Chapter 45.
“Is there anything else you’d like to eat?”
Catherine glanced sideways at Gilbert, who kept offering her more food.
With his ash-gray hair that reminded her of a white lion and deep blue eyes that gave off a sharp and intelligent air, Gilbert was an imposing figure.
Despite his age, he had a large and strong-looking body that didn’t quite match how old he seemed.
“Here, try this one too,” he said warmly.
Gilbert, who had appeared a few days ago claiming to be her grandfather, now seemed determined to stay in the North and take care of Catherine like family.
‘Catherine, do you know about the Valois family?’
‘Ah… Isn’t that family symbolizing the dawn?’ she had replied, recalling a lesson from her history studies.
The Valois family had been honored for their role during the founding of the country.
They were once wealthy and noble, but over time had declined and were now a small house located in the East.
Apart from the fact that the head of the family was a war hero, there wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about them — or so she had thought.
‘The first Valois was born from the love between a saint and a demon,’ Gilbert had told her gently.
‘…’
‘Love, as always, creates something great.’
He told her many stories. Catherine still couldn’t fully believe everything he said, but strangely, she didn’t hate spending time with him.
Still, this was a bit much…
He had been neatly slicing his steak and then handed her a piece — even bringing it right to her mouth with a fork like she was a baby bird being fed by its mother.
“…Okay,” she said awkwardly, reluctantly taking the bite he offered.
“This is good too. Eat plenty, dear.”
“Uh, yes… but I can eat by myself now…”
“Nonsense! A child must eat everything their grandpa gives them!”
“….”
He just kept piling food onto her plate — so much that she couldn’t possibly finish it. And it wasn’t just her. Alex’s plate was just as overloaded.
‘Wow…’
‘You think you can eat all that?’
‘You too? Same here…’
They exchanged silent looks, both overwhelmed.
But Gilbert didn’t seem to notice. Still smiling, he kept offering food.
“Chew well, my dears,” he said like a farmer lovingly feeding his livestock.
‘This is so embarrassing…!’
Catherine felt heat rise to her face. It wasn’t just the three of them in the dining room, after all.
Thanks to Gilbert’s insistence that everyone should eat together, the entire duchy household had gathered for a rare shared meal that morning.
‘Hmph! You kids — food tastes better when shared! Stop eating separately and making the servants work five times harder! Just all eat together like normal people!’
So now, here they were.
“Good girl, you’re eating well. Ho ho!”
As he kept doting on Catherine and Alex, her face turned bright red.
David and Killian watched disapprovingly, while the Duke and Eleanor quietly ate their meals without commenting.
“You should eat just a little more. You’re too thin.”
“…Maybe you should focus on your food, Count,” the Duke finally said sternly.
He had been watching Catherine’s increasingly pale face — it was obvious she had already eaten more than usual.
“Tch! Why? Do you want me to cut it for you too? If you wanted some, you should’ve just said so! Hah!”
Without waiting for an answer, Gilbert got up and walked over to the Duke, grabbing his steak and cutting it for him.
“Here, say ahhh.”
“….”
“Pfft! Cough, cough, hah!”
Gilbert tried to feed the Duke directly — as if he were a child!
‘W-What is happening?!’
Catherine, shocked, accidentally choked on her water while watching.
“Careful, drink slowly, dear.”
Gilbert’s genuine concern reached her ears, but all she could think was:
‘He’s crazy! Only Gilbert Valois could get away with doing that to the Duke!’
The atmosphere in the dining room grew colder.
Catherine cautiously glanced at the Duke’s face. It was as expressionless as always… but somehow, the air around him felt like a snowstorm was about to blow through.
‘Uh-oh… he’s definitely annoyed…’
If this were a comic, she imagined there’d be crack marks all over his forehead.
“You don’t like this part of the meat?” Gilbert asked casually.
“….”
“You’re such a picky eater, honestly!”
He grinned, unbothered like he hadn’t just called the most powerful man in the room a fussy child.
*‘Maybe… maybe the strongest person in this world is him…’
Just then, the servants brought out dessert. In front of Catherine was a bowl of strawberry sorbet.
Gilbert leaned forward, scooping some up.
“Here, try this. It’s sweet and—”
“W-Wait—!”
BANG!
“I’ll excuse myself now,” Killian suddenly said, standing up and storming out of the room.
“Huh? Killian? Wait!” David quickly ran after him.
“…What’s wrong with them?” Gilbert muttered. “Is this puberty or something?”
Catherine tilted her head, confused.
After breakfast, Catherine strolled through the garden with Alex.
Since Rachel had been imprisoned, the servants looked at them differently. Because of that, they stuck close to each other.
Looking into Alex’s deep blue eyes, Catherine finally spoke.
“Alex… can you believe it? We have a grandfather.”
She was talking about Gilbert Valois — a man they didn’t even know existed until recently.
“I know. The Valois family is in the Far East. So it’s true… our real mother was from that noble house. I guess that explains why she always felt a little… refined.”
Alex said he already knew.
He was just as confused about their sudden grandfather as Catherine was.
He shared a story of how Gilbert suddenly appeared and hugged him out of nowhere, and for a second, he thought the man was a crazy old stranger.
He laughed as he told it, but Catherine could sense the caution beneath the humor.
He didn’t trust Gilbert.
“Alex… do you not like him?” she asked carefully.
She was worried. Without any other guardian, the two of them would have to face the world alone.
She’d begun to think maybe Gilbert’s affection wasn’t such a bad thing.
But Alex didn’t seem to feel the same.
“No. It’s not that I dislike him.”
He admitted Gilbert’s affection seemed real — not fake or forced.
“But still,” he continued. “I don’t trust adults anymore.”
He looked her in the eye and held her hand tightly.
“From now on, I’ll protect you. I won’t rely on adults anymore.”
Even though he was younger than her, he was determined to be her protector.
“…Alex, we’re only a year apart. We’re both still kids — we need adults.”
“I know. But following adults is what got us here in the first place, remember? Look at what happened with Mom.”
He reminded her how Rachel’s arrest changed everything — how the whole household now saw them like criminals.
Servants didn’t openly mistreat them like they did with Eleanor before, but the warmth was gone. They were now “outsiders” — tolerated but not trusted.
‘Where are you going, miss?’
‘Just out for a bit…’
‘Did the Duke permit you? You know you’re not allowed to wander.’
Their movements were watched. It was like living under surveillance.
“Don’t trust him too much, Catherine,” Alex said seriously. “If we become a burden to him, he might throw us away.”
“….”
“After all… nobles can be fickle.”
He had a point — and it left Catherine deep in thought.
