《Saved by Crazy Stepfather!》 Chapter 1 ¡°No..Mama, don¡¯t die.¡± Even at her desperate call, her mother didn¡¯t answer. Although she has seen her mother¡¯s death nine times, she still can¡¯t get used to it. Tears dripped down the back of her dry and cracked hands. ¡°Mama¡­¡± Her mother¡¯s breath gradually faded with each plea. The tenth life. And after today, as always, her mother dies. So while the knights who were supposed to watch them were briefly away, she crawled on the floor and removed a rug much larger than her body. ¡°Mama, hang on¡­ I¡¯ll save you!¡± Her mother¡¯s breathing was so weak that she thought she was going to die soon. While removing the rug, she ran to her mother and listened to her heartbeat. Thump. Thump. Thump. There¡¯s a pulse. But her mother, who has a boiling fever, did not wake up in the time she dragged herself to her mother¡¯s side. ¡°Hang on¡­just a little¡­just a little more.¡± Soon the rug was pushed aside and an incomplete magic circle appeared. She took out a silver stone that she kept dearly in her pocket, then drew more magic lines. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Blisters could be seen on her hands from the stone that have become sharp here and there due to scratching the floor. However, there was no time to relax. Thud. Thud. The sounds of footsteps coming from afar grew closer and closer. It made her arm move more and more rapidly. Contrary to her urgent heart, her dried and cracked arms could not move as she wished. Blood trickled down from her hands whenever she held the rough stone to scratch the floor. ¡°Come on. Come on, Mama¡­I have to save Mama!¡± With bruises all over her body, she looked at her mother sleeping on the floor using a curtain as a blanket. Her hands hurt so much. It hurts to the point of tears. Thud. Thud. Thud. Her hands were shaking today even though she knew she had to hurry. ¡°Get a hold of yourself. You need to get a hold of yourself.¡± For the past month, she has been drawing magic lines every day for this moment. She can¡¯t fall now. A magic circle drawn under a shabby rug. She doesn¡¯t have time. Her mother will die again after today. ¡°Mama¡­ I¡¯m never going to lose you again.¡± Tears were dripping down her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry like a fool. I can save her. I¡¯ll save her this time.¡± The feeling in her hands is already gone and the sound of footsteps coming is getting louder and louder. ¡°What, she¡¯s avoiding me because she¡¯s sick? Who does she think she is, the Empress? That stupid woman!¡± ¡°But your Majesty, she¡¯s about to die. You should refrain yourself for now.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it. She was quite useful, but if so, we can still use the illegitimate child!¡± The voice that gave her goosebumps all over. It was the Emperor. If he comes, he¡¯ll hit her again. He was angry again this time, and his steps resounded more than ever. Looking at her mother who has become white as a sheet, she put down the stone. Instead, she rubbed her bloody hands on the floor. Somehow, she just has to draw the magic lines. ¡°I-I did it!¡± It was enough for her and her mother to enter the bloody magic circle. As she rushed to her mother¡¯s side, she held her hand tightly with one hand and placed her other hand on the floor. Then, a brilliant light enveloped them. Boom. Whether they noticed the disturbance or not, at this moment the door opened with a tremendous bang. ¡°W-what¡¯s this¡­!¡± However, it¡¯s too late. There was nothing they could do even if they came in. It was after the magic curtain had already spread before the mother and daughter. ¡°You damn girl! How dare you go! You¡¯re mine!¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m my mama¡¯s!¡± ¡°Damn it. Get them now! Get them! Get rid of the magic circle!¡± In this imperial palace where all magic is nullified, a working magic circle was finally drawn. Because of that, no one rushed at the pair after hearing the Emperor¡¯s order. In addition, they were helpless against the barrier of the magic circle. ¡°Grab them! Grab them! If you don¡¯t want to lose your heads!¡± The Emperor and the knights quickly reached out to them, but the only thing that happened was having their hands wounded when time and space began to break.. ¡°That¡¯s great. Get hurt all of you who bullied us!¡± There was a strong force in her words, filling the surroundings like the wind and hurting those who were trying to grab them. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Goodbye now!¡± She shouted at the Emperor, hoping to never see him again. But deep in her heart she wanted to say she¡¯d definitely come back for revenge! However, running away is her first priority. ¡°No!¡± The voice of the Emperor, who had not given up until the end, was heard, but the once thunderous voice had become distant. Before she knew it, the space in front of her distorted. It was a complete success. She had finally escaped with her dying mother. After closing her eyes due to the dazzling light, she opened them some time later to see that at last she had reached her destination. It was different from the shabby room they were in a while ago. The room they were in had nothing but a sofa with a broken leg, and because there was no blanket, they had to make due with the curtains, which invited the howling wind through the broken window. Unaware of the heater in the room, she realized the smell of this place was completely different than where she had been. And strangely enough, other than the smell of books, there was a peculiar woody smell. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± A warm rug was laid on the floor and the crackling sound of firewood emitting warmth could be heard. Finally, she arrived at this place. ¡°Who are you?¡± She turned her head to the sudden voice. As if very surprised by them who appeared in a flash of light, the master of the room narrowed his eyes. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± She was mumbling as she stood up. Looking at them in bewilderment was a handsome man as if made in the image of God. A man with black hair and large build. At a glance it looked like he had a bad night¡¯s sleep. She pointed her finger at him, who was wary of them in a different sense than the Emperor. ¡°Grand Duke Avelon! It¡¯s you.¡± A smile came to her face when she saw him nodding heavily instead of answering. ¡°I made it in time. The search is over. My papa candidate!¡± ¡°¡­What¡­? Papa candidate?¡± ¡°Yes! Please raise my mama and me!¡± Tucked in a shabby curtain, she held her sleeping mother tightly in her arms. ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll make you emperor!¡± ¡°Ha¡­?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m strong!¡± ¡°This situation¡­ How am I supposed to take it?¡± ¡°Once I grow up, I¡¯ll make you emperor¡­because that¡¯s what you want. You¡¯ll need me for that¡­¡± Unfortunately, her mind blanked here. Her mana could be called the best, but due to her small body, she will collapse after one spell. But it was okay. Because she and her mother are finally free from the fake father who abused them. So, she calmly closed her eyes, knowing that a new future awaits them the next time she opens her eyes. In her dreams she felt as if she was floating on a bed. For the first time after her father was killed, she felt the warmth of a bed and was so happy that she didn¡¯t want to open her eyes. When she or her mother would fall asleep, the knights used to take turns making noises. It was natural for a person to get sick if they couldn¡¯t eat or sleep. And yet, to them, we ¡®deserved¡¯ it. Their abuses were natural since her fake father, who is the current emperor, abused them as well. The current emperor, Dory, openly ordered them to be bullied. But today, she slept for a long time and wasn¡¯t kicked either. ¡°Hmm¡­, good.¡± She clasped a blanket around her gently. A warm feeling. However, to her, this luxury was out of place. The moment she recognized this fact, her eyes suddenly opened. ¡°Ack!¡± Bad things happen whenever she feels at ease, so she had goosebumps all over her body. ¡°Huk¡­Huk¡­¡± What she saw as soon as she opened her eyes was a ceiling fully covered with wallpaper. It was different from the cracked ceiling with cobwebs she was used to. ¡°This is?!¡± She got up as soon as she saw the unusual scenery. The scenery she saw was tranquil. It was warm, and the atmosphere was soft. Antique wallpaper and undamaged things in places. ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± In front of her is the gaze of a man staring at her intently. The unfamiliar voice made her flinch. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Her sense of reality returned belatedly. She thought she was having a pleasant dream, but it was not. The man in front of her is Grand Duke Avelon. She tried to warp here, and before she closed my eyes, she thought she saw this man, and now it turned out it wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream! I did it! I¡¯m awesome!¡± ¡°After appearing like that, did you think it was a dream?¡± The man, who was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, smiled and leaned forward. ¡°Interesting.¡± His eyes, cold as ice, gazed at her. The blue eyes were as fierce and sharp as a butcher¡¯s. She flinched at his gaze, but tried to straighten her chest as if nothing had happened. ¡°So now that you¡¯re awake, do you have anything to say to me? Miss ¡®thief who made a splendid home invasion.¡¯¡± Even though it was a home invasion, she didn¡¯t think she was a thief. In a book she secretly read it said, ¡®You should never be intimidated in front of other people.¡¯ Especially when making a deal. Otherwise the opponent will look down on you. So she straightened her shoulders and raised her chin. ¡°Bebe is not a thief! Just¡­ I came here to make a deal!¡± ¡°A deal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll offer myself. Please be my family in name. In turn¡­Mama and me¡­Uh¡­!¡± She tried to spit out all the words that were on her mind in one breath, but there was nobody beside her. ¡°Uh, mama! Mama!¡± She hurriedly looked around. She was laying on a bed, so she thought her mother would be lying next to her, but her mother was not. ¡°As expected, the woman who came with you must have been your mother.¡± ¡°What did you do to her! Give me my mama!¡± She got up in a hurry. However, unknowingly, her clothes had been changed and it was longer than she had expected. Because of the loose dress, her body almost fell forward. ¡°Be careful.¡± Chapter 2 If the Grand Duke hadn¡¯t caught her body, she¡¯d probably have fallen over. In front of such a dazzling man, she stood up. ¡°¡­Let go of me.¡± He even naturally put his hands between her armpits. Then he lifted her up. ¡°Light.¡± As if playing with a paper doll, he shook her body back and forth. This small gesture hurt her dignity as a person, so it made her even angrier. ¡°S-stop!¡± ¡°Very light. Like an empty cushion.¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± But she was like a paper doll fluttering in the wind, so it was too much for her to shake him off. ¡°I¡¯m going to use my power! You¡¯ll regret it!¡± She raised her hand, but he just smiled as if he didn¡¯t feel threatened. ¡°¡­Are you looking down on my power?¡± ¡°I think once you use it, you¡¯re going to faint. No?¡± ¡®Eh, I got caught.¡¯ ¡®How did he know immediately?¡¯ Her body flinched momentarily. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then, go ahead.¡± A low and serious voice came out without a slight change of expression. ¡®You don¡¯t think I will use it if you say that?¡¯ She was going to use her power, but soon gave up the idea. Instead, she drooped down. In this situation where her mother is gone, it will be a big problem if she uses her power and faint. Her power could do anything except heal the sick or resurrect the dead, but her body would collapse every time she uses her power. ¡®It will be hard for my body to handle depending on the power.¡¯ Especially when it comes to a great deal of exertion. It¡¯s not uncommon for her to pass out for a few days. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have to show my power as strong as last time to convince the Grand Duke.¡¯ It would be unwise for her to use her strength without knowing where her mom is. ¡°Heeung¡­¡± She mumbled her lips. ¡®What should I do? Use my power or not?¡¯ When she was agonizing over the decision, the Grand Duke spoke. ¡°You, how old are you?¡± ¡°Five years old.¡± ¡°You¡¯re small for five.¡± The blue eyes that seemed to hold the sky stared at her. ¡°I know I¡¯m small, so let go. Put me down!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you go.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Unexpectedly without much resistance, he sat her in his chair. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay, then. Now tell me, unidentified and uninvited guest, explain yourself. I need an explanation on how this happened.¡± Looking up at his overbearing gaze, her body trembled. The gaze of an adult man is not something unfamiliar to her. The people who abused her were all grown men. ¡°A mere child. A sick woman. And you showing up here through magic where all magic is nullified, so who on earth are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your mother and you woke up after three whole days. That alone makes me feel like I¡¯ve shown mercy.¡± Three days. She guessed it would be so. She woke up after three days and saw this guy sitting here. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you been here all this time?¡¯ Having thought of that, she shook her head. It can¡¯t be. It¡¯s just a coincidence that he must have made a short visit at the time she woke up. ¡°T-that¡¯s! I¡¯m not telling you now. Give me my mama back first! I¡¯ll answer after that! If you did something to my mama, I¡¯ll kill you¡­!¡± If by chance there¡¯s a problem with her mother, all she has to do is give up on her life. When her mother dies, she will die and time will be rewinded. After that, she can take revenge against the fake Emperor and the Grand Duke who bullied her mother. ¡°There¡¯s light in your eyes.¡± Everyone not her mother is the same. They bullied them, and let her mother die. They didn¡¯t hesitate to experiment on her body to extract the near-infinite power from her body. The knights who watched them also committed violence. So humans-particularly adults-are not to be trusted. Except for her mother. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! My mama is all mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a rabbit showing its big teeth with its nose flinching.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a rabbit!¡± ¡°A rabbit who thinks it¡¯s also a huge predator. So you don¡¯t want to answer me till the end, do you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you!¡± There¡¯s only one candidate for her father anyway. Grand Duke Avelon was just the easiest opponent to deal with. ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything, your situation will be even worse, because you¡¯re a child and I¡¯m not such a kind man who keeps an uninvited guest alive just because a weak woman has come.¡± In his eyes he did not see her as a mere child. She felt it for sure. This man, perhaps even more dangerous than her fake father, the Emperor. ¡®So it¡¯s more than perfect.¡¯ It shouldn¡¯t be a weak person. For her perfect revenge, it had to be such a villain who even disregarded children. She has already experienced the life of a five year old ten times. Luckily, she had survived to the age of seven, and even managed to live to the age of nine when she bowed down to her fake father. And this man, Grand Duke of Avelon, has consistently triumphed over the Emperor. ¡®You¡¯re mean and selfish.¡¯ She gulped. ¡°If you give me my mama, I¡¯ll tell you then. Because I don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°Quite a daring child. You think you¡¯re on the same footing as me. But I could have killed your mother, couldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You just said, ¡®I¡¯m not such a kind man who keeps an uninvited guest alive,¡¯ but I¡¯m alive, so my mama is alive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart for a five year old. But that cleverness, of a person who has nothing, such confidence can be your downfall. Uninvited guest.¡± At that moment, his hand turned to the sheath of his sword. ¡®Kill me? Was it wrong to be too confident?¡¯ ¡®Oh, was it wrong?¡¯ To her, the world is just like the world of books. She was certain that she had to be strong. ¡®Eh, was I wrong?¡¯ ¡°Your face is revealing your feelings.¡± ¡°¡­What, what!¡± ¡°Surprised at my words. You seem to be thinking about what you did wrong.¡± ¡°¡­No I¡¯m not! I¡¯m strong, so I was thinking! Before I do something really really big, take care of my mama!¡± She raised both hands. Then. The door burst open. ¡°Your Highness, I have brought the one you asked.¡± She felt that this place had magical restrictions as strong as the imperial palace. In that case, she can draw a magic circle, but it would take too long. ¡®I¡¯m going to use a magic trick to break that spell first.¡¯ The palace was so huge and big that it seemed like it would be too much for her body, but she thought it would be okay if it was this size. Then she can attack. ¡°Are you attacking? Huh?¡± She puffed up her face in a threatening manner. The gaze of the Grand Duke fell on her. Then. ¡°If you use magic and faint again, you won¡¯t be able to see her, the woman who might be your mother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look over there.¡± With a deep sigh, she who was about to attack, quickly turned her head at his words. Indeed, a familiar person entered through the open door. ¡°B-baby!¡± ¡°Mama? Are you okay?¡± It was her mother. Really her mother! Her mother, who¡¯s been sleeping all this time. She sprang down from the chair and rushed to her mother. ¡°Mommy¡­Mama!¡± As soon as she felt her mother¡¯s warm scent, she calmed down. Her mother¡¯s soul, which was dying day by day like a withered flower, faintly flickered. It was enough for her to open her eyes. She hugged her mother¡¯s waist. ¡°My baby¡­My baby. What¡¯s going on¡­? Are you all right?¡± ¡°Mama. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course, Bebe, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that¡­Thank God.¡± The brilliant starry eyes of her mother closed. ¡°Thank God¡­¡± Tears fell from her mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why are you crying? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not hurt. I¡¯m just¡­ just happy to see my daughter like this¡­¡± Her mother said she was happy, but she shed tears without reserve. While crying and asking her if she¡¯s okay, her mother held her tightly. Seeing her mother cried, she cried too. ¡®I finally saved my mama.¡¯ She died nine times, and in the tenth life finally saved her mother. She was the late Emperor¡¯s first born, but unfortunately couldn¡¯t even be called a princess because of her mother¡¯s status. ¡®Poor mama.¡¯ Her mother, who sat down in her seat, swept her cheek affectionately. Her mother was born the royal daughter of the Afreta Kingdom and was born with strong mana, but was abandoned by her family for failing to use it. Her maternal grandfather hated her mother, calling her a useless bloodline. Such a woman caught the eye of her father, who was the Emperor of another country, and that¡¯s how the two became in love with each other. Her father loved them with all his heart. So he gave her his name, and would visit them every day when he had time. But because of her mother¡¯s bloodline, her father hid them, in fear of them being used for something. Although there¡¯s already an empress, regardless of her, her father really cared for them. Until the age of three, every day was happiness. She had a father and a mother. She was confined, but did not lack anything growing up. Then, a rebellion broke out. Her father lost his life to his brother, and the imperial palace was overthrown by the new Emperor. The Empress, who was her father¡¯s wife, was said to have given her father a very strong poison. The nightmare began ever since then. ¡°Is my baby girl okay?¡± She bitterly looked at her crying mother. ¡°Yes! Bebe is fine because she has mama!¡± She rubbed her cheek against her crouching mother¡¯s cheek. It looks like she¡¯s going to collapse any minute now, but her mother was still breathing. ¡®Mama finally lived.¡¯ Chapter 3 Her mother had been assaulted by the Emperor and knights on her behalf. That¡¯s why her mother died on her 5th birthday every time. Exactly nine times, the day of her mother¡¯s death was the same. The fake Emperor continued to commit violence against her mother, and she was destined to die today. And this time, it was only this time that she was able to perfectly use her power. ¡°Mother was so worried that she couldn¡¯t see her baby.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be. I¡¯ll always be with mama.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Are you alright? Are you hurt? What¡¯s going on? When I woke up, I found myself here.¡± Her mother, who didn¡¯t know what was going on, looked around as her eyes rounded. Of course, it was natural for her eyes to turn to the Grand Duke standing in front of them. Afraid of her daughter being abused again, her mother hurriedly hugged her just in case. ¡°W-who are you?!¡± ¡°Mama! Well, that nice mister must have saved us!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°When I woke up, that mister was already here! I woke up before mama.¡± Her mother frowned at her words, then stared at the man. Like her mother, she shifted her gaze to the Grand Duke. The eyes of the Grand Duke, who stood leisurely while watching them, dimmed. As if to not show that he was flustered, his very lean body hardened. However, she could detect that little change because she has always been conscious of others. ¡°I-is that so? Did you¡­save us from there?¡± ¡°¡­From the looks of it, I guess so.¡± Looking at him, her eyebrows slanted. ¡®I will not let mama get caught. I possess strong power.¡¯ She had already told her mother of her power in the past. However, her mother was devastated when she found out. Her mother said it was not a blessing but a curse because she is too young, thus, she must hide it. ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll say the same thing this time.¡¯ If the Grand Duke tells her mother how they got here, she was certain her mother would worry about her. Fortunately, the Grand Duke didn¡¯t say anything else, contrary to her worries. Instead, he looked at her and her mother, then laughed as if it was funny. Perhaps she came to her senses a step late, her mother stood up with an ¡®ah.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know.¡± Then she bowed at the waist to the Grand Duke. ¡®N-no. Mama is not in any condition to bow yet.¡¯ She tried to stop her, but her mother was too fast. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know who you are, but¡­You saved our lives from hell.¡± At this point, she was suspicious because her mother is very sick. But it was impossible to judge objectively. After all, her mother was on the verge of death. The Grand Duke, unaware of that fact, stared at her intently. She turned her head around because she felt a lot of pressure. ¡°Mama, what about the place you¡¯re hurt?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s alright now. I feel like my energy is renewed. A kind man called a doctor gave me medical treatment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She stopped in a hurry. ¡°A doctor? Have you been treated mama?¡± ¡°Yes. I just came back from treatment.¡± ¡°Then mama wasn¡¯t here because¡­¡± ¡°I was treated in another room because the doctor feared that you might disturb me. Although nobody told me where I was¡­¡± When she saw her mother stroking her hair with her skinny hands, she turned her eyes to the Grand Duke. ¡°You¡­are a good man after all!¡± She changed her mind again. ¡®For curing mama, I will make Grand Duke Avelon my papa.¡¯ ¡®I can do that because I¡¯m strong.¡¯ ¡°Bebe, be polite. Nonetheless, I¡¯m indebted to you for saving us¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Your child doesn¡¯t have to be reserved.¡± Like watching an interesting play, he stood crooked with his arms folded. Then, he looked at her and creased his eyebrows. ¡°Ah, by the way, why would you save us?¡± Now that her mother has fully recovered, her eyes were shining brightly. So she can finish her negotiation with the Grand Duke, she quickly turned her mother¡¯s attention to something else. ¡°Uh, mama. That kind of thing you can ask later! Mama¡¯s face has turned paled. Quickly go to sleep.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been awake for a long time. It¡¯s too much. Go sleep.¡± ¡°Bebe, mother is really okay¡­! I have even more energy today!¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ve collapsed every time we met each other after being hit.¡± With a pout, her mother walked all the way to the bed. She forcefully led her mother¡¯s body, which is as frail as hers. The body of her mother, who protected her from the fake Emperor and knights all this time, was like a withered tree. They were only given a loaf of bread and milk, which seemed to have gone bad, each day. Even so, her mother would give it to her. That¡¯s why her mother was nothing but skin and bones. ¡°Mama¡­is sick. So listen to Bebe!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Mama, listening to Bebe has never been wrong!¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So listen to me and don¡¯t fall down again.¡± Only then did her mother slowly move. ¡°Okay. Mama, get well soon¡­so you can give Bebe a lot of hugs¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry and quickly lie down.¡± ¡°But Bebe, if I lie down here¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t refuse. This is a prepared guest room for you to rest. You can relax.¡± ¡°C-can I¡­? Looking up, she saw her mother¡¯s pupils shook incessantly. ¡°Of course, mama. So lie down.¡± After being urged several times, her mother finally put her butt on the bed. ¡°But Bebe, I haven¡¯t even properly greeted the lord who saved us¡­¡± ¡°Gosh, he¡¯s a kind man, so it¡¯s okay. Yes!¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Seeing him reacting moderately, she patted her mother¡¯s chest lying in bed. ¡°Mhm. Mhm. My mama. Go to sleep. Sleep comfortably.¡± ¡°Gosh. Look, your cheeks are red. Mama, you must be getting a fever!¡± ¡°Huh? No¡­ I¡¯m in good condition today. I took some medicine!¡± She put her hand on her mother¡¯s head, who was struggling to stay awake. Even though she can¡¯t use powerful magic, it¡¯s not hard to put her mother to sleep. She won¡¯t faint after such a small magic. ¡°Mama, good night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to sleep. Good night, mama.¡± As soon as a warmth flowed from her hand and through her mother¡¯s body, her mother fell asleep. She put her ears to her mother¡¯s face. It was not long before she felt slight breathings. Covering her with a blanket, she jumped off the bed. ¡°Is that also magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Thank you for treating my mama.¡± ¡°She says she¡¯s not feeling very well. You seem to be able to use magic, so why didn¡¯t you cure her?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t cure her.¡± The only drawback of her magic is that she can hurt others but not heal them, and that when she dies, time rewind on its own. It¡¯s only when she turned five that she could start using magic. She thought her mother dying was the trigger, but it was not. It was her fifth birthday that was the starting point. ¡®I told them not to bully mama because my power could be used instead, but I couldn¡¯t prove it, so mama would be hit by the Emperor every time.¡¯ Because of her power, the Emperor would even use her as a weapon or as an experiment. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s sign a contract. It has to be you.¡± She swept down her mother¡¯s hair, then reached out her hand to him. ¡°I have only one condition. I want you to take care of my family! Ah, of course, that includes my mama!¡± She thought this was not a bad condition and that he had enough room for the both of them anyways. Nonetheless, she was grateful for the room they were in right now. And at any rate, she was determined to offer anything the Grand Duke wanted, but he shook his head. ¡°I have no intention of doing so.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lacking strength to the point of signing a contract with a child.¡± She looked up and made eye contact with him. ¡°Strength, you need strength!¡± ¡°Why do you think I need it?¡± ¡°You want to be an emperor! I would be a lot of help.¡± He wanted to be emperor more than anyone else. She is certain he won¡¯t fail if there¡¯s someone next to him who¡¯s as good and strong as her. ¡°I want to be emperor? Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Because I have special powers. I know how you feel!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. You want me to believe that with no evidence?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen a little bit? That I¡¯m strong?¡± ¡®Of course, being strong and being special was different, but it should be enough to impress him.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re telling me to just believe you?¡± ¡°Yes. You just have to trust me.¡± She looked at him fiercely. The Grand Duke, who seemed to be agonizing over it, didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, then finally opened his mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t even dismiss what you said as a lie because of what you¡¯ve shown.¡± ¡°Yes! So. Trust me.¡± ¡°But even if it¡¯s true, you should not say such words about a rebellion lightly.¡± ¡°¡­You mean I might die?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that. I¡¯m not afraid of death.¡± She has already died nine times. So she was not afraid. She¡¯s only afraid of losing her mother. ¡°And you want to be an emperor!¡± The Grand Duke was taken aback by her determination, but soon came back to his senses. ¡®Only this man can protect mama.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a rebellion. It¡¯s a sin just by saying it. Even if it came from a child.¡± ¡°I know. How heavy such words are. But the Emperor¡­ He killed my papa. And he abused my mama and me.¡± His eyes dimmed, perhaps by her unexpected remark. ¡°Ah, papa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the last heir left by the late Emperor. Isn¡¯t this quite attractive to you? Besides, you saw it. I¡¯m really strong.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The man looked down at me quietly. He had a different look on his face compared to the current emperor, who had killed my dad and had asked me to call him ¡®father¡¯. His unfamiliar expression deepened my anxiety. What is he thinking? Should I use magic? I wonder if it will work after all. While I was thinking and agonizing inside my head, the Grand Duke smiled and nodded. ¡®¡¯So you are the child of the previous Emperor. Hmm, it seems like things are going to be fun¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Prove to me your worth, if you can prove to me your value like you so much say you have, I will make you a member of my family. I hate useless things the most. Even if it is my child.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Really?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yes. Moreover, you have to prove that your mother whose lying over there is way even stronger.¡¯¡¯ Even though you¡¯re wearing such a cold face like ice, you are a nice person! I smiled and nodded more brightly than ever. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t worry! As long as you protect us¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡¯¡¯ I will do everything just to keep my mama safe. ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What are you going to say to your mother?¡± ¡®¡¯Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. About that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Let¡¯s just say you saved us.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯So, I saved you and your mother, who I don¡¯t even know existed, without any apparent reason?¡¯¡¯ The remark made me smile broadly. ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no reason. Because you wanted to be the emperor. We can say you saved us to help you become one.¡± ¡°Are you really asking me to make such a blatant excuse?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you think your mother will buy that?¡± ¡°Even if it is a lie, mama wouldn¡¯t want to be kicked out of here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. So mama will believe it.¡¯¡¯ She was more intelligent than anyone else. My mama who taught me everything about the world was smarter than anyone else. But as the abuse grew, mama¡¯s health got worse and worse, and as time went by, she could do nothing but smile. And maybe, she must¡¯ve even given up agonizing about our dire situation. ¡°It¡¯ll only be until the day you lost your value to me. Until the day I don¡¯t think you still have any uses for me.¡± ¡°Even that is enough!¡± If I could save my mama, I will do anything to prove I¡¯m useful. I can do this. Because I¡¯m strong. I put my hands together. ¡°Since you believed me, I¡¯ll show you how strong I am.¡± Without drawing a magic circle, I put my hand on the floor I quietly observed the flow of mana under the floor. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡®¡¯I¡¯m proving my value.¡¯¡¯ I felt countless magical barriers in my hand, sitting on the floor. It¡¯s probably the power to neutralize magic, which surrounds this place in layers. Perhaps this man is the one controlling the mana. Because all the power flows from the Grand Duke and flows into the magic layers. ¡®But it¡¯s much lighter than the dozens and hundreds of magic circles covering the Imperial Palace.¡¯ This is not hard. Having grasped the magic of this place, I slowly looked up and stared at the Grand Duke. ¡°So you! Even if it¡¯s a little overwhelming, be patient!¡± I smiled brightly at him who didn¡¯t understand my words and let my mana flow. In an instant, there was a strong conflict between two mana forces. It was like a fight between a spear and a shield. One single spear would not be able to pierce the shield, so I made dozens of spears and hit the shield countless times. In the end, the firm shield slowly cracked, and not long after, a tremor shook throughout the castle of the Grand Duke at the same time as the mana barrier broke. After that, I slowly opened my eyes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. What did you do¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± He said in a trembling voice. I looked confidently at him and wiped my sweats off. ¡°How¡¯s that? I¡¯m pretty useful right.¡± ¡°Ha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Ha, ha! You¡¯ve done what even my children couldn¡¯t.¡± I sank completely on the floor while still looking at the grand duke. ¡°So¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ have to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ make sure¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ you protect¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ my mama¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± If it¡¯s this man, I can trust him. Feeling great relief having my mama healed, and believing that since I showed him my strong powers, he would protect me and my mother, I slowly lost my consciousness. ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ trust you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ so¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ if you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ do anything bad¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I will not let it go¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. I¡¯ll¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ kill you.¡± Then I fell into a world of deep sleep. * * * As soon as the child fell, the Grand Duke made a stark smile. He held the child on the floor in his arms and looked down. ¡°I was just asking her to show me her strength, but the child did a very troublesome thing.¡± He was the one who created all the magic layers to neutralize magic power so no one would interfere. But the kid broke it so easily. The fact that this child did something both his daughter and son could not do was enough reason to keep her. The neutralizing magic was a difficult kind of spell, with a varied cast of layers, it was by no means easy to break. ¡°Amazing.¡± In any case, ¡®breaking the magical barrier he personally created and invading the Grand Duke¡¯s Palace alone.¡¯ He who was trying to observe the event calmly broke into laughter. ¡°It¡¯s fun. I have a feeling that something more interesting will happen if I put you next to me.¡± He got up from his seat with the child in his arms. A child who doesn¡¯t seem to be her age. Then the Grand Duke looked down at the child for a long time. It was not in his vocabulary to keep a person who appeared spontaneously and intruded in his territory, alive. It¡¯s not just any place but the great residence of the Grand Duke. However, maybe it¡¯s because of the whims of the child that he decided to keep her life. It was curiosity, for a person who carries herself proudly and strong. That was all, and yet, it somehow felt strange. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± The Grand Duke, who was still staring at the child, slowly put the child down on the bed. ¡°I¡¯m expecting more from you in the future, my new daughter.¡± A small smile spread over his face. The child¡¯s dazzling smile kept coming to his mind, so the Grand Duke couldn¡¯t force himself out of the room for a long time. Finally, after examining the woman and the child who was lying next to each other, he slowly stepped out of the room. It was then. As soon as the Grand Duke came out, a kid who looked just like him jumped out. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡®¡¯What¡¯s inside?¡¯¡¯ At the sight of his son looking up at him, the Grand Duke quietly put his hand on the child¡¯s head. ¡®¡¯Allen.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yes.¡¯¡¯ ¡°How old are you this year?¡± ¡°Eight years old!¡± ¡®¡¯¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Hmm.¡¯¡¯ The Grand Duke bowed down slightly to pick up his son. Then he felt a heavy weight. ¡®¡¯You¡¯re heavier¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. That thing is lighter¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ and much smaller.¡¯¡¯ ¡°Is that what¡¯s in there? Is it very small? Can I play with it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a child who will be your younger sister.¡± ¡°Am I finally getting a younger sister?¡± Allen¡¯s eyes were sparkling. ¡°Then am I allowed to make her roll on the floor? Because my sister makes me roll on the floor every time we meet!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Or can I drop her from the tree? My sister said that would make me taller.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s small you have to be careful with her.¡± ¡°Tsk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. No fun.¡± Allen pouted, but the Grand Duke only put his son down and turned around. Even though the shield of their palace was broken, he walked back with a pleasant smile. * * * My eyes opened at dawn. It wasn¡¯t until after blinking a couple of times that the sense of reality came back to me. ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. We weren¡¯t there.¡± It was only after I felt the blanket wrapped around my body, I realized that I fainted again after using magic. ¡®¡¯Haa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯¡¯ The good news is that I woke up earlier than the last time. When it was really bad, I couldn¡¯t get up for the whole three days. I woke up, struggling, and checked if my mother was next to me. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m glad you look much better, mama¡¯¡¯. The sound of steady breathing shows how my mama was sleeping well today. ¡°It¡¯s such a relief, mama. Every time, mama is the one saving me. But this time, I¡¯m the one who saved mama!¡± I slightly overlapped my body on my mother¡¯s body. She¡¯s alive. No matter how much I look at it and feel it, my mama is alive. Somehow, tears start to fall. ¡°I am great too!¡± Then I clenched my fist. I died nine times, but I finally achieved what I wanted. It¡¯s really great. There is nothing I can¡¯t do now. ¡°The Grand Duke also agreed to save us.¡± I¡¯m a little sorry for breaking the barriers, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°Since he let me and mama stay here¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. should I give him a small present?¡± It takes a lot of strength to recreate magic barriers that have already been broken. I sat down and touched the floor. I will make a barrier that will never break, of course, I will do a little trick so that I could use my magic anytime, but it will be a strenuous job. Of course, due to the nature of the Grand Duke, it is clear that he will put his own barriers on top of this, but it would be much better to have my barriers covering the house rather than defenseless. With that thought, I made a barrier with all my heart. ¡°Yep, done!¡± Then, before fainting again, I quickly went to my mother¡¯s side and lied down. ¡°Will he like the gift¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I hope he likes it. Letting us stay here means we¡¯re family now. ¡°Hehe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Then good night.¡± My eyes closed slowly. Even if I didn¡¯t want to sleep, I always fell asleep like a broken record after using magic. * * * The reason I woke up the next morning was because of an unusually loud sound. I woke up, yawning, and I saw a woman flipping the curtains loudly. The woman dressed in black and white made eye contact with me and made an unpleasant expression on her face. ¡°Have you woken up?¡± I hurried off the bed, watching the woman approaching me at once. Then, with my back covering my mother, I picked up a pillow around me. ¡°Who are you!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± The woman with her hair tied neatly came closer and looked down at me. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I am Secilia, the maid who will be in charge of the overall management and education of the lady starting today.¡± The woman looked at me up and down and breathed a sigh of pity. ¡°Are you not going to greet me back?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± But I felt instinctively repulsed by the ¡°adult¡± who expressed hostility toward me. I stared at her with my lips pouting. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You have to say hello.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Uh.¡± ¡°Is that a greeting? You can¡¯t do that when you first greet someone.¡± She shook her head with a disapproving look. ¡°And you have to confirm the identity of the other person first before you say your greetings. In particular, you shouldn¡¯t let someone below your rank greet you first.¡± With a sharp tone, she came up to me in an instant and took away the pillow. ¡°Then why did you greet me first?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you also just my subordinate?¡± Chapter 5 Saved by a Crazy Step-Father 5 The expression on the little girl¡¯s face became more intense as she looked at the woman with an arrogant attitude as if saying she did nothing wrong. ¡°And how do I know if you¡¯re a good or a bad person. Did the Grand Duke really send you?¡± ¡°Ha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Did you just call His Grace, the Grand Duke? I see you have no manners at all.¡± I don¡¯t trust anyone. There has never been a time that something good happened every time I trust people. And the same was true this time. After my Papa passed away, there was only one person I thought was good. He felt sorry for my mama and me, and sometimes brought us food. But then, the knight tried to kill us. It was one of the empress schemes. The food he brought me, pretending to be nice, was poisoned. After papa lost his life to his younger brother, the first good man to come help us brought only lies and bad memories. After that, I can¡¯t trust people anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone.¡± Cecilia, who was looking at me, leaned down without any emotion. ¡°There¡¯s no helping it if you don¡¯t believe me. I was told to treat someone like you, who suddenly appeared, as a lady of the Grand Duke¡¯s house, so I had to put up with it. I¡¯m just following orders.¡± Then the woman grabbed my wrist with a strong grip. ¡°Ouch! ¡± (tl: that¡¯s It, let me kill this bi***) ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got inside this place, but once you¡¯re here, you will be my responsibility. Both the Young Lady and Young Master have grown up in my hands. So you have to listen to me.¡± ¡°Let go!¡± See, after all, you can¡¯t trust adults. I tried to escape the grasp of the woman named Cecilia. However, it was impossible to get out of the grasp of adults when I was just a child. ¡°It¡¯s no use making a fuss.¡± Her grip tightened even more as I struggled to get out of her hands. ¡°No one else is much better in educating children than me. Everyone was like you at first.¡± ¡°Let me go! This is not educating!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use screaming. There won¡¯t be anyone passing by here. We¡¯ve made sure no one comes here until the end of your training. You have to stay with me until the lessons are over. You¡¯re not allowed to go out until then.¡± (tl: bi*** want someone your size!?) It was at that moment. BAM! The door opened with a loud sound. ¡°What¡¯s with all this noise! It was so loud as I passed by that I couldn¡¯t help but open the door!¡± The boy who shouted, contrary to his words, opened the door suddentily at the right moment and came in as if he had waited for the right time. ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The boy was just a little bit taller than me, no he was just almost taller than me. However you look at him, he looks so young that he cannot be considered as an adult. ¡°Young master.¡± Cecilia, who had been mean to me a little while ago completely changed her attitude and hurriedly lowered her head. ¡°Why is it so loud?¡± ¡°Tha-That¡¯s. I was just trying to educate her, but the young lady wouldn¡¯t listen to me at all.¡± ¡°Is this her?¡± The boy with black hair and blue eyes walked in softly and stared at me. Then, the corners of his mouth quivered uncomfortably. ¡°What¡¯s with your looks, you¡¯re only bones.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so skinny. How old are you.¡± Is he on my side or Cecilia¡¯s side? Can I trust him? I didn¡¯t have any information about this boy in any of my previous lives because I didn¡¯t meet any other child besides myself. (tl OMG! T¨CT) The current emperor, who killed my papa, had a daughter, but I have never met her. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤And you, how old are you.¡± ¡°This brother is eight years old, a cool age! Ah! You don¡¯t know how old you are yet?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Then how old are you.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤5 years old.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The boy shook his head as he looked at me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lie with your age.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a lie. I¡¯m really five years old.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re only bite-sized. Are you sure you¡¯re not three years old?¡± ¡°What do you mean bite-sized?! I¡¯m not three but five years old!¡± I puffed out my cheeks. At that time, Cecilia, who was looking at us alternately, hugged me in haste. With a ¡®whoosh¡¯, she lifted me hurriedly. ¡°What, what are you doing!¡± ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re not supposed to be here. Until the end of the training, no one should come to see her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± ¡°I see. Okay.¡± The boy, who had looked at me with sparkling eyes a while ago, nodded his head without saying much and turned around. If the boy goes out right now, this woman won¡¯t just leave me alone. Her eyes had a poisonous glare. And it was scary. ¡®Should I hold on to him right now?¡¯ It was the moment I stopped struggling in the arms of the woman and tried to reach out to the boy, when he suddenly said. ¡°However¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The boy who was walking out slowly, as if not wanting to get out of the room, turned to me again. ¡°Don¡¯t you need my help?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, your face right now is making an expression that seems like you¡¯re asking me to help you, am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like how you look like a sack of bones, but if you say, ¡®Big brother, please help me.¡¯ I will gladly help you out.¡± ¡°Yo-Young Master! If you say it like that, doesn¡¯t it look like I¡¯m doing something bad to the little girl?¡± Cecilia, who was holding me from behind, was embarrassed by the boy¡¯s words. ¡°Well, that seems right. Look at her face, she¡¯s so scared like she¡¯s going to die.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Just say it. You are my little sister. So if you ask me for help, I will gladly help you.¡± The smiling boy stretched out his hand at me. That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s my first time meeting this boy, and yet I don¡¯t feel repulsed by him. Is it because he¡¯s not an adult or because he has a different glint in his eyes compared to those who hit me. Unknowingly, I grasped his hand. ¡°Now then, say one letter at a time.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s older brother.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I always wanted to be called ¡®Older Brother¡¯ but I don¡¯t have a little sister, but since you¡¯re here now, you should call me that, come on try to say it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± What is he saying? What does he mean by ¡®Older Brother¡¯? I only ever saw these words in books, a word used to speak fondly of other family members, and yet, this boy and I are not even close friends. I looked at the boy, with an uncomfortable expression on my face. Looking from his head, his plump cheeks look just like ducks beaks. Quack, quack. He also had black hair that resembles black feathers of a duck¡¯s head. ¡°Go on, say it. Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up just to hear those words? I held back trying to wake you up, you know.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Did you watch me sleeping?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤No, I didn¡¯t. I just waited for you-! Regardless! Are you not going to say it?¡± The boy was very persistent, unlike the way he looks. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Alright. Older Brother. Is that, okay?¡± The boy laughed brightly as if he got everything he wanted to have. ¡°I finally heard it. I¡¯m an older brother! I also have a younger sister!¡± (tl: precious boy <3) ¡°Now that I said it, you must keep your promise.¡± I looked down at the hand that held me. Perhaps that¡¯s when he came back to his senses, the boy clapped his hands. ¡°Right. Cecilia. Put her down.¡± ¡°But, Young Master, this is what His Grace himself commanded me to do.¡± ¡°Dad told you to bully her?¡± After saying that, the child opened his arms towards me. ¡°You can let go now. She doesn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yo-Young Master¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¤¡± Cecilia, who could not refute the boy¡¯s words, could only sigh. Then he opened his arms wide as if to ask me to come to him. It was so strange. It made me remember my dad who had passed away. The warm papa who always smiled at me. ¡°Come here, little sister.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You can trust me. I¡¯m your reliable Older Brother.¡± After he said that, my raging emotions have calmed down as if my heart unconsciously decided that I could really trust him. I hate adults. And it¡¯s hard for me to trust anyone. Because everyone had a smile on their faces as they harassed me. Because they hit my mama. But strangely enough, the little boy in front of me gave me a feeling that he could be trusted. This is the boy Cecilia called Young Master. So I reached out my hand to him. Then Cecilia let me go, perhaps this kid, ¡®The Young Master¡¯s¡¯ words cannot be ignored. Thanks to this, my body was passed from her to the boy. This eight-year-old boy was bigger than I thought, and he was firm. ¡°Oh, you are heavier than I thought.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking back my words that you only seem like three years old.¡± ¡°W-What are you doing? Let me down!¡± My mama always said I was light, but I¡¯m actually heavy! Come to think of it, my mom hasn¡¯t been able to hug me lately. I did my best to struggle as it felt like my secret that I was heavy was paraded out in the open. Then the boy put me on the floor like a heavy tree without hesitation. ¡°Ah! It hurts!¡± ¡°Really? Did it hurt? You¡¯re much weaker than I thought! Then I have to help you grow stronger.¡± Then he slowly stroked my head as if he was a grown-up. ¡°Although you are only bones I will help you.¡± But Cecilia held the boy¡¯s hand strongly. ¡°Young Master, stop now and go back please.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°As I said before. I have to start teaching the child now. ¡° ¡°Cecilia.¡± The boy¡¯s voice suddenly turned cold. The tone was a lot different from when he was talking to me. Hearing that cold voice, my body hardened for a moment. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°Am I just anybody to you?¡± ¡°No, young master.¡± ¡°You said that ¡®anyone¡¯ can¡¯t meet her, but if I¡¯m not just ¡®anyone¡¯, then why are you stopping me?¡± ¡°Tha-That¡¯s for her education to be¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be feeding her first, instead of giving her a class?¡± Only then Cecilia bowed her head. ¡°Did you feed her?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I did not.¡± ¡°Then bring her a meal.¡± He looked exactly like the Grand Duke. Cold and sharp eyes while giving orders without any affection in a chilling voice. The boy who did the same thing exactly as his father, looked straight at Cecilia. Cecilia, who acted as if she would not back down since the beginning, finally nodded. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes, I understand. But I can¡¯t leave the child alo-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll be watching my little sister, so hurry up and go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Until all the lessons were completed¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± In an instant, I even felt the air around me getting cold. Even though he wasn¡¯t using magic, enormous magical power spewed out of the boy¡¯s body. ¡®The way he utilizes his power was a bit clumsy. He only knows how to release it, but did not know the proper way to cast it.¡¯ I looked at the boy who stood still. The child exuded such enormous strength that ordinary people cannot stand. Eventually, Cecilia, who was sweating, nodded a moment later. ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± After the answer was heard and Cecilia went out, the boy raised his chin out and looked at me. Chapter 6.1 ¡°What do you think? Brother is cool, isn¡¯t he? I chased her away!¡± ¡°¡­No, you¡¯re not. I can kick her out on my own, uh¡­? That¡¯s¡­¡± Just when I was about to say that I could kick her out by myself, the strange thing was that someone was hanging around the entrance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sister?¡± Obviously, there was a person who looked like the person in front of me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± I had no choice but to mumble with my mouth open. ¡°Why?¡± He looked exactly like him. I thought I saw a ghost, but it was a human. The boy that looked like the person in front of me watched us from the entrance. Following my gaze, the boy waved towards the door. ¡°Ah, Lexit! Welcome home. This child is our little sister!¡± It wasn¡¯t a ghost or anything after all. He¡¯s definitely a person. The boy named Lexit frowned heavily and entered with an uncomfortable expression. The closer he came, the more he looked like the duck who called me their sister affectionately. However, unlike his appearance, the boy¡¯s reaction was quite different from the other boy. ¡°I thought our father had a child outside our family, but he didn¡¯t after all. You don¡¯t look like us at all.¡± Lexit, who was still looking at me, smiled. ¡°You might not even look like him!¡± ¡°My family¡¯s bloodline is so strong that we all have blue eyes, and so yours is a fake one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit too much, Lexit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s about. You look like a drained fish with big eyes! Don¡¯t pretend to be part of my family.¡± It would be great if he didn¡¯t mind, but this Lexit boy clearly showed hostility to me. ¡°Lexit!¡± ¡°And for me, the only sibling I need is Allen. Stop shaming our family and get out of here.¡± Stomping inside, Lexit gripped Allen¡¯s wrist with a thud. That kind of reaction, that gaze, that behavior was so familiar. I¡¯ve never been loved by anyone before. I¡¯m used to this boy¡¯s behavior, because everyone who treated me was always like that. Allen, who came to me first and pretended to be close, was a strange person to me. Should I say it¡¯s kind of awkward? ¡°No, I¡¯ll even check when she is eating.¡± But Allen was adamant. He was just as stubborn as he was when he told me to call him ¡®Brother¡¯. Lexit only shook his head as if this happened often. ¡°Go ahead, but eventually everyone will call her a fake and kick her out.¡± ¡°No! Dad said he was our sister.¡± ¡°¡­Father said that?¡± ¡°Yes, Dad said that! He told me himself. It¡¯s her!¡± Maybe that¡¯s when he showed interest, but Lexit slowly came towards me. In front of Lexit¡¯s clear blue eyes, I might be considered ugly. ¡°Are you really our sibling?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me? Are we blood-related?¡± I didn¡¯t really feel the need to lie. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m different from them anyway. I straightened my shoulders and proudly said¡­ ¡°No.¡± As expected, Lexit snorted due to my answer. ¡°You see, we¡¯re not blood-related. I don¡¯t know how you managed to lure my father in, but you¡¯ll be gone soon.¡± ¡°Though I¡¯m not blood-related to this family, I won¡¯t be gone soon. I¡¯ll be here until I grow up.¡± Lexit¡¯s face quickly hardened. Then he pointed his fingers at me and yelled at Allen. ¡°What? You want to stay here? You said you weren¡¯t part of our family.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not really family, but I¡¯m a contractual family member.¡± ¡°A contractual¡­ family?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not of the same blood as you, but I¡¯m a member of the Grand Duchy from now on.¡± Lexit shook his head at what I said. Now there was a difference between Allen and Lexit. Lexit was unlucky from head to toe. He was different from Allen in that he had his hair slicked back without any baby hairs. ¡°That¡¯s funny¡ª there¡¯s no way our father would sign a contract with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m incredibly strong, so I have made him sign a contract.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a lot stronger than you are. And you say you are strong even if you look like you are about to collapse? Good joke.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the weak one. You both didn¡¯t know that the fault lines in this place actually disappeared overnight, did you?¡± Allen, who was looking at us back and forth a little while ago, and Lexit, who was talking to me conceitedly, were both flabbergasted and speechless. ¡°Wow, do you mean the barrier was made by the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did it disappear?¡± ¡°Is that what you mean by proving your strength?¡± Like a man who was annoyed and at a loss, Lexit sniffed. ¡°Y-You got rid of it? What a load of crap!¡± ¡°It¡¯s real though.¡± ¡°I can do th-that too, you know? Yeah, that kind of thing!¡± ¡°Ho ho, so you can do it huh?¡± Lexit shrugged his shoulders and looked down at me. ¡°I can do it in an instant!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Oh, but I¡¯m not going to do it since you said the fault lines are apparently gone!¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not strong, you idiot.¡± I guess he hated me so much that he was too busy showing his raw hostility towards me. Chapter 6.2 That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a human being that can be stomped down. The attitude of those who ignored me, the eyes of the people who hated me, the way he spoke to me- I¡¯ve experienced it a lot. ¡®If you don¡¯t get strong, if you don¡¯t get through all this, you can¡¯t move forward. I¡¯m going to live. Alongside my mom.¡¯ That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to lose to these kids. ¡°Then try it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said you could. If you¡¯re so strong, then break the ice. I¡¯ll get out of here. What do you think?¡± He really was strange. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m in front of children, but I feel like I¡¯m becoming childish myself. As if it was nothing, I looked at Lexit provocatively in a way I had never done before. Lexit, who seemed to be angry, stomped his feet and looked into my eyes. ¡°Th-That¡¯s funny! How could you break it like it¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not, and besides I made a gold chain instead. You said you are very strong, but you don¡¯t seem to look like that at all.¡± Lexit stared at me, flaring his nostrils. ¡°Wh-What are you talking about? Why would you accuse me of being a liar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a lie, it¡¯s true. You said you are strong, but you didn¡¯t even know the barrier existed.¡± ¡°Geez.¡± ¡°I guess you really are weak. I hate weak people the most in the world, so stop picking a fight and go back.¡± I was worried that my mom would wake up. They were busy talking to me as if they didn¡¯t care at all, but in bed, my mom was mumbling and sleeping. Or maybe she doesn¡¯t even know she¡¯s alive. Lexit bit his lips. Perhaps he was thinking that words can¡¯t make him win. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re a fake!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so weak! If I¡¯m fake, you¡¯re a useless person without power.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you do that, aren¡¯t you a useless human after all?¡± ¡°H-How dare you¡­!¡± ¡°Then just leave. I just want to grow up safely. If you don¡¯t want to ruin the Great Duke¡¯s family, then please stop bothering me.¡± As he looked at me, Lexit probably thought about how he couldn¡¯t beat me. In the end, he twitched his nose and left. ¡®So why was he bothering me?¡¯ Why can¡¯t I be left alone when I just want to be protected here? I felt down for no reason. I was just happy waking up in a comfortable bed, without a single nightmare and not being kicked out. It was then¡­ A bright idea popped up. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m going out too? Okay?¡± His bright, calm blue eyes were staring at me. I didn¡¯t like that look particularly. I just didn¡¯t want anyone to care about me and act nice to me. ¡®You never know when they¡¯re gonna betray you again. They may not even care about me soon after being nice to me. I was right to keep my distance to prevent that from happening.¡¯ I had to before my heart became soft for Allen, who was exceptionally nice to me. Before I open my heart to him. As always, it was like this for the people who tested me. The wizards who were only nice for a moment only wanted to use my strength. That¡¯s how I made eye contact with Allen. ¡°I-I¡¯m going out too, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, get out, and don¡¯t come back. I¡¯ll take care of myself, so don¡¯t worry about me anymore.¡± Sorrow somehow flashed right in front of Allen¡¯s eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m just worried about you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to being alone. People don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Allen was still smiling, even though I outright kicked him out. He stroked my head with his broad, soft hands. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I tried to say no, but Allen didn¡¯t agree. It went right on the dock. ¡°I said no, but he¡¯s coming again. He really is an idiot.¡± He shouldn¡¯t have come. I¡¯d rather not make him look forward to it. I¡¯ll just wait again like a puppy waiting for someone else to come. Stupidly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait knowingly.¡± I waited days and days for the words of my mother who died leaving me alone. Mom, I¡¯m going to sleep for a minute. The first time my mother died, I waited for her to open her eyes. When the knights saw my dead mother¡¯s body and dragged her out in a panic. They believed she would return. I¡¯ve always waited like a fool. And I knew that I¡¯ll be waiting for Allen again. I slammed the door because I didn¡¯t want to look stupid, as if I¡¯m telling him not to come back. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever hang out with that thing again, you idiot! It¡¯s a shame on the Grand Duke!¡± ¡°You are such an idiot, Lexit! I¡¯ll keep hanging out with my sister.¡± ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± As expected, I could hear Allen and Lexit fighting outside. I heard some words, and then I locked the door. Then I ran to my mother. Mom, who could hear the noises around her, was still sleeping. I whispered to her. ¡°Mom, Mom. When are you going to wake up? I¡­ like being alone, but I want Mom to wake up too.¡± Chapter 7.1 Even though I knew that once my mother slept, she couldn¡¯t wake up for a few days, I was still disappointed. I couldn¡¯t wait for her to get up and tell her what happened. I had to stay here. I have to become a family member here. But my mother hasn¡¯t woken up. I forced myself to lie down in my mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Mom¡­ you know, I like you, Mom. All I need is you, Mom.¡± If Mother loved me, that¡¯s enough. Even if people hit me, even if they abused me, if I have my mother, that¡¯s enough for me. ¡®Because she¡¯s the only one who loves me.¡¯ Her faint but intact heartbeat made me feel relieved as if it was a lullaby. But such a time was also very brief. *** A few minutes after Allen and Lexit left, the door handle creaked as if they were trying to open the locked door. The sound came at an amazing timing, as if they had waited for the two to go. But when the door I locked didn¡¯t open, it was immediately knocked. Bang bang. ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Cecilia. I brought you a meal.¡± ¡°Leave it behind.¡± I approached the door just in case my mother woke up. ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°If you keep doing this, I¡¯ll bring you back to His Majesty.¡± Cecilia¡¯s voice was firm, thinking it would pose a great threat. On the other hand, there was a smile on my face. ¡°That¡¯s great, bring him here!¡± I just had something to say, so that¡¯s good. I was very curious about whether she liked my present. I just wanted to open the door right away and ask Cecilia to hurry up and visit the Grand Duke. ¡°¡­You think you¡¯re so smart. You¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret it, so just bring him here!¡± Even with the thick door between us, I could hear Cecilia¡¯s deep sigh. Cecilia¡¯s voice soon disappeared, perhaps to the Grand Duke. ¡°I was wondering how I could meet the Grand Duke again, so this is actually great.¡± It was worth it to heighten my anticipation. I clung to the door and waited to feel the wind pass by. ¡®Because the Grand Duke is busy¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be here in half a day.¡¯ The moment when I contemplated whether I should bring a chair and wait for the Grand Duke¡­ ¡°Open the door.¡± It was the Grand Duke. Come on, he came too fast, even though he came earlier than expected. He came to me so fast that I thought he was waiting nearby. I¡¯d be really happy if he came soon. I opened the locked door wide open and welcomed him. ¡°Nice seeing you, Dad!¡± Unexpectedly, the Grand Duke¡¯s face instantly hardened at my remark. I read in the book that a person should go out shamelessly, so I stepped forward more confidently. ¡°Dad?¡± He looked completely different from what Cecilia and the others looked like. At least unlike anyone else, the Grand Duke was what I really needed. The truth was, I¡¯m afraid. His blue eyes were scary, but Cecilia, Allen, and Lexit were less scary. It¡¯s even scarier because the Grand Duke was an adult man. Yet I showed him the brightest smile I could ever wear. ¡®I have to live.¡¯ ¡°Dad¡­¡± I nodded my head even more when I saw him mumble a few words. ¡°Have you already decided to leave me here?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Only then did he completely move into the door. Cecilia tried to follow him inside, but the wind slammed the door tightly. ¡°Y-Your Grace!¡± Her voice sounded low, but the Grand Duke cut her off relentlessly, as if he was showing her his usual self. There was silence in the room right after the thud of the door. ¡°When I saw my sons find you, you decided something, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you think you needed me?¡± He left me behind and sat down on the bed where my mother was lying, fearing it might be dangerous. There was only a dull sound when he walked in the room. Before I knew it, the Grand Duke, who came before me, looked down at me. ¡°You¡¯re so confident. Aren¡¯t you scared of me? If you heard a single rumor about me, you wouldn¡¯t have come to me like this.¡± ¡°I know there¡¯s a rumor going around that you¡¯re the crazy Grand Duke. There¡¯s also a rumor that you¡¯ve gone crazy and killed your wife, and if you don¡¯t like anything, you¡¯ll kill anyone!¡± I then smiled brightly, as if I didn¡¯t know anything, just like a kid my age. His face hardened for a moment. ¡°You sound like it¡¯s nothing to you. What if I get mad at you for saying that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to die.¡± And I would never treat you with an awful attitude. I won¡¯t look weak. I won¡¯t cry even if I wanted to. If it¡¯s too hard, I won¡¯t show any sadness. Because the moment I look weak, I¡¯ll seriously get eaten. I have to be strong. Chapter 7.2 For a long time, the Grand Duke looked at me. ¡°Just one question. Did you lock the door to prevent no one from coming in until I came?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to talk to someone who doesn¡¯t have any power. I don¡¯t think I finished talking to you because I fainted yesterday.¡± ¡°What more stories do you need?¡± He looked expressionless. He looked like someone who didn¡¯t care what I would say. Then, emotions swirled inside me without any restrain. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m afraid. That¡¯s why I pretended to be stronger. ¡°I¡¯m useful enough. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here again. Can you not feel that I¡¯m strong enough?¡± ¡°So what do you want?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I wouldn¡¯t know what you want. Members of my family will think of you as my daughter, as you have wished. Do you want anything other than that?¡± I¡¯ve never asked anyone anything in my life. No, I¡¯ve asked for a lot during the years, but the people who abused my mother and I didn¡¯t even listen to my small request, which was to simply stop hitting me. The requests that my mother told them to stop beating me because she thought she was going to die soon anyway. My only request was to build a grave after my mother¡¯s death, so I refuse to ask for spoiled bread because I¡¯m hungry. I would even walk for ten minutes a day so I could eat grass. ¡®I don¡¯t want to ask you a favor.¡¯ That¡¯s why I¡¯ve become so horrible. People usually ignored my mom and I when I asked for a favor. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I wouldn¡¯t know anything. Why can¡¯t you say what you want even after being so confident? ¡°¡­Because you¡¯re going to ignore me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­No, I don¡¯t have any requests. It¡¯s nothing. I was just trying to thank you. Are you sure my mom and I can stay here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re protecting me too, aren¡¯t you?¡± He didn¡¯t respond to me this time. He just nodded at me. All I wanted from him was a formal entry into the family, but I didn¡¯t want to ask. Never, never. I¡¯m not going to ask him a favor. I won¡¯t let anyone see me as weak. ¡®I¡¯m going to be proud of my ability to enter this family.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say my true request when I met him for the first time. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± ¡°Do you like my gift?¡± ¡°Gift?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not perfect, but I¡¯ve created a barrier here. I wish I could give you a better present though..¡± ¡°Gift¡­¡± I hurriedly opened my mouth when I saw him mumbling his words. ¡°So I gave you a present, and I want you to give me one.¡± I smiled brightly as I spoke, but the Grand Duke waved his long hand from side to side. ¡°But this is just a recreation of what you took away.¡± His voice hardened again. ¡°I don¡¯t consider it to be a gift.¡± That¡¯s too bad then. I couldn¡¯t ask him for a favor, so I tried to ask him to ¡°make us enter his family¡± as a gift, but he cut me off. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, so if you want to give me a present, give me something I¡¯d be satisfied with.¡± A bit of disappointment leaked through when those words were spoken. ¡°Okay.¡± But in order not to show, my lips quivered and nodded. ¡°Is our discussion over?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ maybe?¡± ¡°Did you call for me to make sure I got your gift?¡± ¡°Yes, and to see your face! You¡¯re my dad now. I guess I¡¯ll see you at least once a day.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s lips, which were stiff a while ago, trembled slightly. Was it a good thing or a bad thing? ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve seen my face today, so that¡¯s enough, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going. I¡¯ve got a lot to work on.¡± I thought he was going to say ¡°Don¡¯t call me for anything useless next time¡±, but he didn¡¯t say that. ¡°Make sure you eat well.¡± Instead, his unexpected phrase caught me off guard. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t last a few days if you have that weak body.¡± My heart tickled for a moment. ¡®Did he just worry about me?¡¯ It may have been an emotionless remark, but it felt strange. But that¡¯s just it. He went out before he even heard my answer. ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯s worried about me. I¡¯m just a useful object for him.¡¯ Thinking of that, my strange pounding heart quickly subsided. ¡°Mom, I think I¡¯m weird. My heart just pounded.¡± My mom, who didn¡¯t know about this, was still sleeping, and I just stroked her hair. Meanwhile, Cecilia stepped inside. She strode in and stood there, when her sharp voice resounded before me. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re happy to have him come here.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Ho¡­¡± ¡°And you, aren¡¯t you the maid here?¡± Chapter 8.1 Cecilia, who raised her chin as if she had a higher rank than me, put the tableware down with a thump. Then she stared at me bitterly. ¡°Did you just say ¡®you¡¯ to me?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have to be nice to someone who¡¯s mean to me.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t seem to have a good memory. I told you earlier who I am and what I¡¯m in charge of here, but I don¡¯t think you remember.¡± Cecilia let go of her stiff face and grinned. ¡°As you saw earlier, the two young masters have also been educated by me.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. But I don¡¯t want to be educated, so leave the food behind.¡± ¡°Ha, I¡¯d like to raise my cane at you, but I can¡¯t help it. First of all, you¡¯re late today, so eat and rest. His Highness told me to give you a good rest today.¡± She was about to lose her temper, but it looks like she had just given up. She looked like she¡¯s ready to smack me right away, but she poured the water instead and turned away. ¡°Make sure you drink water when you eat.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± And that was it. Cecilia went outside without adding any other words. Her voice was much calmer than before she went out to get rice. ¡®I was totally mistaken.¡¯ There¡¯s no way she¡¯d suddenly like me when she came here and was hostile to me more than anyone else. It¡¯s probably all because of the Grand Duke. I have a strange feeling that it¡¯s because he makes people feel uneasy with his strange phrases. So I nibbled my lips for no reason and ran to the door. I locked the door tightly in case someone else came in, and came back next to my mother. There was a plate on a bed-side table and food for two. There was also a warm soup billowing with steam and bread that looked soft just by looking at it. There was a salad and gratin, which looked like potatoes. It made my mouth water. ¡°Looks delicious¡­¡± My stomach started growling. But I only had a few spoonfuls of soup. ¡°This could be our last week. When she wakes up, I need to save up for three days.¡± You never know when things will change. I should first eat the food that can spoil easily, and then eat the bread later since it can last for a long time. ¡®Because the Grand Duke might suddenly abuse me.¡¯ Adults were always like that. It was common for them to suddenly change into someone else. All the adults I met were like that. He would often not hit my mom in the morning because he was in a good mood, but then he might hit her at night. Though I don¡¯t get hurt by such things anymore. In case my strange mind might have another expectation, I hurriedly settled down and looked at my mother. ¡°I miss you, Mom. Your voice will surely cheer you up.¡± But I don¡¯t want to wake my mom up yet. I haven¡¯t figured out the atmosphere here yet. I met the Grand Duke¡¯s two sons, but they are only children. The only staff member I have met was Cecilia, and she was hostile to me. No matter how much the Grand Duke puts me in as his daughter, it doesn¡¯t work for them. It doesn¡¯t matter to me but it¡¯s still a dangerous situation for my mother. ¡°It¡¯s not time for you to wake up yet.¡± First of all, I have to show them that I¡¯m superior to his children. I can get through it. There¡¯s nothing I couldn¡¯t do in this life in order to save my mother. While sneaking up to my mother, I kissed my mother¡¯s cheek, who was sleeping beautifully like a baby. ¡°Mom, sleep more.¡± And I put my mother into a deeper sleep. When she opens her eyes, she¡¯ll create a bright future. The next day, I heard a thumping sound as well. Thanks to that, I woke up while sleeping next to my mom. But I didn¡¯t intend to open the door. Even if she was my educator, Cecilia didn¡¯t seem able to open the locked door. I¡¯ve felt that since I was brought into the Grand Duchy yesterday, but maybe it¡¯s part of the etiquette here. ¡°Open the door. You have to be tutored starting today.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Don¡¯t push me.¡± ¡°This is so you can live here¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force me to be disciplined because I intend to stay in my room. I don¡¯t need it!¡± Cecilia seemed to be at a loss due to my words. For a long time she didn¡¯t knock or talk behind the door. And yet I couldn¡¯t get out of it and stood at the door for a long time in case Cecilia went crazy and broke down the door. However, after only trying to open the door a few times, she calmed down, as if she had given up. ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve quietened down, shall I go?¡± Just before I went to bed yesterday, I looked all over the room for me to hide the bread, but then I found an opening in one side of the room. It was small enough for an adult to fit and it was close enough to be regarded as a secret passageway. This was the secret passage I couldn¡¯t find when I was staying in that room in the palace. Chapter 8.2 I was afraid this room wasn¡¯t like a regular guest room. Usually, secret passages were in the family member¡¯s room. ¡°I guess they were anticipating it. Or did the Grand Duke go through here and go to different places?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure, but this secret passage was a pretty good place for me. Of course it was very dark, as if no one had used it, and there was no fire, but I¡¯m used to this environment. When I was being abused in the Imperial Palace, knights often locked me in a closet and laughed at me. I got used to the dark. At first, I cried and cried since I was scared of the dark, but now I am less afraid after being killed hundreds of times during my nine lives. The light will come after the darkness anyway. And thus, I walked proudly into it. ¡°It¡¯s like a cave or something.¡± It was close to the cave I saw in the book. The passageway was made up of arches. The place was high enough to hop over and still out of reach. ¡°I could run away with my mom.¡± It was so strange. I promised to stay here, to hang in there, but my instincts found a place to escape. But I always failed. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve never been successful in my life. Before I knew it, I walked through a secret passage and memorized this path. I could feel the wind from here. The passage was eventually connected to the exit, so I walked and followed the wind. But it wasn¡¯t long before I stopped in front of a room I didn¡¯t know where. I heard the Grand Duke¡¯s voice. I could also hear the voices of others, but his voice stopped me. ¡°Is it¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hear well, so I pressed myself close to the small hole between the bricks. Then, a murmur of someone could be heard clearly. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t approve of my new sibling.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want her, I approve of her.¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s none of your business about the kid, Lexit.¡± ¡°But, Your Highness, I don¡¯t think this is a good situation.¡± As soon as Lexit stopped talking bad about me, another person¡¯s voice was heard one after another. The old man¡¯s voice that sounded as harsh as iron was unusually annoying to my ears. ¡°Even the vassals are against my decision.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one who came here when she wasn¡¯t supposed to? Your Highness, I think we need to thoroughly verify her identity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think, Father.¡± With those words, there was a sudden murmur of many people. Only then did I realize that beyond this wall was no ordinary room. ¡®Is this room where they conduct their meetings?¡¯ I tried not to eavesdrop, but somehow it felt like I am the one they are talking about, so I didn¡¯t leave. In the meantime, the Grand Duke did not say anything. Because of that, people around him became more senile. How much time passed like that? At the end of the day, the Grand Duke voiced his thoughts. ¡°So¡­¡± The room, which had been noisy, was enveloped with tension, and became momentarily quiet. ¡°I¡¯ve been staying put lately, and it¡¯s creeping up. Do I have to kill someone to shut you up?¡± ¡°¡­Your Highness, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Now you are not talking? Does it look like I¡¯m joking?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­!¡± ¡°Then try talking back to me.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know since when I started spitting like this. I¡¯m telling you to make fun of that lightly. Though I¡¯ll listen to you with utmost generosity.¡± At the moment, a pure chill spread all the way here where I stood. ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s cold.¡± It was quite different from what Allen used to smell. It was cold, but the energy was as sharp as an icicle. The energy was unbearable for any man. ¡°I¡¯m strong, so I¡¯m fine, but¡­¡± It was clear that some people in that room couldn¡¯t endure it. There was not a single sound that resounded in the room for a long time after what happened. None refuted the Grand Duke¡¯s words, and didn¡¯t even breathe. ¡°So you can¡¯t talk to me because I ordered you to?¡± Only after hearing that did someone finally open their mouth. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll speak as a representative.¡± It was the old man whose voice sounded as harsh as metal. Perhaps it¡¯s worth talking about. He cleared his throat a few times and went on slowly. ¡°Speak, Marquis.¡± ¡°As a representative of the House, I disagree with this. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to let someone in who you don¡¯t even know.¡± There was no answer from the Grand Duke. Suddenly, a little boy¡¯s voice piped up. ¡°I agree with you, Father. We have to kick her out, especially since you have a kid we don¡¯t even know- and a girl, too. If she¡¯s some kind of spy¡­¡± It was then when I heard a thump. ¡°You¡¯re doing something stupid huh, Lexit.¡± Chapter 9.1 ¡°F-Father!¡± ¡°If she was a spy, she wouldn¡¯t be sleeping the whole time. And I¡¯ve certainly come to a conclusion about the child.¡± ¡°But you said you¡¯d listen!¡± ¡°Stop it, Lexit. I said I¡¯d listen, but I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d accept it.¡± Even though I wasn¡¯t there, I shut myself up at the moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know why everyone is saying no.¡± But Lexit still hasn¡¯t given up. Others were even breathing quietly, but Lexit was busy blabbering with his mouth. ¡°Father, I want to ask. Why on earth would you keep her around? Are you sure she¡¯s your illegitimate child? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d rather admit¡­ ¡± ¡°Lexit, why do you hate her so much?¡± ¡°I hate how creepy she is. I just hate her. I don¡¯t like the fact that she¡¯s my little sister, and I don¡¯t want Allen to get stupid and adore her because she¡¯s his little sister.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, leave it at that.¡± Because of that statement, their murmurs grew louder and louder again. ¡°Why do you want to let the child of someone else¡¯s father come into our family? It¡¯s not like she is one of us. We don¡¯t even have similar hair color or eye color! What would other people think?¡± ¡°Since when did the Grand Duke fear the eyes of others?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°If you ever go against my decision again, I won¡¯t forgive you even if you are my son, Lexit, or any other retainer. After this, if you dare to call me in to say these things, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it for my generosity.¡± ¡°Or at least give me a reason for why that girl shouldn¡¯t be here, then I might think about it.¡± I heard the sound of the chair scraping against the floor. Perhaps it was because of the Grand Duke rising from his seat after speaking so sarcastically. The door opened and closed with a loud noise once again, as if it had gone out one after another. ¡®As expected, he is the one I needed!¡¯ The way he talked about me and said that to his vassals and even his own children. As expected, he really is amazing! I could not help but laugh. But the meeting didn¡¯t end there. After the session, Lexit seemed to have followed him and others had gone out, but I could still hear some men murmuring in there. ¡°Fuck it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of lightning bolt that was.¡± The men who made different murmurs seemed to be unable to control their anger. ¡°We should kill her or drive her out later¡­ but what about that woman?¡± It was then¡­ I heard a creepy voice that sounded as harsh as nails scratching against a silver tray. ¡°I was going to put my daughter in the empty seat of the Grand Duchess, but then the girl and the woman appeared out of the blue. We can¡¯t just wait and see.¡± ¡°¡­What about using Little Prince Lexit?¡± ¡°I think that would be better.¡± The voices of the retainers came over the wall. Their intentions were clear, though it¡¯s difficult to tell what it¡¯s like on the other side of the wall. He hated me, and he¡¯s ready to do anything to kick me out. ¡°Little Prince Lexit is not that easy.¡± ¡°Well, unlike what it looks like, he is not favorable towards us. But I don¡¯t know what will happen if I leave it like this. I think Prince Allen might be better off.¡± ¡°Yes it would be better if it¡¯s Prince Allen! He¡¯s more na?ve than I thought, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible.¡± They were preoccupied suggesting solutions to each other, as if it was the best idea they could think of. It was then¡­ ¡°Hush.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Quietly. You don¡¯t know who¡¯s listening.¡± ¡°But Marquis¡­¡± ¡°Hush, I don¡¯t feel good about this.¡± ¡°Ack¡­ okay.¡± With those words, the room quickly became quiet. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± ¡°All right.¡± I was thinking about going back at that time, when I could clearly hear someone walking towards me. At that moment, I shut my mouth. Did he just notice that I was here? ¡°There are a lot of rats in this kind of place.¡± ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Is there anything there?¡± The old man, who screamed at the person who made a sound from asking him, swept his eyes across the walls. ¡°The Great Wall, which has been invaded for a long time, has better evacuation routes than anywhere else. Although that did not happen after the current Grand Duke ascended, there was a passage made by his ancestors in the past.¡± ¡°Do you mean it¡¯s even here?¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t know where, but you¡¯d better be careful.¡± ¡®Oh, so it¡¯s the escape route!¡¯ But that room with them was obviously different from mine. There was definitely a door in my room that could lead to this passage, but there was no door connecting the place in front of me and where I stood. There were only thick bricks. ¡°So we won¡¯t be able to come in here all of a sudden.¡± A little relieved, I slowly attached myself to the wall behind me just in case. Chapter 9.2 At that moment, the old man spoke less. At the same time, I heard a loud iron drag across the floor. Before I could even think ¡°What was that?¡±, something penetrated through the small gap in the wall. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Surprised, I managed to hold back my gasp. I was not the only one who¡¯s surprised, but a few people came running this way. ¡°Is there anything in there?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I feel like there¡¯s a scent wafting around here that I¡¯m not used to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the fireplace.¡± ¡°Maybe it is. Or maybe I am just too sensitive.¡± The old man, who spoke in a low voice, flicked his tongue and glued his eyes close to the gap. Fortunately, it was dark here, so he couldn¡¯t see me outside. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first. If you stay here too long, the Grand Duke will suspect us.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Then a steel skewer slid out of the gap again. If I was a bit slow, it would have injured my cheek, and if I didn¡¯t hold back my groans, they would have figured out I was hiding by breaking down the wall. I was glad to hear that. Thanks to my experience in being abused in the past, I was naturally able to hold my groans back. Now, it has helped keep me hidden from other people. ¡®The old man may have noticed me.¡¯ Meanwhile, I heard the men leaving, and eventually, the door closed. ¡°Phew¡­¡± If it were up to me, I would¡¯ve ran to where they were just now and looked at the men who were speaking before, I didn¡¯t want to get trapped in a dangerous situation. There were no doors or windows here, so there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll ever know who¡¯s saying those fishy things. ¡®But he said Marquis, apparently.¡¯ The old man stopped speaking halfway, but that was for sure. In the meantime, nothing more was heard beyond the wall. I thought someone suspicious was still over the wall and left behind in the room, but fortunately it didn¡¯t seem to be. ¡®He had a good instinct. I should be careful.¡¯ That one thing was for sure. Maybe he¡¯s the one that had a lot of people following him. I don¡¯t know his name or appearance, but I knew he was the Marquis, so that¡¯s already a big piece of information. ¡°I should get going then.¡± After the silence, I took a step again. ¡®Information is power.¡¯ Whether small or large, it was important to get information. Because of that, I walked and walked past several rooms for a long time. Amongst them was Alan¡¯s room and the staffs¡¯ room. Before I knew it, my whole body was soaked with sweat, and my chest felt so stuffy because of the dust. The passageway, which was dimly lit, had occasional winds, but the wind was so weak that I could not feel where the exit was. By the time I was so exhausted, I recalled familiar words. ¡°What shall I do, Your Grace?¡± To be honest, I¡¯m lost. I completely lost my way to my mother. I could use magic to get back, but I was looking for more information. And now I¡¯m completely lost. With my feet sore and myself thirsty, the Grand Duke¡¯s words welcomed me. Will it be the fireplace again? I then slightly listened through the wall and listened to their conversation. ¡°What am I supposed to do from now on?¡± I wondered if he was talking about the deceased earlier, but he didn¡¯t seem to be. ¡°Well, I¡¯m more curious about what the Grand Duke is worried about.¡± ¡°¡­I think she called me ¡®daddy¡¯?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard it countless times through my children, but it felt strange.¡± His words made me stick my face closer to the wall. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°This is the first time I met a girl who looked like she was going to die and called me ¡®dad¡¯. Isn¡¯t it funny?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her face yet, but the stories I hear are really interesting. The new lady is just like when the twins were young.¡± ¡°¡­That would be pretty terrible. They¡¯ve blown up buildings so many times.¡± ¡°I guess so. So what do we do now? She¡¯s not opening the door again. ¡° ¡°I¡¯m doing it all, and Cecilia is here asking me too. What I¡¯m going to do this time.¡± When Cecilia¡¯s name popped out, something poked me somewhere in my chest. Should I go back? But I don¡¯t even know the way back. I guess I¡¯ll just use magic to get back. My face must be pretty scruffy, too. I¡¯ll fall asleep as soon as I get back, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll notice it. I didn¡¯t want to get caught coming in and out of here. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke grinned. ¡°¡­ She really is a tomboy princess¡­ a tomboy.¡± ¡°I heard she didn¡¯t even eat. I can¡¯t hear what she¡¯s doing in the room.¡± It was then¡­ I heard the sound of the chair creaking, as if the Grand Duke stood up. ¡°Maybe the tomboy princess is on a maze expedition.¡± Chapter 10.1 ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°That means there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll take care of her from now on, so get out.¡± ¡°The thing about the new lady¡­¡± Surprised, the man in the room asked back, but the Grand Duke was more determined than ever. ¡°Have Cecilia go to her room. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Eventually, I heard someone leave. Perhaps I should directly ask the Grand Duke for directions. I tried to open the door at that thought, but I couldn¡¯t find a way out of the aisle. ¡®Am I locked up¡­?¡¯ At that moment, I felt dizzy. Maybe I should use magic. At the time of those thoughts, the thick stone wall slowly opened. At the same time, a brilliant light made me close my eyes instinctively. I hurriedly closed my eyes because my eyes hurt and I had been walking in the dark the whole time. ¡°Did you have fun finding the labyrinth, my daughter? Thanks to the warm light accompanied with the friendly voice, I could see the Grand Duke at the opened door. I wiped off my eyes in a hurry and smiled brightly. It¡¯s as if I planned to come here from the beginning. ¡°Oh, yeah, it was fun!¡± At that moment, I saw a smirk, but when I blinked again and looked at him, his face was already stiff. ¡°I¡¯m glad you had fun. So how did you get here? It would have taken quite a long time to walk here.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s something I need to tell you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Something to say?¡± ¡°Uh. Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± I didn¡¯t even know who this guy was trying to threaten me. Would he believe it? He¡¯s even trying to kick me out. ¡®Maybe they don¡¯t like the people here because they think they¡¯re dangerous.¡¯¡¯ ¡°Are you playing with me?¡± ¡°No.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes looked at me for a long time. Then he nodded as if he had learned something. ¡°There are things you don¡¯t want to say. But I¡¯m not a very benevolent person. Make sure you remember.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then go back now.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the way.¡± ¡°I wish I could go back the way I came back.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, I usually get lost, so I¡¯m not good at memorizing directions.¡± I said I would find a way to escape, but I forgot one important thing. It was that I could never find my own way since I was born. To put it simply, I was not good at directions. ¡®I never thought I didn¡¯t know this much.¡¯ I kept touching the wall with my right hand to mark it, but it was too dark to see it. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve even walked this long in my life, so my legs hurt as if they were broken. His eyes looked at me, a little disorganized. ¡°Did you live in captivity?¡± ¡°Yes, so¡­ I-I have never asked a favor! Can you take me there? Or you can have other people do it! Please¡­ It¡¯s not a favor. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± While I was struggling and thinking about how I would not ask for anything, the Duke nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± ¡°R-Really? Are you really going to take me to my room?¡± At the same time as he responded, he walked first. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a kind man!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kind. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s someone here who¡¯s going to be pretty annoyed if you do this.¡± At that time, the door opened. But I stepped back quickly just before I went out. ¡°D-Do you have a place to wash? I¡¯m sure Cecilia will say something if I go out there in this state.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, you are not deceived. Don¡¯t worry and just move.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± In the end, he took the lead. ¡°Did you mean Cecilia is the one who bothers you?¡± ¡°Yes, as she would say, take care of yourself. She¡¯s not as bad as she looks. She is just a little forceful¡­You know, she calls herself a bad guy, but she¡¯s better than you think.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s not.¡± As I said no, his footsteps quickened more than before. So now I had to walk along him with my short legs. The servants standing in front of the room seemed surprised by my sudden appearance, but the Grand Duke walked and walked without even caring about them. My legs hurt so much. The pain was so severe that I thought it might break. After changing clothes on the first day, I also wore my shoes, but they were unusually big. As a result, every time I walked, my shoes moved around, and both of my feet ached. I wish he could go a little slower. But he, who didn¡¯t know what was in my mind, just strode along with his long legs. A sigh came out of my mouth. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Then, the Grand Duke, who was walking earlier, hurriedly stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Y-You know what? It¡¯s not that I have short legs but¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Can you go slowly? I-It¡¯s my first time in the hallway. Wow, the windows are open!¡± ¡°Ah¡± Only then did his eyes reach me. Chapter 10.2 Looking at the details from head to toe, he didn¡¯t speak, as if he was thinking. ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯s gonna listen to this.¡¯ As expected, the Grand Duke moved again without saying anything. But unlike before, his walking pace had slowed down. At first, I thought it was an illusion, but I feel like he really hit my stride. ¡°Did I slow you down on purpose?¡± ¡°No way. You are not a special child, so there¡¯s nothing special about it.¡± With the way he spoke, the Grand Duke¡¯s pace became a little faster, but less so than before. ¡®Well, as expected, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t do that for me.¡¯ I then followed him, looking ceaselessly at him, reminiscent of the huge build that was ahead of me. How do I get that person to know that I am special? I really am a special person. ¡°I¡¯m a little lost, but¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing!¡± Speaking from the bottom of my heart, words popped out of my mouth. ¡°Anyway, we have finally arrived.¡± ¡°Y-Your Highness! No¡­ Why is the Lady¡¯s appearance¡­!¡± Looking around the Grand Duke¡¯s back, I turned my head at the sudden voice. There stood a helpless Cecilia. As she tried not to give me a fierce look, the archduke naturally blocked ahead. ¡°Your Highness, the young lady is¡­¡± ¡°Why is she with me? Is that what you wanted to say?¡± ¡°Yes, I thought she¡¯d be in her room. What is this look? She¡¯s covered in dust¡­!¡± ¡°Is that important? It¡¯s important that I¡¯m back in my room.¡± Cecilia hesitated for a long time, as if she had a lot to say to my appearance and bowed her head. ¡°Don¡¯t argue about what you are doing.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°She got dirty after doing something important with me for a while.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°So wash up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yes!¡± That was the end of the scene. She would have said another thing, but the Grand Duke tried to turn around after taking me to Cecilia. But then¡­ ¡°By the way.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me again?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m talking to the kid.¡± Cecilia, who came up to me and was about to drag me in, but I stepped back in a hurry. ¡°Oh¡­ yes.¡± ¡°To me?¡± ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you tell me again?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± But when I asked him back, the Grand Duke shifted his body and shook his head. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to say?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. Then I¡¯ll get going.¡± The Grand Duke, who looked like he said everything he had to say, turned around and left. Yet I didn¡¯t get to say thank you. He even gave me an excuse for my recent appearance so that I wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed. ¡°Maybe he really is a good man¡­¡± Because of that I waved at the air for a long time. My body soared into the sky until he was finally invisible. ¡°Kya!¡± ¡°Be quiet. Sigh. I can¡¯t believe this is what the Grand Duchess looks like.¡± It was Cecilia, hugging me without a moment¡¯s hesitation. She approached the door without any change of expression, despite the obvious dirtiness of her clothes. ¡°Let go of me.¡± ¡°If I let go of you, you¡¯re going to run away again, right? Wash up and eat first. I¡¯ve been looking after four of you in the Grand Duchy, but I think you¡¯re even more boyish.¡± Meanwhile, she held me tight and opened the door with a key. ¡°Can I help you, Ms. Cecilia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wash myself, so leave me alone.¡± The maid, who approached me with firm words, stepped back. Only then did Cecilia take me into the room. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°Are you going to go to your mother like this?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I asked if you¡¯d like to go to your mother covered in dirt that came from unknown places.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then you are going to make your mother more ill.¡± I had stopped struggling due to Cecilia¡¯s determined words, though I knew she wasn¡¯t wrong. I couldn¡¯t see my face or appearance at the moment, but I can roughly guess how I am feeling just by looking at my hands. Disappointed, I drooped, and Cecilia took me into the bathroom. Only after that did I see myself. I was so dirty. The dress, which was so long that it dragged down to my feet, had already turned black at the bottom. My blonde hair was covered with dust. ¡°Achoo.¡± Cecilia quickly undressed me, and that made me cough. ¡°Where the hell did you get these from! I thought you did something important.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re ever gonna come back like this again, you¡¯d better go out naked.¡± In a short while, I was stripped completely¡­ By the woman I didn¡¯t really like. ¡°Sigh, what do you think of me as if I¡¯m taking care of you like this?¡± ¡°Who would want to be taken care of?¡± ¡°¡­So are you going to be like this to someone else if it¡¯s not me?¡± Chapter 11.1 ¡°Well, can you wash up all alone?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t even touch you, so don¡¯t get angry. And if you behave like this to others, there will be strange rumors. Who the hell did this to the young lady?¡± Cecilia, who had always been angry, wiped my body with a soft cloth as if it were anyone else. It was only then that I could clearly see the way Cecilia looked at my body. My body was full of wounds. For a moment, I wrapped my body with my hands. ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t want me to see it, I¡¯ll close my eyes and wipe it.¡± Cecilia closed her eyes and moved her hands again, as if she were trying to keep her promise. Her hand was so soft, my heart tickled from the warmth. She was definitely different from the adults I¡¯ve ever faced. The way she pretended to be a bad person all the time, and then changed, did not appear to be pretentious or false. I felt for the first time that she was worried about me. ¡°¡­You know what?¡± ¡°Yes? Are you feeling uncomfortable?¡± ¡°¡­No, you know what? Everyone hates me here, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°¡­I thought you were a little bit nice, Cecilia, but I must have been mistaken.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Think about it in the future. Don¡¯t trust people easily.¡± I lost the ability to talk when I heard her unexpected words. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of life you¡¯ve been through, but I don¡¯t want any of these¡­ harsh wounds, so don¡¯t trust people. The most feared thing in life is people after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t give me your heart. If you try to force yourself to open up, you will only get hurt. Don¡¯t believe me, either.¡± Speaking decisively, she opened her eyes slowly. Her eyes, which were like a dark wall, looked at me wistfully. ¡°¡­Why are you acting like someone else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pretending to be someone else, I¡¯m just teaching you. I¡¯m a person who teaches manners and how to survive.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°So go wash up and go out. You have to eat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She spoke sinisterly, but one thing was clear. She was not a bad person. Just as Grand Duke said, she really wasn¡¯t. ¡°You know what?¡± ¡°Yes, go around once. I¡¯ll wipe it with a towel.¡± ¡°Oh, but I have a question.¡± ¡°Okay. Ask me.¡± ¡°Who are the people trying to kick me out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell you because there are so many.¡± ¡°Are you the one trying to kick me out?¡± Cecilia wrapped a large towel around me and brushed off my hair with a small towel. ¡°No, I obey the Grand Duke¡¯s command. His Highness called you a Lady, so you¡¯re a Lady. There¡¯s no reason for you to be kicked out.¡± I was a little embarrassed at her unexpected words. I thought Cecilia was the one who wanted to kick me out, but her eyes didn¡¯t seem to have that kind of idea at all. She just looked like a busy person doing her own job. ¡°Then who are the ones who want me to be kicked out?¡± ¡°People who are threatened by the sudden appearance of your presence.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°If I may say so, wouldn¡¯t it be the retainers?¡± ¡°I see.¡± When I nodded still, Cecilia, who roughly brushed off my long hair, made eye contact with me. ¡°Your mother¡¯s appearance is more threatening than yours.¡± ¡°Then can you tell me who it is?¡± ¡°Will the Lady listen well then?¡± Meanwhile, she wiped me out and brought my pajamas. ¡°¡­You¡¯re so cheap.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing cheap about it. Have a good meal, sleep tight, and I¡¯ll let you know if you don¡¯t lock the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have to answer me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go eat.¡± ¡°¡­Your clothes got dirty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. As long as you are finally clean.¡± It was my first time. The fact that the person who suffered damage because of me didn¡¯t say anything. I thought for a moment that not all adults in the world are bad. ¡°Originally¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A bad guy doesn¡¯t usually say they are a bad guy. They would say they are a good person.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°So Cecilia is not a bad person.¡± With her lips slightly curled due to my words, she then reached out to me. ¡°Eat.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut your hair after you eat. I¡¯ll trim your nails too.¡± I didn¡¯t trust her completely yet. It¡¯s just that I know she¡¯s not a bad person. I didn¡¯t believe her, but¡­ Cecilia¡¯s loving hands somehow resembled my mother, so I smiled timidly, with my head down to the floor. ¡°A grown-up woman¡­ maybe she¡¯s a little better.¡± * * * Chapter 11.2 The food she prepared is already set on the table. ¡°Did you like yesterday¡¯s meal?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to eat?¡± ¡°Uh, uh, yeah. I want to eat a lot of b-bread. I want hard bread.¡± ¡°¡­Hard bread, huh?¡± Those things were good for storing. If it¡¯s too soft, the rats would eat it all. ¡°Do you like that kind of thing? How about fish or meat? I asked them to make it as soft as they can this time.¡± My head shook from side to side. The soup I ate yesterday was the first thing I ate in a few days. Because of that, just eating it was enough for my stomach, and that made my stomach ache. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ll have soft food and hard bread for the time being.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I also prepared warm milk.¡± That was unexpected. Cecilia didn¡¯t say much even though she didn¡¯t know how to use the tableware, she ate bread with her hands and scooped the soup with a spoon. ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d say something about law or education.¡± In the meantime, the soup dribbled from my mouth. Cecilia leaned over and wiped my mouth with a clean handkerchief, and sighed deeply. ¡°The only education I do is to at least make sure you don¡¯t get ignored in front of others.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± ¡°So just relax and eat.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go change my clothes.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if she was being considerate because she wanted me to eat more comfortably or if she was going to change clothes purely just that, but Cecilia went out like that. It was only my sleeping mother and I in the room. ¡°Mom, you know, maybe this isn¡¯t such a bad place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t trust people at all.¡± I filled my mouth with soup again. Although my evaluation was meaningless because I had never eaten properly before, the food here was really delicious. ¡°It¡¯s very¡­ delicious.¡± It was superior to any food I had eaten when I was born. The soup went down my throat, and I even felt warm every time I ate it. A smile spread naturally on my face. But I didn¡¯t feel well so I had to get off the table without eating much. ¡°Are you done?¡± At that time, Cecilia changed into neat clothes. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut your hair for you.¡± But the moment Cecilia came to me with a sharp pair of scissors, I stumbled backwards. It was just a pair of scissors that came to cut my long hair, but my whole body felt stiff. ¡°No, I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­¡± I was stabbed to death. I was also beaten to death. I¡¯ve been threatened with scissors dozens of times. I got whipped, and I got hit with anything they could hit on me. Maybe it was just that. Just looking at the scissors made my eyes dim. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want my hair to be cut.¡± Cecilia came to me with the scissors from the table near the entrance door. ¡°Ah¡­ I was thoughtless.¡± She hugged me with a sharp, apologetic look. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll tie your hair because it¡¯s long.¡± I nodded heavily at her words. Only then did Cecilia put me in a chair and tucked my long bangs together. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this be uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re calm.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just- it¡¯s just-¡± ¡°All right, okay.¡± Cecilia, like a man with no malice, had a face that might seem a little more friendly than before. ¡°I¡¯d rather have the medic listen. Your mother still hasn¡¯t gotten up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. My mom always slept a long time. She just sleeps.¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s¡­ I know better.¡± Cecilia nodded due to my loud phrase. ¡°I see. I see.¡± ¡°¡­You know¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m gonna survive, I¡¯m gonna have to learn manners here, right?¡± With a very slight look of surprise, her face quickly stiffened again. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m forcing you too much?¡± Bowing down in front of me, she made eye contact with me. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, but¡­¡± ¡°The Grand Duchy is not well-known, but it¡¯s not such a bad place. It¡¯s not the kind of place to threaten a little girl¡¯s life.¡± Cecilia¡¯s voice trembled unusually, perhaps paying attention to my words of survival. ¡°Cecilia is¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why did you change all of a sudden? You¡¯ve been very mean to me.¡± ¡°¡­Well, as you may not know, there are many children in this family. You said you were blood-related to the Grand Duke. Dark haired, and blue-eyed children¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re the token of the Grand Duchy.¡± I suddenly remembered what Lexit said. He said I didn¡¯t look like the Grand Duke at all. ¡°That¡¯s why there are children who have a token of the Grand Duchy.¡± I sat still and looked at her. It was the first time someone tried to answer my question with all of their heart, and it made me feel ticklish. Chapter 12.1 But Cecilia was terribly sweet. I couldn¡¯t believe she was the one who responded to me the whole time. ¡°There are a lot of kids coming to the Grand Duchy, and I was the one who sent them all back.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Children would come to the Grand Duchy in the middle of winter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I thought so, too?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m sure you said it yourself. What Master Lexit asked me was if you are blood-related to the Grand Duke. I¡¯m sure you are.¡± I only nodded due to her obvious words. ¡°That¡¯s why. I changed my mind when I saw you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I remembered the scars I saw while I washed you.¡± ¡°Who said you could look!¡± Shame came to me when I screamed at her for no reason. And yet she didn¡¯t have a look of recoil. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better if I saw it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Better than being a weakness known to others.¡± There was no such thing as amazing healing powers to me, so there was scars all over my body. Never once in my life did I think the scars were my weaknesses. My existence itself has always been a weakness. But Cecilia spoke with all her heart. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it anymore. You can treat me or others harshly. I just want you to relax a little bit. I just hope you don¡¯t have any more nightmares.¡± I mumbled as I watched Cecilia talking in mumble. ¡°What did I say in my sleep?¡± ¡°Oh, you screamed for your life.¡± ¡°¡­Did you listen to all of that? I feel bad.¡± I didn¡¯t like it; the way she looked at me as if she knew everything about me like my fake father, the current emperor, gave me goosebumps. I flinched even though I knew that her emotions were different. Cecilia¡¯s face has hardened as well. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll call it a day anyway.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s etiquette training. I¡¯m doing it right now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The basis of etiquette is to look at the other person. I¡¯m teaching it now.¡± Only then did I raise my head and make eye contact with her directly. But Cecilia was adamant. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself. You¡¯ve done enough today.¡± ¡°¡­Are you being considerate?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying this because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get tired before I do it right.¡± She might be being considerate. But I didn¡¯t want her consideration. I¡¯ve never received it before anyway. No, I¡¯ll just keep forcing myself to close my heart from Cecilia. I was afraid I¡¯d hurt myself again, but now I¡¯m afraid she¡¯d hurt me again. ¡°Then rest today.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s weird. It just came out like that.¡± ¡°Is it more comfortable?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it if you want. So from tomorrow onwards, get a hold of yourself and reconsider taking etiquette lessons.¡± Her voice sounded much sharper than before, but I felt as if she had become someone else. ¡®I don¡¯t want that.¡¯ It was better to start with hate and end with hate. She didn¡¯t have to pretend to be kind then became spiteful afterwards. Because of her, I climbed onto my bed no matter what she had said. Cecilia looked at me for a moment and soon left the room. I looked at the door for a long time just in case someone else came in, and quickly fell asleep. * * * The next day¡­ Perhaps it was because of the fatigue from the previous day, but I couldn¡¯t open my eyes easily even in the midst of the sun shining. ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°You have to get up now.¡± Rolling in my bed, I raised my head due to a clear voice. It was Cecilia, who had already entered the room. She was staring at me in bed without a change of expression. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any sleeping habits.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t need to fix it.¡± ¡°Should aristocratic children have good sleeping habits in the first place?¡± Cecilia nodded when asked out of sheer curiosity. ¡°Of course, there should be no bad manners from head to toe. In that sense, you seem surprised. The hardest thing to fix is sleeping habits.¡± I slept on the sofa with my mother the whole time after my father was killed. Even a thin woman and a small child had no choice but to fall off sleeping on a narrow sofa. Each time, the knights would whip us. Violence was a matter of course. Thanks to them, my sleeping habits were quite quiet. ¡®Still, it¡¯s something that helps a bit.¡¯ Chapter 12.2 I jumped out of my bed looking at her and wondered. ¡°Better than that, the nobles seem very tired.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re a noble, too.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stay here without doing those things, can you?¡± Cecilia came to me before I knew it. With a slightly conflicted look on her face, she somehow winced at the sight of her emotionless face. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything like that. I¡¯m going to stay here because I¡¯m amazing! So it¡¯s possible, right?¡± Please tell me it¡¯s possible. ¡°Just do as you should¡­ I¡¯ll really just stay in the room with my mom.¡± ¡°At least learn how to live here.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± ¡°First of all, eat well now, and then you¡¯ll learn table manners and basic etiquette. I¡¯ll go very slowly, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have to answer, okay?¡± Cecilia changed into her sharp self, as if she was constantly swapping between hot and cold water. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad, though. I was a little afraid you¡¯d say you¡¯d be out in no time.¡± ¡°Do I look like that? Do you think I¡¯ll be out soon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about anything else, but I like your eyes. There¡¯s something¡­ lady-like about it, unlike the other kids who came here, but it feels like you haven¡¯t permeated it all completely.¡± I was speechless by Cecilia¡¯s sincere words. My heart tickled at her words. ¡°Oh, no. I won¡¯t do such a thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know, but the average of other kids are somehow trying to blend in. But, even the Lady wants to be here, but in the end, it doesn¡¯t seem that way.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not true. No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯ll be here for a long time.¡± Only then did Cecilia straighten her bent body. Then she reached out her hand. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m glad. Then we¡¯re going to have dinner.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a good listener that I thought you were someone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being obedient. I¡¯m just listening because I¡¯m hungry.¡± Cecilia was a very eloquent person no matter how many times I looked at her. Listening to her made me feel like I was falling for her words. ¡®Smart people don¡¯t fall for what they say.¡¯ I made a firm commitment, before passing by her to sit at the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to eat now.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Following my words, Cecilia went out and prepared several meals without hesitation. Looking at the food made my mouth water, but I slowly ate them. The food in the Grand Duchy was excellent, as if they had rewarded me all at once for not eating properly since childhood. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± It was a feast of delicious food that gave me goosebumps all over my body. After eating enough food to make my stomach full, I stretched myself in a chair. ¡°I¡¯m full¡­¡± I felt so satisfied when I filled my mouth with food, yet I didn¡¯t feel well for not eating properly. ¡°Did you eat too much?¡± ¡°¡­No, I didn¡¯t overeat. Please prepare this much for tomorrow.¡± ¡°If you say so. But, are you really okay?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Would you like to go for a walk, if you don¡¯t mind? You¡¯ve been in here the whole time.¡± No, I couldn¡¯t move. Actually, if I moved a little aggressively here, all the food I ate today would pop out of my mouth. Of course, all I ate was soup and hard bread so that didn¡¯t bother me that much. With that, I shook my head from side to side. But Cecilia, who didn¡¯t know, reached out to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­No, my mother¡¯s here. Where am I going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The door will be locked, and no one will touch the person the Grand Duke ordered to protect.¡± ¡°However.¡± ¡°Is there a reason why you can¡¯t?¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that I couldn¡¯t go because I was full. ¡®Because I¡¯ll look weak. I¡¯ll never do anything like a child.¡¯ I had to look strong. ¡®That¡¯s because I¡¯m strong! Don¡¯t tell me things I already know and just say goodbye.¡¯ I jumped down from my seat in conclusion. ¡°If you want to go so badly, then that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Are you really all right?¡± ¡°Yes, you said let¡¯s go, but my mother is¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± In fact, the last time the barrier of the Grand Duchy was rebuilt, I put protective magic on my mother, so I don¡¯t have much to worry about. ¡°This is a great opportunity to recognize it if there¡¯s someone here who threatens my mother and I.¡± It was filled with strong magic that will never break. Anyone who touched my mother should have a magical power that was powerful enough to faint on the spot. Once I know who my real enemies are, it¡¯s easier to catch them. A gentle smile spread over my face. Meanwhile, Cecilia, who approached me, once again reached out her hand to me. But I didn¡¯t hold her hand or anything. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore. You don¡¯t have to hold my hand.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± Chapter 13.1 ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Cecilia looked at me like that and took the lead. I didn¡¯t forget to go to my mother and bid her farewell before I left. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Now I miss my mother a little. I missed my mother who looked at me every evening and whispered stories, and my mother who told me she loved me. But knowing nothing would change if I stayed next to my mother, I turned around and came out with Cecilia. It¡¯s a big job for me to create a situation where my mom could stay safe. Because of that, our walk was more vigorous than ever. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love the garden.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it conclusively already. I might not like it.¡± Despite grumbling for no reason, Cecilia only smiled. I should not just go and like it. Thinking that, I walked a long way behind Cecilia. Then there was a murmur of someone not far away. It was a sound from the hallway we just passed by. Three maids bowed their heads when I passed by. But as soon as I walked by, they all spoke up. ¡°That must be the new Lady.¡± ¡°I guess so. I heard she looks different, but she really is.¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯ve heard she looks different, but she really is different.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. She¡¯s so different¡­ isn¡¯t she a fake then?¡± ¡°She¡¯s rather different, but seeing her in real life¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet! It¡¯s just a rumor.¡± ¡°Be quiet, Anas.¡± The voices of those who whispered something about me grew louder and louder. I would have said less openly, but the whispering voice scratched my nerves even more. Cecilia couldn¡¯t hear it either, so her steps stopped and stood up. But before she could say anything, I first turned and approached the three women who had talked. As soon as I approached them, they hastily shut up, as if nothing had happened. ¡°Say that again.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Say what you just said earlier.¡± Again, their response did not diverge one bit from my expectations. ¡°W-We didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Then are you saying that there¡¯s something wrong with my ears?¡± When a mere five-year-old girl was annoyed with them, the three women mumbled and showed signs of discomfort. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®misunderstanding¡¯? It¡¯s not that there¡¯s something wrong with my ears. I¡¯m sure I heard it. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the servants of a noble family and you insist that there¡¯s something wrong with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still not saying anything?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You guys, if you can¡¯t say something to the person¡¯s face, don¡¯t say it out loud.¡± I didn¡¯t want to give the impression that I was just someone they could be rude to when I¡¯m alone. In the past, because I was weak and always begged for help, they hit me. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t look weak anymore.¡¯ I¡¯ve heard from somewhere that when you are threatened by your opponent, one has to build up their body as much as possible. Because of this, I straightened my shoulders and puffed up my cheeks. ¡°Animals threaten their opponents this way, so humans would be the same! People are animals after all!¡± That¡¯s why I¡¯m tougher than ever. ¡°Why? Are you going to keep swearing at me afterwards? Is that why you don¡¯t want to answer me?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°If you want to say something, say it yourself and ask. Don¡¯t go around cursing people behind their backs.¡± Meanwhile, Cecilia, who came next to me, put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°The maidens of the Grand Duchy have such a big mouth. I guess you¡¯re under-educated.¡± ¡°Miss C-Cecilia, I¡¯m s-sorry.¡± Those who kept their mouths shut like honey turned to Cecilia at the same time. They even lowered their heads to her in a hurry. ¡°Apologize to her, not me.¡± ¡°Why are you not answering? You¡¯re not even responding? Or maybe you¡¯re not ready yet? If that¡¯s the case, feel free to tell me. There are plenty of people who can replace you. There are a lot of people out there who want to be maids of the Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°Oh, no. We weren¡¯t cursing¡­ so we didn¡¯t have anything to say.¡± Still, they were wary of Cecilia. ¡°That¡¯s enough, You don¡¯t need to say more.¡± I didn¡¯t want to see it. Especially the way people try to pass their mistakes on to someone else. It¡¯s not just an excuse, it¡¯s a sincere apology. They didn¡¯t want to bow to me because of their pride. Because of that, I took Cecilia¡¯s hand, acting like I was about to do something. Chapter 13.2 ¡°My Lady?¡± Surprised by the unexpected situation, Cecilia only mumbled at me. ¡°Let me ask you something else instead. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°What?¡± Either you live here and survive by acting cute, or you¡¯re loved by everyone. I didn¡¯t even want that anyway. I was just trying to live, because my goal was to live without being ignored by others. Frankly, my hands trembled and I was so afraid, but I stepped forward in confidence. ¡°Is it hard for you to say? I asked you what your name is.¡± Only then did they bow their heads and apologize to me. ¡°No, Miss. We are sorry.¡± ¡°What are you sorry about?¡± But it¡¯s too late. They didn¡¯t even answer my question properly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make a fake apology. Why would you give a fake apology? So just tell me your name.¡± Three maids with brunette brown hair like branches turned their heads and said nothing. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me now, I¡¯ll ask the other maids in person. Will the maids ignore me like you did?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll tell you. Uh, I¡¯m Lily, and this is Rachel. This person is¡­¡± ¡°My name is Anas.¡± Among the three, the maid, who actively prevented the other maid from talking behind her back, bowed her head the deepest. ¡®That person is not as bad as I thought.¡¯ Anas, who had a similar impression to Cecilia, did not raise her head for a long time. Instead, the other two maids raised their heads quickly. It was as if what they¡¯ve already done was already enough. ¡°So can we go now, Miss?¡± They called me a Lady, but I could never find any courtesy in their tone. ¡°What should we do? Should we really send them away just like that?¡± Cecilia, who was sighing heavily next to me, leaned down and looked at me. ¡°Yes. First of all, I got their name, so that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Okay, I see. Then you guys can go ahead. But I won¡¯t let this go lightly.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Cecilia.¡± Answering in unison, they quickly moved away from me, wondering what I would say. It was like they had an emergency. Only Anas was looking at me for a long time. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She withdrew only after I took Cecilia¡¯s hand and turned around. I looked back just in case, but Anas stood there and bowed her head. ¡®Strange person.¡¯ Rather, Anas looked strange. This made me feel uncomfortable somewhere in my mind. The cause of the inconvenience was so unknown, but it was clear that my mind had changed from before. I didn¡¯t like her, so I hurried along with Cecilia. We reached a place where I could only hear the sound of my footsteps and the piercing footsteps of Cecilia whenever she walked. The surrounding area was so quiet, as if someone had poured cold water on it. ¡°My Lady, you¡¯ve never seen the outside properly right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Slowly looking outside with what Cecilia had fussed. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Only then did I get a good look at the scenery here. As if on top of the mountain, the view beyond the window was a forest full of trees. There was a cool wind blowing from there, and the hallway of the castle we walked on was so enormous, incomparable to the place where my mother and I lived. These high ceilings and marble floors extended as far as the eyes could see. Beautiful paintings hung from wall after wall, along with the expensive-looking ceramics. My eyes moved incessantly as I looked at it. ¡°I can see outside the room I¡¯m in now, but¡­¡± It was fun to just walk and watch in the hallway. What I saw from the room was the whole forest. But the view from the hallway was so different. The forest was so wide that there was no end in sight, and the world beyond which I could see through the corridor captivated me. It was then¡­ ¡°Well done, My Lady.¡± After a long tour of the surroundings, I hurried to Cecilia at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean, what happened earlier. You have to train your employees as a Lady. And that¡¯s what you have done. And you did a perfect job. It¡¯s okay to be angry like a fire, but I also need that kind of scolding.¡± Her words made my eyes wide open. ¡°Did I¡­ Did I do a good job?¡± ¡°Of course, I was actually worried. I thought you might have frozen after hearing that, but fortunately you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel intimidated.¡± ¡°Go ahead. A Lady of the Grand Duchy must be like that.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I pouted at Cecilia, who kept going back and forth. ¡°Cecilia is so strange.¡± ¡°I think so too. I must be able to properly educate you, even if you decide to approach them, but you keep getting weaker when I see you.¡± She smiled sweetly and leaned her body slightly to look straight at me. ¡°There. To be honest, as an employee of this family, it is right that I have to take the side by saying, ¡®These maids are actually good people¡¯, but I don¡¯t really want to.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 14.1 ¡°There¡¯s no way people are nice enough to talk like that just because they¡¯re different from others in the family. It¡¯s been a while since I felt that way.¡± Her expression was much more relaxed than before. Only a smile spread across Cecilia¡¯s face, as if she had been wearing a mask in front of me. When she didn¡¯t say anything since it was new to her, she made eye contact with me again. ¡°You are a person of wonderful power, yet it feels like I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not weird. I think I am more interesting.¡± But she didn¡¯t answer. She only showed a friendly smile. Then Cecilia walked ahead again, and I followed her around. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. It¡¯s the Grand Duchy¡¯s garden.¡± Passing through a passage that didn¡¯t have a separate door, a brilliant light hit my eyes. I closed my eyes in surprise, and when I opened my eyes, the garden was right in front of me. We finally got out. The garden felt as if it surrounded the large castle. ¡°Wow¡­¡± I¡¯ve never seen a garden like this ever since I was born. There was a garden where I was locked up with my mother, but it was like a forest. It was not maintained at all, so the grass grew to my waist, and sometimes snakes or other animals appeared between the grass. There were no flowers or fruit trees. But this was different from that one. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± It was such a beautiful place that I could say it was beautiful out loud. Beautiful trees were planted everywhere, and pretty flowers were on the pathway. In the middle of the garden, a fountain was seen, and the sky-high stream was so admirable. ¡°Can I run?¡± ¡°Sure, you can have fun as you please.¡± As soon as I got Cecilia¡¯s permission, I entered. As if they were telling me what it means to be fragrant, there was a scent of flowers all around. This scent that I smelled for the first time in my life made my feet move by itself. ¡°I love it!¡± This kind of garden was only seen in books. I couldn¡¯t even imagine a garden when it was only written in words. Just sitting still in the garden relieved the worries that filled my head. Also, just smelling the fragrant flowers changed the world. So I thought it was all a lie. The garden I¡¯ve seen wasn¡¯t like thos. Rather, the garden was so shabby. But the garden in front of me was exactly what I saw in the book. ¡°So beautiful.¡± ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Yes! I love it.¡± Just like the saying that a good thing reminds me of a loved one, I naturally remembered my mother. ¡°Mom would have liked it if she saw this.¡± ¡°My Lady.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You must have thought of your mother.¡± ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± ¡°You smile the most lovingly whenever you think of your mother.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t think you know me that well.¡± Staring at Cecilia for no reason, I zipped my lips and moved into the garden. ¡°I need to see more of what¡¯s in there.¡± ¡°Sure, you can go further.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± So I left Cecilia behind me and quickly approached the fountain. But the tranquility and comfort didn¡¯t last very long. There was a girl who suddenly appeared. ¡°Who is this?¡± Unlike me, the girl with black hair and blue eyes smiled as soon as she saw me. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. The new fake daughter.¡± As soon as I saw her, my eyes naturally went there as I saw someone hostile to me. But as soon as I saw that the person right in front of me was a girl that was about the same size as me, the thought of getting angry cooled down. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°¡­D-Did you just ignore me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore you.¡± ¡®Do you want me to pick some flowers here and bring them to your mom?¡¯ I quickly shook away that thought. As soon as I was done, I looked at Cecilia. ¡°Cecilia, can I pluck some flowers from here?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± I was permitted to do so, so I could choose the pretty ones. My mom had pretty blonde hair like a starlight, so yellow flowers would be pretty, so I picked and picked flowers for a long time. But the unnamed girl approached me and hit me hard. Thanks to this, the flowers that had been collected fell to the floor helplessly. Due to this unexpected situation, I turned my head to the girl with a cold, stiff face. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Now you see me, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s not because you don¡¯t see me.¡± I shook my head with a deep sigh as she started a fight for no reason. ¡°Ha¡­ if you want to pick a fight, go somewhere else. I¡¯m busy.¡± I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d stand down for saying that, but the girl was so awful. Chapter 14.2 ¡°This won¡¯t do. I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Lady Harris.¡± Meanwhile, Cecilia, who was next to me, clung close to me. As expected, the girl was even annoyed with Cecilia. ¡°I was wondering where Cecilia, who was in charge of training in the Grand Duchy, went, and she is stuck with you? And not me?¡± ¡°I was wondering where Cecilia went. You¡¯re usually in charge of training in the Grand Duchy but now she¡¯s stuck with you? And not me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why are you with the fake anyway?¡± ¡°His Highness the Grand Duke commanded it. It¡¯s only natural to obey my master¡¯s orders.¡± Looking at Cecilia talking without speaking all high, the child named Harris¡¯ face hardened. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should be next to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just following his orders.¡± It was quite different when she talked to me. Like a person with no feelings, Cecilia just looked at Harris like when she saw me for the first time. The child, who stared at Cecilia as if she belatedly realized that it was pointless no matter how much she shouted, bared her teeth towards me. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you!¡± I nodded roughly, knowing that it would be more troublesome to respond. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re reacting like this to me? I¡¯m so annoyed. Hey, you! Do you know who I am? I¡¯m one of the four real children of the Grand Duke. Unlike you, I¡¯m real.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± The sparks came back to me. But it wasn¡¯t exactly something to be interested in, so I nodded roughly. ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you want to argue?¡± ¡°Do I have to refute?¡± ¡°O-Of course!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± At that moment, Harris¡¯ face hardened as her hair fell down smoothly. ¡°I-I¡¯m right about everything?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a fake.¡± ¡°Huh, huh¡­ you¡¯re a very strange kid, aren¡¯t you? Then why are you here when I know you¡¯re fake?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just stay here? They said I can stay here even if I¡¯m fake.¡± ¡°¡­You have a very annoying personality.¡± ¡°So do you. You suddenly appeared and trampled on my flowers.¡± As if she responded angrily at my words, Harris huffed and stepped on all the flowers around me. ¡°Wh-What are you doing?¡± ¡°A fake should not pluck any flowers!¡± Her face hardened automatically due to her obstinate appearance. ¡°¡­Really, you¡¯re beyond redemption.¡± ¡°H-How dare you tell me that? Do you know who I am? I am Daddy¡¯s favorite daughter!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you are taken care of the most or not. And the Grand Duke said, ¡®I hate useless things the most. Even if it¡¯s my son.¡¯ Are you a useful person?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m so useful that it¡¯s incomparable to yours!¡± I clicked my tongue as I watched Harris talking proudly. ¡°Oh then, congratulations.¡± No wonder, I felt that even if I continue to talk, it would only increase the number of troublesome things. So I clapped my hands roughly and responded to Harris. But the more I did that, the more her anger towards me escalated. Even though I said I wouldn¡¯t talk anymore, Harris blocked me. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re scared of me, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll hate you huh?¡± ¡°Not at all. I don¡¯t care if you hate me or not.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And I read in the book that one shouldn¡¯t avoid poop because you¡¯re scared. You avoid it because it¡¯s dirty.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you because I¡¯m afraid of you. I¡¯m just avoiding you because you¡¯re so loud and annoying, so I¡¯m leaving.¡± Surprised, Harris stared at me, trembling all over. With such a child behind me, I quickly got out of there. I was more in a hurry just in case Harris would stick around. A long time later, of course, the child screamed as if she had grasped my true meaning. ¡°A-Are you saying that I¡¯m a piece of crap? Is that what you mean?¡± I was about to say yes, but I just shook my head from side to side. Well, I was on my way out of the garden anyway, so Harris couldn¡¯t catch me anymore. So I followed Cecilia ahead into my room. But my steps along, with hers, left nothing but regret. ¡®Ha, there¡¯s only one left.¡¯ Most of the flowers in my hand had already fallen off because her hands hit me hard earlier. Slowly I spread out my hand. Then there was only one flower in my hand that looked weak. It¡¯s the only flower I¡¯ve had left to bring to my mom. I felt sorry for myself. I couldn¡¯t help but have lingering feelings. My steps kept slowing down. Maybe she felt that, but Cecilia came close to me. She sounded a little hoarse than before. Maybe she saw the flower in my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed, Miss. We can come back later, okay?¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± ¡°When Lady Harris isn¡¯t around.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 15.1 ¡®Let¡¯s not be greedy.¡¯ I grabbed the rest of the flower tightly again. My life has always been like this anyway. If I try to be greedy, I always lose everything. I just wanted to live happily with my mom, but everything in my life was often taken away. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s just this much.¡± After going out today, the best thing I could do was to bring a whole flower to my mother. Then, Cecilia, who stood up straight as if she had something to say, slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Now I¡¯m going to tell you all there is about the members of this family. First of all, this place consists of the Grand Duke and four children. Oh, it must be five now that you¡¯re in.¡± ¡°Five?¡± I stretched out five fingers. ¡°Yes, there are five of you: Lady Astor, who turned sixteen this year, eight-year-old twins Lexit and Allen, and a five-year-old Lady Harris.¡± ¡°And then there¡¯s me. I¡¯m five years old.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard your name yet.¡± ¡°Bebe¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Bebeshi.¡± Only her head nodded loudly. For some reason, the way she looked at me only made me wince in shame. I was mumbling because of it, but I changed the topic all of a sudden. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anyone named Astor. Who¡¯s that person?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the first of the great family. She¡¯s the next head and heir to the Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ but you said she was a woman.¡± ¡°Yes, as I said so, My Lady.¡± ¡°Can a woman be an heir here?¡± ¡°Of course, Your Highness is a man who puts strength before anyone else. In that respect, Lady Astor is stronger than anyone else.¡± I felt overwhelmed at that moment. I couldn¡¯t believe a woman could be a successor and strong enough to be the heir. I didn¡¯t intend to become the successor of this place, but just hearing those words made my heart pound. How strong was she? The Grand Duke was also strong, but how strong was she? Cecilia continued to talk, raising the corners of her mouth slightly. ¡°Lady Astor is the top entrant to the academy, and she has never missed a senior position. From swordsmanship to magic to being clever; she is that perfect.¡± ¡°I see¡­! But why did you¡­¡± ¡°You can call me Sister.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Why are those ugly twins eight years old when she¡¯s sixteen?¡± It was just out of pure curiosity, but Cecilia¡¯s face turned dark momentarily. I was also worried that I might have asked something I shouldn¡¯t have asked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the story in my room.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± It¡¯s not that we haven¡¯t, but we happened to arrive in front of the room. But now that I came here, the pattern of her visit became a little different. There were usually no patterns on the numerous rooms we passed by, but the room in front of us had a dragon with a knife, known as the mythical animal. ¡°Why is the door different?