I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 25

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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 25

 

“Thanks to your encouragement, young master, the dandelion gained strength and crossed the Lake.”

 

Fleur felt pleased to receive praise for something so trivial.

 

“Ah! That’s right. Uncle! I saw something strange earlier, but I don’t know what it was.”

 

“What did it look like?”

 

Fleur pondered how to explain it for a moment, then looked to Marisselle, who had seen it with him, requesting support with his eyes.

 

Marisselle encouraged him with her eyes, saying the young master could do it.

 

“There was a hole in the ground. About this big.”

 

Fleur spread his arms about the width of his shoulders to show the size.

 

“Hmm… It’s probably a Rabbit Burrow…”

 

“Rabbits?”

 

The child’s eyes sparkled. They were eyes filled with anticipation, wondering if he might be able to see rabbits.

 

Morgan smiled in response to Fleur’s sparkling eyes and stood up.

 

“Shall we go take a look together?”

 

“Yes!”

 

An excited answer. His shoulders bounced up and down.

 

He looked that thrilled.

 

The burrow was not far away on foot.

 

Morgan sent the accompanying knights to keep their distance and had Marisselle and Fleur watch from close to the burrow.

 

But even after waiting for a long time, no rabbits came out.

 

“Rabbits are timid creatures, so they won’t come out easily.”

 

“Ah! There might be carrots in the lunch we brought. I’ll go quickly and check.”

 

Marisselle ran off without even waiting to hear their response.

 

After a while, Marisselle returned panting, holding several carrot pieces in her hand.

 

“Hah, hah. At least this-”

 

She offered the carrots to Morgan while breathing heavily.

 

Morgan suggested placing the carrots in front of the Rabbit Burrow and watching from a distance.

 

Fleur also nodded and moved about ten steps away from the burrow, lowering his posture and lying down.

 

The fairly tall grass concealed them as they lay prone.

 

“We might have to wait quite a long time, or they might not appear even after waiting long. And we have to wait without moving at all – can you do that?”

 

Fleur nodded solemnly like an agent receiving an important mission.

 

When Morgan took a low crawling position, Fleur also followed Morgan and took a low crawling position.

 

Marisselle also joined in, though it was uncomfortable.

 

How much time had passed?

 

After the surroundings had been quiet for a while, a gray-brown furred rabbit peeked its face out.

 

It turned its head this way and that, seemingly surveying the area, and twitched its nose.

 

Fleur covered his mouth with both hands to prevent any sound from coming out and watched the rabbit with wide eyes.

 

Eventually, one of them let down its guard and began eating the carrots placed in front. Then another one peeked its face out from inside.

 

This time it was a dark brown furred rabbit.

 

Fleur watched the two rabbits without looking away even once until they finished eating all the carrot pieces placed in front.

 

Only after the rabbits finished eating and disappeared into the burrow did Fleur finally exhale and couldn’t hide his excitement.

 

“Uncle, Marisselle. The rabbits, the rabbits ate the carrots. They were so cute.”

 

“Me too. Not as much as our young master, but they were really cute.”

 

“I will never, ever forget this day. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

 

“Did you like it that much?”

 

“Yes, Uncle. It’s all thanks to you and Marisselle helping me that I could see the rabbits, so I’m very happy.”

 

Marisselle and Morgan smiled warmly as they brushed off the dirt and dried grass from their clothes.

 

“Then shall we go eat the lunch we brought?”

 

Excited Fleur tightly held Morgan and Marisselle’s hands.

 

Fleur’s heart was as happy as if he had come on a picnic with his mom and dad.

 

He prayed to God that this happiness would last forever.

 

Returning to their original spot, they washed their hands by the Lake. Then they spread out the food they had brought and slowly enjoyed it while taking in nature.

 

When they were somewhat full, Fleur’s eyelids could be seen opening and closing with difficulty.

 

It was nap time, but even if it wasn’t, the day was too beautiful. It was the kind of weather that made you want to lie down and take a nap.

 

Marisselle quickly prepared a place for Fleur to sleep comfortably.

 

“Young master, please lie down here.”

 

However, Fleur didn’t lie down in the prepared spot and instead rubbed his eyes while acting spoiled toward Marisselle.

 

“Marisselle. Can I sleep on your lap?”

 

“Hmm, our young master, are you acting spoiled because you came out on an outing?”

 

“Is it… not okay?”

 

“Of course it’s okay. I’ll indulge you just for today. Come here.”

 

Marisselle spread her arms wide instead of offering her lap.

 

Then she seated Fleur on her thighs, supported his back with both arms, and held him close against her chest.

 

Fleur buried his face in Marisselle’s chest and, unable to resist the weight of his eyelids, gradually drifted off to sleep.

 

Watching Marisselle gently patting the child’s back and the steady breathing of the peacefully sleeping child, Morgan felt an indescribable emotion stirring deep in his chest.

 

The thought that he absolutely must not let this woman go was strongly imprinted in his mind.

 

Before long, Fleur seemed to fall into a deep sleep as his head dropped to the side.

 

That’s when Morgan spoke up.

 

“Shouldn’t we lay him down now?”

