I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 42

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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 42

 

It was none other than Porel.

 

Before starting his daily duties, he had just arrived on the second floor to conduct his manor inspection and was looking around from the end of the hallway.

 

Then, unexpectedly seeing his master’s door open, he hurried his steps to offer his greetings.

 

“…?”

 

But the person coming out of the door… wasn’t his master, but Marisselle.

 

Porel instinctively quickly hid his body behind a pillar.

 

He couldn’t hear what was being said, but Marisselle looked at his master and smiled shyly.

 

And when the door closed, she looked around nervously before rushing toward her own room like an arrow.

 

‘What kind of situation is this?’

 

In nightclothes with disheveled hair.

 

Marisselle had come out of his master’s bedroom.

 

And at early dawn, no less.

 

Plus his master in a nightgown that he’d glimpsed.

 

The greeting at the bedroom door that only lovers would exchange. The reluctant farewell. The shy smile.

 

Porel’s face instantly turned red. His imagination automatically began to soar.

 

“Ahem! Such things can happen between a man and woman. Yes. Of course they can.”

 

A deep blush spread across Porel’s wrinkled face.

 

“But… since when has Miss Marisselle been… toward master…? There were no signs of it at all…”

 

To an old man who had experienced all of life’s ups and downs, it was easy to tell that his master liked Marisselle.

 

Why wouldn’t it be? He had served his master continuously from infancy until now.

 

Not noticing such changes would mean he should step down from his position as head butler.

 

Still, Porel considered it fortunate.

 

Since they had come to like each other before Marisselle’s debutante ball.

 

This meant his master’s only rival was Crown Prince Renigate.

 

The only concern was that the Crown Prince had higher status and was more gentle and affectionate toward women than his master.

 

‘Master… please stay strong…!’

 

Porel cheered for his master deep in his heart and quickened his steps for his original duties.

 

* * *

 

Thud. Thud. Thud.

 

The rough footsteps stopped, and then.

 

Bang!

 

Before any word came from inside to enter, Bohra fiercely stepped into the room.

 

“Brother! What’s going on here?”

 

Bohra’s black hair swayed as she glared at her brother Kazuri with her blue-green eyes full of venom.

 

“What…”

 

Kazuri showed an indifferent attitude, picking his ear nonchalantly as if this was a usual occurrence.

 

“Marisselle! That woman! You said you’d make her your woman! And that you’d make it so Morgan and I could marry!”

 

Bohra rolled her eyes venomously and confronted Kazuri.

 

“Shut up! I can’t do anything until that bitch comes out of that bastard’s house. And I can’t reveal such an important plan to a mere brat like you, can I? Keep quiet. Don’t ruin things!”

 

Kazuri stood up as if he didn’t want to hear any more nagging.

 

Then he patted Bohra’s shoulder and left the room.

 

Bohra’s teeth ground together audibly.

 

She brushed off the shoulder her brother had patted with disgust, as if filth had been smeared on it. Thwack! Thwack!

 

She was sick to her stomach at the sight of this blood relative who always ignored and mocked her.

 

“Hmph! So that’s how you’re going to play it…? Then I have no choice but to move on my own!”

 

He had boasted that he would make it possible for her to marry Morgan, so she had decided to trust him just once, pretending to be fooled. But as expected, there wasn’t even a speck of reliability in him.

 

Bohra had fallen in love with Morgan at first sight when she first saw him at the Royal Household banquet at age seventeen.

 

The fact that his family was in opposition to her own family wasn’t a problem at all.

 

Rather, she activated her wishful thinking that if she married Morgan, she would gain tremendous allies.

 

So she begged her father to let her marry Morgan.

 

After all, my father Count Zelkova’s influence worked everywhere in the Empire.

 

Bohra was a daughter the Count cherished in his own way, so he granted most of her requests. But when it came to marriage, he was firm.

 

So Bohra wanted Morgan even more desperately.

 

If any woman approached Morgan, she thoroughly drove them all away.

 

She put quite a bit of effort into groundwork to catch Morgan’s attention too.

 

But except for that one time by chance when she exchanged greetings with Morgan while with her father, she had never succeeded even once.

 

The only consolation Bohra had was that Morgan didn’t talk to or dance with any woman, not just her.

 

She had never once seen Morgan dance with a woman at a ball.

 

So rumors circulated in high society that Morgan was so terribly bad at dancing that he avoided it entirely.

 

But regardless of his dancing skills, there were countless young ladies who would have no greater wish than to dance once or have one conversation with Morgan.

