I’m The Real Daughter, But I Don’t Want To Go Back To The Duke’s Estate - Chapter 52

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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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At that moment.

 

The Countess of Seres was sipping coffee in the tea room of the Count’s estate.

 

‘This is bothering me.’

 

The Countess’s eyes narrowed behind her coffee cup.

 

Yesterday, when she had dinner with the Countess of Lusert, Milena’s attitude had been strangely concerning.

 

That behavior of subtly discouraging Cecilia’s harp lessons.

 

…And even making eye contact with Cecilia during their conversation.

 

‘I should have managed my expression better. That was a mistake.’

 

The Countess frowned and took another irritated sip of her coffee.

 

Moreover, there was another thing that bothered her.

 

The story about Cecilia’s ‘arm.’

 

‘That child Milena… just how much did she hear?’

 

Honestly, it didn’t seem like it would be much of a problem.

 

When she deliberately brought up the tutor topic to test the waters, feeling uneasy.

 

There didn’t seem to be any particular signs of reluctance.

 

If Milena had suspected her, wouldn’t she have shown some attempt to keep her distance?

 

‘Well, still, just in case.’

 

Since there was also the matter of the ointment she gave Cecilia, it seemed better to be cautious.

 

The Countess frowned slightly.

 

‘Come to think of it, Princess Milena seems to follow that girl Cecilia quite well, doesn’t she?’

 

However, in the Countess’s eyes, she could see countless shortcomings in Milena.

 

For example, her bearing.

 

Perhaps because she had lived as a maid her whole life, she didn’t seem to have perfectly mastered the bearing of high nobility yet.

 

From the beginning, one shouldn’t associate with lowly things.

 

‘It would have been better if I had taught her from the start.’

 

Milena, being her real daughter, would have been much more useful than the dim-witted Cecilia.

 

For instance, just extracting funds from the Duke’s household…

 

The Countess was clicking her tongue with a regretful expression.

 

Knock knock.

 

Just then, a short knocking sound rang out.

 

A maid who entered the tea room bowed her head respectfully.

 

“My lady, Lady Sara has arrived.”

 

“Let her in.”

 

The Countess smiled broadly.

 

A moment later.

 

A woman wearing a hood entered the tea room with irritated steps.

 

“Aunt, why did you call for me?”

 

Her tone was quite sharp.

 

“I told you to stop calling me out like this. I’ve already helped you enough…”

 

Then the Countess set down her coffee cup with a loud sound.

 

Clank!

 

At that sharp sound, the woman’s body reflexively shrank back.

 

Meanwhile, the Countess smiled leisurely.

 

“You’re really being too much. Who do you think you have to thank for being able to research as a magical engineer at the Magic Tower?”

 

“…”

 

“And ‘helped’? Weren’t we clearly pursuing mutual benefits?”

 

The woman’s shoulders stiffened with a start.

 

The Countess gestured with her chin toward the seat across from her.

 

“Sit down first, Sara.”

 

“…Sigh.”

 

The woman, Sara, who let out a deep sigh, took a seat.

 

Sara, a magical engineer affiliated with the Magic Tower.

 

The reason she was able to have a position at the Magic Tower was all thanks to the Countess of Seres.

 

To be precise, because the Countess was acquainted with the Tower Master, she was able to enter more easily than others.

 

However, the price for that was not insignificant.

 

Sara looked at the Countess with a face full of irritation.

 

The Countess still had a completely relaxed expression.

 

“Just tell me what you want quickly.”

 

Sara spoke defensively.

 

The Countess, who took a sip of coffee with elegant movements, lowered her voice.

 

“About that ointment.”

 

“…”

 

Sara’s eyes filled with wariness.

 

The Countess smiled with her eyes.

 

“I want to create a record that I purchased it legally.”

 

“Do you think that makes sense?!”

 

Sara raised her voice.

 

“That’s originally an item that can’t be taken outside. Do you know how hard it’s been to smuggle it out without getting caught?!”

 

Magic ointment.

 

A special ointment made at the Magic Tower, it had the effect of quickly healing the surface of wounds.

