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I Hid the Duke’s Daughter (Web Novel) - Chapter 5: Let’s hold hands and go
Chapter 5: Let’s hold hands and go
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
The occasional chirping of birds sounded in the otherwise peaceful forest. As he stood quietly, Islay couldn’t stop thinking about Evelyn after seeing that little girl that uncannily resembled his lover.
Whenever his surroundings were this silent, he would be reminded of the moment when Evelyn disappeared. What had his grandmother said to him as he stood, unable to escape his shock at Evelyn’s disappearance?
Islay’s face suddenly showed a disgusted expression at the memory.
***
“Didn’t this turn out for the best, after all, such a lowly woman doesn’t suit you.”
His grandmother said these words, as if she had been waiting for Evelyn to disappear, to the disillusioned Islay.
“You should now meet a true lady who is worthy to marry into the Neidhart family.”
“…A lady who is worthy of the Neidhart family?”
Did that mean she thought Evelyn was less worthy?
Islay’s eyes sharpened.
“Don’t you agree? Weren’t you pretending to be lovers with that lowly girl?”
As soon as he heard that, Islay realized. His grandmother had been heavily involved with Evelyn’s disappearance.
“In the first place, she isn’t someone you have to be so angry or sad over.”
She spoke, smiling at her grandson.
“She was someone who didn’t know her place…Well, anyway, it’s a relief that she’s long gone.”
Islay’s face froze and hardened at that remark.
Long gone?
“Of course, the amount needed to send her away was more than she deserved.”
Grandmother gave her money? No way, it can’t be that she threw money at Evelyn and chased her away?
He felt as if he’d been dunked in cold ice water.
“Does it make sense for my grandson to be with some good-for-nothing vagrant?”
“…Please leave.”
“What? What are you saying to your very own grandmother?”’
“I will have absolutely no contact with you until I find Eve.”
And after that, Islay really never met his grandmother. He also formally announced to the empire that he would never marry. Countless rumors sprang up like clouds about what had happened to Duke Islay to make him want to stay single for the rest of his life.
But he did not care about those rumors.
To the Islay who had always been treated as the head of the noble Neidhart family, Evelyn had been very special. She was the only person who truly treated him as the person “Islay” and not the “Duke of Neidhart.”
***
His emotions in turmoil as he recalled this buried memory, Islay looked up and noticed a small child.
Who…?
Islay stopped in place.
Bright, blond hair sparkled under the dark shadows of the lush trees.
Like a fluffy yellow chick.
A small girl was squatting under a tree, staring at the ground as if intrigued by something.
Islay remembered who the child was.
That child who looked like Eve…Why is she here? Isn’t such a girl too young to be walking around the forest alone?
Islay hesitated for a bit before calling out to the girl.
“Child, what are you doing here?”
“Ah…” The child looked up at him, unable to conceal her expression of embarrassment.
– Chirp chirp!
They both looked down at her hands.
The child was carefully holding a small bird.
The bird’s eyes were yet to open properly, so it seemed to have just hatched. It shook its featherless body.
“I think this bird fell from the tree, but I don’t know if I can climb it…”
Islay lifted his head.
Amidst the lush leaves high up in the tree, a next of woven branches was visible.
The child was too small to reach or climb to that height.
He narrowed his eyes.
“Hmm…”
Perhaps if it was the usual Islay, he wouldn’t have thought of putting the chick in its nest.
Not only would it be troublesome, but he wouldn’t feel like he had the time.
After failing to find Evelyn for seven years, Islay had lost most of his former sweetness. He became constantly sensitive and was always on-edge.
But after seeing a girl who resembled Evelyn, he decided to make an exception.
“You can give me the bird.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll put it back into its nest.”
Islay extended his hand.
But the child did not give him the bird. Instead, she looked around as if thinking of saying something.
Islay was puzzled at the child who was in deep thought.
“You’re…not going to give me the bird?”
“The…the thing is…”
The child’s words trailed off, and she suddenly looking desperate, asking Islay in a sincere voice.
“But you know, mister.”
“Hmm?”
“This bird, can’t I raise it?”
Ah.
True, now that he thought about it, the child must be at an age when she wanted to raise small animals. When he was young, he had dogs, cats, and a few birds. He had even been elated after receiving his first ponies.
She must be feeling the same way.
However…
“About that.”
“Huh?”
“What if you were alone in the woods, and then a huge giant appeared?”
“…But giants don’t exist.”
The child stared at Islay with contempt, and he smiled at her facial expression.
“Don’t say that. Here, listen to me.”
As she put on an expression that said “I’ll listen once,” Islay’s smile thickened.
“That giant took you away without a word to your family, all because he wanted to raise you.”
As he spoke, Islay glanced at the child. She couldn’t hide her thoughts as he saw her face turn serious.
“If so, would you be happy to be separated from your parents?”
Unable to hide her sadness at his words, she carefully held out the bird in her hands.
“No…I think this baby bird needs its mother too.”
“Yes, it probably does.”
Islay received the bird, faintly smiling.
Stroking the child’s head, he turned away to climb the tree.
“Wait a bit, I’ll return the bird to its mother.”
