Chapter 006
“You’ve woken up quite early, my Lady.”
Delphia’s short hair was damp, as if she had just washed it.
“Yes, Delphia. Did you wake up early as well?”
“We have early morning training.”
Delphia narrowed one eye and sat down by the sofa, stretching her arms wide.
“I’ve been working hard in the gymnasium until now. Haaaah! I thought I’d be able to sleep until morning once I came to the capital!”
Irina laughed softly at Delphia’s sincere lament. She leaned toward her curiously.
“But what brings you here?”
“For the food, of course! Let’s head to the dining table together.”
A meal. Irina nodded quickly at the word. In truth, she had been quite hungry for a while—so hungry that she felt as though the skin of her stomach was sticking to her back.
“Our chefs’ skills are truly top-tier. I survived that battlefield just by watching the chef cook.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Even you won’t be able to stop once you try it, my Lady. The meat dishes are particularly excellent.”
Meat. Irina swallowed her saliva. When Ben was in a rare good mood, he would provide a decent meal once a year, and meat was sometimes included. Even though it was always a small piece, it had been truly delicious.
It must be much tastier in a place like this, right?
Delphia, having finished praising the chef, turned back to Irina.
“Since you don’t know the layout yet, I’ll take you on a tour of the residence after breakfast. I’ll show you everything. This place is quite large for a townhouse; if you make a wrong turn, you might get lost.”
Delphia added that the building was originally used as a palace for a noble family. Irina, however, was struck by a new thought: Can one truly get lost inside a house?
After a moment, Delphia tilted her head, her expression becoming slightly more serious.
“My Lady, did you have a good conversation with the Duke yesterday?”
Irina nodded. “He told me many things. About my parents… oh, and he said I could stay in this mansion.”
“Yes, Lord Ajin and Lord Lara. I have heard many stories about them.”
(Note: They are referred to as “Lord” rather than “Count/Countess” here due to their military titles and status during the war.)
“Yes. They loved me very much and were wonderful people.”
A shadow of doubt crossed Delphia’s face. “Did he not tell you anything else?”
Irina noticed the change in Delphia’s expression. “Why do you look like that? Did the Duke leave something out?”
“Ah…”
“Actually, I think the Duke was trying to say something yesterday but stopped.”
Delphia’s eyes darted back and forth as she thought deeply. Suddenly, she jumped up from her seat and shouted.
“That’s it! That’s it! That’s it!”
“…?”
“I wonder if he didn’t tell you about Viscount Ventrin!”
Another new name. Irina shook her head.
“Viscount Corbin Ventrin is your uncle. In other words, he is Lord Ajin’s younger brother.” Delphia rubbed the back of her neck, her voice turning cold. “And he is the one who abandoned you.”
“What?”
Delphia’s face became uncharacteristically rigid.
“Lord Ajin and Lord Lara believed that if they passed away, they couldn’t guarantee the safety of the young lady left behind. It wasn’t that there were no servants, but the thought of leaving a smiling child alone made them anxious. So, they entrusted you to Viscount Ventrin. Because he was family. They thought they could trust him. But as soon as he took you, he came to the capital and left you in the slums.”
Delphia sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
“That is why we were so late in finding you. We searched for a long time. Viscount Ventrin and his wife told the Duke and his knights: ‘She is dead. When she was about two, she caught a fever and passed away. We tried everything. My poor niece… when I heard my brother died, I felt so guilty for being alive!’”
Delphia distorted her face, mocking the Viscount’s performance. “Honestly, I believed it at first.”
The Viscount had fainted while telling the story, claiming Irina died of a high fever at age two. The Viscountess had even shown them a prepared child’s grave on the estate.
“But it was all a lie.”
As they had left the Ventrin estate with heavy hearts, Duke Winifred had whispered softly: ‘That was a lie.’
“…How did he know?”
Delphia hesitated but then answered. “He said the Viscount was laughing.”
“Huh?”
“My Lord saw him. While he was crying and covering his mouth with his hand, he was smiling behind it…”
Irina caught her breath. Laughing? He was smiling while pretending to cry? Was he even human?
Delphia continued, “After that… we conducted a thorough search. We were lucky enough to meet a maid who had been fired long ago, and we finally found you.”
Delphia said more, but Irina couldn’t focus. The words “he abandoned me” echoed in her mind. A fire burned in her chest—a surge of anger she had never felt before.
“How could someone abandon their own family…?”
“Exactly,” Delphia nodded. “I should have pretended to be crazy and killed him then.”
“…What?”
“I’ve been looking for a chance since then. Those who served in the war for a long time are treated more leniently, even for accidental killings. You just have to claim you mistook them for the enemy. Ah! If only I had known then, I would have ‘accidentally’ cut off his head.”
“But you’d be in prison now…”
Delphia laughed softly. “His Excellency the Duke would get me out.”
“…….”
“Next time I see him, I’ll definitely cut off his head and give it to you as a gift.”
“No!”
“I mean it.”
Irina could tell Delphia was being entirely sincere.
“Well… if that happened, you would be punished. I would hate for a good person like you to be punished because of someone so bad.” Irina clasped her hands. “I’d rather just hit him myself.”
Delphia sniffed as if moved. “True! I don’t need to be punished. The Duke has already started uncovering all of Viscount Ventrin’s corruption.” She smiled brightly. “Now it’s only a matter of time before he is punished.”
“The Duke is doing that?”
“Yes! He has to return everything to you—Lord Ajin’s legacy, Lord Lara’s wealth and lands, and the title of Count Leonid.”
Irina blinked. The words felt distant, like they belonged to someone else.
“Once the Viscount is dealt with, you will become Countess Leonid.”
“How can I become a Countess so suddenly?”
“You are the daughter of the Leonid couple. That alone qualifies you.”
Irina wanted to say that she didn’t even know how to write or do proper arithmetic, but the words died in her throat.
“His Excellency the Duke will help with any difficulties,” Delphia said, squeezing Irina’s hand. “Now all you have to do is take back what was originally yours and enjoy it.”
What was originally mine. Irina repeated the words quietly to herself. Even if the title felt impossible, she wanted to find a piece of her true identity.
“Great! Now, shall we go have breakfast first?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll guide you to the dining room. Let’s eat together!”
Delphia led the way, holding Irina’s hand.
“I’d like to introduce you to our knights, but they’ve already finished breakfast.”
“So fast?” Irina looked at the window. The sun was only just rising.
“Of course! By this time, their digestion is already complete! They drink bread like water.”
Drink bread like water? Is that even possible? Irina wondered as Delphia began listing the tour stops: the training center, the food warehouse…
Suddenly, Irina remembered something important.
“Delphia.”
Delphia turned her head. Irina pursed her lips, thinking of the name she had whispered hundreds of times the previous night.
“It’s…”
Delphia waited patiently.
“I am Irina.”
She finally said her own name aloud.
“That is my name.”
Irina blushed and laughed. “Irina Leonid. That is my name.”
A bright smile spread across Delphia’s face. “That is a truly wonderful name! It’s lovely!”
Isn’t it? I think so too. Irina smiled brightly alongside her.
