I’m The Real Daughter, But I Don’t Want To Go Back To The Duke’s Estate - 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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Chirp chirp chirp.

At the cheerful bird song announcing morning, I reflexively pulled the blanket over my head.

“Mmm, so noisy… Mother, let me sleep just a little more…”

As I whined out of habit, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine.

The blanket was… excessively soft.

Moreover, a pleasant fragrance brushed past my nose.

It wasn’t simply the cozy scent of bedding dried in sunlight.

A more luxurious fragrance.

For example, like dried flower petals or a few drops of expensive rose water…

“Ahhh!!”

Startled, I bolted upright.

As I quickly looked around, an unfamiliar scene greeted me.

An ornate vanity, luxurious wallpaper, furniture that each proclaimed ‘I am expensive.’

And even the soft nightgown I was wearing.

Honestly, this one nightgown looked more expensive than my outdoor clothes… but that wasn’t important.

Why?

Because the clock hands were pointing to the number ’10’!

I slept in until past ten in the morning? No way!

‘This is driving me crazy, really.’

Gulping down dry saliva, I first picked up the silver bell placed on the table.

I heard that when calling someone, you ring a bell, right?

Ring- ring ring-.

The bell chimed clearly.

At the same time, there was movement outside the door.

Knock knock knock.

A brief knock was heard.

“Please come in.”

Having hastily adjusted my clothes, I spoke while trying to act nonchalant.

The door opened silently.

A maid who stepped quietly into the bedroom bowed politely toward me.

“Are you awake?”

“I’m sorry for sleeping in. I didn’t mean to do it on purpose…”

I fidgeted restlessly while watching the maid’s reaction.

Then the maid answered curtly.

“It’s fine.”

Huh?

For a moment, I blinked quietly.

Just now, didn’t that feel strangely like drawing a line?

Just then, the maid added an explanation with an impassive face.

“The Duchess said not to wake you and to leave you be. She said you would be tired.”

“…I see. How thoughtful.”

I nodded with a strange feeling.

This is really odd.

The maid in front of me is clearly speaking very politely, so why do I feel so uncomfortable?

Whether she knew my inner thoughts or not, the maid continued stiffly.

“Also, she asked me to tell you when you woke up. She has called someone from the dressing room, so please come to the drawing room when you’re up.”

“…”

Wh-what on earth does that mean?

I looked at the maid with creaking movements.

“She called someone from the dressing room?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Then the Duchess is waiting for me right now?!”

I was so surprised that my voice involuntarily rose at the end.

So right now, I made the Duchess wait because I was sleeping in lazily?!

Whether she knew my insides were burning up or not, the maid still had a stoic expression.

“Yes. She said she would discuss the dress design with the madam first.”

“Hah, I understand. Then I should go out quickly.”

Hurriedly getting down from the bed, I first headed toward the bathroom.

It was to wash my face first.

In the meantime.

‘Oh right, that’s it.’

A good idea occurred to me.

I poked my head out of the bathroom and spoke.

“Hey, could you ask the Duchess something for me?”

“Please tell me.”

“Would it be alright if Cecilia joined us too?”

Since things turned out this way, I thought it would be nice if Cecilia joined us too.

But the maid’s reaction was somehow strange.

“Miss Cecilia?”

She widened her eyes and looked at me.

What, why that expression?

It’s as if me mentioning Cecilia is extremely strange.

“Yes, I thought it would be nice if she could look at my dress together too. Would that not be okay?”

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant.”

The maid feigned ignorance and bowed her head.

“I’ll convey that message then.”

“Okay, I understand. Thank you.”

Nodding, I immediately closed the bathroom door.

As I strode toward the vanity, my face with a deeply furrowed brow was reflected in the mirror.

I bit my lower lip hard.

…What is this sense of unease?

* * *

After finishing my grooming as quickly as possible.

While being guided by the maid toward the drawing room, I encountered a strange scene.

Actually, it wasn’t anything special.

I had just run into some maids in the corridor.

“So you see, Peter…”

“My goodness, is that really true?”

The maids who had been chattering happily stiffened their shoulders the moment they spotted me.

Then they hastily bowed.

“We greet Miss Milena.”

“We see Miss Milena.”

On the surface, it was a flawlessly polite greeting.

But the reason I felt uneasy again was because of the maids’ attitude toward me.

How should I put it, an excessively tense feeling?

They seemed extremely cautious, as if handling a bomb that could explode at any moment.

And I found that strange.

‘They weren’t like this just yesterday.’

Yesterday they had definitely treated me quite warmly.

Probably because of the possibility that I might be the ‘real daughter.’

That meant.

At least until my status was confirmed, there was no reason for her attitude toward me to change like flipping a palm.

‘…Something is definitely strange.’

But right now, the Duchess and her party were waiting for me.

I couldn’t delay any longer.

I had no choice but to set it aside for now and think about it again later.

“Well then, hello everyone.”

Pretending to know nothing and smiling brightly, I quickly moved forward.

In the distance, I could see the drawing room where clear sunlight was streaming in.

Around an elegant table, I could see several people sitting together.

That person whose face I didn’t recognize at all was probably from the tailor’s.

Behind the sofa, Mrs. Howard stood with her chin held high and rigid… ugh.

Besides her, there were the Duchess and the young Duke, and…

‘Oh, it’s Cecilia!’

My expression instantly brightened.

Although Cecilia seemed a bit awkward, keeping her eyes downcast and focused only on her teacup.

Still, wasn’t it something that we were all sitting together in one place?

I entered the drawing room with steps as light as if I were flying.

“I’m truly sorry for being late.”

“Oh my, not at all. Rather, I’m sorry for calling you out so suddenly.”

The Duchess welcomed me with a bright face.

She even stood up abruptly from her seat… No, there’s no need to go that far!

“You haven’t been at the estate long, so you must be tired? Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, I slept well. How about you, Duchess?”

Duchess.

Upon hearing that title, the Duchess’s expression dimmed slightly, but she soon smiled brightly.

“Well, I slept soundly too.”

Then she added in an affectionate voice.

“Waiting for my sleepyhead daughter was also quite enjoyable.”

“…”

I hesitated for a moment.

‘Waiting for her daughter is also a kind of joy.’

From those words alone, I could feel the pain of losing a daughter that the Duchess must have been experiencing all this time.

And also how much joy the Duchess was feeling right now.

‘It hasn’t even been confirmed that I’m her real daughter yet.’

I felt strange.

My stomach felt queasy, and I felt burdened yet sorry, and also somewhat happy…

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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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