The Duke spoke calmly as he pulled a bell rope.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it your snack time now? Have the snack brought in……”

“Even so,”

I barely opened my mouth. The Duke, about to summon a servant, stopped in his tracks.

“That has nothing to do with this.”

I looked up at the Duke and continued.

“The Count is innocent. He’s been falsely accused.”

In the original work, the Duke had caught two nobles who tried to poison him.

One was a noble who constantly advised the Duke on his illegal businesses and tax evasion; the other was a noble who insisted that an adopted child could not be accepted as the Duke’s heir.

Thinking back, the original work never said they were the culprits.

It merely stated that the Duke caught the two and punished them.

“So? What do you want to say?”

The Duke asked in a tone devoid of inflection. Though I knew it was an absurd request, I could not help but voice my desire.

“Release the Count.”

Even after speaking, I remained very tense. It did not seem like the master of a villainous family would listen to me. He might even get angry, thinking I was insolent, but I had blurted it out.

‘Even if the Count escapes the underground prison, that’s a problem.’

The Count will try to escape somehow. But this northern region was practically under the Duke’s control, to say it was an exaggeration.

Running away while being falsely accused would mean nothing if the Duke found him again. The priority was to save him before he was falsely accused of a more severe crime.

‘And the Duke won’t kick me out right away.’

The gaze of someone who hates or dislikes you is distinctly different from others.

Although the Duke’s expression was generally unchanging, making it harder to read, at least it was not the attitude of someone who disliked me.

Sometimes there was an annoyed glance, but that was it.

The Duke’s reaction to my words was not one of displeasure. Instead, he showed a languid smile.

“Well, it seems my dear daughter doesn’t know yet.”

“……”

“Being powerless and suffering for it is also a mistake.”

“……”

“That’s why the Count is being punished. Because he allowed himself to be powerless.”

A chill, like goosebumps, briefly passed through me.

A moment ago, the Duke’s actions, expressions, and words were all those of a perfect villain.

‘I’m really doomed at this rate.’

Though this place was a family of villains, there were still good people left here.

People like Sofiana Delma, even Yan, the guard.

‘It’s not a problem that can be solved just by me escaping.’

If things continue this way, they would all be sacrificed for belonging to a villainous family.

‘They are all people I like.’

Imagining them all in danger made my vision blur.

“You……”

The Duke raised his head at the surprised voice. Blinking a couple of times, tears fell weakly with a plunk.

“Eh?”

“Why are you crying?”

The Duke showed a flustered expression at the sudden tears. However, I was equally surprised.

‘Why am I like this?!’

To say this now is awkward, but I was a child who really didn’t cry. Even when Rebecca spoke ill of me and was mean, I didn’t cry.

At least after I remembered my previous life, I was like that.

But why here do tears burst out so often?

“No, I’m not crying.”

I roughly wiped my tears with the back of my hand. I thought the Duke would naturally find it annoying and leave the room when he saw me crying, but surprisingly he did not.

“It’s not something to cry over.”

He gently wiped away my tears with a handkerchief he pulled out from nowhere. His touch was careful and gentle, contrary to his curt tone.

As I stared at him in a trance, I suddenly realized why I had shed tears so many times in the Duke’s house.

“I’m scared of the Duke……”

At my sudden words, one of the Duke’s eyebrows shot up. I, too, was startled by the words that had slipped out of my mouth.

‘I didn’t mean to say that!’

This was also a habit that had suddenly formed after remembering my previous life. Meaning, things I only thought of would inadvertently slip out of my mouth.

“You’re scared?”

At the Duke’s expression, which seemed to ask for the truth, I helplessly nodded.

I was scared when I first met the Duke, scared when he got angry at me for not listening, and now it was the same. It was all because the Duke acted scary, and the tears would suddenly pour out.

“You were like that from the first time I saw you.”

The Duke replied as if he didn’t really care. He soon got up and grabbed the doorknob, apparently about to leave the room.

But before he could open the door, the Duke came striding back.

“Why are you scared?”

‘…Huh?’

“What did I do to you?”

His tone was inexplicably aggrieved.

“Duke, you’re evil,”

Again, again! I quickly shut my mouth at the words that wanted to come out. I almost said, ‘Duke, you’re a villain and a bad person, so I’m scared!’

“Speak up, if it’s a convincing reason, I’ll overlook it.”

“The Duke is tall……”

“Beyholt’s fellow is also tall.”

“……”

Why Yan suddenly came up here, I didn’t know. I clamped my mouth shut again and changed the subject.

“Weren’t you going out just now, Duke?”

“Don’t dodge the question.”

‘…It’s not working.’

The Duke was not easily swayed. I felt as though I had done something wrong and fiddled with my fingers.

The Duke pressed his heavily furrowed brow, then pulled the bell cord.

“Where’s Philen right now?”

“Yes, my lord.”

It seemed that a servant was waiting outside in the hallway, as Philen came in as soon as the door was opened.

“Release him.”

“What?”

“Count Lipe. Release him.”

“Ah……?”

I wasn’t the only one who was shocked. Philen’s eyes widened as well.

“Really?! But it’s too precious an opportunity! Even you said so last time, my lord! We can finally get rid of that troublesome old man,”

“Didn’t I say you talk too much?”

“I’ll go and release him.”

The Duke cut off Philen’s words with a chilly smile, and Philen ran out of the room like a shot.

I stared at the closed door, then quickly asked the Duke.

“You’re really releasing him?”

“Yeah.”

The answer came too easily. Thinking of the Duke’s attitude a little earlier, it was hard to believe this simple statement.

‘Is he really releasing him?’

The Duke asked with a sharp look on his face.

“Is that enough now?”

“Huh? What?”

“You’re not scared now, are you?”

“Hmm.”

“I’ve released him, so you shouldn’t be scared anymore.”

…… He threatens me with a scary face to say I’m not scared.

I succumbed to the threat and nodded.

“Mmhmm……”