 

“Yes. I think it would be fine now. Your Highness, could you help me?”

 

“Of course. How should I help?”

 

“Please carefully lay the young master down beside here. He’s sleeping deeply, so he won’t wake up.”

 

Morgan did as Marisselle requested, laying Fleur in the originally prepared spot and covering him with a blanket.

 

“The young master seems to be in a very good mood today.”

 

“It’s all thanks to your efforts.”

 

Marisselle’s eyes widened again at this unexpected response.

 

‘No, seriously, why is this person acting like this? I thought he’d say it was his own doing…’

 

Marisselle began to feel anxious.

 

“No, it’s not. It’s all thanks to Your Highness taking time out of your busy schedule for the young master.”

 

Morgan stared intently at Marisselle as she spoke gently and smiled.

 

“…?”

 

As his staring continued, Marisselle felt embarrassed and confused, averting her gaze before looking back at him directly and asking.

 

“Your Highness. Why are you looking at me like that… Is there some problem…”

 

“…”

 

Even at Marisselle’s question, Morgan continued to focus only on her eyes, having nothing particular to say.

 

Marisselle found herself in an awkward situation, unable to either maintain or avoid eye contact with Morgan.

 

So she had no choice but to gather her courage.

 

“Your Highness, do you have something to say…”

 

Then Morgan, as if intoxicated by Marisselle’s eyes, slowly opened his mouth with dreamy eyes.

 

“Ah… I do.”

 

“What… do you want to say…”

 

“…give.”

 

His response was as slow as a drunk person’s, and it was incomprehensible as if the words in his head couldn’t quite make it out of his mouth.

 

“Pardon?”

 

Still keeping his gaze fixed on Marisselle’s violet eyes, he opened his mouth.

 

“Please become Fleur’s mother.”

 

“Whaaaat?”

 

Marisselle thought she had misheard, so she squeezed her eyes shut, opened them, and asked again.

 

“I’m asking you to become Fleur’s mother…”

 

But the answer that came back was the same.

 

What kind of bolt from the blue was this?

 

She couldn’t help but be shocked and covered her mouth. And for a while, she couldn’t say anything at all.

 

During the time wrapped in silence, Morgan didn’t take his eyes off Marisselle’s.

 

His eyes were filled with expectation. Rejection didn’t seem to be on his mind at all.

 

Marisselle found those eyes too burdensome.

 

Moreover, she couldn’t even begin to guess why this bolt from the blue had occurred.

 

She gathered her composure and quickly set her paused brain into motion.

 

What could this mean? Asking her to become Fleur’s mother.

 

Was being a nanny insufficient? Did he mean she should try harder?

 

No, who would say something like that in such a way? That can’t be it.

 

Could it be that since she’s good at raising the child, follows orders well, and doesn’t seem interested in him so won’t be bothersome, he thinks she’s suitable for the position of Grand Duchess?

 

Isn’t this like using a marriage proposal to change positions from nanny to stepmother?

 

Is there anyone who uses a marriage proposal for such purposes?

 

Am I supposed to just accept this as it is?

 

What about my feelings? What about my future?

 

Could it be that he likes me— No, this isn’t right.

 

He treats me like a woman now, but in the future there’s Gabriella, the woman he loves to death.

 

Then what is this?

 

When Gabriella appears, I become a divorcee and get abandoned, something like that?

 

I don’t want to be abandoned. No way!

 

Various thoughts chained together in a chaotic jumble in an instant.

 

It was confusing. I had never imagined such a development.

 

I needed to sort this out. So Marisselle asked directly to clarify.

 

“Your Highness, what do you mean by what you said? To become the young master’s mother? Are you speaking indirectly because I’m inadequate as a nanny?”

 

“No. I mean it literally.”

 

“Your Highness? For me to become the young master’s mother, I would have to marry you. You do realize this, right?”

 

Marisselle was essentially asking if he was speaking sensibly, but Morgan had the expression of someone wondering why she was asking something so obvious.

 

“Yeah.”

 

This was enough to drive her crazy. Marriage, of all things.

 

When she was carefully walking as if on thin ice even at the edges, he wanted her to get involved right in the middle of the main story?

 

That couldn’t happen. It shouldn’t happen either.

 

“Your Highness. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

 

“?!”

 

At that moment, Morgan’s expression crumbled miserably as if he had been shocked.

 

“Why…?”

 

“….”

 

Marisselle agonized over and over about how to respond.

 

She couldn’t get a sense of whether it would be better to speak bluntly or speak indirectly. It was natural since she didn’t know his intentions.

 

“If you want the young master’s mother’s empty place to be filled, I will try harder.”

 

Morgan’s expression darkened.

 

“Why? Every unmarried woman in the empire wants to marry me. There are even plenty who would divorce and come to me if I asked. But why are you different?”

 

Morgan couldn’t understand Marisselle’s answer within his common sense.

 

Even if there were no feelings involved, this was the position of Grand Duchess.

 

Moreover, wasn’t he the one asking her to become the Grand Duchess? There was no reason to refuse.

 

But she firmly rejected it.

 

“Your Highness, I am….”

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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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