She’s Not Our Daughter! - Chapter 33

Chapter 33 – Cassius And The Friends Who Are At Odds With Him

“As for the difference in status, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’d dare to agree with that opinion.”

Sierra’s expression hardened.

“Because the strict distinction between nobles and commoners was directly stated by His Majesty the previous emperor.”

Lady Macbeth, who was observing Sierra’s sincere expression, raised her eyebrows as if she was puzzled.

“…I thought you’d like it if I said that. Don’t you have any feelings for the Duke?”

Sierra thought about whether to nod her head moderately, but she let it go for now. Anyway, in the case of Macbeth, it was because he was a historical figure in the social world.

What if she made a surprising statement here, and then exaggerated it in society? It was necessary not to respond properly to any words, but to leave the room vaguely.

“……”

Macbeth bit her lip. “You’re not in custody, are you?”

Sierra looked at Macbeth and was even more embarrassed. Her prediction was right. If Sierra had said ‘I don’t have a thing for Cassius,’ Macbeth might have exaggerated the word three times.

She shook her head.

“It’s not like that. I came to the Duke’s estate on my own.”

They heard a knock on the door from outside. Sierra and Macbeth looked at the door at the same time.

Then Macbeth muttered in a drained voice.

“You know? When we got in here, the orchestra almost stopped playing.”

“What…?”

“I think the Duke of Ideos only needs you, I guess.”

At Macbeth’s words, Sierra instinctively looked at the doorway.

Macbeth noticed the movement of Sierra’s gaze and smiled faintly.

“His expression was like a spring day.”

“…What?”

“It’s a bit harsh to say this, but I have to say it feels like seeing a warm spring that came from a cold winter.”

Sierra was clearly shaken. She shut her eyes tight and then opened them again.

“Well, that’s just my opinion. But you know what?”

Macbeth chuckled, then grew serious.

“You’re probably the only one who sees the Duke’s many faces.”

“……”

Sierra recalled the expressions Cassius had made. A friendly eye smile, a mysterious expression, and a constant, tender smile. But Lady Macbeth, dubbed as Cassius’s first love, expressed that it was clearly limited to Sierra.

Macbeth grinned as she opened the cork from the wine bottle on the table on the balcony.

“Honestly, I thought I would win if it was a suitable opponent. You are a commoner. But…”

At just the right time, footsteps could be heard from the doorway. Macbeth poured the sparkling wine into the wine glass beside her. A reddish liquid glistened in the wine glass. She fixed her gaze on the doorway again.

“…Sierra, aren’t you in danger?”

It was Cassius, desperate concern in his voice.

Macbeth, who had been listening quietly, smiled and spoke softly to herself so that only Sierra could hear it.

“Look.”

Macbeth’s voice trembled.

“I’m no match for you.”

Sierra stared intently at Macbeth. It didn’t seem like she was lying. Sierra didn’t know how to respond. Instead of answering Macbeth, she looked down at the doorway.

“It’s okay.”

Sierra didn’t say anything for a moment.

“…Huh.”

She looked worriedly at the door.

“Look, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

“That’s…”

“Don’t deny it. By the way, Miss Sierra.”

“…What?”

Looking into Sierra’s bewildered eyes, Macbeth looked up as if toasting a wine glass and took a sip.

“It seems to me that you are also very interested in the Duke.”

Putting the wine glass down, Macbeth grinned.

“What do you think?”

Sierra’s heart was like a calm lake. But at that question, her heart began to ripple.

* * * 

Sierra came out. She didn’t notice it before, but the nobles all looked at her, trying to hide their bewildered expressions.

Cassius sat her down next to him.

“Sit here, Sierra.”

“Ah yes.”

“I’ll introduce you to my associates first.”

Cassius looked a little nervous, but it was the same with Sierra.

It felt as if she had not been able to properly make friends for Cassius.

Sierra decided to look at where and how things went wrong.

Cassius, who seemed unaware of Sierra’s feelings, pointed to the man sitting next to her impatiently. “This is Felice.”

