Honey, I Believe That’s Your Misunderstanding

Chapter 34

—Wait, Grace, Grace!

Lucas’s urgent calling rang in her ears.

It wasn’t long ago when he was encouraging her to go to this place and that, but now there was such urgency in his tone.

Grace walked forward with a smile upon her lips.

Right, wasn’t he the one who told her to go there?

He went so far as to say that she could lie down, touch things, or do whatever else in there. So, it shouldn’t be a big deal to look at just one portrait.

Since the owner of the room gave his go signal, it should be fine.

The old butler, watching as Grace took more steps forward, led the way with a pleased smile.

“You won’t be disappointed, Milady. Please follow me.”

—No, ugh, these people right now… Wait, wait. Please just wait a second, Grace! I did say that you can go in, but not like this. Please, Grace? Hoh, are you pretending that you can’t hear me? Grace!

But no matter how much Lucas shouted, it was a voice that rang only in her head. Grace smiled elegantly and deliberately moved forward, pretending that she couldn’t hear anything to the point that it really did seem like there wasn’t someone trying to stop her right now.

Between the two of them, it was always just Lucas Blacke teasing her. She felt so giddy right now because their roles had finally reversed.

‘This is why it’s imperative for people to change positions once in a while, Your Excellency.’

Now standing before the room Gabriel had led her to, Grace smiled quietly. The old butler bowed politely and opened the secret door that had been tightly shut until now.

“I shall do my utmost to ensure that Your Ladyship has a pleasant stay here.”

—Gabriel!

Once again pretending that she couldn’t hear Lucas’s loud voice, Grace took a step into the open door.

The smell of old books welcomed her.

* * *

“Oh my goodness.”

Staring at the frame that Gabriel took out, Grace hurriedly covered her mouth and bit her lower lip.

Tears welling up in those reddened eyes, which seemed to be overflowing with various emotions.

Looking at the same portrait, Gabriel nodded slowly as he was standing next to Grace as though he could understand all the thoughts going on in her mind right now.

Grace’s trembling eyes once again scanned the portrait.

“…My word.”

How is it possible that such a cute child exists!

Desperately holding back the mirthful exclamation, she shook her tightly closed fist and inwardly squealed instead.

Gabriel took out the frame from a small secret compartment from one corner of the personal library, and it contained a picture of a family.

There depicted on the lower right was a crying little boy who was tightly hugging a stuffed bunny in his arms.

Curly hair as dark as ebony, face as smooth and pale as porcelain, and eyes as blue as the sky, twinkling with tears.

There was no need for her to ask Gabriel who this lovely little boy was.

“I still look back fondly on the day that Blacke family had taken a photo together. It was the first time that they had the chance to be photographed by the royal photographer, and us servants were also so amazed that we came out to watch.”

In Gabriel’s recollection, he could see a distant mountain, even though he was indoors right now.

“Even before taking the picture, the Young Master always took Bunbun with him wherever he went. But the problem that day was the Madam and the Second Young Master hid Bunbun.”

“The Second Young Master? This person?”

Grace pointed to the little boy who was clearly laughing while holding his belly beside Lucas in the photo.

Gabriel nodded.

—Cain. Cain Blacke, you little sh…

Right then, Grace heard Lucas swearing at his younger brother.

Taking after their father, the previous duke, Cain Blacke had red hair.

Also, his curved, smiling eyes were bright green.

“Lord Cain and the Madam really enjoyed teasing Master Lucas. It used to drive him crazy.”

Going by first impressions, the younger sibling looked like he was the more delicate one. But as it turned out, he’s the one who’s making his older brother cry from his teasing.

Somehow, a faint giggle slipped through Grace’s lips.

“Since it’s just us here, Lady Grace, you can go ahead and laugh.”

Gabriel offered like a gentleman.

—Excuse me, I can hear everything.

“N-No! Not at all. I, haha, don’t find it fun—pfft—funny at all.”

—Just let it out already.

Grace bit her lips and forced herself to shake her head.

Perceptive as ever, the butler just nodded.

“Master Lucas’s favorite thing when he was a child was that stuffed bunny. It was the Madam who made it for him.”

As he was speaking in a faint voice, Gabriel looked at the ‘little’ Lucas in the picture frame that Grace was holding.

“There was a time when Lord Cain and the Madam hid the bunny, and Master Lucas looked around extensively for it. In the end, when he couldn’t find it, he cried and ran straight to the Duke. By that time, the Madam had already secretly placed Bunbun in the middle of the garden.”

In his reminiscence, the butler’s eyes sank into his memories.

“He was told that Bunbun had gone out on just a short walk, and Master Lucas hugged the stuffed bunny and asked it not to leave him again. He said that he’d take it anywhere it wanted.”

Gabriel smiled.

“It seems like only yesterday that the previous Duke had called the Madam and Lord Cain side by side to scold them, telling them, ‘Please don’t do that again’.”

