It did not matter while Duke Kiellini was alive, but after he died, Iris's life would be dominated by the new Duke, who had no acquaintance with her. He wouldn't worry if the heir to the t.i.tle was a decent man, but since the man did not have a good character, it made the Duke worry.

Duke Kiellini was unable to entrust Iris to an uncertain future. The n.o.ble bloodline of the family of the Duke, which had been falling for generations, was of no importance before the future of his daughter. He just wanted her to live in a safe and cozy place where she had lived all her life until now.

"It's not enough to have blonde hair and green eyes to replace the Princess."

Maribel nodded as if she had grasped the situation.

"That's why I came to visit you."

Maribel thought of Julietta. She had never seen Princess Kielini, but she knew she was the same as the late d.u.c.h.ess. The d.u.c.h.ess was the younger sister of Marquis Anais. In other words, the Princess and Julietta were cousins.

'Is this the fate of Julietta?'

Maribel had had to promise when sending the dead Stella's body to Marquise Anais: the Marquis should never know about Julietta. The condition was forgiving Maribel, who had given Stella and Julietta a place to sleep.

From then on, Maribel had changed Julietta's appearance and sent her out of her living quarters, completely hiding her ident.i.ty, so that she could stay like other members of the theater's apprentices.

When Julietta had become an adult, she had felt sorry for the child who had hidden in the corner of the theater in disguise for all of her life. So, she had decided that it would be better for her to live a luxurious life as a concubine of n.o.bility, like other actresses, so she had tried to introduce her to Duke Miguel for the price she had proposed. Of course, Julietta's resistance had pushed the plan apart.

Maribel wanted to praise herself for listening to Julietta's cheeky demand that day. With a moment of sympathy and loss, she had a greater chance.

It wasn't a bad thing for Julietta, either. Rather than suffer as a maid for life, she would be considered a subst.i.tute, but she would be a princess of Kiellini. However, it was not possible to introduce Julietta to the Duke without thinking about what would happen later.

"I'll wipe out what I've faced with you right after this is over, and everyone involved in this matter is as well."

When asked if he would guarantee safety after work, the Duke immediately accepted. "Of course. What can I do with someone who has never faced me?"

Now that she'd heard this, it was hard for her to take her foot off. Julietta was the illegitimate child of Marquis Anais. It was thought that if the Duke knew the truth of the family of the Marquis, if he knew how much the Marquis cared about Julietta, he would not harm the child and turn himself against the Marquis.

Maribel finally made up her mind and opened her mouth. "There's a perfect girl now. I saw the d.u.c.h.ess in the distance, and I heard the Princess looked a lot like the d.u.c.h.ess."

"That's right. That's why I'm looking for a blonde, green-eyed girl. It's a hallmark of the family of Anais. I haven't seen him in a long time, but I also heard that Pierre, the son of the Marquis, is blond and has green eyes."

Maribel smiled brightly and agreed enthusiastically, "Yes. I've seen him before, when he came to the theater. It was not pinkish or light blond, but his eyes were really bright green, like an emerald with no impurities. The child I know has that kind of eyes. She's also a pinkish, light blond."

"It's a rare color. Where did you get to know such a child?"

Maribel smiled even louder when Duke Kiellini asked in wonder, "I'll tell you what I've been hiding for ten years now, since you've told me about some really important secrets."

As Maribel stopped talking for dramatic effect, Duke Kiellini looked at her as if to say something.

"You know that Marquis Anais had an illegitimate child, right?"

"I thought she died with her mother."

It had already been more than ten years. Duke Kiellini could not have paid attention to the case, since his wife had been dead and his sick daughter had been in a life-and-death situation. Later, he had heard that the lover and daughter who had been driven out by Marquise Anais had died, but that was just it.

"I was in charge of the daughter. At the order of Marquise Anais, I hid her ident.i.ty completely."

At Maribel's words, Duke Kiellini straightened himself. as if he were about to rise from his seat.

"Where's the daughter?"

"The Marquise had hoped that an eye-annoying b.a.s.t.a.r.d would stay in the theater all her life, and that's what she knows now... but the girl left me a while ago. She's working as a maid at Bertino mansion on Harrods Street."

"A maid? If she works at Bertino mansion, she'll have too many people recognize her, even if she were to serve as a subst.i.tute."