 

Its original purpose was for quick hemostasis in the military, but that didn’t mean there was no demand outside.

 

Rather, because it wasn’t publicly available outside, selling it through word of mouth was actually easier.

 

It was that valuable an item, and the Countess had the connection of Sara.

 

Sara needed research funds, and she had considerable debt to the Countess, so there was sufficient reason for them to join hands.

 

Thus, the two were secretly distributing the ointment in collaboration.

 

“Still, make it for me.”

 

“But!”

 

“Don’t be weak. It’s something you can definitely do, isn’t it?”

 

Even though Sara looked serious, the Countess didn’t bat an eyelash.

 

“No, even if you insist like that…!”

 

Sara, who was about to protest, irritably messed up her hair.

 

The Countess narrowed her eyes.

 

“I’ve told you many times that’s undignified behavior for a lady.”

 

“Is that important right now? What you’re asking for is so unreasonable…!”

 

Her anger was only momentary.

 

Sara felt like her breath was being cut off.

 

From that gentle expression of the Countess of Seres, it was clear that she wouldn’t listen to her words anyway.

 

“…This is the last time.”

 

In the end, Sara surrendered.

 

Even so, she glared at the Countess with sharp eyes.

 

“Until now, I helped you because I owed you a debt, but I can’t do it anymore.”

 

“Yes, I understand.”

 

The Countess nodded readily.

 

Sara left the tea room without even leaving a greeting.

 

Afterward, the Countess’s expression cooled down like ice.

 

“Debt, my foot.”

 

The Countess muttered in a cold voice.

 

“When we were both benefiting, she was calling me aunt, aunt and being all sweet.”

 

A suppressed voice flowed out between her clenched lips.

 

“Where does she think… she’s going, pretending to be clean and trying to wash her hands of this alone?”

 

The Countess of Seres, who had been muttering irritably, soon let out a long sigh.

 

“Haa, why do I have to suffer like this because of that brat Cecilia?”

 

Cecilia von Lusert.

 

A brat she was forced to take on because of the Duchess’s request.

 

Acting all high and mighty as the Duke’s daughter or whatever, it was simply ridiculous.

 

Can a crow become a peacock by gathering various feathers to decorate itself?

 

It’s still just a crow in the end.

 

The wrinkles between the Countess’s brows deepened even more.

 

“Why did the ducal family adopt such a commoner brat in the first place, really.”

 

Nobles and commoners are fundamentally different.

 

No matter how much a commoner pretends to be noble, they cannot overcome their lowly nature.

 

That’s why she had initially refused the Duchess’s earnest request.

 

But.

 

“Couldn’t you somehow manage it? I really want to entrust our Cecilia to you, teacher.”

 

The thrill she felt when the Countess of Lusert looked at her with desperate eyes.

 

Of course, the Duchess was her student privately, but publicly she was also the empire’s highest-ranking noblewoman.

 

Such a noble lady of immeasurable status was bowing her head to make a request of her.

 

And.

 

“I know I’m making an excessive request. It may be modest, but I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed with the compensation…”

 

A “satisfactory amount” guaranteed by none other than the mistress of the Lusert Ducal Family.

 

For the Countess of Seres, who was suffering from financial difficulties, it was an offer she simply couldn’t refuse.

 

So she accepted that lowly thing as her student, but…

 

‘How humiliating.’

 

Her grip on the coffee cup tightened with force.

 

Being called “teacher” by that pathetic thing was unpleasant enough, but lately her subtle disobedience was particularly irritating.

 

‘If I’m going to teach that lowly thing, I should at least receive proper compensation.’

 

Of course, the ducal family was paying quite generously, but that alone wasn’t enough.

 

The harp from Konzern Instrument Shop.

 

If only that stupid brat had properly bought the harp, she could have received a substantial commission from the instrument shop.

 

She couldn’t even properly request that single harp from the Duchess!

 

‘Ha, always just hesitating… completely useless.’

 

The Countess irritably gulped down the lukewarm coffee.

 

“How did my situation come to this… tsk.”

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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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