I Only Need the Duke's Child — Chapter 27

WHY DID YOU DO THAT YESTERDAY?

WHEN YOU'RE SO TERRIFIED OF FIRE...

IF YOU WANTED TO LIGHT THE FIREPLACE, YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED FOR ME.

I'M SORRY. YOU MUST HAVE BEEN WORRIED.

I JUST... HAD MY REASONS.

COME TO THINK OF IT, WHERE IS THE MARTEN?

AH, MELLY WENT TO GIVE IT SOME MILK JUST A MOMENT AGO.

MELLY, HUH...

LINA, DID YOU FORGIVE HER?

SHE SEEMED TERRIFIED EVER SINCE THAT INCIDENT.

INSTEAD OF PICKING ON ME, SHE WAS ACTUALLY AVOIDING ME.

SO I JUST SPOKE TO HER FIRST.

DON'T MIND ME, JUST DO WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE.

SHOULD I NOT HAVE FORGIVEN HER AFTER ALL?

DON'T BE LIKE THAT. AS LONG AS YOU'RE FINE WITH IT, I'M ALRIGHT.

I WANT YOU TO GET ALONG WITH THE OTHERS, TOO.

BUT SHE WRONGED YOUR GRACE AS WELL.

LINA, EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE MISTAKES THAT CAN NEVER BE FORGIVEN.

BUT THERE ARE ALSO THINGS THAT CAN BE SET RIGHT, EVEN IF IT'S LATE.

IF A PERSON WERE ENTIRELY DEFINED BY A SINGLE MISTAKE,

PEOPLE WOULD GIVE UP ON EVERYTHING OVER JUST ONE MISTAKE.

EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE THE CHANCE TO BECOME BETTER.

IT'S TRUE THAT MELLY WAS IN THE WRONG.

Aw, so cute~

BUT I DON'T BELIEVE HER MISTAKE WAS IRREDEEMABLE.

SO WHY NOT GIVE HER A CHANCE TO MAKE AMENDS?

YOUR GRACE IS FAR TOO KIND FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.

WELL, STILL, JUST AS YOUR GRACE SAID, SHE DIDN'T SEEM LIKE AN ENTIRELY BAD GIRL.

AFTER ALL, SHE WAS THE FIRST TO FIND YOUR GRACE COLLAPSED YESTERDAY AND TAKE ACTION.

REALLY?

I OUGHT TO THANK MELLY, THEN.

Y-YOUR GRACE...?!

AH, I JUST CAME BY TO SEE YOU BEFORE GOING TO BREAKFAST.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AFTER IT, MELLY.

OH, NOT AT ALL. IT'S ONLY WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING.

IT SEEMS YOU'VE EATEN YOUR FILL.

COME TO THINK OF IT, I HAVEN'T EVEN APOLOGIZED FOR WHAT HAPPENED BACK THEN...

APOLOGIZE.

DO YOU LIKE ANIMALS?

AH, YES...

THEN, WHENEVER YOU HAVE TIME, COULD I ASK YOU TO LOOK AFTER THIS LITTLE ONE?

PARDON?

I READ IN A BOOK THAT MARTENS LIVE IN GROUPS.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD NEED FRIENDS, BUT I CAN'T VERY WELL BRING IN ANOTHER KIT LIVING HAPPILY WITH ITS MOTHER, CAN I?

SO I WAS THINKING OF GIVING IT PLENTY OF HUMAN FRIENDS INSTEAD.

OF COURSE, ONLY IF YOU'RE ALRIGHT WITH IT.

O-OF COURSE! JUST LEAVE IT TO ME.

I TAKE CARE OF THE CATS IN THE REAR GARDEN AS WELL.

REALLY? THAT'S A RELIEF.

YOUR GRACE, BACK THEN...

I AM TRULY SORRY.

I GREW UP WITHOUT PROPER MANNERS, SO I ACTED INSOLENTLY WITHOUT KNOWING ANY BETTER.

EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING IT, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS FINE TO JOIN IN...

I AM TRULY SORRY. I DESPERATELY WANTED TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WENT UNNOTICED BEFORE MY REGRESSION.

BECAUSE OF THAT, I WAS NEVER ABLE TO GET CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE DUCAL HOUSE UNTIL THE DAY I DIED.

BUT MAYBE THIS TIME, THINGS COULD BE DIFFERENT.

I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY.

IN RETURN, WILL YOU TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS LITTLE ONE?

YES! I WILL TAKE GREAT CARE OF IT.

AH, BY THE WAY-

THIS LITTLE ONE'S NAME IS PIPPI.

YES. DOESN'T IT SOUND LIKE THE SOUND IT MAKES?

HER GRACE...

REALLY HAS NO NAMING SENSE.

DID YOU SLEEP PEACEFULLY?

YES, THANKS TO YOU.

HERDIN.

ABOUT WHAT WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY.

I UNDERSTAND THAT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, I COULD SEEM SUSPICIOUS ENOUGH.

BUT I WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD BRING HARM TO YOU.

I SWEAR ON MY EVERYTHING.

DOES THAT "EVERYTHING" INCLUDE YOU AS WELL?

PARDON?

WHAT IN THIS WORLD COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE PRECIOUS THAN "ONESELF"?

TO SAY YOU WOULD STAKE EVERYTHING,

YET LEAVING OUT THE MOST PRECIOUS THING FROM YOUR OATH LACKS CREDIBILITY.

HE CLEARLY SAID YESTERDAY THAT HE WOULDN'T DOUBT ME ANYMORE...

IS HE GOING BACK ON HIS WORD IN JUST ONE DAY?

BUT...

HIS EXPRESSION DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE TRULY DOUBTS ME OR FEELS UPSET.

...OF COURSE IT INCLUDES ME.

AND I AM SINCERE WHEN I SAY I WANT TO MAINTAIN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.

A WOMAN ASKING ME TO BELIEVE HER, EVEN THOUGH SHE CAN'T BE COMPLETELY HONEST.

ABSURD AS IT IS...

YESTERDAY, I DIDN'T CATCH THE SCENT OF ANOTHER BASTARD ON BLAIR.

FOR NOW, I SUPPOSE I WILL BELIEVE HER.

YOUR GRACE, MADAM.

AN INVITATION HAS ARRIVED FOR THE TWO OF YOU.

THIS IS...

THE IMPERIAL CREST.