Although Islay hadn’t climbed a tree since he was 12, it wasn’t too difficult. He climbed up to the tree branch in quick motions, pushing through the leaves and branches. He pushed away the branches covering the nest, gently placed the chick inside The mother bird that had been flying around in anxiety hastily embraced its returned young. Islay, watching this sight, put back the branches that he had pushed away and began to descend.
But as he was climbing back down, the child looking up from the ground noticed something.
“Oh!”
A small box had slipped out of from Islay’s clothes and was falling towards her. The box hit the ground and bounced a couple of times, rolling until it hit her toe. She who bent over picked up the box.
It was a ring case covered in velvet.
“…What could it be?”
She murmured, curious, as she had never seen a ring case before. She wanted to open it right away.
“No I can’t, Mommy said I shouldn’t touch other people’s belongings.”
So the child held the ring case in both hands and waited for Islay to come down from the tree.
Soon, Islay jumped lightly onto the ground, and the child ran up to him.
“Mister, this dropped while you were climbing!”
“What did I drop?”
Islay’s indifferent face froze as he saw what she was holding. Because the ring case in the child’s hand held a very special object for him. The child asked innocently.
“Can I open it?”
“Do what you want.”
If it was like usual, he would have definitely say no. His actions today didn’t make any sense, and he bit his lips in confusion.
“Thank you!” The excited child opened the case lid.
Click.
A brilliant ring was revealed, embedded with a yellow diamond as large as a thumbnail at its center. It was as if the ring had swallowed the sun.
“Wow…pretty…….”
The child’s amber eyes gazed at the ring in wonder.
Actually, this was the first time she was seeing such fine jewelry. But after looking at the ring this way and that way for awhile, she became a little sullen. Every time she saw these kind of fancy things, she thought of her mother, because her beautiful mother was more frugal than anyone she knew.
“My mommy…doesn’t even have any rings.”
“What was that?”
“Oh, nothing.”
It would be nice if Mommy would buy stuff like this for herself too.
The child returned his ring case back, her shoulders drooping. Her mother, who always paid close attention to her child’s attire, only purchased something like a button for herself after thinking about whether she should or shouldn’t for at least ten days.
“Why do you suddenly look so upset?”
Islay asked as he glanced at the child. After keeping her lips shut for a bit, she spoke as if she had come to a decision.
“Someday, I will buy a ring like this one for my mommy.”
“Really? Your mother must be very happy to have a daughter like you.”
Her face lit up like a lamp at Islay’s remark, and she began to happily run around.
“Is she? Is my mommy happy with me?”
“Of course. If I had a daughter like you, I too…”
I would be happy too.
Islay, who began to speak without thinking, stopped talking and drifted into thought.
A daughter.
If he and Evelyn had continued to date and eventually married, wouldn’t they have had such a lovely daughter by now? He would have been happy just to see his child’s laughter and smile. As he thought this, his heart stung as if it had been stabbed with a sharp knife.
“I like my mommy the most in the world!” The child said as she laughed.
Nodding his head, Islay looked down at the ring. He smiled bitterly. The memory of the past was like an unstoppable tsunami, devouring him anywhere and at anytime.
At the time, he had believed that this ring would be a wedding ring. The excitement and nervousness he had when he had purchased the ring had long been replaced by a mix of deep despair and prolonged affection.
I was going to propose to her as soon as I returned to the empire.
He had been on business as the empire’s envoy, but had custom-ordered the ring despite his busy schedule. He had thought the ring would go well with his sweetheart’s amber eyes. Anticipating the day of his proposal, he had sent her letters everyday. But Evelyn did not write a single reply, and his anticipation turned into anxiety.
And then, when he had returned to the empire.
In place of Evelyn was a farewell letter she had written for Islay.
[You and I don’t belong together, so it’s best to end our relationship here.]
That one sentence was enough to destroy him. And as soon as he saw the letters he had sent neatly arranged in her drawer, he felt his legs loosen.
She hadn’t even opened his letters.
His eyes had desperately groped the letter, reading her words until the last line.
[I wish you happiness, Lay.]
Islay, recalled the sentence, caught by his sense of helplessness.
Happiness.
Did the word happiness even exist in a life without her?
He gripped the ring case in his hand and bit his lips, feeling sick.
But.
Why is this child here, and alone?
He had definitely seen her with her teacher watching over her earlier.
“By the way, why are you by yourself?” Islay asked.
At the question, the child turned to him with a face of realization and looked around her surroundings in search of her teacher.
The teacher wasn’t around, of course.
The child wailed, “I think I’m lost!”
……..Did you realize that just now?
Feeling a headache coming on, Islay gave a small sigh. The child’s eyes shook.
“Oh no, but Mommy told me to listen to my teacher!”
The child’s concern didn’t seem to be about being lost. Rather, Islay was surprised by the child showing her concern at her failure to keep her mother’s words.
He had met a pretty unusual kid.
“Well, don’t worry too much. I’ll take you to your teacher.”
“Re-really?”
The child spun around and looked at Islay. Then she reached out her hand as if it were natural, nodding as she spoke.
“Then let’s hold hands and go!”
