WWDNND Chapter 17

“Diah, Mommy will be visiting Grandpa for a moment.”
“Mm-hmm.”

At Veronica’s words, I obediently nodded. As she stepped back, Sophia naturally came closer.

I glanced at Veronica as she exited the room.

No matter how I thought about it, something felt off. Why would the Duke call for Veronica at this hour?

Since arriving at the Winston Ducal estate, Veronica and I had done absolutely nothing.

Perhaps because they believed we had suffered enough at the Marquis’ household, the Duke and the other direct family members seemed to want us to simply relax and enjoy ourselves.

The only thing Cedric had smugly mentioned to Veronica was the upcoming territorial war. And even that, he had only said when I was in the room with Sophia.

That’s why this sudden summons felt unnatural. Something was definitely going on—I was sure of it.

“Demon, follow Veronica and eavesdrop on their conversation.”
[What? Master! What do you take me for?!]
“Well, of course…”
[No, don’t even say it.]

Desmond, who was about to throw a fit, suddenly deflated when he saw I was about to answer him so bluntly.

Seriously, his emotions swung like a pendulum.

Clicking my tongue, I continued, “It sounds important, so hurry up and listen in.”
[Ugh… but that Sword Master guy is kind of scary.]

“Oh?” So he was afraid of Duke Winston?

I let out a disappointed sigh and muttered, “You sure talked big about being a Grand Demon, but I guess you’re no match for a Sword Master.”
[W-Well…]
“I heard Bibi could even block a Sword Master’s attack, but you…”
[Gah!]

As expected, when I compared him to Bibi, Desmond grew indignant and flustered. I pretended not to notice and kept poking at his pride.

“Well, whatever. If it’s too hard, you don’t have to do it. I’m sure Bibi could do a better job.”
[Of course! If it’s Master’s command, I would gladly—!]
[Hey, shut up!]
[Kyaa!]

Desmond suddenly stood up and shoved Bibi, who let out a small scream as she tumbled over.

But to an outsider, it would just look like two stuffed dolls bumping into each other.

It was a relief that Sophia had stepped out to get some snacks and didn’t witness this.

[You violent brute! You wanna fight?!]
[How dare a pervert like you try to steal my task! No way!]
[Hah! Then go ahead and do it! Weren’t you the one whining about being scared?!]
[When did I ever whine?! You insolent fool!]

Though their bickering was a little noisy in my head, Bibi’s taunts worked wonders in riling Desmond up.

Besides, with his abilities, Desmond was much better at eavesdropping than Bibi.

[Fine, I’ll go. Master, I’m off!]
“Alright, do your best.”

Now fully determined, Desmond vanished.

At the same time, the teddy bear he had been inhabiting collapsed like a stringless puppet.

A demon’s true body was a gem, but once they formed a contract, they could move around freely.

They only insisted on having a manifested form because they wanted to stay in the middle realm. Normally, they existed as intangible spirits, with their real bodies remaining in the demon realm.

That was why I could send Desmond to the northern territories or even the west as if he were a messenger bird.

And right now, he was trailing after Veronica to eavesdrop on her conversation with the Duke.

“Tada! The snacks have arrived!”
“Wow!”

My eyes sparkled as I looked at the snacks Sophia had brought.

She had brought madeleines and chocolate cake—favorites of the late Claudia.

Luckily, I loved them too, so I could enjoy them wholeheartedly.

“You took your medicine so well, so this is your reward.”
“Mmm.”
“But don’t eat too much, or your tummy will hurt.”
“Mmm, okay.”

Sophia, ever the worrier, nagged at me. I let her words go in one ear and out the other as I reached for a madeleine.

[Aaah, that looks delicious. At times like this, I regret choosing a stuffed doll form.]
‘You were the one who insisted on being a doll, remember?’
[Ugh, well… that’s true.]

Bibi slumped beside me, grumbling in regret. That just went to show how delicious the Winston Ducal House’s madeleines were.

I smiled in satisfaction.

Now, how useful would the information Desmond brought back be?

With eager anticipation, I grinned.

“You called for me, Father?”
“…Yes.”

Duke Winston silently observed Veronica as she entered his office.

When she had first arrived at the estate with Claudia, she had looked utterly exhausted and pitiful.

But now, she appeared much more stable.

Seeing that, Duke Winston let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Whew…”
“Is something wrong?”

Veronica, however, felt uneasy at his sigh.

Could it be Cedric Lionel again? Had he threatened them once more?

She bit her lip.

Meeting Cedric had filled her with nothing but regret.

The only thing she did not regret was having her beloved daughter, Claudia.

Because of that, she couldn’t help but feel guilty toward Duke Winston.

Fortunately, the Duke cherished Claudia even more than she did.

But that didn’t change the fact that she had ignored his warnings and concerns in the past.

“Berry.”
“Yes?”

At his solemn call, Veronica tensed.

If Cedric had provoked them again…

What was she supposed to do when the territorial war began?

She squeezed her eyes shut in apprehension.

“The Crown Prince has arrived.”
“…Pardon?”

“It was not an official visit, so he is currently staying in the annex. It was at his request.”
“…?”

Veronica was dumbfounded at the unexpected news.

She stood there, stunned, as an old memory resurfaced—one from so long ago that it now felt like a dream.

She had first met Crown Prince Dantelion Noah Sylvester when she was around Claudia’s current age.

Back then, when the late Emperor and Empress were still alive, the empire had been peaceful.

Veronica and her family had stayed in their townhouse in the capital, where her brother, Vincent, was often summoned to play with the young Prince Dantelion.

Tagging along with Vincent, she had met the prince.

Dantelion, who had no siblings, found it fascinating how much Vincent cared for Veronica.

Naturally, the three of them grew close, and Dantelion treated Veronica as if she were his little sister.

To young Veronica, it simply felt like she had gained another older brother.

‘But why is he here now…?’

As she reminisced about those warm, peaceful days, Veronica abruptly snapped back to reality, startled.

That tranquility had been short-lived.

After the sudden passing of the late Emperor and Empress, everything had changed rapidly.

By the time Veronica was preparing for her debutante, it had already become difficult to meet Dantelion.

The last time she saw him had been seven years ago—at a banquet held before he left for the western territories.

“This is quite sudden.”
“Indeed.”
“Why has he come?”
“Well… he said he knows about your situation.”
“What?”

Veronica’s eyes widened.

Dantelion knew about her situation?

Did he know about her impending divorce from Cedric?

Or did he even know about the territorial war?

As Veronica struggled to make sense of it, the Duke continued,

“He said he wants to help us.”
“His Highness wants to help?”
“Yes.”
“…”

If the Crown Prince assisted them, things would certainly become much easier.

Duke Winston’s family had always maintained political neutrality, but Veronica’s marriage to Cedric—who was aligned with the Empress Dowager’s faction—had nearly shattered that principle.

Now, as she sought to divorce Cedric, receiving aid from the Crown Prince could further complicate things.

Even so, the Duke knew that resolving this matter without imperial support was impossible.

Of course, there would be a price to pay for such assistance.

Understanding this, Veronica’s expression darkened.

“What did His Highness ask for in return?”
“I thought he would demand something…”

The Duke trailed off with a frown.

Veronica looked at him in confusion.

“But he said he wants nothing.”
“…What?”

He wanted nothing in return?

That… didn’t make any sense.

Veronica felt a surge of doubt.