Chapter 17 (Part 5)

The sight of a young lady leisurely lying on her bed reading a book made Becky speak up in frustration.  

“Young Lady, are you really going to keep doing this?”  

At her words, Grace, who had been reading an intense romance novel, placed the book on her chest and looked at Becky.  

Seeing her mistress’s innocent expression, as if nothing was wrong, Becky pounded her chest with her fist.  

“No! I mean, really! This is all because of who? And why hasn’t he contacted you even once?”  

At her words, Grace rolled her eyes.  

Right after the incident, she had communicated with Leonardo and clearly told him that this was a family matter she would handle herself.  

And if that wasn’t enough…  

“Well, I told him not to contact me.”  

“Young Lady!”  

Becky shouted in frustration, looking like she might explode.  

Seeing her personal maid’s reaction, Grace scratched her cheek awkwardly. Becky didn’t even know the details, but she was already throwing a fit just because Leonardo was somehow involved in this matter.  

‘If she found out Leonardo and I were in a certain kind of relationship, and now I’m kind of…’  

Had I been ghosted?  

The sudden thought made Grace freeze.  

Ghosted? No, strictly speaking, since she had told him not to contact her, wouldn’t that make her the one ghosting him, not the other way around?  

Grace shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the random thoughts swirling in her mind.  

“I should go to the training grounds.”  

Seeing Grace casually get up, Becky shook her head firmly.  

“Your Lordship didn’t allow it.”  

At Becky’s words, Grace jumped up from the bed.  

The romance novel that had been resting on her chest slid off and fell to the floor with a thud.  

Grace stomped her feet in frustration, her face filled with indignation.  

“What?! But it’s inside the house! I’m not even going outside, so why can’t I go? Seriously!”  

“I don’t know.”  

“Argh!”  

At Becky’s indifferent reply, Grace let out a scream and grabbed her hair in frustration.  

Since the day she was ordered to reflect and placed under house arrest, Nicholas had been deliberately avoiding his daughter’s room.  

No matter how many times she tried to meet him, the answer was always the same: he wasn’t there—even when she could clearly hear sounds coming from inside.  

“No matter how much Father is the head of this house, this is just too much!”  

She had been stuck at home, unable to go to work, for almost a week now.  

She wasn’t allowed to use the training grounds, couldn’t leave the house, and the only places she could go were the library, her room, and the dining hall.  

Even when she appealed to Amelia, her mother only looked at her with a troubled expression and didn’t offer any help.  

“This is so unfair!”  

Becky, watching her young master finally lose her mind from frustration, shook her head and left the room, pushing a tray in front of her.  

Grace, too absorbed in her own complaints, didn’t even notice the sound of the door closing. She clenched her teeth.  

“If this keeps up, I swear, I’ll go rogue.”  

They wanted her to take over as the head of the family, yet they were treating her like this?  

She had never once been treated like an heir before, so how could they act this way now?  

Grace scanned the room with cold eyes, muttering under her breath.  

‘I’ll get out. No matter what, I’m getting out of here.’  

She had obeyed her father’s orders and stayed put long enough.  

If they didn’t like her as a daughter, they could just let the others take over as head of the family.  

As she mulled over escape routes, a knock came at the door.  

“Yes, come in.”  

Still in her pajamas, Grace threw on a shawl and responded.  

The person who entered was Amelia, holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.  

“Oh, Mother?”  

“Are you bored?”  

Setting the glasses and bottle on the table, Amelia asked, and Grace, as if hypnotized, walked over and nodded.  

“I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”  

“Try to understand your father. He’s just feeling unsettled.”  

As Amelia sat down, Grace took the seat opposite her and grumbled.  

“Why does he need to feel unsettled? He should just think, ‘Wow, my daughter is amazing,’ and leave it at that.”  

Seeing Grace pout like she did when she was a child, Amelia chuckled softly.  

Pouring the wine into the glasses, she handed one to her daughter and said:

“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘A child is always in their parents’ arms’?”  

Grace took the glass Amelia handed her and shook her head.  

Amelia laughed softly, as if she had expected that, and stopped Grace from pouring wine for her. Instead, she filled her own glass and spoke.  

“To a parent, their child always feels like a little kid. But children grow up and eventually become adults.”  

