“Wow! Congratulations, Julia!”
“Looks like you’re finally graduating from being a maid.”
“Hahaha…”
I received congratulations from a lot of people.
At the Ryuba tavern, I was met with applause loud enough to almost hurt my ears, and my fellow maids offered me heartfelt congratulations.
Of course, they sent me worried glances since they knew the circumstances.
“Is it possible… that the Duke is forcing you into this…?”
“It’s okay. I’m marrying because I want to.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Anything I dislike, the Duke agreed not to do.”
“Really…?”
It should be fine.
But why do I have to explain this to those around me?
It only makes me feel bad that it looks like I’m being sold off to the Duke.
Even though it’s a little bothersome, I had to correct their misunderstandings one by one.
Leopard packed his things and left the villa as soon as he heard the news of the wedding.
I couldn’t catch him as he stormed away in anger.
I only feel sorry for Leopard.
“I can’t get a congratulation from Alexander.”
Now that I think about it, there’s still someone left to inform.
The priest dressed in black with round glasses.
The gloomy one who hid a sword inside their sleeve.
Although there were times I couldn’t understand them, that person had a warmth in their heart.
Now that person hates me.
They loathe me down to the genetic level.
They not only doubt me as a Holy Maiden but dislike even thinking of my name.
All because of the suggestion I inscribed as a miracle in a corner of their heart…
Every time I think about that, my heart aches as if I’m going mad.
Although it ended in catastrophe, the fact that I can’t remember everything that happened between us…
It’s unbearable to know that only I remember it as a memory.
But I’m trying to overcome it, and I’ve somewhat succeeded.
After all, it is true that I saved Alexander’s life by erasing those memories.
I’m trying to think positively and move on.
“Tia, it’s vacation! No, it’s vacation! Hehehe!”
“You’ll be able to play a lot with Uncle now.”
“Hm? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t play with Uncle?”
“This can’t be…!”
“Hehehe! It was a joke!”
Looking out the window, I saw Tia jumping out of the carriage and running towards the Duke.
Come to think of it, those two were really close from the beginning.
As if they were always meant to be father and daughter.
I never imagined it would turn out this way.
People are hard to understand.
Tia ranked first in her grade exams.
In the mock tests, she fell asleep or made mistakes and got a few wrong, but in the real exam, she managed to score full marks.
She was recorded as the first student to achieve full marks and entered the Hall of Fame, receiving five stars.
She’s only just completed first grade and is already on the verge of getting her second wish token.
For reference, Nikolai unfortunately placed sixth in the grade exams.
If he had just made it into the top five, he would have received the coveted tour ticket to the Duchy of Dragania.
He happened to have a fever that day, and despite being stubborn about taking the exam, he collapsed after finishing it.
“Tia. Come down now. Master’s arm must be hurting.”
“Hahaha. I’m fine. I can handle it.”
“You can handle it? How much does Tia weigh…?”
“60 kilos!”
Tia happily declared while sitting on the Duke’s arm.
Though her growth is a bit rapid, that weight is definitely not typical for a 13-year-old.
Half of that must be from her horns and tail.
There have been countless times that broken furniture or dishes were caused by her happy tail swinging around.
“But you still call him Master? I’m no longer Miss Julia’s employer.”
“Then what should I call you…?”
“How about ‘Darling’?”
“I don’t like it. I’ll just call you Schwarz.”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, the Duke let out a gasp.
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, it just feels incredibly moving. I thought only Leopard had the privilege of calling me by my name.”
“Moving…?”
“I’d like Tia to keep calling me Uncle!”
“Hehe. That’s nice. But if you could call me ‘Daddy’, that would be great…”
“Daddy? Why? Uncle Duke isn’t my daddy.”
“Hahaha. I guess that was an unreasonable request.”
“Tia’s daddy is really, really bad.”
“……”
Anyway, well.
Another year is coming to an end.
The wedding date is set for December 31st.
We decided to hold it grandly at the Duchy of Dragania and have our honeymoon there.
Although I vigorously opposed the idea of a honeymoon as if it were a trip to the freezing point, I was persuaded that proper ceremonies needed to be conducted given the nature of our relationship.
“Oh no! Why are you wearing an apron?”
“I’m just trying to help a little. It looks like you have too much going on.”
“My lady! Please stay out! Sitting still helps us!”
“What do you mean, my lady?”
“She’s the master’s wife, so of course, she’s my lady!”
“These kids really…!”
The other maids seem to be living to tease me these days.
As soon as I got engaged, I was released from my maid duties, and my status was elevated to that of the Duchess.
But in reality, nothing has changed…
They just keep jokingly calling me ‘my lady.’
Consequently, staying in the villa has become a bit uncomfortable.
The Duke is busy running around fixing overdue tasks before the honeymoon.
When I’m inside the villa, I feel like I have nothing to do and that I’m just creating extra work for the kids, which makes me feel guilty.
In the end, I decided to go out with Tia for a change.
“Wow! So many books!”
“Shhh. You have to be quiet here, Tia. Put back every book you take out when you’re done reading. You know not to damage the books, right?”
“Hm! Tia is all grown up. I know that much!”
We arrived at the Grand Library of the Institution.