¡¯ But without a moment¡¯s notice, the door was opened. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Fortunately, no one came into the room while we were inside. I thought someone would come in, slightly touch my mother and electrocute their whole body. However, I do regret that the number of people who antagonize us might decrease a little. Cecilia, who followed, locked the door tightly, and I put the withered flowers beside my mother¡¯s pillow. ¡°Mom, the garden is so beautiful. Next time¡­ please wake up and let¡¯s go to the garden together!¡± There was no answer, but I even felt that my mother¡¯s face had a smile on it today. While I was talking to my mother for a while, Cecilia brought a chair by the bed. That natural act made me jump in there. Then she started talking again. ¡°So let me finish what I was talking about. There is only one woman that the Grand Duke had ever loved. That was Ellinson Eivelant. Grand Duchess Ellinson became ill after giving birth to Lady Astor. So it took eight more years for her to give birth to the twins.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It wasn¡¯t an interesting story, but it was a story I have asked, and at least every single one of Cecilia¡¯s words had engraved in my ears, feeling that it was part of the common knowledge I needed to know for me to live here. Chapter 15.2 ¡°After giving birth to twins like that, the Grand Duke said she would not give birth to any more children. But about three years later, Her Highness Grand Duchess became pregnant again. And that¡¯s how they had their last child.¡± ¡°Is that the one I saw earlier, Harris?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not sure?¡± ¡°When the Grand Duchess was ill, she was kidnapped on their family outing. Half a year later, the Grand Duchess died.¡± My heart sank for a moment. ¡°What about the baby?¡± ¡°It disappeared out of nowhere. That¡¯s why they¡¯re going crazy. His Highness acted like a madman. It was a hell of a time here.¡± Cecilia¡¯s face turned blue as if she remembered that time. ¡°Everything changed after that. Specifically, Lady Astor went to the academy earlier than the usual age after suffering from guilt, saying it was because of her.¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s why a lot have been coming here, calling themselves blood related to the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Yes, especially Lady Harris, who had the Grand Duchess¡¯ pendant.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± In addition to the rumors, Harris looked just like the Grand Duke and the twins I met. Bad luck, especially with Lexit. ¡°She looks like part of his family no matter what.¡± ¡°So most people think it¡¯s true, but we still have to wait and see. Lady Harris does not have the power of the Grand Duke¡­ and is talkative in many ways.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She¡¯s a little boring and predictable. ¡®That¡¯s why the girl named Harris came out so confidently.¡¯ ¡°But it¡¯s a little strange. Did they even ask for money?¡± ¡°After the kidnapping of the Grand Duchess?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There was no such thing.¡± I turned my head away in wonder. ¡°It¡¯s very strange. It¡¯s weird since a normal kidnapping would ask for money before killing the victim, and I wonder if no one in the wagon could protect the Grand Duchess.¡± The kidnapping case didn¡¯t have any clarity enough to make it feel like there was some other intention. Cecilia smiled as if I was not the only one who felt it. ¡°Right, that¡¯s why we don¡¯t fully recognize Lady Harris as his child.¡± Cecilia, whose smile froze, drooped her lips down. ¡°I see, but it¡¯s not for me to care.¡± ¡°Yes, and perhaps the Grand Duke cares more about Lady Bebe than Lady Harris.¡± With what Cecilia said, I turned my head away. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°He appointed me as your nanny.¡± ¡°Does he think that Cecilia is a great person?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s why he sent me to Lady Bebe, so I¡¯m more concerned.¡± I felt a little better at Cecilia¡¯s words. ¡®Does he really care about me?¡¯ Of course, I¡¯m no better than his own child, Harris, but at least I gained his approval. Such thoughts filled my head. And finally, I clenched my fist and concluded. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. I¡¯ll work harder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± I will definitely show him my usefulness. So even if I leave, I will create a future where they won¡¯t let me go. ¡°I¡¯ll be a useful human being!¡± ¡°A useful¡­ human being?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°But your existence itself is already useful¡­¡± ¡°No, they say useless things ever since I was born. I¡¯m one of them now.¡± Cecilia, who refuted my words, closed her mouth momentarily. Maybe she didn¡¯t know. How scary the word ¡®useless¡¯ has been to the point that it haunts me. ¡®Just like a stereotypical noble; a useless little girl who only eats rice.¡¯ Also, I felt as if I could hear those words right in my ears. Thus, I looked up and looked at Cecilia. ¡°I¡¯ll be a useful human being.¡± ¡°Of course you will.¡± Looking at Cecilia, who offered me comfort and care, I slowly approached the window. I was dazzled by the unusually strong sunlight. Come to think of it, spring has come. The first spring of my fifth birthday, when my mother survived without dying, was very pretty. I sat by the window for a long time and looked at the scenery. ¡°Do you like it?¡± My world has always been monochromatic, but now the world glittered before me. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Looking at it calmly, I looked at the window, strangely looking down at the forest, and made eye contact with Cecilia. Obviously, I was on the first floor, and all I saw was the whole forest. ¡°Cecilia, is this on the top of the mountain?¡± ¡°Yes, the Grand Duke¡¯s castle is on the top of the mountain. This whole mountain is the Grand Duchy.¡± Then it¡¯d be easy to get away. I didn¡¯t mean to run away right away, but I always have to be prepared just in case. ¡°But that forest is full of scary animals.¡± ¡°S-Scary animals?¡± ¡°Yes, the silver wolf known for its wickedness is the most dangerous.¡± ¡°Silver wolf¡­¡± Chapter 16.1 It was the name of an animal that I have heard of since I was born. What did she mean by silver wolf? Will it be as beautiful as the moonlight? Does it shine like a star? ¡°It is said that silver wolves serve only one master and are never tamed. From generation to generation, the Grand Duke has tamed the silver wolf. The silver wolf had great power and is dubbed as the King of the Forest. It is also known as the head of all animals.¡± It was then¡­ As if it heard that we were talking about her, we heard the wolves crying in the never-endingly dense forest. ¡°D-Did it just¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she heard you. Maybe she heard you telling her story.¡± ¡°I want to see it.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? It¡¯s a huge wolf you know!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not afraid!¡± The scariest thing in the world was not animals, but people. ¡®I want to see that silver wolf. How beautiful it would be.¡¯ I leaned against the window in anticipation. There was also the anticipation that maybe she would know what I was saying and would come closer. However, no matter how long I waited, the silver wolf never came near me. Instead, Cecilia, who was watching me, went outside shortly after. A few more days have passed. In the meantime, Allen visited me every day and would look at me without a word, not that there was anything special about my face. When I woke up this morning and just got out of the shower, Cecilia held out a flower. ¡°I think Master Allen likes you. He left flowers today, too.¡± ¡°If he likes me¡­ if you see the duck- I mean, Brother, tell him I don¡¯t like flowers.¡± There¡¯s no way I didn¡¯t like flowers. There was nothing more pleasant than someone leaving while thinking of me every day. And at least he left yellow flowers that looked just like me. I just grumbled a bit. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try to tell him that. But don¡¯t you like flowers?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to go to the flower garden because of him.¡± ¡°Really? Then how about going to the garden today? Lady Harris won¡¯t be coming out because it¡¯s the day for a political meeting.¡± Cecilia¡¯s voice was different from usual, as if she remembered that it was not a very pleasant meeting. ¡°Really? Is she not coming out today?¡± ¡°Yes. Lady Harris doesn¡¯t like going to the garden anyway.¡± ¡°Then why is she there on that day?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t know? But you¡¯ll be fine because she goes to every political meeting.¡± I felt like I was hearing Cecilia¡¯s words one after another. ¡°Probably.¡± I guess people¡¯s work can change anytime, so they can¡¯t say it conclusively. ¡°Okay, okay. Then let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to go get the flowers before she comes out.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure your mother will wake up soon if you do that.¡± Even though I kept saying it was okay, Cecilia kept caring about my mother. It¡¯s not okay, but I thought she was saying it¡¯s okay. She even brought in a physician yesterday. She asked, ¡®Would you like me to respond harshly then?¡¯ ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll go and pick an armful of flowers today!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s great. Just in case, I also prepared a basket. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll never lose your flowers like last time.¡± There was a round basket on the table close to the exit door as if she knew we were going out. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Well, since you¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s get ready to go out.¡± As soon as I nodded, Cecilia dressed me as usual. It was a dress as blue as the sky, though the dress was long, just like last time. I also wore the same shoes. ¡°Would you like to stand up?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°¡­Well, the shoes and clothes are so big.¡± Cecilia looked at me for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s okay for me.¡± ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re okay. Last time you went out like this, you came back with feet full of blisters.¡± Well she wasn¡¯t wrong with that, so I only zipped my lips. ¡°When did you see me like that again?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s my job to look into everything about you.¡± Attention was always burdensome. But I think I¡¯m used to it now. As usual, I couldn¡¯t really argue with Cecilia. ¡®But she¡¯s been looking after me for days. I mean, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not a bad guy.¡¯ Knowing that I was clearly hurt by someone, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my heart broken. ¡®I believe I have a good intuition.¡¯ As I continued to justify myself several times, I looked at Cecilia busily moving around the room. ¡°Maybe I should say I need to buy new clothes and shoes. I¡¯m also concerned about your empty dressing room.¡± Coming here, I found out for the first time that it was a dressing room. Chapter 16.2 Cecilia went back and forth between the dress, shoes and accessories in the small dressing room that was connected to the living room and bathroom. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s too little.¡± ¡°Is this really okay? I don¡¯t mind having this kind of inheritance. I like it so much!¡± I spun around in the room. It was so long that I almost fell down for a second but I was caught, and I never fell down like the last time. Rather, I liked it this way. But Cecilia¡¯s face hardened. She went in front of me like she was so troubled that she pulled out a thread and needle. Then she quickly mended my clothes. ¡°Most of the outdoor clothes are short, so it is okay, but you can¡¯t wear those clothes indoors, especially shoes. You have very few accessories.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really okay.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve been wearing Lady Harris¡¯ clothes temporarily, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough. To be honest, it doesn¡¯t make sense to inherit clothes in the Grand Duchy.¡± Cecilia¡¯s brow crumpled up. ¡°I can¡¯t wear hand-me-downs?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore. Even if he disagrees, I¡¯ll have to ask him to change your clothes.¡± I slowly mumbled when I saw Cecilia showing her determination. ¡°Did he say no to my new clothes?¡± Cecilia¡¯s cheeks twitched slightly at my question. ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. Some people, including Lady Harris, thought Lady Bebe would be kicked out soon.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Of course, Lady Harris had done something worse this time. She doesn¡¯t usually go this far¡­¡± The way she was always confident, except when she hesitated because of me, suddenly popped in my mind because I knew my opponent was particularly afraid of me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be intimidated by her.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, do as you normally do. That look on your face doesn¡¯t suit you at all, Cecilia.¡± It was only then when Cecilia¡¯s face relaxed as she rapidly sewed the hem of the long dress from inside. ¡°Yes, I will. I¡¯ll tell the Grand Duke about Lady Bebe while you eat.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Wait for a moment.¡± As soon as she said that, she finished cutting back my skirt and went out of the room. Whatever it was, it¡¯s enough for her just taking care of my meal. ¡°Of course, people should eat something delicious.¡± I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be kicked out on my first day, or maybe I might change my mind on the second day. It¡¯d be difficult to predict the future, so I kept asking for hard bread. Thanks to this, the small space behind the bed was already overflowing with bread. It had a great taste even though it was hard, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll eat it again because I already ate delicious food every day. ¡°Then what should I do with this¡­?¡± I wouldn¡¯t be kicked out for the time being, so I was sure it had become perishable. ¡°If I leave it like that, the mice will eat more.¡± Even with three or five meals a day, the bread storage was already full. Even if I get kicked out, I can¡¯t take that much bread. After thinking for a while, I took out two pieces of bread from a small space behind the bed. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll throw it away because it¡¯s way too old.¡± No matter how hard the bread was, it wouldn¡¯t go bad at this rate, but if all this bread was thrown all at once, it would be obvious, so I split the hard bread into pieces and threw it out of the window. After a few days, it would probably cover the forest. It would only cover a small amount of the forest, but there were many cliffs along the forest. ¡°Throw it like this and the birds will fly and eat it.¡± I split it as small as possible so that it wouldn¡¯t be obvious that I threw it away, and then I sprinkled bread in front of the room for a while. As soon as I threw out all the bread crumbs in my hand, the door opened. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve got your meal ready.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah!¡± I quickly approached the table just in case I got caught. As expected, today was filled with great food. As soon as I heard the word meal, I heard a series of growls from my stomach. What¡¯s wrong with my manners? I woke up in the morning, washed up, and ate. But now I¡¯m hungry. Truthfully, I was craving rice a long time ago. ¡°Then, please eat.¡± ¡°Yes, but will your mother be okay?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, and by the way from now on, you don¡¯t have to bring hard bread.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I want some soft bread now. I like bread with ham in it.¡± When I smiled, Cecilia stepped back, pouring water into the glass. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell them to prepare for it next time. Then, I¡¯ll be right back with the His Highness Grand Duke while you eat. ¡°Oh, o-okay!¡± As soon as I answered her, she went out again. Chapter 17.1 ¡°Is she going out for me on purpose?¡± That was always the case with Cecilia. She was so sweet to the point that she would leave me alone. ¡®I¡¯m grateful..¡¯ I was a little worried that it would be difficult to go somewhere with such an excuse to meet someone. ¡°Uhm¡­ I think Cecilia thinks she¡¯s awake.¡± Every day, my tableware was prepared for two sets. Two glasses, two seats. The soup on the other side was thinner than mine. ¡°Mom¡­ haven¡¯t woken up yet¡­¡± Ordinary people couldn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s been almost 10 days since my mom came here and slept. It was certainly not unusual for Cecilia to be mistaken that her mother had woken up. So I was thinking about it for a while, and I ate in my designated meal position, and I used the other meal position next to me. At least I think it¡¯s better to pretend that my mother was awake. ¡°Come on, she needs to hear him say she can stay here. I wouldn¡¯t like my mom to sleep too long either.¡± I wondered if I should wake her up and let her eat now, but my mother would be too worried. As soon as she¡¯d wake up, I was sure she¡¯d nag about a situation, though that hasn¡¯t happened yet. ¡°But, Mom, sleep a little longer. I¡¯ll be recognized by everyone soon.¡± Still, my mother¡¯s weight had gradually increased, perhaps because she slept better than when she was in our previous place. So I smiled a little and emptied out the food one by one. Twenty minutes after that, I almost finished my meal. Just in time, the door opened with a knock. ¡°Cecilia, are you finally here?¡± But it wasn¡¯t Cecilia who answered my question. ¡°You¡¯ve been close to Cecilia.¡± The sudden voice of a man surprised me and flinched. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°Oh! Oh! Long time no see, Daddy.¡± As soon as I confirmed that it was the Grand Duke who entered the room, I ran to him with a big smile. ¡°¡­Did you say ¡®Daddy¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t like it. I just wondered because you didn¡¯t call me that last time.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± There was silence between us at the moment. ¡°Have you adjusted well?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I nodded at him with the brightest expression I could ever show. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t do it before, but it¡¯s true that I had a very comfortable time here. At first there was some disagreement, but Cecilia, whom the Grand Duke sent to me, was actually a very friendly person. For me, the Grand Duke was a good man who provided me with a good bedroom and delicious food. ¡°Has there been any discomfort?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Grand Duke was a very nice man by any stretch of the imagination. ¡°I guess it¡¯s right that you shouldn¡¯t judge a person based on rumors.¡± The rumors surrounding Grand Duke Genox Aveland, which had come up every time during my past lives, have always been the worst. History was only written by the victors, and he had always been a loser. As I was living in an abandoned Imperial Palace, there wasn¡¯t much information I could hear. There were few who even wrote down the words of the losers in detail or talked about them. ¡®Worst Grand Duke. After a thousand years of history, the Grand Duke of Aveland was eventually destroyed by Genox.¡¯ Knights made a mockery of his great achievement. The only thing I could hear was the ridiculous story. The emperor, even the knights in the palace, did not say what the Duke had done or how he had been captured. Instead, they only cursed at him and called him an idiot. He said that if the Duke hadn¡¯t rebelled against him, he could have lived forever until the collapse of the Empire, but he was foolish. ¡®There was no obvious reason why everyone didn¡¯t understand.¡¯ Although the Duke had the blood of the Royal Family, the blood was weak. Therefore, it was unexpected. However, the Grand Duke rebelled, and his rebellion failed miserably by the Emperor, who was keeping an eye on him. I could tell him everything I know. The reason was that he wanted his own territory for a very long time ago. ¡®There must have been another reason.¡¯ If no¡­ I looked at the Grand Duke in front of me. Did he really coveted the Royal Family¡¯s bloodline and started the rebellion? Rumor has it that he¡¯s crazy and out of his mind, but he doesn¡¯t seem so to me. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s been a while!¡± ¡°I see. I haven¡¯t been here in a while after all.¡± Cecilia always used to say nice things about the Grand Duke. And then she talked all the time about the Grand Duke being a good man, so he¡¯ll protect me. I smiled so brightly at him to the point that I couldn¡¯t see him. ¡®The Emperor¡¯s people are in the Grand Duchy.¡¯ Among them, we could find those who ratted out the Grand Duke in the future. The people of the Emperor were here. That would be the first thing to prove my strength. ¡°¡­Did you miss me that much?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Was he perhaps disappointed? Looking at his face, it was filled with disappointment, as if thinking of it otherwise. ¡°You are quite bold. Ordinary kids want to get my attention anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how you get attention. I will receive it as a useful human being.¡± Rather, as if it were interesting to see me, the Grand Duke, who stepped closer, leaned in front of me. Chapter 17.2 ¡°The more I look at you, the more I see you, the more I wonder. There must be a more comfortable way to get my attention, why not use them?¡± ¡°Easy always goes away easily.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been like that. So I¡¯ll get it the hard way.¡± Because of his interest and the reason why I had to be here, I showed my firm will to him and looked at him. ¡°You sound like an old man. You don¡¯t look like a kid.¡± ¡°What do you mean act like a child?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about that. No one told me. I didn¡¯t know anything because it was my first time hearing that.¡± Before I knew it, the Grand Duke lifted me up like baggage. ¡°Wh-What are you doing?¡± Then he put me on the chair. As originally intended, the Grand Duke¡¯s actions were devoid of unnecessariness. He didn¡¯t move even the slightest bit when I yelped. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be so surprised. I just wanted to see your face.¡± ¡°I was so surprised. I¡¯m not used to you acting¡­ so straightforward.¡± Only then did he let out a small sigh and nod his head. It was as if he was sorry for something. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make sure to tell you and hug you next time around.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Only after hearing my answer did the Grand Duke kneel on the floor in front of me and make eye contact with me. As I felt before, the Grand Duke was very handsome. I haven¡¯t met many people since I was born, but the Grand Duke¡¯s appearance was the best I¡¯ve ever seen. The more I looked at him, the more I wanted to look at him. ¡°It seems like your complexion has brightened, unlike before. You looked like you were about to faint at any moment that day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I look like that, I¡¯m useful.¡± With a forced smile, I stretched my chin towards him. ¡°I think you like the word ¡®useful¡¯.¡± ¡°I hate that word.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying. I am practicing not to do it.¡± At the time when he was about to respond to me moderately with our nonsensical talk, someone poked his head through the gap in the slightly opened door. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time for the meeting.¡± ¡°I forgot about it for a moment. I came to see you before I went to the meeting. Time really flies when I¡¯m with you.¡± My stomach tickled. ¡°Oh, I see. But why did you come to see me?¡± But instead of answering, he reached out to me again. ¡°I¡¯ll lift you up.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you being considerate to me?¡± ¡°No consideration. I said it because you were surprised.¡± Before I even thought, ¡®Is he considerate? Is he kind?¡¯ he held me up again. Putting his hand between my armpits, he rocked me back and forth like the last time. This time, he even lifted me up and down to the extent that I thought he was exercising with me. ¡®This is ruining my dignity.¡¯ I told him to hold me, but I didn¡¯t tell him to rock me like this. My mouth pouted automatically, but he didn¡¯t care much about me. ¡°Looking like this, the clothes are definitely long. I think the shoes are pretty big too.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking at.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but it¡¯s not because I don¡¯t have the intention to give you new clothes. I just happened to have a five-year-old child, so I thought it would fit. I thought it would be quicker to give you those than getting a new one.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Why am I making excuses to you?¡± I relaxed my body as I watched him spat out an absurd laugh. Were you trying to treat me normally, and not treat me differently? ¡®But I¡¯m ashamed.¡¯ It felt like I could see what¡¯s on his mind, with his eyes looking too closely at me. Maybe it¡¯s because his eyes were exceptionally sharp. Eventually, I hastily opened my mouth to distract him. ¡°But I know! It¡¯s not just an excuse. Dad cares a lot about me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Right? And you are not the type of person who would do bad things to me!¡± ¡°You are a little brazen at a time like this.¡± ¡°Hehe, then I¡¯ll tell you more while I¡¯m at it. You know, I saw it somewhere. You have a wish.¡± ¡°Wish?¡± ¡°Yes! So let¡¯s make a wish.¡± ¡°Do you want anything more than a wish?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± This was to join the Grand Duchy. It was more necessary than ever that I become a real child of this family¡­ because it¡¯d wake my mom up. If I join with confidence, my mother would like it. ¡°What a huge wish.¡± ¡°Uh, uh, I mean. It¡¯s not such a big wish.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m more curious to hear that. Do you want a toy that¡¯ll fill the room like the other kids?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then a dress that won¡¯t make you shrink no matter what you wear?¡± A dress that won¡¯t shrink even if I wear it¡­ That would be a little gross. Chapter 18.1 I didn¡¯t want materialistic things. ¡®Oh, maybe I should want something materialistic. If I have lots of money, then I can go anywhere I want to go?¡¯ But the idea quickly disappeared. Even if I ran away like that, I¡¯d be caught by the Emperor. I needed someone to protect us. So I just turned my head away. ¡°What if it isn¡¯t? ¡°Uh, uh, what I mean is¡­¡± ¡°Or do you want land? Or a jewel mine?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I-I just need a document!¡± Unexpectedly, his lips curled up. ¡°One document.¡± ¡°C-Can you do it for me?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, but I wonder how great your wish is. You wouldn¡¯t write all that in a document, would you?¡± ¡°No!¡± I turned my head away again. ¡°I know. You¡¯re not that kind of kid.¡± He looked at me amusingly with a smile on his face, but I did not hate the expression on his face. What a strange person. He was obviously handsome, but the way he looked at people was not that nice. The cold gaze he gave me isn¡¯t all that cold. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in rushing me.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s face turned cold as he instantly shifted his attention to the urgency. It was completely different from the expression he showed me earlier. ¡°You must be eating better than that. I think you gained a little weight.¡± ¡°Yes! Didn¡¯t my cheeks get a little chubby?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So next time, let¡¯s get along like we are now. If there¡¯s anything that¡¯s making you feel uncomfortable, feel free to talk to me.¡± Then he lowered me to the floor. Each and every touch he made was so careful. Somehow, he reminded me of my dead father. Of course, my dad smiled brightly every time he saw me, and the Grand Duke let out a laugh so small that I didn¡¯t know if he really was laughing or not, but his eyes were really warm. ¡®How could he make that kind of expression as if he is misleading people?¡¯ Still, I felt good since I heard that he would grant my wish. ¡°What¡¯s your answer?¡± ¡°Okay, Dad!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the same thing from many children, and they give me different feelings. Yours is especially a little strange.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± After saying that, the Grand Duke went outside. After watching the Grand Duke¡¯s figure get smaller as he waved his hands, I moved my feet and approached my mother. ¡°Hmm! My mood is damn good at this moment!¡± Shortly after, Cecilia came inside. As I was humming and looking at my mother, her face brightened up. ¡°You must be in a good mood.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m feeling great today!¡± ¡°Really? His Highness will love it. You¡¯re happy because of the Grand Duke, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s true that I¡¯m in a good mood, thanks to Daddy.¡± It was then¡­ The opened door closed one step late. It was such a strange timing that I thought it was closed after our topic just started a while ago. ¡®Are they listening to us outside?¡¯ I tilted my head towards the door in wonder, but Cecilia only wondered what I was doing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no. We just started our conversation and I thought the door was closed.¡± ¡°U-Um¡­ is that possible?¡± Unusually a little shocked, she came up to me awkwardly. ¡°More than that, His Highness gave me permission, so you have to choose between the two.¡± ¡°Pick? What do you mean? You¡¯re saying he¡¯s letting me out?¡± ¡°Yes. All the ladies and masters of the Grand Duchess would usually call the salon to customize their clothes.¡± ¡°Ah! I see.¡± ¡°You can do that, or you can go out yourself.¡± My heart pounded for a moment. Going out. It felt like I was flying. ¡°I-I-I want to go outside!¡± ¡°Is that alright with you?¡± ¡°Yes! I want to go out. Not right now, but I¡¯d like to see.¡± The world¡­ The world I¡¯ve never experienced. Now I want to see what I haven¡¯t seen. ¡°And I wish I could be there with my mother.¡± Slowly, I turned to my mother. Cecilia came up to me and trimmed my crumpled clothes while sitting on a chair. ¡°Then first, I¡¯ll ask the Madame of the salon to come to the Grand Duchy. Let¡¯s get some temporary clothes prepared there, and once your mother wakes up, you can buy them altogether.¡± ¡°I love it.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, you¡¯ll have to eat better and take care of yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°We are going out today, so let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Only then did I recall that she said we were supposedly going to the garden. Already away from me, Cecilia lifted the basket near the door. I was about to follow, but I stopped for a moment. ¡®We¡¯re not going to meet her, are we?¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to ruin this good feeling by meeting Harris on this one fine day. But it didn¡¯t suit me to read the countenance of Harris. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s just pick the flowers and come back.¡± If not today, I may be able to go out to the garden comfortably. Having made up my mind again, I followed Cecilia out of the room. Chapter 18.2 But the Grand Duke had no mercy at all. Even his blue eyes were not as lively as it seemed. It was as if the person said one more thing, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t leave him unscathed. That was the kind of anger he had. ¡°Shut up, if you behave like that, the burgess will rampage. Do you know why I haven¡¯t been doing anything this whole time? Did you even think of that?¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°What a nuisance. But I shouldn¡¯t let it slide from now on. If I do, it¡¯ll get as annoying as flies.¡± It was a warning, but the man didn¡¯t even think about backing down. ¡°What have I done so wrong? Your Highness! It¡¯s just a single word. I¡¯ve been living like a faithful dog all this time¡­.¡± It was then¡­. The sword, which I thought was only a threat, escaped from the Grand Duke¡¯s waist and swayed with a sharp sound. I didn¡¯t want to hear it, so I rushed to Cecilia¡¯s shoulder. However, when I got curious, I didn¡¯t think about changing my gaze towards the Grand Duke. ¡°Human beings are no better than lower animals. Your words are not working.¡± He said those words without hesitation, while stabbing the man in the back of the hand that had fallen on the floor. ¡°Argh¡­ Your Highness!¡± ¡°You must be out of your mind, seeing as you know who I am.¡± ¡°Eek¡­ Please s-save me!¡± The man lying on the floor looked around in a hurry and gave a solemn look to the people around him asking for help. Only then did someone else step forward as if he couldn¡¯t win. ¡°Y-Your Grace, that¡¯s too much.¡± At that moment, the Grand Duke looked at the person who was speaking to him with a piercing gaze. ¡°Too much, too much. What¡¯s too much?¡± It was an obvious question, but I knew it even as a child. That I shouldn¡¯t answer that question. ¡°Tell me. What¡¯s too much?¡± ¡°If you say one more word, I will turn anyone into this. Though it is my first time to let it slide, I wouldn¡¯t know the next time around.¡± He looked around carefully, threatening those who did not move according to his will. My lips twitched as I watched it. ¡°I thought you were nice¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± I feel nauseous because he looks exactly like the emperor who abused my mother and I. Cecilia patted me on the back for a long time because I felt something different from usual. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I said a word wrong. He also just said a single word and he just¡­ kicked him out and stabbed him with a sword.¡± The images of people who hit me or assaulted me for no reason and his appearance instantly overlapped. I got goosebumps all over my body at the sight of the one who came to see me in the morning, which was clearly different from the one who came to see me in the morning. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. There must have been a reason.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°I understand that rumors are circulating around about the Grand Duke. But he doesn¡¯t do that for no reason.¡± ¡°¡­He is rumored to be a madman.¡± Just in case, I raised my head and made eye contact with Cecilia. There were visible wrinkles all over Cecilia¡¯s face, as if it was obvious enough that she had aged. ¡°¡­.So is he not crazy then?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say he isn¡¯t, but don¡¯t be afraid anyway. There will be no harm coming towards you.¡± ¡°¡­O-Okay¡­ I guess so.¡± The moment when I was talking to Cecilia. The atmosphere suddenly became quiet, so I focused myself again to the Grand Duke¡¯s position. However, the Grand Duke, who was punishing the aristocrat a while ago, was looking at me. I thought it was an illusion, but even though I was quite distant, his eyes were on me. There was an ample distance between us, so I couldn¡¯t see how he looked at me. I thought he was looking at something else, but when the nobles surrounded him stepped back, he stood upright and looked at me. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit burdensome when he looks at me.¡± It would be less burdensome if he stopped looking, but Harris, who was next to the Grand Duke, also looked at me as he followed the Grand Duke¡¯s gaze. I had a bad feeling for a moment. So I rushed Cecilia. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve picked all the flowers, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes, please. But is it okay if I carry you like this?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, am I not heavy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You are lighter than everyone else.¡± While smiling, Cecilia held the basket on the floor and headed to my room while holding me. Somehow, I looked at Cecilia, who looked confident, and turned to the back of the garden. But the two of them were watching me until I disappeared from there. It was very uncomfortable. As soon as we arrived in the room, Cecilia left for a while to get a pretty vase. I sat in a chair waiting for her and sorted out the fresh and less fresh flowers. Chapter 19.1 But the Grand Duke had no mercy at all. Even his blue eyes were not as lively as it seemed. It was as if the person said one more thing, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t leave him unscathed. That was the kind of anger he had. ¡°Shut up, if you behave like that, the burgess will rampage. Do you know why I haven¡¯t been doing anything this whole time? Did you even think of that?¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°What a nuisance. But I shouldn¡¯t let it slide from now on. If I do, it¡¯ll get as annoying as flies.¡± It was a warning, but the man didn¡¯t even think about backing down. ¡°What have I done so wrong? Your Highness! It¡¯s just a single word. I¡¯ve been living like a faithful dog all this time¡­.¡± It was then¡­. The sword, which I thought was only a threat, escaped from the Grand Duke¡¯s waist and swayed with a sharp sound. I didn¡¯t want to hear it, so I rushed to Cecilia¡¯s shoulder. However, when I got curious, I didn¡¯t think about changing my gaze towards the Grand Duke. ¡°Human beings are no better than lower animals. Your words are not working.¡± He said those words without hesitation, while stabbing the man in the back of the hand that had fallen on the floor. ¡°Argh¡­ Your Highness!¡± ¡°You must be out of your mind, seeing as you know who I am.¡± ¡°Eek¡­ Please s-save me!¡± The man lying on the floor looked around in a hurry and gave a solemn look to the people around him asking for help. Only then did someone else step forward as if he couldn¡¯t win. ¡°Y-Your Grace, that¡¯s too much.¡± At that moment, the Grand Duke looked at the person who was speaking to him with a piercing gaze. ¡°Too much, too much. What¡¯s too much?¡± It was an obvious question, but I knew it even as a child. That I shouldn¡¯t answer that question. ¡°Tell me. What¡¯s too much?¡± ¡°If you say one more word, I will turn anyone into this. Though it is my first time to let it slide, I wouldn¡¯t know the next time around.¡± He looked around carefully, threatening those who did not move according to his will. My lips twitched as I watched it. ¡°I thought you were nice¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± I feel nauseous because he looks exactly like the emperor who abused my mother and I. Cecilia patted me on the back for a long time because I felt something different from usual. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I said a word wrong. He also just said a single word and he just¡­ kicked him out and stabbed him with a sword.¡± The images of people who hit me or assaulted me for no reason and his appearance instantly overlapped. I got goosebumps all over my body at the sight of the one who came to see me in the morning, which was clearly different from the one who came to see me in the morning. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. There must have been a reason.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°I understand that rumors are circulating around about the Grand Duke. But he doesn¡¯t do that for no reason.¡± ¡°¡­He is rumored to be a madman.¡± Just in case, I raised my head and made eye contact with Cecilia. There were visible wrinkles all over Cecilia¡¯s face, as if it was obvious enough that she had aged. ¡°¡­.So is he not crazy then?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say he isn¡¯t, but don¡¯t be afraid anyway. There will be no harm coming towards you.¡± ¡°¡­O-Okay¡­ I guess so.¡± The moment when I was talking to Cecilia. The atmosphere suddenly became quiet, so I focused myself again to the Grand Duke¡¯s position. However, the Grand Duke, who was punishing the aristocrat a while ago, was looking at me. I thought it was an illusion, but even though I was quite distant, his eyes were on me. There was an ample distance between us, so I couldn¡¯t see how he looked at me. I thought he was looking at something else, but when the nobles surrounded him stepped back, he stood upright and looked at me. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit burdensome when he looks at me.¡± It would be less burdensome if he stopped looking, but Harris, who was next to the Grand Duke, also looked at me as he followed the Grand Duke¡¯s gaze. I had a bad feeling for a moment. So I rushed Cecilia. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve picked all the flowers, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes, please. But is it okay if I carry you like this?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, am I not heavy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You are lighter than everyone else.¡± While smiling, Cecilia held the basket on the floor and headed to my room while holding me. Somehow, I looked at Cecilia, who looked confident, and turned to the back of the garden. But the two of them were watching me until I disappeared from there. It was very uncomfortable. As soon as we arrived in the room, Cecilia left for a while to get a pretty vase. I sat in a chair waiting for her and sorted out the fresh and less fresh flowers. Chapter 19.2 ¡°Mom should only look at pretty things. Eat only delicious things.¡± That alone made me feel better, but I kept feeling uncomfortable. Maybe because I saw Harris earlier. ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡± I remember myself complaining about words that didn¡¯t even fit me. ¡°Is that childish? I hate stuff like that.¡± Why do people like that kind of thing? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good. The more I thought about Harris, the more fascinating she was. She¡¯s the Lady of the Grand Duke with a pretty face, but what¡¯s so annoying about her? At the moment when I was flicking my tongue, the freshest and prettiest flowers fell from the table to the floor. Sitting on the chair, I jumped down to the floor and carefully lifted the flowers so that they wouldn¡¯t be ruined and put them on the table. It was then¡­ ¡°Open the door!¡± Someone made a fuss in front of my room. The sound almost stopped my heart. ¡°What a surprise.¡± The flower that fell a little while ago probably foresaw this situation. It was ominous. But the loud noise that surprised me didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Open the door! Open the door!¡± The uninvited guest even knocked on the door, as if she would break it. Not only my hands but also my feet. I thought the door might break soon, so I hurriedly went to the door and opened it. It was Harris standing in front of the door. ¡°Are you avoiding me? Huh? Why weren¡¯t you opening it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to open the door. You got mad even before I even opened it.¡± It was true. She has done everything before I even opened the door. As if what I said wasn¡¯t wrong, Harris had a bad temper with me when she tried to hide her lips. ¡°¡­A-Anyway! Since I¡¯m here, you have to open it right away!¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t made a noise, I wouldn¡¯t have opened this door.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten who I am? I¡¯m the real Lady of this place!¡± Just as if there was no way to express herself but to show her temper, Harris acted so angry. She¡¯s like the emperor who abused my mother and I. Every time he saw us, he was always angry about something not going well. Then the beating session began due to his unknown anger. In comparison, Harris¡¯ hostility toward me was like a joke. ¡°¡­Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes, what am I supposed to say to you, My Lady?¡± ¡°You, you really are this bad? When everyone here hears my name, Harris, they always drop down! Even my brothers and sisters!¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know the reason why.¡± ¡°Oh, so you are like this huh? Do you think I¡¯m your rival?¡± ¡°Not at all. I think you¡¯re the one who thinks I¡¯m your rival.¡± Her voice was so loud that my sleeping mother would be surprised. It was so loud. Those phrases leaked out of me without realizing it. Of course, I knew that would make Harris more fussy, so I closed my mouth quickly. ¡°Think as you please. Then I¡¯ll be going then. I hope I don¡¯t find you like this next time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the catch if you see me like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna tell Dad, aren¡¯t you?¡± Harris, who had her hands on her waistline and made a fuss, laid her arms together. ¡°Oh, so that was it, huh? You¡¯re making all sorts of fuss because you want your dad¡¯s attention? This time, you¡¯re intentionally timing the time you have to go out so you can bump into Dad, right?¡± ¡°But it was about the mess?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, do you have to make a fuss to see Dad?¡± I looked at Harris quietly. Harris was as beautiful as a child who was loved by everyone in the Grand Palace. With a pale face and chubby cheeks, her hair resembling the night sky that was so well maintained that it sparkled as if it contained starlight. What about the clothes? She was wearing a dress so pretty that anyone could see it was a dress for princesses. ¡®She¡¯s obviously the Young Miss of this family.¡¯ ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not true. I don¡¯t have to go on a rampage just to see Dad!¡± ¡°Then why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason. You say you can see Dad without making a fuss. You¡¯re his dear daughter, so why are you doing this to me?¡± It was an innocent curiosity. ¡®It¡¯s like being angry at someone who has everything towards a person who doesn¡¯t have anything.¡¯ There were even three maids and two knights behindHarris. Behind Lexit and Allen was one maid and one servant. And it¡¯s too much compared to a single knight. That¡¯s how much he cared about her, but why was she so anxious? ¡°You are so annoying. Anyway, you¡¯re all annoying. Just don¡¯t come out of this room! Get out of this house!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What? Why do you keep asking?¡± She shook her head from side to side as she insisted on saying nonsense. ¡°Why do I have to go out?¡± ¡°¡¯Cause y-you¡¯re a fake!¡± ¡°But Dad said that I can stay.¡± ¡°¡¯Cause I don¡¯t like you!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like me, go tell it Dad.¡± Chapter 20.1 It was at that time when Harris moved closer to me. Harris¡¯ eyes were filled with anger to the extent that I thought she was really hitting me. Of course, I¡¯m not that scared, because I¡¯ve already been hit countless times by adults. ¡°Then you will regret it. If that woman in the room is precious to you, then you better get lost. What should I do? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll kill your mother. So, if you don¡¯t want to see it, just disappear.¡± I also moved closer to her. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude anymore. And if you touch my mother even slightest bit, you¡¯re going to regret it.¡± I could stand them harming me, but harming my mother was unbearable. The anger I had endured for a moment was unintentionally expressed vocally. All the nearby fires went out in an instant, and a bitter wind blew in the hallway. ¡°Wh-What are you doing?!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything. But as soon as you touch my mom, I¡¯ll do anything. So you better get back.¡± ¡°Hey, you know I¡¯m just afraid of things like this? Do you know how I¡¯ve been living all this time? This is just¡­¡± ¡°How have you been living?¡± ¡°¡­Anyway, don¡¯t be silly. Unlike you, I have a lot on my side.¡± It was then. ¡°Miss!¡± Cecilia, who had gone out to get a pretty vase, hurriedly ran to me. At that moment, Harris took a step back from me. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just talking to her for a while.¡± Harris stared at me and put her finger to her lips like she was making me not to say anything. But she¡¯s not the one who should decide that. ¡°She came up to me and made a fuss. She said she was going to kill my mother.¡± ¡°M-Miss Harris! Are you really like that?¡± ¡°No. She¡¯s lying. Why would I lie to you, as the Lady of the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± At that time, when Cecilia and I were both silent in shame, Harris looked at the people behind me. ¡°Am I wrong? Have you heard anything else?¡± ¡°No. Not at all.¡± ¡°There is nothing particularly problematic though.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? She¡¯s lying.¡± ¡°I, the real Lady of the Grand Duke, can¡¯t be the one to say such harsh words, can I?¡± All were one match. Anyway, I thought it would be like this because all Harris¡¯ maids and knights were here anyway, but it¡¯s so obvious that it¡¯s absurd. ¡®So this is how it turns out.¡¯ There was no such thing as a perfect side for me in the world anyway. Everyone just chose each other at the same time. It was natural to choose the one that had the advantage. I knew it, but somehow resentment crept in. ¡°But I don¡¯t think My Lady lied.¡± Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, Cecilia stopped in front of me. ¡°What? Cecilia, you, a nanny, is on her side and not mine? Do you know what you¡¯re talking about? She called me a liar!¡± ¡°No. I never said that Miss Harris was a liar. I just said that I believed her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Cecilia smiled brightly and hugged me as I stood tall. ¡°Because My Lady doesn¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°S-So you think I¡¯m lying!¡± ¡°I do not know. Until then, I do not know. But one thing is certain, this place is in front of Miss Bebe¡¯s room. And the one who came without a single appointment is Lady Harris.¡± ¡°So what?!¡± ¡°Miss Bebe, would you like to continue talking to Lady Harris?¡± I strongly objected to her resolute words. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t even want to from the very beginning, but when she came, she started arguing. So I don¡¯t want to talk to her any more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what she said, so let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡°Are you, a nanny, kicking me out?¡± ¡°No. We are talking about the will of Miss Bebe. So please leave today. If you have anything to say to Miss Bebe, please make an appointment in advance. I think the daughter of the Grand Duke is not ignorant of such etiquette.¡± Right after the sentence, Cecilia entered. I had to enter the room in her arms, and Harris¡¯s angry voice resounded far outside the room. ¡°Get out! Get out! You both can¡¯t be kept unscathed! Oh! I¡¯m gonna tell Dad about this right now! Hey! Hey!¡± Harris knocked on my door and kicked it to the point she could break the door. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just worried that your mother might get shocked.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t wake up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. It¡¯s a relief.¡± Cecilia, who was still looking at my mother¡¯s bed, clapped her hands and laughed. Chapter 20.2 ¡°Look at the vase. I took care of it and got it. I don¡¯t know how much time I rendered while looking for this.¡± She held out the vase she had brought to me as soon as I finished talking. It looked to me like a normal glass bottle, but maybe it really isn¡¯t. Cecilia, who took it to the window, deliberately made more fuss and shone it in the brilliant light. Then what I thought was an ordinary vase turned into a mystical hue of colors like the rainbow. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°The color changes when you put it in bright light.¡± ¡°Pretty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a vase that¡¯s hard to get. Do you know that this vase is equal to the cost of living for ordinary people for a single year?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ is it okay to get it?¡± ¡°Yes, the Grand Duke is. And this vase doesn¡¯t know how precious it is if it doesn¡¯t get lit.¡± Cecilia, who looked as pretty as a blooming bud, got cold water from a vase and put the flowers I had sorted in there. ¡°My mother will love it.¡± ¡°Yes, I hope she¡¯ll like it.¡± Before this flower withers, I must get the documents and wake my mom up. We should talk about everything that happened here. ¡°Mom¡­ please wait for a moment.¡± In the meantime, Cecilia arranged the narrow table next to the bed and placed the vase there. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± ¡°Yes, the vase is¡­ pretty.¡± The light from the window changed the color of the vase from time to time. Looking at it makes me feel warm somewhere in my heart. It was always cold, like a sprout sprouting in my frozen heart. But that sentiment didn¡¯t last very long. ¡°Thump! Thump! You! I¡¯m not going to let you go. I¡¯m gonna tell Dad!¡± People get used to being hit over-the-top. I briefly forgot Harris, who was banging on the door. My gaze moved to look at Cecilia and the vase. Fortunately, Harris, who was screaming and gave the last warning, no longer knocked on the door. Cecilia, who approached the door and put her ear to the door, smiled quietly. ¡°I think she¡¯s gone now.¡± ¡°Is it okay? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. The sun will never go down on you.¡± ¡°No, not me, you.¡± Cecilia, who was tilting her head, only shook her shoulders. There was no sense of astonishment or worry on her. She laughed as if she¡¯s telling me she¡¯s okay. Like a fool. I didn¡¯t like it, so I just pursed my lips. ¡°Oh! Me?! Are you going to get in trouble?¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting in trouble because of me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I mean for me, that is. And I won¡¯t get in trouble for this much.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want anyone else to suffer because of me, so I¡¯m gonna go talk to her.¡± But Cecilia shook her head from side to side and stroked my head. She touched my head as if she was touching precious silk, as if it was that soft. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even though I look like this, I¡¯m on the same level as the Grand Duchy¡¯s head maid. There¡¯s no reason for me to get in trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be scolded if His Grace scolds me, but he¡¯s definitely not the one to judge. And¡­ you¡¯ve known Lady Harris¡¯s insubordinate whining from the very beginning.¡± Watching Cecilia mumble the end of her words, I also opened my lips. ¡°Is Harris¡­ is she always grumpy?¡± ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t I tell you about Lady Harris? I think it¡¯ll be better if you know about it later.¡± Cecilia, who I would normally have talked about, looked at how I felt. ¡°Huh? No. You can say it!¡± ¡°Will you be okay then?¡± ¡°Yeah. Oh! Will I get hurt or something like that in the same stance?¡± ¡°Usually¡­ it is?¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m weird.¡± That¡¯s what the Grand Duke also said. If it were Cecilia, I would refute this right away, but today. I didn¡¯t do so. I just plastered a smile on my visage. ¡°By the way. Cecilia. What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m weird compared to other people. Do I have to fix it?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to fix it. It¡¯s not weird, it¡¯s something different. The difference is that it¡¯s not how a child would usually act.¡± It¡¯s the same as always. What the hell does she mean by ¡®how a child would usually act¡¯? ¡°What do you mean by that, anyway?¡± I was willing to fix it enough because I wanted to survive here. But Cecilia agonized and agonized for a long time over and over again with my words of worry. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what Miss Harris is like. There are two young masters, but you two have lost a lot of this.¡± I flinched for a moment. That¡¯s childlike. ¡®Hit people, act deceptively, get angry, and even threaten me.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s childlikeness.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a little too much, but¡­¡± For a moment, I envied Harris¡¯ life, too. If I were the daughter of Grand Duke, I wouldn¡¯t have had a hard time like this. ¡®Why should I be born as my father and mother¡¯s daughter? Was that so hard?¡¯ But I quickly let go of that thought. No matter how good a house was, I liked my dad and mom. My father who died loved me more than anyone else, and my mother cared about me as much as her life. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I love myself!¡¯ Chapter 21.1 Even if I go back a little bit, I¡¯ll find happiness in the end. Thinking about those things, I didn¡¯t envy Harris at all. I was not envious of anyone. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fix that. I don¡¯t even know what it means to act like a child, and I like myself.¡± ¡°I like you, too. To be honest, I think it¡¯s okay not to be a little childish. You have your own train of thoughts.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m me. I¡¯m not Harris!¡± ¡°Yeah, so, while you¡¯re at it, tell me some things about Lady Harris? Are you all right?¡± Cecilia was cautious whenever there was a story about Harris. ¡®You¡¯re afraid I¡¯m gonna get hurt¡­ Is that it?¡¯ My mom was always like that, so I didn¡¯t listen to what the knights said, and I used to say that everything they said was a lie. The expression Cecilia made was almost the same as my mother¡¯s. That¡¯s why I had to listen more. My mother was my guardian then, but now I¡¯m her guardian. The men who threatened my mother may be regarded as childish¡­ and I won¡¯t forgive them.¡¯ ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s not too bad. It¡¯s a story about why she became so grumpy. As I told you before, Lady Harris was recognized as a lady because she brought the pendant that the Grand Duchess had.¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it.¡± ¡°But when Lady Harris came here for the first time, and immediately after showing the pendant to Her Majesty, she collapsed.¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± ¡°She is on the weak side. She is more careful because she was discovered as the Lost Lady in the Grand Duchy, and because she thought everyone is on her side no matter what trouble she stirs, Miss Harris¡¯ whining got worse, especially since no one can stop her.¡± Cecilia spoke to me as carefully as she could. But it¡¯s strange as it was, wasn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t know, but the back of my head keeps tingling. ¡°The once Lost Lady¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The baby that was really in the belly of the Grand Duchess¡­ was it really Harris? It¡¯s that I don¡¯t like her. I¡¯m just curious¡­ ¡± I waved my hands quickly in case Cecilia doubted. ¡°I know you don¡¯t feel that way about Miss Harris. You think ¡®She¡¯s really annoying¡¯.¡± I nodded profusely and looked at her as she guessed exactly what I was thinking. ¡°Right! That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Ah so it¡¯s like that. Sometimes you don¡¯t act like a child. You act like an adult the most, especially when you are in front of Miss Harris.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s how I look?¡± How could she get it right? I scratched my head in embarrassment as if I had been caught. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I thought it was ¡®Oh, she¡¯s bothering me again¡¯. Anyway, I did some research on Miss Harris.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°His Highness is not that na?ve. That¡¯s why he did his research. Miss Harris said that an old couple had been raising her for quite a long time before coming to the Grand Duchy. They said they picked up a child wrapped in cloth that was washed up in the river, and showed him the cloth that was wrapped around the child.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°It was the shawl the Grand Duchess was wearing when she went out. Patterns of the Grand Duchy were sewn on it. Everything that enters the Grand Duke is embroidered with the family¡¯s pattern. It meant that it entered the Grand Duchy. Most aristocrats do that.¡± All the evidence proved it¡­ That Harris was a perfect child of the Grand Duke. But why was I so uncomfortable? ¡°There¡¯s evidence, and there¡¯s also a witness, and everyone has come to believe it even without the power of the Grand Duke.¡± What? Something¡¯s wrong. Obviously, I didn¡¯t know anything about this insider story of the Grand Duke in my past memories on whether Harris really was the Grand Duke¡¯s biological daughter. However, without knowing what happened, I kept feeling uncomfortable. I felt like I missed something big. ¡®Did I hate her that much?¡¯ Did I keep thinking like this because I didn¡¯t like her? ¡®I can¡¯t believe I was such a bad girl.¡¯ I felt disappointed in myself. My complexion turned dark because of that. Was this jealousy, something I¡¯ve never experienced before? I didn¡¯t know I had feelings that I had only seen in the book. ¡®But¡­ maybe jealousy¡­ but there really is something wrong. When she was in the palace¡­ Or, who did I meet during my past life? What rumors have I heard?¡¯ Otherwise, it was too much to be simply jealous, nor was it discomfort. I wasn¡¯t sure why. Chapter 21.2 ¡°My Lady?¡± It was then¡­ Cecilia came right in front of me. She sat down and gazed at me, as if she were trying to make eye contact with me. ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay too much attention to Miss Harris. I didn¡¯t tell you that so you could pay attention to what I said today. I just wanted to say that you don¡¯t have to care anymore. That¡¯s what Miss Harris is supposed to be like, and I¡¯m just trying to tell you that this is a situation that happens frequently.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Unusually, Miss Harris doesn¡¯t like Lady Bebe, but that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I just nodded my head. ¡°You are you, My Lady, and that same goes with Miss Harris. You don¡¯t have to mind it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I wanted to say that I was making this expression and acting this way because I felt uncomfortable about Harris¡¯ birth. But for that, I had to bring up things in the past that could be my weakness or my strength. That was one thing about Harris, which was not clear yet. I just looked at her and nodded because I couldn¡¯t say it. ¡®I¡¯m not even going to believe it.¡¯ Actually, I¡¯ve died nine times. I knew the future, and the Grand Duke would die while he was trying to rebel. That happened around my sixth birthday. I just smiled at her and looked at her to see what I could say. Cecilia slowly rose from her seat, perhaps thinking that this conversation was all over. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out and get some snacks.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± It was not until Cecilia had checked out that she sat down by the window. ¡°One year should be left from now?¡± One year from Grand Duke¡¯s treason. But doing treason was not something you do right away just because you wanted to do it. So the Grand Duke must have been ready for quite some time. ¡°Then are they still preparing for treason?¡± I had a lot of questions, but I couldn¡¯t find them right away. First, I should find the bad guys here. Then the memories of the past should come to my mind, especially what the Emperor said. He was more sensitive than anyone else when selecting the family members, but he couldn¡¯t even identify the spy in an important place. He laughed at the Grand Duke. It reminded me of jumping from one place to another. ¡°Poison! That¡¯s right. He said he gave him poison.¡± A hazy memory came to mind. It was definitely about poison. And the killer was¡­ Knock, knock. ¡°My Lady, it¡¯s Cecilia.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah! Come on in.¡± Just as I was trying to figure out the culprit, Cecilia came inside. She came back so quickly that I thought it was a bit much to assume that she had even been to the kitchen. The sudden sound rushed me to the table and sat down. ¡°You¡¯re here early?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve prepared it in advance.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it¡¯s chocolate cake today. That¡¯s why I asked them for me to take it out in advance when they came back from the palace. ¡°Wow¡­! Cake¡­ is that chocolate? It¡¯s my first time eating chocolate cake!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯ll tell them to make something more delicious next time.¡± ¡°¡­Make it for me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was wondering if the chefs and others didn¡¯t like me either.¡± Cecilia smiled slowly, noticing at once that it was because of what happened in the garden last time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Also, the Head Maid heard about the maid afterwards and punished her.¡± ¡°¡­Even if she was punished, it would still be the same since everyone has to be hostile to me.¡± ¡°Not everyone is like that. Don¡¯t worry, especially the kitchen people. They would never do that.¡± At that moment, a good idea came to mind. You have to go to the kitchen to find the poisoner, and if you go to the kitchen for no reason, everyone must be suspicious. Then, was there another opportunity as good as this situation? ¡°I don¡¯t care if they show hostility to me. Ha, but you never know. Maybe there is something weird in my food!¡± I deliberately vented my anxiety on Cecilia. Only then did she cover her mouth in surprise. ¡°No, there¡¯s no one who would do that! That would be horrendous!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know. Are all the people here reliable?¡± ¡°Sure, they all come in through thorough verification.¡± After hearing those words¡­ In fact, it didn¡¯t matter if I put poison in the food or return food I didn¡¯t think I could eat. Because I¡¯ve been eating weird things, I¡¯ve been resistant to poison and I¡¯ve been able to eat a lot of food that I can¡¯t eat. But on purpose, I looked at her with a hurt look. I wanted to hear what I really wanted. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, can I go to the kitchen later?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to see if they¡¯re really trustworthy!¡± Cecilia, who was showing signs of astonishment at the very moment, nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a good place for you to go, but I¡¯ll take you there if you promise me first.¡± It was to make sure it didn¡¯t look like there were any other intentions¡­ ¡®She didn¡¯t notice it, did she?¡¯ Chapter 22.1 I looked at her with a bright smile so that I wouldn¡¯t be suspected. ¡°Really? Great!¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a child at times like this. Eat the chocolate cake first. If you¡¯re nervous, should I take a bite?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to eat it all by myself. Don¡¯t take it away from me.¡± I hardened my face seriously. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯m about to try a piece of cake. ¡°My Lady?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to eat it all.¡± Speaking sincerely, Cecilia had a tense face for the first time. ¡°I think this is the first time you acted this greedy.¡± ¡°The chocolate I had last time was really good.¡± It felt like my whole body was melting. The food called chocolate, which I had never eaten in my life, made my body feel like it was melting in warm water. What did she mean by chocolate cake! Wasn¡¯t cake the type of food that made you feel like you¡¯re flying in the sky just by eating it?! The kind of food I¡¯ve only seen in books has stirred a greedy side I¡¯ve never seen before. ¡°Then eat it all! You don¡¯t have to worry about it because it¡¯s left out by a trustworthy person.¡± I raised the small fork because I was a little curious who Cecilia was talking about, but I didn¡¯t want to know everything about Cecilia¡¯s private life. ¡°Okay!¡± So I ate the chocolate cake for the first time in my life. The cake was so delicious that it made me say, ¡°This is heavenly!¡± It was chocolate that melted in my mouth and fluffy like bread. From now on, I have a new dream. ¡°I want to eat all the big chocolate cakes!¡± It¡¯s such a shame to eat just one piece. I was chewing my lips out of regret and put down the fork. *** The next day¡­ As if waiting for the morning to come, the door was knocked as soon as the sun rose. Originally, it would not have been the time for me to get up, but I was particularly sensitive to the sound of the door, so I quickly got up from my seat. Knock, knock. Cecilia hasn¡¯t come into the room yet because it¡¯s just in time for me to wake up, so I opened the door rubbing my sleepy eyes. In front of the door, I saw Allen standing with his bed hair. ¡°What are you¡­?¡± ¡°You should call me ¡®Brother¡¯!¡± ¡°Okay, Duck.¡± ¡°Not Duck, Brother!¡± ¡°Cucumber?¡± ¡°I said, call me Brother, okay?¡± I¡¯ve never met anyone like him before. Today, Allen looked at me with an anxious look on his face. ¡°So why are you here today?¡± ¡°If you call me ¡®Brother¡¯, I¡¯ll tell you. I brought you a present today.¡± ¡°Present?¡± ¡°Yeah! You said you hated flowers, so I brought something else! Isn¡¯t Brother really cool?¡± When I heard it was a gift, I looked at Allen. What did Allen want from me? There¡¯s no reason for him to be nice to me without any reason. But Allen was a man full of expression and vibrant behavior. ¡°¡­Why are you so nice to me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re my sister!¡± ¡°You have another sibling apart from me.¡± ¡°Oh, Harris? Harris doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ don¡¯t you know? She doesn¡¯t like me because I¡¯m stupid.¡± Allen, who scratched his head, smiled awkwardly. ¡°That can¡¯t be. She can¡¯t like you just because you are stupid. Brother, you¡¯re not stupid.¡± ¡°I said to call me ¡®Brother¡¯!¡± ¡°¡­Forget me saying you¡¯re not stupid.¡± ¡°No. Bebe is the only one who knows my true worth!¡± ¡°¡­How did you know my name again?¡± Allen flashed a gummy smile, as he had waited for me to ask. It was a very different experience. In the past, almost everyone hadn¡¯t shown me such an innocent smile without hostility, but his smile was strangely nice. Thanks to him, I had no choice but to imitate that stupid smile. ¡°Bebe smiled!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t smile! So how did you know my name?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been asking, of course. I have to know my sibling¡¯s name.¡± With his shoulders shrugged, Allen held his hand out to me, which he had hurriedly put behind him, as if he had remembered something. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here today! I¡¯m giving this to you because you called me ¡®Brother¡¯.¡± I could see the shiny yellow wrapping paper. It was so clumsy as Allen wrapped it up separately. The ribbon was shaped, but it was just a tie. It even looked like it could come loose if you dragged it. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Come on, untie it.¡± No, I mean, you¡­ ¡°Is the package ducked?¡± ¡°Was this wrapped by Duck¡­ no, I mean you?¡± ¡°Yes! Hehe. I¡¯m not good at tying ribbons, so they look ugly, but the contents are pretty good.¡± So that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to say about your weakness, huh. Though it¡¯s a very small thing, it¡¯s my first time I¡¯ve ever seen someone say something about their weakness in life, so I stopped for a moment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer me?¡± Meanwhile, Allen rushed me again. So I held the enormous gift in my arms. My father or mother would give me a present, but it was the first time someone else gave me a present, so somewhere in my heart trembled. ¡®Gift¡­¡¯ Just receiving it makes my heart pound. ¡°Come on, come on.¡± Allen kept expecting me to unwrap it, so I untangled it. A pink doll appeared. Chapter 22.2 ¡°Doll? What¡¯s this?¡± The one in front of me was a doll I¡¯ve never seen before. ¡°Is this an animal, too?¡± ¡°Yes! I got it from my dad when I was very young, and it¡¯s in a faraway country. It¡¯s called a penguin!¡± What? What¡¯s that? ¡°P-Peng¡­ Peng? Hmm?¡± ¡°They live in the ice.¡± ¡°Uh, do animals live on ice?¡± ¡°Yes, they live well in very cold places!¡± It¡¯s amazing that there were animals with pink fur, but they lived on ice. They lived well in the cold. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Well, let me tell you about penguins! Penguins like to hang out with each other. Because of the cold weather, they sometimes stick together whenever they have time. That¡¯s how they protect each other.¡± ¡°Protect.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll protect you like a penguin from now on, so you can always be next to me.¡± I really liked his smile. Could someone¡¯s smile be this good? I would feel better and better when I¡¯m told to keep my shoulders upright and believe in myself. ¡°¡­You¡¯re so nice.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°But why does she hate you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just thought about it, and I think I know why.¡± ¡°You think you know?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I don¡¯t go to political meetings. At first, she didn¡¯t hate me that much. She doesn¡¯t call me Brother, doesn¡¯t she? But she doesn¡¯t like me because I don¡¯t do it like Lexit. But she¡¯s as good as Lexit.¡± Come to think of it, I remembered what I heard while passing through the secret passage. Lexit¡¯s voice did not hesitate to speak when in a room full of aristocrats. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m fine! Harris is just whining. But you Bebe, my sister hates.¡± ¡°Well¡­aren¡¯t we, like being on the same side?¡± ¡°Same side?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it. Bebe and I are on the same side!