The second son's news was over. Next. "Derrick, he is..?"
"He didn't come home yesterday either."
The butler hesitated to reveal the truth due to his owner's heavier voice than before. "The report said he was in a village near the capital."
"Why there?"
"I received a report that he witnessed lady Penelope"
"You crazy bastard!" Gwang-!
As soon as the butler's words were over, the duke distorted his face, and violently punched the desk. "There's a nonstop mountain of work, but he still in the middle of it!"
He'd rather chose Renald who was drinking or playing around.
The Young Duke of the Eckart house, who had never lost his coolness and reason, had changed strangely at some point.
The glaring eyes grew more and more quaint, and since Penelope's disappearance, he had completely changed and gone mad.
He couldn't control the guy who had to go out to find her on one day, throwing away all the work he had to do.
"Huuu"
The Duke breathed a deep sigh with a throbbing head at the constant news about Derrick. After Penelope left the mansion, the house's in a mess.
"What is that child doing?"
In a few minutes, the Duke's face became 10 years older when he asked the other one.
"She's still in a desolate state, but I think she's deeply distressed because the maid you just assigned didn't take care of her properly."
Being in the most ambiguous position in the mansion, the butler vaguely omitted the subject. "Huuu"
The Duke breathed out another deep sigh. Yvonne, who had a bruise on her stomach that was black and blue marks, has been sick for several days without eating properly.
The head maid, who said she was beaten together because she couldn't witness the assault in person, ran wild.
But another witness who was there, Emily, claimed to be the culprit went missing from prison the next day. The case was buried because all the suspects had disappeared. All that was left were rumors that she was a "fake lady" who ran away from home after beating a real lady.
In addition, while paying attention to Penelope, which took place recently, another thing has become completely neglected. Then the butler informs again which reminds the duke of Yvonne's crying face, say that she missed the duke, weighed heavily on his chest.
"But she's feeling much better, and she said she had a good breakfast today." "I have to go."
The Duke got up from his seat with a moan and a groaning sound. The butler looked with astonishment. "Do you mean it?"
"I can't ask a sick child to come."
The Duke had never visited the room in person since Yvonne returned to the mansion. Furthermore, all the attention was paid to Penelope's recent series of incidents, and she was completely neglected.
Yvonne's half-hearted face, which she had been crying for a long time, weighed heavily on his chest.
Soon after the Butler's instructions, the duke reached Yvonne's room, which he had set up on the first floor of the mansion. Which is room for guest.
When he realized it, her soft voice touched his ears.
-I... Can I take a look at my room? I'm still wondering if it's still the same...
The Duke immediately reject Yvonne's request to go to the third floor who was wondering if it was still the same. It's because he was worried that she might bump into Penelope on the second floor.
It has been a long time since Yvonne came to the mansion, but when he confirms Yvonne still staying in the guest room, he felt heavy again.
Hnock knock- "Who is it?" "It's me."
"Oh, father... No, Duke?"
After he knocked, he heard a startled voice from the inside. "May I come in?"
"Yes, yes! Um, wait a minute!" Hrit-
The door was opened with the rushing sound. "You may come, duke! Pleasecome inside."Yvonne who was embarrassed hurried the Duke into the room. The butler followed behind. The duke sitting at the table in front of the window asked her.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, of course. Well, I'm fine."
Yvonne replied with a bright smile. He has been getting reports that she was sick enough to some extent that to feed herself for days only in her room, and her face looked healthy without shadows.
"Good thing."
The duke was relieved from his anxiety. Then there was an awkward silence between the two. Fortunately, Yvonne, who had hesitated, took courage and led the conversation.
"Well... would youlike a refreshment?"
"Yes, let's have it. Butler."
At the duke's low call, the butler who stood around immediately left the room. Soon hot tea and desserts were placed on the table.
"Please call me if you need more."
The butler, who prepared the refreshments, sensibly avoided the occasion for the conversation between the father and daughter. As soon as the butler went out, Yvonne looked at the Duke with her eyes.
"I didn't expect you. I'm so glad you came, Duke."
The Duke felt a faint guilty conscience at her reaction. He knew she was sick, but he didn't look for her.
