I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 32

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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 32

 

“Your Highness. Thank you so much for today.”

 

Walking alongside Morgan after leaving the living room, Marisselle glanced up at him with a slightly excited voice.

 

Morgan briefly stopped in his tracks. Then he slowly lowered his gaze toward Marisselle.

 

‘Hm?’

 

Marisselle only noticed that Morgan had stopped after taking two steps ahead and turned around.

 

“Your Highness?”

 

Her clear eyes showed no understanding of what was happening.

 

‘Haa- Even something like this looks cute.’

 

Chuckle. A faint smile briefly lingered at Morgan’s lips before disappearing.

 

“I did go along with what you asked for today, but won’t Fleur be more disappointed or despise me if he finds out I let him win later?”

 

Then, Marisselle made a naturally conspiratorial expression and said.

 

“Ah, about that. Your Highness. We must keep it secret. Even young sprouts have their pride.”

 

“Hmm. You make me do such a dirty deed and think you can silence me with just words?”

 

“Wh…what? A dirty deed? Your Highness. This is clearly a strategy.”

 

Marisselle widened her eyes and jumped up.

 

“It may be a strategy to you, but to me, who’s filled with chivalry, it’s a dirty deed.”

 

A dirty deed. A dirty deed, he says…

 

She had never once thought of it as a dirty deed, but a dirty deed.

 

“Don’t look so dejec…”

 

As if.

 

Before Morgan could finish his sentence, Marisselle lifted her head sharply and approached him boldly with gleaming eyes.

 

“What do you want?”

 

‘Huh?’

 

When Morgan stared blankly, Marisselle spoke again.

 

“What do you want as payment for keeping quiet? I’m not the type of woman who wipes her mouth clean with just words.”

 

‘I made someone filled with chivalry do a dirty deed, so I should definitely provide proper compensation.’

 

Marisselle’s eyes were resolute.

 

“Pfft. Hahahahahaha.”

 

Morgan hesitated for a moment at Marisselle’s unexpected reaction, then couldn’t contain the laughter that burst forth.

 

It was an opportunity that had unexpectedly rolled right to his feet.

 

“Good. The price for tarnishing my chivalry is quite steep, can you handle it?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Morgan’s eyes narrowed and one eyebrow rose mischievously.

 

“Do you know what I might demand that you answer so fearlessly again?”

 

“If it can’t be done at once, we can do it in several installments.”

 

“Ha! What if it can’t be done even in several installments?”

 

“Then, Your Highness would be at a loss. You should demand something possible if you want to receive it, right? It’s not like you’d fire me just because I can’t fulfill it.”

 

Ha! Morgan was astounded.

 

Should he be grateful that she didn’t ask if she’d be kicked out for not fulfilling it?

 

As Marisselle said, whether she fulfilled it or not, he would never drive her away. For whose benefit would he let her go?

 

But his feelings were somewhat strange. A contradictory feeling of being both annoyed at her using his feelings and pleased to be used.

 

Morgan roughly ran his hand through his hair and stared intently at Marisselle’s violet eyes.

 

Her beautiful purple eyes were shining boldly as if urging him to speak up.

 

Chuckle. He laughed.

 

This woman always made him laugh whenever he looked at her.

 

Though he extremely disliked things beyond his control, when it came to Marisselle, it was always an exception that made his heart race.

 

“I’ll think about the price and bill you later.”

 

* * *

 

The Marquis House of Jerome Cruyff Zelkova.

 

“So, did you find out?”

 

Zelkova asked leisurely while stroking his well-groomed mustache.

 

His aide, Tobias Willa, couldn’t bring himself to look Zelkova in the eye and had to cast his gaze to the floor.

 

“Yes, Your Excellency. But… well, they say nothing has been submitted yet.”

 

“What? Still nothing?”

 

His horizontally narrow eyes furrowed his brow. His already small eyes became so thin when he frowned that his pupils were barely visible.

 

“There are still two days left, Your Excellency.”

 

Tobias bent his already hunched back so low it seemed it might fold completely as he answered, his voice trembling.

 

He was an impatient man who would harass those around him when things didn’t go his way.

 

With two days remaining, Tobias didn’t want to become a scapegoat just yet.

 

“…”

 

“Don’t noble families of high standing sometimes submit on the last day? Perhaps House of Yohaim is putting on such airs as well?”

 

Tobias subtly disparaged the Duke’s Household while trying to appease Zelkova. But Zelkova remained silent without changing his expression.

 

“…”

 

As the silence dragged on, cold sweat began to bead on Tobias’s back.

 

Just as sweat was about to form on his forehead, Zelkova finally broke the silence and opened his mouth.

 

“That worthless bastard acting so arrogant…”

 

Tobias’s hair stood on end.

 

Whenever curses about the young Duke came from Zelkova’s mouth, it was always accompanied by angry shouts and objects flying from the desk.

 

When Zelkova got angry, he would use whoever was in front of him as a target for his rage, and unfortunately, that target was most often his aide Tobias.

 

Though Tobias had developed some skill at dodging from constant experience, there were still plenty of times when he got unlucky and was seriously injured, so he had to think ‘I’m dead’ and steel himself mentally.