“Uhh…”

The man in the knight’s robes gulped.

“Haha, Cassius. It’s a joy to meet Miss Sierra, who is your true friend…”

Usually, people don’t act that carefully towards friends. Cassius’s expression was obviously friendly, but nevertheless, Felice looked almost panicked.

‘No matter how you look at it, they don’t seem like friends…’

Sierra cautiously opened her mouth.

“Yes, we are close friends.”

It was just lip service.

Cassius’ expression hardened, and Felice grimaced as if he had seen a corpse. Sierra scratched the back of her head. She was just trying to make Cassius a friend and lover, but this…

* * * 

Hanael, who went out to the capital with her maid to buy toys, heard about the salon.

‘My mom and Mister Stupid went to a salon and said they were going to make a friend.’

Hanael had mixed feelings about them having friends. She was worried that they would pay less attention to her. Besides, her mom, who had left for the salon earlier, was incredibly pretty. She looked like a princess.

‘The princess in a fairy tale doesn’t have a daughter…’

Sierra said she was not Hanael’s mother. Then, maybe the mother became a princess and abandoned Hanael? Sierra said she would never do that, but the child’s imagination was in full swing. Hanael’s small shoulders slumped down with a terrible thought.

‘But Hanael is an adult, so she won’t complain about it…’

However, the words she wanted to avoid coming out of her mouth kept coming out. Hanael puffed her cheeks like a large dumpling and poked the maid’s arm next to her.

“I’m curious about the salon!”

“…Are you curious? Still, I can’t…”

Hanael showed affection by rubbing her peachy-pink cheeks on the maid’s shoulder.

“Well, then follow me! I heard about a toy store next to the salon. I like toys!”

Hanael had looked at the toy store next to the salon in the magazine Sierra was looking at before. She was a bad girl with a good brain.

The maid’s eyes looking at Hanael drooped.

“Yeah, that’s right. But the Duke took over the toy business for you, Miss…”

“I’m tired of them all.”

The maid blinked her eyes in shock, however she couldn’t even look at Hanael’s disappointed face.

“If you’re tired of it, you should buy another toy…! Yes, I’ll tell the maid!”

Fortunately, Hanael’s wish came true quickly. She smiled bashfully, and the carriage eventually arrived at the toy store right next to the salon.

When Hanael arrived at the toy store, she looked around and stood in front of the front door of the salon. To prevent the maid from chasing closely behind Hanael, she ran like an acorn-biting squirrel.

“Where did the child go?”

The grass was quite tall between the toy store and the salon. Hanael hid herself in a pile of grass and looked around.

“You’re playing hide and seek, kid.”

Hanael rolled her eyes and looked at the man who spoke to her. He was very well-dressed, handsome like Mister Stupid, but somehow strangely like a fox.

Hanael blinked at him. Her mom always said to be wary of such people.

“Hmm. Are you a thief? I will take care of it, so go away.”

“I’m not a thief, kid. My name is Ijel.”

Ijel had to break through the clever salon’s security to meet Cassius and Sierra. However, he was unable to enter the salon, no matter what. So he just pretended to be a knight and just wandered around…

“Aren’t you lost?”

“Ugh, no!”

“Miss! Miss!”

He could hear the maid looking for Hanael from afar.

“I think she’s looking for you.”

No matter how shameless Ijel was, he couldn’t keep his brazen attitude in front of the little girl. He looked down at the girl’s head and smiled.

“You look pretty much like the babies I know.”

“Huh?”

Hanael snorted.

Ijel smirked.

“Take care of yourself.”

“Why? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.”

Ijel straightened, patting her head.

“Kid, what are you thinking?”

Hanael narrowed her eyes, squeezing her doll tightly.

“You look bad.”

“…What?”

Hanael replied brightly while poking his arm.

“Your face looks blue.”

“…Is it blue?”

“Yeah. Something like the blue sea is about to overflow from your body!”

Ijel’s expression hardened.