¡± Allen, who smiled brightly, could not hide his expression as if he was really happy. That¡¯s not how it worked though. He was just laughing without hiding his feelings. Somehow, looking at him made me keep smiling. ¡°Bebe is so cute when she smiles.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not cute. And since you gave me a gift, I won¡¯t stop you from coming.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Instead¡­ don¡¯t come to me this early in the morning. I was so surprised.¡± ¡°Oh! Yes! I guess I came too early so I could come see you before the training. I¡¯m sorry, Sis.¡± Only then did Allen look at me and quickly hand me an apple. A single apology contained sincerity. I was so nervous that I was about to cry the first time I received it. How much I¡¯d like to receive such an apology. If I had at least received such an apology from the knights and the Emperor who beated my mother and me, I wouldn¡¯t have felt this anger fill my heart. ¡°Bebe¡­! What¡¯s wrong? Your eyes turned red like a rabbit.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not red at all.¡± ¡°My cute sister. You¡¯re beet red. You¡¯re like a golden rabbit.¡± ¡°¡­Uh. So go now. You said you had to train.¡± ¡°Actually, I can play a little bit, but¡­ I have to look like a great brother, so I¡¯ll be on my way!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Bye.¡± As if he remembered something urgent, Allen rushed to the other side of the hallway after saying goodbye. Standing at the door, staring at Allen for a long time, I waved softly and greeted him. *** Even after Allen left, Cecilia didn¡¯t come to visit. It was certainly not time for me to wake up yet. I woke up early in the morning thanks to Allen, but I didn¡¯t feel so bad. I lifted the doll in my arms. ¡°Penguin¡­ that¡¯s an interesting name.¡± I had read many books in the past, but I had never heard of penguins. It even looked strange. The thick ones that look like wings instead of hands were so short that they felt like they were not enough to use for them to fly. Not only that, but there are beaks like birds. ¡°Is it a bird? But can it fly with such a short arm?¡± Even the color was strange. Overall, it¡¯s pink, but only the belly was white. ¡°He looks like Allen.¡± It looked harmonious, but at the same time not. But I didn¡¯t hate it. Somehow, the squishy yet soft doll comforted me. It was the first doll I¡¯ve ever had. I didn¡¯t hate it at all. ¡°Mom, I got a doll as a gift. You¡¯re curious who gave you the present, aren¡¯t you? Allen is one of the Grand Duke¡¯s twins¡­ and he¡¯s nice! He is a good brother. By the way, I¡¯ve never felt this way before.¡± It was the first time I thought of someone else as my whole family other than my father, who passed away, and Mother. ¡°I want to show this first thing when my mom wakes up. I¡¯ve got a good brother, and most of all¡­ a family.¡± Chapter 23.1 Allen¡¯s eyes glimmered as he promised to protect those who were weaker than me. After chatting for a long time next to my mom, I leaned down with an ¡°Ahh¡± sound. I didn¡¯t have time for Cecilia to stick next to me all day, so I had to take advantage of her absence and finish the bread from time to time. I hurriedly took the bread out of the back of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m going to break it up one more today.¡± I should be able to get rid of all the bread soon. Fortunately, there was no such thing as a mouse eating, or doing so yet. Today, I stood close to the window and sprinkled bread out of the window. On the first day, it was soft, but today it was cut a little bigger and all was thrown out. ¡°It¡¯s all done.¡± Birds and small animals living in the forest would love it. ¡°It must be good for all of them.¡± Having comforted myself so much, I laid in bed to sleep a little longer. *** It¡¯s been more than two days since I got the penguin. The only thing that had changed so far was that I used almost all the bread I had saved up because I threw bread into the forest, and that my brother visited every day. After breakfast, training, and after having lunch, my brother visited me every single day. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to tell you to come here this often.¡± ¡°Huh? More often?¡± ¡°No.¡± Allen clearly told me that I couldn¡¯t get angry when I smiled. ¡®Or maybe I¡¯m only weak for Allen.¡¯ I could be mean to a bright person like Allen. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t know the bad side of the world. No, it¡¯s because he gave me all sorts of gifts. I held the penguin doll tighter in my arms as I carried it around like my alter ego. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to come?¡± ¡°Who said no? It¡¯s because it feels like we¡¯re hanging out in my room. Is it okay for the Young Master of the Grand Duchy?¡± ¡°But studying is not fun. Neither magic nor swordsmanship is fun.¡± Allen, who was lying on his desk, chewed on the cookies Cecilia had brought for me to eat. Any man who stole my precious snack was the worst man in the world. I took the bowl of cookies from Allen and pulled it towards me. Then Allen¡¯s hands, who had been resting, roughly picked up cookies with his hands and floundered in the air. ¡°Oh, where¡¯s the cookie?¡± ¡°Get out if you¡¯re going to steal my precious snack.¡± ¡°That¡¯s upsetting. You mean snacks are more precious than me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± It was around that time that Cecilia, who was watching us, smiled and put down another plate. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve brought you a lot of cookies just in case.¡± ¡°¡­A lot?¡± ¡°Yes, a lot. They can make a lot of cookies, so eat a lot.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± I pushed the cookie bowl I took towards Allen. ¡°What my sister likes is cookies!¡± ¡°Why¡­? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°What are you so excited about?¡± ¡°Everything, especially when my sister¡¯s eyes glimmer. You look like you¡¯d do anything.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to get excited about that. Or tell me something else that Bebe likes.¡± ¡°Something else I like? I don¡¯t know. What could it be? I love chocolate! I think it¡¯s the best thing of all.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Mom! I love her so much!¡± ¡°¡­Other than that, you don¡¯t have a brother?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t.¡± For a moment, Allen¡¯s face hardened a little. His face was so honest, as if he were expressing his disappointment immediately. ¡°Gee, as of now, I am not, but I¡¯ll make you like me soon.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It was then¡­ Cecilia, who was still listening to our conversation, took out a small watch from her pocket. ¡°More than that, Miss Bebe, you have a schedule for today.¡± ¡°Huh? Me? Do I have a schedule too?¡± ¡°Yes, the clothes you¡¯ve been wearing are suitable for grown-ups, so I¡¯m going to match your new dress and shoes today. Maybe Madame is here.¡± Was that what we talked about last time? Somehow, my expectations heightened. What does she mean by new clothes? ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. You remember what I told you then, right?¡± ¡°Of course! I remember. I remember!¡± ¡°That¡¯s today.¡± To be honest, the clothes I had were good enough so I did not need new clothes. They were a little long, but the dresses were all good. The shoes were a little big, so I got a scar on my foot, but they were still great. ¡®I¡¯m all good compared to what I¡¯ve been living in.¡¯ Even when my father was alive, I wore pretty clothes all the time. However, after the new emperor rebelled and became the emperor, I had to wear my clothes until sunset, and not be provided new ones. My shoes were too small to wear, and I was banned from washing. After going through that past and becoming like this in the present, it was enough in every way, but people must be greedy. ¡®This level of greed is fine.¡¯ So I jumped down from the chair. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, but I won¡¯t be too greedy. Just moderately, just a bit¡­ l-like one or two¡­¡± Casual clothes and pajamas; I wish I could wear these two as new clothes. Chapter 23.2 My pajamas were long and they kept getting caught on my feet. But Cecilia shook her head looking at my face. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get at least a hundred.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°At least a hundred sets of suits were given to His Grace, who had been unable to see what he had missed.¡± ¡°A h-hundred?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a little more than usual, but it¡¯s normal. The children of the Grand Duke change their clothes three or four times a day.¡± I was so surprised that my mouth went agape. I then pointed my hand at Allen, who was like a turtle in front of her. Cecilia, who looked at my hand, smiled awkwardly only then. ¡°He¡¯s been wearing the same clothes all day.¡± ¡°There are exceptions everywhere.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ but a hundred is too much.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have any of your clothes, so you have to get that right. But there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll just measure the size and take care of the rest. I was relieved that I would pick all the clothes that fit My Lady¡¯s taste, but somehow I felt anxious.¡± But Allen, who didn¡¯t know how I felt, jumped off the chair and stuck close to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go together! I¡¯ve got to get new clothes!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it not yet time for you to change clothes?¡± ¡°No- well, it¡¯s time for me I guess. I¡¯m a little tall, so I don¡¯t think my clothes fit me.¡± I knew it was a ridiculous excuse. Cecilia looked a little embarrassed because of that. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do, but¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with Bebe.¡± Cecilia, who was mumbling, nodded as if she had no choice. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Cecilia took the lead and went out first, thinking that Allen could not be stopped. I followed Cecilia and approached my mother. On the other side of the room, to my mother who sleeps in a big bed. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be back. I¡¯ll be right back, so sleep!¡± Fortunately, my mother¡¯s complexion gradually returned. Her cheeks, which had been as pale as if they were about to turn to sheet, turned red. Her lips, which had turned blue, also turned pale. Looking at my mother, I put a penguin doll next to her to protect her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Bebe. I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± As if he were something, Allen looked at my mother and greeted me. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± So we came out of the room and called Cecilia. Maybe it¡¯s a road that I¡¯ve never been to. Cecilia took the lead unlike the usual. Allen and I followed suit. Allen¡¯s maid, servant, and knight followed suit. As if my appearance was surprising, the family¡¯s employees stopped around us like last time. But unlike before, no one was picking a fight with me. ¡®That¡¯s because Allen¡¯s here.¡¯ In fact, the employees were surprised to see me, but even more surprised to see Allen next to me. Those views continued until we reached our destination. ¡°This is the main drawing room. It¡¯s usually used by a large number of guests or when they need a lot of space.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Come on in. She¡¯s already here.¡± As soon as Cecilia¡¯s command was heard, the servants guarding the room opened the tightly closed door. It was the first time someone opened the door for me, so there was a bit of tension. Then the door finally opened. I was a little surprised when I looked inside. It was a colorful room that made me feel that it was full of gold. The ceiling was high and the wallpaper was splendid. Even the items placed were decorated with gold. Besides, the size of the room was huge enough to add up to ten rooms I had. ¡°It¡¯s really big.¡± ¡°What I mean is this is a parlor that¡¯s about the size of a small banquet hall.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Allen added an explanation, leading me to a nearby sofa in surprise. Thanks to him, I followed him, hiding my surprise. But there were other uninvited guests in the room besides us. ¡°So rustic.¡± The voice, which sounded as if being poked by a needle, was so obvious from afar and can totally determine who it really was. ¡°Harris.¡± ¡°As expected. It¡¯s the impostor. You must be excited to buy yourself new clothes, right? ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t expect you to come.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the Lady of this family.¡± Allen, who was standing in the middle and listening to our conversation, hardened his face. ¡°Harris, why are you bothering Bebe?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even bother her. I¡¯m just talking a little bit. And Allen, why are you here?¡± As if it was true that she didn¡¯t like Allen, Harris expressed her discomfort towards him. It was as if she was not intimidated towards Allen. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t even call me Brother even now. I guess you haven¡¯t changed even a bit. Harris, I¡¯m just here to get my sister¡¯s clothes tailored. But why are you here?¡± Chapter 24.1 ¡°Madam said she would come to match the clothes of the Grand Duchy Lady, and Astor and I are the only ones in this family, so shouldn¡¯t I come?¡± This time, Cecilia added. ¡°Lady Harris, His Highness has ordered her to match her clothes today.¡± ¡°Shut up, Cecilia. Stop acting strange. Just put more clothes on her that I threw away.¡± ¡°My Lady!¡± It was then¡­ As if listening to our conversation, the door opened and a woman dressed in colorful clothes stepped inside. Behind her came other women with small dresses and shoes. But when she came out of the room, Allen and Harris were there. She looked at us with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to dress the Lady today, but there are more people than I thought.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t like it, Madam?¡± Sitting on the nearest sofa, Harris spat out her tantrums. ¡°No, Miss Harris. Of course I don¡¯t hate it. More than that, I should say my greetings to the Lady first today. I¡¯m Madame Elloine of Henelf Salon.¡± ¡°This is Lady Bebe Abrant, the new Lady of the Grand Duke.¡± As soon as Cecilia introduced me to her, Harris snorted, as if she had waited to do so. ¡°She¡¯s not supposed to use the Grand Duke¡¯s surname, yet she does?¡± ¡°Miss Harris, His Highness has allowed it.¡± ¡°Whether he allows it or not, I hate it.¡± ¡°But if you keep interrupting today¡¯s schedule, which he has ordered himself, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be very angry.¡± ¡°¡­Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Cecilia, who used to spit out opposition to Harris¡¯ words, laughed so brightly that I almost didn¡¯t realize it. Harris pressed her lips as if she was the only one annoyed, but she soon stretched herself on the sofa, perhaps thinking she shouldn¡¯t get out of here anymore. ¡°Cecilia, you¡¯re nitpicking at me about everything. You¡¯ll get a big punishment.¡± ¡°If I am getting punished for just protecting My Lady, it¡¯ll be really sweet.¡± Cecilia, who was frowning as if she was embarrassed, sighed deeply. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll forgive you for being so generous then.¡± For a five-year-old child, it was not enough to speak the language clearly, so it felt strange to see her speak such a bad word as if nothing was wrong. I¡¯m five, but I felt like I was not five. ¡°Well¡­ what should I do?¡± Madame Elloine, who didn¡¯t know what to do with us, finally opened her mouth. Only then did Cecilia take me in front of her. With messy hair, Allen followed me around like a fluffy puppy. ¡°Lady Bebe doesn¡¯t have any clothes yet, so could you measure her size first?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. First of all, I¡¯ve been looking for clothes to wear after hearing about her age and rough stories. If she¡¯s wearing this first, I¡¯ll measure her size and get her dressed.¡± Madame Elloine, who had a thick figure and a sweet voice, pulled a long thread out of her arms and measured my body size. I¡¯d never seen anything like this before. I wore these kinds of clothes when my dad was alive, but it was a secret at the time, so I didn¡¯t have to openly call the Madam to coordinate clothes. I just wore the clothes that children of that age wore. That¡¯s why I felt ticklish from her touch as she traced all over my body. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to measure in detail.¡± As she measured my shoulders, arms, and height, Harris, who was sitting on the sofa, blabbered her mouth again. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why are you so meticulous when she¡¯s about to leave?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°So do it half-heartedly. Just roughly.¡± ¡°No, please measure it thoroughly.¡± ¡°Yes, measure my sister thoroughly. She¡¯ll gain weight soon, so make her back a little broader.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± After mumbling for a while at Harris¡¯ words, she listened to Cecilia and Allen afterwards before moving her hands again. But still, Harris didn¡¯t even think about giving up. After that, when she tried to measure my foot size, she would say she¡¯s doing unnecessary work, and when she asked what kind of clothes I liked, she asked what I should choose. Finally, Cecilia, who was holding my hand beside me, approached Harris. ¡°Miss Harris, do you have any business here?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Then please leave. I want to measure Lady Bebe¡¯s size in a comfortable environment.¡± ¡°So you want me to get out of here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here when you don¡¯t have anything to do with it. I understand that you¡¯ve been getting more clothes recently, Lady Harris.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no place I can¡¯t go. There¡¯s no place I can¡¯t be, but Cecilia, you¡¯re picking a fight with me for everything.¡± Only then did Harris get up and look up at Cecilia. The maids and knights behind Harris threatened to surround Cecilia. Eventually, I ran there after seeing it from a long distance. Chapter 24.2 ¡°It wasn¡¯t Cecilia who picked a fight, it was you, Harris. If you touch Cecilia a little bit, I¡¯ll talk to you directly. You¡¯re the one who bothered my people.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m scared.¡± Despite being obviously sarcastic, those behind Harris fiercely aimed at Cecilia. For a moment, I could feel who the power of this family was directed to and what to do. I shouldn¡¯t turn Harris into an enemy, yet something strong popped out of my chest. I didn¡¯t want to do anything. It was her who bullied me, so I looked at Cecilia and faced Harris. ¡°Harris, stop it.¡± Meanwhile, Allen approached me and stared at Harris. But it wasn¡¯t her who backed out. ¡°It¡¯s a total mess if you¡¯re getting involved in this.¡± ¡°Get back, Brother. Harris wants to talk to me, so you two talk over there.¡± ¡°But Bebe.¡± Allen, who was calling me in a mournful voice, sighed deeply as he mumbled. Then he took Cecilia and backed away from me, thinking he shouldn¡¯t have stepped out. It wasn¡¯t until then that I looked directly at Cecilia. ¡°My people back down, so why don¡¯t you do it too, Harris?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Really? You don¡¯t think you can talk to me?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Or you don¡¯t have to keep them close.¡± Harris looked back slightly as if she had felt something in my words. Only then did the people who looked frighteningly fierce step back. I think Harris looked at their faces and picked the servant or the knight. How could she be so rough? Their expressions were fierce enough to remind me of the knights who used to hit me. ¡°So what do you want to talk about while you¡¯re all beaten?¡± ¡°Harris, are you trying to pretend to be me on purpose?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like you. I have to be the only Lady here.¡± ¡°I guess you are scared.¡± The feelings of a mere five-year-old were no different from mine. For an average home-grown child, Harris¡¯ feelings were not as good as expected. I even thought that she might have lived in hard times, just as I did. ¡®As if she didn¡¯t want to take what she had.¡¯ I thought it was strange when I felt her emotion completely. ¡°Why?¡± Although she lost her parents when she was young, she said that the old couple raised her well. She may have lived in poverty or had less of what she wanted, but she could not be so vicious. ¡®Am I thinking of her for no reason?¡¯ But I felt that feeling in those eyes while she was staring at me. It¡¯s a feeling that only I could know because she¡¯s just like me. I didn¡¯t know because I didn¡¯t treat others like me, but I did feel it. ¡°I am not afraid. Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± ¡°If not, why are you so afraid of me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m afraid of someone like you.¡± ¡°Then stop it. I don¡¯t care about someone like you. But you are different. You keep saying no, but I can feel that you care about me a lot. Isn¡¯t it weird that you care about me so much with all you have?¡± ¡°Ha. You, uh, you¡¯re over-reacting.¡± Harris¡¯ dark black eyelashes trembled as if she was astonished. It was as if she was expressing in a childish manner, yet she seemed honest. Especially for a five-year-old, she¡¯s a good speaker. It¡¯s kind of weird. Was it something to do with this awkwardness? My heart kept pounding ominously. That¡¯s one of the things I¡¯ve heard in my past few lives. They told me that a child was disgustingly good at speaking. I thought it was because I lived there many times. ¡°Then why does Harris speak so well?¡± There must be something about Harris who speaks as well as I do. Others may think she¡¯s just a good talker and smart kid, but I don¡¯t think it was just that. The terrible discomfort I got whenever I saw Harris was probably because of those things. It was then¡­ At that moment, somewhere in my chest became stuffy. No, it¡¯s hot and stinging like someone was burning my heart out in the sun. I noticed what this raw sense was at once. ¡°Mom!¡± The magic hanging on my mother was breaking. I was sure someone was attacking my mother. After talking to Harris a little while ago, I quickly turned away. ¡°Hey. Who are you? Why are you talking like that? Why are you turning all of a sudden?¡± Chapter 25.1 Harris quickly tried to stop me by standing in front of me due to my response, but I couldn¡¯t see her. Mom. Mom. The thought of her alone in the room filled my head. I don¡¯t remember how I acted after that. ¡°M-My Lady?¡± I remember Harris saying something to me, and Cecilia called out to me in shock. I even tried to get out of here by grabbing the hem of my skirt. But when I woke up, I couldn¡¯t even get out of the door. I was stuck in trance. Even her staff were blocking me, knowing that they wouldn¡¯t let me out. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Harris, who was right in front of me, moved in the same direction as me whenever I tried to move. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± ¡°Why? Are you trying to run away? You don¡¯t think you can talk to me, do you?¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing? I said I need to go.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Why are you acting so rudely? You haven¡¯t even finished your sizing yet, have you?¡± Anger rose. I had to run right away, but I kept thinking, ¡°Should I use my powers right now?¡± in a situation where someone is blocking me. It was then¡­ Someone grabbed my trembling hand. It was Allen. Even Allen stuck close to her as if he were going to hit her right away. ¡°Get out of the way, Harris.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m your brother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not. You¡¯re a disgrace to the family.¡± ¡°Why am I a disgrace?¡± ¡°You have the power of the Grand Duke, and you don¡¯t even think about using it. You¡¯re just going to do something else to meet with someone, is that all you¡¯re going to do? Isn¡¯t it a shame that you¡¯re playing with a fake like that, throwing me away, your real sister?¡± Allen¡¯s face, which didn¡¯t react much at first, became more and more stiff. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you swear at me, but I can¡¯t stand the¡¯ fake this¡¯, ¡®fake that¡¯ and bad-mouthing Bebe.¡± At the moment, Allen¡¯s body exuded a great amount of cold air. Allen¡¯s power, like last time, was close to intense. It was a more frightening force that he did so. It became natural for those around to bow down in a hurry. It was so powerful that it was hard to stand still. The first person to sit down was Harris. ¡°What are you doing?¡± One after another her maids and knights sank to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bebe.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Thanks to him, the path that I thought I could never pass opened. But Harris crawled on the floor and grabbed Allen¡¯s leg. ¡°She¡¯s the one who tried to go without following the rules!¡± ¡°Behave, Harris, or I¡¯ll kill you if you bully my sister again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your sibling!¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s weird. I¡¯m sure everyone says you¡¯re my sister¡­ but I don¡¯t understand why.¡± Harris, who sat on the floor, looked up angrily and stared at Allen, but Allen only passed Harris. I quickly got out of there with Allen like that. It wasn¡¯t hard to come out because there was no one to stop us. But Allen grabbed my hand out of uneasiness. Then he started running. His hands were so warm and big that I teared up at the thought of him really being on my side. It¡¯s all because my mother¡¯s mana shroud broke. With that in mind, I ran faster and faster right after Allen. Allen was much faster than I expected. I thought he was just a boy who was taller than me, but he¡¯s so fast. I couldn¡¯t breathe thanks to him. ¡°Pant, pant.¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there, so hang in there. Do you want me to carry you on my back if you¡¯re tired?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Rather, Allen looked at me quietly and nodded as if he was more anxious than me. Not long after, we arrived in front of my room. It wasn¡¯t originally a crowded hallway. No wonder I came out of my room and walked for a long time to see the staff. But it¡¯s very strange that it¡¯s so quiet. Even beyond the closed door, an unknown energy spread. It gave off a sense of danger. My hands trembled, and I had to open the door, but my feet gave away easily. On behalf of me, Allen suddenly opened the door. ¡°Gasp.¡± As I hurried inside, I saw three people wearing black masks. My room was a simple structure consisting of a large living room, a dressing room, and a bathroom. The bed was in the corner of the living room. Therefore, it was immediately visible to whom the assassins were targeting and what they were doing. ¡°M-Mom¡­¡± Chapter 25.2 As soon as I opened the door and stopped in my spot, the assassins looked at us with uncomfortable expressions. ¡°Well, damn it. I told you no one was coming!¡± ¡°Ha? Assassins in the Grand Duchy. You¡¯re shameless.¡± As if they were more surprised than us, the assassins were busy making a fuss among themselves. Looking at them, Allen stared at them with a blank face as if he were someone else. Fortunately, as soon as we appeared, the assassins slowly approached us. ¡°What do I do now?¡± ¡°Captain, I think we should kill her later as¡­¡± ¡°No. We should kill her. Then we don¡¯t have to come back here.¡± However, I was completely wrong to assume that he would pay full attention to us. ¡°But the attack didn¡¯t work the way it said about her. I thought she¡¯d be struck by lightning.¡± ¡°Oh, shit. Who knew that would be at stake? The Grand Duke¡­ Did the Grand Duke care that much about her? Enough to cast a protective spell? ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything like this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s run away first. Captain. Oh, don¡¯t just stand there!¡± The assassins, who seemed to be worried about the situation for a while, slowly moved away from the bed while looking at us. They approached the window as if they would run away. ¡°You¡¯re running away.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything, so you¡¯d better step down like this. Do you think two kids can stop us?¡± ¡°Enough. I can¡¯t let you guys run away.¡± Allen lifted a nearby light stand as soon as he finished speaking. Then he pulled out all the stuff and threw them at the assassins. At that moment, the light stand hit the feet of those who were trying to escape. ¡°Ugh!¡± Thanks to its enormous mana, it was a threat even though it was just a light stand. ¡°A-Are you trying to intimidate us with just that, Y-Young Master? The assassin, who was mumbling a little scared, quickly pulled out a knife. ¡°When you pick up a knife, you¡¯re fighting with your heart. You guys have no regrets, do you?¡± ¡°C-Captain!¡± ¡°What shall we do?¡± ¡°Darn it. K-Knock him out! No one¡¯s coming yet.¡± ¡°Ha, but¡­¡± ¡°They are just two kids!¡± Perhaps they decided to do so, but the other two quickly pulled out their swords. At that moment, the atmosphere in the room changed. The ideal situation was for someone to follow us in and help us, but no one followed us earlier. This was because a mana was unleashed so Harris¡¯s employees could not enter, along with Cecilia and Allen. ¡®Brother could be in danger.¡¯ Even now, he¡¯s trying to protect me, and he¡¯s looking for weapons around him. But the power was almost so intense that it¡¯d be a burden to the involved parties. It¡¯s a force that could even hurt yourself. So I grabbed Allen¡¯s arm in front of me. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bebe. Your brother will protect you.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t do that, I¡¯ll figure it out. Will you accept me if I do this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ secret between you and me.¡± I smiled and looked at Allen. As if surprised unexpectedly, Allen only widened his eyes, but it didn¡¯t take much to deal with those guys. That didn¡¯t stop me from fainting, but at least I¡¯d be up in half a day. ¡°What do you mean? Bebe, come on, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± My brother¡¯s face turned pale as I walked past them. I smiled as if I shouldn¡¯t worry about him. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die. I can¡¯t let you go like this.¡± I condensed the forces that flowed through my body into one. Then I reached out to those in front of them. At that moment, the forces I had gathered quickly attacked the men. As if to speak for my mind, the sharp force of the blade hurt all of their bodies. ¡°What the hell is this!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not gonna die.¡¯ ¡± ¡°Darn it. That girl didn¡¯t say she¡¯d use her power!¡± Someone who called my brother ¡®Young Master¡¯ and the one who thought my mother was here called me a little girl. I wonder if the Emperor sent it. I thought it was possible enough, but if the Emperor sent them, he would have asked to bring Mother and I back alive with them. Then, was he the servant of the Grand Duke who hated my mother? There was more credibility there. Whatever it may be, Allen and the Grand Duke will take care of it later. I looked at them scrambling to avoid the attack, and then I fell down with my knees on the floor. Then I touched the floor. ¡°I¡¯d kill you right now if I could, but I¡¯d have to find out who you are first.¡± Go to sleep. Enough not to kill them. With that emotion, I let the power in my hand flow to the floor. ¡°Ugh!¡± Within seconds, the assassins fell to the floor one by one. While using all of my strength, I covered my mother with another layer of mana protection. Only then did I sigh and take off my hand on the floor. ¡°B-Bebe!¡± Allen, who was looking at me a few steps back, rushed to me. ¡°Bebe! Bebe! Did you just use your power?¡± Chapter 26 ¡°B-Brother.¡± I laid down proudly on Allen¡¯s knee, who collapsed next to me. ¡°It¡¯s too much to lie in bed, so I¡¯m going to lie down on your leg.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now¡­¡± Allen looked at me with a surprised look, and he didn¡¯t even seem to recognize that I am already lying on his leg. As expected, a fool is always a fool. ¡°Come on, are you really asleep? Are you sick or something?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just sleeping for a while, so you can¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± I showed this to him because he¡¯s the brother who protected my mom and I. My secret power. This is the only fact that only the Grand Duke knows. ¡°Well, what do you mean? Huh!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not¡­ If you want to protect people, you have to be stronger. Silly brother. Good night.¡± ¡°Now, wait, Bebe¡­¡± ¡°I wish you were in front of me when I opened my eyes again¡­¡± He spat out and whined towards me, but then I closed my eyes slowly. It¡¯s been a long time since I used my power in front of others and telling my secret. But I¡¯m not afraid at all. Because I saw his eyes while he hugged me. Harris treated her brother like an idiot, but I saw a bit of his aura. He was stronger than anyone else. And I¡¯m not afraid. So I smiled and closed my eyes. See you in a little while. That¡¯s how I fell asleep in a sullen way. As soon as Bebe fell asleep, Allen¡¯s face turned white. ¡°Bebe! Bebe! Bebe!¡± Bebe, who seemed weak enough to collapse, suddenly used a lot of strength and fell down. He couldn¡¯t believe she really fell asleep. Allen held Bebe lying on his leg in surprise and shook the child vigorously. ¡°Bebe!¡± Meanwhile, Cecilia, who warmed up first in the drawing room, jumped into the room. ¡°Oh, my God. What¡¯s going on here? M-My Lady?¡± She wanted to follow them right after, but the people in the parlor, including Cecilia, were still lying on the floor and could not get up. Only Cecilia overcame the power in an instant and entered the room. However, as Cecilia entered the room at Allen¡¯s scream, her face turned pale. She quickly grabbed Bebe¡¯s arm lying on the floor. ¡°M-My Lady¡­ My Lady?¡± Cecilia¡¯s hands trembled for fear that her Lady had gone wrong. Fortunately, Bebe was just sleeping in Allen¡¯s arms. ¡°Ha¡­ Lord, she must be sleeping.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Only then did Allen, who was screaming as if the world was collapsing, came to his senses. Allen, who leaned over Bebe¡¯s nose, sighed in relief, whether he believed Cecilia¡¯s words or not. ¡°I thought I was in trouble. I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m glad.¡± Allen¡¯s lips had turned blue, as if the shock still lingered. Only after confirming that Bebe was fine did Cecilia look around. And what she saw was an assassin lying on the floor. ¡°A-Assassin! What¡¯s going on here? Y-Young Master!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, there was an assassin¡­ and Bebe defeated them all. And then I fell down.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­ I can¡¯t just let the other people come here- I can¡¯t leave those two alone¡­ ¡± Cecilia¡¯s legs were shaking because it was the first time she had seen an assassin as a nanny in the Grand Duchy. Cecilia, holding a nearby silver tray in her hand, managed to get up from her seat and hit the assassins on the head once in a while. Slap, slap, slap. When the assassins still didn¡¯t wake up even though there was a loud noise, Cecilia was relieved only then. ¡°Fortunately, Young Master, I guess they¡¯re not pretending to faint.¡± ¡°Really¡­ Did Bebe¡­ Did Bebe defeat them?¡± It was then¡­ As Cecilia came in, someone stepped inside through the door that she had left open. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± * * * The room was filled with cold energy as if the surroundings would freeze right away. The thick atmosphere caused people to freeze. Allen, who never collapsed in the presence of power, and Cecilia, who was immune to magic, also collapsed. ¡°I thought my strength and other people¡¯s energy filled the Grand Duchy, but it was Bebe.¡± ¡°Dad, Bebe is¡­¡± Meanwhile, Allen managed to speak up as if to tell the Grand Duke what had happened to her. But he held Bebe in Allen¡¯s arms without giving him a single glance. As if this had happened frequently, he held the expressionless child and laid her next to his mother. Sitting on the floor, Allen managed to move his shaky legs to the bed. ¡°Can you get up, Allen?¡± ¡°¡­ Bebe¡­. will she be alright?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°B-But¡­¡± The Grand Duke relaxed a little when he saw his son, who would normally have given in to his power and would not have even thought of getting up, barely get up and come next to him. Only then did Allen stand up straight and make eye contact with him. ¡°Is she going to be alright? Did you¡­ did you know that?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, that. Did you know that?¡± ¡°There was a side effect whenever Bebe used her strength. And Allen, you don¡¯t have to worry, either. Didn¡¯t I tell you something before this kid collapsed?¡± Only then did Allen, who was moving his mouth as if he had a lot of questions, close his mouth. The Grand Duke smiled timidly at his son. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing to worry about. But you have to tell me about this situation, Allen. How did this happen?¡± Allen, who had been looking to see if Bebe was okay for a long time, nodded as if he had been waiting for it. ¡°Be honest with me? Or¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest.¡± But Allen couldn¡¯t open his mouth easily, because everyone in the Grand Duchy loves Harris. It was because of the concern that Bebe might be harmed after talking about what happened earlier. ¡°Tell me everything. I¡¯ll listen and judge after.¡± The Grand Duke, who knew roughly what Allen was worried about, pressed further. Then Allen opened his mouth slowly. ¡°She was just adjusting her clothes, but Harris picked a fight with Bebe.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, it was today. Today was the day we decided to match Bebe¡¯s clothes.¡± ¡°Yes! But she ignored everything and just got her size measured. Bebe suddenly said, ¡®Mom!¡¯ and tried to run away, but Harris stopped her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She seemed in a hurry, so I brought Bebe here, and there were assassins, and I stopped them from running, but¡­¡± The Grand Duke stroked Allen¡¯s hair firmly. ¡°After that, Bebe put her strength to it.¡± Allen, who hid what Harris had done as much as he could, spat out everything that had happened and looked at the Grand Duke. Will he be angry? He didn¡¯t care if his father was angry at him. But what he said¡­ He was just afraid that Bebe would be in an awkward situation, so Allen only rolled his eyes after a long time. At that time, the Grand Duke gave his son a short smile. ¡°Both of you did well.¡± ¡°Did we really do a good job?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Only then did Allen smile as brightly as usual. ¡°How fortunate. Dad, will Bebe be all right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. She¡¯s a strong child.¡± ¡°Well, if she¡¯s¡­ then it¡¯s like that. She¡¯s always right.¡± Nevertheless, Allen¡¯s eyes were shaking. Looking at Bebe lying on the bed, Allen pursed his lips and covered Bebe with a blanket. ¡°I said I¡¯d protect her, but I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°But you did a good job. You are still young after all, Allen.¡± ¡°¡­Bebe is so strong.¡± ¡°Allen.¡± The Grand Duke shook his head at the sight of Allen, who kept turning everything into his fault. But it doesn¡¯t make him feel better. He opened his mouth to speak. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll protect her next time, so that Bebe doesn¡¯t fall down.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°So I should be strong. Dad, I¡¯m going to be good at training starting today.¡± Allen¡¯s eyes became vibrant. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll protect her. I won¡¯t let Bebe fall again.¡± There were many things he didn¡¯t understand, but Allen was determined to do so. Bebe acted just like how he was as a child. She hid her heart tightly. She used to keep her mind at a distance that she had to keep his distance. That¡¯s why he fell in love with Bebe rather than Harris, who said he was his real sibling. During his childhood, he lost his mother and his world changed. The always happy Grand Duke did not even talk to them so as not to hurt each other. ¡®Because I was the last one to see her.¡¯ Allen¡¯s face hardened as if he remembered that day. Allen¡¯s mother, Grand Duchess Ellinson, was kidnapped in her wagon. And it was Allen who was there until the end. The rest of the family went to a nearby pond while the wagon stopped for a short break, and Allen stayed there with his mother. But the sudden appearance of the assassins threw Allen out of the carriage and kidnapped the Grand Duchess from their wagon. Allen quickly found his father, but he couldn¡¯t follow the carriage due to their children. That¡¯s because of the anxiety that there might be another assassin. The knights of the Grand Duchy hurried off to find the wagon, but nothing could be found. ¡°If my power was stronger, my mother wouldn¡¯t have been like that.¡± Chapter 27 Allen was always intimidated by the guilt. Everyone said to him it was okay, but he felt like he was the one who made his mother do that. The reason why he didn¡¯t want to be strong was because he thought it¡¯d be pointless for his mother to be strong. ¡®But¡­ I want to protect Bebe.¡¯ Bebe, who acted just like him a few years ago, was doing as much as she could to avoid getting hurt and was concerned for him. So the child clenched his fist. After that, he smiled quickly at Allen¡¯s change, who he had always been indifferent to. ¡°Are you ready now, Allen?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be strong.¡± ¡°Yes, I like that feeling. Now try harder.¡± ¡°Yes, I need more training, Dad.¡± ¡°Okay, then you should get out of here, because I have to finish my work here.¡± ¡°Huh? Do we have to go out? Bebe is over there. Bebe said she wanted to see me first when she opened her eyes. Not wanting to leave, Allen looked at the Grand Duke for a moment. ¡°Then come back a little later.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± It was worth more, but Allen went faster than ever, as he saw his face hardened in an instant. ¡®Don¡¯t touch her.¡¯ With the instincts of a beast, Allen recognized the meaning of the Grand Duke¡¯s gazes. If there was anyone who would touch her, he stood there as if he would bite their throat. His affectionate talk to Allen disappeared in a blink of an eye. Allen, who hesitated as if he regretted it, quickly went outside. It was then when Cecilia, who had finally risen up, knelt before the Grand Duke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡­ I-¡± ¡°Cecilia.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Since when did my people kneel everywhere?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ ¡± The atmosphere changed rapidly. The Grand Duke, who had been showing signs of ferocity until a while ago, leaned toward Cecilia. ¡°I never ordered anything like that. Now get up.¡± ¡°¡­B-But.¡± ¡°Look there, Cecilia. Only you ran after the children. Where¡¯s the rest?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ of the strong power that the others sank into their seats¡­¡± ¡°But you came, Cecilia, and you were the only one worried about the kids. This is not a punishment. I don¡¯t even feel it¡¯s your fault.¡± Nevertheless, Cecilia did not stand up easily. This was her fault even though he said it wasn¡¯t. It could have been a disaster due to the assassins. She kept her head down at the thought of asking for punishment for herself. ¡°But, Your Grace, I couldn¡¯t protect the two of them. Everything was over and I just came in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. You did your best.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°If you really want to be punished, I¡¯ll figure it out later. So for now, back off.¡± She couldn¡¯t stand to say that. Cecilia, who had been agonizing, bowed her head and went outside. The Grand Duke, who was looking at Bebe for a moment, pressed his lips as he looked at the assassins who had not been able to wake up. ¡°I almost harmed my children and my guests¡­ I guess there is a possibility.¡± His eyes turned to the open door. It was only then that the servant and the knight outside rushed inside, looking at the atmosphere. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°These days, something strange is happening. The vassals of the Grand Duke ignore my commands, and now there are assassins in the Grand Duchy, where there should be no attacks.¡± ¡°We are sorry, we¡¯ll find out about this.¡± ¡°If you could just find out, Jean-Leox.¡± The man with brilliant blond hair, who did not match the atmosphere, briefly crumpled his face toward the Grand Duke who reacted sharply to him. ¡°I almost lost two children out of nowhere. The Grand Duke put the guest in danger who allowed her to stay there as he commanded.¡± Rather, he would have been less afraid to be angry, but the Grand Duke was not angry for just a little bit. It was rather very calm. He was like a bomb that was about to explode. ¡°Leox, I can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t believe this is happening in the Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do a thorough investigation right away.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it, Leox.¡± At that moment, he raised his head. Anger rose in the eyes of the Grand Duke, who spoke in a calm tone. ¡°I thought you would know if you came into the Grand Duchy at the mercy of the nobility and took the place of the commander of the Knights. How sensitive I am about security because of the past.¡± ¡°But th-that¡¯s¡­ ¡± ¡°But the ship has already left. If I didn¡¯t do well, all three of them would be in danger. Would you have said you¡¯d still be investigating by then?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s-¡± ¡°Are you going to start investigating after a person dies? The mere presence of an assassin here proves how disrespectful you are.¡± Leox, who had nothing to say every single word, was just drooping his head to the floor. ¡®It¡¯ll be fine in no time.¡¯ It was always like that. He was the eldest son of Count Bertram, who was famous for being a servant in the Grand Duke¡¯s family. Because of that, the Grand Duke did not abandon him even after a few minor accidents, so it would be the same this time. Angry as always, but that¡¯s all. But the expectations quickly subsided. ¡°Leox, Leox Bertram. I¡¯ve given you a punishment. From this moment on, I will demote you as a layman.¡± ¡°Y-Your Grace, p-please d-don¡¯t do it. Not l-like th-that!¡± ¡°Why? Do you want me to kick you out instead?¡± ¡°Oh, no, not that. It¡¯s impossible to make me a layman just because of this. My family, Bertram, has been a duke¡¯s servant for generations¡­¡± At the word, the Grand Duke slowly raised his head up. At the moment, Leox realized something. He said something ridiculous. ¡°God. God. Good. Those deities who keep me like a beast in our midst and do as they please in the name of protecting the Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°Oh, no. No way¡­! No. All the vassals are for the sake of Your Grace the Grand Duke¡­¡± ¡°Talk more.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how those people who are gone say the same thing in a boring way. Leox, aren¡¯t you going to talk about something else? Can I look forward to it?¡± Despite the obvious sarcasm, Leox did not hesitate a little. No, if he did something wrong, he¡¯d have to be demoted from knighthood, so he was desperate. Somehow he had to reverse the words of the Grand Duke. ¡°Please listen to me. Grand Duke, I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening, so keep talking.¡± ¡°¡­It is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been sitting there like a lamb like everyone all this time, haven¡¯t I? I was a little tired of living like this. So I stayed still, and I don¡¯t want to live like this anymore.¡± ¡°Well, Your Grace.¡± ¡°There are more than one or two annoying things in the way. It¡¯s my fault that Ellinson¡¯s lifeline has kept me so skeptical since then.¡± Leox¡¯s face gradually hardened as he looked at the Grand Duke¡¯s complaints. He talked as if he had lived a decent life, but the Grand Duke could not have lived a decent life. How many times has a man disappeared overnight? He was at the center of that, and he lived a decent life. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I couldn¡¯t be spoken to like this.¡± ¡°I know I can¡¯t be forgiven for anything I¡¯ve done wrong. But¡­¡± ¡°You know, I won¡¯t forgive you. So, now get the hell out of here.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve given me a chance to say enough, and you¡¯re the one who missed all those opportunities.¡± The eyes of the Grand Duke cooled once again. He knew exactly what it¡¯s like to feel stiff all over. No. To be exact, the Grand Duke was looking at him and letting off a strong spell. His power was so strong that it was hard to stand in place. Although he knew that it would be a complete defeat if he sat down there, Leox¡¯s body gradually sank to the ground. ¡°Why can¡¯t I even straighten my back? Now you realize where you are.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± As if it were getting harder to even speak, Leox trembled. The gravity that weighed several hundred times his weight, spread only in his space. ¡°Why? Do you still have something to say?¡± ¡°Save me¡­ Save me¡­¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to kill you?¡± He, who was looking at his lips, stared at Leox. ¡°Please¡­ please¡­¡± ¡°Get out if you want to live. Get out there and get a deputy commander to replace you, Leox.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ just once¡­ please¡­I¡¯m so so-¡± ¡°You cannot reverse what I say. If you want to live, get out.¡± He had to hang in there, but if he thought he¡¯d die this way, he walked out to the way out. His body, which was about to die when he tried to hold out, got better as it got closer to the door. It wasn¡¯t until he arrived at the exit door that he stopped right away. He¡¯d like to ask him to do something that wasn¡¯t in there again, but Leox was afraid. ¡°If I go back, I might die. Next time, the leader¡¯s job is supposed to come back to me anyway.¡± None of the family members, except for himself, was the successor of the Musin family, who has been the leader for generations. The household staff would surely stand for themselves if this was told to them. Chapter 28.1 Because of that, Leox turned away while mumbling. This was because he suddenly remembered the Grand Duke¡¯s order to call in the Deputy Chief. While Leox moved away from her room, the Grand Duke looked at Bebe. He calmly stroked Bebe¡¯s messy hair. ¡®You¡¯re such a great kid.¡¯ His heart spoke deep inside as he observed the five-year-old struggle to live. As soon as Bebe came here and heard that she was the secret child of the previous Emperor, he investigated the matter. Surely there was no credible story about Bebe. It was only said that the toys of the current Emperor were in the abandoned Eastern Palace. And there was news that the current Emperor lost his toy. Nothing was revealed about what was in it, but the fact that there was a child in front of him and her mother was not difficult to predict. ¡°It is said that her whole body was covered with scars.¡¯ Based on the stories he had heard through Cecilia and the fact that she suffered from nightmares and had a body filled with scars was the kind of treatment he expected she had experienced. ¡®I guess you¡¯ve suffered a lot, huh.¡¯ Funny enough, it was only a few days after Bebe came that his mind changed. When he looked at the five-year-old kid trying to live, some kind of feeling he had forgotten suddenly exploded. He who had lived without feelings for a long time suddenly felt. ¡®I¡¯m trying to save this kid.¡¯ Even a child who would certainly die if trampled on is trying to live like this, but how did she live within that period? He shook his hands and pretended to be okay. He gave a rather lonely smile. A long time has passed since then. There was silence in the room. The deputy chief, who came in with the leader, Leox, looked at Bebe without saying a word. ¡°There¡¯s no one I can trust.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± ¡°¡­In times like this, people usually say, ¡®I¡¯m here¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not very good at talking.¡± Then the Deputy smiled leisurely. As if it had happened frequently in the past, the Grand Duke made an absurd expression, but only shook his head from side to side. It was then¡­ ¡°You were looking for me, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Deputy Chief.¡± As if he was waiting not far away, he came inside without a single drop of sweat, and only bowed his head without a change of expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you did your research as soon as you felt it was weird.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The knight let out a small, bittersweet smile. ¡°Are you trying to hand over all your credit to Leox this time again?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to hide it. I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. So tell me, Deputy Chief Lewis.¡± Only then did he bow and say what he saw. But it wasn¡¯t the information about who sent the assassins right away, but it was still great for a short period of time. ¡°You¡¯re better than that.¡± ¡°No, I just happened to be capable of investigating it first. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d come to the same conclusion as I did if the situation had worked out.¡± With what he said, the face of the Grand Duke hardened once again. ¡°Being humble is good, but excessive humility can be poisonous to you, so do it properly.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°More than that, choose some of the people you can trust. This time, Allen, Bebe and the guest will also have a new knight.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Please keep a low profile towards the knights that Allen didn¡¯t bring while he was running here. Dispose of them for about a week.¡± It was then that Louis, who had been listening to the dialogues of the Grand Duke all along, was curious about his expression. The Knights of the Grand Duchy was divided into numerous groups of leaders and a group of deputy captains. The leadership positions were filled with aristocrats, and they were largely the ruling class. The people, led by Lewis, the Deputy Captain, were not aristocrats but ordinary people who came up here purely by strength. However, they were the majority class. They were the people who had to do what the leader told them to do even though they didn¡¯t like it. So, he had no idea why the Grand Duke told this to him, who came from the plebian class. ¡°But the reason why you leave me to do what he¡¯s supposed to do is ¡­¡± ¡°I guess Leox didn¡¯t tell you. He will be demoted from the Head Chief position starting today. And you will take over as the Deputy, so Louis, you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°M-Me, Sir?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°¡­I can do anything if you let me do it. I¡¯ll do my best as much as I can, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°If someone like you is going to be in charge, I¡¯d like you to continue to be in charge.¡± When he looked at it, he only had pouty lips. He knew what Louis was talking about at once, even if he didn¡¯t say it properly. Regardless of who the ruling class was, it¡¯s all the same for the upper class. Rather, it was better for the original person to do it than for the new ruling personnel to come and turn it all over. That way, he¡¯d be less tired. Chapter 28.2 Without saying the whole thing, the Grand Duke, who recognized Louis¡¯s innermost thoughts, did not say anything different. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll excuse myself. I¡¯ll do my best to investigate this and do what you¡¯ve asked me to do.¡± Louis, who spoke respectfully, went out just as he was. After he closed the door, the Grand Duke looked at the servant next to him, who had been silent the whole time. ¡°Curtis, do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Is this relevant?¡± ¡°I think I know who you are looking for due to the assassins while you were talking for a while now.¡± The man with red hair smiled softly and stuck close to the Grand Duke. ¡°So who is it?¡± ¡°There are three mercenaries who are famous for doing anything for money, and among them, the Red Fox Division is one of the lowest rank. They¡¯re known for having red spots on their thumbs. I¡¯ve heard that mercenaries have been flocking to the Empire to build up their power recently, but I didn¡¯t expect to see them this easily.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, the Emperor¡¯s recent movement is unusual, right?¡± ¡°Yes. There is a rumor that the Emperor is recruiting mercenaries secretly. He must be anxious because he is the one who killed his own brother and became Emperor.¡± That¡¯s what he said, but Curtis seemed to have something more to say. However, he shut himself up, thinking that it was not something to say in front of Bebe and the child¡¯s mother. ¡°I see.¡± He, who appeared to be at the same age as the Grand Duke, was younger than him. However, the Grand Duke trusted him more than anyone else. After listening to his opinions for a long time, the Grand Duke laughed in vain. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I can trust here, Curtis.¡± ¡°As I said earlier, it¡¯s your words that spoke to me. I¡¯m not a person to trust.¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t trust you, who should I trust then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trust anyone. We don¡¯t know who might have come here while the Grand Duchy had weakened.¡± The smiling man¡¯s face instantly hardened. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right to think and move. Sometimes when I look at you, Curtis, I think of my father. He was exceptionally strict.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone be strict with Your Grace? And I¡¯m someone¡¯s father, so I guess I can¡¯t help it.¡± It was only then that the face of the Grand Duke, who was looking at Curtis, brightened all of a sudden. ¡°Your child¡­ he was eight years old this year. He was the same age as the twins.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ He was a kid that Ellinson was looking forward to a lot. Bring him here next time.¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve cared that much is what I mean.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re returning to how you used to be before when Ellinson was alive.¡± Butler Curtis, who casually mentioned the name of the predecessor¡¯s Grand Duchess, looked down at Bebe for a long time. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve only heard of rumors. It¡¯s my first time seeing her face properly.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not like a child.¡± ¡°But the rumors always reminded me of Ellinson.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She also¡­ has a lot of wounds, yet never felt intimidated. That reminds me of what I fell in love with Ellinson. She is very different from me.¡± ¡°Ah before I forgot. I think we¡¯ve got another piece of information about the Grand Duchess Ellinson. Can I tell you?¡± When he said that, the Grand Duke rose from his seat. His eyes contained a different feeling than before. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°Are you determined to face each other now?¡± ¡°Okay, so what is it?¡± ¡°They are not facts. In a way, it may not be helpful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. At least it¡¯s something, since I decided to change from now on.¡± Curtis nodded incessantly. Without further ado, he took the lead and went outside along with the Grand Duke. *** The sun was very warm. A gentle wind approached the window and tickled her. The penguin doll, which I didn¡¯t even know why I was holding it in my arms, felt even softer today. ¡°Hmm¡­ I like this.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that morning had already broken. I then opened my eyes slowly. ¡°My Lady!¡± And as soon as I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Cecilia. With a pale expression on her face, she shouted as soon as she looked at me. I then smiled brightly at her, who looked worried about my well being. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning. Oh my¡­ Are you okay? Do you know how surprised I was? My heart¡­ I thought my heart dropped. I¡­ I¡­¡± Cecilia rushed up to me while lying down. Unlike other times, she hugged me with all her might with an excited voice and expression. ¡°Cecilia, it hurts.¡± Chapter 29.1 ¡°Oh, does it hurt?¡± Only then did she reduce her arm¡¯s strength. Thanks to this, I gained the freedom to breathe. ¡°It¡¯s okay now! More than that, Cecilia, I slept really well.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ you really¡­ It¡¯s not something you should laugh about.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m going to talk with a smile. I feel good. I feel good to see Cecilia look so worried about me.¡± It was very strange. Obviously, my mother was attacked, and the victims were angry at being in the room. I didn¡¯t feel bad even though I fell down with all my strength to defeat them. Rather, I felt good. It¡¯s just good. It¡¯s good because I think good things will happen. My heart was unusually pounding, and I couldn¡¯t control my laughter that bursted out within me because of it. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yes! More than that, Cecilia. How long has it been since I fell asleep?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s been about half a day since you fainted. Not even half a day.¡± ¡°It took a little long.¡± Did I use more power than I thought? I stroked my chin quite seriously. I need to recalculate how much force I used to make me collapse. ¡°I think I slept more because I¡¯m young.¡± ¡°My Lady.¡± As I got serious from calculating, Cecilia suddenly stuck her head in front of me. ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°¡­I was the one who was surprised.¡± Looking at her complaining, I scratched my head awkwardly. ¡°Cecilia.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hey. I might fall asleep like this after that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Since she was the closest person, there was definitely a need to tell her in advance. Because of this, I laughed at her more than I did a while ago. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I didn¡¯t faint at all. I just fell asleep. Oh! I saw somewhere that babies usually fall asleep suddenly. You can think of it as that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for babies. You¡¯re a child, My Lady.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to be surprised, anyway.¡± However, Cecilia looked at me with wrinkles forming on her forehead as if she still didn¡¯t believe me. I sighed deeply, as if I had learned something. ¡°¡­There must be some circumstances that My Lady can¡¯t even tell me, so I won¡¯t ask any further. But please tell me one day.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll tell you one day, Cecilia.¡± It was very strange. I wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯s been a while since I slept well or because I held the penguin doll tightly, or maybe because the wind was good. It¡¯s difficult to tell now. However, it felt as if my old emotions that had been dormant had gone away. ¡°My Lady¡­ I think your expression has brightened more than before.¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not! What do you mean ¡®brightened up¡¯? Because you¡¯re nice to me, that¡¯s why. You think I¡¯m really something. Don¡¯t overreact like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to hear your grumbling voice. This is how you should be, My Lady.¡± Cecilia only smiled as if she was glowing. I looked at her and gestured towards the chair next to her. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°That thing?¡± It was a chair full of blankets. Before becoming a butterfly, it was around that time that a head came out of a blanket with a strange pupa-like shape. ¡°Cecilia, a sound¡­came outtt!¡± A black hair popped out of it. ¡°Bebe, it¡¯s really Bebe!¡± ¡°Allen?¡± I didn¡¯t expect it, but it really was Allen who jumped out of there. ¡°She had really woken up!¡± As if the blanket itself was moving, Allen ran to me with the blanket wrapped around him. ¡°B-Brother?¡± ¡°Do you know how worried I was because I thought you wouldn¡¯t wake up?¡± Allen¡¯s expression on his face looked so foreign as it filled with fatigue. ¡°I told you, right Brother? There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°¡­S-Still.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face, Brother?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± Due to what I have abruptly said, Allen hurriedly turned his face. He looked quite cute when he touched his face in a hurry because his cheeks were like a duck. ¡°It¡¯s so awkward.¡± ¡°Really? Should I wash up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. What do you mean wash up?¡± Cecilia, who took turns looking at us, smiled. ¡°My Lady, the Young Master has been here since you collapsed. The Grand Duke also came and went. He didn¡¯t sleep either.¡± Well I expected that the Grand Duke would come by and just go, but I was a little surprised that Allen had been here since then. ¡°Ah¡­ Did you really do that?¡± ¡°¡­You said you wanted me to be in front of you when you opened your eyes.¡± Allen, who scratched his head shyly and awkwardly, laughed. ¡°Just because of that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I was very little- no, very touched. ¡°You stayed here without even sleeping?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to sleep because I¡¯m strong.¡± For that, a black shadow was cast under Allen¡¯s eyes. His face was even skinnier than yesterday. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You look like a good big brother.¡± ¡°Is that so?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I didn¡¯t dare to say my gratitude. I just had no choice but to laugh. Chapter 29.2 My ugly feelings have always bothered me when I don¡¯t voice out my gratitude. ¡®I can¡¯t be weak. I¡¯m going to get eaten up. Now that I¡¯ve seen my strength, I¡¯ll just do that, so I¡¯ll keep my distance.¡¯ Such feelings kept popping up, restricting me. So I lay down on the bed again. ¡°Oh! Then I¡¯ll sleep even more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sleeping more, you say? Have a meal and then go to bed first.¡± ¡°No, I want to sleep more. You should go too, Brother. I saw your face when I opened my eyes, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me? I should go and let you sleep?¡± ¡°No, hurry up and just get out.¡± However, my brother stroked my head as I laid on my back. It seemed he understood my ugly whining. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to sleep and come back tomorrow, hopefully a little less scruffy.¡± Like an excited child, Brother went outside just like that. Cecilia looked at me anxiously, but then she gave up right after. Then she put a curtain over the window and went outside right after that. I stood up after waiting for a while for Cecilia to leave with the penguin doll Allen gave me in my arms. I was supposed to throw bread outside today. No one has said anything yet, so I thought I could increase the amount of bread thrown out. I roughly crushed quite a lot of bread and threw it outside. Then, I stuck close to my mother. ¡°Mom, this is¡­ a better place to live than I thought.¡± I couldn¡¯t wait to wake up my mom and talk with her. My choice was right. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I enjoyed happiness alone. But¡­ I¡¯ll wake you up soon. My heart keeps getting excited. I think this will be ending quickly, Mom.¡± I snuggled further into my mother¡¯s arms, and like a lullaby, the small breath of my mother made me fall into the world of sleep again. After that day, Allen didn¡¯t even think about taking his butt out of my room almost all the time. ¡°I¡¯m confused whether this is your room or mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for your safety!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t worry. Unlike before, there are knights guarding the front of the room.¡± As if waiting for Cecilia¡¯s words, my brother shook his head from side to side. ¡°No, I don¡¯t trust them.¡± It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t trust them, but the front of my room has become quite busy, unlike before. Knights, who were not servants or maids, took turns guarding in front of my room. They¡¯re very burdensome. ¡°I don¡¯t like knights.¡± Still, they never came into the room. They don¡¯t even follow me when I go out from time to time. They didn¡¯t even move, as if they were trying to protect the front of the room. It was comforting, but not that much. Still, I have no choice but to be surprised every time I leave. ¡°I can¡¯t trust anyone, not even a single knight. From now on, I¡¯m going to spend all of my schedules in Bebe¡¯s room.¡± ¡°¡­.No. I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°¡­I want to.¡± However, this so-called human being called my brother was the last obsessive King. Even if I said he shouldn¡¯t have come, he would still persistently come to me. This happened the next day, and the next, and the next. More and more people talked about themselves, as if they wanted to get closer to me. ¡°¡­You know, Bebe, my training has increased.¡± ¡°Good for you!¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®good for me¡¯¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it? If you don¡¯t like it, tell them you don¡¯t want to do it!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s for me to protect Bebe. I asked them to increase my training so I can be strong¡­¡± ¡°You did what?¡± Allen, who mumbled the end of his words, drooped down on the desk. Allen, who was pouting his lips, sighed deeply as if he had lost the world. ¡°I forgot for a moment that my dad was a terrible human being.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one time when he rolled me around as if I was a rolling wagon wheel.¡± Allen¡¯s eyes, that looked at me with only his head slightly raised, were droopier than ever. ¡°It¡¯s really bad. Each teacher said that this is appropriate for those who are 15 years of age or older.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re tired, just stop. You don¡¯t have to overdo it.¡± ¡°No!¡± At best, he looked comfortable, but not that much either, so he just jumped from his seat. While I was chewing a cookie while watching Allen struggling, I missed the cookie I was eating at the moment. ¡°Oh my god. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I need to be strong enough to protect you!¡± ¡°You are already strong enough to protect me. Then I¡¯ll have to be super strong.¡± ¡°Yeah! But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be strong soon.¡± At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Cecilia, who was pouring warm milk into a cup next to her, hurriedly walked towards the door. As if waiting for this moment, Allen pulled himself straight towards me. ¡°Hey, Bebe. Bebe told me her secret, so I¡¯ll tell Bebe my secret too.¡± Chapter 30.1 ¡°Secret?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m actually really strong.¡± ¡°¡­Uh.¡± ¡°What is it? Your eyes tell me you don¡¯t believe me at all?¡± ¡°No way. I totally believe it.¡± He really was strong, though. He¡¯s born with the power of magic that was on par and could defeat the Grand Duke. I was sure of it. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t know how to refine it. It was going to take a long time for him to control it. It wasn¡¯t hard for me, who was a natural child prodigy in magic, to use that power, but it would normally have been very difficult. But my brother seemed disappointed, so he nodded roughly and put cookies of a different colour in his mouth. He was saving the last chocolate cookie last. However, the new cookies differed in the amount of chocolate and tasted different. It¡¯s actually delicious. But while I was eating the cookies, Allen added another commitment. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Wait for me. I¡¯ll prove it in a month.¡± ¡°You know what?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re not strong.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, so don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me? Bebe is so nice.¡± Allen, who seemed to be happy and just smiling, put one chocolate cookie in his mouth. My face hardened for a moment. Allen, who didn¡¯t know that, even drank milk at once. ¡°Good! You need to be strong.¡± My cookies¡­ The bad guy who ate my lovely chocolate cookies¡­ I was so angry for a moment, but I couldn¡¯t say anything to Allen, who tried so hard for me. ¡®I¡¯ll ask Cecilia to bring me more.¡¯ I tried to calm down my anger at the thought. Meanwhile, Allen laughed and cried like a person flipping from hot to cold. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s training time soon. Ahh¡­ I¡¯ll have to go. Ah, there¡¯s no way for me to be strong without training.¡± While Cecilia was away, I asked my brother the ultimate question. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°But why don¡¯t you ask me anything?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That day. The thing I said as a secret.¡± Allen, who went down from his chair and walked towards me, patted my pretty, braided hair. ¡°It¡¯s your secret!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to say secrets recklessly. And I know Bebe will tell me later!¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± The Grand Duke, who has learned of this power, never asked me how I got this power or what it was, at all. The Grand Duke, Allen, and Cecilia just accepted me and my strength entirely. I was wondering why they wouldn¡¯t ask anything, but listening to Allen, I could see why they didn¡¯t. ¡®I guess everyone is waiting for me to tell them.¡¯ Just thinking about it made me feel something ticklish in my heart. In the past, the Emperor, who found out that I had this power, tormented me terribly because of how I used my power and how much mana was in my body. I was asked again and again how I could use magic without a single spell. If I didn¡¯t answer, it was natural for them to hit me. The same went with the knights. They were afraid of me, saying that useless things have powers. Instead, they would spit out fear with violence. ¡®After my mother left, living with them knowing my powers was terrible.¡¯ That¡¯s why the behavior of the people here felt more strange. ¡®Is it the same thing as being considerate?¡¯ Maybe I was so flabbergasted, so I didn¡¯t ask anything. As I was mumbling between my past thoughts and my current situation and fiddled with my hands, Allen gave me a big hug. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to tell me, even if it takes decades.¡± ¡°¡­Uh.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t feel pressured, okay? ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back!¡± ¡°Yeah. Go.¡± ¡°Tell me face to face.¡± Allen, who leaned down and made eye contact with me as if he were trying to see if I¡¯m fine, cupped my cheeks and forced my head up. ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°¡­Let go of me!¡± ¡°I was worried that you might make a different expression. That¡¯s a relief. Then I¡¯ll go!¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Allen then waved and went outside. While looking at Allen, Cecilia, who was talking to someone outside the door, came inside. She then lifted the silver tray. ¡°You two look like you are on good terms.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t. I¡¯m just trying to please him enough.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°By the way, what was that? Who¡¯s out there?¡± ¡°This is your snack.¡± ¡°Snack? Not what he just ate?¡± My eyes opened so wide because of the ¡®snack¡¯ she mentioned. People were so strange. I thought I¡¯d only be happy when I eat, but I get greedy every day because I eat delicious snacks. It¡¯s good to eat delicious food, but I wanted to eat more delicious snacks. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m worried. I think you¡¯ve been eating too many snacks lately.¡± ¡°You eat well, too! So there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Most people say they won¡¯t eat if they eat a lot of snacks, but you eat well and you eat a lot of snacks.¡± Chapter 30.2 Cecilia put down the small tray on the table I was designated with, as if she had come to a conclusion. ¡°So what¡¯s the snack for today?¡± ¡°Strawberry whipped cream cake.¡± ¡°Strawberry! Whipped cream! Cake!¡± It¡¯s just not the perfect combination. The chocolate cake was great, but strawberries were also amazing. On top of that, the whipped cream was like a fluffy cloud, so I felt goosebumps all over my body. Cecilia, who was looking at me, smiled quietly and opened the lid of the tray. Then a cake with a covered strawberry appeared right in front of me. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s a cake!¡± ¡°I must give you a cake every day to hear your bright voice.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, did I sound like that?¡± ¡°Yes, you look the happiest.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, it¡¯s delicious. I wish I could eat this with my mom.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have another cake once your mother wakes up.¡± Cecilia put a small fork in front of me. ¡°Yes, but who¡¯s out there? Was it the one who brought this?¡± ¡°Yes, it was one of the maids I met last time that must be from the kitchen. I guess that¡¯s why she baked the cake herself after hearing that you ate it well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± But Cecilia, who had finished talking, just looked at me. Her gaze was a little strange, so I stared at Cecilia. ¡°Why? Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t doubt today¡¯s cake? Maybe it¡¯s poisoned.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t hear you. But maybe.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s poisoned, I¡¯ll eat it all.¡± Cecilia grinned and sat down in the chair in front of me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to steal it. I was just worried that you might suspect the maid at that time.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve heard that none of the people who bring me delicious food are bad.¡± Of course, they¡¯ve been beaten to bring delicious food before, but no one played with food in the Grand Duchy. ¡°That¡¯s right, so don¡¯t worry and eat.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°In fact, I was worried that you might feel a little rejected because of what happened last time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. The Grand Duke¡­ I think he¡¯s done a good job.¡± I cut the cake with a fork and took a big bite. At that moment, the soft texture of the cake made me feel like my whole body was flying. ¡°Delicious!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, in many ways. I was very worried that you might have been suspicious.¡± I laughed at her as she stared at me, who mumbled the end of her words. ¡°Cecilia.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I felt great with a cake in my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t get surprised or cry a lot because of that.¡± ¡°My Lady.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been quiet since then. There¡¯s no assassins, but there¡¯s a room guard. I can feel the slight mana in there, and it seems like Grand Duke did something here, so I¡¯m totally fine.¡± Although she spoke gallantly without worrying, Cecilia¡¯s face hardened quickly. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind being a little child.¡± ¡°This is me. This is me being child-like.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so¡­ But His Highness was sorry. I wanted to change rooms right away, but I heard there¡¯s no safer room than here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, really.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a sweet person. It¡¯s heartbreaking that you¡¯re forcing others not to worry.¡± I tried to deny it, but somehow, Cecilia looked sad, so I only ate and ate the cake enthusiastically. ¡°But it won¡¯t happen again. Come to think of it, My Lady, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m not enough? I thought it would be better to have at least one person in the room when I left the room.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really need it.¡± ¡°But I think you¡¯re waking up at a time when I¡¯m not here these days.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°In the early morning.¡± Was I getting caught now? It was the fact that I get up early every morning. It was all to get rid of the bread, but this morning was the last time that I would get rid of the last piece of the bread. It didn¡¯t happen way too early, but Cecilia was even more determined than ever. ¡°¡­Well, if you think you need it later¡­¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°And the maids don¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Cecilia, who was being too honest, stopped my fork for a moment. ¡°But there are people who aren¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Is there anyone like that?¡± ¡°Yes, the maid who came today to apologize to you.¡± ¡°Ah! Anas?¡± ¡°Do you remember her?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s stuck in my memory.¡± I remembered her act differently from other maids. I thought it was just that, but she did come to me to apologize. ¡°But did she keep coming to apologize?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the one who brought cookies without a notice. Last time too, with the chocolate cake.¡± Ah, only then did I remember Cecilia¡¯s reaction being strange. ¡°She said she wanted to apologize to me, but why didn¡¯t she just bring me the snack and come to apologize?¡± Chapter 31.1 ¡°I said I¡¯ll wait and apologize if the person who¡¯s going to apologize feels like it.¡± ¡°Since that day¡­¡± In my words, Cecilia nodded only. ¡°As expected, I have a good eye.¡± The maid Anas was one of the three maids who cursed me in the hallway that day, but she was completely different from the other two. I thought she was just that, but I kept waiting for myself. ¡°So tell me when you feel better later.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Never mind! Tell Anas I¡¯ll accept her apology if she makes a huge chocolate cake.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell her that.¡± Cecilia smiled softly and made eye contact with me. Meanwhile, the cake in front of me disappeared out of nowhere. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no cake!¡± ¡°¡­You ate it all.¡± ¡°That fast?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smirked and wiped my mouth with a soft napkin. ¡°Strange. I ate it that fast?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s too bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask them to do it again next time.¡± Delicious food always leaves only regrets. I just smacked my lips and jumped up from my seat. ¡°The flowers are withering now.¡± ¡°Shall we go pick flowers?¡± ¡°No. I think Harris will be there.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± As expected, she had no answer, as if my prediction was right. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Lady Harris was banned from entering this room because of the last time.¡± ¡°Ah, so we¡¯ll just wait here then?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I saw myself, I couldn¡¯t imagine how crazy it would be again. Like a person who was just born to bully me, Harris would bully and torment me. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. His Grace says he will assign a knight to the Lady and your mother. If that happens, it won¡¯t happen like the last time.¡± ¡°Knight? Not the one that is outside?¡± ¡°Yes. Because we need someone to protect you two. I guess he¡¯s looking for them so hard right now.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want that.¡± That was my breaking point. Even the knights outside that door¡­ I didn¡¯t want knights that went past that much. ¡°Do you hate them a lot¡­¡± Rather, Cecilia seemed to be shocked by what I said. I chafed my lips. What I didn¡¯t like was my decision. ¡°But knights are good to protect you. The same thing happened last time¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough for me to be alone.¡± I didn¡¯t have a single good memory from knights. They were the people who looked down on me with their silver armor. Everyone was the same. Too many people passed by and I couldn¡¯t even remember their faces, but they were all the same. I didn¡¯t like people in armor and the way they looked down at me. Cecilia, who was looking at me, nodded after a long time. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll tell him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°By the way, when will we see the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°He must have a lot of work these days. Oh! But His Grace wrote a letter to the Lady.¡± ¡°Letter?¡± As if she remembered something, Cecilia took a small envelope out of the side table next to the bed and stuck it out to me. ¡°Here you go. This letter just arrived this morning.¡± ¡°Uh, okay!¡± He could have just come in person. What¡¯s with him and writing stuff? ¡®I guess he really is busy.¡¯ Since that day, the Grand Duke has not been looking for me at all. That wasn¡¯t disappointing, but it¡¯s true that it¡¯s a little embarrassing when one had to make a wish for him to come as soon as possible. Maybe I should start with my first plan. First, after reading the letter, we should go to the kitchen right away. I slowly opened the letter. For a moment, I had no choice and let my expression stiffen. [Don¡¯t feed the dog] ¡°Dog?¡± Cecilia, who had been close to me, tilted her head with me, wondering. ¡°Don¡¯t feed the dog.¡± ¡°Oh, my. You must be good at reading letters.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I was wondering if I should read you the letter from the beginning.¡± I smiled awkwardly at Cecilia, surprised by the other part. ¡°Uh¡­ Oh, my mom taught me.¡± I couldn¡¯t say that I had acquired it because I lived multiple lives in the past. That way, memories continued, and thanks to that, I was able to read books. Books had been my source of knowledge of it. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Does the Grand Duke have a dog here, Cecilia?¡± ¡°You mean here? No. We don¡¯t keep dogs in the Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°But ¡®don¡¯t feed the dog¡¯¡­ What does it mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Does it have a deeper meaning?¡± At the same time, Cecilia and I raised our heads from side to side. ¡°Is it like a quiz?¡± ¡°Dogs¡­ Feed¡­ Oh! Does it mean that?¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Allen is like a dog. That¡¯s why it¡¯s telling me not to feed him!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s that.¡± Cecilia, who clapped her hands sheepishly, nodded incessantly. Other than that, I couldn¡¯t think of anything. Chapter 31.2 ¡°Even if I had a dog, I would never feed it.¡± Or maybe he sent me the wrong one to write to someone else. With that thought, I put the letter I was looking at on the negotiation table. ¡°It won¡¯t be a big deal!¡± ¡°I guess so¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I might have come to the wrong place. I want to go somewhere else today!¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Kitchen!¡± Only then did Cecilia nod her head profusely as if she remembered what she had said last time. ¡°That¡¯s right. We decided to go there last time.¡± ¡°Is it not okay?¡± ¡°No way. You can go anywhere you want to go, so don¡¯t worry. But just in case, I¡¯ll talk to the kitchen staff. Would you please wait for me for a moment?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± As soon as Cecilia asked me for permission, she quickly left the room. I went to the window and sat waiting for her. Looking out of the window for a long time, I sighed deeply. ¡°But¡­ what dog is the Grand Duke talking about?¡± However, the letter that Grand Duke sent me earlier kept bothering me. Was there any other dog? I leaned against the window frame and looked far away. At that time, not too far away, I heard the wolf crying. It wasn¡¯t just that. The trees in the forest shook severely as if they were moving. ¡°Is that the wolf?¡± Was it called a silver wolf? With unknown expectations, I leaned my body out all the way over the window. I only heard the sound of it, but I had never actually seen a wolf. What should I do? I thought I would see a silver wolf. In fact, the trees moved more and more towards me. But not long after, the movement stopped, as if it didn¡¯t move at a certain distance. ¡°Is it not coming? I really wanted to see the silver wolf¡­¡± I mumbled out into the air out of regret, but there was no reason for the wolf to listen to me and come. There was no more movement after getting closer to each other at some distance¡­ until a long time passed. After that, Cecilia entered the room. ¡°My Lady!¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re already here?¡± ¡°Yes. I ran because I thought you were looking forward to it.¡± Not that I wasn¡¯t, but sweat had really formed on Cecilia¡¯s forehead. ¡°No, so I think we can go right now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I dried my mouth without realizing it. ¡°Yes! I got permission right away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not meal time, so they¡¯re free. They said that if you¡¯re going, then now is the right time.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Now I finally found something to do. If we go to the kitchen, we would find it easily. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s no reason for you to leave now?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You definitely said you wanted to go because you didn¡¯t trust the kitchen people, but you¡¯re eating well now.¡± Cecilia, who smiled brightly, looked at me while moving her eyebrows up and down. ¡°Is that so?¡± Mumbling my words, she continued to force me to answer. ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Sometimes I dare to joke around thinking that I want you to express your honest feelings.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually going to bring a cup of chocolate from the kitchen, right?¡± Cecilia looked more joyful than ever. ¡°I-I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not?¡± As I saw her asking back, I thought of a good idea at the moment. ¡®If you say it¡¯s rather like that, you wouldn¡¯t be more suspicious.¡¯ This job was very important to me. Because it¡¯s something to prove my usefulness, I shouldn¡¯t be suspected. Finishing that thought, I nodded my head profusely. Cecilia looked like she had already dismissed my statement about the food probably being poisoned as an excuse. ¡°You got me.¡± ¡°You love chocolate so much that you put up a mask.¡± ¡°I think chocolate is the perfect food God has made. It¡¯s really the best!¡± ¡°In fact, chocolate is said to be God¡¯s favorite food.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I just said anything, but I couldn¡¯t hide my embarrassment for a moment when I tripped. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, then let¡¯s go.¡± While struggling from the slight absurdity, Cecilia took the lead in walking. I followed her like that. As soon as we left the room, Cecilia began nagging. Although she said it¡¯s not good to eat too much chocolate, it¡¯s good to eat a lot of anything so I didn¡¯t think about that with chocolate. She added that even if she said so, she felt that it didn¡¯t work for me, and that Cecilia told a story about God in the past. ¡°God, who loved chocolate so much, couldn¡¯t control himself and eventually became a wicked devil! It¡¯s scary, right? Chocolate is that dangerous!¡± As if to scare me, Cecilia made a threat, though it didn¡¯t feel like that, but I clapped my hands and concluded. ¡°Even God couldn¡¯t stop loving chocolate, so what makes me then?¡± Chapter 32.1 ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course! So don¡¯t think too bad about how I feel about chocolate¡±. ¡± Somehow I feel like I¡¯ve been tricked.¡± As I saw her sighing, I suddenly thought that this story might have been made up by Cecilia. Unaware of my thoughts, she bravely took the lead more enthusiastically. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s made or if it actually exists. I can¡¯t let go of the chocolate.¡± Having come to that conclusion, I followed her more energetically than ever. Not long after that, for the first time since I was born, I was right in front of the kitchen. ¡®It¡¯s weird¡­¡¯ Obviously, many adult men were looking at me, but I was not afraid or felt fear unlike before. ¡®It¡¯s really, really weird.¡¯ Because of that, I looked at them calmly. Was it because I was standing and looking at the front without focusing my eyes on something, or because I don¡¯t think I could see anyone who hated me here? I didn¡¯t know why. ¡®It¡¯s probably a good thing, right?¡¯ It¡¯s so strange that my heart would beat in a different way. At that time, a man with the same height as the Grand Duke arrived in front of me. ¡°Hello, My Lady. I¡¯m Leo Plantz, the kitchen chef.¡± He bowed his back and greeted me. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes! Usually, Young Ladies and Young Masters don¡¯t come to the kitchen, so I was a little surprised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested in the kitchen stuff!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s a place where delicious food comes out every day, so I¡¯m very interested! Cooks are like magicians. They make great food!¡± And chocolate too! This was also a place to make chocolate. Without realizing it, a smile spread on my face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re thinking like that. I¡¯m very much delighted.¡± At that time, a smile spread on Leo¡¯s face. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I thought no one cared about us who are at the base of the dish. But thank you for saying it so nicely. I¡¯ll show you around, but not here.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Perhaps it was because I came, but the chefs in the kitchen stood on one side. Their faces turned strange, like the expression of the general chef. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±¡® I was concerned for a while, but Leo already followed me because he said he would show me around. He said that the Grand Duke consists of one main kitchen and four sub-kitchens here. He also mentioned that all the usual food was prepared here, and the sub-kitchen was used when there was a large event in the public area or when there were guests who visited. ¡°Do we usually eat all the food here?¡± ¡°Of course. All the ingredients are here.¡± Leo, who was on the skinny side, was a very kind person despite my expectations that he would be a little strict. He said it was the first time someone paid attention to them from time to time, and repeatedly became sullen after liking them profoundly. Although I doubted him, he basically looked like a good person. ¡°Me, me! I want to see where the ingredients come from!¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll show you all the secret warehouses that you haven¡¯t seen yet¡­¡± Contrary to expectations, he looked quite excited. Though I felt a little pressure, it was in a good way for me, so I followed him faster than ever. Perhaps because it was the Grand Duchy, but the kitchen utensils were truly enormous. The kitchen was so large that it was impossible to see at a first glance, and the ingredients were also managed in ten rooms. Each warehouse had different people standing. And in the last warehouse, I finally found the person I wanted to see. ¡°In the past, the Emperor clearly said that the person he planted in the Grand House was a very impressive man. Because of that, the Grand Duke laughed at him because like a fool, he didn¡¯t know he was a spy.¡¯ When I first heard that, I didn¡¯t dare to think of it, but when I saw the man guarding the tenth warehouse, I realized the meaning of those phrases. ¡°I want to look in here more.¡± Because of this, I stopped in front of the tenth warehouse. ¡°This is a wine cellar.¡± ¡°I see!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to be fun.¡± ¡°Is there only wine here?¡± ¡°No. We also store cheese here and distribute it.¡± When the person who was guarding the warehouse saw me, he greeted me with a big smile. ¡°Hello, My Lady. I¡¯m Caleb, the one in charge of wine and cheese storage.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯m curious about what¡¯s inside!¡± ¡°Do you want me to show you around? It might not be fun. The atmosphere here is dark and gloomy.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± I looked at him as if I was oblivious enough. He has a really good impression. Whenever he smiled with his pearly white teeth, the man had dimples in his cheeks and looked like he was really smiling. His gentle voice and slightly timid behavior made me feel suspicious. It was as if he was making sure the Grand Duke would never know that he was a ¡®spy¡¯. I didn¡¯t know its name or the exact appearance, but it¡¯s clear that this man was a spy. Chapter 32.2 ¡°If you¡¯re too scared, do you want to go out again?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As Caleb said, I looked in and stepped back quickly. ¡°It¡¯s dark¡­ It¡¯s like a cave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s as dark as a cave. Thanks to this, we were always maintaining a certain temperature. If the temperature changes, the taste of wine and cheese changes significantly.¡± ¡°Wow! I see! Then, is this a place where Mr. Caleb watches all alone?¡± ¡°Yes. If they go through the hands of many people, we will be in trouble.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I was sure of that phrase. This guy was a key person for me to ask the Grand Duke to grant my wish. ¡°I want to let you taste the wine I take care of because you¡¯re growing up.¡± As if he was disappointed, he was smiling brightly, making eye contact with me. ¡°Only my dad drinks this now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I see.¡± At that moment, Leo, who had been following me all along, stood in front of me again. ¡°It¡¯s a little dark. Are you scared of the dark?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°So let¡¯s go see something else. There are more amazing ingredients here!¡± ¡°Is there?¡± Leo guided me from place to place in the warehouse again. I did my best to follow Leo and respond to him so he couldn¡¯t tell I was interested in the warehouse only managed by Caleb. Whenever that happened, he was more excited, and the chefs in the kitchen and the chefs in charge of the warehouse all looked happy. ¡°Don¡¯t your legs hurt?¡± How much time has passed? Cecilia, who had been following me, asked me anxiously. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It seemed like you walked a lot today. Should I carry you when you¡¯re tired?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Oh my god. I am so excited that I showed Ms. Bebe different places.¡± ¡°It was a bit like that, but it was fun!¡± Obviously, I had a goal, but the kitchen was a very interesting place. Fruits, which had been tightly wrapped in thick packaging a while ago, quickly became delicious food. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief. You said that you had fun even though you weren¡¯t interested. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Leo looked a little lonely and then leaned down in front of me. ¡°My Lady, come again if you want to see me anytime. Since I cook here every day, everyone needs attention.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Other people don¡¯t tell me if what I cook is delicious or not, but everyone is always intimidated.¡± ¡°Yeah! But don¡¯t worry. The food here is amazing!¡± I said it with sincerity. Even though it was a large number of adult men I met after a long time, I wasn¡¯t afraid of them because of the way they looked at me. It was thanks to their gazes that sincerely showed it was good to visit¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± After listening to Leo, I looked at the kitchen, and the chefs looked thrilled. They all had similar expressions. ¡°Thank you, My Lady. If there¡¯s something you want to eat at any time, please tell me. We¡¯ll do our best to make it look good.¡± ¡°Yes! And I like chocolate the most!¡± ¡°Chocolate¡­ I see.¡± Leo, who had been humming chocolate several times as if he had received a big mission, nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go!¡± ¡°Yes! Come again!¡± The rest of the chefs, led by Leo, greeted me in a loud voice. Surprised by their loud voices, I quickly calmed them down and waved. ¡°Yes!¡± After greeting, I grabbed Cecilia¡¯s hand and left the kitchen. There was a new snack, and Leo handed me a basket of chocolate and cookies in my hand as it was about to come out. I went back to the room with the basket myself in case it would be taken away. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good place.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The kitchen! They gave me this as a gift, too!¡± Looking down at the basket in my arms, I couldn¡¯t control my excitement. These snacks looked so delicious the more I looked at them. I was already feeling bliss before I even tried to eat it. ¡°The kitchen staff will like it a lot.¡± ¡°Oh? Really?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think they really want me.¡± ¡°Most chefs are those who came here only with their skills.¡± ¡°Skills?¡± ¡°Yes. So unlike other places, they rarely discriminate against other people based on their status or something like that.¡± Listening to Cecilia made me realize that she seemed different from the maid who secretly cursed at me last time. ¡°Most other places have different statuses and influences depending on who they serve as their owners. Even if they were the same maid, they even can get slapped depending on the owner. If one is invited by a powerful owner in the bay, their status will change on its own.¡± Chapter 33.1 ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°The family member with the strongest influence is now Lady Harris. Most of them would die to be noticed by Lady Harris.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re talking nonsense to me? To look good in front of Harris?¡± Cecilia nodded heavily. ¡°It¡¯s not fun.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t usually this much, but the conflict escalated even more after Lady Harris came.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it always like that?¡± ¡°Yes. Most of the people were kitchen staff.¡± She had a bitter look on her face, as if something had happened. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Even so, no one will be able to do anything to her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. Rather, I feel good.¡± ¡°I was a bit worried when you said you were going to the kitchen. I guess you liked going out.¡± I nodded profusely as she looked at me, feeling happy. ¡°Yes! I loved it!¡± It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, but going out was really perfect. Looking at it, Cecilia¡¯s face had also brightened. But my outing was perfect in a different sense. ¡®How can I let her know that he¡¯s a bad person and a spy?¡¯ A smile spread naturally on my face with the intention of eating snacks, but I was very confused in my own head. ¡®In the past, the Emperor said that the Grand Duke must have been sensitive because he had been taking poison for a long time, and not even a single human being didn¡¯t even know that. At the same time, he said that mixing it with ¡®that¡¯ was such a good idea that he found himself admiring it.¡¯ That means that the Grand Duke was still likely to be taking poison. I thought that I had to reveal it, but I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea. ¡®Usually, nobles say that they always had tools to build resistance to poison and at the same time, distinguish them just in case.¡¯ And while still looking at chocolate and cookies, I let out a small sigh and said ¡°Ah.¡± I saw it in a book a long time ago. Silver objects neutralized a lot of poison. ¡®The tool for noble families to differentiate poison¡­were silver utensils.¡¯ Not that it wasn¡¯t, but all my utensils were made of silver. He was secretly preparing for an unexpected poisoning. I smiled brightly. ¡®But there were some things that didn¡¯t require silver utensils.¡¯ All tableware was made of silver, but it was common to put water and wine in a glass. Water should be in a glass because it quickly shows when you put poison in it. The taste of water would change too. Wine would also be in a glass to taste its natural taste. ¡®That person¡­ he was poisoned with wine!¡¯ I thought, but I got goosebumps at that moment. I had never drunk wine in my life, but I heard that wine tasted different depending on the variety of grapes, how they were made, and how they matured. Therefore, even if the taste changed due to poison, it would have been difficult to know for sure. ¡®I was a fool. Knowing that the unknown man was the culprit, I didn¡¯t know that the wine he managed was mixed with poison.¡¯ Turning my head around myself, I clenched my fist tightly. When I think of the word ¡®wine¡¯ with poison, everything the Emperor told me in the past made perfect sense. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°My Lady?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­right.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯?¡± ¡°Today! I¡¯d like to eat fruits for today¡¯s snack! Fruits that are tasty and juicy!¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll tell them to get ready as soon as they arrive.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Cookies and chocolate were always eaten with bare hands, so they didn¡¯t need to prepare utensils. However, fruit needs to be eaten using silver utensils. After thinking that far, I quickly returned to the room with a big smile. The preparation was truly perfect. After visiting the kitchen, Cecilia brought me soft peaches dripping with juice in front of me. Peaches and cookies were placed on a silver bowl. It seemed to match, yet it did not. My mouth watered. I had eaten peaches before. Unlike chocolate and other snacks, the peaches, which were full of the sweetness in a natural way, were neatly placed as if they were asking me to eat them quickly. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± After thanking the person who prepared it with gratitude, I picked up the fork and poked the peach. After that, I took a big bite of the peach that made me drool just by looking at it. Then, the juice flowed down from my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s sweet¡­¡± The taste was so great that I almost forgot my mission for a moment. The peaches, which I had quickly eaten four of the six, were sliced evenly. I then looked at the small fork naturally as I held it in my hand. The fork, which has been used all the time to eat peaches, was decorated with colorful patterns. On top of that, the fork with a unique pattern found in all the objects in the Grand Duchy is made of silver. Chapter 33.2 I didn¡¯t know until I knew the reason behind it, but all the utensils I used were silver, even my cup of milk. ¡°Tonight is perfect.¡± Cecilia went out whenever I ate food unless my brother was here. It was the same today. She washed me, gave me snacks, and went outside. Before she came in, I held the penguin doll and strengthened my will. I had a small teaspoon in my other hand, not the fork I used to eat the peaches. Soon after, Cecilia entered the room. ¡°Are you going to sleep right away?¡± ¡°I have to go somewhere!¡± ¡°At this hour?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡±¡± ¡°Hmm, to my dad!¡± With my phrase, Cecilia couldn¡¯t hide her astonishment for a long time. ¡°Are you going to see His Grace now?¡± ¡°Is it a no?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do about it, but¡­ you¡¯ve never gone before, so I was wondering.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a short while. That¡¯s why I miss him!¡± Only then did her face brighten. ¡°I see. His Grace will love it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then¡­ since you¡¯re determined, should we go now?¡± ¡°Can I just go without telling him?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll like it when he hears that you came because you missed him.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll like it.¡± I looked at her with my mouth munching. Just because I would visit, doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll like it. However, Cecilia was even more determined than ever. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll like it!¡± ¡°Really¡­.?¡± I felt a little uncomfortable about going without saying anything, but when Cecilia talked like that, I was obliged to follow her. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to change into my pajamas yet today, but maybe it is for this reason.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! Just in case, I¡¯ll put on a cardigan while we are outside.¡± Cecilia gave me a thick cardigan and looked at me affectionately. ¡°Shall we go now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You can carry a penguin doll with you!¡± ¡°No, the penguin doll will protect my mom, so I¡¯ll leave it there.¡± Whenever I held it strangely, I wanted to carry a penguin doll since it gave me peace of mind, but I put it down next to my mom. ¡°But I think you still cherish it a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s not that I cherish it, but because I got it as a gift.¡± Because no one gave me a gift except my mom and dad. Therefore, Allen¡¯s gift was treasure number two. Number one is my mom, and number two is the penguin doll. Allen, the one who gave me the gift, is about number three. That was how much I liked the penguin doll. ¡°I like the texture, and its cheeks are chewy.¡± Whenever I stretched the doll on both sides, it stretched so well, and every time I looked at it, I felt strangely better. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d like dolls this much.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know either. It¡¯s my first time having a doll.¡± At that moment, Cecilia¡¯s expression changed slightly. She looks anxious like a person who asks something that shouldn¡¯t be asked. It was then that I asked a question, while munching with my mouth and not knowing what to do. ¡°Oh! When is your birthday anyway?¡± ¡°Birthday¡­¡± ¡°The day you were born!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already past!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already past?¡± Cecilia left the room, chewing her mouth as if she said something shameful. The knights at the door looked surprised as soon as we came out. ¡°Where are you going, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on our way to His Grace.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go, My Lady.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I didn¡¯t know how long it would take, so I grabbed her hand right away. I never caught this because I liked her. I just grabbed it because I didn¡¯t know it would take long. However, because I behaved differently than usual, Cecilia looked at me with a surprised face. ¡°Did you really grab-¡± ¡°Yes! When is your birthday, Cecilia?¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s about two months after.¡± ¡°I see. My birthday is the day you came here!¡± ¡°Oh! Is it that day?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It was the day when something like a curse began. On my fifth birthday, I was able to use my strength and my mother almost died. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like birthdays.¡± ¡°Do you hate it? But you can get a lot of gifts on your birthday.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never received a gift before! Except for my mom and dad¡­ Allen is the first person to give me a gift.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Cecilia, who is listening to my mumbles, let out a small sigh. As if it¡¯s rather unfortunate. ¡°But it¡¯s okay.¡± Because my life itself was a gift. Now that my mother is alive and I can breathe, this place itself was big enough to be considered as a gift. ¡°My Lady, you¡¯re so mature at times like this.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°But we¡¯re almost there.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± After a while, Cecilia stopped at the big door. ¡°This is His Grace¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Really? But it¡¯s close to my room.¡± Chapter 34.1 ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really close. That¡¯s why His Highness said there is no room as reliable as this room.¡± Contrary to my expectations that the room would be changed after the assassin incident, the Grand Duke did not change the room. I wondered if it was annoying to move my mom and I to a new room, or if there were other reasons¡­ ¡°Is it because it¡¯s the room closest to his room?¡± It wasn¡¯t just that. In front of his door, there was a pattern of a dragon biting a knife. If there¡¯s anything else, the direction was different. ¡°He wasn¡¯t in the room at that time, but since then, hHs Highness has rarely stayed in the room.¡± ¡°For my mom and I¡­¡± Instead of answering, Cecilia smiled and looked towards the door. As soon as we appeared, the butler, who had been on standby the whole time, made eye contact with Cecilia. ¡°Cecilia!¡± ¡°Can you tell me who¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a guest inside.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? There¡¯s nothing I can do. Miss Bebe, I think you¡¯ll have to wait a little longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just wait then.¡± Standing in front of the room, I was also nervous, especially since I lived without knowing that it was the most amount of tension I have experienced in my whole lifetime. ¡°I should¡¯ve hugged the penguin doll.¡± If I had the penguin doll, I would have felt mentally relieved. Somehow, my hands were sweaty, and my legs kept shaking. Then the door opened and a man came out from the inside. He was an impressive man with red hair and pale skin. Like someone who had something to say, he looked at me for a long time. Therefore, I couldn¡¯t even see that the servant who was guarding the front of the room went inside properly. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing a lady walking around like this. I¡¯ve always seen you from afar.¡± ¡°Curtis.¡± ¡°You are here, too, Cecilia.¡± ¡°Yes. My Lady, this is Curtisderron.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah! Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Bebe!¡± However, he, who had been smiling as if he were a good person a while ago, slightly hardened his expression and dropped down in front of me. ¡°I can¡¯t call you just Bebe, My Lady.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, I wondered what he was saying to me, but his arms fiddled, took something out, and stuck it out. It was a candy with round like eggs and at the end of it was a white stick. The candy is wrapped around the shiny plastic wrap. At the moment, I was captivated by it. ¡°The Lady is not just Bebe, but Princess Bebe Avelant. So when you introduce yourself somewhere, you must say you are Bebe Avelant.¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± When I nodded in a hurry, Curtis gave me candy. ¡°It tastes like strawberries.¡± ¡°Strawberry flavored candy¡­¡± ¡°My son likes it, too. It¡¯ll probably suit your taste.¡± Those who gave delicious food were good people. He wasn¡¯t scolding me or anything. Rather, he just said something that sounded like advice, as if he was trying to protect my position. ¡®Good person!¡¯ Though I didn¡¯t say that he¡¯s a good person just because I got candy. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cute.¡± He looked down at me and looked at the door. ¡°I want to talk to you more, but I should stop here for today.¡± Curtis, who was talking with his eyes slightly crinkled, said his greetings when the door opened slowly. ¡°Okay! See you next time!¡± ¡°Very well, My Lady.¡± Just in time, the butler, who went inside to report, ran out. ¡°You can come in right away.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°My Lady, I¡¯ll be here. Will you come back?¡± While looking at Cecilia, who spoke with anxiety, I entered the room. As if all the light in the world had disappeared, the room was only dark. It was a large room, as if three rooms were combined. After a while, the Grand Duke was fixated on my eyes. He was sitting as several doors were opened, looking at something and was focused on it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± It wasn¡¯t too late, but the moment I entered this place, I felt like my sense of time was fading. It¡¯s as if I was under the illusion that it¡¯s midnight. Maybe it¡¯s because the unusually bright moonlight shone on us. After a long time, he put down the documents he was looking at and slowly looked at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d come to my room. Are you doing your greetings?¡± ¡°Oh? Do I have to do something like that?¡± ¡°That I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why? Is there anyone who does that?¡± ¡°Harris does that. She said she should see my face every day.¡± I nodded without emotion. There¡¯s no reason for me to do it just because Harris was doing it. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re thinking about doing it, do you? ¡°Yeah! You want me to do it?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, you don¡¯t have to.¡± However, his lips slightly flinched. Even though I saw it, I pretended not to know and approached him. Chapter 34.2 On the table by the window, a glass of wine and simple cheese were cut into small pieces. Then he lifted the wine glass in front of me, drank a sip of wine, and looked at me. ¡°Then why did you come?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to get some cheese!¡± ¡°Cheese? Do you like cheese?¡±¡± ¡°Uh, yes!¡± Looking at the cheese in front of him, as if a little strange, the Grand Duke picked it up with a small fork and stuck it out to me. ¡°Here it is.¡± Unintentionally, I took a big bite of the cheese he gave me. But the cheese didn¡¯t suit my taste better than expected. My face hardened automatically. ¡°It¡¯s not good.¡± Something¡­ It smells weird, and it¡¯s light but savory¡­ ¡°I guess it¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here to eat cheese.¡± While smiling, he mumbled as he looked at the cheese I had just eaten. But I couldn¡¯t laugh. The taste and smell that couldn¡¯t exist in the world looked like it paralyzed my nose. Therefore, I hurriedly peeled the candy that Curtis gave me and bit it. There was a strong scent of strawberries as soon as I peeled the plastic. But it didn¡¯t work well. As soon as the candy went into the mouth, the scent of it was mixed with the scent of strawberries. ¡°¡­Cheese¡­¡± It¡¯s really bad. The terrible taste continued after that. If the taste and smell was not good, I even thought, ¡°Should I throw away the candy?¡± Fortunately, the more candy I ate, the stronger the strawberry scent became. On the contrary, the scent of cheese faded. ¡°As expected, candy is the best.¡± ¡°I guess Curtis gave it to you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I guess you met him right in front.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I think you have a different idea than that. Because I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a child who moves uselessly.¡± After crossing his legs leisurely, he couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter as if he was having fun watching me. ¡°No, I¡¯m good at moving for no reason, so don¡¯t put such pressure on me.¡± ¡°Pressure? As expected, you really are interesting. Bebe, you¡¯re like a ball who doesn¡¯t know where to bounce. It¡¯s always beyond my expectation.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t like it?¡±¡± ¡°Well I don¡¯t hate it.¡± He let go of his crossed legs and leaned toward me. I took a close look at myself. Somehow it was burdensome, but I pretended not to know anything and rolled the hard candy right into my mouth. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask Cecilia to get candy, too. How can it be so delicious?¡¯ Chocolate melted quickly in the mouth, but candy did not melt after a long time. Rather, the more I ate, the more my mouth was filled with a unique aroma and sweetness. The quiet atmosphere was broken the moment a sound of me hitting my teeth every time I ate the candy. ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡± The Grand Duke waited silently until I ate all the candy. And finally, when the littlest stick with candy remained, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Dad may seem to care, but I thought he wasn¡¯t interested in me because I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s not interested.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to me. We don¡¯t have that kind of relationship that gives and receives attention.¡± Somehow, every time I said a word, his face would harden, but I tried hard to ignore it because it had nothing to do with me. ¡°But why are we here today? I don¡¯t think that your excuse of wanting to eat cheese will work.¡± ¡°I have a question.¡± I looked over the window from his room. The round and shiny moon like freshly baked bread was floating high in the sky. Thanks to the large moon, the surroundings felt brighter. I approached the window and looked out the window. ¡°It¡¯s really bright.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s probably pretty much the same as I see¡±. ¡°Still, the moon looks different, perhaps because the people I¡¯m with are different.¡± As if stabbed by someone, the Grand Duke coughed in vain. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does your throat hurt?¡± ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s not that?¡± ¡°¡­Something has changed so quickly.¡± He looked much more benevolent than before, saying only oblivious things. ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve properly apologized to you.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± ¡°I mean about your mom. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you.¡± ¡°No. I expected it anyway. And this happens often. It¡¯s true that I knew all that and set up a trap. Leave my mom alone so that the person who hates me can be fooled.¡± The words I said made the Grand Duke harden his face a little. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that! You don¡¯t have to be sorry. I put a strong spell on my mom anyway, so nothing else happened.¡± His mouth pouted, though his eyebrows were furrowed. That¡¯s definitely a misunderstanding. I was making excuses for myself! No matter how much I looked at it, it¡¯s certain. He shook his head mercilessly because he hated it, but the more he did, the more he fell into a swamp of misunderstanding. ¡°It¡¯s okay, really.¡± Chapter 35.1 ¡°From now on, I will protect you and your mom.¡± ¡°Okay. I got it. If you¡¯re really sorry, hurry up and find the culprit.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll make sure to find them under my name.¡± With that, silence flowed between us. He may have looked at the numerous documents piled up in front of him, but he still stared at me. His gaze was so burdensome. Eventually, I couldn¡¯t stand it and slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Uh¡­ You know¡­¡± ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Why was he looking at me like that? He looked at me with his back upright enough to make me feel burdensome. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that.¡± ¡°Okay. But why did you call me?¡± ¡°Yeah, what did you mean by ¡®don¡¯t feed the wolf¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s literally the same. I feel like you¡¯ve been feeding the dog lately.¡± ¡°¡­ Only then did he relax a little and smile. ¡°I heard there¡¯s no dog in the Duchy Family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no dog.¡± ¡°But what does that mean?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you drop something outside the window recently?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°It feels like the dog is here thanks to you.¡± When we talked about the dog, he finished signing the documents in front of him. However, his expression remained bright. ¡°Uh¡­ What do you mean by drop? When you mentioned that, you laughed, Daddy!¡± ¡°By the way, Bebe.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I keep saying other things, but I have to explain why I came today.¡± ¡°Oh, right, it¡¯s nothing special¡­ oh! That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a reason why I also came.¡± After a long thought, I turned around and sat in front of him. In front of my eyes, wine was finely poured into a glass set beside the cheese that didn¡¯t suit my taste. I looked at it and moved my gaze to his eyes. I always thought it was as cold as ice, but it was rather warm. What a strange person. He stabbed people with a sword and had a smile on his face. I could clearly feel that he was a strange man. ¡°So what is it? What¡¯s the reason you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°If I become a useful person, grant me my wish.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to grant your wish?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s like that, but I am not expecting you to listen. It¡¯s like an exchange!¡± ¡°Exchange?¡± His eyes gracefully blinked. Probably it¡¯s because it¡¯s only the two of us, but I was exceptionally nervous. ¡°Yes! Daddy is making my wish come true. In exchange, I¡¯ll give you a present, too.¡± ¡°A gift? What is it this time?¡± ¡°Proving that I¡¯m strong!¡± ¡°Ho ho, what are you going to do this time? Are you trying to use magic?¡± ¡°No!¡± I fiddled with the spoon that I kept tight in my pocket. The feeling of cold metal had already disappeared. However, as soon as I heard his definite answer, I stopped doing what I was doing and fell into agony for a while. ¡°Are you doubting me?¡¯ If I detect the poison right here, I could look a little suspicious. Having been excited to show that I was helpful to him right away, I quickly became sullen. My gaze naturally fell to the floor. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling sleepy?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not that¡­ How much do you trust your people?¡± ¡°My people?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯ll make you, Dad, the emperor. But in order to do so, I thought I had to check it first.¡± While giving attention to the documents, he put down his fountain pen. ¡°Come to think of it, you always say weird things.¡± ¡°I mean, I have a really strong power. And I have seen the future, too.¡± ¡°Future.¡± ¡°In all that future, you died.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡± There was no amplification on his voice and neither had emotions. He just said that he would die in a dull way as if he is just listening to other people¡¯s business. ¡°Oh, my. You can¡¯t talk like that about someone else¡¯s story.¡± ¡°Do I look like that?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think I don¡¯t have the will to live.¡± ¡°Maybe a little bit.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t leave you just like that. I will save you and make you the Emperor, because you¡¯re my dad.¡± At that moment, his eyes shook very slightly. ¡°Because I¡¯m your dad¡­¡± ¡°Oh! So hurry up and have hope in your life. I want you to live longer so you can covet the Emperor¡¯s position.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I came back because I want you as the emperor. So, you have to cheer up?¡± As if to cheer him up, I stabbed the cheese in front of me with a fork and stuck it out to him. ¡°Do you want me to eat all of this?¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m giving it to you to cheer you up.¡± He opened his mouth wide and ate the cheese I offered, even though he was contemplating a lot for a while. As he trembled all over, as if he was showing that he didn¡¯t like it, he burst out a dejected smile. ¡°You¡¯re an irresistible child.¡± ¡°Does it mean something good?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Anyway¡­ do you believe in all of your people?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trust everything. And believe me. Oh, would this make it harder to believe in?¡± Chapter 35.2 I sat down and stroked my chin. What should I do to make the Grand Duke believe me? When I thought about it, I think I came up to him without any preparation. I can¡¯t believe I rushed into him. ¡°Why am I taking up so much time today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But¡­ I know one thing. Many of the people next to you leak your information to the outside world.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already checked it once since the last incident.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t revealed anything, have you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can predict who sent the assassin, but I can¡¯t determine who it is.¡± That¡¯s a relief. I was worried that the Grand Duke would fully believe in his people, but fortunately, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you from now on, so you have to believe me!¡± That¡¯s what I said, but I actually don¡¯t have much information. Nevertheless, I stretched my shoulders proudly. And I proudly pushed the silver spoon I brought into him. ¡°Ta-da.¡± ¡°A spoon?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll show you how close they are now to hurt you.¡± The room became quiet. ¡°What are we going to do with this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to check for poison.¡± ¡°Check? Did someone poison me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But wine is the only thing that¡¯s here.¡± While talking, he pointed at his head with a despondent smile, perhaps he had already realized. It was natural that his complexion turned white like a person who was greatly shocked. I put a silver spoon into the wine before he got more shock. I imagined that for a moment. What if the ¡°bad guy¡± didn¡¯t put poison in here? Did I do something stupid? What if I lose the trust I can get from the Grand Duke? My hands trembled a little at the thought of that. But at that moment, the color of the silver spoon, which looked murky and blurry submerged into the red wine, changed gradually. For a moment, I thought it was a relief, so I laughed profusely, but I sighed from the regret that it was confirmed that the Grand Duke was eating poison. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The Grand Duke took out the spoon with a dejected smile. The exact color of the part where the wine touched had changed. As if to show how far the spoon was contained, the spoon changed like a drawing of an accurate line. ¡°What a fool. Did you not know I was taking poison?¡± ¡°You are not stupid. It¡¯s the fault of the people who cheated on you.¡± ¡°But being foolish is being foolish.¡± While self-contemplating himself, he continued to laugh in vain. And looking at it, I got up from my seat and approached his side. ¡°How did you know that the wine is poisoned when you¡¯re trying to fool me?¡± ¡°They purposely aimed for the wine as silver utensils are not used.¡± ¡°¡­Bebe.¡± ¡°If you keep saying you¡¯re stupid, you become really stupid, so don¡¯t say you really are because you are not a fool.¡± ¡°And! If my dad is an idiot, so am I, your daughter, an idiot too?¡± Looking at me as I approached him, the Grand Duke smiled and stroked my head. ¡°Your consolation method is rather unique.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It comforts me strangely. It¡¯s clumsy, but it comforts me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief!¡± The Grand Duke fiddled with the spoon to see if he was finally out of shock. ¡°I¡¯ll catch him right away and kill him. How dare him feed me poison?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®no¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just one person.¡± ¡°Is there another one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± There were but these people were still unclear. In the past, I didn¡¯t pay any attention to the Grand Duke, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to this situation. Now, everything is ambiguous. I didn¡¯t even know if it¡¯s ambiguous because I didn¡¯t hear anything or if it¡¯s ambiguous in a way because there¡¯s another reason. ¡°There¡¯s more, but you can¡¯t say it yet?¡± ¡°Yeah! So if you¡¯re going to catch them, you¡¯d better catch them all at once.¡± ¡°I see. I understand¡­ I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll hide themselves or run away when what they¡¯re doing is revealed.¡± Only then did he strongly nod his head. Now, like a man who made up his mind, the face of the Grand Duke had returned just like before. He looked strong, and he is cooler than anyone else. ¡°You look good.¡± Now that I feel like he is back to his original state, I remembered something and beamed a smile. It was then¡­ As I was smiling like a fool all by myself, the Grand Duke jumped up from his seat. He hugged me as he kneeled on the floor with a sigh of relief. ¡°Wh-What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot to say something and just hugged. It seems it has become a habit because Harris likes to hug me like this.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Oh, I¡¯ll let you off today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± ¡°More than that, Bebe, what¡¯s your wish? Didn¡¯t you tell me this for just a single wish?¡± At times like this, he¡¯s quick to catch on. But it¡¯s very comfortable. I didn¡¯t have to tell him, but I did on my own. Of course, it¡¯s a little uncomfortable because he understands my thoughts the other way around and then misunderstands it, but it¡¯s generally good. ¡°Oh right!¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the wish you want to tell me?¡± ¡°You know how much I need you, right?¡± Chapter 36.1 ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And that I¡¯m a useful person?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°So you have to listen to me.¡± Grand Duke¡¯s head nodded up and down. As if to show his strong will, his nod was firm. ¡°So my wish is¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please write down in the form of a document that you are going to make me your official daughter.¡± After contemplating for a long time, I looked at him. I could wake up my mom with just one file. It¡¯s also proving my usefulness. ¡®I think I can live here more proudly.¡¯ I wanted to prove my usefulness. This time, I strongly appealed my necessity to him, who was not satisfied even with me by showing strong mana. But after a long time, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Can¡¯t you do this for me? If it is too much¡­ should I prove my usefulness?¡± Was it not enough? I mumbled timidly at the thought of catching more people who were doing bad thungs in the Grand Duchy. ¡°Was it just that?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean ¡®just that¡¯? You know how big it is for me!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? I didn¡¯t know, but I can¡¯t do that.¡± At that moment, my eyes went blank. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t you do that for me?¡± Bad guy. I did my very best. The moment my lips quivered when he said that, the grand duke stroked my head with his big hands. ¡°Because I already entered your name.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re already my daughter. I have entered your name, Bebe Avrant, and have prepared all the documents. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t do it.¡± For a moment, I had lost my ability to swear at him and was just flabbergasted. You should¡¯ve told me that earlier. If I had told you earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have cursed at you. Then, something poked my chest. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are only documents and we haven¡¯t officially announced it, but Bebe Avrant is a child of this family, the fourth child.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled excitedly at the word ¡°official¡± because I was just happy, but I hurriedly hardened my face at his strangely contradictory words. ¡°Fourth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why am I the fourth? Should it be fifth?¡± ¡°Oh, Harris isn¡¯t officially my child yet.¡± What was he talking about? I was just smiling and in a good mood, but I had no choice but to harden my face. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Nothing has been confirmed yet.¡± ¡°But the evidence is that Harris is your daughter¡­¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know¡­ yet.¡± Somehow the eyes of the Grand Duke looked sad. Was there something that I didn¡¯t know about, such as an adult situation? Even so, it was questionable. ¡°But I¡­¡± ¡°Because you got the position on your own. On top of that, Harris has entered the position of the youngest, whom I haven¡¯t even seen her face from the very beginning, so she needs solid evidence.¡± Rather, it¡¯s weird. But I had nothing to say that she chose that way. It¡¯s enough for me to be recognized officially. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m really¡­¡± ¡°But will you keep using the name Bebe?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think the current Emperor knows you, your face and your name. Although I will house you here at all cost, if you continue to use the name Bebe, he will surely know right away. The entry documents should be stamped by the Emperor anyway.¡± ¡°My mom gave me this name¡­¡± My precious name. A name that proved who I was. Therefore, I could not easily spit out an answer towards his advice. ¡°If you don¡¯t like the idea, then I can¡¯t help it.¡± When I hesitated, the Grand Duke shook his head from side to side as if to forget what had just happened. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you.¡± ¡°No. First of all¡­ when my mom wakes up, and if she asked me, I would say that Bebe is a precious name that my mom gave me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± In a short while, the Grand Duke put me in the chair he was sitting in. Perhaps because he was there all along, the chair was warm. ¡°So let me grant you another wish.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any wish!¡± ¡°¡­Is that your only wish?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you be greedy?¡± ¡°What about a precious sword like Astor, or a large and valuable mine like the twins?¡± He seemed to be agonizing over telling me things that might be tempting, but nothing interested me. ¡°Or what about jewelry and dresses just like Harris?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I should give you something.¡± Looking at him agonizingly, I also felt the agony in a short while. The Grand Duke sincerely wanted to give me something, and I sincerely didn¡¯t want to receive anything. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°I got help from you, and I decided to grant your wish.¡± And after a long time, I nodded my head profusely. ¡°Then, there¡¯s something I want you to get!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Later, a small house to live with my mom!¡± ¡°A small house?¡± ¡°Yes! I want to live like normal people with my mom.¡± I wasn¡¯t greedy anyway. If I could enjoy a peaceful life with my mom, that would have been enough. Chapter 36.2 ¡°A house¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It doesn¡¯t have to be big. A place where the two of us can live¡­ Instead, I hope there are many flowers around the house! And I wish there was a library nearby. My mom and I both like reading books!¡± ¡°I¡¯m five years old, but I like reading books.¡± He seemed surprised, but he just smiled broadly. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s my wish.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve decided to do it for you, so I¡¯ll accept that wish. But don¡¯t you want something bigger than that?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I thought I was greedy because I wanted you to be my child at first.¡± ¡°Dad is someone who will protect me until I grow up safely.¡± So please take good care of me¡­ Dad. For a moment, he rummaged through several documents around him. Due to the instant change of mood, I just looked at him sitting still. At that moment, as if he had found what he wanted, he held out a piece of paper to me. ¡°If you read my letter, you can read this, too, right? ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Try reading it.¡± It was quite different from the letter sent to me. It was dried parchment as if it were showing luxury. As I unfolded it, I smiled brighter than ever. ¡°It¡¯s the Name Entry Document!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I have to go and wake up my mom today. Now I could live with my mom. We¡¯ve found a place to stay. Holding the document with my arms, I got up in my place and went around all of a sudden. ¡°I love it. I can¡¯t wait to go and show it to my mom.¡± ¡°I think you really love your mom.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like me?¡± ¡°Dad? Dad is¡­¡± With his sudden question, I scratched my head and laughed awkwardly. ¡°Dad is¡­ Dad.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you like me just like your mom?¡± Why was he suddenly saying this? If a person changed suddenly, there would be only a few days left for him and would eventually die. I held the hand of the Grand Duke tightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you¡­?¡± ¡°If a person suddenly changes, he or she is sick. Dad, are you in a lot of pain?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel hurt.¡± Or has he gone crazy? I said it out of concern, but he kept his lips pursing towards me, like a person who tried to laugh. My face hardened by itself. ¡°Strange. Are you trying to laugh all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­.Does it look weird?¡± ¡°Uh. Can¡¯t you like me like your mom? That¡¯s absolutely impossible.¡± ¡°¡­Then, what about Allen?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that either.¡± ¡°Even as much as the penguin doll that Allen gave you as a gift?¡± Why did he keep asking me? I nodded profusely. My penguin doll was so precious. Even the penguin doll was ranked higher than Allen in the treasure rankings, but the ambiguous Grand Duke quickly looked at me in anticipation and was a bit disappointed. ¡°¡­That¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to be mean, don¡¯t expect too much.¡± There was a moment of silence. I didn¡¯t understand this situation right now and this very conversation with the Grand Duke. Also, somehow, the more I looked at him, the more I felt like he was talking to me with sincerity. ¡°Of course, the person I need the most is my dad.¡± ¡°Should I say that¡¯s good?¡± ¡°But Dad, were you being serious? It was pure curiosity. Was this person playing a joke on me or really wanting me to like him? ¡°I don¡¯t know if you really are a Duke or just a child¡­¡± ¡®There¡¯s no way that four more people would crave affection for me, right?¡¯ Having that concluded, I nodded my head profusely before another word popped out of his mouth. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t have everything and you want me to like you. What are you talking about? Oh! Does that wine have such bad effects on you?¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. Was he drunk because he drank and ate a lot? I was so worried about him, to the point where I was staring at the wine bottle. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. Don¡¯t drink wine. Not only this, but also other wines. I¡¯m sure this thing isn¡¯t appropriate for dad¡¯s body.¡± And the Grand Duke, who was looking at me, snorted and ruffled my head. ¡°Are you worrying about me?¡± ¡°Yeah. You can¡¯t die early. You have to live a long time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Because I¡¯m going to live a long time.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Today, his blue eyes somehow look like blue flames, and not ice. It was really strange. I even felt like I was going to be sucked in. ¡®I¡¯m not scared.¡¯ I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a bad person, but I felt strange when I even saw him doing something bad in front of my eyes. I thought about the reason, but I still don¡¯t know. ¡®Is it because he¡¯s so handsome?¡¯ Does this mean that people should be handsome and look pleasing? I saw it in a book. Even if it was an enemy, you sometimes feel relieved with your anger if they were handsome and pretty. Having come to that conclusion, I nodded once again. ¡®He really is handsome. But honestly¡­ that¡¯s just the thing I am into.¡¯ Chapter 37.1 Then I suddenly remembered my mom. ¡°No, Mom can¡¯t do that.¡¯ He¡¯s handsome, but he never used it to bribe others, nor was it ever allowed. The Grand Duke was sometimes a cruel and crazy man. Having come to that conclusion, I nodded deeply. ¡°Your expression keeps changing every second.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It was good, then it was bad. It surprised me. I can see those emotions constantly passing by in that small face.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not.¡± I was expressionless! He stared at him with his mouth closed tightly. But he was quite relaxed. It was as if it didn¡¯t matter what I said. Like that, the Grand Duke looked at me for a long time and saw me again. Meanwhile, as if he had something to say, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not when you like it unconditionally. There are some things I haven¡¯t published yet because of your name, but there are other reasons why I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Any other reason?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard. Making documents didn¡¯t stop it.¡± With disappointment, he hurriedly hardened his face, which had been filled with anticipation until just now. ¡°In a way, it¡¯s big, and in a way, it¡¯s trivial. There are a lot of people who will definitely talk about why to let you go.¡± He nodded firmly as he spoke. Nothing was wrong with what he said. In fact, when I thought about it, it was natural for the vassals to look at me unkindly. They didn¡¯t know who I was. It was as if I fell from the sky. I told the Grand Duke that I was a child of the previous emperor and had strong power, but the vassals do not know that. Even if he knew that, you would think there was no reason to put me here. His forehead hardened automatically. ¡°That¡¯s true. I think so, too.¡± What should I do now? Wouldn¡¯t it be useless not to publish this document, especially if the emperor doesn¡¯t allow it. ¡®Is it all useless in the end?¡¯ Disappointment was as great as expected. I looked down at the documents I had held silently in my arms for a long time. Come to think of it, my life was always like that. A comfortable road. There has never been an easy road. ¡®It was always like this. You don¡¯t have to be disappointed.¡¯ Therefore, I raised my head again after making a sullen face. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a way.¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course, my life has always been like that. The easier it was to go, the harder it was. So I¡¯m fine.¡± It¡¯s okay. If you say it¡¯s okay, it¡¯d be really okay. With such expectations, I made eye contact with him. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be disappointed.¡± ¡°Yeah. I was disappointed¡­¡± Nothing changed just because I was disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s always been like that.¡± I was disappointed every time I lost my mom and lost her again. There were many days when I was frustrated and struggling with the reality that I couldn¡¯t save my mother. Now that I thought about it, all those days seemed to have provided me with the ¡°power to endure.