Chapter 1.22

“How could this happen to my daughter!”  

Finley’s thick beard twitched.  

He couldn’t believe it.  

“I’ll have to visit the Count myself.”  

Finley stood up abruptly.  

Though evening had fallen, if he left immediately, he could reach the Myra Estate by morning.  

*Knock, knock.*  

At that moment, there was a knock on the old door.  

“Wh-Who’s there? Liz, is that you?”  

Startled, Finley hurriedly opened the door.  

Outside, it was as bright as morning.  

“Huh? Has the sun already risen…?”  

Finley rubbed his eyes.  

‘A talking statue?’  

When he looked again, there was a golden-haired figure standing at the door.  

“Are you Mr. Finley Garrett?”  

Finley slapped his own cheek.  

It wasn’t a statue—it was a man.  

“Yes, yes, I am Finley Garrett.”  

Finley instinctively bowed his head as he spoke.  

Valentine, accustomed to such reactions, nodded slightly and looked down at him.  

“You seem like an important person. Are you here from Myra?”  

His curly short hair and thick beard were the same brown as Liz’s.  

‘The large eyes must resemble the father.’  

Valentine studied Finley’s face with interest.  

He was trying to figure out where Liz’s features came from.  

The slightly reddish cheeks and round forehead were quite similar to Liz’s.  

But the high nose and slender jawline seemed to come from her mother’s side.  

After thoroughly recalling Liz’s features, Valentine nodded lightly.  

“I am Valentine Winchester. Yes, I’m here because of your daughter.”  

For a moment, Finley’s expression stiffened.  

Before Valentine could sense the unease, Finley quickly bowed his head.  

“I didn’t realize I was in the presence of someone so distinguished.”  

Valentine nodded indifferently, thinking to himself:  

‘Even after hearing the name Winchester, this is his reaction?’  

It seemed Finley had no idea what had happened at the wedding.  

It wasn’t surprising.  

This was the border region, and news took a while to reach here.  

Even then, it would only circulate as gossip among the nobility.  

“Duke, please clear up the misunderstanding about my daughter!”  

Finley grabbed the hem of Valentine’s coat.  

Valentine’s expression turned icy.  

It was a reaction deeply ingrained in him.  

Startled, Finley quickly let go and bowed his head.  

“I-I’m sorry. I dared to….”  

Valentine looked down at Finley’s brown head.  

It was a common occurrence.  

Peasants unfamiliar with etiquette would offend him, then shrink back when faced with his reaction.  

It was neither surprising nor new.  

But why did it feel so unsettling now?  

Why was the sight of this man bowing his head so uncomfortable?  

“Raise your head.”  

Valentine adjusted his tone as if nothing had happened and spoke.  

Finley hesitantly raised his head.  

“I’ll listen. Go ahead and speak.”  

Finley glanced nervously before opening his mouth.  

“Well… my daughter has been falsely accused and is in trouble. She’s such a lovely and kind child….”  

“I know.”  

“You do?”  

Finley looked up at him in surprise. Then, he broke into a wide smile.  

“Oh, thank goodness you know! My daughter’s face is unforgettable after all. Her eyes sparkle, her face is so fair. When she smiles, she’s like an angel….”  

Valentine unconsciously smiled and nodded. Encouraged, Finley continued.  

“Ever since she was little, there were boys chasing after her everywhere. But surprisingly, if she didn’t like them, she’d firmly reject them….”  

At that moment, deep wrinkles formed on Valentine’s brow.  

His displeasure was evident to anyone.  

“Duke? Did I say something wrong…?”  

Valentine touched his furrowed brow with his gloved hand.  

He could feel his twisted emotions through his fingertips.  

Why did it matter?  

Whether she smiled angelically or had every man in the world chasing after her.  

It had nothing to do with him.  

“…I didn’t ask about such trivial matters.”  

“Pardon?”  

Valentine pressed his forehead firmly, as if trying to claw through his own thoughts.  

“What I meant was… I know she’s been falsely accused.”  

Valentine struggled to find a reasonable explanation.  

One that could sufficiently deceive even himself.  

“Oh… oh, I see. My apologies for talking too much.”  

Finley scratched the back of his head awkwardly.  

“So, what’s happening to my daughter? You came because of the false accusations, right?”  

Finley looked up at him with worried eyes.  

Now, it was time to explain.  

To tell him that his daughter had been hired as a fake bride and that they would be compensated generously.  

“I….”  

Finley’s large eyes, so reminiscent of Liz Garrett’s, blinked.  

At that moment, Valentine felt an inexplicable lump in his throat.  

He composed himself and spoke again.  

“So, your daughter….”  

***

Liz couldn’t sleep that night.  

