Translator and Editor: Maru and Aki
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Chapter 40
I believed that if I let go of his hand, it would land on the child. For that reason, I held his hand as tightly as I could and didn’t let go.
“Nanny, take Rere away!”
“Yes!”
“No! Let go of me!” But the nanny still held Rere in her arms despite her struggle.
At that time, another person got out of the carriage. The woman who came looking this way approached us with a cruel look.
It was Astra.
After looking at Astra with my swollen face, I was able to know the identity of the man who appeared all of sudden and made a fuss.
“Father, that’s enough.”
The man who slapped me and tried to hit Rere was Astra’s father.
“Do you think that I will stay still! My daughter has become like this…!”
He couldn’t hold back his anger, so he shrugged off my hand and raised his hand again.
At that time, someone twisted his hand from behind.
“Ugh…!”
“How dare you lay your hand at her!”
In a blink of an eye, Duke Petri’s knights already surrounded the area with their swords pointed at the man. The atmosphere quickly changed, but the uninvited guest was busy getting angry even though his arm was broken.
“You’d better stay away.”
Luca, who approached me warmly, grabbed me and pulled me back. In addition, he kindly took his handkerchief and gave it to me. I could feel the blood on my lips because of the unexpected assault.
“Are you all right?”
“I…I’m fine.”
Meanwhile, Rere came down from the nanny’s arms and grabbed my hand.
“Big Bunny! Are you okay?”
“Of course!”
Luca, who had been looking closely at us, clenched his teeth and fists.
“How dare he slap Leona in the face. I really want to kill him.”
Luca quickly erased his smiling face and glared at the angry man.
“No, I’m fine. Rere, come here. I’ll give you a hug.”
“No! I asked if your face is okay!”
“It’s okay, don’t worry.”
“Damn…your lips are bleeding! That crazy guy! I won’t let this slide!”
However, the rapidly changing situation made us hesitate to intervene.
“What the hell are you doing barging into someone else’s house?!”
The Duke asked, but the brown haired man glared at Duke Ian as soon as his arm was released.
“I’m here to tell you something! I can’t hold back my anger when I see that wench!”
“…Duke Arvida.”
“…What?”
“I’ll make you regret what you just did.”
“Nonsense! Duke Ian Petri! You’re going to make me regret it? Go ahead and stab me! You know I’m also a Duke, but you’re disrespecting me like this?”
The Duke nodded at his words, and the knights withdrew their swords. Only then did Duke Arvida, who tidied up his clothes, glare at us and grind his teeth towards Ian. But before he could say anything, Ian opened his mouth first.
“First of all, let’s go inside and talk. Duke.”
Duke Ian Petri, who was 20 years younger than Duke Arvida, did not bow down at all. On the contrary, Duke Arvida looked pathetic.
“You think I’m willing to go in and talk….! After all the humiliation my daughter received?”
“…When I think about what you’ve just done, I want to cut off your neck even if you’re a Duke, but I held back. So stop spouting nonsense and follow me. Unless you want to die miserably here.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“It’s not a threat, it’s my sincerity. So shut up and walk.”
“Eugh…I won’t forget this disgrace!”
Ian didn’t answer. As if he didn’t think the angry man was a big deal, he turned around.
“Let’s go inside and listen to what you have to say. You’ll have to apologize for what you did to my daughter.”
There was no answer from Duke Arvida.
“…Leona and Rere, come with me.”
Duke Ian then looked at me with droopy eyes as if he was sorry about what happened. Duke Arvida was the one at fault, but why did he make that face?
A part of my heart felt heavy.
“Big Bunny, let’s go. I think something funny will happen soon.”
“Huh? We’re coming, too?”
“Yup! Daddy’s waiting.”
It wasn’t a pleasant meeting, so I hesitated for a bit.
“I’ll be with you, so don’t worry.”
“…Luca is always so kind.”
“No! I’m kinder than him!” Rere, who saw Luca pat me on the arm, tightened her grip on my hand.
“Ah, is that so?”
“Yup. So let’s go now. I’ll protect you, Big Bunny.”
“Okay. I should believe in Luca and Rere.”
I followed in their footsteps at their persuasion. No words were spoken along the way. The hall was only filled with Duke Arvida’s rambling. After a while, we arrived at the Duke’s drawing room.
