DKVM Ch 16

Chapter 16

The butler, walking a step ahead, stopped at a door.

‘This is the duke’s office.’

*gulp*

I swallowed nervously.

I had met the duke many times before, but never one-on-one.

Just as the butler was about to knock, I remembered something and called out.

“W-Wait a minute, Mr. Butler!”

Very softly, of course, so as not to be heard inside the office.

I quickly checked my attire as the butler looked at me questioningly.

‘The duke doesn’t seem like a bad guy, but he’s a strict man, so don’t show any signs of weakness.’

Finally checking to make sure my hair was tied up in a bun, I nodded.

“That’s it, thank you for your patience.”

The butler chuckled quietly at my worrying, then knocked lightly on the door.

“Your Grace, I’ve brought Vivian.”

“Let her in.”

The duke replied as if he had been waiting.

I stepped cautiously into the office.

The duke was seated on the couch in his office, with a steaming pot of tea and refreshments in front of him.

The maid must have brought them in a moment ago.

I walked over to the couch but didn’t sit down.

‘It’s polite not to sit down until someone higher up tells you to.’

It was something my father had taught me from a young age.

If I ever met a nobleman, I would make sure I didn’t get in trouble for being rude.

Instead, I bowed my head and said.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace. You called for me?”

“Are you feeling well?”

“Yes! I’m feeling better, thanks to your concern.”

The duke looked at me for a moment with polite, cool eyes. He was testing me, but it was only for a moment.

He gestured to the sofa across from him.

“Take a seat.”

A cup of black tea was placed in front of him and hot cocoa with marshmallows in front of me.

‘Yummy….’

The sweet smell alone made my mouth water, but this time I waited until the duke raised his teacup first.

After moistening his mouth with the warm tea, the duke turned to me and asked.

“Did you know what His Majesty the Emperor thinks of Rahel?”

“The princess told me yesterday.”

“No, before that.”

I paused as I sipped my cocoa with the duke, then paused at his next question.

“I mean, did you know of my relationship with His Majesty before Rahel told you?”

I had already sent a report so that the duke would not mistake me for a spy.

Sure, I could say, “I’m suspicious that the knights are asking about Rahel!” but…

‘The duke is not such an easy person to convince.’

And I’m not that sort of person.

Instead of lying, I opted for an honest answer.

“Actually, I knew about it. I overheard the adults in the village talking about it.”

The duke stirred his tea with an amused expression as if he had anticipated my answer.

“And what do you think of His Imperial Majesty?”

*choke*

I nearly spit out my cocoa at the unexpected direct hit.

But the duke, who had just dropped the bomb, calmly sipped his tea and prodded me.

“Tell me what you think.”

I froze, nervous, and watched the duke’s eyes.

‘Am I allowed to insult the emperor here…?’

The duke is not on good terms with the emperor, but even so, he was the emperor of our country.

Can I curse as soon as the topic is brought up?

‘Is that really the answer the duke wants?’

Confused and unable to grasp the meaning of the question, I spoke up with difficulty.

“Actually…I don’t really know.”

“….”

“I’ve never met the emperor.”

“You should know better than that, I didn’t ask the question just to hear such a lousy answer.”

My answer was met with a sharp response, but I was undeterred and continued.

“But I was taught that it’s bad to judge people based on what others say, so I never thought about His Majesty the Emperor, but…”

“…But?”

I’m not sure what answer the duke wants from me.

Does he want me to flatter him with the stage he has set up for me, or does he want to judge my worth by how well I flatter him?

But I…

“One thing’s for sure, I think it’s bad to ask a child to pay for the sins of the father.”

These are my values.

“That’s why I want to be by her side.”

I chose to speak my mind.

The two other answers I gave the duke were not right.

My answer was unexpected, and the duke laughed, as if amused.

“Do you feel sorry for that child?”

I didn’t answer.

How dare I, a mere commoner kid, feel sorry for a princess, he might think me presumptuous.

Luckily, the duke didn’t force me to answer that question.

“I like people who know their own mind.” [Duke]

“A person who knows their own mind?”

“Yes. I feel that a dog who merely wags its tail is okay.”

I listened for a moment, unsure of the reason for the abrupt change of subject.

“But I’m not looking for a dog, but rather a person.”

“….”

“Someone who can show me a different path when I’m lost. Someone who can stop me when I make the wrong choice. Someone who is smart and assertive.”

“….”

“Dogs are loyal of course, but you can’t expect much out of them.”

As he spoke, the duke exuded a sense of authority.

He was a man who was born with a strong sense of power and was used to leading others rather than following them.

“That’s what I like about you.”

“….”

“I’ll sponsor you.”

Wait, what did he say?!

At the duke’s words, my eyes widened in surprise.

When nobles found a promising youngster, they would sponsor them from a young age, raise them, and then hire them as a servant.

The Duke was now offering me that patronage system!

“So be useful to me, and by extension, to Rahel.”

The duke’s eyes, which had been ice-cold a moment ago, loosened.

‘Of course, I thought my illness would be of benefit to Rahel, so I didn’t think he would turn me down…’

I never thought I’d get a sponsor!

“Of course, you will have to come to the villa every day to take lessons and study with Rahel. Do you mind?”

The duke’s expression as he asked for my decision was casual, but somehow it felt like he was worried that I would refuse.

My eyes widened in surprise, and I answered a beat too late.

“N-No! I love it!”

I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

“I’ll do my best, Your Grace!”

The duke looked at me, fists pumping, and burst out laughing.

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I looked at the man with a loose smile on his face, instead of his usual cold expression..

* * *

Moments later, as I emerged from the Duke’s office, I stamped my feet as soon as the door closed behind me.

It was a stomp of joy.

‘It feels so good to be recognized by someone!’

Of course, I’ve been recognized by other adults, like Dad, Lauren, and Karin.

It was a different feeling to be recognized by someone who was particularly strict.

As I was giggling at the door of my office, I heard Rahel’s voice next to me.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, Princess!”

Rahel gave me a strange look, but I ran over and hugged her, unable to contain my joy.

“The duke is sponsoring me! Now I can study with you every day, won’t that be great?”

As I shared my joy with Rahel, I suddenly noticed that her face was redder than usual.

“Huh? Are you sick?”

“That…”

Rahel started to say, but then looked at my face, which had gotten closer, and pushed me away, avoiding eye contact.

“Just …… get away from me.”