107 Chapter 107. Chartreu, Part V

Chapter 107. Chartreu, Part V

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

As soon as she arrived at the mansion, she came to the Oval Office, still dressed in a traveling suit. She looked back at the Duke, sitting on the sofa in the Oval Office, as she told the butler behind her that she would stay tonight and leave tomorrow.

"Let's talk. I want to hear what the hell you're thinking." Realizing that Simone had no intention of backing down easily, the Duke rose from his seat and moved to the other side of her.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Why did you come down to Tilia all of a sudden when you knew it was an important time, as you said? You left everything to me."

"You're doing well, aren't you? I heard she made a successful debut. It was very loud, too." The Duke's eyes were staring coldly at Simone, as if he didn't think so, contrary to what he said was good.

"I'm glad you didn't like it. You can return to Dublin with me and take charge of everything."

"Don't you worry about Iris?"

"Call her Regina. Now Iris is the girl in Dublin. You're the one who made it that way."

Kiellini frowned, displeased with his younger sister hastily correcting the name. It was very unpleasant for the illegitimate child to be called Iris, the name of his precious daughter, even though it was only for a while.

"All right, Regina. Aren't you worried about Regina, who has to listen to rumors about her once-in-a-lifetime debut party while replaced by someone else?"

"How many times have you been here in the last year if you were worried about your daughter? But suddenly, at this critical time, you had to be with Regina?"

"If you want to find fault with everything, go up and get some rest." The Duke tried to rise again, as if he didn't want to deal with her anymore.

"Come up with me tomorrow. They're all wondering why the Duke, her father, wasn't at his only successor's debut party."

"Didn't you make up a story that I was sick? What's more, you cooked up very well how the weak Regina found her health and the difficulties she had before she made her debut in society. What's the point of being so obstinate that I need to be in such a situation?"

"The bottom line is that you don't want to have anything to do with this, leaving everything to me and stepping back. Okay." Simone rose, thinking it was useless to talk more.

Looking up at Simone, the Duke said coldly, "Get this job done safely. If you finish this work well, I'll arrange enough funds for you to finish the rest of your life in Chewert's estate safely."

"What do you mean? Am I suddenly going to Chewert?"

"It's where you're supposed to be. Regina's grown up, so you'd better live your own life. From now on, this is where Regina will marry and start a new life after inheriting the title of the duke."

"You mean I will be a hindrance in the future to the family of Duke Kiellini."

Despite Simone's bitter irony, the Duke of Kiellini kept saying what he wanted to say. "If you want, I'll buy you a mansion in Dublin. If you don't like Chewert, it's okay to stay in Dublin."

It meant that she was not allowed to step into the mansion of Duke Kiellini again.

Simone replied in a barely calm voice, hiding her trembling hands. It was not a matter to confront her brother here. She needed time to think about it more calmly.

"I'll do as you say, if you will. I'm very tired of rushing in. I will go up to bed now. And I have to go back to Dublin at dawn tomorrow, so I think I'll have to leave without saying goodbye, so please understand."

"So do it."

---

Simone succeeded in leaving the Duke's office in a calm manner. She nodded to the waiting butler to inform him that her work was over, and moved her feet.

Her whole body trembled at the thought that her efforts for Regina for more than a decade had been thrown away like this, but she managed to calm down.

It was as she had guessed, that he would make a scapegoat of her if something happened. But even if it was done well, she would be driven out to the North Territory like a pest. He was thinking that... but why was he suddenly turning her into an enemy and rejecting her so much?

She didn't care what the reason was. She never intended to be treated like that, anyway. It was she who took all these risks and struggled in the front, but he was just thinking of stepping back and striking her on the back of her head.

Simone thought hard as she walked into her bedroom on the second floor. She would never retreat as her brother planned!...

She looked around the room. She couldn't see Vera waiting for her. Then she thought she hadn't brought her with her, so she was going to pull on the rope, but she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

At Simone's permission, the door opened, and a little maid who had prepared a cup of tea before going to bed greeted her.

"Hello, ma'am. My butler asked me to wait on you."

Simone, nodding only to the maid's greeting, gestured silently at her dress. After a while, she changed into an indoors dress and went out to the wide-open terrace, taking her seat, and calling for the maid.

"Bring the tea this way and get a bath ready. I'm going to go to bed right after a bath."

"Yes, ma'am. What about dinner?"

"I don't want it. I'll leave early tomorrow morning, so be ready in time."

Simone looked carefully at the maid who followed her with the tea, and spoke out, "I know who you are; you've been following Sir Caden."

"Yes, ma'am."

Simone was inwardly surprised by the maid who had changed a lot in a month and a half. "You've changed a lot. When Sir Caden first asked me to take over you, I was really at a loss."

Dian was slightly relieved when the always-difficult, scary-looking madame praised her. Then she felt like asking what she was curious about. She tried to put up with it, but when she kept thinking about what she had just heard, she finally made up her mind and spoke carefully,

"Well, ma'am, is my lady well and healthy?"

Simone looked up at the maid waiting for an answer, wriggling her fingers. Then she remembered that the little girl had followed Julietta often, even though it was not for a long time.

When Julietta went up to Dublin, the maids from the capital followed her. When the main house was cleared up, Regina returned to her mansion with her maids, who had moved with her. Perhaps the reason why she couldn't stand being in the annex even for a short while was the thought of losing her place to Julietta, a substitute.

Anyway, the fact that this maid remained in the mansion, even though the maids who had come down from the main house in Dublin had gone back and the villagers who had worked as temporary servants had been sent back to town, was that she knew something about this work. Simone looked carefully at the maid again.

"She has been well."

The maid's face brightened the answer that came after a long time. Simone added a word after she once again looked carefully at her. "What are you doing in the mansion now?"

Dian hesitated for a moment to answer Simone's question. "I don't do anything special, but I do cleaning, tidy up the bedroom, and run errands for tea."

"I see." Simone sat silent as if agonizing for a moment, and finally made up her mind and asked the maid. "You followed Sir Caden, didn't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can I ask you a favor?" Dian had a rather uneasy look on her sharp, frightening face, but a gentle voice. "It's for Julietta."

Dian hesitated for a moment but finally nodded. "If it's something I can do."

"It's not difficult. I just want you to let me know if there's anything wrong with the mansion, or if you hear anything about Julietta or me."

Dian opened her eyes wide. Everything that happened inside the mansion was being reported to Sir Caden at his command. But now she also had to contact Mrs. Raban separately. She wanted to say yes when she heard it was for Lady Julietta, but she couldn't decide.