I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11

“Marisselle, this… what should I do…?”

The pitiful cry of a young lamb echoed through the kitchen.

In an instant, everyone’s movements stopped and silence fell.

They slowly turned their heads toward the one who had brought the silence.

The small master of the Duke’s Household.

Fleur Ergana Yohaim.

The child who lost his words when he lost his parents.

That child had made a sound. Moreover, with tears welling up in both eyes.

They stared at the child as if frozen, their eyes wide with surprise.

Just as the child’s tears were about to fall, Marisselle came to her senses first.

Marisselle gently wiped away the tears gathered at the child’s eyes and said.

“Our young master…, what could have upset you?”

A gentle voice tinged with emotion.

Marisselle’s voice also trembled at Fleur’s surprising change.

The child lowered his head and pointed at the bread dough with his finger.

The star-shaped cookie cutter had been pressed crookedly, half outside the trajectory of the unevenly rolled dough. It was no longer a star.

From the child’s perspective, it was understandably upsetting.

“Ah…, you were upset because it didn’t become a pretty star shape?”

The child nodded with his eyes still red.

“Young master…, with bread dough…, if you fail, you can just gather it up like this and roll it out again.”

Marisselle tore off a piece of dough, gathered it up, rolled it out again, then pressed the cookie cutter firmly to create a perfect star.

“Look. Isn’t it pretty?”

The child examined the perfect star carefully, then soon nodded with a face as clear as the sky.

“Now…, would you like to try again, young master?”

Marisselle looked into the child’s eyes and asked gently.

Fleur nodded and moved his small hands like fern fronds as Marisselle instructed.

“Like this…?”

Fleur spoke again.

Marisselle felt overwhelmed with emotion. But she couldn’t show it, so she continued the conversation as naturally as possible to keep the child comfortable.

“Yes. You did well. Very well indeed.”

Eventually, tears also welled up in the eyes of Jeffrey and Abilene, who had been silently watching the two.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I like it. It’s fun.”

The child nodded vigorously.

“Young master, thank you.”

“Huh? For what…?”

“Just because. I’m happy that I can talk with you, young master.”

* * *

“Fleur… spoke?”

“That’s what they say. He naturally started speaking while making cookies…”

“…”

“Nanny Marisselle’s skills are outstanding, contrary to appearances… Maybe I should ask her when I have a child later…?”

As Rino muttered as if talking to himself, Morgan, who had been lost in thought while looking at documents, raised his head.

“Crazy bastard. Get married first before bringing that up. And Marisselle is already Fleur’s nanny. She won’t be going to you.”

Rino’s eyes narrowed at Morgan’s lightning-fast reaction.

‘Look at this guy. He even reacts to my muttering?’

He had thought Morgan reacted sensitively nine times out of ten when it came to anything related to Marisselle. But this was too fast even for that.

“Will Fleur stay a child forever? He’s growing steadily right now. In just three years, he’ll be old enough not to need a nanny. In three years, I’ll be married with a child too. It’s not nonsense. If you get married and have another child in the meantime, she could stay longer at the Duke’s Household. But no! Marisselle and I will get along well…”

‘Ha, this bastard. Look at those murderous eyes.’

Rino was momentarily startled by Morgan’s killing intent.

‘I was deliberately provoking him because I was curious how he’d react…’

If he provoked him any further, his life would be in danger.

“Ah, no. Anyway, Marisselle’s abilities are outstanding. So it would be good to give her special compensation for this matter. That’s what I meant to say.”

Rino pretended not to notice and took a step back.

“I was planning to do that even if you didn’t tell me.”

“Brat. Do you always have to speak so annoyingly?”

Rino counterattacked toward Morgan, whose eyes had finally lost their intensity.

“You don’t talk to Marisselle like this too, do you? If you treat her the same way you treat me, she’ll hate you.”

“Crazy bastard. Are you and Marisselle the same?”

Morgan slightly raised the corner of his mouth in a sneer and treated Rino like he was worthless.

‘Ah, this annoying guy.’

“No way. No way. From what I saw, you seemed to speak particularly nastily to Marisselle’s nanny. I definitely told you. Speak nicely.”

Rino also threatened back, not to be outdone.

“Mind your own business. Don’t worry about others.”

Morgan snorted and retorted to Rino’s words, but they stuck in his mind like a thorn in his throat, holding him back.

* * *

Today was the day Morgan was scheduled to visit Fleur’s Room in the evening.

“Young Master…, Uncle will be coming soon. Um…, you said you’ve met him before, right? His Highness cares for you, so there’s no need to be scared at all.”

“Yeah. When Uncle comes, Marisselle will be next to me too, right?”

“Of course. I’m your nanny. If you get a little scared, you can hide behind me.”

“Yeah.”

Fleur answered with deer-like eyes.

Knock-knock-

After a short, gentle knocking sound, Porel’s dignified voice could be heard.

