I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 34

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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 34

 

I don’t even know how I got out of the meeting room.

 

It was fine up to meeting her and hearing her opinions, but when the topic of time off came up, my nerves went on edge.

 

Even knowing that she had given up her allotted time off to care for Fleur, I didn’t like the very idea of Marisselle leaving the Duke’s Household.

 

I knew it was something that would come up eventually. But I hoped she wouldn’t bring it up.

 

Even though it was just going back and forth to her family home, I couldn’t bear the anxiety that felt like she would leave my side completely.

 

Morgan was simply amazed at how he could change so much in just a few months.

 

If I forced it, I could have her. But that would be meaningless. I don’t want to do that either.

 

Morgan wants her completely.

 

Not just her body, but Marisselle who would look at him completely with her heart and soul.

 

‘Getting this anxious over something like this. What confidence.’

 

Morgan mocked his past overconfident self.

 

Hadn’t he almost ruined things because of that anxiety?

 

Though he was angry that she didn’t trust him, he didn’t know his impatient feelings would turn murderous.

 

In the end, he made Marisselle frightened and even made her step back.

 

When he should be showing his best side, he acted like a fool instead, and Morgan couldn’t see himself as more pathetic.

 

‘She must have seen my face, right?’

 

This was the second time his face had turned red in front of her.

 

Last time it was night so there was a good chance she didn’t see, but this time she must have.

 

‘Sigh. A duke turning red in the face so disgracefully.’

 

He regretted not just telling her the truth that she could become a target of enemies for being the Duke’s Household nanny – that might have been better.

 

But ironically, he also didn’t want her to know.

 

If she felt burdened and decided to abandon being a nanny and leave the Duke’s Household, that would be an even worse situation.

 

‘I’ll have no choice but to provide thorough protection.’

 

* * *

 

“Our lovely young master, please wake up.”

 

Fleur was having an especially hard time getting up today.

 

I stroked Fleur’s cheek and then pulled back the blanket.

 

“Marisselle. Can’t I sleep just a little more?”

 

Fleur squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the blanket back while whining.

 

“No. Today is the first day you’re meeting your private tutors.”

 

I pulled the blanket again and rubbed Fleur’s back.

 

Then I drew back the curtains and opened the window.

 

Fresh sunlight and moist morning breeze rushed into the room all at once.

 

As if blessing the new meeting, the flowers and trees outside the window, even the chirping birds – everything was peaceful.

 

“Young master, today will be a very pleasant day.”

 

When I smiled brightly while looking at Fleur with my back to the window, the young master finally got up with a groan.

 

Then he sat on the bed, stretched long, rubbed his eyes, and looked at me with reproachful eyes.

 

How adorable that sight was.

 

I quickly approached the child, kissed his forehead, and pulled away the rest of the blanket.

 

“Come on. There’s no time to dawdle. We need to hurry, young master!”

 

There was a lot to prepare to make a good impression on the first meeting.

 

Look at my child. Isn’t he pretty? So please take good care of him. Something like that feeling?

 

I washed him, fed him, and dressed him.

 

Usually I dressed him focusing on practicality and convenience, but today was a special day so I put more thought into it.

 

I matched dark blue suspender pants with a luxurious white blouse with frills on the collar and sleeves, and finished with a blue bow tie the same color as Fleur’s eyes.

 

The point was to highlight Fleur’s cuteness and clever image.

 

He was a child who looked luxurious and clever no matter what he wore, but today he seemed especially so.

 

I also matched colors with Fleur as a couple.

 

I wore a dress with white and blue, neatly pinned up my hair, and let a few strands on the side flow down naturally for a comfortable look.

 

“There, all done! How do you feel, Young Master? Are you perhaps… nervous?”

 

Today was the day to meet as many as four complete strangers from outside, not familiar people from the Duke’s Household.

 

How could he not be nervous?

 

“A little. I’m nervous…”

 

I felt secretly relieved that he admitted to being nervous. If he had said he wasn’t nervous, I would have been more worried instead. There would have been a high possibility that he was hiding his anxious feelings.

 

“Young Master! Shall I tell you a secret?”

 

“Huh? A secret? What is it?”

 

The child asked with curious eyes.

 

“I’m very nervous too.”

 

“But Marisselle is an adult, so why are you nervous?”

 

The child blinked his clear eyes and tilted his head.

 

“Adults get nervous before first meetings too. Like thinking, ‘What kind of people will they be? I hope they’re good people.’ Things like that.”

 

“Wow… adults get nervous too. But… Uncle has never been nervous even once.”

 

A question mark appeared on the child’s expression. I found it amusing. But I couldn’t laugh in front of a child who admired his uncle.

 

“That might be because it doesn’t show. You didn’t know I was nervous until I told you, right?”

