Chapter 31

“Diane, it seems you really wanted to eat a lot. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you chocolate more often. But from now on, don’t secretly take what isn’t yours. That’s stealing, and it’s wrong. Especially for you.”

Director Lina spoke firmly, feeling regretful that Diane missed her chance at adoption.

Of course, Diane didn’t know what opportunity she had missed.

Since Kate was the one who got the chance, there was no need to tell Diane about it.

“Yes, Director.”

“Wanting something isn’t bad. It’s natural. But if you use bad means, that’s when it becomes wrong. If you want something, you need to be brave and claim it openly. Not just chocolate, but anything you want in the future. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I will.”

Diane nodded.

Even though the Director thought Diane had stolen the chocolate, she always forgave Diane with both strictness and generosity.

Even if it was a misunderstanding, Diane felt ashamed and sorry for disappointing the Director.

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine, just don’t do it again. Now, off you go.”

Diane greeted the Director and immediately went to find Kate.

Kate was sitting, staring blankly at the bag she would pack her belongings in before leaving the orphanage.

Diane saw the bag, wide open.

Kate was supposed to leave the orphanage the very next day, but there was nothing inside the bag.

“Kate, aren’t you packing?”

“Hm, packing? There’s nothing here at the orphanage I want to take with me, it’s embarrassing.”

“Huh?”

“Is there even a single thing here that isn’t already at the house I’m going to?”

“Oh…”

Diane couldn’t understand what Kate meant.

The worn dragonfly doll she always hugged at night, the candies she saved, and above all, the gifts and cards she received from friends and the Director every birthday since the day she entered the orphanage—these were all precious.

Why did Kate say she had nothing to take, and what was so embarrassing?

But Diane and Kate were different, so their thoughts could differ too.

Anyway, Diane needed to tell Kate why she had come.

“By the way, Kate. About the chocolate you gave me on the Night of Gratitude, was it really set aside for me?”

“Yes. Why?”

Kate looked at Diane with an unchanged expression, as if nothing had happened.

“The Director asked if I secretly ate the strawberry chocolate from the food storage.”

“Did she? Was it you?”

“What?”

Diane became confused, looking at Kate’s round eyes as she asked back.

She had thought Kate must have stolen it, even if she wasn’t sure.

But Kate truly looked like she knew nothing.

Then what was the rash she got that day from?

“I thought you had stolen it…”

“Stolen? Me? Why would I? I had chocolate I saved and gave you, so why would I steal any?”

“Oh…”

“Diane, you’re too much. I gave you even the chocolate I was saving since you became the lead, but now that I’m getting adopted, are you jealous and accusing me of stealing?”

“What?”

Diane was stunned by Kate’s unexpected words.

‘Jealous because of adoption?’

She had congratulated Kate for being adopted, but she hadn’t felt jealous.

Adoption was Kate’s matter, not Diane’s.

But to accuse her of stealing out of jealousy?

“You didn’t tell the Director I stole it, did you?”

Suddenly, Kate changed the subject.

“Huh? Uh… No, I didn’t.”

“Good, well done. If you had, she would only think you’re lying out of jealousy because I’m getting adopted.”

“…”

Diane was completely at a loss for words at Kate’s reasoning.

It was hard to follow Kate’s thoughts.

“About that chocolate. I remembered it as banana chocolate. But after what happened to your body, I thought maybe it was strawberry chocolate after all.”

Kate spoke, lowering her eyebrows at Diane, who was blinking in confusion.

“Oh… Yes.”

So Kate had mistaken the chocolate.

“If it was strawberry chocolate, I’m sorry it made you sick.”

Kate even took Diane’s hand and apologized.

“Oh… no, it’s fine.”

Maybe Kate hadn’t stolen it after all.

Even if she had, she really wouldn’t have known it was strawberry chocolate.

Kate had given Diane the chocolate, wishing for her performance to go well.

Diane thought it was ultimately her own fault for secretly eating chocolate alone, away from the other children.

“Diane, you’ll be adopted into a good family someday too.”

“Ah, yes.”

Diane answered slowly as Kate kept talking about adoption.

She did want to be adopted, but she liked Director Lina and her friends at the orphanage, so she wasn’t desperate.

“Take care, okay?”