While Tia gaped in awe, I kept a relatively calm demeanor, but I was just as surprised.
I had never seen such a large library.
As I wandered through the shelves, I couldn’t tell if I was in a library or a maze.
Fearing I might get lost, I held onto Tia’s hand tightly.
It wasn’t because I was worried about her getting lost.
It was because I feared I might lose my way…
Tia has a great sense of direction and wouldn’t get lost anywhere.
“Tia, I’ve never been to a place like this…!”
“Mom’s never been here either. Let’s come often during break. Tia can rest, and now Mom can relax without working too.”
“Hehehe! Really? Then let’s go watch the basketball tournament!”
“What basketball tournament?”
“There’s a basketball tournament with Thuris in it. I’ve already said I’m coming to watch.”
“Oh, okay. Let’s go watch it together.”
I mean the tall demon girl, right?
I heard she’s always timid and awkward, and that Tia looks out for her.
It seems like that girl has found her own talents as well.
A passionate sports demon girl…
The boys must be all over her.
“This one and… this one too…”
It looks like Tia is selecting books to write reviews for her vacation homework, as she already has a bunch of books in her arms.
Maybe I should sit down and read something myself.
Anyway, Tia would probably lose her focus soon and want to leave, so something light would do.
“Ecology of Dragons?”
It was a thin book.
I thought dragons were just considered legendary Pokémon, but surprisingly there’s even a book that records their ecology.
Suddenly my interest was piqued, so I picked it up.
I also wanted to know what kind of scumbag violated me.
“This is much thinner than I expected…”
Maybe it’s because there’s not much information about dragons.
The letters are large, and the paper is thick, so it seems likely the content is less than it appears.
So I decided to quickly skim through it right there and put it back.
“Chapter 1. Reproduction of Dragons…”
The content was quite interesting.
It said that dragons live for a long time, with some existing for thousands of years.
Over such a long lifespan, a dragon might reproduce only once, if at all.
The reason the number of dragons is gradually decreasing is probably because they don’t die of old age unless they are killed in battle.
“Huh. So every dragon has a different trigger for feeling lust?”
Moreover, even if a dragon desires to reproduce, that doesn’t mean it can.
First, they have to feel lust to be able to breed, and the causes of that desire are different for each dragon.
Some dragons go their entire lives without ever knowing what triggers their lust.
The footnote stated:
If a dragon that has lived for thousands of years feels lust for the first time, that impulse might destroy its sanity and drive it to madness…
Ugh. That was a horrifying thought.
I’d never want to see such a dragon.
I feared I might encounter one.
“Ugh. All my fantasies are shattered.”
After reading the book, I returned it to its place.
After that, there were various discussions about dragons’ polymorphism and immense power, but what stuck in my mind was only the image of a dragon that couldn’t control its lust and rampaged wildly.
I never had any illusions about dragons to begin with, but I feel even more disappointed now.
I realized that these creatures are nothing more than large lizards, neither more nor less.
“Where is Tia…?”
“Shh.”
The moment I turned towards the desk to find Tia, a man sitting at the desk smiled at me and placed his finger on his mouth.
It was the Duke.
Next to him, Tia was sprawled over the desk, covered with a blanket, soundly asleep.
I wondered how he knew I was here…
“I heard from the maids.”
“Did the blanket come from Master… Schwarz?”
“That’s right. The library was a bit chilly.”
“…”
I quietly pulled a chair closer to the Duke and sat down.
Tia was blissfully asleep with her head being petted by the Duke.
She looked too cute to wake up.
“Miss Julia, have I mentioned this to you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I wanted to tell you that you’ve worked hard.”
“…?”
What is this sudden vague talk?
“I guess I haven’t said it. Thank you for your efforts. Raising Tia alone. You’ve done so well to raise her to be as kind, upright, and diligent as you.”
“What… What is this all of a sudden?”
“Just. As her new father, I’m entrusted with a child who’s already grown. I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been for you until she reached this age.”
“…”
The Duke gently reached out and took my hand.
In the past, I would have pushed his hand away.
But for some reason, it didn’t feel so bad.
In the past, I would have found every word he said to be insincere and meaningless.
But now, I felt sincerity behind them.
When I look at the way he gazes at Tia, I can tell he genuinely cares for her.
Just that alone is a huge reassurance.
Knowing that a strong person like the Duke wants to cherish and protect Tia…
That is such a relief.
“Ta-da. It’s a gift. A bookmark. I thought you liked reading, so… You see, it has the Dragania emblem… Huh? Why are you crying?”
“……”
The Duke became flustered and leaned closer to me.
It’s true.
Tears are streaming down my face.
Why is this happening?
Why is my sadness suddenly bursting forth?
“If only you’d been like this from the start… If only you’d been this way from the beginning…”
“……”
I hate how I keep discovering new facets of the Duke.
I’m annoyed that his image is changing every day.
I wanted him to remain a cruel and vicious nobleman, but it frustrates me that he is becoming someone I can rely on.
He should have been like this from the beginning.
If only he had fastened the first button properly, the outcome would have been different.
Why on Earth…?
“I’m sorry…”
I looked up with tears in my eyes.
The Duke simply held my hand and bowed his head, remaining silent.
Seeing that pitiful sight only made me angrier.
