The Villainess Duke Lady Hides Her Identity - Chapter 76

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 76

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The moment Reponya returned to the Estate, she relayed to Duke Craitan what she had overheard from people at the shop.
A suspicious person, she added, was committing perverse crimes—stalking a young woman with silver hair and red eyes.
She also mentioned that people were hesitant to go out for leisure, fearful of such rumors.
Duke Craitan reported the matter to the Imperial Palace, increased the security personnel throughout the Capital, and instructed the populace to exercise caution and seek out the guards should any incident occur.
With the guard numbers swollen, the perpetrator would not dare strike again.
Thus the Harvest Festival in the Capital ended without incident.
“My lady. You didn’t even listen to the Pope’s Blessing? Everyone comes to the Harvest Festival in the Capital just to hear that!”
“Listening to prayers is such a bother.”
“But they say it brings good fortune.”
Buddy and Becky chattered incessantly as they helped Reponya with her morning toilette.
The moment they learned that she had foregone the Pope’s Blessing, they grew particularly distressed, their voices wavering with dismay.
It was a reaction any uninformed person would give, so Reponya felt no ill will toward them.
To the citizens of the Empire, Pope Pretes seemed like a divine messenger more than any pope who had come before him.
‘If God truly exists, why on earth did He grant such sacred power to a man like that—and why has He never taken it back?’
What she had learned from this Harvest Festival was twofold: the Pope had not rescinded his order for Reponya’s death, and he remained entirely unaware that Reponya had turned five years old.
And there was a third thing—that the fourth daughter, Bellica, would be coming as the assignor of a new mission.
‘I mustn’t be cast out before Bellica arrives. I need to hold on a while longer.’
Knock-knock.
The door opened to the sound of knocking, and Duke Craitan stepped inside.
It was rare for Duke Craitan to visit at such an early hour, so Reponya’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Your Grace?”
“Hmm.”
Duke Craitan, having entered, covered his mouth with a loosely clenched fist and cleared his throat softly.
“We greet Your Grace.”
Buddy and Becky ceased brushing Reponya’s hair and hastily bowed at the waist.
“Were you brushing Reponya’s hair?”
“Yes, Your Grace. We were assisting the young lady with her morning preparations.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Duke Craitan gave a curt reply. Reponya had expected him to excuse himself and wait outside, but instead, accompanied by another soft cough, he stood motionless like a rooted tree.
“…? Your Grace. Is there something you wish to have done?”
“No. Nothing like that.”
To Buddy’s question, Duke Craitan answered firmly, then glanced sidelong at Reponya.
‘What is he doing?’
Reponya tilted her head, observing the restless duke.
He seemed to have something he wished to say.
‘Could he have heard that I met Bellica yesterday?’
Since Havelian and Fellens had been with her yesterday, word would surely have reached Duke Craitan’s ears.
Cornering a stranger and questioning her background would certainly seem suspicious.
‘If he asks, I’ll play dumb and dodge it.’
After much hesitation, Duke Craitan released a heavy sigh before finally opening his mouth with difficulty.
“Hmm. If you wouldn’t mind… I should like to braid Reponya’s hair.”
“…What?”
She wondered why he’d come, and suddenly he wanted to braid her hair?
“Ah. My lady’s hair is quite free-spirited and frizzy, Your Grace. It won’t be easy to manage.”
“It’s all right. I’ve been practicing all night.”
He’d practiced all night? Reponya blinked, bewildered. Then a memory surfaced—what the Emperor had said during the Capital’s Harvest Festival procession.
He’d asked if Duke Craitan had ever brushed his daughter’s hair or braided it, and the duke had flinched. Could he truly be taking those words to heart?
‘There’s no need for him to worry about such things.’
She had already received more than enough in this life—things she had never once received before.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Buddy carefully extended the Cushion Brush she held to Duke Craitan. When he waved his hand dismissively, the servants, reading his intention, quietly withdrew to make space.
“Reponya.”
Now alone together, Duke Craitan approached from behind, still holding the Cushion Brush that seemed oddly out of place in his hands.
“Sit down for me.”
“Y-yes.”
Reponya settled into the chair with a nervous expression—this was her first time entrusting her hair to Duke Craitan.
Beyond the mirror, she could see the Duke’s face, just as tense as her own.
“I’ll brush your hair now. Tell me if it hurts at all.”
As a child, she’d never complained even when her hair was pulled hard, so there was no way this gentle brushing could hurt.
Duke Craitan slowly and very carefully began brushing Reponya’s hair with the Cushion Brush.
Soft, soft sounds.
The same sounds she heard every day. Yet somehow the ends of her hair felt ticklish as he brushed.
Though hair shouldn’t be able to feel anything at all.
“This is my first time brushing my daughter’s hair, so I may be clumsy about it.”
“Mm-hmm.”
She could already tell he was clumsy—his hand holding her hair and his brushing hand were reversed.
“If it hurts or feels uncomfortable, you must tell me. That way I can correct it and not make the same mistake next time.”
