Chapter 187.

Back in my room, I calmly contemplated my escape. The most important things. Money, shards, means of movement.

Mentally, I wanted to go out to the Duke right away, but going to the far north requires considerable preparation. We must meet first.

Dawn was imminent, speeding away, and it was dawn. Finally organizing my thoughts, I was about to get up from my chair on the book to call someone.

“Miss, it’s me.”

Finally the person I wanted to see came to me first. I said as I sat paralyzed in my chair.

“Come in.”

The door to the room opened and the butler walked right in and greeted me.

“What happened?”

“This is a report on the performance and income of emerald sales for the last month…”

He placed the black folder on the desk in a dignified manner. I took it and roughly skimmed the contents. A quick glance told me that huge sums of money had landed on me, but wasn’t too happy about it. It was money that couldn’t be spent anyway.

It was also because I had the right money line, but didn’t trust the butler.

“I’ll watch it.”

‘Snapping—‘ closed the file folder, I ignored the look on the butler’s face and said excitedly.

“Butler, I want to go out for a while.”

“Go out …… you mean? Where do you want to go …….”

“I don’t know.”

Perseverance shrugged off the startled butler and asked rhetorically.

“Is papa in the palace now?”

“Ah, no. I was trying to enter the palace later today, and I’m still at the mansion.”

“Is that so?”

I had expected to get permission only after the Duke abdicated tonight, but it was surprisingly rewarding.

“Will you ask Papa then? Please allow me to go out.” In any case, I’m nominally grounded, so if I want to go out without noise, I’d better make sure.

“I see, miss.”

After a while, the butler left the room trembling. He came back with both good and bad news.

“Miss, the Duke has given you permission to go out.”

“Excellent.”

“But it will be lunch soon, so he asked me if I wanted to join him for lunch.”

“Lunch?” I asked with a frown, wistfully not going to do it.

“Is …… the whole family together?”

“No. The young duke and young master have Knights training …….” Lunch was horrible, but it was still lucky news.

‘He’s allowed to go out, presumably because of lunch.’ I replied with a soft nod.

“Get ready and tell him I’ll be right down.”

***

Following the butler, instead of going to the cafeteria, I went outside the public house. Because the Duke said it was a nice day to eat in the greenhouse. Does it have to be in the greenhouse? Although thinking so,, but did not show it. When I opened the door and walked in, I was greeted by the fragrance of flowers that I rarely smell. I don’t know if I came first, but the Duke was sitting alone at the table in the middle of the greenhouse, dumbfounded and in deep thought.

“Dad.”

Out of the commotion, he snapped out of it.

“Ah, have you come? Please sit.”

I walked around the table and sat on the other side of him. The attendees had all arrived, and the servants immediately started moving the food quickly. Probably because it was lunch, sandwiches, soups, desserts, etc. were the main focus.

Even though the table was full, no one raised their hands hastily. The Duke seemed to be in deep thought just now, not opening his mouth at all. Shrouded in an awkward silence watching his eye color I carefully asked the question first.

“Do you have anything to say ……?”

The sudden question caused the Duke to raise his head.” …… What?”

“I asked if you have anything to say to me?”

“To say?” The Duke froze. Maybe it was a distraction, he was feeling a little strange today.

“Yes. No brothers, just me called into the greenhouse …… soon to enter the palace.” Meaning no time.” Ah, yeah. Enter the palace. Should …….”

The duke murmured, this is an unexpected problem. Perhaps because of the insanity of the phrase “enter the palace”, a light gradually appeared in his eyes. I watched that kind of him carefully and opened my mouth.

“Dad, are you okay?”

“Are you …… any better?” Duke looked back at me, greeting me as usual.

“Physical. The attending doctor said it still needs to recover.”

“That’s okay. Much better.”

“…… Tell the butler you want to go out.”

Finally reaching the point, I nodded quickly.

“Because of the depression. Like this is enough …….”

“That’s. A week is coming up.” The Duke nodded in agreement.

It suddenly occurred to him that the fact that he could now make his own decisions and end the close was a bit ridiculous. Before, you couldn’t move around the room without the Duke’s or Derrick’s permission ……

“I’d like to do that.” Permission was given for an hour and a half.

“Thanks.”

“But no leaving.”

But an hour and a half later, the next level suddenly hit. The Duke’s words were so sudden, I was alarmed.” …… Dad.”

“Can’t hear you, sorry. But since you used Eckhardt’s castle to complete your bar mitzvah, it’s the whole family’s business.”

Of course, there was truth in his words. Because of the crazy thing I did at the bar mitzvah, the entire city line of the capital is now flocking to the dukedom. However, I thought I could hear the words to wait for it to calm down and proceed quietly.

