Chapter 42

They could never be Irina's family again.

Alexis sighed.

His gaze drifted slowly towards the drawer where the medicine bottles were kept.

His decision to bring Irina back to the ducal estate had nothing to do with April's carriage accident.

It was because his heart was hardening, leaving him with only a year to live.

He wanted to bring Irina back because of the guilt he felt for having driven her out of the estate three years ago.

He wanted to apologize to Irina for the hardships she had endured during those three years and to compensate her accordingly.

Even though they weren't related by blood, he had raised Irina as his daughter.

He had intended to leave her the Rubella mines owned by the duchy as an inheritance after his death...

"Father."

Lian's quiet inquiry made Alexis gasp for air.

He couldn't tell if the difficulty in breathing was due to his ailing body or the feeling of guilt he was experiencing.

"The ducal family must apologize to Irina and provide her with appropriate compensation."

"Yes. See to it that you bring her."

"Yes," Lian replied, nodding with a slightly calmer expression before leaving the office.

He then wondered, anew, what Irina was thinking when she came to the estate.

If he were Irina, he would have wiped out everyone in the ducal family without a second thought.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

As he bit down hard on his parched lips, the voice calling out to him made Lian turn his head towards Barak's direction near the window.

He had tried to understand Barak's sharp attitude towards Irina, attributing it to guilt towards April, but no longer. He could no longer tolerate Barak's behavior.

"Barak."

"Huh?"

Barak couldn't help but flinch at Lian's appearance, his eyes red as if he had been crying, and his demeanor sharper than during the knight's entrance exam.

It was a rare sight to see such a look on Lian, who was generally known for his easygoing nature, unlike himself.

"Never treat Irina carelessly again."

"Brother!"

"If I ever see you treating Irina disrespectfully, I will..."

He wanted to argue back, but he held his tongue because Lian's demeanor was different from usual.

He had never seen Lian so angry, not even when they were children.

"And here I was, worried something happened, what an idiot I am."

Barak was displeased with Lian's concern for Irina Devin, even more so than for his own sister, April.

He disliked how Lian always looked after that girl and how Irina had won Lian over.

Only April was to be pitied. Despite being blood-related and having lived in the ducal estate for years, no one had given April their heart.

With those words, Barak turned away with a sullen expression.

Only after Barak's figure had completely disappeared down the long hallway did Lian let out a small sigh and look out the window.

He saw Irina, who had escorted the visiting priest from the estate, returning inside.

He saw her hair, the same pale beige color as April's, fluttering in the wind.

As soon as their eyes met when she slowly raised her head, Irina turned away.

He didn't know what Irina was thinking when she came back to the ducal estate, but whatever her intentions were, he was willing to fall for her schemes.

"...Haa."

Because that was the only way he could apologize to Irina.

"You've improved a lot."

Even without hearing those words, she knew she had improved significantly. The wounds had healed, and April no longer had major problems with walking.

Of course, she still needed a cane, but it was different from the beginning, when she had walked like a newborn giraffe.

I nodded slightly and asked, "There are scars left, but you're much better than before."

"Scars are nothing."

Unlike most noble ladies, who would have acted as if the world was ending if they got a single scratch on their body, April was different.

The reason why April didn't act like a noble lady and was so easygoing was probably because she had lived as a commoner for a longer time.

"Scars won't change how people treat me, anyway."

She smiled at me, a face identical to mine.

That was probably true. A leg injury wouldn't change how they treated her.

No nobleman would dare to act so brazenly towards the Grand Duke's daughter, who was betrothed to the Crown Prince.

Perphone had demanded the engagement be broken, but even her family don't know that, other noble families certainly won't.

"I'm glad you're not having any trouble walking. If you keep practicing, you'll be able to walk without a cane."

"Okay."

Looking at April, who was smiling brightly like the sunlight, my heart twisted slowly.

How long would that smile last? The reason she could smile like that was probably because she didn't know that I had returned to the estate.

The way they were trying to keep my existence a secret from April was admirable. To get the story to April would require help from Alan.

"Well, I'll leave it at that. If you have any pain or discomfort... tell Alan."

April nodded vigorously while seated on her chair. Now that she had entered the ducal estate, the only time she could check on April was late at night.

And tonight was the midnight on which she was supposed to meet Tamitarte, so she had to leave the detached palace quickly.

After leaving April's room, she was about to signal Barak to cast a spell.

He seemed to be in a bad mood for some reason. It wasn't as if Barak had never had that face before, but this was the first time he had shown it to her.

"When will April's leg be completely healed?"

Before she could even ask if there was anything he was unhappy about, Barak spoke first, making her cross her arms.

"You just heard it. It takes time."

"No, it's been over a month since the treatment started, and her leg...!"

"I guess you don't remember that I'm the one who healed her leg this much when it wasn't getting better before."

He must have been staying at the detached palace continuously, so he must have been impatient.

Why? If she had to pick a reason for his impatience, it would be because she had returned to the estate. It wasn't as if she had just arrived a few days ago, so she couldn't understand why he was suddenly acting like this.

Even when she was in the estate, there was no particular reason.

If she had to point something out, the way he picked on her had noticeably decreased. It was probably because of what happened in the library.

It seemed like April wanted to be healed quickly so that she could kick her out.

"I guess people's hearts are fickle like this."

Barak, who had been urging her on, stopped. He seemed displeased with her words, but since he had to see her until she was fully recovered, he couldn't threaten her.

"Didn't you say that I only needed to check her condition at first?"

"I think it's okay to ask this much since we signed a contract."

It had been a long time since Barak had been this patient. He was still treating his sister with great care.

"If you don't think it's getting better, or if you don't trust me, you can look for someone else."

"......"

"You can call a priest from the Great Temple right now."

"......"

"Well, what else would it be but rumors."

The Duke's daughter was seriously injured in a carriage accident, so why isn't the healed daughter in the capital? Was the daughter originally a twin? Or...? There would be all sorts of behind-the-scenes stories.

But even if they went to the Great Temple, there was no one who could show as much effect as she could. When she smiled brightly at Barak, who had a frustrated expression, April, who had come out of her room, pulled on Barak's sleeve.

"Brother, what's wrong? She's my benefactor."

"No, I'm just worried about your leg still..."

"I hope you don't take what my brother said to heart too much. It's because he's very worried about me."

"Of course. It's okay."

She smiled at April's relaxed appearance, which was different from when she had first met her.

"So, I'm about to go back to the shop, so would you help me, Mr. Barak?"

With a short sigh, he snapped his fingers. She slowly closed her eyes at the bright orange light that came into view.

When she opened her eyes again, she was at the entrance of Daryl Village.

Knowing the location of the shop, Barak had deliberately dropped her off at the entrance of the village instead of inside the shop as a kind of protest or spite.

"It looks like he dropped you off here on purpose."

Alan, who also seemed to have a good grasp of Barak's personality, let out a hollow laugh.

"I guess so."

Considering the temper he had shown her so far, this level of spite was nothing, so she chuckled and asked, "She should be able to manage her daily life, right?"

"Yes, she can manage with just a cane," Alan immediately replied with an affirmative answer, having immediately understood what she wanted to say.

He had been watching April by her side all the time, so he knew her condition better than anyone else.