Next time? Did that mean he planned to brush her hair again like this?
“Is there a particular way you’d like your hair styled? Ponya.”
“Anything is fine.”
“Then I’ve been practicing tying it on both sides. Would that be all right?”
Both sides? Not just tied back? Starting with such a difficult technique right away?
“Mm. I don’t mind if you…”
Reponya looked at the Duke in the mirror, her expression asking whether he was sure.
“I’ve practiced, so don’t worry.”
“Um… whose hair did you practice on?”
“I had the long-haired knights come so I could practice on theirs.”
Reponya pictured those long-haired knights. Coincidentally, they all had hair about shoulder-length and thin, straight natural hair.
‘It’ll be completely different…’
She imagined the knights late at night with their hair tied in two pigtails.
Well, let him do what he wants.
“Yes. Go ahead and do that.”
Reponya nodded and studied Duke Craitan’s face through the mirror.
Duke Craitan brushed her hair with intense concentration. Brushing, and brushing, and brushing again.
‘How long is he going to keep brushing?’
Just as Reponya was about to ask, Duke Craitan stopped and spoke seriously.
“…That’s strange.”
“What is?”
“The hair sticking out won’t lie straight no matter how much I brush. Why won’t it settle down calmly?”
She laughed.
Reponya burst out laughing before she could help herself.
“Why are you laughing?”
Duke Craitan pressed down the sticking-out hair with his palm as he spoke, as if he believed that pressing it that way would make it behave.
“Becky said I have frizzy hair, remember? My hair just sticks out wildly.”
“…It’s always like this?”
“Yes. It’s even worse on rainy days. Hehe.”
“I’ve seen my wife’s—I mean, Laila’s hair like this a few times after she woke up. Ah, so that’s what frizzy hair is.”
It seemed the Duchess’s hair was frizzy too.
“My hair will keep sticking out even if you brush it more, so you can stop now and just divide it and tie it up for me.”
Duke Craitan nodded and set down the brush. Then, with his rough hands, he carefully began to divide her hair in half, starting to gather it from the left.
“Ow!”
He grabbed it quite roughly. Even Reponya, who had endured having her hair pulled since childhood and rarely made a sound from typical hair-pulling, let out a cry of pain.
“Oh. Ponya. Did it hurt?”
The flustered Duke Craitan quickly loosened his grip, flustered and unsure what to do.
‘It’s not that painful, really…’
She’d just been startled by the tug.
“Duke.”
Reponya placed her small hand on top of Duke Craitan’s, which hovered in mid-air.
“Slowly.”
Reponya guided his hand to her hair, letting him touch it.
“Just hold it gently and slowly, the way you always stroke my head.”
Just as Duke Craitan always stroked her hair, this time Reponya gently caressed the back of his hand, soothing him.
The Duke’s face, which had been full of tension, gradually softened.
Duke Craitan gently took hold of her hair and examined the accessory box brimming with hairpins.
“Which pin should we use?”
“Hmm. This one.”
She offered a carrot-shaped hairpin, and Duke Craitan accepted it, fastening it with a decisive click into the hair he held.
“…Hmm.”
Though the pin seemed to have gone in well enough, her hair slipped down in a mess—perhaps because he’d positioned it wrong.
“…That’s not quite right.”
Of course. The knights’ hair was sparse and lay flat, so a pin would stay put on them easily enough. But hers was different altogether.
Reponya laughed and pointed to the other side of her head.
“This side too, Duke.”
Duke Craitan shifted position and, gripping the other section of hair the same way, inserted the carrot pin once more.
It held better this time, but strands still escaped, leaving one side in an unintended half-ponytail.
She laughed softly.
Reponya caught sight of her disheveled reflection in the mirror and burst out laughing.
Duke Craitan rubbed his flushed face with his hand, muttering to himself.
“…I should have Buddy and Becky redo this. We’ll need to fix it.”
“No! I don’t want to. I’m wearing it like this today.”
“What? There’s no need for that. Reponya. Your hair right now is….”
“Am I not cute like this?”
Her laughter still fresh on her face, Reponya spun around sharply to face Duke Craitan.
His flustered expression crumbled helplessly.
How could anyone look at something so endearing and call it anything but cute?
“…You’re adorable. The most adorable in the world.”
“Heh. Then that settles it. Don’t call Buddy and Becky. I’m keeping it like this.”
The hairstyle Duke Craitan had practiced all night to create for the first time.
Perhaps for that reason, her reflection in the mirror didn’t look half bad.
‘It’s good. Looks distinctive.’
Reponya held her hair firmly in place so the pins wouldn’t slip and sprang lightly from the chair.
“…I’ll need more practice.”
“Duke. You’d get the same result practicing on the other knights’ hair.”
“Hmm?”
“If you’re going to practice, then from now on use my hair. Keep practicing on me.”
Reponya took hold of Duke Craitan’s hand.
“Next time, braid it for me.”
“…I heard that’s difficult.”
“It is. So practice hard. Duke.”
The two of them, hands clasped together, made their way toward the Dining Hall.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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