Youngest Lady in Contract - Chapter 23

“I can’t believe you’re so happy about this. It’s amazing.”

Elisabeth blew the grass flute regardless of the ‘Ppoo-ppoo’ sound.

“What are you doing?”

Two people turned their heads. Dylan stood in the distance with a disapproving look.

“Look at this guy? You hid when I asked you to come out and play and you’re here because of Elisabeth?”

“It’s not like that, so don’t talk nonsense.”

“That’s right. That’s really nonsense.”

Elisabeth took Dylan’s answer seriously.

‘Dylan can’t be here because of me. He’s here because his friend is here.’

Jeremy looked alternately at Elisabeth and Dylan and laughed with a ‘Pft’.

“Dylan, play with her.”

“Why should I?”

“You don’t know how to play too.”

“Elisabeth. He’s talking nonsense again.”

Elisabeth shook her head resolutely.

“No. Play with Elisabeth.”

“Ha.”

Dylan sounded dumbfounded. Jeremy didn’t put up with it this time and laughed ‘Puhaha’.

***

‘Ppoo-Ppoo-oo-‘

One could hear the sound of the grass flute all day long in the garden of the mansion. After Jeremy had gone back, Elisabeth continued to sing the grass flute he had made for her.

When she came to meet Victoire and Damon, who had returned home, she was with the grass flute.

“What’s that, Elisabeth?”

Damon asked, not missing the grass flute in Elisabeth’s hand.

‘I thought you’d recognize it Damon.’

Rejoicing at Damon’s meticulousness, Elisabeth held the flute high as she boasted.

“It’s a flute made by Jeremy oppa.”

Dylan’s expression suddenly rotted. It was Dylan who has been waiting for a change of heart for some time.

‘Look at that? Are you jealous that Elisabeth called Jeremy oppa?’

Damon sensed Dylan’s change and swallowed a laugh.

“Give it a try.”

Said Victoire with curious eyes. Elisabeth blew the grass flute like she had been waiting for this chance.

‘Ppoo-ppoo-oo’

“What a god-given, beautiful performance…”

“So noisy.”

Victoire was speechless. Damon looked at Dylan with a shocked face. Elisabeth looked at Dylan in surprise, too.

‘Why is he so mean? Are you jealous?’

Elisabeth turned to eye the empty-handed Dylan.

‘Cause you’re the only one who doesn’t have a grass flute?’

It was a reasonable deduction.

“That jerk Jeremy, he’ll never come again.”

Dylan’s inability to hide his displeasure to the end further supported the speculation.

***

Elisabeth, who just had dinner, came out to the garden with Marian, holding a lantern. Then, they collected the fresh-looking leaves of grass.

“What are you going to do with this?”

“I’m going to make a full flute and give it to Dylan. Dylan was jealous of my grass flute earlier.”

“Jealousy? Young master Dylan? Grass flute?”

Marian asked back as if she could not believe it. She couldn’t believe Dylan was jealous, nor could she even believe that the reason for jealousy was the grass flute.

Elisabeth nodded with conviction.

“Isn’t that really childish?”

Elisabeth shook her head.

“I think Jeremy did this earlier.”

Elisabeth made a pretty good full flute shape. But when she blew it into her mouth, there was no sound.

“That’s strange? I’m sure he made it like this.”

“What are you doing dangerously at night?”

Then Dylan’s voice was heard from behind her back.

‘How does Dylan know where I am and shows up every time? I’ve even put up a guard.’

Elisabeth looked at him with surprise.

“Young master, it’s inside the mansion. There are also bright lanterns. It’s not dangerous.”

“But she’s still in danger. What if she steps on the wrong foot and falls down? What if she never wakes up?”

“Ho-ho, I don’t think it’s like the young master who answered like that.”

Marian chuckled. Dylan, who didn’t understand his feelings, looked at Marian frustratedly.

Elisabeth, who had been squatting, rose from her seat and offered Dylan a grass flute that looked only plausible.

“I was making a grass flute for Dylan.”

“For me?”

“Yes, I saw it all before. Dylan’s jealous of my grass flute.”

“What?”

Dylan was dumbfounded. He was a man who would not be jealous even if Tyce Orell boasted of a sword made of dragon bones.

But he can’t believe she thinks he’s jealous because of the grass flute.

‘What do you think of me?’

After this long, he thought Elisabeth would recognize him as a pretty cool, dashing oppa. Dylan was deeply hurt.

But as soon as he saw Elisabeth’s little hand-held grass flute, his expression unwittingly loosened gently.

“Give it to me.”

“I knew you’d love it.”

(Dy) I don’t like it.

Dylan brutally disassembled the grass flute that Elisabeth gave him.

“Huh? What are you doing?! I worked hard on it!”

Dylan began to make a new grass flute out of the disintegrated grass leaves without answering.

The grass flute he made was more elaborate than Jeremy made.

Besides,…

‘Poo-Poo-oo-oo’

….the sound was deeper and more beautiful.

Elisabeth gazed at Dylan, enchanted.

“Wow, the sound is different. What happened?”

“Of course, it’s because I’m better at making it.”

“But why were you jealous before? You’re so good at making it.”