“Nanny, His Highness has arrived.”

The door opened, and Morgan entered wearing comfortable clothes with no trace of formality.

‘He came in comfortable clothes as promised.’

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

As if he had just washed up, his wet hair and a refreshing menthol scent wafted gently.

Even though he was dressed extremely ordinary and comfortably, he shone like a male protagonist should.

‘As expected, a male lead is a male lead.’

“Young Master Fleur…? Uncle Duke has come.”

Marisselle called Fleur, who was standing a little distance away, closer to Morgan.

‘If he’s His Highness the Duke, then he’s His Highness, and if he’s Uncle, then he’s Uncle. Uncle Duke? How peculiar.’

Snicker.

Morgan let out a faint laugh at Marisselle’s uniqueness.

“Ah, hello. Uncle…”

A clear, bright voice rang in Morgan’s ears.

“…!”

‘This is… Fleur’s voice…?’

The Fleur he had met before losing his sister in an accident was always intimidated, but now there was life in his voice. It wasn’t the voice of the nephew he used to know.

“Yes…, Fleur. Have you been well?”

Contrary to what was expected to be blunt, Morgan spoke quite affectionately to Fleur.

“Yes… I’ve been doing well.”

Fleur lifted his head to look up at Morgan as he answered.

But when his eyes met Morgan’s, he quickly lowered his head.

“Your Highness…”

“…?”

‘He’s scared because you’re too big.’

Marisselle sent signals with eye gestures, hand gestures, and lip movements to get down to Fleur’s eye level.

Morgan was momentarily startled.

Though he was familiar with various hand signals, this was the first time he had received such desperate and comical hand signals.

But the effect was definite.

Following Marisselle’s hand signals, he knelt down on one knee on the floor to match Fleur’s eye level.

Marisselle smiled triumphantly and gave a thumbs up.

‘What kind of signal is that supposed to be?’

Morgan’s face contorted.

‘Ah! She doesn’t know what this means.’

Marisselle smiled awkwardly and quickly lowered her hand.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Are you sleeping well?”

Fleur answered with a much more comfortable expression now that they were at eye level.

“Yes. I don’t have scary dreams when I sleep with Marisselle. And when I wake up at night, Marisselle hugs me so I’m not scared at all.”

“I see… that’s good.”

Morgan stroked Fleur’s head with a gentle smile.

‘Wow, that stoic man can smile too.’

When a smile graced his usually expressionless face, he looked like a different person.

His smile served to elevate him from earthly to heavenly beauty.

‘I’m probably the first woman to see that man smile, aren’t I?’

To see something that countless women in the empire wanted to see but couldn’t.

If this could be called a benefit of being the Duke’s Household nanny, then it was a benefit, right? Though it was a completely useless benefit…

Marisselle was briefly intoxicated by a pointless sense of victory before snapping back to reality.

“Uncle…”

“Yes.”

The child’s clear voice. Morgan waited for Fleur’s next words with gentle eyes.

But no words followed.

Seeing Fleur’s hesitant gaze, it seemed he needed to wait a little longer.

“…Thank you for sending Marisselle as my nanny.”

Then Fleur suddenly turned around and ran toward the bed.

“…?”

The confusion was brief, as Fleur picked up something from the nightstand beside the bed and quickly returned. Then he held it out to Morgan.

“What’s this?”

“Cookies I made with Marisselle. I wanted to give them to you, Uncle…”

Morgan looked down at the cookie in his hand once, then immediately shifted his gaze to Fleur.

“You made this yourself? For Uncle?”

Fleur nodded quickly twice.

“Thank you… Uncle will eat it well.”

“Yes…”

Fleur smiled shyly.

Uncle had always been a big, intimidating presence, but not today.

Talking face to face with Uncle gave him a feeling similar to being with Marisselle, though not quite the same.

“When is bedtime?”

Morgan asked Fleur, but Marisselle smiled and interjected.

“Bedtime is in one hour. Growing children need to sleep early.”

“Then it’s about time to prepare for bed. I’ll say goodbye now. Fleur. Sleep well.”

Morgan left with a promise to visit again and stood up from his seat.

Marisselle escorted him to the door with a pleased heart, as today’s meeting had been warmer and more successful than expected.

“Your Highness. Thank you for coming.”

“…”

Her soft and gentle voice, long eyelashes, the pure violet eyes within them, and her lips smiling prettily at him.

Morgan was about to leave but found his feet bound by her smile.

The door would open easily with just a reach of his arm, but he didn’t move as if he were rooted to the spot.

“…?”

Then, like an eviction order, the door opened.

Marisselle had opened it herself for him, interpreting it as a request to open the door.

‘Huh? I opened it for him, so why isn’t he leaving?’

Marisselle tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

Then he stared intently at Marisselle and opened his mouth.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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