Last time, it was transformed into a chocolate room for Rere. I came here a few times, but a big accident always occurred here, so I felt a sense of familiarity when we entered the room. Upon arriving there, Duke Arvida raised his voice to Ian and stretched his shoulders.
“If any of this humiliating act towards Duke Arvida is revealed, I will tell the Emperor directly and hold a noble trial!”
“Great. I have a lot to say, too.”
Duke Arvida’s face became dark by his adamant words. He only snorted as if he was very annoyed, perhaps because the situation didn’t turn in his favor. Meanwhile, Ian sat at the top seat.
“I don’t want to serve you tea, and whether you sit down or not, I don’t care.”
“…Ha? Just now…Let’s see how much longer you can keep up with that confidence, Duke!”
“I’m confident because I didn’t do anything wrong. Before that, Rere and Leona should sit down first. Both of you aren’t sinners, so you don’t have to stand.”
Contrary to his voice towards Duke Arvida, he had a gentler tone now. Even as I stood there dawdling, he tapped the sofa next to me. As though he wanted me to sit down.
“Daddy told us to sit. So let’s sit down.”
At Rere’s urging, I walked to the seat.
“I’ll sit on mom’s lap!”
“You’re calling me mom again?”
“No! It’s a slip of tongue! Don’t get me wrong!”
The grumbling Rere quickly climbed to my lap. As Duke Arivda looked at us, he urged his daughter, who was impolitely sitting down, to get up. He pushed her in front of Ian.
“I’m here to confirm the story. My daughter…I heard that you kicked her out in a shameful manner, and also threatened her. Is that true?”
“Then I’ll ask you the same thing. Did you try to hit my wife and child over a trivial thing?”
“….Trivial thing?! Duke!”
“It’s indeed a trivial thing.”
“Ha. You’re absolutely crazy. That wench and child deserved to be hit! That’s why I hit them!”
“Deserved to be hit? Do you think you won’t regret what you just said?”
“Of course!”
“How admirable. Speaking of which, I’m still regretting it. I still regret that I didn’t twist her neck at once.”
“What did you say?”
Duke Ian Petri’s face became cold at once.
“I’m really curious, Duke Arvida. What do you want to hear so bad that you came here in person? I honestly don’t understand.”
“Explain! How dare you kick my daughter out. Let’s talk about your impertinence!”
Ian leaned back leisurely.
“If you knew what your daughter did in my residence and how much insolence she committed, you wouldn’t be able to come out so confidently.”
“Insolence?! It can’t be!”
Duke Arvida’s eyes turned to his daughter who stood next to him.
“That’s right, father. That’s nonsense! I’ve never been rude. Such things never happened!”
However, Astra’s hands were shaking. Ian, who was tapping the armchair with his legs crossed, seemed to be having fun.
“Nonsense? After everything you’ve done to my daughter?”
“I-I was just teaching her!”
“And you tried to hurt my daughter. Didn’t you tell the other kids to make strange rumors and ignore my daughter?”
“That’s…! I told you before, the child didn’t listen to me, so I’m just trying to break that bad habit of hers…”
Only then did Astra stammer.
“That day, I truly wanted to kill you.”
“…But I’m not lying! It’s just…!”
“Just what? Why don’t you make a fool of yourself more with that mouth?”
Her face reddened again as everyone in the room turned to her. But Duke Arvida quickly intercepted.
“It can’t be! No way!”
“If she could do that much, then I could get mad and threaten her, too.”
“That’s!”
“Why? You tried to hit my daughter, so why can’t I do the same thing?”
“…My daughter is a princess!”
“My daughter is also a princess.”
Duke Arvida tried to say something, but he couldn’t, perhaps because he could sense the stinging gazes from the people in the room.
“That’s…!”
I knew what he was thinking even though he didn’t say it. I tightened my grip on Rere’s waist. He was going to talk nonsense about Rere’s birth again.
“Why don’t you tell me more?”
“…In any case, apologize for hitting my daughter!”
“What if I don’t?”
“We’ll hold a noble trial for abusing your wife! No matter how noble you are, the law of the empire forbids you from abusing your wife! I’ll make you regret it, Duke Petri!”
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