“That’s…”

Dylan’s face suddenly turned red.

“I, I don’t get jealous!”

“Don’t lie. You looked jealous in front of His Grace earlier, so I was upset. That’s a bad thing. I told you to get along with His Grace.”

“That was…”

Dylan mumbled at a loss of words. Elisabeth tilted her head. Dylan turned his head away.

“Thanks for the grass flute, anyway.”

“What? Yes.”

Dylan grabbed the grass flute and went back into the mansion.

Marian, with a bewildered expression, said:

“Isn’t that the grass flute young master Dylan made himself?”

“Yes.”

“But why did he thank you?”

“That’s right.”

‘That’s weird. I just really don’t understand boys.’

***

The atmosphere of the mansion has been cluttered since morning. Elisabeth, too, sat in front of the mirror with a nervous look.

‘I’ve never felt so uncomfortable here. But it can’t be helped, so I have to endure it.’

Elisabeth clasped her small hands together. Her white hands trembled.

Marian, who was combing Elisabeth’s hair but kept looking at her face, sighed. She looked very nervous, too.

Marian said seriously:

“You have to be extra careful. I won’t be away from you for a moment today, but don’t let your guard down.”

“Okay, I fully understand what you mean.”

Elisabeth grinned. The awkwardly raised smile made Marian feel even more sorry.

‘I don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment. But I’m not as happy as I expected because she’s having a hard time.’

Marian looked out the window.

She had been a faithful and loyal servant of the Leschine family, and had lived on the happiness of the Leschines who saved her.

And finally, today, the Duke of Cabezo visits this mansion.

On the surface, it was a business investment visit, but on the unofficial occasion, it was finally the day the Leschines threw their first bait at Cabezos.

‘It’s natural to bring him in for revenge, but I’m heartbroken because of Miss Elisabeth.’

It wasn’t a problem hiding Elisabeth from their sight. I was worried about the scars Elisabeth would have because of their presence.

Marian thought she wanted to hug the shivering little back.

***

A fancy brown carriage has entered the Count Daughtry’s estate. The blue eagle glistened on the top of the carriage. It was a symbol of the Duke of Cabezo.

The carriage stopped. It was the Duke of Cabezo, Ferdinand and his daughter, Polia Cabezo who got off the stopped carriage.

The red-haired Polia resembled the Duke of Cabezo, who looked thin and older, but looked much brighter and more poisonous.

“I’ve been waiting, Duke.”

“Long time no see. Count Daughtry.”

Much later than the appointed time, the Duke of Cabezo spoke haughtily. It was intentional not to apologize. His late hour was clearly intended to be dominance.

Victoire looked like he was deceived by the attitude, but he did not show it.

“This is my son, Damon. And next to him is Dylan.”

“I know them well because they’re well-known for being the most suitable bride grooms. This is my daughter, Polia Cabezo. Polia, say hello.”

But there was no answer from Polia.

“Polia?”

Count Cabezo looked at his daughter.

“Yes… Father…”

Polia was gazing at Dylan, entranced. It was a face that looked like one fell in love.

***

“So our Cabezo duchy will invest in Count Daughtry’s gold mine business… Hmm.”

The Duke of Cabezo coughed in vain. But Polia didn’t notice and was just staring at Dylan. She looked completely out of her mind.

“If it’s an investment by the Duke Cabezo, it’s a great pleasure.”

“I thought so too.”

When Damon pulled up his flag, the Duke of Cabezo quickly regained his strength and spoke proudly.

“By the way, the Duke really cares about his daughter.”

Victoire said meaningfully. The Duke of Cabezo nodded without hesitation.

“Who doesn’t love his own child? Besides, Polia looks so much like me. Smart and quick-witted. She has a good heart like her late mother. There’s no reason not to like her.”

‘That thing?’

Dylan snorted at Polia, who was staring at him stupidly. He couldn’t tell from what point of view was she smart and quick-witted.

‘At the level of the Duke of Cabezo, that might seem smart.’

Dylan was sarcastic inside. Polia thought Dylan’s snorting sound was a pleasant smile that he made when she saw her, and smiled broadly with a ‘Hehe’.

“No matter how much I cherish her, this is the first time I have ever accompanied my young daughter to a place like this.”

“It’s obvious that I want my daughter to learn a lot from an early age. She’s a smart kid, so she learns very quickly.”

The Duke of Cabezo boasted.

‘Well. Looks worse when compared to our Elisabeth.’

Victoire stared at the Duke and Polia of Cabezo with a sharp glance.

Polia was still staring at Dylan, unable to grasp the atmosphere. Of course, a young girl couldn’t have been as good at grasping the atmosphere in a place like this as adults.

So Polia was just an ordinary girl.

Completely ordinary.

‘But why did the Duke of Cabezo favor this child?’

The more I looked at it, the more I could not understand why the Duke of Cabezo favored Polia. It was too much to think of simply because of Polia’s dead mother.

“There are rumors in society that Sir Dylan is also an outstanding figure in the social world. Speaking of which, why don’t you train Sir Dylan with the Cabezo family’s knights?”

Said the Duke of Cabezo. It was a sudden offer. Victoire tried not to look serious.