MILND 09

Chapter 9

Ilina, overwhelmed with emotion, forgot she was in front of the Grand Duchess and poured out everything she had been holding in.

“There weren’t any bigger sizes than this at the Tashio boutique. Everyone else wore Tashio dresses at their debutante ball… but I’d gained weight and couldn’t fit into any of them. And then, despite being fat, I had cake at the debutante…”

“Who said you were disgraceful?”

“…They said a country noble like me was shameless for eating like that at a debutante ball…”

No matter how maturely she wore her makeup and dressed, Ilina was still a girl who had just turned fifteen. A teenager—at that age, other people’s opinions weigh heavier than anything.

She would gag from the tight corset every night, her ankles ached from the heels after just a short walk, but she endured it all, desperate to erase the memory of that day.

Even as she spoke, Ilina bowed her head in shame.

She knew how childish her words sounded. It seemed so foolish that just one mean comment had caused her to make a scene at a duke’s banquet.

But Wilhelmina didn’t look down on her. Instead, she nodded with a serious face.

“That must’ve been really hard.”

“That…”

Wilhelmina was the first person to empathize with her pain—not as childish whining, but as something valid.

Ilina’s tearful eyes turned toward her.

“Is that why you didn’t want to drink the milk?”

“…Yes. I was hungry, but I couldn’t eat things like this. I’d look disgraceful.”

“You’re not disgraceful.”

Wilhelmina picked up the teapot and filled Ilina’s teacup with warm milk.

“There’s nothing strange or disgraceful about eating. What’s so wrong with having food?”

“But other people—”

“There’s no one else here but you and me.”

Wilhelmina stood, walked over to her with the teacup, and gently placed it in Ilina’s hands. Her hands were as warm as the cup itself.

“And whatever we say here, no one outside will know.”

“Grand Duchess…”

Wilhelmina used a handkerchief—plain and patterned, unlike the elegant ones from the banquet—to wipe away Ilina’s tears.

“I don’t think you’re disgraceful. So you shouldn’t see yourself that way either.”

“…”

“It’s okay. You can eat. It’ll be our little secret.”

Ilina slowly brought the cup to her lips. It was warm and sweet.

Not just because of the milk, but because Wilhelmina had told her over and over that she was okay—wiping her tears with such gentle kindness.

* * *

I never imagined I’d end up playing teacher even after reincarnating.

At first, I’d just meant to comfort her a bit. But after hearing her story, I couldn’t just ignore it.

“Peer relationships… they’re difficult.”

Teenage relationships come with a different kind of weight than adult ones.

Not heavier, just different kinds of pain.

“Sometimes friends are scarier than parents.”

Some people may forget over time, but childhood scars caused by peers can stay with you for life.

When you teach kids, you start to understand just how cruel they can be.

“Innocence… what a garbage word.”

Pure malice. Baseless hatred. Gossip without guilt. A single dispute can become a lifelong nightmare for a child.

From experience, digging too quickly into a hurt child’s wounds is never effective.

In the end, I’m just an adult. I can’t help them navigate their peer group.

If I try to lecture them, they’ll just say, “You don’t understand anything, teacher.”

So instead, I chose to share my view.

That I thought differently from the others. That I didn’t think she’d done anything wrong.

Sometimes honest words are more powerful than shallow empathy.

What Ilina needed wasn’t a lecturing teacher. She needed an ally.

“I-I’ll head back now.”

“Alright.”

The bell chimed midnight—the banquet was coming to an end.

What remained was like a “second round,” in Korean terms, with just the ducal family, the border marquis, and a few others. But that had nothing to do with Ilina’s family.

In the end, I couldn’t keep my word about returning to the banquet.

“I’ll probably get an earful.”

I’d been gone since the banquet started—no surprise if someone complained.

…Especially a certain daughter-in-law.

Ilina had washed her face to erase her tear marks, so her makeup was gone.

With some leftover acne scars, her young, adorable face showed through. She dressed with a slightly pained expression.

For the record, she couldn’t fit into her previous outfit after the milk, so I lent her mine.

“Since she drank the milk, I might as well pack her something. Honey, some digestive herbs…”

While I was helping her pack up, Ilina asked cautiously.

“Can I… come again? Not for a banquet. Just… a personal visit?”

“…”

That was a hard question to answer. I wasn’t sure if I even had the authority to invite guests, and it wouldn’t look great publicly.

Considering the gossip already floating around about me in noble circles, I didn’t want her to suffer any backlash.

“Then instead of an invitation, I’ll just create a reason for her to come.”

No need to overthink it.

“I’m thinking about starting a regular book club, though I’m not sure when.”

The idea came from the Viscountess Rolland, who suggested it since I was clueless about social affairs.

I thought of her—she’d grown close to me over ginger tea and gave me all sorts of advice.

‘In society, there are many kinds of gatherings. Noblewomen from respected families usually host one or two. It would be good if you did as well. Perhaps a book club or tea party.’

‘I’m not that into reading.’

‘You don’t actually have to read. The point is socializing.’

‘You mean… make friends?’

‘I mean build allies.’

Her expression had been so serious I had to look away.

In the end, the social world was still human society—a battlefield in a mud pit.

“Gasp! You’re going to invite me to the book club?”

“Yeah.”

Maybe it was too much to expect a teenage girl like Ilina to become an ally of the former duchess.

But if she really wanted to see me again, this was the only way.

I worried she might dislike it, but Ilina looked moved instead.

“It’s an honor! To be the first attendee of your book club!”

I hadn’t said she’d be the first, but I didn’t have any friends, so it wasn’t technically wrong.

Ilina excitedly thanked me again and again. Worried she might faint again, I told her to take it easy.

“You should head back now.”

“Okay!”

“…Be sure to explain things well to your father. Just say I insisted—he’ll understand.”

If he’s politically astute, he might even be happy about owing a favor to a duke’s household rather than impressing a border marquis he rarely meets.

But Ilina shook her head firmly.

“No, Grand Duchess. You helped me. I’ll tell him the truth.”

“Well…”

What truth, really? I just gave a girl on the verge of tears a few cups of milk.

Still, I didn’t stop her from declaring it so dramatically.

And with that, we parted.

Just in time, the viscount was looking for Ilina outside the banquet hall.

He didn’t seem like a bad father—his face was full of concern.

When Ilina approached, he looked like he might scold her but just sighed in relief and carefully helped her into the carriage.

“Even a father like that let things go until his daughter nearly threw up…”

Family affection is a strange thing in this world. Not that it’s my business.

I had no intention of chatting with the viscount, so I quietly slipped back into the banquet hall.

The staff were already busy cleaning up.

“Excuse me, dear.”

“Ah! Yes?”

I called over a servant boy. He quickly ran up to me.

“Where’s the duke?”

“The master? He’s in the inner courtyard now, having drinks with a few guests.”

So the second round was in the ducal garden. Nobles drinking under the moonlight—how peaceful.

“Still, I should greet the border marquis before I go.”

Now that I knew he was still here, I couldn’t just skip it. I didn’t like it, but I figured I should at least show my face.

Just as I was about to head over—

I regretted dismissing my attendant.