I’m The Real Daughter, But I Don’t Want To Go Back To The Duke’s Estate - Chapter 36

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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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The door closed.

 

Cecilia staggered to the bed and buried her face deep into the blankets.

 

‘…She really is a strange girl.’

 

Everything that had happened so far came flooding back into her mind one by one.

 

When they were fitting Milena’s dress this time.

 

That girl had been considerate of her the entire time.

 

By deliberately calling her ‘sister,’ she had drawn a positive reaction from the Duchess,

 

and even when Mrs. Howard tried to paint her as a villainess as usual, she had protected her.

 

And this time during tea time with Elias, she had gone out of her way to include her.

 

Since Milena came to the Ducal Palace, Cecilia had been able to blend in with her family for the first time.

 

And then those words.

 

“No matter what you say, sister, I want to become close with you.”

 

Were those words sincere?

 

It was confusing.

 

Cecilia got up from her spot disheveled and opened the dresser drawer.

 

Inside, a jewelry box was carefully stored.

 

“…”

 

Cecilia carefully picked up the box.

 

When she opened the lid, the brooch inside sparkled as it reflected the light.

 

Her blue-green gaze quietly sank.

 

‘Come to think of it, that girl readily gave up the brooch to me.’

 

Since Cecilia was the older sister, she said it would be better for her to receive a brooch made later.

 

Her grip on the jewelry box tightened.

 

‘Just now… I was too harsh with my words.’

 

Her mind was all tangled up like a mess of thread.

 

A long sigh flowed from between Cecilia’s lips.

 

* * *

 

The next day.

 

Mrs. Howard’s urgent voice shook the townhouse.

 

“Good heavens, what is the meaning of this!!”

 

It was so noisy that the servants of the Duke’s household came rushing over in droves.

 

The shouting came from Cecilia’s dressing room.

 

Inside the room, Mathilde stood blankly with her head hanging down, her face pale.

 

Mrs. Howard was looking at Mathilde with a horrified expression.

 

And.

 

“Wait. Why is that dress like that?”

 

One of the maids muttered in a suspicious voice.

 

And for good reason, since Cecilia’s most cherished pink dress was lying on the floor like a piece of trash.

 

But the condition of that dress was…

 

“…It’s torn, isn’t it?”

 

It was torn to shreds as if someone had scratched it with a sharp object.

 

There would be no reason to ruin clothes to that extent without considerable malice.

 

Just when the servants couldn’t hide their troubled expressions.

 

“What on earth is going on here?”

 

The Duchess approached, pushing through the crowd.

 

Her face showed great surprise.

 

Beside her were the two young ladies of the Duke’s household, Cecilia and Milena.

 

Upon confirming this, Mrs. Howard’s eyes suddenly flashed sharply.

 

“M-Madam…!”

 

She staggered and collapsed to the floor.

 

In an instant, her wrinkled eyes became moist, and she began to sob pitifully.

 

“Madam, I failed to properly educate the child. Even if the young lady ordered it, I should have somehow refused… This is all my fault.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“The truth is…”

 

Tears overflowed from Mrs. Howard’s eyes once again.

 

And.

 

“Mi-Miss Milena… ordered her to ruin Miss Cecilia’s dress.”

 

The surroundings became quiet as if cold water had been poured over them.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

People unconsciously looked at Milena with shocked gazes.

 

Among them were Cecilia and even the Duchess.

 

‘Good.’

 

It seemed she had successfully guided the atmosphere.

 

Mrs. Howard hid her satisfied expression and kept dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, pretending to wipe away tears.

 

Then she continued in a trembling voice.

 

“B-But she probably didn’t have bad intentions. Since Miss Milena usually admired Miss Cecilia so much… So perhaps she just went astray for a brief moment…”

 

…This was outrageous.

 

Milena’s expression hardened coldly.

 

Of course, she had expected Mrs. Howard to harm her someday.

 

But this…

 

‘This is too vicious.’

 

What Mrs. Howard was trying to say now was clear.

 

She was trying to frame her for damaging that dress out of jealousy toward Cecilia.

 

What made it even worse was.

 

‘The intention to drive a wedge between me and Cecilia is too obvious.’

 

Milena gritted her teeth.

 

That woman must have driven a wedge between Milena and Cecilia like this in the original story too, right?

 

“Hurry up and tell Madam everything in detail.”

 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Howard urged Mathilde, who was keeping her mouth shut like she was dead.

 

“You asked me for help, didn’t you?”

 

“…”

 

“Because Miss Milena ordered you, you had no choice!”

 

The color gradually drained from Mathilde’s face.

 

Meanwhile, Milena’s expression, watching this, became even more fierce.

 

‘Wow, this is really the worst.’

 

Wasn’t she the one who disliked Milena in the first place?

 

If she was going to frame her like this, she should have taken the risks herself.

 

But to pin the blame for ruining the dress on a powerless maid?

 

How could a person be so cowardly?

 

“That’s not true. Why would I trouble sister Cecilia?”

 

Unable to bear it any longer, Milena spoke up.

 

“Of course I think sister is truly wonderful. But that doesn’t give me a reason to ruin her dress.”

 

However, Mrs. Howard didn’t just stay still either.

 

The lady, who had been looking at Milena with tearful eyes, weakly shook her head.

 

“According to Mathilde… you usually disliked Miss Cecilia very much…”

 

Cecilia’s heart sank in an instant.

 

‘Could it be true?’

 

Cecilia reflexively glanced at Milena out of the corner of her eye.

 

Milena was glaring at Mrs. Howard with an ice-cold expression.

 

…I couldn’t fathom what she was truly thinking.

 

‘I was such a fool.’

 

Cecilia bit down hard on her lower lip.

 

Even knowing she had been acting sensitive toward Milena, she couldn’t stop herself.

 

There was jealousy toward Milena.

 

And it was also because of the anxiety that she might be kicked out of the Duke’s household someday.

 

Yet at the same time, she seemed to have felt secretly reassured.

 

By the fact that even when she deliberately said mean things and kept pushing her away, Milena continued to smile brightly at her.

 

But now that she actually heard that Milena disliked her….

 

‘Wh-what should I do? Should I apologize right now? But what if she won’t forgive me?’

 

Just as Cecilia was falling into panic.

 

“That’s not true!”

 

A sharp shout that suddenly burst out shattered Cecilia’s thoughts completely.

 

Startled, Cecilia quickly lifted her head.

 

In her trembling blue-green eyes, the image of Milena shouting furiously, unable to suppress her anger, was reflected.

 

“Where else could you find someone as wonderful as you, Sister!”

 

What?

 

Cecilia’s eyes widened slightly.

 

At the same time, Milena’s loud voice rang out thunderously once again.

 

“I’ve always wanted to become someone like you, Sister!!”

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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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