He, after Penelope's coming-of-age ceremony, strangely distanced from Yvonne. It was also because of the guilt towards Penelope.
'I'm a mean father.'
He still didn't know how to treat his young daughters. Moreover, Penelope and Yvonne were so different, who only saying what she needed every time and leaving.
"May I pour you some tea?"
Yvonne didn't even hear the answer and poured tea into the teacup. It's usually the maid job, but she didn't have a maid now.
"Well."
The duke coughed in vain at Yvonne's gentle-voiced and hesitated opened his lips. "Are there any inconveniences during your stay here?"
"Inconvenience? Nothing at all. Oh, instead I am often worried that I am being treated too much." "I can't believe it's too much. Don't say that. It's something you deserve to enjoy."
Yvonne stared at the duke with a deeply moving look, replied with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for saying that."
"Yvonne."
"Yeah?"
The duke hesitated for a moment, then spoke cautiously. "Don't blame Penelope too much."
"Ah"
"It's all my fault that she's like that. I won't ask you in detail about what happened between you two. Still, she's not a bad-tempered kid, so please understand a little."
Although he knows that Penelope wouldn't have done it without reason, Yvonne was the victim of the assault. The Duke could not face Yvonne and lowered his eyes to the teacup. Because of that, he can't see Yvonne's strange face.
"Duke. I'm fine."
Soon after, Yvonne replied with a watery voice.
"I should have been more careful not to be noticed by PenelopeI'm sorry."
( yo b***h what drama trash you are.)
"No, it's not something you should apologize for." "No, it's all my fault. Have youfound Penelope yet?"
Tears quickly filled her eyes in a flash.
"I'm so worried that something will happen. I hope she'll be back soon"
"Don't worry too much. She's good at taking care of herself."
The words chilled Yvonne's blue eyes. This time the Duke saw it. The eyes were filled with tears, and the face was expressionless as a doll.
At that moment, creeps passed through the back of the Duke's neck. Fortunately, Yvonne quickly broke down her expression and smiled softly.
"That's right. Penelope is a smart kid"
"That's"
The duke tried to hide his feelings and changed the topic.
"You have been in your room all day long, have you? Tell me if you want anything." He paused a moment and continued.
"What do you want?"
Perhaps it was unexpected, Yvonne's swollen blue eyes were wide open. "Ee, it's enough already, it's alright. Thank you for your concern."
"Isn't it uncomfortable because the head maid also sick and took leave so there is no one take care of you? It's hard to go out because you're not feeling well... Don't feel pressured and tell me. Or tell the butler."
"No! I have Leah. Uh, Leah is my maid a while ago." Yvonne shook her head and waved.
"That child..."
The Duke's face darkened. Now that he had heard it a while ago, it was natural that Yvonne didn't know.
"When I heard from the butler, the maid seemed to have run away from the mansion in the evening."
"Ru, Runaway?!"
As expected, Yvonne was stunned by the unexpected news.
"Wh, why? Uh, I thoughtit was weird that I couldn't see her since yesterday. Was it because she
hated being my maid?"
"No way. It's not your fault, so don't be so heartbroken."
The startled voice quickly calmed down. The Duke delivered an awkward consolation. "I'm looking for a decent girl, and I'll assign you a new maid soon."
"Thank you"
Yvonne said with a dead face.
"ButI hope Leah will be happy with Paul there."
"I'm sure they'll get along well enough to throw away their severance pay and run away in a hurry."
It was the moment when the Duke answered with a smiley voice and a tender heart. A sense of discomfort flashed.
'By the wayDid I tell her that she ran away with a stableman?'
The Duke paused to look back at Yvonne. She was still looking at himself with her clear eyes. "What's wrong?"
There was no such thing as falsehood or pretense in the blue eyes. ''It's probably something she has already heard of it.'
He thought his nerves are sharp because of that Derrick.
The Duke tried to divert his attention with a slight awakening. "No, nothing. The tea is getting cold. Come on, let's drink it"
As he rushed to offer to drink the tea to calm the awkwardness, he stopped talking at a moment. In Yvonne's teacup,
There was nothing reflected.
(Finally, the duke noticed it, I thought it will be revealed firstly when the duke lowered his eyes to his teacup n it broke my expectation lol with Yvonne's drama)