Chapter 29 – The Gift and the Fire
The gifts Saiga brought fell into three main categories:
Clothes for me and the children, toys, and snacks.
It was already well known throughout the Empire that I was raising the Duke’s children on my own.
There were even rumors that I doted on them dearly.
That story had circulated since Dylan’s time, and after returning in this life, I hadn’t bothered to correct it.
That must be why Saiga’s master believed those rumors and sent these gifts.
They probably assumed I had given up the cake for the children too.
Which, technically, was true.
I had only bought that cake for the children to spite Lady Marcen, but when someone else seemed to need it more, I decided it was better to let it go.
My mood, which had been good until I opened the boxes, sank the moment I lifted the lids.
Not that I didn’t expect it.
Of course I did.
“Steward.”
“Yes, Madam?”
“Put the clothes in my size into my wardrobe. The rest, for the children—”
I stopped mid-sentence, instinctively, and the steward gave me a puzzled look.
“Madam?”
I ignored him and fell into thought.
Even if I gave them to the children, Kaelan wouldn’t give them a second glance. Anna would be no different.
And as for Rayna and Haldeir…
Let’s not even go there.
“Distribute the snacks to all the staff in the Duke’s household. As for the children’s clothes, toys, and the rest… gather them up and rewrap them.”
“Oh… you want them repackaged? Understood.”
“They’re to be gifted, so wrap them nicely.”
“Yes, Madam.”
I left the cleanup to the staff and headed to the study with the steward.
A few maids took the adult clothes and went to my room.
Meanwhile, the staff opened the snack boxes and began to happily share them among themselves, per my instructions.
“Wow, this one’s amazing!”
“Is there honey in this? It’s so sweet it almost stings.”
“This one just melts in your mouth. So fluffy and sugary!”
“Ugh—cough—this one’s so sour! Whoa…”
They marveled with every bite, describing what they tasted, passing things around like children at a festival.
They smiled like they hadn’t in ages, claiming it was the most delicious thing they’d ever had.
Joy and warmth filled the estate.
Some even set aside snacks to share with staff working in other parts of the house.
“Where do you think this is from? It tastes and looks expensive.”
“Not sure. There’s no label or brand on the box or wrapper.”
“Probably something only nobles eat, right? Folks like us rarely get to try stuff like this.”
“It’s all thanks to Madam. Without her, we wouldn’t even see things like this.”
“Everything’s been peaceful lately here at the estate. And now we get snacks like this. Life’s good.”
Murmurs of agreement spread as the staff passed the remaining treats around again.
But then a sharp, clear voice cut through the chatter.
“What’s all this noise?”
Everyone froze at the sound of Rayna’s voice and quickly turned to bow their heads.
“What’s going on—huh? What’s all this?”
“…”
“I asked a question. Why is no one answering me?”
“T-These are gifts that arrived at the estate earlier today…”
“Gifts?!”
Rayna’s face lit up. Holding Haldeir’s hand, she rushed down the stairs, practically skipping.
She ran straight to the boxes, flinging open lids and pulling out items.
“Wow! Look, Halde! A white fox cape! Isn’t it gorgeous?”
“There are pens here too! And they write in five colors.”
“Look at this pink lace ribbon! Wouldn’t it look perfect in my hair? And this silk waist sash—so shiny!”
“You look great, Rayna. Really pretty!”
Rayna twirled around in front of a mirror, draping clothes on herself, while Haldeir rummaged through the toy box with a big smile.
They weren’t unfamiliar items—but being brand new made the children’s hearts race with excitement.
Seeing their joyful faces, the staff who had been enjoying their snacks now felt a lump form in their throats.
Some quietly clutched at their chests.
Didn’t Madam say to wrap all that up to give away as gifts?
Yeah… I heard the same.
What are we going to say to them? They’re so happy right now.
We should’ve wrapped everything right away, instead of eating first…
“What’s that over there?”
Rayna, still spinning in delight, spotted the boxes of snacks set aside for other workers and ran over.
The staff grew flustered. Those were reserved for distribution—yet now Rayna had her eyes on them.
“Halde! Come here! These must be part of the gift too!”
“What is it, Rayna?”
She popped a yellow glutinous rice ball dusted with white powder into her mouth, chewing happily. Then, she held another up to Haldeir’s lips.
“Mmm—this is good! Where’s it from?”
“There’s no label on it.”
The snacks were disappearing fast between their bites, and the staff grew increasingly panicked.
Someone say something—please!
What are we supposed to do? Tell the young lady and young master to stop eating because it’s for servants? That’s ridiculous!
“These are really good. Let’s bring some to Anna. Here, Halde, help me carry them!”
“Okay!”
Just as they were about to walk away, arms full of treats, one brave maid spoke up.