 

…But no matter how long he waited, he heard neither the sound of flying objects nor angry shouts.

 

Instead, he could see Zelkova rubbing his pointed chin at the end of his long face.

 

That wasn’t a good sign either, but what he could take comfort in was that chin-rubbing was a habit that came out when pretending to be calm, leisurely, benevolent, wise, and so on.

 

It was mainly like a device for soothing low moods or when he needed to suppress his anger.

 

“How about the Manua side?”

 

Tobias felt like it was one mountain after another. There was no good news from the Manua Barony either.

 

“Well, that is… Manua’s daughter is still working as a governess at House of Yohaim. She hasn’t gone out at all this whole time.”

 

Zelkova’s brow furrowed again with a crack.

 

Tap tap tap, thud thud-ta-da-dak.

 

The sound of drumming on the desk echoed irritably through the study.

 

From one to ten, nothing was to his liking.

 

Morgan should naturally send Fleur, whom he had adopted as his successor’s education, to the Academy.

 

But with two days left and no movement whatsoever, Zelkova couldn’t help but feel restless.

 

Though great nobles sometimes used their position to enroll mid-semester, Morgan, with his rigid nature, wasn’t the type to do such a thing.

 

But now, even House of Manua, which he had initially included in his plans, had deviated from the plan.

 

Manua’s daughter suddenly becoming a governess at House of Yohaim was completely unexpected.

 

She was a daughter who practically lived shut up at home. Though rumored to be pretty, she was so shy that few people knew her face.

 

She supposedly disliked having her face known so much that even the noble registry didn’t include her photograph.

 

For such a person to change personality as if she’d become a different person after suffering from a fever and become a Duke’s governess was honestly hard to believe.

 

But it was fine. He actually thought it was better this way.

 

Being a Duke’s governess wasn’t a job for just anyone. It was a place where countless governesses had been dismissed.

 

He had no doubt that Manua’s daughter would be kicked out before long anyway. If that happened, it would actually make using House of Manua even easier, so it was good.

 

But the situation had changed completely. Two variables had occurred that were very displeasing.

 

House of Manua had already come under Morgan’s surveillance and protection.

 

‘He takes terribly good care of his own people. Damn it. Tsk.’

 

Zelkova clicked his tongue inwardly.

 

If he dragged House of Manua into this plan, the chances of being caught would increase. Without needing to recalculate, Manua was almost a card to be discarded.

 

Zelkova was irritated.

 

‘There was no better card to use and discard than Manua. Tsk.’

 

For his grand dream, all plans should fit together perfectly and proceed smoothly, but Morgan was always the problem.

 

That fact grated on Zelkova’s nerves.

 

Though he didn’t like the situation, he had no choice but to pin his hopes on the remaining two days.

 

‘When creating grand history, there should be this much adversity to make it interesting. Yes.’ He pretended to be relaxed.

 

“Report back in two days. You may go.”

 

“Yes, my lord.”

 

Tobias quietly let out a long sigh of relief like someone who had barely escaped from thin ice.

 

Then he quickly bowed deeply and hurried out of the study.

 

“Being so timid like that. Tsk, tsk.”

 

Zelkova was displeased with Tobias, who had been nervously watching his reactions throughout the entire report.

 

* * *

 

“Governess Marisselle. A letter has arrived for you.”

 

“Oh, thank you, Ruda.”

 

I told Ruda, who was on duty this week, that I would call for her when needed, and opened the letter she had brought me.

 

The letter was from the Manua Barony.

 

Our beloved daughter, Marisselle. It has become full summer now. How is our beloved daughter doing? Of course you wouldn’t lack anything at the Duke’s Household, but still, we worry if there’s anything you need. It’s been so long since we’ve seen our daughter, and we miss you terribly. Are you eating well and sleeping well? We’re so curious about how you’re getting along. When we first heard news through Emma, we were told you were doing very well and staying healthy. But still, Mom and Dad want to see your face and hear your stories. Even if we can’t see your face right away, it would be nice if you could send us news through a letter. -Mom and Dad, who love our baby so very much.

 

After reading it all, my nose tingled with emotion.

 

The letter, neither long nor short, was filled with undeniable love.

 

I had agonized for quite many days over whether I should tell them the truth or not.

 

If I told them the truth, what would they gain, and what would they have to endure?

 

In the end, all they would gain from knowing the truth was shock, confusion, and loss. And even if I told them the truth, would they believe it?

 

Cruel as it was, it would be better for them to live without knowing.

 

It would be more peaceful and happy for the rest of their lives to simply think their daughter had a near-death experience and became a completely different person.

 

How many parents could remain whole in a situation where the daughter before their eyes was their daughter yet not their daughter?

 

They would live in confusion and guilt, caught between the living and the dead, always missing their daughter even while looking at her.

 

Sometimes it’s better not to know.

 

I thought now was one of those times. So the answer I found was that my guilt and remorse alone would be sufficient.

 

The weight of silence would be considerable, but I would bear it willingly.

 

It would be lighter than dying, after all.

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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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