I Live With My Villain Uncle Chapter 22

I scooped up a forkful of the part with the pink chocolate balls and fruit and held it out to Gerard.

“I’m fine, Young lady.”

“It’s the best part, hurry!”

I fussed anxiously, afraid it would fall.

Gerard reluctantly opened his mouth and ate the cake.

“Is it good?”

“Yes. You should try it too, Young lady.”

I smiled in satisfaction and stuffed a forkful of cake into my mouth.

“It’s really good……”

The pure white cream tasted like peaches.

No. Maybe there was a little orange flavor, too.

It tasted like all sorts of different fruits.

Huh? Come to think of it, it tasted similar to the cake Grandma Sophie had made.

Though Grandma Sophie’s cake was much, much more delicious.

It was when I had eaten about half of the cake.

Perhaps the music was about to change, because the music suddenly stopped and I could see the musicians bustling about.

But then.

“An illegitimate child?”

In the brief silence after the music stopped, I heard a voice I hadn’t noticed until now.

“Ah, so that’s why……”

“I saw the Marquis walking around with her earlier. I mean that child.”

“Perhaps he’s looking after her for the time being.”

“An illegitimate child……”

“The Prime Minister was unmarried, wasn’t she? So she must have hidden the child and raised her all this time. I don’t know why she’s exposing her now, though.”

“Could she be planning to take a new wife, perhaps?”

“If it’s Marquis Reguier, I suppose he could tolerate a blemish like that.”

I naturally turned my head toward the voices, and behind the fountain, two men and two women were gathered together, looking at me.

They looked a little older than Uncle, or perhaps around his age.

Even though they were farther outside than I was, the bright light from inside the banquet hall illuminated their faces.

Were they talking about me?

Mom…… hid me?

That was strange. Mom had always been proud of me.

“Lies.”

Everything those adults were saying was a lie.

“I wonder if he intends to take her in as his heir……”

“I don’t think so. If she were going to be his heir, he would have announced it already.”

“That’s true. Why else would she have gone to live outside House Vallier? Still, His Grace the Duke of Vallier isn’t a man who would deny even his own family, is he?”

“I suppose it must have been quite a blow. The Prime Minister of the Empire having such a serious blemish.”

“Perhaps the child threw a tantrum?”

My heart pricked painfully.

“Ah, that could be it. Just look at her. That must be why the Marquis had no choice but to……”

“Still, isn’t it a good sign that the Marquis doesn’t dislike the child?”

“Oh my, hehe. What are you thinking?”

“Well, you never know what might happen between people.”

Feeling awkward for no reason, I looked up at Gerard.

His expression was frightening.

So Gerard had heard them, too.

Well, Gerard might have even better hearing than I did!

“I’ll take care of it.”

“No, Gerard!”

I cried out in surprise and hurriedly grabbed Gerard’s hand.

“Young lady.”

“This is going to get me scolded by Uncle if I cause trouble.”

“This is not something you caused, Young lady. They are the ones who spoke carelessly without understanding the weight of their words.”

“But still……”

“They deserve to be held accountable. Even if they have been drinking, how dare they speak without knowing their place.”

“I’m okay. None of that is true. They’re lying.”

I looked straight up at Gerard.

The people showed no intention of stopping their conversation. They kept drinking the sparkling liquor, bubbles rising inside their glasses, and even giggled as they laughed.

How could they have so much fun talking about someone else?

They were bad people.

I shook my head and looked at Gerard, only to find him staring at me with wide eyes.

“Young lady.”

“Mom said I was the person she was most proud of in the whole world.”

“……”

“You’re right, Young lady.”

I looked back toward the people, and the ones who had been talking about me were now pale as ghosts, their mouths firmly shut.

I tilted my head, wondering why they were acting like that, then shrugged.

“I’m really okay. It’s a secret from Uncle, okay?”

“What’s a secret?”

“Gasp.”

It was Uncle.

I jerked my head upward in surprise.

At the same time, I dropped my fork.

For a moment, I had the illusion that Uncle’s red hair was actually on fire.

His expression was terrifying.

Huh? When did he get here?

I had been so busy holding onto Gerard that I hadn’t noticed Uncle behind me.

Did he hear them? Had he heard everything?

Gerard had also been facing away from him while looking at me, so perhaps he noticed only belatedly. His whole body went rigid.

“Take the kid to the carriage.”