Valentine had left like that and hadn’t returned, nor had there been any news of him.  

She asked Martha, but the Head Maid didn’t know about the Duke’s external affairs.  

Without his permission, she couldn’t leave her room, so Liz had no choice but to stay up all night.  

The next morning, having not slept at all, Liz paced anxiously around the room.  

Then, Martha entered the room with a radiant smile.  

“Miss, I have good news!”  

“What is it?”  

Liz ran urgently toward Martha.  

Martha smiled brightly and handed Liz a letter.  

On the envelope, Liz’s name was written in a neat, unadorned handwriting.  

“Oh my, it’s from Father?”  

Liz’s face lit up.  

It was a letter from her father, Finley Garrett.  

“Martha, may I read the letter first?”  

“Of course. I’ll prepare your breakfast here.”  

While Martha prepared the meal, Liz opened the letter with trembling hands.  

The contents were surprising.  

Her mother had been admitted to a luxurious suburban sanatorium, and her father had been given a clerical job near a mine.  

“Oh my goodness….”

Liz covered her mouth with her hand at the joyful news that made all her prior worries seem insignificant.

So, my dear daughter, do your best and work diligently at Winchester. Understood?

The affectionate tone brought a soft smile to her face.  

Unlike her mother, who seemed to exist in another world, Liz’s father was always diligent and kind.  

Although he had the misfortune of going bankrupt, Liz still trusted and followed her father.  

Whenever she visited her sick mother during her vacations, she felt drained. But after meeting her father, she always felt re-energized.  

Her father would prepare meals, pulling together what little they had, and always expressed his gratitude and apologies.  

Liz always wished for her father’s happiness.  

And now, he had finally been given a clerical position instead of a night shift.  

Of course, the fact that her mother had been transferred to a better hospital was wonderful, but Liz found her father’s news even more heartwarming.  

“Didn’t I tell you? The Duke isn’t someone with a small heart.” 

Martha said, smiling as if she had guessed the gist of the situation.  

“Yes, that’s true….”

Liz replied awkwardly, nodding her head as she regained her composure.  

As expected, this assistance was undoubtedly Valentine’s arrangement.  

Could yesterday’s request have been successful?  

Though she felt happy and grateful, she also felt a bit unsettled.  

Such an enormous favor out of nowhere—could this be used as leverage to demand something else later?  

Despite the slight worry, she was genuinely thankful.  

“So, have your meal first, Miss. And get some rest before the Duke returns.”

***

After finishing her meal, Liz murmured to herself while holding a teacup in one hand.  

On the table, there was a reply letter she had written to her father.  

“It’s improper to offer a refill before finishing the drink. Even if it’s the same beverage, you must drink it all first… So that’s why.”  

Liz was diligently memorizing the etiquette book and newspaper scrapbook that Valentine had left behind.  

Martha had advised her to get some sleep, but there was no time to rest idly.  

She didn’t know what Valentine’s intentions were behind such immense generosity.  

Thus, Liz felt she had to do her work diligently first.  

“When changing cups….”

At that moment, the connecting door opened without warning.  

But Liz no longer lost her composure or panicked.  

If she was to become a Winchester—  

‘Straighten your back, and move slowly.’  

Liz turned her head gracefully.  

As expected, it was Valentine Winchester standing there.  

He strode into Liz’s room with long steps, his legs so long that it took only a few strides for him to reach the chair in front of the table.  

“Do you like the gift? I tried to prepare something better than a feather duster.”  

Liz almost immediately nodded and said, “Yes,” but she took a deep breath first.  

Then, she calmly opened her mouth to speak.  

“Thanks to you, yes. Thank you very much, Dear.”  

Valentine looked at her with interest.  

“You’ve practiced a lot while I was away.”  

“Yes. That’s my job, after all.”  

“Excellent. Diligence is a great virtue.”  

Liz’s expression brightened at Valentine’s praise, but he rubbed his chin and muttered,  

“However, your pronunciation….”  

At his words, Liz nervously touched her lips.  

“Is my pronunciation that bad?”  

“Yes.”  

Valentine’s blunt reply made Liz’s expression fall.  

Seeing this, Valentine quickly added,  

“I mean, it’s not bad, just… not aristocratic.”  

He was right. In Holt Kingdom, class distinctions were rigid, and speech patterns and vocabulary varied according to one’s status.  

In conversations, even a slight difference in pronunciation could reveal whether someone was a noble or a commoner.  

“Even now, when pronouncing consonants, you need to put more strength into your tongue.”  

“I don’t really understand what you mean.”  

Liz admitted honestly.  

This was also mentioned in the etiquette book he had given her.  

Liz had tried practicing it herself, but pronunciation wasn’t something that could be learned from a book.