When The Count’s Illegitimate Daughter Gets Married

Chapter 44

Laritte was still pondering when the carriage arrived at its destination.

“Laritte, I’ll be right back. Please wait here.” “Oh, ah….. Yes. Where are you going?”

Ian left her with only the words that he had some business to attend.

Laritte peered outside the door of the carriage.

It was a small mansion.

The lights around the house were bright. The garden at the distance was covered in darkness.

It could be the house of any ordinary aristocrat.

What stood out was that the mansion looked quite new.

Did the person move in recently?

“I’m stopping only for a while. It wouldn’t take long.”

She realized that Ian strangely didn’t mention the purpose.

“You’re going to talk about work, aren’t you?”

Then, she could easily guess why he wanted to leave her.

She thought women shouldn’t be involved in important business discussions among the family owners.

Count Brumayer did not even bother Rose at hours of his work. No matter how cutely Rose acted. He always shouted whenever Rose swarmed in. He wouldn’t even ask why she was barging in.

“Well, it’s work.”

Ian evaded her eye by answering.

In truth, he didn’t stop by this mansion for work.

There lived a relative of his own who was lucky enough to become rich at a lightning rate.

There was no reason for a Duke to talk business in such a place.

Laritte remained calm and silent.

“I can wait for you, so go ahead.”

Like a puppy waiting for its owner.

She did not say that she had the right to follow him since she was the Duchess.

She was aware of who gave her the title.

She closed the carriage door as she saw Ian moving away.

Her hand pressed down on the dress, the frills of which were hovering with the light breeze. The texture was soft and gentle.

It made her feel alive.

This was all an unimaginable luxury for her just a year ago.

Thanks to Ian, she could wear a pretty dress and put on makeup. She even had such good people as servants.

No longer did someone hit her for their pleasure or due to their boredom.

But it felt strangely suffocating.

‘Is there another ungrateful person like me?’

She pondered.

Luckily, she met Ian and escaped the cage of the Count. But it still felt stuffy as if she was trapped in a new cage.

She wondered if Ian was really mistaken by taking her as his Duchess.

What if she had volunteered for herself?

Funny…….

It was at that moment.

“Laritte!”

Ian called out while opening the carriage door.

He had run back before he could enter the mansion.

His bangs were tangled up in front of his face.

Laritte opened her eyes wide.

“……Ian?” “I…… Come to think of it, you might misunderstand.”

His look was sincere.

“There’s only one reason why I can’t avoid it now. We will go together next time.”

Laritte wondered if she had been caught in her innermost thoughts.

“Don’t think I’m being inconsiderate because I left you in the cold. Ahem-Ahem. Of course that’s what you’d think, but I will always care about you, Laritte.”

He sounded worried.

Because Laritte was a woman, she could think it wasn’t to talk about business.

He didn’t even consider it in the first place, so he didn’t expect she could think that way.

“It’s warm in here.”

She directed her fingers toward the heating equipment and so on.

“Oh, yes. I see.” “Yes.” “Ahem-Ahem. Then……. Then, I’ll be on my way.” “Take care of yourself.”

Ian disappeared into the darkness again.

Laritte closed the door before leaning against the window.

“Hmmm……”

The situation was the same as before, but this time, she did not feel frustrated.

She could see a smile on her blank face reflected in the window glass.

Laritte rested her head against the frame of the window.

After a while,

Ian came back as promised.

“Have you been waiting long?” “You know it wasn’t that long. What’s in your hand?”

There contained a wooden doll in his large hand.

A doll that a seven-year-old child would like.

“Ah, I told you that a new product of this mansion’s owner was arriving soon. He runs a company that makes children’s toys.”

Ian was about to hand over the doll to the servant. It didn’t mean anything much to him.

He was the Duke of Reinhardt, but it didn’t have anything to do with his own work.

He also had a special reason to stop by the mansion this time.

“It’s expensive, but I don’t need it…….”

Laritte snatched the doll out of his grip.

“Me! Give it. Give it to me. Why would you have to throw it away?”

Her cheeks were brightly colored.

She looked the same when she entered the County of Brumayer as a child.

When she was at the age of playing with toys.

But no one in the family would ever give her a doll.

She envied Rose whenever she saw her play with a doll.

“I’ve never played with anything like this. It’s fascinating.” “………You’ve never seen it?” “There’s no way I did.”

Laritte’s tone was calm.

Ian, however, rubbed his chin, fearing he had made a slip of his tongue.

How cruel of Count Brumayer to never buy her a toy.

How could he make up for this mistake?

The idea for a toy store prickled at the back of his mind.

If he searched the nearby business district, he would find at least one store.

“Would you like a toy store as a present, Laritte?” “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t need it at this age.”

Laritte said, but she enjoyed moving the limbs of the doll.

But Ian was serious about it. Laritte noticed his look and slapped the back of his hand.

“Don’t think of doing anything stupid!”

He asked again.

“You really don’t need it?” “No, I don’t! Really!”

Since then, the two exchanged recommendations and rejection more than 20 times.

In the end, the defeated individual, Ian, had to soothe his regretful appetite.

***

While Laritte and Ian playfully talked under the night sky, others were losing their mind.

“You! What were you doing out there!”

Count Brumayer’s loud voice rang out of the mansion.

The lady was greatly exalted.

Rose was humiliated when she met the Duke at the banquet? And all the rumors she spread were proved to be fake?

It wasn’t usually such a big deal.

Thanks to the maid who followed Rose, she was quick to hear the news, but she could not respond.

Thrash! Rose threw her gloves at the wall.

“I know, I know! Don’t yell at me!”

The most frustrated was Rose.

Now that she had entered the society for spreading rumors, she thought it’d be all over once she got married and paid the Duke.

Damn it! How did it end up like this?

Now, no aristocrat would face Rose.

She would never be invited to a gathering again from this family.

“Damn you, Laritte! It’s all because of that girl…… That terrible girl who wasn’t even capable of standing up!”

What just happened at the party was still stabbing her.

With the dress and the jewel glimmering under the colorful lights, she stood as the most glamorous woman in the banquet.

Laritte Brumayer.

This was all because of her.

The girl who was now the Duchess, Laritte Reinhardt.

The Countess folded her arms.

“What good have you done? You have to get your stuff right!”

Rose also responded in a formidable manner.

“You don’t have to treat me like an infant anymore. You know what? It’s all your fault, Mom, Dad! It would have been great if there was a proper trade. You didn’t have to go all the way to pay back the Duke’s money!”

The Count walked in from outside.

Rose grew nervous when she saw his expression.

“Get out right now, Rose.”