As Amelia said this, her expression seemed somewhat wistful, and Grace unconsciously froze at the sight.  

Amelia raised her glass slightly and took a sip of the wine, as if to moisten her throat.  

“Your father… has come to realize that you’ve grown into an adult.”  

Feeling awkward for no reason, Grace grumbled in response.  

“Well, I’ve been an adult for a while now.”  

“Exactly.”  

She was old enough to sit across from her mother, sharing a drink, and old enough to leave in search of her own life and love.  

Amelia thought of her husband, who still seemed unwilling to accept that fact.  

‘…I might feel the same way.’  

If she hadn’t seen the marks left on Grace’s body that day, she might have been just like Nicholas.  

Until now, their daughter had never been involved in any romantic scandals, nor had she shown any interest in such matters.  

“Gracie, did you really never consider taking over the family?”  

Watching her daughter pour herself another glass after finishing the first, Amelia asked.  

Grace, who had filled her glass to the brim, paused briefly, sighed, and then slowly answered.  

“To be honest, it’d be a lie to say I never thought about it. But the Marquisate of Lowell still has Lord Lowell, doesn’t it?”  

Calling her father “Lord Lowell,” Grace traced the rim of her glass with her finger, her eyes filled with thought as she continued.  

“So, I didn’t pay much attention to it. And… honestly, it’s not like female heads of households are common.”  

The last part was almost muttered, but Amelia, with her sharp hearing as a skilled swordswoman, caught it clearly.  

Amelia chuckled at her daughter’s words and was about to respond when an unexpected voice interrupted them.  

“So, you’re saying you won’t inherit your father’s position?”  

Startled, Grace turned her head toward the door, where Nicholas stood leaning against the frame, arms crossed and wearing a grumpy expression.  

Grace whipped her head around to glare at Amelia, only to realize that her mother had known all along.  

“F-Father.”  

Grace stammered, calling out to him. Nicholas strode into the room, stopped by the table, and snatched the glass from Grace’s hand, downing its contents in one gulp.  

With a loud clink, he set the glass down and spoke in a disgruntled tone.  

“I’m not so desperate as to beg a daughter who doesn’t even want the position to take it.”  

“…Father.”  

“Like you said, it’s not like you’re my only child. It might be a bit late, but the others have the basics down, so if I train them properly, they’ll be decent enough.”  

Grace sighed as she watched Nicholas speak with a look that said he wasn’t entirely satisfied.  

Nicholas raised an eyebrow at Grace’s exaggerated sighing right in front of him.  

“Grace Lowell.”  

He called her name as if to ask what she was doing, and Grace replied.  

“Do you think the weak and reckless kids will actually step up to the role?”  

“…”  

“You’re not saying you want me to quit being a knight, are you?”  

Nicholas stared at her, as if asking what she was trying to say.  

Meeting his gaze, Grace continued.  

“Fine, I’ll do as you say.”  

At her words, Nicholas glanced at Amelia.  

Amelia met his eyes and smiled, as if to say, “See? I told you so.”  

Clearing his throat, Nicholas replied.  

“I can’t say I’m blameless, so let’s take our time and prepare together.”  

Although he had already decided that Grace would be his successor, he had only been giving her small tasks related to the family rather than formally treating her as the heir.  

Since he was still healthy and wanted his daughter to enjoy what she loved for a little longer, he had delayed things.  

‘But that sentiment is what led to this mess.’  

Nicholas inwardly cursed his foolish actions.  

Through his conversations with Amelia, he had come to suspect that Grace had “other” reasons for accepting a title and estate, but that was a matter for later.  

‘There’s no way a man with the name Fernandez would dare try to enter this house.’  

If he had any sense, he would’ve done something the moment he heard about all this instead of staying silent.  

Unaware that it was his daughter who had caused this situation, Nicholas further lowered his opinion of Leonardo Fernandez.  

“Balancing your duties as a knight and as the heir won’t be easy, but I won’t go easy on you.”  

Seeing Nicholas return to his stern, authoritative demeanor as head of the household, Grace smiled.  

“Sure, do whatever you want.”  

Confident in her resilience, Grace grinned.  

Having agreed to formally begin her training as the heir, Grace lay alone on her bed after her parents had left the room, now empty and quiet.