—I didn’t know that Gabriel’s mouth still works that well. Huh, I guess it’s true for most old men, but he’s really talkative, isn’t he.

There was a lilting hint of sarcasm in Lucas’s voice.

In Grace’s perspective, Lucas’s voice had always sounded so harsh and heavy. But right now, it even sounded kind and gentle.

Perhaps it’s because she had seen what he looked like as a child?

Still smiling, Grace slowly took in the sight of the picture in her hands.

The elegant beauty with golden hair and blue eyes must be Lucas’s mother.

Next to her was the previous duke, who had red hair and green eyes. From just one look, it was clear from his smile that he was a kind father.

‘I can’t believe that he was sooo adorable.’

With the verdant meadow behind him, the little boy’s cheeks were ever so plump and lovely while he was crying with a very forlorn pout.

The boy’s younger brother was hugging him from the back with an innocent smile.

The mother watched her sons fondly with a dazzling smile, and the previous duke, snuggly embracing his wife in his arms, also looked at them affectionately.

Everything that filled this frame exuded happiness.

Just looking at the picture, one side of Grace’s chest felt full.

Unknowingly, Grace’s lips formed a tender smile.

She felt sorry for the crying little boy, but he was just so cute that she could honestly understand why the previous duchess and the second young master had teased him so much.

In the end, perhaps she saw something that she shouldn’t have seen.

The now-adult subject of the photo seemed frustrated.

—…My fragile days.

Hearing his dismal voice, Grace burst out in a peal of laughter.

—Laughing, are we? Yes, sure, laugh as much as you want, Grace. Just wait and see what kind of revenge I’ll get later.

The very mention of ‘revenge’ was something that Grace would have been terrified of, but strangely she didn’t feel scared at all.

Grace wanted to comfort Lucas, but she momentarily changed her mind. She was still in the presence of someone else in the room.

‘Oh, but I already told Gabriel before that I can hear Lucas’s voice. Wouldn’t it be better if I just say that I can hear him now?’

Grace glanced at Gabriel.

The old butler was still looking at the frame with nostalgia in his eyes.

However, she hesitated about whether she should speak up about it or not.

As she looked at Gabriel with that thought in mind, Gabriel took a step back as though he had suddenly realized something.

“Oh dear, I apologize for being tactless, Lady Grace. I’ll be returning to the main building now to do my tasks.”

“Ah, it’s not like that…”

“I’ll call your maid, Julie, so that she can attend to you. If there’s anything you’d like me to do for you, please let me know through her.”

In the moment that Grace hesitated, Gabriel bowed politely.

“No, Gabriel, that’s not what I meant. Actually, His Excellency…”

—Grace.

She was about to tell the old butler about Lucas’s voice, but Lucas called her.

—I don’t think now’s a good time to tell Gabriel about me.

Ah.

Hearing this, Grace stopped herself.

“Lady Grace? What is it about His Excellency?”

Frantically looking elsewhere in her embarrassment, Grace said the first thing on her mind.

“Yes, um, His Excellency, His Excellency… I want to see him. W-When will he come?”

“Oh! Goodness me! You’d like to see His Excellency?”

Gabriel’s expression lit up as if he was thrilled to hear it.

It was only then that Grace realized that she said the wrong thing.

“..Ah, yes, um. I was wondering where he is.”

—In your heart.

‘…Excuse me, please stop. I’m not talking to you right now.’

“Then, of course, Milady! I’ll be very, very sure to bring His Excellency to Your Ladyship at the soonest possible time! Yes, of course, that’s what I must do!”

With that said, Gabriel disappeared quickly as he returned to the main mansion. It looked as if he had a skip in his step, too.

Something’s telling Grace that she chose the wrong excuse, but it’s impossible to take it back.

Scratching her forehead, Grace lay down on one of the sofas of the private library.

‘But why shouldn’t I tell Gabriel?’

Left all alone to her own devices now, Grace agonized over her thoughts.

‘He said it’s not the right time.’

But when’s the right time that Lucas was waiting for?

After mulling over her complex thoughts, Grace finally opened her lips to speak.

“Your Excellency, are you there?”

—Yes, please speak freely.

“May I ask why you stopped me from telling Gabriel about you earlier? And since I’m not supposed to tell Gabriel, should I not say anything to Jaime either?”

—Ah, right. You’re correct, please don’t tell Jaime either.

“May I ask why?”

—That’s, well.

Lucas paused.

Strangely, tension started lingering in the midst of the silence.

Not noticing it herself, Grace started leaning back into the sofa.

—The reason is…

Gulp. When Grace gulped dryly as she felt a bit nervous, Lucas laughed and continued speaking.

—So that I can tease him later.

“…Huh?”

‘Did I hear him wrong?’

Unknowingly reaching up with one hand to press against her ear, Grace asked again.