So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 48

“But even if what happened that day was a misunderstanding… it’s still true that I’ve treated all of you horribly. I want to apologize for that first. I’m… I’m truly sorry.”

Her voice trembled, but the meaning came through clearly.

A heavy silence fell over the servants.

I glanced sideways at Katharina, then quietly reached out and took the hand of the prissy young lady, now covered in dirt.

“!”

Maybe it gave her a bit of courage.

Katharina gently squeezed my hand once, then let go.

She looked at the young girl in front of her and continued carefully.

“This incident made me think a lot. I know I’ve been wrong. I know that now, Ginny.”

“!”

Ginny’s mouth, which had been full of fury, fell open in shock.

“You’ve suffered because of me, haven’t you?”

“…You knew my name?”

Ginny’s voice shook violently as she asked.

Everyone there could hear the tangle of emotions inside that one question.

“To be honest… I only learned it recently. And even that, I’m sorry for.”

Wearing ridiculous pants and smeared with soil, the noble lady somehow looked more dignified than ever.

Katharina… you’ve grown up.

It hit me like I was watching a friend mature right in front of my eyes, and my chest warmed in a strangely pleasant way.

It’s kind of touching. Like she’s so good. I’m proud of her.

Then Katharina turned and apologized to the three young ladies who’d been watching everything.

“Lilian. Julie. Serena. I’m truly sorry. I want you to forget everything I said before. And if possible… I want to be real friends. Truly.”

She bit her lip hard, then gathered her courage and bowed deeply.

“O-oh my…”

Her apology landed with weight, and an awkward silence hovered.

Everyone looked like they weren’t sure what to make of it, like they were measuring how genuine she was.

But honestly, this was enough for today.

“Alright, back to your punishment. Katharina!”

I grinned and held out the hoe again.

Without a word, Katharina took it, her expression bitter as she crouched back down in the garden.

She probably knew, too.

This wasn’t the kind of resentment that disappeared in one day.

So we just have to keep colliding, again and again, until all that hatred melts away.

Which meant the only thing we needed now was time.

Time to pass, each of us doing our own work in our own place.

“Ahem.”

Somehow, I felt great.

Scrape, scrape, scrape!

As I cheerfully dug into the soil again, the servants hesitated, trading looks.

“Sir Karl will be looking for us. Let’s head back soon.”

“Mm-hm…”

“Ginny, aren’t you coming?”

“Ah, y-yes. I am.”

In the end, the crowd that had poured in like a storm began to disperse as if it had never been there.

“I-I suppose we should return as well.”

“Yes…”

The young ladies fanned themselves, still awkward, and headed back toward the main castle.

“Guess I’ll host a tea party in the garden tomorrow. This time, I’ll be the one inviting everyone.”

As I said it while watching them leave, Katharina gave a quiet little snort of laughter.

But only for a moment.

She collected herself and spoke again, serious now, eyes still fixed on the furrowed rows.

“Your Grace… I apologized to everyone, but the person I’m most sorry to is you. I truly apologize.”

“That’s probably more apologies than you’ve made in your entire life.”

“T-that… is true.”

“Huh? Seriously?”

“D-don’t tease me! I really regret it!”

“Hahaha! Yeah. That’s what matters.”

When I laughed out loud, Katharina, who’d been staring at me, slowly softened, until a hint of laughter found its way onto her face too.

After hesitating, the beautiful girl asked shyly,

“Um, Your Grace… if it’s alright… can I call you ‘Renée’ from now on?”

Gah, my heart.

I don’t think she meant it that way, which somehow made the face attack even deadlier.

I barely managed to answer through my twitching smile.

“Of course. Now you’re being all formal. You were calling me ‘Renée’ without any honorifics before.”

“Y-you remember that.”

“Of course I do. I was happy. It felt like we were friends.”

When I laughed brightly, Katharina looked genuinely moved.

She set the hoe down and clasped both my hands tightly, eyes brimming.

“…I’ll become your true lady in waiting. I mean it. Truly.”

She looked more sincere than I’d ever seen her.

“Well, being a lady in waiting is fine, but be my friend too. I like ‘friend’ more than a job title.”

