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Walter, who had been quietly listening to the story, lowered his gaze to the small crown of Railey’s head.
In the sharp eyes of a beast—instinctive and fierce—a tiny warmth flickered to life, like a lantern being lit in the dark.
“My dear.”
“...Yes, Father-in-law?”
Was it really okay to call him that—Father-in-law?
Would he tell her not to ever dare call him that, that he didn't need her help, and that she should leave the ducal estate immediately?
Should she have somehow kept the truth hidden, even if it seemed impossible, and resolved everything on her own...?
While such troubling thoughts roamed Railey’s mind, she suddenly sensed someone approaching.
Startled, she looked up—and at some point, Walter had come to her side and knelt down, meeting her eyes.
“F-Father-in-law?”
“It must have been so hard for you.”
Walter placed his hand gently over Railey’s clenched one.
Her small hand, pale from tension, slowly grew warm under his touch.
“For someone as young as you to be given such a command... I can only imagine how you were treated in your family. It must have been painful, wasn’t it?”
“Ah...”
“I just can’t understand it. How could they not cherish such a lovely child...?”
If a daughter-in-law like Railey had been forced to commit such acts, then once the truth came out, her life would have been in grave danger.
Even so, Viscount Vitence hadn't hesitated to use his young daughter as a tool.
Walter pointed this out clearly, criticizing how abnormal and ruthless the Vitence family truly was.
His words poured over Railey's heart like rain in a drought.
They affirmed it—her family was wrong.
She never realized how comforting it could be to hear someone else say it out loud so clearly.
Railey’s eyes welled up with tears, but she bit her lip to stop herself from crying.
After all, she had been part of the Vitence family. Showing tears would be nothing more than self-pity.
“Don’t worry, my dear. You are a proud daughter-in-law of our family. We will never send you back.”
“Ah…”
“And a child shouldn’t have to worry about such absurd matters between adults. I will protect you.”
“…”
“Don’t say things like ‘use me’… Don’t speak such sorrowful words.”
The usual clumsy demeanor was gone—instead, Walter revealed the firm and resolute side of a grown man.
Railey’s small hand, held tightly in Walter’s large one, trembled slightly.
His words—telling her that it was okay to be a child, that she deserved to be protected—soaked into her heart.
And yet…
“Father-in-law.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want this matter to be brushed aside and forgotten.”
She couldn’t just rely on Walter’s goodwill.
Railey had something she absolutely wanted to accomplish by turning this situation to her advantage.
“…Why?”
“I want my nanny and my family to be properly punished… and to sever ties with them—without causing any losses to the duke’s house.”
“…!”
Railey had thought about it.
Given how softhearted and compassionate her father-in-law seemed, perhaps he would simply take her side unconditionally.
Maybe he would lock up the nanny immediately, even take the risk of suing the Vitence family, just to protect her.
But the issue was, even going through all that effort wouldn’t guarantee they’d win. The attempt to steal information from the duke’s household hadn’t actually happened yet, so it would be difficult to pursue legal action based on that. There was a high risk they could lose the lawsuit and suffer major financial damage.
“It would be better to uproot it entirely. And if we can strike the person backing the Vitence family, even better.”
“…”
“So, well, rather than calling it being used—let’s call it cooperation! Between you and me, Father-in-law!”
Railey forced a bright smile and spoke with conviction.
Walter stared at his daughter-in-law for a long while before lowering his eyebrows.
“Still… I don’t like the thought of making you go through something like this.”
“Please don’t think that way. We’re just pretending not to know anything for now—waiting for them to walk right into the trap.”
“……”
Walter let out a long sigh and gently patted Railey’s head.
“For now, get some rest and think things over carefully. We’ll talk again tomorrow morning. If your determination remains strong, I won’t try to stop you… but still, I worry for you.”
“Yes. Thank you for your concern.”
“You’re my daughter-in-law, aren’t you? It’s only natural.”
“……”
Even her own family had never shown such concern.
Perhaps the fact that she found this kind of kindness unusual meant there was something broken in her.
After all, it wasn’t normal to receive no affection from one’s birth parents and be treated worse than a servant by one’s older siblings.
Swallowing her complicated emotions, Railey watched Walter as he turned and left.
***
As soon as Walter returned to his quarters, he entered his study.
At his gesture, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness—it was his aide, Yuan.
“What did the investigation uncover?”
“It seems your suspicions were correct, Your Grace. There are still details that require further verification, but this should give you a general picture.”
“…I see.”
Walter slowly stroked his chin as he reviewed the report Yuan handed him.
The movements of the Marquess Malvern, who was behind the Vitence family.
That much was expected—but he hadn’t thought they would go so far as to use their own young daughter as a spy.
What should I do…?
He even considered whether it would be best to send Railey away before his son grew more attached to her.
The child herself was blameless, but… she was still tied to the Vitence family.
Instead, he had been thinking of quietly supporting her even if she chose to leave.
He would use all available means to ruin the Vitence family, and then find a safe and reliable guardian for her.
But her response had been entirely unexpected.
“If necessary, I’ll gather more information. Please use me.”
“Just… please don’t send me back to the Vitence family…”
After reading the report, Walter could understand why Railey said such things.
Even though it was only faint circumstantial evidence, the gaps in the story hinted at just how much she had been abused.
The scene he had witnessed in the garden while in his fox form also spoke volumes.
“She really thinks she’s the young duchess or something? What a joke. Maybe she needs to be properly disciplined again to knock some sense into her.”
Such words couldn’t have come from a mere nanny unless Railey had been consistently demeaned and mistreated.
And to think they even considered selling off that child to some depraved old man.
It was enough to make one doubt if she were truly their own daughter.
The image of Railey’s trembling, yet determined eyes lingered vividly in Walter’s mind.
Her will—to break free from the chains that tormented her and win her own freedom—burned clearly in her gaze.
Ordinarily, Walter would never have accepted such reckless words from a child. He would have insisted on sheltering her completely, placing her under the strict protection of adults.
But after seeing those eyes, he wanted to give her the chance to heal those deep wounds on her own terms.
“Yuan.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“There’s something I need you to do.”
As he gave his orders, the duke once again thought of Railey.
He imagined her, when all of this was over, wearing beautiful clothes and smiling radiantly—her cheeks rounder and fuller than before.
Not because he had any special affection for her.
She was, after all, a daughter-in-law brought into the family out of necessity.
But even so… still.
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