Published at 27th of July 2022 10:38 pm

Chapter ss-18: Side Story 18

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This was not a permission, but a notification.

I no longer need ask for permission from the Duke. "Penelope."

The Duke quickly asked me with a surprised look. "Where the hell are you going, leaving your house? Huh?" "Anywhere."

I replied so quietly after some time.

"So you're not going to give me a farewell."

"Penelope!"

Like when he heard I had met Yvonne, The Duke's face turned pale.

"We didn't finish the conversation last time. No matter what anyone says, you're my daughter. How does it make sense to cut the vile between parents and children!"

"I know you'd say that."

I nodded my head in silence.

"Then from now on, please don't care what I do."

Game is over, and I have to go through a future that I no longer known in this world. "Wherever I go, whatever I do there, even if I marry someone you hate."

"Penelope Eckart!"

The Duke opened his eyes and shouted.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Don't to care what you're doing!"

When he asked me, he looked at my expressionless face and suddenly shut his mouth. It seemed he had figured out the reason.

After a moment the duke soon opened his mouth with a tired look.

"I was the one who bring you here and I admit I haven't looked after you properly."

"....."

"ButNow I have one daughter left with my eyes are wide open. You just tell me about Yvonne's news,

and now you're telling me this ? Huh? Uh, you can smash your father's heart." The Duke's expression full of grief and sorrow, made my heart flutter.

The Duke was a man with great responsibility.

Besides, he have a little guilt for me, so he'll be more protective of me.

Of course, I know his words and actions toward me are not simply due to responsibility and guilt. Now I've got a little affection from him, and maybe he had been thinking me as a real family.

But because of it, I have spent hellish days with my heart divided in two. The desire for affection and the desire to be recognized by them.

Their hatred driving me crazy and made me so miserable. Just like my pride which been broken every time it happend.

Whenever I saw Duke, I was troubled by the conflict between the two emtions. "I asked if you didn't blame me for killing Yvonne."

Nevertheless.

Even though I've come all the way here, I was a little afraid that they'll blame me. "I also need time and opportunity for not to blame people in this mansion, Father." They never once asked me such a thing.

How my mind and how I feel.

The Duke's eyes grown ever bigger, as if he had never expected to hear this from me. Duke's lips whose had been clenched and stiff hard, opened after quite a long time. "...... Penelope, my dear. You still think that's"

"....."

"Do you still resent me?"

Duke's blue eyes shook incessantly.

I looked at him like that and finally accepted it. "Yes."

"Haa"

Duke raised his hand and slowly brushed his face.

Perhaps because of the shock, his fingertips were trembling.

However, I smiled as usual 'Don't forget to keep your grace' like you always said. Without saying anything to reassure him.

He was a loving parent to Yvonne, and sometimes he gave it to me. But mostly he was a harsh father. For Penelope.

"I can't forgive you." No, to me.

"Everyone in the duchess, including Derick and Leonard, who have been abusing me." ""

"And the Duke, who has neglected and tolerated it all." From some point of view, Duke may not be much at fault.

He adopted a poor orphan with a good heart, but it must have been the same thing that she had been troubled by.

He is not a man who does not have common sense. In fact, as I behave differently, the relationship with the Duke quickly improved.

Just like other peoples.

Maybe contempt and treatment were what stupid Penelope brought on herself. 'But Penelope is me after all.'

The distinction was no longer meaningful.

If I deny it, even though I have decided to stay in this world, the child's death which repeated until her soul is broken will be.

Unfairness and yearning, sorrow, despair.

Who the hell can understand them? "Penelope."

My calm words forced the Duke to call me.

Whitened complexion and open eyes. The duke's appearance was like a person with a tight breath. "Why, why now.... In the meantime"

I've been fine so far, but why did I say that now?

From his point of view, I thought it might be quite a sudden notice.

I've been with the Duke and my family in moderately to the point where it seems no problem until now.

"For you, I think it's out of the blue. I haven't shown much about my self, and sometimes I've been acting stupid on my family."

I shrugged and said lightly.

The Duke's lips were opened as if he had something to say. But I firmly stopped him and continued to speak.

"But you never asked me once." ""

"When Derick brother was hostile to me for no great reason, when I was framed for being a necklace thief by Leonard, and when you found out that you employees were involved in my meals and starved me every time."

"....."

"You never asked me if I was really okay." "Penelope."

"I did act like I was okay not because my wound was healed. But I just buried it because there was something bigger than that."

In order to survive, I had to beg desperately, and pretend nothing was wrong. And it became heavier as time went by.

Because I'm expecting more and more from Duke, and I don't want to get hurt when his daughter comes back.

My heart was sore at the thought of that time. 'It's all right. It's over now.'

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. And poured out the remaining words that I had prepared.

"But after meeting Yvonne, I thought I could understand the Duke's feelings, and why the brothers were doing that to me"

"....."

