“That’s reassuring. I am also the new Duchess.”
Ekaterina and Laiza looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.
But Laiza’s eyes were downcast.
“…I am sorry that I could not help you and your mother.”
Ekaterina shook her head.
“It’s not Laiza’s fault.”
If she had returned to work ten years ago after raising her children and leaving them with her adoptive parents, then by that time my mother and I were already living in the villa, and there was nothing Laiza could have done to help us.
“Grandfather left Big Brother with many wonderful people, and he also left Laiza to me. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I am glad that I was able to connect with him through Laiza.”
“…After all, the Young Lady is so much like Lord Sergei. He gave us many wonderful words, just like that one. Of all the words I have heard in my life from Lord Sergei, yours would be the third most gratifying.”
I believe I would know what those words were.
[Laiza, nice to meet you. Do you have a few moments?]
“Well, if I am the third. May I ask the first and second?”
Ekaterina said mischievously, and Laiza smiled.
“The first is the first word my son ever spoke. [Dear Mother].”
“Oh! Not even Grandfather can compete with that one. What’s the second thing?”
“The second thing is…”
Laiza suddenly clears her throat.
“It’s a secret.”
Laiza’s cheeks turned slightly red after saying so.
Well, maybe.
Her marriage was a happy one.
***
That morning, Ekaterina hugged Regina and thanked her profusely.
“Thank you, Regina, you’ve helped me a lot.”
Regina wagged her fluffy tail and pressed her big head against her.
I love her fluffy mane! Animal therapy was so soothing!
But today, she had to leave.
“Please go back to your herd and rest for a while.”
I said, stroking her snout, and Regina showed me a row of fangs that looked like she was smiling.
“Laiza, please take Regina back to the dog house.”
“Yes, at your service.”
Laiza nodded. Having been involved with this Yurinova castle for so long, Laiza seemed undaunted by the giant hounds. Grandfather had a favorite leader dog, too, and she must have been used to working with them.
Laiza came to Ekaterina’s room to deliver something she had taken from the safe where she kept her valuables. It shone brilliantly in a flat box on the table beside her.
A pair of earrings and a necklace, dotted with sapphires and diamonds.
The centerpiece of the necklace was a rectangular sapphire pendant. It was five centimeters long and three centimeters wide. The necklace around the neck was made up of a number of sapphires, each about two centimeters in diameter. All of them were surrounded by small diamonds and held together by a shimmering golden chain.
It was said to be one of the heirlooms of the Duke of Yurinova’s family… There were sapphire earrings and hair ornaments that had been handed down from generation to generation in the Imperial Ducal Palace, and again, it was astounding that a ducal family had been in existence for 400 years.
In my previous life, the only people I could think of who would have something like this would be the British royal family. I couldn’t even imagine how much it would cost. I could only assume it must be worth at least hundreds of millions of dollars.
To think that, they would wear something like that….
“You must be busy this morning. I’m sorry to have taken up so much of your time.”
“No, this is my job. It is the housekeeper’s job to take care of the jewelry and deliver it to the Lady of Yurinova.”
Laiza then looked towards the back of the room.