Crack.

A sound came from Uncle’s mouth that sounded less like grinding teeth and more like they were about to break.

Gerard closed his mouth.

I started to reach for Uncle, but when Gerard shook his head, I gave up.

This wouldn’t turn into something serious, would it?

I’d said it before, but Uncle’s nickname was……

The Mad Dog.

 

***

 

Rosina was having a delightful time at the banquet with her friends, drinking champagne like water, her spirits high.

A cake made by the most renowned pâtissier in the capital was carried into the center of the banquet hall.

It was the work of a pâtissier so famous that even the Emperor was said to have to ask politely before he would make the journey to the Imperial Palace.

Rosina’s eyes sparkled.

She had heard that Evosophy Bakery was also operated by House Vallier.

Marquis Cassel de Reguier.

And he would inherit everything belonging to House Vallier.

He was renowned for being so capable that people said it was practically the Marquis of Reguier, rather than the Duke of Vallier, who had built House Vallier into what it was today.

But what was even more wonderful was—

Rosina’s lips curled upward at the thought of Cassel.

He was a breathtaking sculpture in human form, simply by virtue of his appearance.

Rosina had fallen for Cassel at first sight when she saw him at her debutante ball several years ago.

And she had been hopelessly in love with him for nearly ten years ever since.

“Who is that magnificent man……?”

“Do you mean Cassel de Vallier? He’s the eldest son of House Vallier. He’s also the younger brother of the Young Duke of Vallier.”

Most of the young ladies who had been there that day had probably felt much the same way she did.

These days, she had nearly given up, but she still wondered when an opportunity might finally present itself.

If only she could properly speak to him, even once.

Out of the hundreds of greetings she had offered him over the years, she could remember receiving a response exactly once.

There had also been young ladies who had been told off for bothering him or who had been hurt by Cassel’s cold treatment and burst into tears.

But she had never been like that.

Once, he had even accepted a glass of champagne she offered him.

“Um…… Would you like this?”

“What is it?”

“It’s champagne. I thought you might be thirsty.”

“All sorts of irritating things…….”

“If you accept it, I’ll never bother you again!”

After that, he would occasionally acknowledge her with a nod as well……

And if she looked at the bigger picture, her family’s business was connected to House Vallier.

Surely that meant she could get a little closer to him.

But it wasn’t easy.

If she married Marquis Reguier, would that pâtissier make her wedding cake?

She had secretly imagined it more than once.

She had thought she might at least exchange greetings with the Marquis of Reguier, who was rarely seen at banquets.

But today, he had brought some child with him and was carrying her around.

That magnificent Cassel de Reguier, and a child.

She could hardly imagine anything in this world that looked more mismatched.

Yet when she saw him in person, Cassel was still incredibly impressive.

The child seemed completely oblivious, chattering away without a pause.

And even though Cassel furrowed his brow, he indulged her in everything and held her securely in his arms.

That Cassel—the Cassel who was cold toward everyone—was being gentle?

It was the first time she had ever found the sight so thrilling.

She had never imagined that a man with such a fiery temperament could have a side like that.

He was so gentle with a child who wasn’t even his own.

What would he be like with his actual child?

At the same time, she felt displeased.

That child was undoubtedly the daughter of the Prime Minister everyone had been gossiping about.

The one they said the Prime Minister had kept hidden away and never shown to anyone.

Apparently, no one even knew who her husband was.

In fact, among the central aristocracy, there wasn’t a single man who had stepped forward claiming to be her husband.

Adopting a child or taking in an illegitimate child was not particularly uncommon among noble couples.

But if it were her, she wouldn’t want it.

“Hmph……”

She couldn’t possibly allow such a blemish to remain on her life.

If she married him, it would practically mean she would have to take responsibility for that girl.

The thought made her extremely uncomfortable.

The child was laughing merrily as she ate cake, completely oblivious.

“It’s the best part, hurry!”

She even had the audacity to feed cake to her escort with a fork.

How could she be so different?

As for the deceased Prime Minister, she didn’t know much, but the child’s biological father was undoubtedly some obscure noble from some remote corner of the Empire—perhaps even someone without a proper crest, or someone whose origins were completely unknown.

“Even though the Marquis has a fiery temper, he doesn’t have a blemish like that. This is why pedigree matters. Don’t you agree?”

There was no way she could accept a child like that.