¡± The power to get up quickly. ¡°You¡¯re brave. Then Bebe, will you do anything to announce it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then, good for you.¡± At that moment, I only opened my eyes wide at an unexpected word. ¡°Huh? Will it turn out well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m showing you how strong you are in the morning.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Ableland Grand Park is a place that prioritizes strength. It flattens the noses of the vassals who keep talking nonsense. At least those who say you were put here for no reason will be speechless. If I have to say, it¡¯s much better than those guys who talk without any power.¡± As his lips smiled, he stared at me. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°Of course, there will be people who wonder about that power. Then you¡¯ll have a hard time. Is that okay?¡± ¡°If I could enter a public place, I could do anything.¡± I clenched my fist and made eye contact with him. If only that could happen, so if I could wake up my mom¡­ I didn¡¯t care what I became. ¡°If you do that, no one will be able to touch me. Me, too. My mom, too.¡± If you did that, no one would touch my mom like last time. That alone was enough. My enlightened head and the Grand Duke¡¯s head moved at the same time positively. ¡°I like it because it¡¯s lively. There are plans they would like to achieve, and if so, I will take care of the work for that day.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to worry?¡± ¡°Yes. First of all, I¡¯ll go to the forest.¡± ¡°Forest?¡± ¡°This forest is a great place to live. Do you know anything about him?¡± ¡°I heard there¡¯s a silver wolf!¡± ¡°Yes, that forest with silver wolves. If we talk about him, we go back to the distant past.¡± I nodded to ask them to hear me when I was completely out of expectation. ¡°A long time ago¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. The current Duke of Avrant is a man with a small amount of royal blood, but the previous Grand Duke was a loser.¡± Chapter 37.2 ¡°Loser?¡± At the beginning of Imperial history, the two royal families, who were from the small kingdom of Lehel, organized all the tribes here and laid the foundation for the country. One of them became an emperor, and the other became a great army. However, the public¡¯s words were unexpected. It was a group of losers. ¡°Finally, a country was established here, and the kingdom of Lehel, from which they had come from, had a problem remembering the name Lehel Douard when the name was decided.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°The question of who ascends to the emperor. Would it be Avrant, who was wise, excellent, but a woman? Cloud, who was always looking for opportunities one step behind.¡± It seemed that he only nodded because his name had already inferred who continued the Grand Duke. ¡°In the end, Cloud became the emperor just because he is a ¡®man¡¯. And Cloud created the Grand House of Avrant named after Avrant, in the name of taking care of his sister. At first, it seemed to take good care of it, but at some point here in the north of the Empire, magic that could threaten the men and men constantly emerged, and the Emperor settled the first grand duke here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°It was the reason to protect it as a guardian of the Empire and to give the vast land in the north to the Great Duke. But as a result, it was to make a Grand Duke surrounded by forests and to never rebel against him. The Emperor just wanted the first Grand Duke to die in this forest.¡± For a moment, I had to swallow the word ¡°bad guy¡± as I almost blurted it out. How could humans do that? You said you were his sister. ¡°The Grand Duke endured better than I thought in this forest. But the magic here constantly appears and threatens people. If even one of them went to the capital, the Grand Duke used to be greatly reprimanded by the Emperor. That¡¯s why the Grand Duke has to stop the magicians from getting out of this forest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± When I was nodding, he made a pretty bitter look and spoke bitterly. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve arranged all the roads to the outside. By the way, Bebe, did you think there are no knights in the family? ¡°Right! I¡¯ve rarely seen knights in a castle.¡± ¡°The Grand Duke has so many troops that it is comparable to the Emperor. Of course, the Emperor is unaware of this fact. Anyway, they all surround this huge forest, so that nothing can escape from it.¡± I opened my mouth wide for a moment. It was a story that has not been heard anywhere in the past. ¡°Beasts and monsters¡­ I didn¡¯t know there was something like that.¡± ¡°People don¡¯t know. Because I¡¯ve managed them perfectly in public for hundreds of years. However, monsters and beasts continued to increase for unknown reasons. It became more ferocious and appeared rougher. It¡¯s been worse since about five years ago. And when it becomes spring, these beasts get particularly mad.¡± Perhaps the story was finally over, but the Grand Duke smiled and stroked my head. ¡°And we¡¯re going to the forest.¡± ¡°That forest¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a board so that you can take the vassals there, so use your strength there as much as you want. It¡¯s to show your strength to the vassals. What do you think? It must be full of scary things. Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s okay! I like it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything after that, so trust me and act.¡± What happens after that means I¡¯m going to faint from strength. My strength was both strong and weak. No matter how strong you use, the power becomes useless when the user faints. Users even face situations that can be dangerous due to fainting. So I didn¡¯t want to let anyone know this power. But for the admission documents, if I could prove it to those who bullied my dad, I¡¯ll do so. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call you at the next political meeting, so come out there.¡± ¡°Can I go there?¡± ¡°Any family member of the Grand Duke can go. So don¡¯t worry and come out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°And¡­ it¡¯s going to be noisy for a while because you¡¯re going to a political meeting, so keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Are you spreading rumors?¡± ¡°Yes. That way, all the vassals will attend.¡± As if the devil had descended, an evil smile spread across the Grand Duke¡¯s face. But I also realized for sure now that he was worried about me. The Grand Duke looked at me with softer eyes and spoke in a friendlier voice than before. Why was he making such a burdensome face? ¡®Ah! It means to go and do well.¡¯ Otherwise, there would be no reason to look at me like that. Deep enlightenment. When I understood, I nodded my head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do everything I¡¯m told to do. Then I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s late at night.¡± Chapter 38.1 ¡°Yes!¡± When the Grand Duke said it was late at night, he put the documents on the table, which he was holding dearly in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the documents¡­ here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to take it.¡± ¡°No! My room is a place where I don¡¯t know when anyone will come in. But I¡¯m relieved that not anyone can enter my dad¡¯s room!¡± The Grand Duke, who crumpled his face as if he had eaten something bitter, smiled and nodded. Okay. Then I¡¯ll keep this for you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. And I¡¯m going to sleep, so will you sleep right away?¡± As I spoke, the Grand Duke only smiled weakly. It probably means that he won¡¯t be sleeping. But I couldn¡¯t drag a person who wouldn¡¯t sleep to bed, and I was too sleepy, so I jumped out of my seat and ran outside. ¡°Good night!¡± ¡°Good night. Bebe.¡± I greeted nicely, but I even waved my hand and finished greeting, but I couldn¡¯t leave. The door had to be pulled inward to open, but although my hand touched the handle, the door itself was too heavy. In the end, it was only after the Grand Duke, who finished greeting, approached me and pulled the door. Only then was I able to leave the room. ¡°It seems you are still short and not strong enough.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to grow soon so don¡¯t worry!¡± Just in case he was worried, I hurriedly turned my head and ran to Cecilia outside the door. ¡°My Lady! You¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Then the Great Duke entered the door, and Cecilia smiled affectionately at me. ¡°I was wondering why you weren¡¯t coming out.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes! Were you able to talk to the Grand Duke better than that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you. I think you two are getting along well.¡± I tried to refute that it wasn¡¯t like that, but today was an unusually good day. ¡°Getting along¡­ it¡¯s just going well.¡± ¡°Is that so? I heard that Lady Harris gets kicked out in less than five minutes if she enters the Grand Duke¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Really? It seems like she visits every day.¡± ¡°Yes. It seems they always come to the room to say hello.¡± Harris was such a great kid. It must be annoying, but he visits me every day to say hello. ¡°I will never do it.¡± ¡°Yes. I thought you wouldn¡¯t do it even if I told you to.¡± ¡°¡­Do I look like that kind of person?¡± ¡°Yes. Lady Bebe is a weirdly determined person, so I felt like you wouldn¡¯t do it.¡± Looking at Cecilia, who was definitely talking, I wanted to do the opposite somehow, but I quickly gave up my mind. It would never be a human¡¯s job to visit every day. It was then¡­ As the saying goes, ¡°When you think of a person, that person will come.¡± By the time I almost got to my room, a child was walking towards me. Harris was dressed in splendid clothes, as if she was about to go to a party at any moment. The red dress, which wasn¡¯t suitable for tonight, was gently studded with flowers. ¡°Ha? Where have you been?¡±¡± As expected, the child, who had been furious as soon as he saw me, quickly approached my eyes, twitching her nose. But this time, Cecilia blocked Herace. ¡°Lady Harris, I heard that you were not allowed to go down this path.¡± ¡°So what, Cecilia. Who do you think you are to meddle in my path?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interfering. I¡¯m just telling you that there was an order from the Great Duke.¡± Harris did not seem to be hit at all by Cecilia¡¯s determined words. ¡°Whether it¡¯s from someone or whatever, if it¡¯s not this way, you have to go all the way to the back. What should I do? And my dad allowed me to pass by here.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But what do you mean? Are you going to pick a fight with me, Cecilia? Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Lady Harris.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even call my name. You¡¯re just like that fake and you¡¯re arguing with me? Yes, you. Since I¡¯ve been obedient lately, you only see me as a beggar, right?¡± Harris acted as if she had become the word anger itself. Or maybe she couldn¡¯t control her anger? Anyway, Harris threatened Cecilia with all kinds of annoyances today. If this was the first time, I would have been surprised or embarrassed, but Cecilia and I, who had seen this often, were not very impressed. ¡°Ha? You won¡¯t even answer? Are you confident? Huh? Do you think it¡¯s really special because that room was assigned and you¡¯re not kicked out even though something happened? You, you, you, you, you fake.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that room is.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is that a special room?¡± Chapter 38.2 I was seriously asking, but I think that rather boosted Harris¡¯s anger. Harris only moved her mouth out of absurdity and laughed out loud. ¡°Are you pretending not to know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I really don¡¯t know. Is that a special room?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this just crazy? Are you pretending not to know?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± It was then. The knights who had been guarding the front of the room until just now heard a loud noise and walked toward us. My body flinched for a moment. As if she had seen it, Harris snorted and gave an interesting look. ¡°My Lady.¡± And when they finally arrived in front of me, I stuck close to Cecilia. ¡°Oh, yeah. Okay. You guys came well.¡± However, the knights who wore all their armor, did not respond much to Harris¡¯s words. ¡°What? Why aren¡¯t you responding?¡± ¡°Lady Harris was definitely banned from entering this way.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°But in the meantime, I had only allowed you to pass through this path because it must have been inconvenient. But why are you here instead of passing by?¡± I, who was worried that the knights guarding the door were on Harris¡¯s side and were going to hit me, warmed up only then. ¡°What? What?¡± ¡°The knight gave permission to pass through this place because of the Lady¡¯s earnest request.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t your dad give you permission?¡± As I really believed so, Harris¡¯s face turned pale. However, the knights nodded without hesitation. Looking at them, Harris stared at the knights that followed behind me. ¡°Is it true? Huh? I was able to go past this place because you asked me to!¡± ¡°My Lady, that¡¯s¡­¡± Then. One of the two knights came forward scratching his head. ¡°When I asked, you said it was allowed by your dad.¡± ¡°I just said I allowed it. answer.¡± The knight, who had blurred the end of his speech, quickly deflected. I looked at Harris¡¯s face, which turned red like a tomato that was about to burst right away. ¡°How dare you play with me?¡± Harris¡¯s anger did not end there. Harris approached her knight and motioned for him to come closer. The knight bowed down, looking uncomfortable, and made eye contact with Harris. As if waiting for it, Herace slapped the knight¡¯s cheek with his body bent in front of her. Only the slap filled the quiet hallway. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± It was likely that he would grumble or shout, but the knight silently gave his head to Harris. It wasn¡¯t once. As if to express the accumulated anger, she slapped the knight until her hands turned red. None of the men who accompanied the knight and guarded Harris¡¯s back stopped it. It was only Cecilia who couldn¡¯t bear it, and gently covered my eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going back now.¡± And Cecilia, who had been watching the scene, turned to approach the door, wondering if it was going to go any longer. Only then did Harris stop hitting the knight and try to tightly grab onto my forearms. However, the knights, who were guarding the door, blocked Harris. ¡°Lady Harris wasn¡¯t even allowed to come close to the room. Please step back.¡± ¡°Move. Do you know who I am? Huh? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m the real lady who inherited the blood of this family! I thought I would get out of the way if I made a fuss like that, but the knights didn¡¯t even move a little. They firmly blocked Harris until Cecilia and I entered the room. Because of this, Harris was more chaotic than ever, but it quickly became quiet, as if she had been subdued. ¡°There¡¯s never a quiet day.¡± ¡°I know. I never imagined that Lady Harris would pass this way.¡± Cecilia hardened her face, as if what happened just before was a terrible thing. Her face had an expression that was not much different from mine. ¡°But to say hello every day like that.. I think that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, but Cecilia.¡± Meanwhile, Cecilia took me to the dressing room to change into pajamas. When I wore the pajamas that felt soft enough to match the sound of chirping, it felt like tension all over my body was relieved. ¡°What? Are you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°No. Rather than uncomfortable¡­ you know¡­ what room is this?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Because of what Harris said earlier¡­¡± ¡°This is the room used by Grand Duchess Ellinson.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was surprised at the moment and couldn¡¯t close my mouth. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s the room used by the Great Duchess. ¡°Then, what about the pattern on the room door?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as the one in the Grand Duke¡¯s room, just in a different direction. That shows that it¡¯s the Grand Duchess¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t close my mouth in surprise. Chapter 39.1 ¡°Of course, your previous room was a different place. This is the room you used to spend the night with His Highness. That¡¯s why it¡¯s located right next to the Grand Duke¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. It¡¯s a precious room to us¡­¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s why I thought you were such a precious guest. Actually, everyone was surprised at first. It was because of the news that His Highness had given this room to two people. After Grand Duchess Ellinson passed away, this room was never opened.¡± Looking at her talking in a calm tone, I nodded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes. In particular, Young Master Lexit had the most severe reaction. And then there¡¯s Lady Harris.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. His Highness is not someone who gives you a room for no reason.¡± As if to comfort me about Harris, the corners of her mouth raised. ¡°It¡¯s late at night, so hurry up and sleep.¡± ¡°It is so. I need to sleep¡±. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about Lady Harris either. It¡¯ll get better over time. Definitely.¡± Cecilia was always right, but I think she¡¯ll be wrong this time. Harris was terribly obsessed with me and was very competitive against me, so it¡¯s obvious that it¡¯ll stay the same until I do something wrong or leave. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Why? Are you worried about what happened earlier?¡± ¡°No. Nothing.¡± Once I am admitted to this family, I have to stay here until I grow up and protect myself. ¡®At least until eighteen.¡¯ Once you¡¯re eighteen, you¡¯re recognized as an adult. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m old enough to do everything. I wouldn¡¯t be able to buy a house under my name, and there would be nothing I could do on my own. ¡®I need to turn twenty.¡¯ If my mom was healthy, she would be fine when I reach eighteen, but you never know when my mom¡¯s health will change from bad to good. Because my mom didn¡¯t die on my fifth birthday, it was the only time she wore it. Because the future has changed, even I wouldn¡¯t know the changed future. ¡®Does this mean¡­ I have to continually keep an eye on Harris?¡¯ At that moment, the world went dark. In the meantime, Cecilia brought me to bed and laid me down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and go to sleep.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°If you keep worrying and thinking bad thoughts, you¡¯ll have nightmares in your dreams. So think of only good things. Think about going to the garden to play with your mom, or how nice it would be to imagine picking pretty flowers and making a bouquet together.¡± When I heard that, I put aside my worries about Harris, which had filled my head, and held the penguin doll tightly in my arms. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then, have a good night?¡± With those words, my hair was stroked softly. I only thought of good things, thinking that I could have good dreams. That night, I had a dream of picking flowers in the garden with my healthy mother. The scar that filled my mom and my whole body disappeared, and we laughed as if nothing had happened before. I had a good dream after a long time. And then I saw a silver wolf in that dream. I couldn¡¯t remember the look or the sound of it crying, but the silver hairs that tickled my cheeks were very impressive. Because of that, when I woke up at dawn, I still had the illusion of feeling its soft hairs on my cheeks. The next day¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because of the dream I had all night, but I woke up late in a good mood. Cecilia, who had already been in the room, looked busy somewhere. ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s morning?¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up today?¡±¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you smiling in your sleep so I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡± She stretched her body and smiled? ¡°What about Brother?¡± ¡°He came here a while earlier, and when he saw that My Lady was sleeping, he was disappointed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Then he asked me to tell you that he won¡¯t be able to come because he¡¯s busy today. He then added, ¡°Even if it¡¯s a pity, please bear with me¡±.¡± As a brother, Allen was good and very interesting, but his brother was a little excessive. ¡°Yeah! It was a bit annoying, but it worked out in the end.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Cecilia, who came to my side before I knew it, was smiling brighter than ever. After waking up from my seat, I patted my sleeping mother on the cheek and went down from bed. ¡°Yesterday was really weird.¡± ¡°Was it weird?¡± ¡°Yes, as Cecilia said¡­ I had a good dream.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, a dream of picking flowers in the garden with my mom. But what¡¯s more amazing is that at the end, a silver wolf came to me and rubbed my cheek.¡± I said it because I was excited, but as Cecilia made the bed I was lying on, her face hardened a little. Chapter 39.2 ¡°In your dream¡­ did you see a silver wolf?¡± ¡°Yeah! It felt good because the fur was soft. Why? Why can¡¯t I dream about it?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Cecilia, quite embarrassed, fiddled with something in bed and came to me. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± It was a silvery piece of fur, which was hard to see because of its unique color. As if to prove that there was a real silver wolf, the color of the fur shifted every time it shone under the light. It was not clear because it was a single strand, but it was certain that it was silver. ¡°How can this be¡­¡± Why was there a silver fur next to my bedside? At the moment, Cecilia and my face hardened at the same time. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It¡¯s so surprising that I¡¯m not embarrassed by anything. ¡°No one came through the door. If that were the case, the knights would have said it.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°The same goes for windows. I locked it tightly¡­ What¡¯s going on, My Lady?¡± And after a long silence, Cecilia, who was more embarrassed than anyone else, slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Or Cecilia¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Maybe I used magic all night. I saw a silver wolf in my dream, so I want to have fur that resembles a silver wolf. That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking.¡± ¡°Can your thoughts be magically embodied?¡± It was a question asked out of pure curiosity, but I couldn¡¯t give her an easy answer. I actually didn¡¯t know either. ¡°Well. Actually, I don¡¯t know anything about my power.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m strong, but that¡¯s all. But¡­ wouldn¡¯t it still be possible? When I use magic, I have to make up my mind about what I¡¯m going to do, so it must feel the same.¡± Only then did Cecilia nod as if she was suddenly deeply enlightened. ¡°Oh, I see! My Lady is so strong that she made it happen with just that!¡± ¡°Right, it¡¯s like that!¡± The reason why we rushed to conclude with each other was probably because of the discomfort of filling up somewhere in our hearts. TIt was the primal anxiety that there might be a real silver wolf. ¡°Then today¡­ hurry up and wash up and eat¡­ and let¡¯s go out.¡± ¡°Where are we going today?¡± ¡°Yes. Today is the day when My Lady¡¯s clothes and shoes arrive.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t finish it well that day.¡± ¡°They were just measuring the size of your body anyway. I discussed with Madame Elloine the next day to choose.¡± I didn¡¯t know that, so my eyes turned round. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, so you can leave right after you¡¯re ready.¡± I nodded my head loudly at her words. It¡¯s clothes. ¡°You can be greedy for this.¡± Originally, I ordered about 100 pieces of clothing, but Madame said she brought more clothes.¡± ¡°I see¡­! Will we be picking from there again?¡± ¡°If you like it, you can choose everything, or if you don¡¯t like it, you can throw it out.¡± As if it had happened often, Cecilia spoke casually, but I couldn¡¯t control my heart within that distance. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to choose! I will never give out anything that originally came into my arms!¡± ¡°Good idea. Let¡¯s get ready and go out. Due to Madame Elloine¡¯s personality, she will be here already and laying clothes in the drawing room.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As soon as I finished talking, Cecilia took me to the bathroom. Cecilia, who washed me as usual with a soft and warm touch, dressed me in another dress that came in the meantime and began to dry my hair. If it wasn¡¯t urgent, it was normal to dress me and do my hair after eating and washing up, but Cecilia seemed excited to see me in new dresses. I watched Cecilia move faster than usual. ¡°After today, all of these places will be filled with new clothes.¡± Looking pleased, she even hummed, unlike usual. That¡¯s true. I liked it, too. I¡¯ve only worn the clothes that Harris wore a few times, but now my clothes are coming. Even the size would be perfect for me. How many clothes were piled up in the drawing room? At that time, when I had such expectations, my forgotten memories came to mind, and her anticipation sank in vain. ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t Harris coming again? Just in case she ruins all my clothes.¡± Cecilia, who sat on the dressing table and dried my hair with a towel, smiled as if she had no worries. ¡°You saw it yesterday. No matter how much Lady Harris is, she can never come in if the knights block her.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I saw it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same this time.¡±There will be a knight in front of the drawing room.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s nice.¡± It was terrible just thinking about it¡­ the fact that Harris may step on or tear my clothes as if she were stepping on flowers. But Cecilia eliminated my worries at once. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes! Because there are knights¡­ There¡¯s a good side too.¡± ¡°Yes. And I told the Grand Duke about your personal knight.¡± ¡°D-Did you say that?¡± Chapter 40.1 Even though I knew that I would be afraid and intimidated if the knights were around me anyway, I couldn¡¯t help but feel regret. At that time, Cecilia, who was still listening to me, leaned toward me. ¡°Yes, I told him. His Highness was a little sad but said he would understand.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Instead, he decided to think about individual knights eventually, and for the time being, he said he would place knights in different places in the Grand Duke¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± Listening to Cecilia, my mouth opened for a moment. What did it mean by placing knights everywhere? It wasn¡¯t that I had been here for a long time, but I¡¯ve never had knights guarding somewhere. Rather, I¡¯ve seen many servants and maids, but I have only seen a few knights. ¡®That¡¯s because¡­ the knights are guarding the forest since it¡¯s filled with monsters, just like what my dad said.¡¯ Of course, I thought so¡­ ¡®Was it because of me that the knights were guarding these places?¡¯ At that moment, something in my heart pounded. Before I could answer, Cecilia spoke in a friendly voice, perhaps because she felt the change in my emotions at once. ¡°His Highness will do his best for the sake of My Lady.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s weird. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re so nice to me.¡±¡± ¡°Is that so? But isn¡¯t there a reason why they¡¯re so nice to you?¡± And then I realized something. Yeah, he couldn¡¯t just be nice to me. He¡¯s definitely being nice to me because he needed me. ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because he was sorry for this.¡¯ After thinking about such things, my overwhelming heart calmed down to some extent. ¡°Yeah. I guess so.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t have to feel too much pressure.¡± ¡°Oh! I don¡¯t feel pressured. Daddy has to do that for me.¡± ¡°I really like how you look.¡± ¡°What¡­! I didn¡¯t say I liked Cecilia!¡± After my temper rose from feeling a bit shy, Cecilia grinned and put a large hair clip on my head. ¡°You¡¯re already so pretty that putting this hair clip on is just enough.¡± The large, sky blue ribbon swayed left and right whenever I shook my head from side to side. ¡°Pretty!¡± ¡°I made it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It bothered me that My Lady didn¡¯t have any accessories¡­ so I made it myself¡­ Do you like it?¡± When my mother was not sick, I would sometimes make these things for her. However, since we had nothing, all we had to do was make ribbons out of dull curtains or cloth from shabby clothes. Even the Emperor and the knights often took away the ribbon after swearing at me, saying that I live very comfortably in this world. ¡°Yes! I love it!¡± So it was even better now. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to wear a ribbon again. I raised my hand and slowly stroked the ribbon. ¡°Pretty¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯ll buy a proper ribbon next time.¡± Cecilia, who looked a little lonely, stroked my hair for a long time. ¡°If I knew you would like it this much, I should¡¯ve made it before.¡± ¡°Cecilia.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thank you. Present!¡± Cecilia¡¯s face, seen beyond the dressing table mirror, hardened little by little by little. I wondered if she didn¡¯t want me to say thank you, but she looked overwhelmed. ¡°My Lady¡­ I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d say thank you¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the most precious thing to me! I want it to be treasure number three!¡± Allen, who was originally ranked third, should be ranked fourth. Oh, but I like Cecilia too. Then I¡¯d have to put Cecilia and Allen in the same rank. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll work harder to serve you, My Lady.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s continue to take care of each other.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I jumped off my seat and headed to the table in the living room. ¡°Then let¡¯s eat and go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare for it.¡± I wanted to run to the drawing room and see the clothes right away, but I couldn¡¯t starve. Because of that, I sat at the table and rolled my feet until the food arrived. And finally, silver utensils were placed one by one in front of me. ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡± ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m mistaken, but the meal seems to come out better since I visited the kitchen that day. Of course, it was good before that.¡± ¡°Yes! I heard they were paying more attention to My Lady¡¯s meal. Some of them have been giving better ingredients to My Lady since they¡¯re saying that My Lady seems thinner than Lady Harris. Well¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. So tell me what was delicious and what was lacking.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sure of that!¡± However, the more I ate food in front of me, the more I lost myself. Chapter 40.2 Obviously, I thought I could tell you what was the most delicious and what was disappointing, but the foods in front of me were all great. Cecilia went outside while I was eating today, and I eventually gave up trying to check the extent of the food before she came. ¡°Are you done eating?¡±¡± Usually, she finished her meal in about two to three minutes, so she entered the room in time. ¡°Uh, yes!¡± ¡°How was it? Which one was the best?¡± ¡°I¡­ Yeah.¡± Cecilia also glistened as if expecting my evaluation. But I couldn¡¯t say anything to Cecilia. ¡°Everything¡¯s delicious. Everything¡¯s great¡­ It¡¯s perfect and it didn¡¯t miss anything. Even the chocolate for dessert!¡± ¡°Was it that good?¡± ¡°Yeah! I think it¡¯s getting tastier day by day. Please go to the kitchen and say that. It¡¯s so delicious that I feel bad about evaluating it. In fact, it¡¯s hard to rate which one tasted better.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Cecilia, who was wiping my mouth by taking a handkerchief with her hand, lifted me up from the chair and dropped me on the floor. I was afraid of someone hugging me. However, Cecilia¡¯s hands were just as friendly as her mother. I was careful as if I didn¡¯t want to surprise myself. Because of this, I was thinking that I¡¯m getting used to her more and more. ¡°Okay. Then you should hurry up and say hello to your mother.¡± ¡°Oh, oh! She¡¯s already here?¡± ¡°Yes, I checked and she was already here and getting ready.¡± At her words, I walked over to my mother, putting my feet in place. ¡°Mom! I¡¯ll be back!¡± Mom. It¡¯ll be over soon. So please wait a little bit. Looking at my mother, whose complexion improved every day, I vowed again. I¡¯m going to finish everything. After saying goodbye, I ran out of the room. Perhaps because I went once last time, but the path to the drawing room looked familiar. I didn¡¯t know because I¡¯ve been trapped, but I seemed to memorize the path better than I thought. ¡®Of course, it wasn¡¯t that dark hallway when I entered through the hall. Anyway, I walked ahead of Cecilia in the bright hallway. She didn¡¯t really care about me taking the lead. Rather, I just walked. As we walked and walked like that, we came near to the drawing room. As if what Cecilia had said was true, two knights were firmly guarding in front of the room like the knights in front of my room. The problem was that the hallway was loud in front of them. Harris, who was screaming so loudly, was holding out. Like thunder, Harris¡¯s voice was so loud that the floor shook. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in there?! Oh!¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, unlike others in the Grand Duke¡¯s house, these knights were not afraid of Harris. Rather, they were only firmly guarding the door. They didn¡¯t even pay attention to what Harris was saying. I guess it bothered her even more. ¡°Ha? Do you know who I am? Huh?¡± ¡°Hey! Do you have to watch my call over my dad right now? I know my dad hates walking in vain, but you wouldn¡¯t know that!¡± Eventually, the knight who was listening to it sighed and opened his mouth. ¡°Lady Harris, this morning, the Grand Duke said no one should be allowed in here except Lady Bebe.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In particular, there is a high probability that Lady Harris will come, so he added that we should stop her.¡± Even from a distance, I could see Harris shaking. For all the time I¡¯ve been living, the knights only hit me. They enjoyed beating me, as if they had no feelings. However, the knights under the Grand Duke were different. Everyone protected me. They took my side. ¡®Strange¡­¡¯ That¡¯s why it¡¯s weird. Thinking about what this feeling was, I stood there and didn¡¯t move for a long time. ¡°Ah. I heard that you¡¯re on the side of the Vice Captain. They don¡¯t even have a status. They¡¯re not noblemen, yet they¡¯re being rude to me like this. Foolish things.¡± ¡°¡­No matter what you say, you can¡¯t enter this place.¡± As I was just watching them, Cecilia gently touched my shoulder. ¡°Shall we go now, My Lady? ¡°Uh, yes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of Lady Harris.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of her! I just don¡¯t like it because it¡¯s so annoying and it bothers the people around me.¡± As I slowly mumbled, Cecilia nodded as if she understood everything. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry. Those who have pledged to be next to you expect that much. So you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡± Cecilia was the one who was most worried about being harmed by Harris¡¯s actions. But since she said that she was okay, I couldn¡¯t add anything else. Without a second thought, I approached the drawing room. Harris looked at me with a stiff expression, perhaps because she only noticed my presence only then. ¡°Are you finally here?¡± ¡°Yeah. What brings you here, Harris?¡± Chapter 41.1 ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Do you have any business here?¡± I looked at her with a cold expression. Every time I saw Harris, I didn¡¯t feel anything. I couldn¡¯t understand why she was so angry and what she was afraid of. For a five-year-old, unlike me, she spoke very well for a child who didn¡¯t have memories of the past, which was amazing. That was all I could appreciate about her. ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°I have something to do here. So I¡¯ll try to go in. We can¡¯t make you wait any longer.¡± ¡°Where are you going?! The dresses arrive today, so of course I have to go in!¡± ¡°Why? They¡¯re my clothes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your clothes. They¡¯re clothes for the Grand Duke¡¯s princess, so it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to have anything!¡± ¡°Harris, you¡¯re greedy, You probably have more clothes than me. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re being greedy for that. But now I¡¯m also going to try and be greedy. Those are my clothes, so stop being greedy.¡± After saying that, I approached the door. The knights, who had not been approaching Harris until recently, opened the door with a small smile. In case Harris ran in, they stood close to each other and created only a small space for me to enter. ¡°Hey, hey! Where are you going?¡± But just as I couldn¡¯t stop the running cow because I was so angry, Herace tried to jump in after me, thinking it was time. But this time, Cecilia blocked it. ¡°Lady Harris, stop it. What kind of manners does the Grand Duke¡¯s princess have?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°The princess¡¯ maids don¡¯t teach you those things, do they? I¡¯ll directly tell His Highness about this matter.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I just said it. You arrived here earlier than Lady Bebe, but your manners seem to be worse than Lady Bebe.¡± Unlike usual, Cecilia¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°Are you threatening me, Cecilia?¡± ¡°No. What do you mean threatening? I¡¯m blaming your maids. Aren¡¯t they very useless?¡± Only then did the faces behind Harris also turn red. However, Cecilia pushed them further into a corner. ¡°If what I say is wrong, anyone can speak up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No one is speaking up. Then, I have no choice but to talk to His Highness.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? Not even my maids¡­!¡± ¡°I am a nanny. I am in charge of educating all the young ladies and masters in this family, except Lady Harris. And I have the same power as a maid. From my point of view, Lady Harris is lacking, so is there a problem with criticizing those lower than me?¡± Cecilia spat out each word in an emotionless tone. ¡°Even so, you don¡¯t have the right to say anything to those who are associated with me!¡± ¡°Is that so? But it¡¯s up to the Grand Duke to judge whether Lady Harris, who has three maids yet only whines at the age of five, is good at etiquette. And it remains to be seen whether it¡¯s something to do with serving a child.¡± ¡°Hey¡­!¡± ¡°I will talk to His Highness about what happens next. It just so happens that the Grand Duke said he would be here soon.¡± Only then did Harris quickly step back. ¡°Dad said he¡¯d come?¡± ¡°Yes. If you don¡¯t believe me, stay there. Then the Grand Duke will welcome Lady Harris. His daughter doesn¡¯t even listen to her own¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not leaving because I¡¯m scared of that!¡± I wondered if that would work, but the effect was quite large. Harris, who had been in a frenzy just now, took a step back. She said she wasn¡¯t doing this, yet she was afraid. Only after seeing that, the knights guarding the door of the drawing room created a space, and Cecilia stood behind me. ¡°Cecilia¡­ are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Nothing was as effective as this. Lady Harris doesn¡¯t want to let the Grand Duke and the twin Young Masters know that she was like that.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you like that to them as well?¡± ¡°Yes. Now act like a sweet, cute, and lovely lady.¡± I was surprised by the fact and I let out a small sigh. ¡°Even if others see such an appearance, they cannot easily inform the Grand Duke of this matter¡­ I think that is more so.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ I think you¡¯re doing something similar to Allen.¡± Her face hardened in an instant as if she had eaten a bitter candy. I nodded my head loudly as I saw her like that. ¡°Right. My brother¡­ I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s a really nice person.¡± Honestly, who else could be as kind as my brother? It was then¡­ Chapter 41.2 Madame Elloine of Henelph Salon, who had been approaching us as if she wanted to talk to us from the moment she entered the drawing room, opened her mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for a long time, Lady Bebe.¡± She bowed her head to me with a serious voice. She wasn¡¯t as serious, but she was pretty nice. So I stood in front of her and nodded roughly. My eyes were already taken away by the dresses and shoes behind Elloine. ¡°You came earlier than I thought!¡± It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, but it came really quickly. ¡°I heard all of Elloine¡¯s clothes are handmade, so I guess it takes a long time¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We all make our own clothes.¡± But how? The question came to mind, but Elloine only looked relaxed. It was like a person who hid something. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± I was happy, as if I had won the world just by entering this room with so many clothes. ¡°Then come over here.¡± I struggled to hold back bursts of laughter and stood as she led me. Meanwhile, many dresses passed my eyes; dresses that caught my eyes. Among them, three dresses were seen on a mannequin, unlike the other clothes on the hangers. The Madame stopped. ¡°We prepared these separately to see what style you like. Depending on your choice today, I will prepare your clothes from now on.¡± She was a person who gave a similar feeling to Cecilia. Of course, there was a feeling that she was kind and good, but for me, who was often intimidated by people, it wasn¡¯t bad either. Meanwhile, tremendous dresses appeared in front of my eyes. ¡°Woah¡­ Ah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, My Lady. They look so good on you.¡± Cecilia, who was next to me, couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re not, but these dresses really exceed expectations. As if it had clouds in it, a dress with numerous lace inflating the skirt hem caught my eye. It was a pretty dress as if it gave the feeling of the sky itself. The next dress that caught my eye was a yellow dress that matched my hair perfectly. Dresses decorated with flowers here and there as if they were in a flower garden gave off the scent of the nose just by looking at them. ¡°They¡¯re all pretty¡­¡± The last dress was red, but the skirt hem shone as if it were a precious jewel. That would have been pretty, but the waist dance had a large ribbon that interfered with the calm beauty of the dress. It was pretty, but¡­ ¡®It would have been beautiful enough if there was only one.¡¯ Feelings of regret rushed in. On top of that, the last one gave the impression that Harris would like it no matter who looked at it. ¡°Which one do you like the most?¡± Cecilia, who was watching from the side together, bowed out and made eye contact. ¡°Hmm¡­! The sky blue dress! Then the yellow one!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like the last dress?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so pretty¡­ too pretty. It would¡¯ve been prettier without the ribbon since it was so shiny.¡± When I talked with regret, Madame Elloine nodded. ¡°I just wanted to see what kind of style you¡¯d like today. Thank you for your answer.¡± ¡°Then, are you taking that back?¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Originally, I was going to trim it a little more, but if you want me to, I¡¯ll leave it finished as is. The finish is pretty good. It¡¯s also tailored to Lady Bebe¡¯s size. It¡¯s a dress only for you. The only one in the world.¡± A smile kept spreading on my face. They were my clothes. Clothes only for me. ¡°My clothes¡­ The only one in the world¡­ my clothes.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes! I love it!¡± As soon as he heard my answer, Elloine pointed to the dress in front of her and ordered others in the room to move it. They organized not only the clothes on the mannequin but also the clothes on the hanger, as if they were waiting for this moment. Looking at it, I couldn¡¯t control the laughter that burst out. ¡°My Lady, you look happy.¡± ¡°Yes! But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m that greedy.¡± It¡¯s really weird. At first, I was too busy reading the room, but after that, I thought about how I hoped they didn¡¯t hate me, especially the people I liked, Cecilia and Allen. And I hope the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t hate me. ¡°I know. It wasn¡¯t because My Lady was always greedy. I think sometimes that I hope you can be more greedy.¡± ¡°Can I be more greedy?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± I wanted to hear that word. I could be more greedy. I could live like that. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be greedy!¡± Chapter 42.1 ¡°Yes.¡± At that time, Elloine, who was ordering others, approached us. ¡°Once a month, I will bring Lady Bebe¡¯s clothes with me when other people¡¯s clothes come to the mansion. Usually, 30 casual clothes, 10 pajamas, and 5 clothes for special events will come in. What clothes do you wear to a party or when you go out? If you pick a design on the day you come, we¡¯ll deliver it.¡± ¡°Uh, okay!¡± I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but I just nodded my head. I didn¡¯t actually know if there were too many or too few dresses brought in. ¡°And originally, I was asked to prepare a hundred sets of clothes today, but I prepared more than that. Why don¡¯t you take a look and pick out the ones you don¡¯t like?¡± At her recommendation, I looked around. But there¡¯s nothing I didn¡¯t like. My face turned confused because I liked everything. ¡°Madame Elloine, if you don¡¯t mind, can I take all the clothes you prepared today?¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯d be very grateful if you did, but would that be okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Will you be okay?¡± At the moment, I turned my head and made eye contact with Cecilia. ¡®How did they know?¡¯ As if noticing that I wanted to, her eyes creased into crescent moons. ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay?¡± ¡°No, no! I thought it would be nice to do that too! You had a hard time time bringing the clothes. It would be a hassle to take them back!¡± Only then did Elloine nod her head loudly. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could do that.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then please continue to take good care of us in the future. I think you can wear all the shoes without having to choose. On the other hand, ribbons, pins, hair accessories, rings, necklaces and other items were prepared.¡± ¡°Uh, yes!¡± ¡°Henelph Salon generally supplies dresses and shoes, but if you need anything else, please feel free to let me know.¡± Cecilia, who was next to her, slowly opened her mouth as if she had been waiting for this time. ¡°Usually, accessories and decorations are delivered from other places. There are more than one or two places that bring goods to the mansion.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯d like them to be from the Henelph Salon.¡± Elloine treated Harris almost the same as me. ¡®Maybe other people are different.¡¯ For me, who was a little afraid of change and meeting new people, this was the best choice now. And with a slightly startled expression on her face, she nodded her head. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m glad. We will continue to do our best to make dresses and shoes for you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Like the chefs I saw in the kitchen, Elloine¡¯s face had a wide smile. It was an awkward smile when I first saw it, but now it looked sincere. ¡°Then I¡¯ll order the bottom ones and move all your clothes to the room. May I?¡± ¡°Uh, yes!¡± Meanwhile, she approached the door as if about to go outside with her clothes. At that time¡­ The door opened even before the people inside left. It was the Grand Duke who entered. ¡°Did you choose all the dresses?¡± I thought Cecilia said my dad coming here was just to overcome the situation, but he really came. The Grand Duke, who walked with his long legs, looked at the room once and immediately approached me. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°Okay. Did you choose your favorite outfit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­ Dad, aren¡¯t you busy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Are you here for me?¡± But there was no answer. It was just that my dad pouted his lips and turned to Elloine, who bowed his head in front of him. ¡°Madame.¡± ¡°Yes, Your highness.¡± ¡°You worked hard again this time.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®worked hard¡¯? I¡¯m always grateful for being called amongst the other designers.¡± ¡°Thank you. Please prepare a few more clothes for an adult woman.¡± ¡°How should I prepare the size?¡± The Grand Duke, who was lightly sweeping his chin, looked around and made eye contact with Cecilia. After looking at Cecilia for a long time as if thinking about something, he approached her. ¡°Cecilia. Can you listen for a second?¡± ¡°O-Oh?¡± ¡°Yeah. I thought it would be better to measure the size.¡± Cecilia, wondering about the sudden situation, nodded her head a little late. Then the Grand Duke held her up. Like a person weighing things, he seemed to have lost his mind for a long time. After a few minutes, the Grand Duke put Cecilia on the floor. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be similar to Cecilia, so try to match it.¡± ¡°All right. Then, Cecilia, please take a moment to get your body size measured.¡± ¡°Of course, but Your Highness, did you measure to make clothes for My Lady¡¯s mother?¡± Cecilia, who was raising her arm comfortably for Elloine to reach, asked with curiosity. If it weren¡¯t for that, it would be easy to say no, but my dad just looked around without saying a word. Chapter 42.2 ¡°Is it really for Mom?¡± Looking at my dad who didn¡¯t answer, I urged him. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll need clothes when I wake up.¡± ¡°Then why did you weigh Cecilia?¡± ¡°I just hugged your mom and moved her.¡± I could feel the warmth contained in the words he uttered. I couldn¡¯t even hug my mom. Then, was it him who moved my mom and I when we suddenly appeared on the first day? My lips flinched automatically. ¡°Wow¡­ I thought you had someone else move us.¡± ¡°For safety, it¡¯s better for me to move it myself.¡± ¡°Wow! Dad is a really¡­ good person.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a good person.¡± ¡°People who say they¡¯re not good people are all good people, so my dad is a good guy.¡± I smiled so brightly that I couldn¡¯t see his eyes and looked at him. Just in time, the Grand Duke also made eye contact with me. ¡°It¡¯s good not to trust people too much.¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°¡­Do you know?¡± ¡°Yes! But I¡¯ll still believe you. My dad is a good person.¡± In this life, I hope that my beliefs will be right. It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to break any time soon. If my faith is betrayed in this life¡­ ¡®At that time, I may lose confidence.¡¯ I laughed, swallowing words that were about to come out of my mouth. ¡°¡­When you said that, I felt an unknown sense of responsibility.¡± ¡°Unknown sense of responsibility?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the responsibility that I have to protect you, even though my children grew up on their own.¡± If it were only the Grand Duke and I, I would have told him not to do so. My mom and I were people who will leave here anyway, so he doesn¡¯t have to have the responsibility to protect me, but there was Madame Elloine here, and there was Cecilia who was being measured, so I just laughed. Soon, Cecilia had finished being measured. Then Elloine moved again. The clothes and shoes in the room were taken out of the drawing room, along with the people she brought. It didn¡¯t take long to know that all of them were simply sent to my room. ¡°Are you coming to my room now?¡± ¡°Okay. Just in case, I¡¯ll go to your room with you.¡± The Grand Duke placed knights in front of the drawing room door to guard as the parade of clothes passed. He stood at the back with me. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Is it because you¡¯re worried about Harris?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s weird.¡± It was around when the Grand Duke slowed down with me as he opened his mouth. His face, which had shown a small smile on his face just like any other person, also hardened. ¡°Something weird?¡± ¡°I thought Harris was such a good kid. She was a sweet, cute, kind and lovely child to everyone. There are things I haven¡¯t decided on about that kid yet¡­ but I thought she was that kind of kid.¡± ¡°Aaahhhh¡­¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s footsteps gradually slowed down as he followed the clothes. ¡°But I keep hearing different stories. I heard similar things before, but I implied that it wouldn¡¯t be the case. After you came, I could clearly see Harris¡¯s hidden side.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°So from then on, I¡¯ve been looking closely. And then I realized what the family¡¯s servants had been saying were right. I thought it changed after you came, but it didn¡¯t. Harris has changed to that since she was recognized to some extent as the child of the Grand Duke.¡± Why did every word he said sound so sad? Why did he look so sad as he accepted a reality that he didn¡¯t want to believe? ¡°I wonder if growing up alone as a child created that kind of personality. How can she become a sweet child to everyone, like the child I originally knew¡­ I wonder if she could be like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ I want to apologize to you. I didn¡¯t know Harris acted like that when left unattended.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. I heard from somewhere that family members are not sorry. If you¡¯re really sorry, then that¡¯s good.¡± The eyes of the Grand Duke, which were blurry like a dead fish, gleamed. There seemed to be a lively feeling in them. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Dad¡¯s fault here.¡± ¡°This is how you talk.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t say anything to Harris. I told Harris not to do anything. But the child asked what was wrong when she didn¡¯t do anything and asked if I had changed.¡± ¡°I see. So you don¡¯t have to worry about it. That way, I don¡¯t get hurt or anything. It¡¯s a bit annoying, but I think it¡¯s also interesting.¡± Actually, it was not okay. It was so annoying, and I hoped she stopped paying attention to me. I wanted to get out of here quickly even because of Harris. However, the Grand Duke was concerned. If I said that, he¡¯d feel sorry again. So I forced myself to laugh. ¡°¡­Bebe.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Chapter 43.1 At that moment, his big hand stroked my head softly. He didn¡¯t say anything else. He just petted my hair for a long time. Each time, it felt like the Grand Duke¡¯s warmth nourished my frozen and desolate heart. Meanwhile, we were able to arrive at my room. Fortunately, Harris didn¡¯t show up while arriving here. It was then¡­ Cecilia, who had been following the Grand Duke and I just now, walked quickly ahead and entered the room first. I wondered what he was doing, so I ran into the room. Then, I saw Cecilia covering my mother¡¯s bed with a wooden partition. ¡°Cecilia, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be noisy.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how helpful this would be, but it¡¯s better than nothing. ¡°Ah!¡± Cecilia, who was placed near the bed whining about her height, laughed with sweat. Cecilia, who ¡°It¡¯s done. Please sit here, My Lady.¡± In the midst of this, I nodded at Cecilia, who was worried about me. ¡°My mom will like it when she opens her eyes. There are so many good people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s what she should do. I hope your mother will like me too.¡± Cecilia laughed so hard that her eyes disappeared. ¡°Of course!¡± I liked Cecilia, so I hoped she didn¡¯t leave. ¡®When I hated it so much¡­ I would keep my distance, but now it¡¯s funny to see myself like this¡­¡¯ It was stupid to think of myself like that, but it¡¯s okay to be stupid. Because of that, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her as she busied herself. I sat next to my mother, hugged the penguin doll and poked my head around the partition. Suddenly, I saw Cecilia open the door to the room. As soon as the door opened as if waiting, clothes entered the room. As if waiting, clothes entered the room as the door opened. ¡°Let¡¯s all move quietly.¡± In the meantime, Cecilia was afraid that it would be noisy, so she had to calm people down. Because of this, people entering the room moved almost silently. In the meantime, the Grand Duke approached me. ¡°If you need anything afterwards, let me know.¡± ¡°This is enough. If you get too greedy, your stomach will explode.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah! Even right now, it¡¯s too much.¡± I was greedy even though I knew it was excessive, but I thought it would be okay because I would wear it someday. ¡°But don¡¯t hide your desires.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°But you seem to really like that doll.¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a penguin. They only live in cold places¡­¡± ¡°Why do you like it so much?¡± It was then when the Grand Duke¡¯s gaze, who had been watching the people entering my room, turned to me. ¡°It¡¯s my first time receiving a gift other than my mom or dad!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s your first time.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°When is your birthday?¡± ¡°Ah! Cecilia asked me the same thing, but the day I came here was my birthday.¡± After I said those words, regret filled his face. ¡°If I had known¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡­ I don¡¯t like my birthday.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t like your birthday. Usually, people like it since it¡¯s the day where you can get a gift.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t like it.¡± I hated my fifth birthday even more. It was the day when my mother passed away, and I had to go through it nine times. ¡°That¡¯s unique. I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t like your birthday.¡± ¡°Yeah. I hate that day. Especially¡­ my fifth birthday.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He didn¡¯t ask much. He might be wondering why I hated it so much, but he didn¡¯t ask anything. I just looked at my penguin doll with regret and looked around the room. Meanwhile, I saw the last few people enter the room. ¡°Everything has arrived today.¡± And Elloine, who came inside with the last dress, approached Cecilia. ¡°Thank you, Madame Elloine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Feel free to tell me if you need anything. Next time, I will make the dress you want.¡± Elloine, who had been talking to Cecilia for a while, approached the Grand Duke and I. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going today, Your Highness, Lady Bebe.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°We will deliver the dress you mentioned as quickly as possible.¡± After saying that, Elloine went outside, and Cecilia, who was running around the dress room and living room, approached us as she was sweating. ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡± The Grand Duke, who had been firmly next to me, only then moved around the partition. ¡°Both of you worked hard. I¡¯ll be off.¡± ¡°Are you going to go, Dad?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m busy with work.¡± You pretended to be okay when I said you weren¡¯t busy, so I guess not. He greeted as if he had been waiting, and quickly went outside. At the sudden appearance, we stared at the door where the great force left. ¡°She must have been worried about you.¡± ¡°Right. I think I came because I was worried.¡± ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s because there¡¯s something going on with Lady Harris. I think you care a lot about the lady.¡± It was the same word as before. Chapter 43.2 ¡°I¡¯m being nice to you because you need me¡­¡± However, I hope you like it because it¡¯s just me today. ¡°Yeah. I hope so. More than that, Cecilia¡­ You know me.¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± ¡°C-Can I try on the new clothes?¡± Cecilia, who seemed to roll her mouth around for a moment, smiled and nodded. ¡°For the first time since I started serving you, you look like a child.¡± ¡°¡­Like a child? Is that an insult?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not an insult. I really like how you express your feelings like that! Let¡¯s try on new clothes!¡± ¡°Uh, yes!¡± She reached out to me. Then I took her hand and got up slowly. We headed to the dressing room like that. Finally, I could see the dressing room. It was a sight that I expected a little bit since there were so many dresses, but when I saw the feast of dresses unfolding in front of my eyes, my heart pounded. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The dressing room, which used to look unusually large because it was empty, now looked small. The shoes were placed in a shoe cabinet diagonally, showing their pretty toes. The pretty hair pins were placed in front of the dressing table in the dressing room, and the accessories were piled up in the jewelry box next to it. ¡°Now I feel at ease.¡± ¡°There are so many!¡± ¡°This is all yours.¡± ¡°Am I allowed to have so many things? Really?¡± ¡°You can be confident. You¡¯re Bebe Avrant of the Grand Duke, so go ahead and choose the outfit you¡¯re going to wear today!¡± As I was watching her talking with her fist tightly, I laughed without realizing it. Right. I¡¯m the lady of this family. I can do this. I didn¡¯t have to explain my usefulness anymore. ¡®I¡¯m the lady of this place. Because I¡¯m Bebe¡­ Avrant.¡¯ I was excited after receiving Cecilia¡¯s support. I stopped in front of the dress I liked out of the numerous dresses. ¡°I¡¯m going to wear this today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll change you right away.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You can get a little lazy from now on.¡± ¡°Me?¡± I tilted my head as I watched Cecilia change my clothes. Yes. You have to choose dresses every morning. It might be fun at first, but it¡¯ll be a bother later. For some reason, even if you have clothes, you may feel like you have nothing to wear.¡± ¡°Really? Is everyone like that?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s like that every day.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± I always believed in almost everything Cecilia said, but this time I didn¡¯t quite understand what she said. How could you feel like you have so many clothes yet don¡¯t know what to wear? But she was more serious than ever. ¡°So you have to buy more new clothes. Next time, I hope you go out with your mother and buy clothes.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah! If Cecilia says so,then it must be like that. But Cecilia, when is the meeting?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it. There¡¯s going to be a meeting soon. The meeting will be in three days.¡± In three days¡­ In three days, I¡¯ll be recognized as a necessity. After that, the vassals won¡¯t be able to even move. When that happens, I could wake up my mom. I was worried about going to the political meeting itself, but my heart was pounding at the fact that my mother could wake up again. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re looking forward to it.¡±¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± After that day, I will not be alone, but my mother and I will be able to live together. Because I wouldn¡¯t have to use magic to put my mom to sleep anymore. I smiled brightly. *** Three days had passed. I woke up early in the morning, contrary to what I said before about not being nervous. When the sun rose to the sky¡­ ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It was a time when Cecilia had not entered the room. I opened the window slightly and the morning air rushed past my cheeks. It was a warm spring, but it was still cold at dawn. I hugged the penguin doll in my arms tighter and closed the window. Then I walked to my mom. ¡°Mom. Mom. After today, we can be together again. There are more than one or two things I want to show my mom.¡± The mother¡¯s face, who slept quietly, twinkled as if it were showing how well Cecilia had taken care of her. Cecilia wiped her mother¡¯s whole body every day and changed her posture from time to time to prevent her back from sagging. Thanks to this, my mom had the same face when my dad was alive. The scars were still all over her body, but she now looked like a normal person. I clung to my mom¡¯s side. ¡°Mom¡­ I want to hear your voice. I¡¯m really fine, and I really am happy¡­ but I want to hear your voice.¡± Chapter 44.1 It¡¯s an unusual day for me to miss my mom. If I could, I would wake up my mom right away and hear her voice. However, I knew that it would be over soon, so I set my heart to it. Instead, I rolled up my body to feel my mother¡¯s voice and warmth and sank further into her arms. ¡°Just for today¡­ I¡¯ll just endure it for today¡­ But still. Mom, will you say good job when you wake up?¡± I closed my eyes while looking at my unresponsive mother. So I waited to sleep again, and struggled in bed for a long time. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep easily, perhaps because of tension. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Instead, I only faced Cecilia, who entered the room early today. ¡°My Lady? Are you already up?¡±¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± ¡°Why did I wake you up too early?¡± She rushed to bed, showing her embarrassed look. ¡°No, I¡¯ll be going out for a political meeting today¡­ I thought it wasn¡¯t nervous, but I was.¡± ¡°My Lady is smart, so you¡¯ll definitely do well. Since you¡¯re up, would you like to soak yourself in a warm bathtub? Then, you¡¯ll feel less nervous.¡± ¡°Yeah! Okay!¡± I thought that at least that would relieve the tension. ¡°But isn¡¯t Cecilia supposed to stop me from going out?¡± ¡°Is it a political affairs meeting?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Harris is going out, too. I won¡¯t stop My Lady because I know she¡¯ll do better. Instead, I brought some nice perfume. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡± Cecilia talked to me, chattering unlike usual. Maybe it¡¯s because I feel nervous. ¡°Cecilia is a really good person.¡± Thanks to this, I relaxed little by little while washing. I woke up earlier than usual, washed up, and finished eating. Nevertheless, time was horribly slow. In that situation, the door opened early. ¡°Bebe! Brother is here!¡± It was Allen who opened the door and came in. ¡°Why did you wake up so early today? Are you ready?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I washed up, ate, and I¡¯m going to change a little later. Why did you come so early today?¡± ¡°I came to pick you up early in case my sister was nervous.¡± Allen looked up and down at me with a disappointed voice. ¡°You don¡¯t look as nervous as I thought you¡¯d be.¡± ¡°Oh, n-nervous?¡± Actually, I was really nervous. I¡¯ve never appeared in front of many people. The only time I saw many people at once was when the Emperor led the knights and abused me. He said he was fine and that he was not nervous, but his legs trembled. ¡°But Brother, do you want to come with me?¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s why I¡¯ve done everything I have to do today!¡± Allen, who nodded loudly like a puppy doll, smiled brightly and stretched his shoulders. It¡¯s not that, but Allen, who usually wore loose clothes like a foal, dressed up in a clean uniform. ¡°How is it? Brother looks cool. I even dressed up today. Aren¡¯t I handsome?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡± At first, I thought he looked like a talkative duck, but now he looked like a puppy. His slightly curly hair was disheveled as if it showed my brother¡¯s personality. ¡°What¡¯s that reaction?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Do you usually go to a political meeting?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ No. Usually Lexit went to every meeting, but I didn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re going because of me?¡±¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Could he be this honest? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go until now?¡± ¡°I get lazy when I go.¡± ¡°Is it bothersome?¡± ¡°I get compared to Lexit over everything, especially since we¡¯re twins, but we¡¯re so different.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being compared.¡± ¡°Yeah. Every time it happens, I don¡¯t know how to react to that.¡± Allen, who smiled awkwardly, scratched my head. I haven¡¯t seen Lexit since that day. Lexit avoided me as if he didn¡¯t want to make any contact with me. I couldn¡¯t remember for sure, but what¡¯s certain was that Lexit and Allen had opposite personalities. ¡®So how stressed must it have been?¡¯ I just nodded my head, understanding the situation. At that time¡­ Cecilia, who had been behind me all along, took her watch out of her pocket and came to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go finish up, My Lady?¡± ¡°Yes! Are you going to stay here the whole time?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll give you special permission to eat cookies. It¡¯s on the table over there.¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t eat it all.¡± However, just like throwing dog treats at a dog, I ate as if I lost my mind. Meanwhile, my brother ate three cookies. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± As I entered the dressing room holding Cecilia¡¯s hand, I felt regret. However, since the water had already been spilled, I had no choice but to enter the dressing room. Chapter 44.2 ¡°What kind of dress will you wear today?¡± ¡°My sky blue dress!¡± ¡°Is this the right dress?¡± As she already knew I would choose that dress, Cecilia quickly brought it to find it. Even though I saw it for the second time, it was still brilliantly beautiful. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll prepare shoes and accessories accordingly.¡± ¡°No, no! I¡¯m going to wear the ribbon Cecilia gave me.¡± ¡°What? But there are so many prettier ones.¡± Cecilia, who brought me to the dressing table in the dressing room, gestured with her hand to ribbons that had been inserted one after another. ¡°But what I like the most is that Cecilia gave it to me! So I want to wear that one.¡± ¡°My Lady¡­¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t carry around a penguin doll, I want the ribbon Cecilia gave me. Then I think I¡¯ll be reassured. I think that would relieve my nervousness!¡± I sat on the chair and swung my feet. ¡°My Lady is really¡­ kind person.¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m nice! But only to Cecilia.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°So go on. I really need Cecilia¡¯s support today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re comforting me. Also¡­ you really are a nice person.¡± It wasn¡¯t consolation, but Cecilia¡¯s support was really needed, but she ended up shedding tears. I tried to say it, but somehow I didn¡¯t want to resolve her misunderstanding. ¡®It¡¯s good! It¡¯s good!¡¯ All Cecilia had to do was laugh. Cecilia was the prettiest when she smiled. Because of that, I wore a dress and smoothed my hair more happily than ever. Cecilia, who had been dressing me next to me the whole time, closed her mouth when I got up from my seat. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re so pretty.¡± ¡°Really? Pretty?¡± Honestly, I was a little surprised, too. The image beyond the mirror was so unfamiliar. It was really pretty. I even felt like a precious princess from a country that I¡¯ve only seen in books. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re so pretty.¡± ¡°I look pretty! This is all thanks to Cecilia.¡± ¡°No. My Lady was already pretty. You¡¯re lovely even when you¡¯re chubby and have a little weight on your cheeks.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was ashamed and embarrassed because I had never heard anyone complement me for being pretty, except for my mom. But it¡¯s good again. I was pretty. To be honest, I was pretty enough to be compared to Harris. ¡°If you wear these shoes, you¡¯ll be perfect.¡± Cecilia stuck out her round sky-colored shoes in front of me. ¡°Yes!¡± Most of the shoes I¡¯ve worn so far were big, small, or uncomfortable, but this was really comfortable. The dress I was wearing was comfortable as if I were wearing it yet not at the same time, but this was the same with the shoes. It was then¡­ ¡°Why? Why? Are you done? When can I see you?¡± Allen¡¯s voice was heard from outside the dressing room. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hurry, I want to see you, not just the two of you.¡± Allen¡¯s voice was impatient like a begging child. ¡°I guess there¡¯s nothing we can do, My Lady. Guess you have to go out and show him. Are you ready?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready¡­ What if he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m pretty?¡± ¡°That will never happen.¡± But Allen was too honest. I was a little worried, but Cecilia opened the door of the dressing room without hesitation. Then I saw Allen jumping in his place. Allen, who had been at a loss until just now, stopped in place as soon as he saw me. ¡°Wow¡­ Bebe. I thought you were an angel from heaven!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s true. You¡¯re so pretty. You¡¯re the prettiest person I¡¯ve ever seen. Oh, no. You¡¯re the second prettiest after my mom!¡± Relief poured in as I saw Allen adding words in a hurry. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± I was worried that he might say that expensive and precious clothes didn¡¯t look good on me, but I guess it looks good on me. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty that you can get married right away! Oh, no. I¡¯m not asking you to get married right away, Bebe.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you marry anyone? Bebe is so innocent that if do it well¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that! And I¡¯m only five years old. Marriage¡­ Oh, it¡¯s a long way to go!¡± But without saying anything, someone strode toward us. It was the Grand Duke. ¡°Are you getting married?¡± I don¡¯t know why, but my dad looked at me with a cold, stiff face. ¡°No! I¡¯m not getting married!¡± ¡°I was surprised, Bebe. You¡¯ll get married someday, but you can¡¯t just marry anyone. Bebe is pure¡­¡± ¡°How can my dad and my brother say the same thing? I¡¯m not getting married. I¡¯m going to live with my mom forever.¡± ¡°¡­.And Dad¡­¡± ¡°¡­And Brother¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with both of you? It¡¯s like you¡¯re obsessed!¡± When I shouted back, the Grand Duke cleared his throat, as if he had returned to his senses. ¡°I¡¯m not obsessed. I was just curious.¡± Chapter 45.1 He returned back to normal and looked at me as he took a step closer. ¡°More than that, Bebe, you¡¯re very pretty.¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just okay. It¡¯s very pretty. Compared to anyone else, you can beat anyone.¡± ¡°I look pretty.¡± It was nice to hear that I looked pretty, but it was embarrassing to hear it from two people constantly. I passed the two of them and ran out of the dressing room after I tried to diffuse my reddened cheeks. At that moment, the Grand Duke stopped Allen, who had been following around like someone who just thought of something. ¡°More than that, Allen, I didn¡¯t know you were coming.¡± ¡°Yeah, Dad! She¡¯s my little sister. If I don¡¯t take care of her, who¡¯s going to take care of her? But why did you come?¡± ¡°¡­Because she¡¯s my daughter¡­¡± The Grand Duke, who was still speechless, reached out to me as I stood still. ¡°Then everything seems to be ready, so let¡¯s go now.¡± At that moment, Allen hastily squeezed between Dad and me. ¡°I will go too!¡± ¡°Allen, are you going to the political meeting too?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. But after participating a few times, it¡¯s quite strange that you said you wanted to come, Allen.¡± ¡°Because I will protect Bebe, so don¡¯t worry, Dad, go on.¡± Then Allen grabbed my hand that I raised to grab my dad¡¯s hand. ¡°Bebe, doesn¡¯t it feel better to hold your brother¡¯s hand?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No. You better hold my hand.¡± If it was Allen, I could understand his way of thinking, but the Grand Duke¡­ he was being weird. ¡°Dad, do you want to walk hand in hand with me?¡± ¡°Rather than wanting to go hand in hand¡­ I¡¯m doing this for you, because there is no one who will protect you like me.¡± Listening to him again, he wasn¡¯t wrong. I glanced at the two of them for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Oh my! You don¡¯t have to, just hold hands!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Because I have two hands!¡± But contrary to what I thought was a perfect solution, Dad and Allen only showed strange expressions. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t hold both of your hands. It would be more comfortable to hold Cecilia¡¯s hand and go.¡± After I said that, they both took my hand at the same time. ¡°No. I¡¯d rather go like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go like this, Bebe.¡± Then I came out of the room with the two men, who had made a dramatic compromise. My heart was racing, but thanks to the two of them, the tension was much better than before. If I went like this, I even feel like I¡¯m going to have a safe day today. However, my life has not always been so easy. Just when I left the room and turned to the conference hall, I ran into Harris, who was coming in front of the Grand Duke¡¯s room. As if she had lost all the world, Harris looked at me with a firm expression on his face, the Grand Duke and Allen alternately. ¡°Dad¡­!¡± Harris, who was muttering like a person unable to control her emotions, spit out a sad voice. On the other hand, the Grand Duke¡¯s reaction was bittersweet. ¡°Ah. Hey, what are you doing here?¡± ¡­It was then ¡°¡­.Dad, are you going today?¡± For a moment, it was terrifying. I had expected that Harris would be different in front of the Grand Duke, but never imagined it would be this much. She made a voice like that as if she had become someone else. Allen just looked at Harris as dryly as someone who had seen her like that often. ¡®You are a lovely princess¡­ but I am not lovable.¡¯ This made me look like a hindrance. Unusually, Harris resembled the Grand Duke; a brother and sister who look just like Allen. Rather, it was awkward to see me holding the hands of two men because I was the ugly duckling among the beautiful black swans. No matter how I decorated myself, I was worse than Harris. ¡®If only I had black hair¡­ No, it¡¯s me. I like myself.¡¯ So now it¡¯s your turn to let it go. I was about to let go of his hand to send the Grand Duke to Harris, but, looking at Harris with a dry expression, he squeezed my hand tighter. ¡°Right.¡± Just in case, the more I tried to remove my hand, the more the Grand Duke refused to let go of my hand. I looked up at him in surprise, but there was no change in his expression. ¡®Why won¡¯t you let go? Harris will misunderstand¡­¡¯ Again, Harris came towards us, her hands trembling. ¡°I¡­ Who is going to take my hand?¡± ¡°There¡¯s also Lexit, but it¡¯s okay to come alone, no matter where you are.¡± ¡°¡­But I¡¯m afraid of going there alone, Dad.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re scared, you don¡¯t have to come.¡± Chapter 45.2 That¡¯s weird. When I listened to Harris, I thought that the Grand Duke was particularly fond of Harris, but now the Grand Duke aws strangely distant from Harris. ¡®Does Dad know? That Harris is weird?¡¯ So, was it that he was reluctant to let her enter the family? I looked at my dad quietly. ¡°¡­No, Dad. Even if I¡¯m scared, I¡¯ll come. I¡¯m a member of the Grand Duke¡¯s family. I¡¯m Daddy¡¯s daughter. If Daddy doesn¡¯t hold my hand, I will hold my hand like this!¡± If I didn¡¯t know anything, if I hadn¡¯t seen Harris treat me so badly, Harris looked so pitiful that I wanted to hold her hand instead. It¡¯s sad to even laugh. But Allen, who saw it, sighed with a tired expression on his face. ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Nothing to see. When you see something bad like that, just take care of your eyes.¡± ¡°Is it bad?¡± ¡°Sure, what did she do to you?¡± Allen licked his tongue and covered my eyes with his free hand. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t see the outside. ¡°What are you doing!¡± ¡°Protecting my sister.¡± ¡°What protection is¡­¡± However, Harris did not blink an eye at our appearance. On the contrary, Harris forced a smile as if we were ostracizing her. ¡°It¡¯s okay if Allen hates me. I¡¯m used to being hated. Instead, is it okay if I follow you, Dad?¡± ¡°If you want to, do it.¡± That was the end. As if this had happened often, the Grand Duke himself and Allen did not add anything special. I just looked behind me once and lowered the hand that was covering my eyes. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke, holding my hand, moved again. I was curious because I¡¯ve never seen Harris and the Grand Duke face each other. Was it like this from the beginning? ¡®Or did it end up like this because I¡¯m here?¡¯ With that thought in mind, I shook my head back and forth. That would never happen. What should I do? I was nothing but a being. I¡¯m just that kind of person who wanted to live here as a parasite. ¡°It can¡¯t be. The Grand Duke could never change because of me¡­ absolutely. He¡¯s never going to like me. He¡¯ll never ever need me.¡± Someday, his interest will end, so I¡¯ll have to work harder now. ¡°Do not worry.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As he turned his head, Allen smiled brightly enough for me to see all his white teeth. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried. Don¡¯t worry though, because your brother will take care of you.¡± Allen¡¯s hand felt tighter than ever. ¡°Yeah, even though you¡¯re weaker than me.¡± ¡°Nope! I trained hard this time.¡± ¡°Can I look forward to it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± In terms of strength, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I was stronger than the Grand Duke, but the saying that my clumsiness protected me wasn¡¯t reassuring. Meanwhile, laughter was heard from behind. It was the sound of Harris, but I tried to ignore it. The Grand Duke walked as if Harris wasn¡¯t following behind him, so I just walked along with them. Allen was babbling like someone trying to relieve my tension all the way. Starting with whether I¡¯ve ever seen a chocolate as big as a human body, he lured me with strange words, saying that there was a pond made of candy. ¡®Do you think I¡¯ll fall for such things?¡¯ He countered, but the Grand Duke, who stood next to him, spat out a single word that such things existed. ¡°Is there really such a thing?¡± ¡°Of course, would you like to see it?¡± ¡°Uh, I was just wondering if it was there or not. It¡¯s not something I really want to see¡­¡± At that, the Grand Duke looked down at me and smiled. ¡®I¡¯m not sure I fell for both of their lies, right?¡¯ As I looked at the two of them, wondering if I was being deceived, the Grand Duke, who was looking down at only me, smiled slightly. ¡°We have arrived.¡± Only then did I realize that we were standing in front of a room. I was a little surprised, only thinking that the environment had become a bit busier thanks to the two people who talked non stop as if to relieve tension. ¡°This place is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the meeting room.¡± A little late, I looked around. Last time I saw it, I didn¡¯t know it was on the opposite side of the garden, but there were so many people waiting here. There were also plenty of knights who were not of the Grand Duke. ¡°Then let me in.¡± However, unlike the knights of the Grand Duke, the knights guarding the front door all looked down at me with uncomfortable eyes. For a moment, I feel as if my whole body stiffened. I thought I was okay when I came here, but I guess I wasn¡¯t. I had to go inside here confidently, but I couldn¡¯t. The knights in armor were too frightening. At that time¡­ ¡°I¡¯m short so I can¡¯t see well, so can I hold you?¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°Can I hold you?¡± Chapter 46.1 The Grand Duke leaned towards me and made eye contact. As if I knew this would happen, there are no unnecessities in his actions. ¡°Uh, yes¡­¡± When I answered, he hugged me as if he had been waiting. Then, the tension that had been suffocating my whole body to the point where I could barely breathe quickly disappeared when I was held in his arms. The heavy atmosphere had also improved. The first thing I saw as soon as I was hugged was Allen, who was holding my feet dangling in the air, and Harris, who stared as if she would kill me right away. I hated it, so I turned my head toward the door. Just in time, the Grand Duke ordered the knight, who was guarding the door. ¡°Then let¡¯s go in. Open the door.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Despite his firm voice, the gaze of countless people guarding the door was still not comfortable. However, Allen complained about whether he was doing it on purpose. ¡°Dad, I can hold Bebe too! Me too!¡± ¡°¡­Allen.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll yield to my dad this time, but from now on, I will hold my sister.¡± Allen raised his voice as if he was deliberately trying to ease the mood. Was it because of the atmosphere in the meeting room? It was dark just as we entered, but the mood changed in an instant. It got worse. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on us. The nobles opened their mouths wide enough that their jaws might fall out immediately. ¡°¡­Your Highness¡­ What the hell happened¡­ in the corridor of the meeting room¡­¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I bring a child?¡± ¡°No. At the Grand Duke¡¯s house¡­¡± However, perhaps it wasn¡¯t a question to get an answer from, but the Grand Duke moved to the top seat while holding me. The nobles standing at the long table poked each other¡¯s sides. It was as if they were signalling to shut their mouths. Those who were acting as if they had something in their minds shut up in an instant. ¡°Very suspicious.¡± However, knowing that, the Grand Duke did not say anything. I just look around when I get to the top seat. ¡°¡­Why on earth¡­ Why did he even hug her? Father?¡± Of course, not everyone closed their mouths. First of all, Lexit, who was standing at the top of the table, expressed discomfort. ¡°I hugged her because I thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to see it since she was short. Is there a problem, Lexit?¡± ¡°¡­You never came in with Harris in your arms.¡± ¡°Is that an issue, Lexit?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not happy with it. Harris¡­ Harris came in alone like this¡­ !!!¡± Lexit¡¯s eyes were fierce as if he would eat me up right away. ¡°I guess the nobles here think the same as you, Lexit, an eight-year-old.¡± When he said that, Lexit looked around. I didn¡¯t mumble like before, but the fact that I could feel their gaze made me feel smug. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, since everyone is so opposed to me holding onto something.¡± Dad smiled as if he thought of something good, and sat me down on the chair at the top of the table. The aristocrats were even more shocked by the situation. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Father! That spot!¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I? I was told not to hold her. Is there a problem?¡± As if he was doing more on purpose, the Grand Duke looked around and laughed as if nothing had happened. Only then did I realize that the seat I sat on was the seat of the Grand Duke. It was an enormous chair for me to sit on. ¡°Let¡¯s talk, Lexit. What¡¯s the problem? Am I the only one who has to sit on this chair?¡± ¡°There are a lot of problems! The chair, too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember sitting down a few times when you were young? Aster and Allen both sat on the chair. Can¡¯t Bebe sit on it?¡± The Grand Duke, whose lips twitched, looked around with a cold look. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Do those who attended this meeting, like Lexit, want a child who wants to be recognized as my daughter to be kicked out of here? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or are you trying to say that a child shouldn¡¯t come in?¡± The meeting room got cold. Even I could tell the Grand Duke was angry. However, rather than reflecting on it, the nobles¡¯ faces I saw now seemed to be dissatisfied with something ¡®It was said that the Grand Duke was less powerful than I thought. After things went wrong with the Grand Duchess, they let everything go, so greedy vassals began to affect the Grand Duchess.¡¯ That¡¯s why spies could permeate the Grand Duke more easily. ¡®That¡¯s all because of them.¡¯ This time, I¡¯m never going to let that happen. I opened my eyes and looked at them. At that time, I felt something rustling from the side, so I looked away. Harris, who was trembling as if it were cold, stuck close to Lexit¡¯s side. ¡°I didn¡¯t use a lot of strength today¡­¡± I had enough strength to overcome it normally, but Harris overreacted as if she had no magical powers at all. Chapter 46.2 5-6 minutes 07.07.2021 Lexit, who had never shown any kindness to me, stared at me once and held Harris¡¯s hand tightly. Just like how Allen does to me. The atmosphere did not easily improve. However, there was a person who wanted to relieve the atmosphere. ¡°My my. Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡± I quickly looked at the sudden voice. The rustling sound mixed with the voice of an old man. Obviously, it¡¯s a voice I¡¯ve heard before. ¡°Marquis. Surprisingly, I thought you would be the most opposed.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°But it seems that all of those who argued about Bebe are ghosts attached to the Marquis. The same goes for the person who chased you last time?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Despite the Grand Duke¡¯s sharp words, the old man was very relaxed. Looking at his face made me think he was a good grandfather. Even the men on either side of him were the same. The people with colorful hair nodded at the same time as the old man spoke, as if they were dolls. ¡°I¡¯m in a position to welcome the new lady. You have a different charm from Lady Harris.¡± I haven¡¯t seen his face, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s the one who stabbed me with an iron last time I was walking through the secret passage. But he looked at me and smiled. He didn¡¯t even show the slightest hostility. ¡®What the hell are you up to?¡¯ There was a sense of uneasiness, but he didn¡¯t show any change in expression, even when I stared at myself. It wasn¡¯t enough, so the old man tilted his head as if he had been waiting. ¡°But rather, I¡¯m not here to argue with Your Highness.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s not you. Then, who came to argue with me today?¡± A man raised his hand as if he had been waiting for the Grand Duke¡¯s words. A man with blonde hair looked at me with an uncomfortable expression as if he had sprayed yellow paint on his head. ¡°Is it Count Bertram?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I heard that you dismissed my son, Leox Bertram, from being the commander of the knights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­It was just one mistake.¡± ¡°One mistake. I guess Leox Bertram still says ¡®mistake¡¯. He still doesn¡¯t admit his fault. Wasn¡¯t a regular knight enough?¡± ¡°No, I admit it.¡± As if flipping his palm, the man hurriedly changed his expression. Whether he was quick-witted or had other ideas, his eyes became a little sharp. As if to tell me to show what I say from now on, the man stared at me with sharp eyes. When he stared at me, everyone standing at the long table stared at me. My mouth dried up for a moment. At that time, a warm hand overlapped over my hand. When I turned my head, it was Allen. Allen, who smiled broadly, patted my hand as if not to worry. ¡°You said you¡¯d admit it, but why are you bringing it up, Count?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to ask for my son to be reinstated. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t wait and watch the Grand Duke change strangely because of someone who suddenly appeared.¡± ¡°Am I changing weirdly?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t understand all of this. It¡¯s not enough to make a child who suddenly appeared as a princess, but to give her two escort knights. Even in the Grand Duke¡¯s house, that is the level of security only Harris receives!¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know why you have to keep them by making three shifts a day.¡± As if he were waiting for this moment, the Grand Duke leaned slightly against the chair I sat on. ¡°Since when did you start expressing your opposition to what I, the Grand Duke, do? I should have said it last time; it looks strange because I¡¯m calm.¡± ¡°No, I just heard that you¡¯ve been treated by a doctor recently.¡± ¡°Are you investigating that? If you do more research, will you also check how many times I go to the bathroom?¡± The giggling Grand Duke looked at me once and looked at the vassals. It seemed as if he didn¡¯t have to worry about seeing a doctor. ¡°That¡¯s not it? We¡¯re just saying this out of concern for the health of Your Highness.¡± ¡°Concern¡­¡± He said he was worried, but the words of that blonde-haired man, the Count, had a strong sense of urgency, as if he knew my every move. ¡°As one of the vassals that have served the Grand Duke from generation to generation, I am only concerned. That alone worries me, but to bring that child all the way here. This is nonsense!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I do that?¡± ¡°She may be someone¡¯s child, or someone from this family, but the reason I bring it up here¡­¡± I looked up at the Grand Duke. But he wasn¡¯t even a little excited. It looked like he¡¯s enjoying it. ¡°You don¡¯t know whose child it is¡­ Then shouldn¡¯t Harris be here?¡± Chapter 47.1 ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Nothing has been confirmed about Harris yet.¡± The archduke, who was deliberately talking down, looked at Harris, who had a pale, shocked expression. I was surprised by the unexpected words. I thought it was too much. Not that it wasn¡¯t, but Harris¡¯s face heated up red. However, he only looked at Harris without changing his expression, before looking at the vassals. ¡°Isn¡¯t that wrong?¡± As expected, it was Lexit who didn¡¯t miss this moment and opened his mouth. The child hurriedly shouted with Harris in his arms. ¡°Father! How can you say that? Harris is obviously your daughter!¡± ¡°Many look-alikes come to me as my children, regardless of whether it¡¯s a daughter or a son.¡± ¡°But there was evidence!¡± ¡°Yeah. That evidence is good. But why can¡¯t Harris use her powers? The bloodline of the Grand House has been strong for generations.¡± The atmosphere grew more and more tense. It wasn¡¯t wrong, so everyone shut up. But I definitely saw Harris¡¯s face, whose lips momentarily tilted upwards. It was a change in facial expression that adults looking down at people from above would never have seen. As if waiting for this moment, Harris slowly raised her head. ¡°Dad, I can actually use my powers.¡± Suddenly, the atmosphere of the political meeting became dark. ¡°You can use your powers?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s so weak that I didn¡¯t use it because I was afraid I¡¯d be disappointed that nothing was going to happen¡­¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s very good.¡± Unlike Harris, who looked at the Grand Duke as if she had expected something, he gave a small smile. Like it didn¡¯t matter if she could use her powers or not. ¡°I don¡¯t know how strong it is, but prove it. Harris, I won¡¯t say anything about your birth when it¡¯s confirmed that you can use the power of the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Harris can do it, Dad!¡± Unlike Harris, who smiled and clenched her fist, the Grand Duke looked at me once and made eye contact with the vassals. ¡°Recently, the number of trees in the forest has increased. It¡¯s a perfect place to prove your power.¡± ¡°Wait, are you going to take Lady Harris?¡± ¡°Harris is young, dad!¡± As expected, Lexit screamed. ¡°You said she¡¯d prove it, so you have to take her.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just Lady Herace who can prove it. Shouldn¡¯t the person who¡¯s here for no reason prove something?¡± Count Bertram did not give up and stared at me. His eyes contained obvious hostility. It reminded me of the emperor. ¡°That¡¯s right. Bebe will go, too. In the Grand Duchy, my bloodline must prove their value, whether they are vassals. And it shows enough value to stay here. Even if it¡¯s an enemy¡¯s child, I can make it a child of my own.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the family motto that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Grand Duchy. Do you have any complaints? No one could say anything about it. At that time, I met Harris¡¯s eyes for a moment. Harris looked so confident as if she had something to believe in. ¡®Why is she so confident?¡¯ I felt an indescribable emotion. I couldn¡¯t figure out why she was looking at me like that. After talking to the vassals, the Grand Duke slightly twisted the chair I was sitting on and reached out to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.,Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°From now on, follow those who will go to the forest. However, the Grand Duke does not protect the powerless even if they are a vassal. Strength proves that you can stay here.¡± The vassals repeatedly pulled their necks in and out, as if they were turtles being shown a book. In the meantime, we took a step. It was really bright to step outside. ¡®Now I can become a useful human being. Those people¡­ They won¡¯t be able to look at me like that anymore.¡¯ If I showed them that I had a strong power, at least they wouldn¡¯t treat me the way they do now, even if I didn¡¯t like it. In fact, I didn¡¯t have to like it. I just wanted people to not look at me in a scary way. ¡®I still can¡¯t get used to it.¡¯ I just hope that the way someone looked at me was not hostile. Contrary to the expectation that he would say anything while going to the room, he only walked silently. Instead, the Grand Duke made eye contact with Allen, who followed him, not with me. Chapter 47.2 ¡°Allen, are you going too?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then go and change your clothes. I¡¯ll tell Bebe to go and change into more comfortable clothes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to change, but if you¡¯re going to the forest, there¡¯s nothing much you can do. Little Sister, are you coming?¡± ¡°Go and come back.¡± In the meantime, Allen looked at the Grand Duke anxiously, perhaps because he was worried. Perhaps he noticed the gaze right away, but the Grand Duke made eye contact with Allen, who was confused. ¡°¡­Do you think I will not be able to protect Bebe, Allen?¡± ¡°Yes! My dad lacks kindness.¡± It was worth flinching at the cold tone, but Allen was only confident. ¡°You¡¯re not friendly.¡± ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ll trust you, so please, Bebe!¡± Unlike the usual, the Grand Duke¡¯s voice was small, and Allen hurriedly turned around. Then, he ran away like a colt. After watching it for a while, the Grand Duke sighed deeply and took another step. Throughout the way to my room, he didn¡¯t say a word. I just walked and walked like a person with a lot of thoughts. Soon after, we arrived in front of the room. ¡°Go to Cecilia and change your clothes. Wear clothes that are good for physical activities.¡± The Grand Duke turned to Cecilia, who had been following us all along. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be standing here, so don¡¯t worry and go.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to!¡± But even when I went inside and shouted, he didn¡¯t think of going in front of the room¡­ until the moment the door closed. ¡°Oh, you can go.¡± ¡°But My Lady, what happened inside the meeting room? Why change your clothes?¡± Cecilia, who could not enter the meeting room, looked at me with only her head tilted. ¡°Go to the forest!¡± ¡°F-Forest? Is it the forest that surrounds this place? Oh, no. That dangerous place!¡± ¡°Cecilia.¡± ¡°Never. Never! I¡¯m going to tell your Highness about this. Never¡­ Never.¡±¡± I hurriedly grabbed Cecilia¡¯s hand, who was about to leave right away. ¡°I want to be recognized.¡± Unexpectedly, Cecilia closed her mouth and blinked like a person who had nothing to say. ¡°My Lady¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be useless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t do that. You¡¯re already¡­¡± ¡°Every time people see me, they think that I¡¯m a useless person so¡­ this time, I don¡¯t want it to be like that anymore.¡± I entered the dressing room without thinking how she took my words or what she was thinking. If she, who cared about me more than anyone else, told me not to go, I thought how my heart would be shaken. ¡®If Cecilia says I¡¯m a useful human being even if I don¡¯t do that¡­ I will go soft.¡¯ I didn¡¯t like being weak. When I¡¯m here, I felt like I became something great. I had to keep reminding myself. ¡®You are nothing.¡¯ So when I entered the dress room, I made a fuss more than usual and chose a slightly shorter dress. ¡°I like this. How about this, Cecilia?¡± Only then did Cecilia, who entered, nodded with a gloomy look. ¡°I think that¡¯ll be okay¡­¡± Contrary to my worries that she might disagree, she nodded lightly. ¡°If you want that, wear it.¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± Cecilia, who quickly took off my clothes and changed my clothes. The dress, which was short enough to clearly show my calves, gave a much lighter feeling than the dress I was just wearing. ¡°I like this outfit, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll change your shoes, too.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was no way she didn¡¯t know her voice was different from usual. I even sighed from time to time as if I was really concerned. Finally, Cecilia, who even changed my shoes, eventually bowed down as if she was trying to put up with it and say what she had endured. ¡°Since you said you¡¯re going¡­ I won¡¯t stop you. I¡¯m worried, but I believe you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m really strong!¡± ¡°I will believe you.¡± Obviously, there seemed to be more to be said, but Cecilia replaced everything by saying that she believed. ¡°Then, from now on, Cecilia, protect my mom. You know how precious my mom is to me.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Take good care of my mom. I will only trust Cecilia.¡± ¡°Yes, I see.¡± While making eye contact with her, I also approached my mother. ¡®Mom, I¡¯ll wake you up this evening. Do I have to compliment myself when I wake up?¡¯ Don¡¯t ask anything else, just say that I did well and that I worked hard. After kissing my mother¡¯s cheek with all my heart, I greeted Cecilia and came out the door. As expected, the Grand Duke stood firmly in front of the door. ¡°I¡¯m out!¡± ¡°Okay, Bebe. Did you change your clothes?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s enough to run around.¡± ¡°Good. By the way, Bebe, I don¡¯t want to go through what happened last time.¡± But the atmosphere was somehow strange. Chapter 48.1 ¡°I have to have people to protect.¡± ¡°Ha, but the knight is here too.¡± ¡°It would be safer to stay here than leave the room.¡± ¡°There¡¯s Cecilia¡­ and me too. I can also cast magic¡­¡± ¡°But Cecilia has no powers. It¡¯s not safe even if you cast magic. Last time, I was able to protect you, but this time it¡¯ll be a bit difficult, so even if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll leave the knight here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Do not worry. I will leave it to someone I can trust more than anyone.¡± I should have said no or no, but seeing him, who cared more about my mother than anyone else, I licked my lips. ¡°Mom will be surprised.¡± He took a deep breath and licked his lips. ¡°Did the knights threaten you there?¡± ¡°Did you get hit? You too, Bebe? Your mother too?¡± I didn¡¯t want to show my weakness. Because being weak means you can attack right away. Being weak has always meant that to me. But the Grand Duke looked at me kindly, as if it was okay to be weak in front of him. ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s okay. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been holding back so much.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Just say it. There¡¯s nothing wrong with showing everything.¡± His voice was sweet like chocolate. I shook my head as I looked at the floor. I spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°I know. And I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s just¡­ that gaze through the silver armor and helmet¡­ I hate it.¡± ¡°¡­Right. That¡¯s what it was.¡± Just then, the sound of the knights¡¯ armor could be heard from not far away. My hands trembled slightly as I looked at the floor. Wondering if the Grand Duke might have seen it, he quickly clasped his hands. ¡°I got it. Bebe, go in first and put on a thick coat. The forest might get cold.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes!¡± With those words, he opened the door that had been closed when I came out. ¡°My Lady?¡± ¡°I want to wear something thick!¡± ¡°Because you prefer to be warm rather than cold. Go get your coat.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why he suddenly let me in, but I told him to go in, so I put on my coat. Smart. Someone came in with a knock. It was the Grand Duke. He entered the room with two men. ¡°He is a knight who will protect this place for the time being.¡± Contrary to the word knight, the two were just wearing neat clothes. They didn¡¯t wear armor, nor did he carry a sword at all times. ¡°Are these people knights¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re knights. I told them to take off their armor and bring a small knife with them, so it¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± There was no characteristic iron smell from the armor. ¡°It would be okay if I stayed in the room like this.¡± I thought I was just passing by, but the Grand Duke was taking care of me. I realized that too late. ¡®For me¡­¡¯ He took off all his armor to pretend he was not a knight. It was all because I was scared and worried about my mom. I raised her head and looked at the knights. However, even though both of them took off their armor and put down their knives because of me, they did not show any signs of discomfort. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Good. Let me introduce you now. This is Lewis, the current acting leader and deputy general.¡± ¡°Lewis¡­! I am Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady. I look forward to working with you. This is Theobaldo, the most reliable among my men.¡± ¡°Please feel free to call me Theo, My Lady.¡± ¡°Theo¡­!¡± Theobaldo¡­ For a moment, his name flashed through my mind. I recognized his odd name. I¡¯ve heard his name before. ¡°Hey, maybe¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps?¡± ¡°Dad!¡± I quickly pulled the Grand Duke next to me. The Grand Duke, surprised by the unexpected tug, moved along as I pulled him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ That person named Theo¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± As I was about to ask him, I quickly shut my mouth. ¡®If you ask me about Theo now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think it¡¯s weird. My memory is not perfect yet.¡¯ So I took the Grand Duke¡¯s hand and went out to the door. ¡°Oh, no. Nothing. Uh, let¡¯s go, you two, I really like you two. Both of you, take good care of my mom!¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady!¡± ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like it a while ago, but did you quickly change your mind?¡± I could hear the Grand Duke¡¯s voice, which sounded somewhat upset, but he couldn¡¯t say anything because of the information that flashed in his head. I had already left the room. As if puzzled by me, he followed me out of the room. ¡®That person¡­ Theobaldo¡­ He must have been the one who was brought to the Imperial Palace after the Grand Duke rebelled. He was really by the Grand Duke¡¯s side until the end.¡¯ And the current emperor could not kill Theobaldo. Chapter 48.2 Because he was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Ubalt, whose ancestry was a bit ambiguous, he could not have any children. Despite his illegitimacy, Theobaldo did not go to the dukedom in search of his own bloodline. ¡®The only time he went to the Duke¡¯s house was to ask his father to spare only the Grand Duke¡¯s children..¡¯ How much the emperor reviled Theobaldo for doing useless things¡­ The forgotten memories floated up like air bubbles. As if someone gave me a little clue, a forgotten memory suddenly came to me. I quickly figured out his identity. ¡°Why are you making such a serious expression?¡± At that moment, the Grand Duke bowed his head and met his eyes. ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°You have deep wrinkles on your forehead.¡± ¡°Ah! No. It¡¯s just¡­ I just had something to think about for a moment. Ooh, why don¡¯t we go?¡± But the Grand Duke did not intend to go and looked at me with slightly widened eyes. ¡°Since you saw Theobaldo earlier, you suddenly acted strange. Did you even like him?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh no, let¡¯s go to the forest!¡± ¡°¡­This way.¡± As I kept asking to go, the Grand Duke walked reluctantly. I could feel him looking at me with suspicion, but now was not the time to think about it. ¡®The past Theobaldo¡­ said he was not in his perfect form.¡¯ While in the Grand Duchy, he was seriously wounded by something to the point where he could never wield a sword again. Nevertheless, he did not give up until the very end that he was a knight of the Grand Duke. He remained as a knight of the Grand Duke, saying that if he couldn¡¯t wield a sword, he had to defend the Grand Duke another way. However, the Grand Duke¡¯s treason failed, and Theobaldo made a deal with his father, the Duke, to succeed him instead of siding with the Duke¡¯s children to keep their house from dying. ¡®It¡¯s amazing¡­ I can vividly remember things that I didn¡¯t even remember.¡¯ Now, we have to make sure that Theobaldo doesn¡¯t get hurt. However, I couldn¡¯t remember what caused him to get hurt. ¡®How do you protect someone who will protect the Grand Duke by your side until the end¡­?¡¯ This time, such worries gnawed away. ¡°I think it¡¯s right for Bebe to like Theobaldo.¡± I nodded my head at my father¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah! Come to think of it, I like Theo.¡± So I liked him more. I had to have a person who was more loyal than anyone else to be by my father¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like him.¡± ¡°I want to keep Theo by my side.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hate knights?¡± ¡°Still, Theo is fine.¡± It was said in a pure sense, but Dad¡¯s face was distorted. ¡°It¡¯s good¡­ I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m curious as to which one you liked, but anyone can tell I¡¯m better.¡± ¡°Theo is Theo! So let Theo stay by my side. Do not let him work anywhere else!¡± Then you won¡¯t get hurt. If you do that, he could protect Dad and I well later. ¡°¡­Lewis must be upset.¡± ¡°He¡­ that person is good, but he¡¯s the current acting leader and deputy general. I can¡¯t be greedy. Theo is already enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already Theo, Theo.¡± ¡°Anyway, do I have to do it?¡± ¡°If my daughter wants to do it, then do it.¡± Although he had a disapproving expression, Dad laughed and walked with me. ¡®Thank God.¡¯ I will keep Theo. At that time. A foal came running from afar. When he moved, he resembled a colt, and when he got close, he resembled a duck. ¡°Bebe! Brother is here.¡± ¡°Uh, are you here?¡± ¡°Hmm. Do you have any thoughts on your brother?¡± Allen, who had approached me before I knew it, shook his shoulder and went back and forth in front of me. ¡°Huh? Did you say something?¡± ¡°Huh. Something must come to mind when you look at your brother.¡± ¡°There is!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You look like a pony!¡± My brother¡¯s face, who was looking at me with unknown anticipation, turned pale, as if the world fell apart. ¡°I think I heard it wrong. What?¡± ¡°You used to be like a duck, but now you¡¯re like a pony!¡± ¡°P-Pony? That¡­ that crazy bastard?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± It was a compliment. His brother¡¯s face looked quite upset. ¡°You don¡¯t like ponies?¡± ¡°No, Bebe. It fits very well. Allen doesn¡¯t have a tendency to be like that.¡± My father, who was next to me, smiled and responded to my words. ¡°It¡¯s too much¡­ you pony.¡± ¡°The pony is cute¡­¡± Did I say something? Whenever he ran, it¡¯s like his mane flapped, just like a pony. I blurted out my words in regret. At that moment, my brother¡¯s complexion brightened in an instant. ¡°Ah!!! Bebe, did you give Brother a nickname because I was cute?¡± ¡°Nickname?¡± It¡¯s not like a nickname. He really looked like that. But if I said anything else here, he looked like he was about to cry. ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Chapter 53.2 ¡°Allen! The future of the Grand Duchy running¡­¡± However, the more my father said something, the faster my brother¡¯s speed got. What¡¯s even more surprising was that it¡¯s not hard at all, even though he ran fast enough to pass the surrounding landscape. Thanks to that, we stopped in front of a large drawing room after a while. This was the place where I met that Madame last time. ¡°What do you think? We came quickly, right? ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You used magic so that Bebe didn¡¯t have a hard time! What do you think? Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s kind of cool.¡± Meanwhile, the maid, who was waiting in front of the drawing room, welcomed us with a happy face. ¡°You¡¯re here, My Lady! I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± It looked completely different in a few days. Those who used to show rejection whenever they saw me now looked at me and smiled. It was annoying. I hated it. They were going to change over and over again. I couldn¡¯t trust someone who suddenly changed. Their kindness was obviously going to change again when something else happens. ¡®But¡­ But at least it¡¯s good that I don¡¯t see it like before.¡¯ I felt a sense of rejection, but I felt much more comfortable than before. In the meantime, the servant opened the door of the drawing room. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Allen, who had been waiting for the door to the drawing room to open wide, urged me again. ¡°Yes!¡± When the door opened, I was once again surprised by the scenery in front of me. A tower that was huge enough to reach a high ceiling caught my eye first. ¡°Wow¡­ This¡­ Is this chocolate?¡± As for the color, the deeper the scent of chocolate came as I went closer unconsciously. ¡°I guess it¡¯s chocolate.¡± I approached there and stuck my hand towards the tower. Then it hit something and chocolate got on my hand. In the meantime, the Grand Duke approached behind us with a deep sigh and stuck next to us. ¡°What do you think, Bebe? Is it too much?¡± ¡°No! Chocolate isn¡¯t too much! I like chocolate! You can have more chocolate!¡± The best thing in the world was chocolate. I smiled brightly and jumped in place. ¡°I can¡¯t believe chocolate was a gift!¡±¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Thank you. This isn¡¯t too much at all!¡± But my dad¡¯s reaction was quite different from what I expected. ¡°If I knew this would happen, I should have prepared chocolate, too.¡± Somehow, my father¡¯s voice was more sullen than ever. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a chocolate mountain made by the chefs for Bebe.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Only then did I see the chefs standing on one side of the room. When they saw my smile, they began to hug each other happily. After that, I looked around and saw a lot of people standing in the room. Some chefs I had already met before, and others had seen it at the last political meeting. Even the servants and maids who I met several times while working as a craftsman were in this room. Different boxes were held in their arms. ¡°And here¡¯s what I prepared for you.¡± While looking around for a while, the Grand Duke pointed his finger somewhere. There was a chair made of gold. ¡°That? Chair?¡± But on the contrary, he didn¡¯t answer my question. It just led me there. Eventually, I arrived at the chair after passing the numerous gifts piled up. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Yes. I made this chair for you.¡± Was this okay? ¡®It¡¯s much better than the doll mountain you brought.¡¯ It was still awkward to receive a gift, but it¡¯s not too burdensome to receive a gift like this. Of course, it was burdensome, but it was much better than expected.¡¯ He pointed his finger at me. ¡°What about that?¡± It was a world map that I had seen in books before. It was a map of vast continents, seas and many countries. The world map spread out so vastly on the ceiling that it was hard to see at a glance. ¡°The map is a gift.¡± ¡°No. Bebe, you try to pick from there. Which one would you like to have? ¡°What? What should I choose?¡± I was so embarrassed that I spoke formally. ¡°Land. Or country. I¡¯ll conquer wherever you want. You said so last time. You needed a place to live with your mom, so I will build a country there.¡± My mouth went dry at his words, which were far beyond what I expected. ¡®Mom¡­ I think my new dad¡­ I think he¡¯s a little crazy.¡¯ Chapter 54.2 Then his head turned toward me. ¡°Why the present?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t like me receiving so many gifts¡­?¡± ¡°No. Not at all. I want to give you a better present¡­ Oh, no. So, you can take it all.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to return all these gifts later?¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to receive it?¡± He shook his head left and right. ¡°Absolutely not. It¡¯s not like that¡­ There¡¯s no such thing as kindness without a reason in these worlds.¡± ¡°This is kindness for a reason.¡± His voice grew serious again. ¡°Reasonable kindness?¡± ¡°From now on, you are the daughter of the Grand Duke. It isn¡¯t bad to make a kite. The Grand Duchy is the place where the strong can become the Grand Duke, so I¡¯m trying to build a good relationship from the beginning. If it weren¡¯t for that, the daughter and the Grand Duke used to occupy positions in the empire from generation to generation.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing this because I want to look good to you. That¡¯s the power of the seat. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t, I thought you wouldn¡¯t like presents.¡± When I made a simple expression that I did not understand, the Grand Duke turned away quickly. ¡°Okay¡­ a gift. It was prepared for me.¡± It¡¯s awkward because I was born into this world and had never received anything like that except from my mom and dad, but at the same time, my heart tickled. ¡°Bebe.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Now I hope that all your birthdays are happy, not sick days.¡± He was exceptionally kind. He was like the only warm blanket in the room on a cold winter day where the wind blew. He was warm and soft. Now my room was no longer cold. ¡®For me, my birthday is no longer a sick day, not a sad day, but a happy day. This year and next year¡­¡¯ His eyes darkened slightly. There were no more birthdays for the five-year-old who always lost her mother. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The best gift for me is this time. I think this time is the best gift.¡± He smiled slightly, squinting his eyes, and walked over to me. His mouth twitched as if he had something to say, and he grinned. ¡°Now let me go back.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to hug you. I have to eat.¡± ¡°Ah! Yeah. I¡¯m hungry.¡± I spread my arms toward the Grand Duke. ¡°It¡¯s the first time.¡± ¡°Today, I¡¯m in a good mood.¡± ¡°Okay. Then go back.¡± It was then¡­ Just as I was lifted into the air in his arms, I saw a maid, who had always been following Harris, standing at the edge of the room and then backing away with a dissatisfied expression. ¡®Did you even say it?¡¯ But even after seeing it, I didn¡¯t want to pay any attention to it. Because today was a happy day and it¡¯d be such a perfect day if Mom woke up. When I got up, some people who had not yet given a gift were sad. ¡°I haven¡¯t given you a present yet!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s collect the rest of the presents. I will give it some thought and pass it on to Bebe.¡± Those who murmured at those words had to retreat. ¡°Then we go back.¡± He then walked. The path that did not exist was made as the Grand Duke walked. It was kind of weird. ¡®Am I really no longer worried? Since the Grand Duke became my father, am I officially his daughter? That easy? It felt unusually easy for what I had been struggling with. ¡°Why are you making that face?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your face is stiffer than when you left the drawing room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of Dad.¡± ¡°Allen. You go to your room.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh. Daddy tries to do all the cool things on his own.¡± ¡°If you want to do cool things, hurry up and grow up.¡± The two of them quarreled with each other, not like a fight between father and son, but like children of my age were fighting, but it ended only after Allen left, expressing his disappointment. ¡°I haven¡¯t done this before, but Allen seems to like you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°So don¡¯t react like that to me.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ but why?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why do you like it? I¡­ I¡¯m a little scared.¡± I broke my promise to not be weak and made eye contact with him. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°Everything seems so easy¡­ It¡¯s all so smooth compared to what I¡¯ve been through¡­ so I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably the first time you¡¯re afraid that everything will go as planned.¡± His blue eyes staring at me somehow seemed to contain the deep, deep sea. I haven¡¯t been there, but I¡¯ve seen that the sea was where you can¡¯t get out if you sank. ¡®Because I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ People like me shouldn¡¯t be happy. My father died and my mother died because I was a cursed child, but the words I heard every day lingered in my ears on this happy day. Meanwhile, we arrived at the room. As we entered the room, Theo, who had entered the room and was guarding my mother, went out naturally. ¡°Nothing to be afraid of. You are a princess now, Bebe.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Seeing him worried, I smiled hard and turned my head back into the room. And there, my mother was sitting. Chapter 56.2 ¡°Why? Do you like that person after Theo?¡± ¡°Huh? No, I don¡¯t like him. I¡¯m just amazed. It¡¯s just my first time seeing a person called a priest¡­¡± ¡°You said you were the daughter of the Emperor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been sick when my dad was alive, so I¡¯ve never seen him.¡± The words twisted the Grand Duke¡¯s lips for a very short time. For some reason, it felt like he was being kind to me, so I tried to avoid his gaze. ¡°Anyway, thank you for calling the priest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I went up to the bed and put my ears on my mother¡¯s chest. Boom, boom, boom. ¡°It¡¯s weird!¡± ¡°What¡¯s weird about it?¡± ¡°Dad, wait a minute.¡± It was a sound I¡¯ve never heard before. Thump, thump. Even if the sound of the heart was loud, it was too loud. I wondered if it was supposed to be like this, so I went down from bed and put my ears on the chest of the Grand Duke sitting on the chair. Boom, boom, boom. It was noisier. I was wondering if something was wrong, but his heart was louder. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s very loud.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And I put my ears on my mother¡¯s chest again. Thump, thump, thump. The sound of my heart was as loud, as if to show that I was actually alive. ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ Mom¡¯s heart is beating so fast.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Huh? Dad, why are you like this?¡± But when the Grand Duke turned his head with joy, his face turned red for some reason. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your face is red.¡± ¡°It must be hot.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°More than that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± And my dad, who was looking around for no reason, cleared his throat and met my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s your mom¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯ll wake up soon. I can¡¯t call her Bebe¡¯s mom then.¡± ¡°Ah! I like Bebe¡¯s mom too!¡± Was it bad to call her ¡®Bebe¡¯s mom¡¯? My mom is Bebe¡¯s mom after all. But he was more determined than ever. ¡°A name symbolizes one person. Wouldn¡¯t you rather be called Bebe than a baby or something else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if your mother¡¯s name would be good, but at least to other people it would be better to be called herself. So can you tell me?¡± ¡°Yes! My mom¡¯s name is Adelaide!¡± ¡°Is that name from a noble? She has a pretty name. It sounds like a name that suits her somehow.¡± I nodded at him, satisfied, Adelaide. A pretty name that suits my pretty mother. ¡°Mom, Mom! Dad says your name is pretty.¡± ¡°Mom¡­ and Dad?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As I whispered to my mother, she muttered to herself. She woke up and sat. ¡°No. Then I¡¯ll go out. Rest with your mom. You¡¯ve worked hard today.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to prepare meals through Cecilia, so eat.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± No wonder I was excited. Just knowing that my mother¡¯s life could be saved made me feel ticklish somewhere in my heart. When I thought that a happy day would not turn into a sad day, I kept a smile on my face. In the meantime, the Grand Duke went outside. Cecilia went outside again after a long time, saying she would let me eat at any time. ¡°Mom¡­ I want to eat with you when you wake up.¡± I had such a good idea. I thought my mom would wake up soon, so I looked at my mother with my eyes wide open. However, just like an egg that didn¡¯t hatch, my mom didn¡¯t open her eyes, so I fell asleep in a blink of an eye. ¡°Baby. Baby.¡± It was around the time when someone called me that I opened my eyes again. ¡°Baby¡­¡± A familiar voice. Those friendly words. A pair of soft hands that petted me. ¡°Mom¡­¡± When I rubbed my sleepy eyes and raised my head, my mother was there. My mom who smiles at me. ¡°Are you up, my baby?¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± It was totally different before. Her face didn¡¯t look sleepy, nor did she look weird, as if she lost her soul. Mom was as bright as the mother of a healthy enemy. ¡°My Bebe¡­ Did you wake up?¡± ¡°Yeah! But Mom¡­ are you okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, but Bebe¡­ Mom doesn¡¯t understand¡­ Where are we? I just woke up and looked at you for a while¡­ I can¡¯t remember where we are¡­¡± ¡°Mom, this is the house we¡¯re going to live in.¡± ¡°A place for us to live?¡± I nodded as I saw my mother shake her fluttering hair from side to side.¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯re going to live here from now on. Bebe became the daughter of this family! Officially, too!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ And maybe¡­ Mom! Well I only wanted a dad. But I think I gave you a husband!¡± ¡°H-Husband?¡± Chapter 57.1 The already large eyes of my awakened mother grew bigger and bigger. My mom is so cute. My mother, who was surprised by her husband, was acting like a rabbit. ¡°Yes! Husband!¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe I have a husband.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be right? She did say she was a wife. ¡°But Mom, I like my dad as Dad, but I don¡¯t like him as my mom¡¯s husband.¡± ¡°Huh? Why? Is his face ugly?¡± In my past life, my mother was the prettiest mother in the world, who had dimples in her cheeks every time she smiled at me. ¡°It must be serious to see that Bebe is not answering. But it¡¯s okay, Bebe. It¡¯s okay if my husband is ugly if Bebe likes the person.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, I don¡¯t need a husband or anything, but¡­ for Bebe¡­¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t need a husband?¡± My well-organized mother¡¯s eyebrows moved very finely. ¡°Yes. All I need is Bebe.¡±¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll reject him! If my mom says no, I don¡¯t want him either! Actually, I didn¡¯t like him being your husband that much either. And no, I don¡¯t have a crush on him!¡± I didn¡¯t reject him because I don¡¯t like my dad. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s good to me, but sometimes he does crazy things. ¡®I will reject him.¡¯ I smiled broadly at my mom, who looked at me with clear eyes. No matter how nice you are to me, if my mom didn¡¯t like it, I¡¯m out. ¡°Bebe, can you explain other things now?¡± ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t you remember that day? The day we came here.¡± ¡°On the day we came here¡­ I don¡¯t know. My mom only remembers sleeping with Bebe¡­¡± My mother, who tilted her head, stared at me quietly. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°Yes! But I feel energized. I feel like I can take Bebe and run right away.¡± After rolling up my sleeves, my mom approached me as if she were hugging me right away. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why? Your mom wants to hug her daughter.¡± ¡°My mom is still weak, so you have to eat something delicious and rest. Wait. I¡¯ll tell you what happened while eating.¡± At that time, when I reached out to ring the bell at the side of the bed, my mother held me tightly in her arms. ¡°My baby, what happened?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°When did you bee so brave?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mom¡¯s eyes somehow looked sad. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m so excited¡­ Mom must be worried¡­¡¯ So she widened her eyes and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t get brave. I just got excited because Mom woke up¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s good for my daughter to be brave.¡± It was at that time that I thought that my mom would be disappointed because there were many things that my mother didn¡¯t know. ¡®Mom¡­ She¡¯s my only mom and I got so excited.¡¯ I was happy. Now we have a place to live. I wanted to be the daughter of this family. I was happy. I thought that was enough, but how lonely my mom must have been. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mommy is hungry.¡± I raised her head at the words. Then I saw a mother smiling so brightly that I couldn¡¯t see her eyes. ¡°You said you¡¯d tell me while we ate. Mommy is curious about what happened to Bebe.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ we should talk about it.¡± ¡°Should I rock against this? Looking at it now, this place is huge. The bedding and everything looks expensive.¡± My mom, who looked excited like a child, stretched my cheeks from side to side. ¡°Why are you so gloomy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gloomy. I just¡­ I¡­¡± It was then¡­ The door opened with a thumping sound. And the one who came in front here was Allen the foal. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Oh? Oh, wow. You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Oh my god! You woke up!¡± No wonder the priest came and went, so I was wondering what it was.¡± Allen, who approached us, stared at my mother curiously. I couldn¡¯t even tell him what the situation was, so I hurriedly tried to stop my brother, but the foal didn¡¯t hesitate a little about what he was doing. ¡°Wow. Bebe. She really looks just like you.¡± Seeing the foal suddenly attack, my mother seemed to be perplexed. He even pulled me toward him, as if to protect me. However, the foal, who did not know that, reached out to my mother. ¡°Nice to meet you! I¡¯m Bebe¡¯s Brother.¡± ¡°Bebe, what does he mean ¡®brother¡¯?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­ So¡­ Somehow, I got an older brother while my mom was sleeping. Don¡¯t worry, though. He¡¯s a really good¡­ he¡¯s a good brother.¡± I turned my head awkwardly and looked at my mom, but she still didn¡¯t even think about loosening up. ¡°You can¡¯t trust anyone, baby¡­ You know what happens. Even anyone¡­ well-intentioned¡­¡± However, my brother did not show much reaction to my mother¡¯s distrust towards him. Chapter 57.2 ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll say hi later. More than that, Bebe, you¡¯re hungry, right? I am hungry too. I kept starving to eat with Bebe.¡± Then, I waved the bell I was going to shake earlier. Cecilia came inside, sweating as if she had waited. ¡°Did you find it¡­ Hah¡­ Young Master, I told you not to go in.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me coming to see my sister? Go ahead and get her meal. Bebe¡¯s mom woke up.¡± Only then did Cecilia bow for a while towards my mother with a bright face. She then left. ¡°Bebe¡­ Who is that person?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ My nanny¡­¡± ¡°¡­Baby, Mommy doesn¡¯t understand. What¡¯s going on¡­ ¡± I understood her. This must have been a series of situations that she couldn¡¯t understand as soon as she woke up. ¡°First of all, Mom, let¡¯s eat. Huh?¡± Still, the mother looked uncomfortable at Allen, but my older brother was busy eating cookies on the table as usual. Like a small rabbit trying to protect its young, my mother was busy taking her time looking around. ¡®It¡¯s really okay¡­¡¯ How should I say this to make my mom understand? Then, suddenly, I brought the admission documents placed on the table to me. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom. Listen.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Do I use my name Bebe as it is?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? You want to¡­ change your name?¡± My mother, who was looking around, hurriedly looked at me. ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s not what I meant¡­ If I officially join the family¡­ I thought someone who knew my name would follow me.¡± ¡°That person¡­¡± ¡°I told you before. I have a dad. And you have to put your name on it to become a child of your father.¡± My mother nodded as if she understood a step later. ¡°I understand what you mean, but¡­ Bebe, who¡¯s going to adopt you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? The first day we came here.¡± My mother hurriedly bowed her head as if she had a headache. Oh¡­ Right. I remember. Someone treated my mom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And you saw a man. He¡¯s going to be my dad!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a dangerous person. At that time¡­ I don¡¯t know why I just passed it by¡­¡± Mom was like a different person when she was with me and when she was with someone; Sensitive and suspicious of everyone, like now. And she had become more determined and rational than ever. ¡°It¡¯s safe here, Mom. It¡¯s really, really safe. If it hadn¡¯t been safe, wouldn¡¯t I have done anything when my mom was sleeping¡­ when I was alone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. My brother, Nanny Cecilia, and Dad are all good people. Really¡­ It won¡¯t happen like before.¡± No matter how much I persuaded her, I couldn¡¯t. What were the consequences of believing me? ¡°But Bebe.¡± ¡°My mom also told me about her husband¡¯s feelings earlier. You laughed about it back then.¡± ¡°I thought our Bebe was playing a joke earlier. But¡­ really? About the husband, the father, the adoption? ¡°Yes!¡± Just in case, I held the doll next to me tightly in my arms. ¡°It¡¯s my first time receiving a gift besides my mom and dad.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°That guy over there gave it to me. Mom, you know¡­ you know, I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°Baby¡­¡± ¡°I was happy when I was with my mom, because I have a mother who always loves me. But I¡¯m still happy. Now I want to be happy with my mom. So¡­ so¡­ My mom¡¯s hand stroked my head. ¡°Mommy had to have her doubts. That¡¯s how I survived. I can¡¯t believe my daughter talking like a grown-up like this, but still¡­ I¡¯ll believe you because you said you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, Mommy will take you and run away.¡± She smiled brightly. My mother, who had been hardening her face just now, smiled at me. Obviously, my mother will continue to doubt and doubt it, but this was enough for now. Meanwhile, my mom opened the documents I had in my arms. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡± However, my mother¡¯s face, which had been smiling just now, quickly hardened. ¡°G-Grand Duke Avelant¡­? Bebe, BVebe, was this the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Yes! The Grand Duke! And I said I¡¯m going to be Princess Bebe Avelant! The guy over there is Allen Avelant! He¡¯s the third of the Grand Duchy Family.¡± Meanwhile, my brother, who jumped down from the chair, hurriedly wiped off his mouth and stood straight in front of his mother. ¡°I¡¯m Allen Avelant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a weird way of talking.¡± ¡°Was it weird? Isn¡¯t this cool?¡± ¡°No. You look like an old man.¡± Only then did my older brother nod while his mouth pouted. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing much I can do. Nice to meet you, Bebe¡¯s mom. I¡¯m Allen, Bebe¡¯s reliable older brother.¡± However, my mother still looked at the documents and the older brother alternately. ¡°Th-The Grand Duchy of Avelant is a crazy place¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Mom, I think it¡¯s crazy.¡± Chapter 58.1 ¡°C-Crazy place?¡± ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s okay for me. Oh, never mind. I think it¡¯s right for me to be crazy, too.¡± ¡°Just in case, Bebe, it¡¯s dangerous to do something¡­for you.¡± I smiled as I looked at my bewildered mother. ¡°No. Mom, you know what? I think they¡¯re crazy because they¡¯re so nice to me.¡± Mom¡¯s face changed in real time. ¡°Well, for being nice to them¡­¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s so nice to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you meant? Mom is so surprised to hear that he was crazy.¡± I had the brightest smile among the laughter I could have made after hearing my mother¡¯s unusually trembling voice. It was like I didn¡¯t have to worry. In fact, I wanted to say that I was crazy about how they educate their young children. If you do something wrong, they threaten the nobles and stab them with a knife. ¡®But if you say so Mom, even if your face turns pale, let¡¯s run away. Bebe must be like this.¡¯ I even know how severe my mother¡¯s constipation was. That¡¯s why I held my mom¡¯s hand with an innocent smile. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s like that. I spend money very recklessly. I guess I¡¯m rich!¡± ¡°Rich¡­¡± When I opened my mouth like a child who knew nothing, my mother had an expression that I had never seen before. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s rich. He is Duke Avelant¡±. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Your voice is sadder than usual.¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s nothing¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ just¡­ It¡¯s because I¡¯m happy that he is nice to Bebe.¡± My mother¡¯s face, which was a little playful and a little bright, became very dark. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s because the rumors of Avelant Duchy are bad.¡± This was why there was a saying that people should do well normally. ¡®From now on, I have to manage the reputation of the people around me.¡¯ I was deeply troubled. But shouldn¡¯t it be good for me? I gave up on that thought. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°¡­But Bebe, do you really have to be the child of Duke Avelant?¡± ¡°Yeah! Why don¡¯t you want me to? I won¡¯t do it if mom says no¡­¡± It was after Allen went back to the table as our story seemed to be getting longer. It was as if he was trying to make it a comfortable place for my mom and I to talk. I wondered if it was really such a pure intention, but he was busy eating cookies without any facial expressions. Of course, I coughed to see if I was thirsty. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be other people¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible but¡­ Mom, is there anyone who can accept us? When we got out of there, he seemed to kill him right away.¡± ¡°¡­Right. I guess so. Few people can be hostile to him.¡± Sadly, it was the Emperor standing opposite us; the person who wanted to take us right away. Therefore, my mother quickly grasped the reality. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. He¡¯s a good person. I even brought a priest for Mom¡± ¡°A priest¡­¡± ¡°He came and looked after my mom. It¡¯s my first time seeing a priest in my life!¡± ¡°He really is a good person.¡± ¡°Yes! A good person. My mom will know when she sees him, that he¡¯s a good person.¡± ¡°I know. I know because I¡¯ve heard a lot that he¡¯s a good person.¡± But what my mother said was a little strange. ¡°Do you know? Did you hear it a lot? Rumors are bad.¡± ¡°He could be a good person to someone.¡± I felt like I¡¯m a different person. The mother I just talked about was not the mother I¡¯ve known so far. ¡°Especially since I can¡¯t believe that the Grand Duke can be a good person.¡± That¡¯s something that only people who have experienced it could say. When I opened my eyes thinly with my mouth sticking out, my mom smiled and messed up my hair. ¡°Do whatever you want, my daughter.¡± Then she held me tightly in her arms. ¡°Oh, yeah! Then Mom, do I continue as Bebe? According to the Grand Duke, if I use the name Bebe as it is, it could get recognized.¡± ¡°Bebe, your real name is not Bebe.¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not my name?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s Beatrice. If I did it the way it was, your nickname would have been Betty, but¡­ I just wanted to call it my own Bebe.¡± I blinked for a moment at the words. My mother never said this while I was born and returned to my life a few times. She always called me Bebe. So I didn¡¯t have any doubts about my name being Bebe. ¡®My dad called me Bebe, too. Why does my mom say a different name?¡¯ She tilted her head. ¡°What are you so curious about that you shake your little head around?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I can¡¯t believe my name wasn¡¯t Bebe¡­¡± ¡°Because you are my very own Bebe.¡± My mom¡¯s voice trembled a lot as she said ¡®My own Bebe¡¯. ¡°My own Bebe¡­¡± Chapter 58.2 ¡°So you can use the original name if you want. Your name is Beatrice and your nickname is Betty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided!¡± And while talking to my mom, I made up my mind. ¡°I want to be Beatrice.¡± As expected, the mother¡¯s eyes were a little disappointed. That¡¯s what I wanted, but I nodded at my mother, who mumbled towards the end of the sentence. ¡°I¡¯ll only do that on the documents. Bebe¡­ Because I¡¯m my mom¡¯s Bebe, I want to keep being Bebe.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Then he won¡¯t be able to find us well either.¡± I doubted it. No matter how different the name was, he¡¯d be suspicious of the sudden appearance of the Grand Duke¡¯s child. The Emperor would be looking for me more than anyone else. But I wasn¡¯t worried, because I knew that the Grand Duke would protect my mom and I. ¡°Bebe, for your mom¡­¡± ¡°I like the name Bebe. It¡¯s best when my mom calls me Bebe. So it¡¯s not for your mom unconditionally. It¡¯s because you like me!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! I like Bebe.¡± Mom¡¯s eyes became moist. ¡°Mom also¡­ You like the name Bebe more than Mom! It¡¯s a good thing I became Bebe¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Yes! Please continue to be my mom!¡± Meanwhile, the door opened again. ¡°My Lady, I prepared a meal.¡± With a more lively voice and behavior than ever, Cecilia brought in food. ¡°Oh, it looks delicious.¡± ¡°Young Master, didn¡¯t you have dinner?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m going to eat with Bebe because I enjoy spending time with her the most.¡± Looking at them, I got up from my seat before my mother and ran to Allen. ¡°Did you finish your work today?¡± ¡°Of course. I finished training to be with Bebe, and I finished class.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re going to eat together in a special way just this time.¡± Only then did Allen smile brightly and nod. ¡°Good.¡± Even talking like that, I couldn¡¯t kick him out, so I looked at Allen with a defeated look and reached out to my mom. ¡°Mom, can you get up?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ maybe? Don¡¯t worry. I have enough energy to run around.¡± However, as soon as I heard her, my mother¡¯s body, which jumped from her seat, tipped to the side momentarily. ¡°Oh, Mom!¡± I was surprised and tried to catch my mother, but it was not enough. ¡°Are you okay?¡± On that day, Cecilia ran over and caught my mother. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s okay.¡± Thanks to Cecilia, the mother quickly turned her head and looked at her. However, my mother¡¯s eyes were uncomfortable. ¡°Should I bring a doctor?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± It was clearly different from what I saw. Perhaps because she didn¡¯t want to look weak on purpose, but my mother shook off Cecilia¡¯s arm slightly and started walking slowly. Maybe it¡¯s because she had been lying down for a while, but it was just as awkward as a baby learning how to walk. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can walk.¡± At the same time, I felt very anxious. But I couldn¡¯t stop her. ¡®I don¡¯t want my mom to look weak either. She was always weak because she was beaten¡­¡¯ So all I could do was hold my slow-walking mother¡¯s hand tightly. Fortunately, my mother arrived at the table without falling. As if it was hard, sweat was on her forehead. ¡°What do you think? Mom, are you okay?¡± I didn¡¯t forget to smile as if nothing had happened. ¡°Yes! Mom!¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll go out so that you can eat comfortably.