Rebirth Of The Duke's Daughter

Chapter 80

ZH sat on the edge of Mila's bed, watching over her as she stirred restlessly in her sleep. Her brow was furrowed, and she mumbled incoherently, clearly troubled by something even in her dreams. He sighed softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "I've noticed that you've been struggling to sleep for a long time now," he murmured, almost to himself. "What goes on in that little head of yours that makes you so restless, even in your dreams?"

He waited for her to settle down, but when her distress didn't ease, he decided to help. With a gentle wave of his hand, he cast a spell to soothe her mind, ensuring she would sleep peacefully for the rest of the night. "Good night, Mila," he whispered, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. As she relaxed into a deep, undisturbed sleep, ZH quietly slipped out through the balcony, as he always did.

The next morning, Mila woke up feeling unusually refreshed. She sat up in bed, blinking in surprise. 'What happened? This is the first time I've felt this energized after a night's sleep in a while.' She looked down at her hands as if expecting to see something different, but they were the same as always. Moving to the mirror, she examined her reflection and noticed with relief that there were no dark circles under her eyes. 'Did ZH do something while I was asleep?' She wondered but quickly brushed the thought aside.

Turning back to her reflection, she saw the familiar scar trailing down her face. It was no surprise, but she sighed quietly as she pushed the thought away. Stretching her arms, she felt her muscles and bones waking up along with her. Cotton and Net were nowhere to be seen, probably off to the kitchen in search of food. Mila didn't waste any time getting dressed, choosing her usual comfortable clothes—pants and a shirt—over the dresses she had always found so restricting.

As she left her room, she was immediately stopped by two pairs of eyes that looked her up and down with disapproval. "Why are you dressed like that?" Leo asked, standing next to Luce, who looked equally surprised by Mila's attire.

"These clothes are more comfortable than those dresses that are just for show," Mila replied with a small, defiant smile. She looked almost like a puppy, pleading silently not to be forced back into the uncomfortable gowns of high society.

"You've been away from home too long, Mila," Duke Reynard's voice interrupted, and she turned to see him approaching. "It's time for you to resume your lessons. I'll have Lady Angela come back to tutor you." His tone was firm, making it clear that this was not up for discussion.

Mila felt a wave of frustration rise inside her. 'Why?! I have already gone through all this in my last life! Why do I have to do it again?!' she thought, inwardly groaning at the idea of returning to lessons she had no interest in. "Alright, I'll be going now!" she said quickly, her voice a bit too cheerful as she tried to escape before anyone could force her into anything.

"Where are you going? Hey!" Leo called after her, but Mila was already sprinting down the hall. Without slowing down, she leaped over the balcony railing, landing gracefully in the front courtyard.

"Mila!!!" Duke Reynard, Leo, and Luce rushed to the balcony, staring down in shock as Mila waved up at them, perfectly fine despite the height she had just jumped from.

"I'm fine!" she called back with a grin, feeling victorious in her escape as she headed out through the front entrance.

Leo sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. "Father... are you really going to let her keep doing this? I think she's been too spoiled since she came back," he said, glancing at Duke Reynard, who looked equally frustrated but somehow resigned.

"Just for today," Duke Reynard muttered, not wanting to start a confrontation. 'How did things get like this?' he wondered, watching Mila disappear down the path. 'It's going to be hard to make her into a proper lady now.' He knew it was the truth, but the thought of trying to rein in Mila's wild spirit seemed almost impossible.