 

If such a Morgan attended as her partner at her debutante ball…

 

Not only would she receive all the attention, but she would also monopolize the envy of every young lady.

 

‘Every newspaper’s front page would feature headlines about the meeting between House of Yohaim and House of Count Zelkova.’

 

Hehe. If that happened, marriage with him would also draw much closer.

 

Just imagining it made Bohra so happy that a smile spread across her entire face.

 

“I will definitely become Morgan’s partner.”

 

* * *

 

This time I was going to handle other matters instead of going to the Main Estate, but they must have sensed it at home because a letter arrived.

 

Since the debutante ball was coming soon, I needed to prepare in advance. So I absolutely had to come this time, it said.

 

“Young Master. I’ll be going now.”

 

Fleur also smiled and replied to my cheerful farewell, but his greeting wasn’t quite satisfactory.

 

“Yes. Have a safe trip, Marisselle. And…”

 

…What is he trying to say, acting like that?

 

Just as I was about to tilt my head and ask a question after waiting a long while with no follow-up words.

 

“Oh, no. Maricel. Have a safe trip.”

 

She says no, but her eyes look like they’re full of things she wants to say.

 

But it’s not like I can just keep pestering him with questions, so I can’t ask any more.

 

“Hmm… Even if you can’t say it now, please tell me later.”

 

As soon as the carriage carrying Maricel departed, Fleur hurried up to the second floor.

 

Knock knock knock!

 

The sound of urgent knocking on the door.

 

The door opened from inside just as quickly as the sound.

 

“Ah. Yes. Sir Rino.”

 

“Ah. Yes. Lord Rino.”

 

“But, what brings you here all alone? Please, come inside first.”

 

Lino found the little prince’s visit interesting.

 

“Of course.”

 

Rino bowed and extended his arm, gesturing for him to come inside.

 

“Uncle!”

 

“Uncle!”

 

“Yeah, what are you up to by yourself?”

 

Morgan stopped what he was doing and greeted Fleur.

 

Fler, seemingly in a hurry, got straight to the point.

 

“Uncle! What age can you start doing Cavalletti?”

 

Reno and Morgan’s eyes widened at Fler’s unexpected question.

 

“Whose cavaliere do you want to become?”

 

Morgan found it endearing when the six-year-old suddenly mentioned Cavalier, and asked kindly.

 

“It’s Maricel. But Maricel says children can’t become cavaliers. So she’s going to ask a friend to do it.”

 

‘Maricel’s cavalier? Debutante…?’

 

To Morgan, who couldn’t care less about things like debutantes, Cavalliere felt truly foreign.

 

But the moment Maricel and Cavalier connected, his expression rapidly hardened.

 

“Wait. What do you mean by that? …Come here and sit down so we can talk about it slowly.”

 

Fleur nodded his head firmly.

 

“Marisselle originally wasn’t going to go home this time, but her parents sent a letter telling her to come prepare for her debutante, so she has no choice but to go.”

 

And she said she would ask a childhood friend about Cavalie.

 

“She said she’s excited because it’s her first time attending one hosted by the Royal Household.”

 

He didn’t forget to report that her parents also told her to look around and see if there were any decent young nobles at the debutante.

 

“She said you have to prepare in advance to look pretty at the debutante. Marisselle is already pretty now… But if she becomes even prettier then, other people will want to marry Marisselle. Then she’ll have to quit being a governess.”

 

As he said this, Fleur shed tears as if Marisselle had already quit being a governess.

 

Morgan held the crying Fleur and patted him to calm his heart.

 

“Fleur. I won’t let that happen.”

 

Fleur wiped his tears with his sleeve and said with a sniffle.

 

“Sniff, …Really? You really promise, Uncle?”

 

Then Fleur extended one pinky finger toward Morgan.

 

“Hm? What’s this?”

 

“It’s a promise. Uncle’s pinky and my pinky hook together like this.”

 

Fleur then straightened Morgan’s thumb, pressed it against her own thumb, and pushed down firmly to make a seal.

 

“Yes… I’ll definitely keep it.”

 

Even without the promise ritual, Morgan had absolutely no intention of tolerating Marisselle attending the debutante arm-in-arm with some other guy.

 

“Now then…, shall we go to your room without worrying anymore?”

 

Fleur nodded his head.

 

Morgan personally escorted Fleur to his room.

 

As soon as Morgan closed the door and left, Fleur immediately wiped away his innocent child’s expression and grinned with a triumphant smile.

 

As soon as Morgan closed the door and left, Fleur immediately wiped away her innocent childlike expression and broke into a cunning smile of satisfaction.

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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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