“O-of course…”

Katharina answered with tears trembling in her eyes, yet the happiest smile in the world on her lips.

And that made me so happy that

“Hehe.”

I smiled back for a long time.

A Few Weeks Later

“Lady Renée! We’ll write you letters. And you too, Katharina!”

“Let’s meet again at the imperial banquet!”

“Please take care of yourself!”

“Yeah! You girls take care too! Come visit again!”

Lilian, Julie, and Serena wiped at their eyes as they climbed into the carriages that would take them home.

After sending off the little songbirds who’d been chirping nonstop for days, I felt strangely hollow.

But only for a second.

“Lady Renée, now that we’ve seen the young ladies off… shall we go have tea time in the garden?”

The moment I turned around at the gate, Katharina linked arms with me and asked sweetly.

“Just the two of us, of course.”

She leaned her head lightly against mine, her face shy.

Ever since we’d officially become friends, Katharina had started sticking to me like glue.

I’d thought she’d calm down after a few days, but it was getting worse.

What is this, separation anxiety?

I had no idea, but I couldn’t say I hated it.

An obsessed beauty was pretty adorable.

Still, today I desperately needed time alone, so I had no choice but to refuse.

“Ah, sorry. I have something to do today.”

“What is it? Can’t we do it together? I’ll help!”

Yeah, sorry, Katharina. Borrowing your hands would be less helpful than borrowing a cat’s paw.

Obviously I couldn’t say that out loud, so I gave an awkward excuse.

“Mm… it might be hard for you to help with this one. But let’s go play in town together tomorrow.”

“Tch. Fine.”

Sweating nervously, I finally managed to send Katharina off and headed to my room in the main building.

Even after weeks, it was still a room that made me gasp every time I saw it.

To recharge, I flopped onto the bed the moment I got back.

Ahh… how much time have I had alone these past few weeks?

If I counted, it was basically none.

It was the complete opposite of the beginning, when no one ever looked for me.

How did it end up like this?

And the biggest change of all was…

“Ahem. Since we’re married, we should use the same bedroom.”

“Now?”

“Wouldn’t ‘from now on’ be more accurate?”

The night I made peace with Katharina.

That night, the Duke had the audacity to knock on my door and announce we’d be sleeping together.

Ridiculously, he was even holding a pillow tucked under his arm.

What is that pillow? Are you trying to be cute?!

For someone built like that, it was honestly kind of adorable.

And the truth was, I couldn’t help softening and letting him in.

Still, it finally answered a question that had been nagging at me.

He told me about the hereditary “madness” that had been passed down in House Celeste.

“A disease with no known name, so they just called it madness. It might as well be a curse. For my father, it manifested as violence. For me, it became insomnia. But strangely… around you, it disappears.”

“I see…”

“It’s shameless of me to ask, but could you help me? I will repay you properly.”

He confessed in a voice so small it barely sounded like him.

So that’s why he acted like a different person that night.

I’d thought he wasn’t in his right mind, but it really was because of the madness.

And insomnia? That was horrifying.

Back in grad school, I’d lived on coffee and wrecked my sleep schedule. I knew too well how precious sleep was.

I couldn’t ignore him.

Besides, he wasn’t asking for anything special. Just to sleep nearby.

“Forget repayment. But we’re really only sleeping. Don’t even think about touching me.”

At first I thought, is this some kind of scam?

But he stayed serious the entire time, so it seemed genuine.

“Alright. I won’t.”

And somehow, he really kept his word.

The first night was awkward, but he truly did, literally, just sleep.

And he slept like the dead.

Is this really insomnia? You said you couldn’t sleep.

He slept so well his complexion started looking better by the day.

Anyone could tell he looked healthier.

Should I be happy about this?

I was still uncertain, but it was better than people dying.

Anyway.

For someone like me, who hadn’t had a single quiet moment from morning to night for nearly a month, today was precious.

Who knew when another clingy person would show up?

I sat up, went to the perfectly arranged desk, and started scribbling down my thoughts.

But peace didn’t last.

“Hey.”

One annoyingly familiar voice shattered it to pieces.