 

“Oh? That’s true…”

 

Fleur answered logically, but his eyes were still wandering around as if he couldn’t quite accept it.

 

Well, how could it be otherwise? He probably couldn’t even imagine his idol, his invincible uncle, being nervous.

 

“Still, Uncle probably wouldn’t be nervous about something like this. But I am nervous.”

 

Only then did the child’s face become comfortable.

 

A faint smile appeared.

 

“Now, it seems you’re mentally prepared, so shall we go now? Young Master?”

 

The child nodded vigorously instead of answering.

 

We looked at each other, grinned once, and headed spiritedly toward the interview room.

 

Though we had come out early on purpose, as expected, there was no one in the interview room yet.

 

The interview room…

 

It felt nostalgic.

 

The lucky space where I miraculously passed an interview I thought I would fail.

 

‘Even though it was close, I did pass, didn’t I? And now I’m even receiving recognition.’

 

Even though only a few months had passed, the fact that it felt so distant was probably proof that I had lived intensely.

 

While caring for Fleur, I had also grown fond of the Duke’s Household.

 

Come to think of it…

 

This would be the first time seeing him since meeting Morgan in the conference room!

 

It was surprising, grateful, and made me proud that he had said I was his person.

 

It meant even more because he wasn’t someone who easily included others in his inner circle.

 

Once Morgan considers someone his person, he protects them to the end. That’s why the Duke’s Knights are famous for their high loyalty to Morgan.

 

Since I was included in that, how could I not be proud?

 

‘I too felt strangely protected and a sense of belonging, along with reassurance and peculiar loyalty when he called me his person…’

 

With this, my lifeline had become a little longer.

 

‘Someone I’m grateful to…’

 

Creak-.

 

“…?”

 

The interview room door opened and Morgan entered with a group.

 

Fleur and I stood up from the sofa and stepped aside.

 

Morgan was dressed casually as always, wearing only a white shirt and pants.

 

He exuded an atmosphere that said ‘I’m busy, so let’s just do quick greetings and leave.’

 

Should I say Morgan was like an emperor? Even in his most comfortable attire, he looked the most dignified among the formally dressed group.

 

“Introduce yourselves.”

 

Morgan said, looking alternately at Fleur and me, and the tutors behind us.

 

First, a middle-aged woman with a literary girl-like feeling, wearing a calm navy-colored dress, stepped forward and greeted us with proper etiquette.

 

Seeing that she appeared to be the oldest among the women, she must be Baroness Veronica Zevia.

 

“I, Baroness Veronica Zevia of the Zevia Barony, pay my respects to Young Master Fleur Ergana Yohaim. I will be in charge of your composition lessons.”

 

Veronica’s greeting conveyed the calm composure and experience characteristic of a middle-aged woman.

 

“Nice to meet you. Baroness Veronica Zevia.”

 

Fleur gracefully received the subordinate’s greeting with the dignified bearing befitting the heir of the Duke’s Household.

 

“Reiley Rendon, eldest daughter of the Rendon Viscounty, greets Prince Fleur Ergana Yohaim. It is an honor to be entrusted with Your Highness’s grammar lessons.”

 

The vivacious Reiley greeted him with a shy smile. She looked adorable.

 

‘I wonder if she has a fiancé?’

 

It seemed strange that someone who smiled so prettily hadn’t married yet.

 

‘I’ll have to ask when we become closer.’

 

Fleur received the greeting in the same manner as before.

 

This time, Elias Xavier, with his graying hair, stepped forward and bowed his head.

 

“Baron Elias Xavier greets Prince Fleur Ergana Yohaim. I have been assigned to teach Your Highness’s history lessons. I will be teaching both imperial history and world history.”

 

Despite Xavier’s aged appearance, his voice was as strong and spirited as any young man’s.

 

‘Indeed, people stay young when they’re doing the work they love.’

 

Finally, a man with silver hair and gray eyes stepped forward and bowed slightly at the waist.

 

“Caden Ryder, second son of the Rider County, greets Prince Fleur Ergana Yohaim. I have been assigned to teach Your Highness’s common language lessons. Please treat me favorably.”

 

His fine-textured silver hair and gray eyes, combined with his pleasant baritone voice, created a mysterious impression.

 

With his handsome appearance and intelligent eyes, he must have been quite popular, yet Caden was still unmarried.

 

Being the second son of a count’s family, his lineage was good too…

 

‘Are his standards too high?’

 

Lost in such thoughts, I unconsciously looked into his eyes.

 

At that moment, our eyes met directly.

 

‘Why?’

 

I thought, then realized.

 

Since he was the last one, he meant for me, standing next to Fleur, to introduce myself as well.

 

“Nice to meet you. Mariselle Manua, daughter of the Manua Barony, greets you. I serve as Prince Fleur’s governess and take care of His Highness. Please treat me favorably going forward.”

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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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