eyes, I became unbearably tormented.a45e8e5fc2f86689

“I-I can’t… I…”e24f15c4e51e20d1

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Unconsciously, I tilted my head e33fc1f56f and took a few hesitant fd564e5f8f steps backward. But it seemed that 4c988c8668 the Duke thought I 39cd9334ce was going to fall cc73cd6067 because of my unsteady 3c9b60c4ec movements. He firmly held 3d5ebba968 my hand to b27ec1cfd1 keep me from ab24f44b38 stumbling.f38e1ae36bd170ca

“Tsk. I told them to give nice clothes, and you ended up getting dirty so quickly.”88bd7f6938888fac

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Due to his comment, the Duke’s gaze fell on the dirty sleeve of my dress.bc953f0857e6045c

“D-Did you say ‘wear nice clothes’?”9eb16dd26d8f0ca5

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I had still 2c0bc7d482 been wearing the eb79872d25 dress given to f2f9fd1d05 me at the 738d819bcd temple, so I 3c8268230e was greatly surprised 2d1fb2ab75 when I looked 7962686da6 down. I was wearing an 78b3eb82ce incredibly luxurious dress that ac813cdceb was unlike anything I a3a00d82c6 had ever seen before, 69cbeb1c22 even compared to the 7d29f91c5b one given to me afdacc12a2 at the temple. I recognized the material at a6270b15f9 a glance, as it was 6106a11541 the same as what I 316b31c4b8 had worn obsessively in my c614fe409c past life.717a14d7f7211741

‘I… I got this expensive dress dirty?!’da43cd29ccf95b40

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More accurately, it was my 38e52a391f runny nose! It was worse than regular fdcef4b2b2 nasal mucus.a3a318812af5c35e

“I’m s-sorry…”f3447ad954f17468

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I apologized, lost in thought. However, it seemed like 2565808cf9 my voice was too b806b74c6c faint, and no one 612d17819b heard my words.047f6f96a93061bf

“Is this the only dress for the girl?”d5588132b1da7699

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Edwin sighed and asked the 5290552fdf Duke.f72150a5bee9891d

“Andersen said he bought a lot earlier. Andersen!”90059212e82f4168

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“As you wish, Your Grace.”9e75d80316715170

Andersen was the head butler. The Duke immediately c9913a7a8c gave him orders 0f33e95d83 when he suddenly 37acd2857b appeared like magic.8cc8cbd28ff04dc4

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“Bring a few children’s dresses that Anderson said he bought earlier.”61ee2d2505a043ce

“What color would you prefer?”f8d3cbf1a32592a4

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“I think white, just like the one from the temple, would be best.”668cd533ff1a1fe0

“Why are you bothering with those people?”72c2dca9bf784485

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Edwin interjected abruptly into 0808731cdf the conversation between the b0aaa101d0 Duke and the head 6dbc10565f butler.39e52c3f4d3c96d9

“They’re making a fortune and giving them shabby clothes…”5afe6f20bc479c22

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“Well, don’t be so harsh. Haven’t you seen the state of the temple’s finances recently? It seems they’re going through some difficulties.”4ab3ccc700641e0c

“Besides, she might spill more nosebleeds, so shades of red would be better.”f9e20a288f87e0ce

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“That’s a good point.”71a6a28a8e2ac036

“Then I will select appropriate ones.”4394f545bbe66c07

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Just like when he 92f4a7cf36 appeared, the head butler 1b2212d134 disappeared like the wind.d42819c3b4ec5d53

“Uh, um…?”3e48d0f9cbc76017

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I could only watch ff1af31c35 their conversation from a 83176d50c6 distance, unable to follow 4bbae679b7 their unique discussion.41eff00adb4adde9

‘What on earth…? What kind of conversation is this?!’b71dd43b40784659

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