I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 5

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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 5

‘I’m screwed.’

That was the first thought that came to mind as soon as she heard Porel’s words.

Sigh. How could things get this tangled up?

She felt like crying. Her heart began pounding wildly for a different reason.

Rino, who had been laughing heartily, gestured to Marisselle who was making a tearful face.

When his gesture alternated between pointing at her and the full-length mirror, Marisselle suddenly came to her senses.

“Ah!”

She briefly exchanged eye contact and headed toward the mirror.

‘Gasp.’

Just how much did I sleep!

Disheveled hair. What were these glistening droplets at the corner of her mouth?

She really wanted to cry. When she needed to look pretty and presentable, what kind of mess was this appearance!

‘Even when the sky falls, there’s a hole to escape through. Pull yourself together. Get it together.’

Marisselle quickly composed both her appearance and her mind while standing in front of the mirror.

Then she stood before Morgan with a resolute expression.

“Mariselle Manua greets Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

The three had different reactions to Marisselle’s greeting, as she completely changed her attitude as if nothing had happened.

Morgan clicked his tongue, Rino looked surprised for a moment then giggled again, and Porel stood there dumbfounded with his eyes and mouth agape.

“I was overcome by the Duke’s Household’s generous hospitality and comfort… I can only hope for Your Grace’s magnanimous forgiveness.”

Marisselle slightly lifted her skirt hem and bowed her head.

‘Hm? Why is there still no response?’

She straightened her posture and looked up at Morgan.

When their eyes met, Morgan’s low, cool voice pierced her ears.

“Sit there.”

Gasp!

Marisselle internally covered her mouth.

That gaze she saw during the day, the domineering atmosphere, physique, voice. It was definitely him.

‘Sigh. This homebody Marisselle. What was I thinking not knowing the highest peak of the estate!’

If Marisselle had information about the Grand Duke in her memory, she wouldn’t have argued with him like that day. Completely. Screwed.

‘Ah! No, wait. Morgan knew that the person he met that day was today’s interview candidate, yet he still called for me!’

Hope suddenly sprang forth.

It’s not over until the very end. Let’s do our best.

“Three reasons why you should become the Duke’s Household’s nanny.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes…”

Marisselle was momentarily flustered by the question that came without any preparation, but soon calmly presented the advantages from the Duke’s Household’s perspective.

“First, it would benefit Prince Fleur. Currently, His Highness is very likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and selective mutism, so he needs delicate and continuous care.”

“Post-traumatic stress disorder? Mutism?”

Morgan frowned.

“Yes! These are symptoms that can appear when experiencing shocking events that are difficult to handle or severe stressful situations.”

“You can solve that?”

“It’s possible. If the conditions are right.”

“And if the conditions aren’t right, it’s impossible?”

“I know what conditions are needed for healing.”

Morgan thought for a moment, then asked for the second reason with a nod of acceptance.

“The second benefits Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Benefits me?”

Snort. Morgan’s scoff and the asymmetrically rising corner of his mouth pricked Marisselle’s pride.

“Yes! Because I have absolutely no interest in Your Grace the Grand Duke whatsoever. Which means Your Grace will have absolutely no bothersome incidents.”

Morgan’s expression became even more wrinkled than before.

Those words should have been welcome, yet they strangely grated on his nerves.

He’d had countless bothersome incidents with women’s advances.

If he counted from when he was young, it was teeth-grindingly frustrating.

Even among the nannies, several had been dismissed for trying desperately to impress Morgan rather than focusing on Fleur.

With such credentials, he should certainly be pleased, but something was gnawing at him dully.

‘Is it because of that peculiar way of speaking and attitude?’

Morgan was irritated by something he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Unaware of Morgan’s inner thoughts, Marisselle presented her next answer.

“Third, I will become a solid foundation for the Duke’s Household’s bright future. Because if I raise Prince Fleur well, that will become the bright future of the Duke’s Household and the bright future of the Empire.”

Marisselle finished her last words with a bright smile, praising herself that this answer was excellent.

But Morgan gave her no respite and continued with the next question.

“On what grounds do you guarantee the third point?”

After taking a deep breath, Marisselle answered confidently.

“Skill comes from knowledge and experience. I am a prepared nanny who possesses both knowledge and experience. You will know this once you experience it.”