“Um, Young Lady, Young Master…”
Rayna and Haldeir turned toward the maid, who avoided their gaze, eyes on the ground.
“I’m sorry, but the items you’ve opened were meant to be repackaged as gifts, per Madam’s instructions…”
“What? The ribbon? The cape? The belt?”
“These pens too?”
Rayna’s expression soured immediately, and Haldeir looked down at the toys in his hands with a frown. The maid began to sweat.
The children of Duke Dylan had been raised with every luxury and affection imaginable.
They were the darlings of the household—and terribly spoiled.
Especially Rayna.
“You just said they were gifts sent to the estate.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then why does she get to decide to give them away? Just because she has my dad’s authority? She thinks everything in this estate is hers now?”
“Young Lady…”
“It’s obvious this stuff was picked out for me and Halde! Who else would they be for? Where are they from? These are ours!”
“Madam’s clothing was already taken upstairs by the other maids.”
“So she keeps her part and gives away our stuff? Seriously?”
“The sender said the gifts were to thank Madam for her help—so—”
“They were sent to the Duke’s house. And they sent our sizes. Of course they were meant for us!”
“That may be true, but…”
Haldeir gently tugged Rayna’s sleeve and whispered.
“Rayna, that’s enough. It’s not their fault, right?”
“Hah, this is so stupid!”
Rayna threw the white cape onto the ground, yanked off the ribbon and sash, and stomped on them in a fit of rage.
Haldeir quietly picked up the toys and put them back in the box.
At that moment, Jena, who had been standing at the back of the crowd, turned and bolted toward the study.
Knock knock—
“Come in.”
“Madam…”
“Hmm? Jena? What is it?”
“It’s… the children saw the gifts. There’s a bit of a situation…”
“A situation? Should I go see it myself?”
“Yes. There’s been a bit of trouble. I think you should come…”
I rose from my seat, wondering what kind of mess this was, and quickly made my way to the foyer with the steward.
Rayna and Haldeir?
Sure, if they saw the gifts, they’d be curious—but if I had told them they were for me, they’d have moved on.
“Madam!”
“You’re here!”
Children’s clothes I had ordered to be packaged were now on the floor.
Staff hovered around anxiously, unsure of what to do.
When they saw me, their expressions grew even darker.
“We’re so sorry, Madam…”
“The items for wrapping were damaged…”
I waved them aside and quickly assessed the situation.
Most of it was just messy—only the cape and a few accessories were actually dirtied.
“Steward. Wash the soiled items and rewrap them separately. Continue wrapping the rest as planned.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“And make sure someone oversees the entire process. Since both you and I left, the innocent staff here bore the brunt of it.”
“Understood.”
The staff looked at me with watery eyes. I gave them a reassuring smile and called Jena to follow me back to the study.
“Jena, come with me.”
“Yes, Madam!”
As I walked away, the sounds of the staff cleaning up slowly faded.
Once everything was quiet, Jena spoke hesitantly.
“Madam?”
“Yes?”
“Do you… know what the staff were saying today?”
“No. What were they saying?”
“They said… thanks to you, every day is peaceful and happy.”
“Oh? That’s good to hear.”
Encouraged by my smile, Jena continued to chatter.
Apparently, among the staff, I had gained a reputation for being kind, reliable, and competent—the ideal duchess.
That was the image I had tried so hard to build before my regression.
And now, they were finally saying it.
It felt strange—but not bad.
Sipping my tea, I calmly resumed my paperwork.
Until everything fell apart.
At dinner, I took one spoonful of soup.
Moments later, a searing heat rose from my chest to my throat.
“Urgh—!”
A burst of hot liquid erupted from my mouth.
“Cough!”
What… what is this?
“Eek!”
“Madam!!!”
I stared at the red-hot liquid dripping from my chin onto my hand.
A burning pain crawled from my stomach to my throat, but I didn’t have the strength to scream.
My body suddenly swayed and tipped sideways—my head and shoulder struck the floor with a heavy thud.
From my tilted view, I saw the shocked faces of the staff growing closer, while the children’s frozen expressions drifted farther away.
I’m going to faint.
As I collapsed, I heard the staff and steward shouting my name in panic.
A gentle hand lifted me—far more careful than the chaos around me.
“…No one… must… kn—”
“Madam!! Please stay with us!!”
“This can’t… be known.”
“Madam! Don’t lose consciousness!”
“I can’t—”
If I fainted now, I didn’t know when I’d wake up.
And if word spread that I had collapsed, they’d come for me—those who’d waited to strike at my weakness.
I had to buy time.
“…Not yet.”
I forced my eyes to stay open and locked gazes with Kaelan in the distance.
And then, with a fiery pain burning through me—
Everything went dark.