"I don't think all the attention you gave me replaced Yvonne, so I'm leaving." The peacock's face slowly sank into my words.

I finally dropped my head when I saw his wrinkled eyes turn red. "DoDo you have to leave?"

The Duke looked at me with a watery voice.

"If.... You stay by my sideI'll apologize all the time, and may be you can forgive me then."

"Me tooI want to be comfortable now.'

I shook my head slowly at the Duke who had a faint hope.

"Over time, I hope that someday I will be able to treat my father sincerely, not as a pretense that I made up"

"....."

"So stop confronting the Crown Prince under the pretext of me. Besides, I don't have any intention to marry him right away."

The words that stood out for my people popped out rather calmly.

The Duke who had opened his eyes wide and stiffened at my words, shouted one step late. "...... Penelope, my dear. It's not like that. I, I just wanted him to tell you!"

He, who was shouted violently denying words, suddenly stopped talking. And bittersweet things popped out.

"No, no. Maybe this is sounded like an excuse again to your ears."

"....."

"I'll try not to do that as much as I can now."

It didn't matter if the Duke really did it for me or not.

But now Callisto is anxious enough, and I didn't want to add his anxiety with the thought that I might go back to my house.

"I'm telling you not to do anything for me, Duke, and political matters have nothing to do with me." I soothed the grieving Duke with a somewhat soften expression.

Honestly, Callisto's fiery personality could lead to a country's death or aristocratic annihilation, so the duke's proper checks were necessary.

At my words the Duke nodded faintly with a gloomy face. Now he seemed have understood everything I said. "Then I will go now."

I tried to get up from my seat. 'He must have noticed by now.'

I was nervous when I thought about going back before the palace was overturned. "Wa, wait a minute."

It was then. The Duke rushed to hold me back whenn I ready to go back. Then he picked up something under the table.

"Take this with you, Penelope."

It was a slightly larger wooden case than the two palms combined. Somehow it overlapped when I received a crossbow from him. "Whatis this?"

I looked at the Duke with a curious look. Instead of answering, the Duke advised cautiously. "You canJust opened it."

I was just going to carry it, but my heart became weak on his wrinkled face that looked so desperate. 'This's the last one, that's it.'

I reached out to unlock the wooden case and opened the lid. And when I saw what was in it, my eyes open wide.

"This is"

"It's a relic excavation tool kit."

tweezers, magnifying glasses, tape measure, various kinds of brush, hammer, chisels.....

It was seen that the various tools were placed neatly on a soft cushion. The Duke quietly added an explanation.

"Because there is a light magic, it will not be difficult to carry it. And each tool has a target preservation magic, so it can be safely exacavated without scratches."

Looking at them in a daze, and slowly raised my head. "Why this"

I looked at Duke with shaking eyes.

It was today that he met Marienne and heard the story.

I didn't know how the Duke knew and handed these to me.

"A few days ago, I had a private encounter with the Crown Prince." Without facing my gaze properly, the duke said.

"So far, I have only thought you were locked up in the imperial palace because of himno His

Highness. And you haven't been in touch for weeks, except for a letter you sent for the butler." "That's"

I was speechless by the tone of the slight hurt duke.

After the conversation with Cedric, I secretly sent it. But I didn't know the Duke would know that I had sent a letter to the butler.

"He is a tactician"

It was when I was thinking about the source and making a frown.

"So I asked him to stop and let me bringing you home, and that child! Oh, no, Your Highness is

mocking me for not knowing where you've gone, and if I'm going to look for you, look for myself." The Duke spoke and clenched his fists.

He was trying to be conscious of what I had just said, and he was respectful to the prince, but he couldn't stand him as a person.

However he didn't show it much either.

Suddenly, the duke laughed dejectedly and smirked at himself. "I've been your father for six years."

"......"

"And I didn't even notice that you were interested in archaeology." I looked at him with a surprised look.

"Duke, that's"

I didn't know anything else, but it wasn't his fault.

The previous Penelope, no, I wouldn't have been particularly interested in that. "BecauseI didn't say it."

"No, it's all because I was careless."

Despite his sincere denial, the Duke distorted his face with guilt.

"Maybe, like you said, I don't deserve to be called as your father anymore."

"...."

"I'm sorry, my dear. But still"

"...."

"Will you accept it as the last gift from your father?"

I turned away from him and looked down at the excavation kit. 'What happens when i get this.'

To be honest, I was worried.

I came here to break up the bad relationship, but if I receive it, it will continue to be nasty. But in the end, it was useless agony.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find a reason for not accept it. "Thank you."

Tak-.

I locked the lid of the case and stood up, then bowed lightly. "Take care, Duke."

"Yes. You too, please"

He finally couldn't speak and covered his eyes with one hand. Finally.

It was the real farewell to the Duke, which I couldn't made it during coming-of-age ceremony.

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