Chapter 4
“…The orphanage… it must have been hard, right?”
“Yes… it was. You probably already know since you investigated, but the director was that kind of person.”
“……”
Silvia let out a small sigh.
It was a very quiet sigh, but to the Duke of Werner, it felt like his heart was being torn apart.
“I’m sorry. It is our fault for losing you.”
At his guilt-filled words, Silvia pressed her lips together.
His voice was full of deep love and guilt toward Vivian.
And also regret.
Silvia, who had always dreamed of finding her parents, suddenly felt jealous of Vivian, whom she had never even met.
And at the same time, she felt pity for her.
Because she knew that all of the Duke’s love should belong to Vivian—
Not to someone like her, who was so different from them.
While they talked, the carriage arrived at the Werner residence.
There was a rustling sound, and then the door opened.
The Duke stepped down first.
As Silvia was about to follow, a hand was suddenly held out to her.
“Take it. It would be terrible if you got hurt while getting down.”
At his kindness, Silvia smiled and carefully took his hand as she stepped down.
At that moment, the sight of the ducal mansion spread out before her.
“Wow…”
Even as she lifted her head, she couldn’t clearly see the top of the building.
It was that tall.
Silvia let go of his hand and stepped back a few steps.
Only then could she fully see the towering spires reaching into the sky.
She was completely overwhelmed by the size and beauty of the Werner mansion.
“Do you like it?”
The Duke asked with a pleased expression.
Only then did Silvia come to her senses and blush in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. It’s my first time coming to a place like this…”
It felt completely different from seeing it from afar.
Although the Werner residence was located in the capital, one had to travel through a large garden by carriage to reach the mansion.
So Silvia, who grew up in the slums, had never been able to see it up close.
“There is plenty of time. You can look around slowly.”
“I think it would take a month to see everything.”
At her words, the Duke laughed.
“Let’s go inside first. I’ll show you your room.”
“Yes.”
Escorted by the Duke, Silvia entered the mansion.
“Welcome back, Master.”
As they passed through the entrance, the servants and maids waiting in the lobby all bowed at once.
It was not just one or two people—it was a perfectly coordinated greeting.
Silvia froze for a moment.
The Duke also stopped, considering her.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine!”
Embarrassed that she was surprised by something normal to him, Silvia answered in a slightly louder tone.
The Duke smiled faintly and began walking again.
Walking on the red carpet in the lobby, Silvia followed him while looking around in amazement.
Everywhere she looked was filled with luxurious and beautiful things.
The hallway was high and wide, large enough for many people to walk side by side.
She had thought the café she worked at was quite big, but now she realized how wrong she had been.
Decorations hung on every wall, suits of armor stood at intervals, and paintings filled empty spaces.
Each one caught her attention.
It felt like she had come to an art exhibition for the upper class.
The mansion was so large that the hallways were connected in complex ways.
“It feels like I could get lost just by looking around.”
Silvia said in awe.
The Duke let out a small laugh.
“That won’t happen.”
“It won’t? But I don’t know this place at all.”
At her surprised question, the Duke shook his head with a smile.
Silvia blinked, not understanding.
He explained,
“You will be assigned servants and maids while you stay here. They will assist you all day, so you won’t be walking around alone. And they know the mansion very well, so there is no need to worry about getting lost.”
“Servants… for me too?”
The Duke simply nodded.
Still dazed, Silvia followed him.
He led her to a room on the third floor.
“This is it. The room you used when you were young.”
As the maid opened the door, the inside was revealed.
“Wow.”
A natural gasp escaped her lips.
She quickly closed her mouth.
She wanted to act calmly, but it wasn’t easy.
This place was too different from the slums she had lived in.
She had always seen broken walls and worn-out things—
But here, everything was shining and beautiful.
Her room was the same.
Before, she had shared a room with many children.
The walls were torn, mold had grown in places, and it was not good for breathing.
But here—
The walls were covered with soft sky-blue silk wallpaper, decorated with delicate white and platinum patterns.
Sunlight poured in through a large window, and white curtains swayed gently in the wind.
A velvet sofa and a rosewood table stood to one side, looking far too expensive for her to even imagine owning.
It looked like a princess’s room from a fairy tale.
But then, something felt strange.
There was no bed.
…Don’t tell me I have to sleep on that sofa?
The sofa looked soft and comfortable.
But it didn’t make sense to treat her so well and not give her a bed.
“Um… Duke?”
Silvia called carefully.
He looked at her with a gentle smile, waiting.
“Is this… my bedroom?”
“Oh, the bedroom is inside.”
Realizing her confusion, the Duke pointed to a door inside the room.
“There?”
“Yes. This is your private sitting room.”
The Duke walked over and opened the door himself.
And finally, the bedroom was revealed.
There was a huge bed, big enough for five people to lie on.
A sky-blue canopy hung from the bedposts all the way to the floor.
Near the window, there was a table and chairs for tea.
On the opposite side, there was a desk and chair for light work.
“This… is my bedroom?”
Silvia looked around again and again, unable to settle her eyes.
Even the carpet looked expensive.
How much would this cost…? Is it okay for me to step on it? It looks more expensive than my yearly salary…
Feeling uneasy, she quietly stepped to the side.
Seeing that, the Duke chuckled.
“It seems you still don’t remember.”
“…No.”
She answered awkwardly, and he shook his head.
“No, I was too greedy. Today must have been confusing for you. Get some rest. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Yes… I’ll see you later.”
Silvia bowed.
The Duke turned and left the room.
For some reason, his back looked sad to her.
But she couldn’t say anything.
Because she believed—
She was not Vivian.
And no words she had could comfort him.