Kate said with a bright smile.

“Yeah, you too, Kate.”

Diane hugged Kate, forgetting the reason she had come, thinking it might be sad to leave the familiar orphanage.

The next morning, Kate left the orphanage without shedding a single tear.

* * *

That day, Diane was sure she had eaten strawberry chocolate.

Even if Kate hadn’t stolen it, she had certainly mistaken it.

Meeting Prince Ed because of her rash became one of Diane’s precious memories from the orphanage, but missing the performance she had prepared for so long was still a sad memory.

If she had performed, maybe she wouldn’t have met the Prince—but what did it matter?

That Prince was now the Duke, who would invite the woman he’d marry to tea after meals—someone Diane couldn’t even climb up to, let alone look at, like a bird in a high tree.

Diane’s eyes, which had been staring resentfully at the ruined strawberry cake, turned toward Adrian, who was sitting at the head of the table.

She used to think of the Prince from her memories sometimes, but the real-life Duke was too far away.

Adrian was smiling and saying something to Lady Lautrec.

That smile was so beautiful, just like the Prince from her childhood, that Diane felt sad for some reason.

Then suddenly, Adrian’s eyes, while talking to Lady Lautrec, met Diane’s for a brief moment.

Diane quickly lowered her head. She wasn’t sure what kind of expression she had been making while looking at Adrian.

She really didn’t want to go to tea time.

She really hated it. Truly.

In the end, Diane sat in the tea room for over an hour, drinking tea.

She had already eaten cake and drunk tea as the last course of the formal dinner, but now she had to have tea time again—something Diane couldn’t understand about the nobles’ customs.

Diane wanted to tell the Duke she’d like to skip it, but Leon was holding her hand tightly, and she didn’t dare approach the Duke to say anything first.

So, instead of resting in her room, she had to endure time in the uncomfortable corner of the tea room.

The only relief was that the people of the Earldom in the tea room were gradually focusing on their conversation with the Duke, ignoring Leon and Diane’s presence.

Whether they truly didn’t notice Leon and Diane, or if they were deliberately ignoring Diane’s very existence, she didn’t know, but either way, Diane comforted herself that she could at least sit quietly by the fireplace, in a dimly lit corner.

Unlike the tense atmosphere that sometimes arose at the dining table, the conversation between the Duke and the Earldom people gradually became lively.

Diane, whispering quietly with Leon, occasionally glanced toward the Duke when loud voices rang out, and every time, her eyes met Edward’s.

Why did she keep making eye contact with that President? It was uncomfortable.

She kept glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece, and before she knew it, it was past 8 o’clock.

At this point, surely it was okay to get up?

She decided she would return to her room, regardless of whether people noticed.

Just as she flinched to rise from her chair,

Lady Lautrec suddenly stood up and began walking toward Diane.

‘Why is she coming this way?’

Strangely, Diane’s body froze.

But Lady Lautrec wasn’t coming to Diane.

She went to sit at the piano next to the fireplace.

It seemed she had come to play the piano.

It was a relief that Lady Lautrec didn’t have business with Diane.

But now, as people’s attention shifted to Lady Lautrec at the piano, Diane also came into their line of sight.

Moreover, leaving just as Lady Lautrec was about to start playing would be very rude.

She had no choice. Diane had to endure until Lady Lautrec’s performance was finished.

To Diane, who hadn’t heard much piano music, Lady Lautrec’s playing was neither very good nor terribly bad.

It simply didn’t move her.

When Lady Lautrec finished her performance, everyone applauded and laughed, except for President Wale, who sat with his arms crossed and an indifferent expression.

He really seemed like someone who didn’t have a shred of courtesy for others.

Anyway, Diane had to get up before Lady Lautrec played another piece.

She whispered quietly to Leon,

“Young Master, it’s quite late. Shouldn’t you go up to your room and sleep now? Will you come with me?”

She intended to use Leon’s bedtime as an excuse.

It really was late, after all.

“Shall we, Teacher?”

Leon’s face brightened.

Just as the two hurriedly tried to stand up,

“Could the Young Master’s teacher play a piano piece for us?”

Lady Lautrec, who hadn’t even glanced at Diane before, suddenly spoke to her.

Diane’s body froze as she tried to rise from her seat.