Chapter 05
I’m doomed.
That was the first thought that came to her mind the moment she heard Porle’s words.
How can things go wrong this badly?
She felt like crying. For a different reason now, her heart began pounding wildly again.
Rino, who had been laughing without restraint, gestured toward Maricel, who looked close to tears.
His hand moved between her and the full-length mirror.
Maricel suddenly came to her senses.
“Ah!”
She gave a brief glance of greeting and hurried to the mirror.
Oh no.
How long had she been sleeping?
Her hair was messy. And what was this small, shining drop at the corner of her mouth?
She truly wanted to cry. Instead of looking her best, she looked like this!
Even if the sky falls, there’s always a way out. Calm down. Calm down.
Standing before the mirror, she quickly fixed her appearance and steadied her heart.
Then, with a determined expression, she stood before Morgan.
“Maricel Manua greets Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”
As if nothing had happened, she completely changed her attitude. The three men reacted differently.
Morgan clicked his tongue.
Rino looked surprised for a moment, then began to chuckle again.
Porle simply stared, wide-eyed and speechless.
“I was overwhelmed by the Grand Duke household’s generous hospitality and comfort… I can only hope for Your Grace’s wide understanding.”
Maricel lifted the hem of her dress slightly and bowed her head.
Huh? Why is no one saying anything?
She straightened her posture and looked up at Morgan.
Their eyes met.
His low, cold voice pierced her ears.
“Sit there.”
Gasp.
Maricel covered her mouth inwardly.
Those eyes. That oppressive presence. That build. That voice.
It was him—the man from that day.
Ha… This homebody Maricel. How could she not recognize the most powerful man in the territory!
If she had known who he was back then, she would never have spoken to him like that.
She was completely doomed.
Wait! No. Morgan knew that the woman he met that day was today’s interview applicant—and he still called me here!
Suddenly, hope rose inside her.
It’s not over until it’s over. Do your best.
“Give me three reasons why you should become the Grand Duke household’s nanny.”
“What? Ah, yes…”
The sudden question caught her off guard, but she quickly answered calmly from the Grand Duke’s perspective.
“First, it will benefit Young Master Fleur. It is highly likely that he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and selective mutism. Therefore, he needs delicate and continuous care.”
“Post-traumatic stress disorder? Selective mutism?”
Morgan frowned.
“Yes. They are symptoms that can appear after experiencing an overwhelming shock or severe stress.”
“And you can solve that?”
“It is possible. If the conditions are right.”
“And if the conditions are not right, then it is impossible?”
“I know what conditions are needed for healing.”
Morgan thought for a moment, then gestured for the second reason.
“Second, it will benefit Your Grace.”
“It will benefit me?”
Morgan let out a short scoff. The slight curve of his lips touched Maricel’s pride.
“Yes. Because I have not the slightest interest in Your Grace. That means you will have absolutely no trouble from me.”
Morgan’s expression darkened even more.
That should have been pleasant to hear. Yet somehow, it irritated him.
He had been bothered countless times by women’s advances. Even since childhood, it had been enough to grind his teeth.
Several nannies had been dismissed because they tried harder to impress Morgan than to care for Fleur.
By that record, he should have welcomed her words.
Yet they scratched at him in an unpleasant way.
Is it her tone? Her attitude?
Morgan felt something undefined but irritating.
Unaware of his thoughts, Maricel continued.
“Third, I will become a strong foundation for the bright future of the Grand Duke household. Because if Young Master Fleur grows up well, that will be the bright future of this house—and of the Empire.”
Maricel finished confidently and smiled brightly.
But Morgan did not give her a break.
“On what basis do you guarantee that third point?”
Maricel took a deep breath and answered with confidence.
“Skill comes from knowledge and experience. I am a prepared nanny with both. You will know once you experience it.”
She grinned slightly. She was not lying.
In a world where children’s rights and research on child development were almost nonexistent, her knowledge from her previous life placed her at the level of an expert.
While she was running hopeful thoughts in her mind, Morgan poured cold water over them.
“You are known to have stayed mostly at home. How can you claim knowledge and experience? Are you trying to deceive me?”
What? He already knows Maricel was a homebody?
She realized her mistake. She had spoken too much based on her previous life.
What do I do? This man is not ordinary.
“Since I stayed home often, I studied many books on children and anthropology. And at family gatherings, I was usually the one who took care of the younger children. They like me very much.”
She mixed slight exaggeration and small lies to make it sound convincing.
Will it work? Please let it work!
Morgan still looked doubtful and asked suddenly,
“Then what benefit does being a nanny give you?”
A sharp question.
Is this a trap?
If she said she applied only for the Grand Duke’s family, it would sound false. If she spoke of personal gain, it might seem impure.
She paused, then answered as sincerely as possible.
“It gives me a career record in the Grand Duke household.”
“A career record…”
Morgan muttered softly, then asked with sarcasm,
“Has the viscount’s family fallen so low?”
He openly mocked her family.
“Oh! No. I wish to marry someone I love. If I remain only as a noble lady, I must marry in some arranged form once I reach marriageable age. But if I have a profession, I can gain time.”
She quickly made up the explanation based on her true beliefs about marriage.
“You still speak as if you are well-fed.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Only after he spoke did she understand.
In this world, she would sound like a shameless noble lady who wished to avoid even her duty of political marriage while living comfortably.
His words were correct—here.
But hearing it from someone who stood at the center of power felt unfair.
“Depending on perspective, one may be full or hungry. I did not choose my birth. I simply do what I can within what I have been given.”
Her face felt hot, but she tried to remain calm.
“You speak as you did before.”
“What? Before?”
“In the marketplace, a few days ago.”
“Ah!”
She had suspected it—but she never expected him to reveal it here.
“I—I was disrespectful. I did not know you were the Grand Duke…”
She lowered her head deeply.
“You would have done the same even if you knew, I think.”
That was even more hopeless.
She could not lift her head.
A long silence followed.
She swallowed.
The sound of her dry throat seemed to announce the beginning of tragedy.
She lifted her eyes slightly to look at Morgan’s expression.
It was not just cold.
It was icy.
Ha… I’m doomed.
Then—
“Two days.”
“Yes… two days— What? Two days?”
“Do you not understand? Prepare and come within two days.”
Only then did color return to her face.
“Yes! Yes, I will prepare and come within two days.”
An uncontrollable smile spread across her lips.
Doomed—then suddenly accepted.
If you were going to accept me anyway, couldn’t you at least look less scary? My heart almost burned to ashes.
She straightened her shoulders and stood up, bowing respectfully to Morgan.
“Thank you. Your judgment is truly remarkable.”
“Pfft!”
Rino, who had been watching quietly, burst into laughter.
Maricel raised her head and looked at him. He looked like he would die from laughing.
Why is he laughing?
Confused, she turned to Morgan.
What kind of expression is that? Did he chew on an eraser?
Then Rino chuckled and said,
“Our lord’s judgment is indeed remarkable. Heh heh.”