Why won’t you let me go when my own daughter is back?”

I could not understand it at all. It was the loss of what to say, when the light looked on.

“But …… if you wish, I will take steps to let you go.”

Calmly attaching to the Duke’s words, my eyes widened.

“Do I …… know where to go?”

“To anywhere.”

I looked at him with shaky eyes, in an unusual mood. There was no anticipation of him hearing a word I said just now.

“Where is …… the little duke.”

I pointed out the biggest obstacle, and the guy brainwashed by Ibn didn’t let me off the hook easily.

“I would have objected.”

“What else can the Duke do when he’s still around?”

The Duke moved his eyebrows at my question. Retorting with a hard voice, he proposed the resolution.

“Even if you can’t be stopped, run to me. I’ll teach him a lesson.” Then he smiled awkwardly. A mischievous face that I haven’t seen in a while. Apparently, the only time I looked to smile all day long was when I received the magic stone bow. At that time suddenly felt awkward and uncomfortable …… with a duke like me.

On the morning of the Bar Mitzvah, the heart that was thought to have been killed once again showed a squirming look. I grabbed the hands that the table had lowered.” Dad.”

“Hmm?”

“…… Do you believe this Ibn?”

Switching inexplicable topics, the Duke’s blue pupils widened greatly.

Is this really right? Even thinking that, I can’t stop looking at the duke pleadingly.

“Suddenly mentioning that child, why ……”

He glanced at me as if trying to grasp my mind. Then, as if something stuck, lowered his head a little.

“Perhaps, since that room was not searched, that’s all that’s left?”

“No. It’s not that …… before the coming-of-age ceremony, the memories didn’t come back very clearly.”

“That’s …… right.” The duke with astonished eyes immediately agreed to my words. Moreover, coaxing me with the attitude of knowing all my worries.

“I won’t announce it until the memory does come back.”

Derek, who brought her here on the day of the Bat Mitzvah, had been “blindfolded”, but he repeated it with a firm expression. I looked at that kind of Duke and opened my lips with difficulty.

“Look in the teacup when …… you’re with that child, Dad.”

“Teacup?” The Duke made a puzzled expression.

“What are you talking about, Penelope.”

“Don’t …… believe it.”

It was hard to swallow the words that welled up my neck, before the distrust of whether or not to believe my words was terrifying. The woman who brainwashed me with incomplete relics. If she knew I said those words to the Duke, she might not let me go. But it’s not like I can just let the Duke be brainwashed. Neither can I perfectly avoid it, nor can I tell you in detail. Cowardly hypocrisy disgusts me.

But still ……

“Do so whenever you get the chance.”

“What ……”

“I’m done eating.”

Clipping my wings-pulling my chair, I jumped up from my seat. Looking at the cutlery that I hadn’t even moved my hand, the Duke called out to me with a surprised look.

“Penelope.”

“A little unwell …… I thought I should get up first.”

I don’t know how the Duke took it that I had my tail between my legs as soon as I threw up.

“Yeah…yeah…yeah.”

But this time it was also easy to say the licensed Duke’s look, and I bit my lower lip. On the way to the door, sticky eyesight touched the back of my head. Glanced one last time before walking out of the greenhouse. Still facing the anxious face looking into my eyes and eyes. Probably tripped over something peeking out, and the startled duke held up a hand and waved. Meaning go check it out.

I bit my lower lip again and immediately closed my eyes and screamed.

“Watch out for that kid, Dad!”

Leaving the greenhouse like he was hiding in a blue pupil.

***

A little earlier than expected, in the position of having lunch with the Duke, I went straight back to the mansion. This was in order to meet Winter after preparing to go out.

I don’t know if it was because everyone was having lunch, but the mansion was deserted until the center staircase was all climbed. It was time to quickly cross the empty hallway to grab the doorknob to my room. I stopped. The door was pushed open. It was slightly ajar.

A low noise came from the creaking —- crack. Was Emily cleaning?

I cocked my head in disbelief. Then it was time to open the door and walk in.

Thump – to find someone slamming the dresser drawer door. Just like the maid’s uniform Emily was wearing.

The heart that had dropped at the sight of her instantly froze again.

‘Emily doesn’t wear hats.’

Because hats are usually only worn by maids who work in the kitchen.

Creaking – probably not noticing that I opened the door, during which time the maid busied herself with opening the second drawer of the dresser and started rummaging around in it. It didn’t look like an act of cleaning at all.

One of Ibn’s men? Or …… mere jewelry thieves?”

Thinking hard about which side it was, I held my breath and looked at the face. But the side of the face was covered by a cloth mask.

I had to open my stone bow in annoyance.

“What are you doing?”