Then Marisselle smiled broadly. Because it wasn’t a lie.

In a place where children’s rights and research on children were virtually nonexistent, Marisselle was confident that her knowledge and experience from her past life belonged to the expert level.

While Marisselle was busily running her hopeful circuits, Morgan poured cold water on her.

“I understand you’ve been holed up at home most of the time, so how did you come to possess both knowledge and experience? Are you deceiving me?”

‘What. He already knew that Marisselle was a homebody?’

Marisselle realized her mistake. She had relied too much on her past life credentials.

‘What should I do? This guy is no ordinary person.’

“Since I mainly stayed at home, I devoured various books on children, anthropology, and other subjects. And whenever there were family gatherings, I was usually the one in charge of looking after the young relatives. Children really like me.”

Marisselle mixed in some exaggeration and lies to give a plausible answer.

‘Will he buy it? Please let him buy it!’

Then Morgan, without dropping his suspicion, suddenly continued with another question.

“Then what benefits does being a nanny have for you?”

A question that caught her off guard.

‘Huh? Could this be… a trap question?’

Marisselle had a bad feeling.

If she said she applied solely for the Duke’s Household, he would consider it a lie, and if she mentioned personal desires, there was a high possibility he would call it impure.

Marisselle paused for a moment to sound as sincere as possible before opening her mouth.

“The good thing for me is the nanny experience at the Duke’s Household.”

“Nanny experience…”

Morgan repeated it quietly as if talking to himself, then asked cynically.

“Has the Marquis Family’s finances declined to that extent?”

Morgan immediately mocked the Marquis Family.

“Ah! No. It’s because I want to marry someone I love. If I remain just a noble family’s daughter, I’ll have to marry in some form when I reach marriageable age. But if I have a profession, I can buy time.”

Marisselle panicked and hastily made up words based on her original views on marriage.

“You’re still talking like someone with a full belly.”

“Pardon? A full belly?”

Marisselle realized what Morgan meant only after she had spoken.

That she was a shameless person who was born as a noble family’s daughter, living in leisure while trying to avoid even the duty of political marriage.

His words were right. In this world.

But since he, who was at the center of power where acting selfishly wouldn’t be strange at all, was saying this, she felt somewhat, no, very wronged.

“Depending on the perspective, one’s belly could be full or empty. Since birth is not something I could choose, I simply do what I can within the range I can enjoy.”

As Marisselle answered, heat rose to her face, but she tried to maintain her composure.

“You’re saying the same thing as that time.”

“Pardon? That time?”

“The marketplace a few days ago.”

“Gasp!”

Marisselle had hoped against hope, but she didn’t expect him to reveal that incident here.

“I, I committed a discourtesy. I didn’t know you were His Grace the Duke at that time…”

Marisselle lowered her posture and bowed her head.

“It seems like you would have done it even if you knew?”

Even more dismal words reached her ears.

Marisselle couldn’t lift her head.

A long silence followed.

She swallowed her saliva.

The sound of dry saliva going down scratched past her ears as if announcing the prelude to a tragedy.

And she slightly raised her eyes to observe Morgan’s expression.

But contrary to her hopes, his complexion had gone beyond coldly chilled to dripping with icy coldness like a frozen sheet.

‘Haah. I’m screwed.’

At that moment—.

“Two days.”

“Yes… two days— Huh? Two days?”

“Can’t you understand? Get ready and come in within two days.”

Only then did color return to Marisselle’s face.

“Yes! Yes. I’ll get ready and come in within two days.”

An uncontainable smile spread across her face.

I’m screwed! One moment, then accepted.

‘If you were going to accept me anyway, you could have relaxed your expression a bit. I thought my heart was going to burn up from being tormented.’

Marisselle inwardly soothed her startled heart, straightened her hunched shoulders, rose from her seat, and showed respect to Morgan.

“Thank you. Your discernment is truly remarkable.”

“Pfft!”

Rino, who had been quietly watching, burst into laughter.

Marisselle raised her bowed waist and looked at Rino. His face looked like he was dying of laughter.

No, what point is he laughing at?

Unable to understand at all, she left a question mark and turned toward Morgan.

What kind of expression is this now? Like he chewed on an eraser?

Then Rino giggled and casually threw out a remark.

“His Majesty does indeed have remarkable discernment. Hehehe.”

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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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