DKVM Ch 18

Chapter 18

The backyard was full of flowers and greenery as spring transitioned into summer.

Rahel and I sat at a table in the backyard, waiting, and soon the maid arrived with a trolley.

I swallowed hard at the sweet smell I could already detect.

“Wow, it smells delicious! What’s for snack today, Big Sis?” [T.L. Note: Vivian is calling the maid “eonni”, which is what women/girls call older women/girls that are older than them that they are close to relationship-wise.]

“Chocolate fondue and orange juice. Since there’s so much chocolate, I thought a refreshing juice would be nice.”

She smiled and explained as she walked out of the mansion.

The maidservant, setting out snacks on the table, ducked her head in surprise when Rahel made eye contact.

“Well, I’ll be off then, miss.”

She smiled at me as if to say, ‘Thank you,’ and walked away.

‘Rahel doesn’t even get along with the maids.’

I glanced back and forth between the retreating backs of the maidservant and Rahel and caught Rahel’s eye.

Rahel wasn’t usually one to show her emotions, but a few days ago she seemed more subdued than usual.

Or rather…

‘It’s been that way since the run-in with the duke.’

I’ve learned a few things in the past month with Rahel.

First, she doesn’t talk much about herself.

Second, the only people she interacts with are her nanny and Sally.

But it wasn’t that he couldn’t do the first or the second, it was that he didn’t want to interact with the outside world.

And that ‘outside’ included the duke, her only family.

‘Still, he’s the only family Rahel has, so it would be good if Rahel felt more close to the duke.’

I sipped my refreshing orange juice, pondered for a moment, and then snapped out of it.

“Princess, is there anything upsetting or troubling you?”

Rahel doesn’t seem like she’s going to tell me first, so I had to prod her.

Rahel looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Friends share things with each other, you know? You comfort each other when you’re upset, you defend each other when you’re angry, you share secrets you can’t talk about, and that’s how you become better friends.”

“Not exactly.”

Rahel replied dryly.

‘Hmm, maybe she doesn’t realize it because she’s never had anyone else to talk to.’

I decided to be more direct and give an example.

“I have something I’m worried about.”

“A worry?”

“It’s…”

As I trailed off and paused, I noticed that Rahel seemed more interested in my story than she had been a moment ago.

I continued with a satisfied smile.

“My dad cut off contact with his family when he married my mom because they didn’t approve.”

“…his family?”

“Yes, his family. Sometimes I ask him about my grandparents, but he won’t answer, and when I try to contact them, he just smiles.”

“….”

“Now it would be nice if we could get in touch and get along because I’m sure Mom in heaven would want Dad to be happy with his family.”

This was a real concern of mine, but I also brought it up because I wanted Rahel to see the analogy with the duke’s relationship.

Rahel listened to my story with a serious expression on her face and replied.

“Perhaps your father is afraid that his family will not accept him.”

“Afraid?”

“Just because they’re family doesn’t mean they’ll forgive him, and that would be…hurtful.”

“Hmm…”

“And he might resent them for it.”

Rahel’s eyes looked forlorn as she answered.

As if she was talking about herself.

“Hmm, I hadn’t thought of my dad, but I suppose that could be true.”

Staring at Rahel, I took a step forward, not missing the opportunity.

“So you’re not upset with the duke, or troubled by him, or anything?”

“…No. Nothing like that.”

At my direct mention of ‘the duke’, Rahel flinched for a moment, but that was it.

Rather, she shrank back again, as if she’d been caught off guard.

‘Ugh, maybe it’s not time yet.’

I said with a wry smile, my mouth curling up in disappointment.

“ Well, that’s good to hear, and if you ever have any concerns in the future, you can talk to me.”

“To you?”

“Yeah. Because friends share joys and sorrows together!”

“….”

“Of course, you don’t have to tell me, but please don’t bury it in your heart.”

I said that and patted Rahel’s hand lightly.

Just as Rahel was staring at my hand and into my eyes, the nanny appeared.

“Miss, it’s time for your next class.”

Rahel and I take all of our other classes together, but one.

Rahel had to go to the succession class alone.

‘Actually, it’s more of a magic class than a succession class.’

I wasn’t told exactly what the class was, but I had a rough idea from the original novel.

In the original story, Rahel has been practicing magic since she was a child without the emperor’s knowledge.

‘I wish I could learn magic too.’

In truth, my sickness could be solved simply if I could cast magic.

If I use up my excess mana with magic, I won’t have to suffer from mana overload.

But even though everyone in this world has a certain amount of mana, not everyone can be a wizard.

To become a wizard, one must have an inherently large vessel for mana.

But my ‘vessel’ was on the same level as other ordinary people.

That meant there was no chance of me becoming a wizard.

I bit my lip in disappointment and said goodbye to Rahel.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Princess.”

Rahel gave me a quick nod and headed for the mansion.

I expected the nanny to follow her as usual, but for some reason, she stayed by my side today.

“I’ll see you off today.”

“Ah. I know you’re busy, so it’s okay, Nanny.”

I had a bad feeling about this, but she smirked and led the way.

I followed without question.

Instead of crossing the interior of the mansion, the nanny led me around the outskirts of the mansion.

It wasn’t until we were on the empty path that she spoke up.

“Vivian, do you know what the crime of treason is?”

“I was taught that it is the crime of insulting and threatening the emperor and the imperial family.”

“You are well informed. And do you know what happens to those guilty of treason?”

“I’ve heard that His Majesty the Emperor punishes them severely.”

“More specifically, three generations are exterminated. The parents who raised the traitor are hanged, the traitor is beheaded, and his children are sent to slavery in foreign lands.”

“….”

“For your information, hanging means hanging by the neck, and beheading means decapitation by a giant blade.”

I was stunned by the nanny’s dry voice.

With my memories from my previous life, I already knew this, but it was too graphic and gory for a nine-year-old to hear.

“And anyone who aids a traitor becomes a traitor as well, and faces the same punishment.”

“…Why are you telling me that?”

I asked with a furrowed brow, and the nanny replied with a faint smile.

“Lady Rahel has committed treason against His Majesty the Emperor, so…”

“….”

“I’m saying that being around her could endanger not only you but also your father, whom you love.”

“….”

“I’m telling you this because I don’t think you understand. I want you to leave her side before you become a danger to yourself.”

The nanny didn’t seem to realize that I knew.

As I listened, I remembered Rahel’s cold treatment of me, pushing me away.

“You’re afraid of me, too,” she said, ”that something will go wrong with you and your family if you associate with the traitor’s child.”

I suddenly realized it.

‘This is how this person scared Rahel’s friends into leaving.’

At the same time, my cool body began to shake with rage.