¡± As always, Cecilia poured water in front of us and went outside. But my mother didn¡¯t take her eyes off her until Cecilia left. Although my persuasion had softened her a bit, she still couldn¡¯t dispel her doubts. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°The Grand Duke¡¯s food is excellent, especially the meat.¡± However, my brother, who said he would eat with me, was busy eating vegetables, saying the meat was delicious. He looked like a foal eating carrots. Even the vegetables were so delicious that my fork naturally went toward the salad. ¡°Don¡¯t eat vegetables. You eat the meat.¡± ¡°Why? It looks delicious.¡± ¡°Bebe is small, so you have to grow up quickly. So eat meat.¡± Then, he pulled a large salad plate toward him. ¡°Tch¡­ Greedy.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m greedy. So go ahead and try the meat.¡± My mom, who was looking at us like that, looked at the bowl of soup in front of me silently. There were different types of soups in front of my mom and me, but my mom¡¯s was too watery. ¡°Mom, do you want something else?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s enough, but he seems to be more considerate of us than I thought.¡± ¡°Oh, right! I think it¡¯s right! Cecilia is sweet. She washed Mom¡¯s body every day while you were sleeping, and washed her hair alone. She also changed your posture when you were lying down. If you lie down for a long time, you¡¯ll get something weird.¡± Chapter 59.1 ¡°You¡¯ve been¡­ You¡¯ve been taken care of.¡± My mother¡¯s face changed subtly. She looked happy but somehow looked sick. ¡°Mom, are you sick?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your eyebrows were wrinkled.¡± ¡°My heart hurts a little.¡± ¡°Why? Does it hurt a lot?¡± I hurriedly put my ears on my mom¡¯s chest. Boom, boom. I could hear the sound of her heart beating loudly. If it was not here, did something else hurt? ¡°No, Bebe. It doesn¡¯t mean it hurts.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve been taken care of since your dad passed away.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± I hugged my mom. Mom¡¯s scent permeated the tip of my nose. Her heart raced, and I felt better. ¡°Maybe this is the best place for you, Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes! Not me, but us! For Mom and me. This is our home.¡± ¡°But my mom is just Bebe¡¯s mom.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°Well, I welcome my stepmother. You can be everyone¡¯s mom, not Bebe¡¯s mom.¡± At that time, Allen, who was sitting in front and chewing vegetables like a foal, raised his hand. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I feel bad for my dad. After my mother passed away¡­ he lived like an abandoned person. If he didn¡¯t have money, he would have lived wandering on the street like a beggar.¡± Maybe the vegetables weren¡¯t tasty, but my older brother slowly moved his mouth. ¡®I¡¯ve seen an animal like that somewhere¡­ as if he was about to spit. Not a pony, but a camel.¡¯ ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I agree with you as my stepmother.¡± However, as my brother agreed, my heart tickles somewhere. My mom was my own mother, but she could also be someone else¡¯s mother. Thinking about my mom holding him in her arms saying ¡®My son¡¯ made my skin tingle with goosebumps. ¡®She¡¯s my mom¡­¡¯ The thought was quickly over. ¡°I¡¯m against it!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mom becomes everyone¡¯s mom, but she doesn¡¯t want to be with Daddy!¡± ¡°Why, Bebe? Isn¡¯t it a good thing?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t know. Dad¡­ He has a bad temper! He looks like a crazy person! That¡¯s why you can¡¯t. Only be my Mom! He is eliminated as your husband!¡± I was definitely not trying to monopolize my mom. It¡¯s just that the Grand Duke would probably not like being my mom¡¯s husband. At that time¡­ ¡°¡­Is my personality that bad?¡± When he came in, the Grand Duke stood near the door. He even spoke in a sullen voice. ¡°Huh¡­? When did you get here?¡± ¡°¡­ Earlier, I was waiting because you were eating.¡± Unlike before, my father¡¯s face was not good. ¡°D-Do you want to eat with me¡­¡± He got up from his seat in a hurry and grabbed the Grand Duke¡¯s hand. I don¡¯t know what it was, but I think it was because I had something to do with it. Maybe it¡¯s because his expression was so sullen. ¡°No. Let¡¯s eat together¡­ comfortably. I¡¯ll be here.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡± And my mother, who was watching us, got up from her seat and tried to approach us. However, on the outside, she looked okay, but my mother had no strength in her legs because she had been lying down for a long time. So this time, I stumbled like before. Perhaps he thought it was strange to see him looking awkward, but the Grand Duke approached my mother. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you don¡¯t have to move.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I wanted to say thank you first, but I¡¯m not feeling well yet¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve been helped a lot by Bebe, so you don¡¯t have to say thank you.¡± Allen quickly pulled a chair and put it behind my mother. ¡°If you have something to say, let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve said there was nothing to be sorry about.¡± The Grand Duke would have been talking as usual, but my mother¡¯s body flinched momentarily. Perhaps he felt it, but the Grand Duke bit his lips. ¡°I think what Bebe said is right.¡±¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know, but I think I have a bad temper.¡±¡± Was it because of what I said? I didn¡¯t think so, but he looked quite serious. There were two straight lines of wrinkles between his handsome eyebrows. ¡°¡­I thought someone would say no if I said this.¡± Only then did I realize the situation and quickly waved my hand. ¡°No. It¡¯s not that bad. Just¡­ a little bit¡­ It¡¯s a little bad.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s more hurtful. What¡¯s the bad thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, as my mom¡¯s husband, it¡¯s bad, but Dad is a good person¡­ probably¡­¡± As I was struggling, Allen, who was sitting next to my mother, shook his head hard. ¡°I agree with Bebe.¡± Chapter 59.2 ¡°Do you agree with me that I¡¯m a good person, Allen?¡± ¡°No. My dad has a bad personality.¡± ¡°¡­Is it that bad?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s gaze turned serious, as if he heard a huge declaration. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Yeah, Allen.¡± ¡°Dad, did you think you have a good personality?¡± ¡°I thought it wasn¡¯t bad. Oh, of course, your mom sometimes said I should kill my temper sometimes, but¡­ I¡¯ve been improving my temper recently.¡± Allen¡¯s mouth opened wide at his words. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d say that casually.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I thought you were just living like a gentle madman, Dad. I¡¯m telling you because I¡¯m your son.¡± And his face was still in shock. ¡°Oh, I see. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard it or not, but I¡¯m in favor of my stepmother.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Dad, you have to settle down now, too. Don¡¯t cry at Mom¡¯s portrait every day.¡± ¡°Allen.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± In an instant, the Grand Duke¡¯s face turned red. As always, Allen was busy joking around. ¡°I¡¯m not going out. I¡¯m going to be with Bebe all day.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t listen, you¡¯ll be banned from entering Bebe¡¯s room.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s mean.¡± However, the effect was quite large. Allen, who had just declared that he would not go out, quickly left the room as if the rushing seawater or someone pushed him away. Then came the awkwardness. ¡°Hey, you know, Dad, what I said earlier¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t answer. He only sighed deeply as if he were deep in thought. Did he get hurt because I said something useless? While thinking about what to do, I hurriedly approached the side of the bed. Then I brought the documents that were placed there. ¡°Hey, Dad. I picked my name.¡± ¡°Oh, that was it.¡± My mother, who was still watching us, made a strange expression. She looked at us and seemed to be smiling, as if she was having fun, though she also looked somewhat uncomfortable too. ¡°My mom said my name wasn¡¯t Bebe originally, right Mom?¡± When I saw my mother smiling graciously, I felt something strange in the corner of my heart. Was it because my mom¡¯s expression was different from what I knew before? ¡°Original name?¡± ¡°Yes, my name was Beatrice? My nickname is Betty! So I¡¯ll write that name on the paper!¡± It was strange. At this point, my father¡¯s face, which I thought he would like, hardened coldly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Beatrice¡­ Betty¡­¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like it?¡± With a face I had never seen before, he said the name Beatrice several times and said it again. He looked so different than usual that I approached my mom and held her hand tightly. But my mom was being weird, too. It was surprising to see him constantly change his facial expression, but as expected, there was no change in facial expression. ¡°Dad?¡± After a long time, when I called him, he nodded as if he had come to his senses. ¡°You don¡¯t like the name?¡± ¡°Not really. I just¡­ I just thought of someone.¡± ¡°Huh? Who?¡± ¡°There was a person who wanted to give the name Beatrice to her daughter and Basilio to her son when she had a child later¡­¡± Why did the Grand Duke look so sad? I wasn¡¯t sure who he was projecting through my name, but I knew it was not a good situation for him. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a good name.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why did you say your name was Bebe?¡± It was then when my mother, who had been watching us without saying a word the whole time, opened her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to call her. I want to call her by the name I wanted because she¡¯s my child.¡± Somehow, my mother¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing more to say. Then I¡¯ll ask you one more question. You¡¯re aware that the man who drove you two out doesn¡¯t know the name ¡®Beatrice¡¯?¡± At that, the mother nodded without hesitation. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know because someone else gave me that name.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s write it down.¡± ¡°Then am I Beatrice Avelant now?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to officially process these documents. You may find out later, but they shouldn¡¯t be able to find you right away just by looking at the name ¡®Beatrice¡¯.¡± Looking even more awkward than usual, he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°The problem is about your mom.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my mom? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Bebe. First of all, your mother and I are going to be married.¡± ¡°¡­.What?¡± ¡°Really?¡± My mom and I screamed at the same time. It really went as I said. My mom suddenly got a husband. He was also a bad-tempered man, and my father, who bit his lips in embarrassment, smiled awkwardly. Looking at it, my mother nodded as if she were determined to do something. ¡°Husband. Alright.¡± Chapter 60.1 It was then that my mother¡¯s abrupt words came out. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t be here for no reason. It¡¯s okay to use me.¡± She was like my old mother. She was not the mother who couldn¡¯t say a word because she was tamed by violence. ¡°Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°It feels like my daughter is doing something at her own pace, and there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do.¡± The image of a docile mother disappeared everywhere. ¡°Is it okay? This is the Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m not good enough because it¡¯s the Grand Duchy?¡± At my mother¡¯s words, the Grand Duke hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°No way. I don¡¯t mean it at all.¡± I¡¯ve seen this somewhere. It was similar to what men do to their lovers who have done great wrongs in books; a pale face, a head that shook dozens of times in a minute, and even his hand. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means it could be dangerous.¡± ¡°My life itself has always been dangerous, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m confident in protecting myself.¡± ¡°¡­I always thought that Bebe resembled someone so proud, and I think she¡¯s just like you.¡± ¡°Because we are a mother and daughter. Bebe is my daughter.¡± Somehow, it felt like my mother¡¯s voice was filled with strength. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s your daughter¡­¡± However, the Grand Duke mumbled towards the end of his speech. Then he smacked his lips as if he had something to say. ¡°Just in case.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did we meet?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± ¡°¡­Do you have any ties with anyone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°You¡¯re firm.¡± I didn¡¯t know what I expected, but the Grand Duke¡¯s lips drooped. ¡®But my mom said it as if she knew something about the Grand Duke¡­¡¯ However, my mother strongly rejected the Grand Duke. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Anyway, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could take care of me for a moment as the next Grand Duchess. Otherwise, you¡¯ll attract unwanted people.¡± ¡°I thought you would have a lot of power just because you¡¯re the Grand Duke, but I guess not.¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m going to be strong from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it. Please protect my daughter and I.¡± In a friendly voice, my mother smiled at him. Only then did Grand Duke¡¯s face slowly warm up. ¡°That¡¯s a confident request from you. Don¡¯t worry. I keep what I¡¯m determined to protect.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes, which had no expression all the time, creased gently. ¡°If you feel that way, feel free to use me.¡± The Grand Duke nodded belatedly as he looked at my mother and spoke in a firm voice. ¡°Okay. Anyway¡­ you¡¯ve said everything you want to say, so you two should finish your meal. I¡¯ll excuse myself now.¡± ¡°Very well, goodbye.¡± He waved his hand without hesitation, and the Grand Duke mumbled slightly and turned around to leave. His mother looked at him for a long time until the door opened and closed. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s eat now.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s been crazy.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. That¡¯s right.¡± As if she had finally come to her senses, my mother got up from her seat and struggled to come to the table. After that, no one came into the room until the end of meal time. Just looking at the food in front of my eyes, my mother occasionally had a sad expression. How much time had passed? After a very long time, Cecilia came inside after my mom and I finished our meal. She called others to organize the table and bowed to my mother. ¡°I¡¯m introducing myself again because I don¡¯t think I said my name properly. I am Cecilia, Bebe¡¯s nanny.¡± ¡°I heard from Bebe. You have helped her a lot.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. She was so brave that she overcame it well alone.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± There was an awkward silence between the two. ¡®They are very similar.¡¯ Was it because they cared about me for no reason? Or was it because of the soft gaze? I looked at the two and jumped up from my seat. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest today. Mom, I think today has been too much.¡± ¡°Yeah. I should. I¡¯m going to rest now.¡± Only then did my mother get up from her seat and walk to bed. My mother¡¯s steps were much better than before because she moved a few times today. Thanks to this, I arrived in bed alone, although it was slow without someone¡¯s help. ¡°Then I¡¯ll turn on the fireplace and leave.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I lied down next to my mother, who was already in bed. Today, I wanted to be lazy like this, so I dug into the blanket. My mother, who laid in bed first, naturally hugged me. My mom moved as she hugged me. ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yeah. I love it.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ likes it too.¡± Meanwhile, Cecilia left the room. There was only the breathing of the two of us in the room. The regular breathing sounds as cozy as if it were a lullaby. Chapter 60.2 ¡°Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Having closed my eyes next to my living mother for the first time in a long time, I raised my head and looked at her. But there was no answer. I just mumbled for a long time. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Yes, my daughter.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to overdo it. My mom will protect you now, so you don¡¯t have to push yourself.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m not overdoing it!¡± ¡°Maybe Mommy doesn¡¯t know my daughter well.¡± My mom¡¯s words made my heart tingle exceptionally. ¡°It¡¯s been hard.¡± But I didn¡¯t say what has happened so far and what I¡¯ve been doing. As far as my mom knew, the Grand Duke saved us by necessity, and all she knew was that I¡¯ve been recognized here. But my mom patted me on the back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything will be okay now.¡± ¡°Mom¡­ Why aren¡¯t you asking me anything?¡± I wanted her to ask, even if I didn¡¯t want her to ask. I wanted to complain, but I had to be brave. Mom, actually, I had a really hard time. It¡¯s my tenth life. I came back ten times because I wanted to save my mom. In all that time, my mother passed away. It was so hard and painful¡­ I lived only with that hope that I could save my mom. Mom¡­ I did well. It was ten lives I couldn¡¯t tell anyone, unspeakable times. So I was lonely sometimes. I still felt lonely sometimes, so I asked my mom with a trembling voice. However, my mother¡¯s hands constantly stroked my head as if she knew everything even if I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Great job, my daughter.¡± Those words comforted me. That was enough. I think I can live with all the hardships and pains I¡¯ve had in my heart with that little comfort that my mom gave me. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect you now.¡± ¡°Mom, let¡¯s not just protect each other¡­ Let¡¯s live happily ever after.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± With a deep sigh, the mother¡¯s head nodded up and down. That was enough. If we were to be happy together in the lifetime where we protected each other, then my goal in life has been achieved. ¡°Let¡¯s be happy, my daughter.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± My mom patted me on the back like before, and I fell asleep in her arms. It was really comfortable after a long time. ¡°Mom¡­ Good night.¡± My eyes closed like that. *** I woke up suddenly as if someone was waking me up. I was not half-asleep and woke up in a hurry, so I looked around. Fortunately, my mother was sleeping soundly next to me. When I put my ears on my sleeping mother¡¯s chest. The sound of my heart still pounded loudly. I was so happy, so happy that I was afraid that this would be a dream, but it was not a dream. ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± So I laid down next to my mom again. However, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep again since I was awake. Thinking about what to do, I approached the window and opened it wide. Then, the unusually bright moon rose high in the sky. ¡°Pretty¡­¡± Was it because my mom woke up or because she was too happy? The moon and the world looked more beautiful. At that time¡­ A sudden wind passed by my cheeks. ¡°Oh my god!¡± I stepped back from the window and struggled since the strong wind pushed my body away. Soon after the wind subsided, and I opened my eyes slowly. Then, something I had not seen before sat right in front of me. ¡°Silver wolf¡­¡± I thought I was dreaming, but no matter how much I rubbed my eyes, the silver wolf was still in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s a real wolf¡­ I¡¯ve seen him before.¡± It was definitely a silver wolf. The wolf, who came through the open window, shook his fur as the wind blew. Sparkling, mysterious fur. And I had seen a silver wolf before. On the day I went to the forest, right before I fell asleep in my dad¡¯s arms, I made eye contact with a silver wolf watching me from afar. ¡°Really¡­ Is that the wolf from that time?¡± As if answering my question, the silver wolf nodded. Obviously, it was overwhelming to look at, but it didn¡¯t feel dangerous at all. Maybe it¡¯s because the wolf¡¯s eyes were only on me. ¡°But why are you here?¡± It was strange. Wolves were beasts, yet I¡¯m asking the wolf a question, as if I wanted an answer. And the wolf, who had been staring at me with blue eyes just now, slowly approached me. ¡°¡­I will pay you back.¡± ¡°Huh? Pay me back?¡± ¡°Give me a name.¡± ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Give me a name to call. Then I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± At my question, the silver wolf nodded only. I didn¡¯t know what it meant by ¡®favor¡¯, but who would hate me that I¡¯d need protection? ¡°Then, Silver Wolf!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± It had a pointy snout and sharp face. On the other hand, its eyes, which had long eyelashes, expressed discomfort. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re a silver wolf¡­ Sylvie!¡± ¡°Sylvie¡­¡± ¡°Sylvie! It¡¯s like a nickname for Silver Wolf.¡± Only then did the wolf nod his head and express his feelings. Chapter 61.1 ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t name things like that if I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°So¡­ my name is¡­¡± I smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s the best name!¡± I clenched my fist and approached the silver wolf. I whispered to its ears for a long time so only the wolf could hear it. A deep sigh escaped the silver wolf¡¯s mouth, though it¡¯s unclear whether he liked his name or not. ¡°¡­.You¡¯re really bad at naming.¡± ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. I will protect you with this.¡± With those words, a subtle light leaked from the silver wolf¡¯s body. It was a bright light as if it were daytime. And when the light faded and I opened my eyes, the wolf I was talking to until just now disappeared. ¡°Where did it go?¡± It was a time when I hurried to the window and looked around. I felt something moving at my feet, so I hurriedly dropped my eyes to the floor. Then what appeared was a puppy with white fur that looked soft. ¡°Puppy?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No way. Is it you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± However, unlike his appearance, his voice was very strange. ¡°You¡¯re a cute puppy, but your voice sounds like the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°¡­Are you comparing me with him?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®him¡¯t?¡± You don¡¯t like Dad?¡± When I said that, the silver wolf looked at me very uncomfortable. ¡°¡­What do you mean ¡®Dad¡¯?¡± Did that little boy become a father? What kind of twist did you fall for? To be a subordinate for such a person with such power.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a servant. I¡¯m Daddy¡¯s daughter!¡± ¡°¡­ Anyway¡­ Keep that kind of guy away. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Then he jumped up onto the bed. ¡°First of all, I need to rest. I spent too much energy coming through the barrier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my spot¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s warm and nice.¡± It didn¡¯t even look like the dignified wolf I saw before. The silver wolf, who was moving around in my seat like a fluffy puppy, eventually laid on my pillow. ¡°It¡¯s my spot¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you lie next to me. Really.¡± Then, he moved his body very finely to prepare a spot. Thinking about what to do, I closed the window and laid down next to the standing silver wolf. ¡°But why did you say you¡¯re protecting me?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been blessed. The silver wolf repays the favor.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of this grace that our race is tied here.¡± The long, long puppy¡¯s snout twitched as if he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So hurry up and sleep, kid. People your age need to sleep well to grow up.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m still curious. Did I do something worth paying back?¡± ¡°Recently, there has been a change in the land. The monsters increased exponentially, and all the animals disappeared. Because of that, I couldn¡¯t eat and walked around and was attacked by demons.¡± I tilted my head when I saw the puppy saying something different from what I asked. ¡°But?¡± ¡°You started to throw food at me. It was bread at first.¡± ¡°Ah!!!¡± It was only then that I remembered throwing away the bread I had collected in the room to clean it up. ¡°I lived thanks to you. So I will pay you back.¡± I just sent out the leftovers, and I threw it to eat small animals in the forest, and it helped the silver wolf. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Do you not like it?¡± ¡°No! I like dogs!¡± I stroked the silver wolf¡¯s fur. It was so pretty. I liked the feeling and touched the wolf endlessly. ¡°That kind of fiddling¡­ when you pet me, you¡¯d have to be in awe¡­ No, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± But the more I stroked, the more and more the silver wolf warmed up. Before I knew it, the wolf settled in a very comfortable position in the middle of the bed. ¡°¡­Why did you stop petting me?¡± ¡°It seems to spread more and more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s spreading. It¡¯s just instinct. So go to sleep while stroking. Hmm, I think human touch is better than I thought.¡± Somehow, I thought for a while that I shouldn¡¯t pet him, but the fur was so fine that I eventually fell asleep after petting the wolf for a long time. *** As the morning came, the world gradually became brighter. I tried to oversleep, but I woke up because the silver wolf, who fell asleep comfortably, put his leg on my arm. When I barely opened my eyes, the sunlight was filling the room. Somehow, my whole body felt stiff as if I slept wrong. ¡°See¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take long to know it was because of the silver wolf. When I woke up and looked at my seat, my bed was very narrow as if I had slept on a shrimp. ¡°This silver wolf¡¯s¡­ sleeping habits are strong.¡± No wonder it¡¯s unfair. He could protect me, but he couldn¡¯t protect my bed. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s probably a good thing.¡± I pouted and pulled the silver wolf, which gradually rolled towards my mother, back to my seat. Chapter 61.2 He was in such a deep sleep so I tugged on him a bit harder, but the wolf didn¡¯t wake up and just snored. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Fortunately, Cecilia came into the room just in time, as if she didn¡¯t wake up much earlier than usual. ¡°Are you up already?¡± ¡°Yeah! No wonder I felt so good! I woke up! Good morning, Cecilia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re in a good mood. You never know. It¡¯s a good thing I came early, just in case.¡± ¡°What are we doing today?¡± The only time Ceccilia came into the room earlier than usual was when I had a schedule. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve organized the presents, but I think there¡¯s something you need to see. I think you have to decide what to do with the dolls given by Master Allen.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I see.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll hurry up a little today. Didn¡¯t your mom wake up?¡± ¡°Yeah! But don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll wake up soon.¡± At that time, Cecilia¡¯s face hardened as she quietly looked at the bed. ¡°My Lady.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you get a puppy doll?¡± Cecilia¡¯s eyes turned round as if surprised to see the puppy on the bed. ¡°Uh¡­ No.¡± ¡°So¡­That thing¡­ What is that?¡± ¡± A puppy!¡± ¡°Puppy¡­? Did you get a present yesterday?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t get it as a gift!¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­ Where did that come from? Did you even wash it? Oh, my. Your feet are dirty, too.¡± His fur was fine, but perhaps because he lived outside, the silver wolf¡¯s feet were covered with firewood. Looking at it, the face of Cecilia naturally hardened. ¡°Y¡­ You slept in bed with that dirty dog!¡± Cecilia, who seemed to be very shocked and had a contemplated expression, rolled the silver wolf lying in bed with a blanket. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you going to wash up?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t even know how it got into this place¡­ To raise this, I have to get permission from His Highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a dog.¡± When I tilted my head, Cecilia nodded with a serious look. ¡°Yes. It might be dangerous.¡± While saying that, she opened the door with a silver wolf rolled up in the blanket. Then, several maids were brought into the room. ¡°Wash this right away. I¡¯ll go and tell His Highness.¡± ¡°Is it a dog?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s dirty, so be careful.¡± The maids busily grabbed the silver wolf and headed to the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you okay?¡± Seeing the silver wolf not wake up, I had a worried expression. However, how deeply he fell into a sleep, the wolf did not easily wake up to the actions of the maids who really treated him as a dog and carried him. Feeling anxious, I followed him to the bathroom. Warm water was poured onto the wolf¡¯s body, which was rolled up in a single blanket. As if they were proficient in this, the maids began to foam and wash the wolf clean. ¡°My Lady, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m used to this kind of thing.¡± And they smiled and nodded, perhaps because they noticed that I was looking at them. ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­ Uh¡­¡± They, who turned favorable to me in a few days, washed the wolf at a tremendous speed so that I wouldn¡¯t worry. ¡°The dog must have been very tired. They usually wake up with just water.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± I was tired yesterday, so I should have known from the beginning. It was even questionable whether it was possible to not wake up like that. Meanwhile, the door suddenly opened and the Grand Duke entered the room. ¡°Bebe.¡± Somehow his voice was more serious than usual. With a hard voice that I had rarely heard, I rushed out of the bathroom and approached him. ¡°Huh? Did you call me?¡± ¡°I heard that you were suddenly attacked by a dog. Are you okay? Where did you get hurt?¡± ¡°Dogs? I wasn¡¯t attacked by a dog. It¡¯s just¡­ the dog and I want to live together.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He frowned and looked at Cecilia, who had been following him. Somehow Cecilia looked unhappy. She even mumbled as if she hadn¡¯t said anything like that. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m glad you weren¡¯t attacked, but where did the dog come from?¡± Just in time, the maids, who were washing wolves at the speed of light, came out with the wolf, which had been roughly dried with towels. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Is this the dog¡­??¡± The Grand Duke, who seemed to be showing a vicious aura, hardened his face as soon as he saw the dog. ¡°¡­Everyone, leave.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Leave the dog here.¡± The maids, who were passionately drying the fur, put the wolf down on a nearby table and went outside. I was afraid the wolf might get kicked out. I hurriedly hugged the wolf. When everyone in the room left, the Grand Duke quietly looked down at the wolf in my arms. ¡°Are you going to tame the silver wolf?¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°No one has ever done it. That¡¯s the same with me. But how did that happen?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s because¡­ I gave him food?¡± Chapter 62.1 ¡°¡­Food?¡± At my words, the Grand Duke¡¯s forehead wrinkled nicely. ¡°Huh! Daddy said don¡¯t give dog food. But I gave him food, so that¡¯s the deal.¡± A deafening laughter was heard. ¡°¡­No way. Was that a way to win the favor of the Silver Wolf?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It is said that when the first Grand Duke was established on this land, he tamed the owner of this ominous land. Thanks to that, it is said that he barely survived here. But that arrogant, noble Silver Wolf has never been tamed by humans since then¡­¡± The Grand Duke looked at the wolf silently. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know that taming wolves involved throwing rice.¡± He licked his tongue as if frustrated, and looked at me as if it was funny. ¡°But, no one in the Grand Duchy has ever thrown food out the window.¡± He laughed like it was funny. ¡°You are doing a lot of strange things in many ways.¡± ¡°Then can I raise him? I heard that I need permission to raise him here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a dog, but if it¡¯s a silver wolf¡­ it¡¯ll be fine. But it¡¯s not happening even under these circumstances.¡± The Grand Duke came closer and pressed the silver wolf¡¯s belly in his arms. Each time that happened, the silver wolf¡¯s stomach swelled as if in rebellion. ¡®I heard that there were creatures that looked like this in the sea¡­ was it a blowfish?¡¯ It was exactly like that. ¡°So Bebe, have you decided on a name?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Silver wolves are bound as soon as they are named by those who think they are their owners.¡± ¡°Ah! I did it!¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s its name?¡± ¡°Sylvie!¡± He smiled brightly and stroked Sylvie. But the Grand Duke¡¯s expression was not so good. ¡°Syl¡­vie?¡± ¡°Yeah! Cute! I saw it in a book before, and they said the more rustic the name, the better. They live longer.¡± ¡°¡­I know it¡¯s rustic.¡± ¡°Still, I thought it was a pretty sophisticated name, but rather than Sylvia. Originally, it was Sylvia, but Sylvie hated it, so I named it Sylvie.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you hate that name?¡± He looked at him curiously and nodded. ¡°Uh¡­ it looks like he gave up.¡± ¡°Well, they said that the name of the wolf that the first Grand Duke had tamed was Ahern.¡± ¡°S-Sylvie¡¯s name is prettier.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The Grand Duke smiled and gave a no-nonsense look on his face, then patted my head. ¡°A name that is easy for you to call would be best.¡± ¡°Yeah! I like Sylvie.¡± Then he stroked Sylvie¡¯s head. It was rewarding to touch Sylvie, who had softer fur after washing. ¡°Okay. There¡¯s more to talk about with the silver wolf¡­ but he¡¯s sleeping, so we¡¯ll talk later.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°You probably haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, so let¡¯s go eat. I¡¯ll talk to Cecilia as I go out.¡± With those words, the Grand Duke smiled more kindly than usual and went outside. Shortly after he left, Cecilia came in with a lot of food. ¡°I heard from the Grand Duke, baby.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said you were going to have that dog.¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s Sylvie. He¡¯s sleeping right now, but please take care of him in the future.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Still, there was some discomfort in Cecilia¡¯s eyes. Do I have to say that there was something I didn¡¯t like about Sylvie? He did look so terrifying, just like when he first saw me. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m hungry.¡± At that moment, Cecilia took her gaze away from Sylvie and quickly put the food on the table. After a while, as always, plenty of food was ready. She approached my mother just in case and gently shook my mother, but my mother did not wake up. ¡°I guess she won¡¯t wake up yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to prepare food for your mother when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner and get some presents.¡± I nodded my head and began to eat. Originally, I would have washed and started eating, but thanks to the Grand Duke¡¯s fuss, I was able to eat first, then wash up. Then, for my mother¡¯s safety, Cecilia left Sylvie in the room and walked with Theo to the room in front of her. ¡°Wow¡­¡± And I was surprised. When I asked where all the dolls Allen had given me were, they were all here. The room was full of dolls, and gifts from other people were everywhere. Theo, who had been with me on behalf of Cecilia, cleared his throat and looked around. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for Ms Cecilia to come, My Lady?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes, but Theo¡­¡± I looked up at Theo because I had something to say. All this time, Cecilia had been by my side, so she and Theo couldn¡¯t talk. ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± ¡°Hey. Never do anything dangerous.¡± He widened his eyes at my unexpected words. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± For some reason, Theo¡¯s face hardened a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ you don¡¯t like it? But I¡¯m worried. Theo must never get hurt.¡± Normally, I would have flinched slightly at his reaction, but not today. ¡°I will try.¡± Theo talked more seriously than ever, but he didn¡¯t like the answer at all. Chapter 62.2 ¡®You can¡¯t come out like this. Because of Theo¡¯s personality, he¡¯s definitely going¡­get hurt.¡¯ As I was contemplating on how to keep Theo from getting hurt, I saw the floor filled with dolls. I made up my mind to do something, and after wandering for a while, I found a palm-sized chick. ¡°This! I will give it to you as a gift.¡± ¡°Is this a present?¡± ¡°Yeah! So you can¡¯t just start arguing over dangerous things. You have to take good care of the chick, okay?¡± It was a doll the size of the palm of my hand, but when I put it in Theo¡¯s hand, it was very small. Still, he stared at it for a long time. ¡°I-Is it not good enough? Then did you want a bigger one?¡± Theo didn¡¯t like this. Well, it¡¯s not good for a big adult to have it. But red hair and yellow looked better than I thought. ¡°Ummm¡­ wait, I¡¯ll do something else¡­.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I was just surprised. I¡¯ve never had anything like this from someone I¡¯ve never met before.¡± ¡°So you have to cherish it. If the chick has a single scratch¡­¡± ¡°If¡­?¡± ¡°I will be angry.¡± His mouth puffed out. He was sincere, but I really didn¡¯t want him to get hurt. ¡°All right. I will protect this doll like it¡¯s a young girl.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°By the way, My Lady.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He smirked, leaning down slightly and making eye contact with me. ¡°Have there been any rumors?¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± ¡°Have there been any rumors that I¡¯m¡­ going somewhere?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Having said that, he looked quite serious. But, originally, it was said that Theo¡¯s personality was like that. When he saw injustice, he couldn¡¯t stand it, and they say that he would be the first to pick up a sword than anyone else. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°¡­.All right.¡± His expression became paler than usual, as if he had somehow discovered secrets. He looked a little cute when he looked like he had no energy. ¡°I thought you would hate it.¡± He was a really kind person. He was a very good person who cared for the safety of the children of the Grand Duke until the end. I smiled broadly at him. ¡°Thank you for listening to me.¡± ¡°Thank you. You don¡¯t have to say that. You¡¯re the one who has to give orders.¡± ¡°Anyway, then, shall I organize the presents now?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ Since My Lady has chosen me over Ms Cecilia, let¡¯s try a little harder, shall we?¡± His face hardened, but he was more confident than ever. Theo looked around for a moment, then took a chair and placed it next to me. ¡°Sit down and I will unwrap the present. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll fix it right away.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go get some knights. Their hands are faster than you¡¯d think.¡± As I nodded, Theo poked his head out of the room and gave someone orders for a while. And after a while, five knights entered the room. ¡°First, let¡¯s organize the dolls.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They were fast, and there were so many dolls that they couldn¡¯t walk, but they were all organized on one side. Since it was my brother¡¯s gift, and not someone else, I had no choice but to accept them all. ¡°Still, I think she¡¯s a sweet person, seeing that she didn¡¯t throw away a single thing from the Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­I am not friendly! I¡¯m just¡­ just¡­¡± Theo smiled slightly as he moistened his lips and began to unwrap the gift wrappers. Some were as tall as him, and some were as small as the palm of my hand. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve opened it, so I just stared at them without saying a word. At that time¡­ The door that had been closed swung open and an unexpected guest entered the room. ¡°I¡¯m bewildered after waiting patiently, so now I¡¯m here.¡± When he turned his head toward the door in a sudden situation, Harris was standing there, huffing. For some reason, Harris wore more plain clothes than usual, and was slim to the cheeks. ¡°Uh, long time no see, Harris.¡± ¡°Long time? Long time no see? Is it time for you to say that now?¡± ¡°Oh, then did you have to get angry?¡± ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s see this. Do you really think you¡¯ve become something?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What happened to me?¡± I smiled broadly when I saw Harris, who was trying to start an argument today. ¡°What are you arguing about today? I feel good today, so I think I will be able to accept all your arguments.¡± ¡°You will really regret it. When I officially join the family, I will tell them to kick you out!¡± Chapter 63.1 ¡°I feel bad for Harris.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± He shook his head from side to side and made eye contact with Harris. ¡°Crying doesn¡¯t mean everything will go your way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crying. You and I, who were officially brought in to demonstrate a strange power, are different from the beginning, right?¡± The child who was snorting came closer to me. ¡°If I turn out to be real, my dad will be more sorry for me for doing those things to me!¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­Do you think that¡¯s it? I¡¯m going to kick you out. You pretended to be a princess when you weren¡¯t even a real princess! Her voice grew louder and louder, just as she realized that she was just saying it to herself. It wasn¡¯t like that before, but it was a pity that I was wearing shabby clothes today. ¡°I¡¯m a princess. I officially got the family name.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I-I-I have been trying to get into the Grand Duchy. You¡­ You who came in after doing that¡­ You! You can¡¯t be the same as me! These gifts are ridiculous, too. It¡¯s your birthday! Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± Harris began to kick around countless gifts that the knights were organizing. There was no one to stop. ¡®Why are you doing this?¡¯ What else do you have to gain from making such a fuss? Was she just trying to vent out her anger? If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s really bad. Seeing the knights not knowing what to do, I felt uncomfortable in one side of my heart. Eventually, I ran to Harris and held her hand. ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°What? Are you stopping me now?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to stop you. I¡¯m going to stop you now and in the future, unless you¡¯re a person who can¡¯t fulfill your dreams.¡± Theo and the knights here were all good people to me. But they even ruined what they were trying to do. ¡°That¡¯s funny. You can¡¯t stop me.¡± At that time¡­ Someone came into the room. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I didn¡¯t know Harris was here.¡± In the past, it was Harris who would have rushed to the arrival of the Grand Duke and would do anything, but today she was quiet. Even looking at the Grand Duke, he bit his lips as well. The Grand Duke approached Harris, seeming a little puzzled by her unusual appearance. ¡°You¡¯re different than usual, Harris.¡± Rather, when he paid attention to himself, Harris closed her mouth even more. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± For a long time, Harris didn¡¯t talk. As if she knew that this would attract the Grand Duke¡¯s attention, the child remained silent for a while. ¡°Are you not going to keep talking?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re suspicious of me anyway, so I won¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an unavoidable process. You can bring that thing and prove yourself, but why are you so upset? ¡°Do you have to do that? Was I someone you can¡¯t trust?¡± Before I knew it, Harris¡¯s eyes turned moist. Looking at her eyes filled with resentment as if it were unfair, the Grand Duke sighed deeply. ¡°Harris, isn¡¯t it not difficult? I¡¯m just checking a bit of your blood. Why are you so upset?¡± ¡°My dad doesn¡¯t trust me. After that came¡­ it¡¯s so sad that¡­ you don¡¯t think of me as your daughter!¡± Tears dropped from Harris¡¯s big eyes. ¡°I¡¯m your daughter¡­ I was so happy to see you again¡­ I was so happy to have a family¡­¡± I stepped back from the affectionate reunion of the unexpected father and daughter. Harris was that kind of kid. I only think that she was such a gentle, good, and pretty person to the person she wanted. ¡®You¡¯re so good at acting.¡¯ ¡°I guess I haven¡¯t been paying too much attention to you lately, Harris.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t make it that fancy on my birthday.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the more you go through it, the better it gets.¡± His big hand stroked Harris¡¯s head. Watching that made me uncomfortable somewhere in my heart. It¡¯s not that I envied Harris, nor that I wanted the Grand Duke to only love me. But it¡¯s just that¡­ I felt bad. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have made it during spring because I wasn¡¯t originally a member of this family. It¡¯s a bad thing for me to do that.¡¯ Even if I tried to pull myself together with such thoughts, I couldn¡¯t feel better. I kept stepping back from them. One step. Two steps. Chapter 63.2 At that time, my big hand touched my shoulder. ¡°My Lady.¡± ¡°Theo¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He suddenly popped out and said something incomprehensible, and sat down and made eye contact with me. Somehow, his eyes looked stronger than ever. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°¡­.No. I haven¡¯t grown up fully since I was little, so I¡¯m good at understanding people¡¯s feelings. And I also felt that My Lady was not in a good mood right now, so I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay. I¡¯m worried about you because you¡¯re not in a good mood. I¡¯m not in a good mood either, but you¡­¡± I just reached out to prepare for the future, but Theo was more friendly than I thought. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Meanwhile, Harris roughly wiped away the dripping tears with her hands. While looking at that, the Grand Duke held her arm in his. He took out a handkerchief and wiped Harris¡¯s eyes. ¡°I must have made you so upset, Harris. Is that why you¡¯re wearing something like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t even treat me like a princess anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°But everyone does that. That¡­ That¡­ She took my place. All that¡¯s left is to get kicked out!¡± Who could say such a thing? However, Harris pouted her lips, crying as if she had actually heard such a thing. ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°I did! If I said who it was, what¡¯s the difference? It¡¯s the same since you don¡¯t care about it anyway.¡± At that, the Grand Duke shook his head. ¡°Harris.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ I¡¯ll just stay here for a while¡­ and my dad is happy with his fake daughter.¡± Harris tried to turn her body around, whether it was her old habit of speaking or intentionally pushing him. Perhaps the child¡¯s reaction was unfamiliar, but the Grand Duke narrowed his forehead and dried Harris¡¯s tears. ¡°Harris.¡± ¡°Why are you trying to comfort me now?¡± ¡°Did I hurt your feelings when I checked if your blood was real?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh. It feels bad to doubt you, but we¡¯ll get confirmation.¡± ¡°And even if I¡¯m confirmed to be your real daughter after that, I won¡¯t be here any longer.¡± As if he had been crying, Harris eventually stopped. Why on earth were they talking about that here where I was organizing gifts? I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°¡­ So you¡¯re going to leave, Harris?¡± ¡°Yeah, because you didn¡¯t trust me.¡± For a long time, the Grand Duke was silent. I looked at them and turned to the gifts I had left to organize. ¡°Theo, shall we organize the presents?¡± ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The gaze of the Grand Duke and Harris reached us for a while at the sound of our muttering, but that did not stop us. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you choose the gifts from this side first?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just clean up the food first. And I want to open the package, too. I think it¡¯ll be fun.¡± I approached Theo¡¯s side and held a large box in my arms, but he was determined. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open this?¡± Theo handed me a box the size of his fist. ¡°¡­Why are you telling me to do a small one?¡± I can do a big one, too! ¡°Uh¡­ That¡¯s¡­ Well, I think it¡¯s a little special.¡± Theo, who was mumbling, kept pushing the box. Eventually, I held a small box in my hand. ¡°I wanted to open a big one¡­¡± ¡°Try opening it up. You¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± Theo, who kept pushing me, somehow looked happy. I couldn¡¯t help but try to rip open what he gave me. However, Harris and the Grand Duke, who had not talked to each other for a long time, finally opened their mouths. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I cannot believe you.¡± ¡°Oh, how could you say that! D-Didn¡¯t you think of me as your daughter all this time?¡± As if she was shocked, Harris¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°I thought you might be my daughter, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve done so many things to you.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ How¡­ How!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t prove it. Otherwise, I can¡¯t even leave you here anymore.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t have to prove it! I have the blood of the Grand Duke! That¡¯s why I can stay here!¡± I wondered why Harris refused to prove herself so much, but now I think I know a little. ¡°Things like that can be said by anyone, Harris. That¡¯s all I have to say. Prove it, and I¡¯ll cherish you more than anyone else after.¡± Originally, it was his own consideration for the Grand Duke, who hated useless children the most, but Harris was still angry. ¡°If I were your real daughter, I¡¯d get out of this house!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll support you to live comfortably.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! That¡¯s¡­ Okay. When are you coming? I¡¯ll prove it.¡± ¡°A week later, so prepare until then, Harris.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Unable to contain her anger for not getting what she wanted, Harris went outside with a huff. However, the face of the Grand Duke, who was watching Harris as she left, hardened more than before. Chapter 64.1 He didn¡¯t move from that spot for a long time. As I organized my presents, I approached him and tapped the Grand Duke¡¯s leg. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°¡­Oh? Did you call?¡± ¡°Yes, I called. You¡¯re acting weird, Daddy.¡± ¡°Am I the weird one?¡± He tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t know what expression he was making. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s really weird. I¡¯m not a dad, so I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking¡­ but I can feel that you care for Harris a lot.¡± As if I was not wrong, he mumbled for a while and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Did you see that?¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw it. Dad, did you do that on purpose even though you knew what Harris was thinking?¡± He smiled awkwardly as if he didn¡¯t understand what I was saying.¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°You actually don¡¯t believe it. I¡¯m the real daughter of the Grand Duke. If you really believed it, I wouldn¡¯t say that you would check it when the results were obvious.¡± He stroked his chin and looked at me. It was when his big hand stroked my head. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yeah. You seemed to be doing that to Harris on purpose. Do you think Harris is fake? Then why do you keep leaving her there?¡± At the words, he sat down. At the same time, he spat out a smile that I had never seen before. ¡°It¡¯s a good lie¡­ that I want to tell myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lie, but there¡¯s no good lie.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no such thing as a good lie. Lies are all lies.¡± Why did he have such a sad expression? It¡¯s like the expression my mother saw every time she looked at me. Somehow, my heart sank, so I held his hand and dragged him. ¡°Bebe?¡± The destination was a chair. Perhaps because he was surprised by my unexpected behavior, he followed me very timidly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your concerns, whether it¡¯s a good lie or anything.¡± The Grand Duke, who mumbled at the words, smiled and sat on the chair. ¡°Are you going to listen to my concerns?¡± ¡°Yes. Instead, let¡¯s help me clean up here.¡± ¡°Here? You can ask the knights.¡± I scratched my head and looked at him awkwardly. ¡°I know¡­ You¡¯re going to suffer twice as much because of Harris. And¡­ it¡¯s my first time receiving a gift, so help me sort them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know¡­¡± While mumbling, I pouted toward the Grand Duke. ¡°I received it, but what kind of gift can I accept? But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking for this!¡± I hurriedly waved my hands in case he misunderstood. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Ahem. Then tell me. I¡¯ll listen to Dad¡¯s worries. I¡¯m pretty good at counseling!¡± Shrugged his shoulders and pulled his chin out. Sitting on a chair and looking at me as if I was enjoying it, the Grand Duke looked around. Then Theo and the knights quickly left the room. The Grand Duke sighed. ¡°You are only helping yourself if I say these things.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to laugh about. Everyone has concerns!¡± This was because my mom always had a lot of worries. I nodded at him. ¡°Should I call it a concern?¡± ¡°There must be a reason to tell a good lie. And every time I say that, my dad¡¯s face gets stiff. There must be something you want to say, right? Tell me.¡± After a long consideration, he nodded. ¡°Yeah. A good lie¡­ you asked about keeping Harris here.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the kids.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At his unexpected words, I tilted my head. ¡°For the kids¡­¡± ¡°When it comes to children.¡± ¡°For the three children, Astor, Lexit, and Allen.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard about Grand Duchess Ellinson through Cecilia, right?¡± Whether he was willing to talk now, the Grand Duke slowly opened his mouth when I nodded. ¡°After she passed away so much, all three children began to be hurt, saying they were all to blame. It¡¯s not anyone¡¯s fault, but the children have changed like the people who should think so.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I see.¡± ¡°From a child who said he wanted to go on a picnic to a child who said he was with his mother until the end, everyone endured until Ellison was found dead. But¡­¡± The Grand Duke mumbled towards the end of his speech. His voice was trembling more than usual, and he looked weaker than he had ever been seen before. ¡°After being discovered¡­ the children¡¯s condition got worse. They thought that the youngest sibling, who had never seen his face, died because of them. I was helpless, too. I was a father who could protect neither his wife nor his children.¡± With his head down, his head shook slightly. He always looked strong, but he thought it was not good because he was kind to his children and did not need useless children. ¡°I see¡­¡± Chapter 64.2 ¡°All I could do was push the children. If you guys get stronger, you can protect anyone, but the children are not okay. Rather, they withered more and more.¡± I looked at him, who looked sad for a long time. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°It was years after Ellinson¡¯s death that such children changed. Suddenly, a child who claimed to be Ellison¡¯s last child came by holding a man¡¯s hand. After that, it came one after another.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°At first, I couldn¡¯t understand the situation, so I accepted each child in, fed them and dressed them well. I didn¡¯t even know if it was really Ellinson¡¯s child.¡± As he slowly stroked with his hand, he let out a dejected smile. ¡°After that, my children cheered up, thinking about the youngest who might have come. But most of the children who came like that were fake. It would have come out even if I looked into it a little bit.¡± ¡°Then everyone must have been disappointed.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s better than before. I started to expect that their younger sibling might be alive. Even though so many children came over the years. I had hope. Meanwhile¡­ Harris is here. Holding Ellinson¡¯s pendant.¡± How happy everyone must have been. I was more anxious than when I heard it from Cecilia before. It was especially heartbreaking that everyone withered and blamed themselves. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Nothing came out of it that Harris was too perfect to be my child, even with Ellinson¡¯s shawl. An old couple who raised Harris proved that the child was the youngest. And then everyone had no choice but to believe it. There was a bit of a bitterness, but¡­it didn¡¯t matter.¡± He slowly raised his head as if he noticed belatedly that I was staring at him. Then he stroked my hair slowly.. ¡°That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t done anything so far. For the children¡­ I¡¯ve been trying to hide what I felt and keep saying that Harris seems to be my real daughter. Thanks to this, all three children have returned to their daily lives.¡± ¡°Is that a good lie?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to believe or it¡¯s just my excuse. I want to believe that lying to my children is not a bad lie, and that it was a good lie since I hoped my children wouldn¡¯t be hurt.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I thought all lies were bad, but listening to the Grand Duke, I think there are also good lies. ¡°So I kept holding it in, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t work now, so I asked Harris to take a test.¡± ¡°Are you all okay now?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve known that I¡¯ve been treating my children wrong since I met you.¡± Smiling quietly, he leaned over and made eye contact. ¡°Because of me?¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ that¡¯s why I had Harris by my side the whole time, and I just thought I couldn¡¯t do it anymore.¡± I wondered what he felt when he saw me, so I asked him back, but he got up from his seat in a hurry without an answer. It was as if to avoid my question. ¡°But it¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m telling you this. Is it because Bebe is good at giving advice?¡± ¡°Maybe you just wanted to tell anyone. My dad is a person before he¡¯s a dad. But Dad should always be strong.¡± He stopped moving as if he was organizing gifts right away. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you needed someone to talk to.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He nodded as he was spitting out a despondent smile. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s how much you trust me.¡± ¡°I trust you¡­¡± ¡°But you feel much better now that you¡¯ve shared your feelings, don¡¯t you think?¡± Looking at him tall for a long time, he raised his head. ¡°That¡¯s possible. I feel a little relieved.¡± ¡°I can give you counseling sometimes.¡± ¡°I have a reliable daughter.¡± ¡°Hehe. Anyway, don¡¯t worry about Harris. Whether Harris is real or fake, my older siblings will be able to endure it now.¡± It was a little difficult for my siblings, especially Lexit, but I purposely raised my voice in case the Grand Duke was worried. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes that¡¯s right! And Daddy changed his mind. Someone would be shocked if they see you treat others so affectionately like you do to me. Then everyone will be fine.¡± Only then did he nod and laugh. ¡°No, but children your age deliberately pretend to be adults, and I think that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m pretending to be an adult?¡± ¡°Yeah. This isn¡¯t bad either, Bebe. You can be more like a child since you¡¯re only five years old.¡± He stroked my head. I wanted to say that I wasn¡¯t pretending to be an adult, but I couldn¡¯t say anything else to him, whose face changed in an instant today. ¡°Yes! I got it!¡± Chapter 65.1 ¡®I wonder if it¡¯s better for me to look like a child to my dad.¡¯ He had a very strange mind. He was a real man who had nothing to do with me, but I kept calling him ¡®Daddy¡¯ and¡­ I felt like I wanted to do whatever he wanted. His heart grew so large that his promise not to show him a childlike image was overshadowed. ¡®A little¡­ a little bit might be fine.¡¯ Even if you didn¡¯t always pretend to be brave and strong¡­ ¡®Perhaps¡­.¡¯ His hand felt unusually large. ¡®It¡¯s like a father¡¯s¡­¡¯ But suddenly, I couldn¡¯t remember what kind of person my father was to me. He was a nice guy. I had fond memories of my dad stroking my hair all the time¡­ ¡®Strange. What kind of person was my father?¡¯ Something slowly faded from my memory. After living again ten times, the starting point was always after my father died. Like a very long time ago, most of my memories of my father are gone. ¡°Why?¡± At that time¡­ my other dad sat down in front of me and made eye contact with me. I just felt like the Grand Duke was overshadowed by the memories of my father, who was unconditionally good to me. ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°Then shall we open the present?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It was a feeling I couldn¡¯t define. But the Grand Duke approached me as if he didn¡¯t even have to confirm his feelings. I followed him to where the gifts were. ¡°That¡¯s why my dad is just like my dad.¡± ¡°Your father is your father.¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s¡­ different.¡± ¡°Are you talking about your real father?¡± Opening the unwrapped presents, the Grand Duke made eye contact with me. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°¡­What kind of person was the Emperor?¡± ¡°Dad¡­ He was a really, really nice guy.¡± ¡°Okay? What kind of person was he?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s hand, which had been violently unpacking, stopped momentarily. ¡°What kind of person¡­! A very good person! A kind and nice person.¡± ¡°A kind¡­ and nice person¡­¡± In an instant, the Grand Duke¡¯s hand became more violent than before. Rather than opening the packaging, should I say he was shredding it? ¡°Nothing else.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What did he do directly to you? Did he give his precious daughter land like me, or did he give her clothes that seemed endless no matter how many times she wore it? If not¡­¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t give me anything.¡± I thought about my father after the Grand Duke¡¯s words, and it was strange. I remember that he was a good person, someone who truly cared for me, but I couldn¡¯t remember what my dad did for me other than that. ¡®Dad was there¡­?¡¯ ¡°¡­Does that mean you want a dad like that?¡± And now the Grand Duke, who was crumpling with the box in his hand, asked with a more serious expression than before. ¡°Uh¡­ uh. He was good. My mom said that he was a good person.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s different from the rumors.¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± ¡°Right. The previous emperor, who was the older brother of the current emperor, wasn¡¯t such a good person. But he was nice to you¡­¡± The Grand Duke looked at me with a slightly sad expression on his face. ¡°Was he? Was my real dad¡­ really like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a story worth telling you. Would he still be someone like me? At least from the outside, he may look like garbage, but he has a different attitude towards his children¡­. He must have been such a person.¡± At that, I nodded my head. ¡°Yes. I would have! That¡¯s right. Because my mother said he was a good person.¡± ¡°From now on, I will be a better person. At least so that you can grow up like a child.¡± The words were reassuring, yet strange. He smiled and spoke kindly, but his hands constantly tore the wrapping paper. It was also very bad. ¡°Is there anything that makes you angry?¡± I even thought of that, because I was smiling, I tried to ignore it and try to open the box. Just then, I remembered the box Theo held in my hand. I was thinking of tearing it apart, so I ripped it off first. Then I saw a small ribbon pin with my name ¡®Bebe¡¯ engraved on it, though it was crooked. ¡®Ah¡­.¡¯ Even if he didn¡¯t tell me, I seemed to know who did this. ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± After I stared at the ribbon pin for a long time, the Grand Duke sneaked up and gave it a glance. ¡°Do you like those ribbon pins?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about others, but this one¡¯s nice! Was this¡­ was it done by someone dear to you?¡± It was a pin that Cecilia prepared for me. Noticing that without difficulty, I put a pin in my hair beautifully. ¡°What do you think, Dad? Does it look pretty?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s pretty. But I¡¯ll buy you something prettier than that.¡± ¡°Great!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about what to do with the other gifts, but my present seems fine.¡± Chapter 65.2 Somehow, the Grand Duke¡¯s face looked proud when he said that. So I quickly shook my head, fearing that he might misunderstand. ¡°No. Even if I say no, you¡¯ll give me excessive gifts anyway. That¡¯s why I just accepted it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°Now Dad, what about the gifts?¡± In the meantime, the gifts were all piled up like a mountain. ¡°You can do whatever you feel comfortable with. You don¡¯t have to be burdened. If you want it all you can have it, if you don¡¯t want it, you don¡¯t have to have it.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ what do you think Daddy should do?¡± ¡°¡­Just keep Allen and my present. And I think it would be better to throw them all away, except for a few gifts sent by other people.¡± He acted resolutely, as if he had been waiting for me to ask a question. ¡°But it¡¯s a waste to throw it away.¡± ¡°Then¡­ don¡¯t do that then, Bebe. Why don¡¯t you leave your presents here today?¡± ¡°Just leave it behind?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll organize all the gifts with the knights and put them in your room.¡± It sounded somewhat suspicious. His eyes were hideous, as if he was about to throw away gifts, but on the other hand, his voice was very kind. It¡¯s strange that he kept trying to let me out. ¡°Can I really trust you?¡± ¡°Of course. Am I really going to throw away the presents?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re going to throw it away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t throw everything away and replace it with the same gift.¡± A strong positive was said to be a strong negative. Although it was somewhat suspicious, I had no regrets as I had already received Cecilia¡¯s gift. So I looked at the suspicious Grand Duke for a moment and then nodded my head. ¡°Okay. Dad says so¡­ so I¡¯ll trust you.¡± ¡°Okay. You did a great job today, Bebe.¡± So I left him behind and ran to the room in front of the gift room. ¡°Are you here?¡± ¡°Cecilia, isn¡¯t my mom awake yet?¡± ¡°Yes. It looks like she will soon.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Cecilia, who still looked anxious every time she saw my mother, smiled brightly and looked at my head, perhaps because she looked at me a bit late. ¡°You seem to have found the gift I gave you.¡± ¡°Yes! Theo made sure that I open this one first!¡± Theo, who was here as soon as he was kicked out of the gift room, muttered in surprise when I mentioned him, looking humbled. ¡°Fortunately.¡± ¡°I like it so much. Thanks.¡± ¡°Thank you. My Lady is here, so we¡¯ll go out.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Cecilia went out with Theo to make time for Mom and I. Looking at her, I jumped into the bed. Even though there was a cushion for the puppy on the other side of the room, Sylvie was sleeping soundly on the bed, and my mother didn¡¯t even wake up. I stroked Sylvie¡¯s fur and glanced at my mom for a moment. How much time had passed? I slowly opened my eyes as I felt something stroking my hair. Then I opened my eyes and saw my mother stroking me tenderly. ¡°Mom! Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yeah! Did my daughter sleep well too?¡± ¡°Yes! I always sleep well. Rather, I was worried because Mom didn¡¯t wake up. I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t be able to get up again.¡± ¡°My daughter was so worried. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal to not say sorry to those you care about! So don¡¯t say sorry, Mom!¡± I smiled so brightly that I couldn¡¯t see her eyes and placed my head on my mother¡¯s lap, who was sitting in her seat. ¡°Okay. Then can I say ¡®I love you¡¯?¡± ¡°Yep! Good! I like it when my mom says things like this.¡± My mother comforted me for a long time, as if she didn¡¯t hate it. I spent a long time in my mother¡¯s arms as relaxed as before. Then the Grand Duke¡¯s figure came to mind. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You know¡­ is there such a thing as a good lie?¡± ¡°A good lie?¡± Laying on my mother¡¯s lap, I looked at her mother. ¡°Yeah. A good lie.¡± ¡°Well, what did my daughter hear today?¡± ¡°I mean, Dad¡­ He kept telling good lies for his own children. He said he was telling a good lie because he was afraid they would get hurt.¡± Then a very weak smile appeared on my mother¡¯s face. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s possible. Because parents are¡­ like that.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s right. Then there is such a thing as a good lie.¡± ¡°Of course. But the Grand Duke is a kind¡­ man. As I heard.¡± Looking at my mother, who seemed to know the Grand Duke, she quickly got up from her seat. ¡°Did Mom know my dad?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep talking like you know?¡± ¡°I just heard it from someone.¡± ¡°Someone?¡± ¡°Yes. I just heard it from someone I knew in the past. I was sick of the bragging too.¡± But that was it. Mom always kept her mouth shut whenever she didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. She pursed her lips together. ¡°Yep. I see. Mom, I have another question!¡± ¡°Does our Bebe have a lot of questions today?¡± She scratched her head and smiled brightly enough that I couldn¡¯t see her eyes. ¡°Oooh! I have a lot of questions.¡± ¡°What are you curious about this time?¡± ¡°Who was my real father?¡± I stared at her mother so as not to miss the sound of my mother¡¯s breathing and her gaze. ¡°Your dad?¡± Strangely, her mother¡¯s eyes fluttered slightly, like she was very surprised. Chapter 66.1 ¡°Yeah! I think my mom always said that Dad was a very kind person and that he was a good person¡­ It¡¯s strange. I can¡¯t remember for sure.¡± At that moment, my mother¡¯s shaky eyes returned to their original state. ¡°Ah. I see.¡± My mother¡¯s voice became overly calm. As I tilted my head at the unusually different look, my mother stroked my cheek softly. ¡°Mom, why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°Surprised. Maybe¡­ I was just surprised because I wondered if my Bebe had forgotten her father.¡± ¡°Right? Isn¡¯t it too much? How can I forget my dad? Dad was really nice to us.¡± As I pouted my lips, my mother slowly opened her mouth, as if she had expected this. ¡°Your dad was a really nice person.¡± ¡°Is there anything else? No matter what I do, I can¡¯t remember¡­¡± ¡°He was just a good person. He loved and cherished Bebe more than anyone. He didn¡¯t come often, but he would come occasionally to play.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ but why can¡¯t I remember my father?¡± ¡°Is it because you had so much fun coming here?¡± ¡°It might be like that. I am¡­ a bad daughter.¡± I pouted my lips and rolled my body over, hugging my mother¡¯s body. ¡°Not a bad daughter. Things like that happen, too. After all, Dad is a man of a time that has already passed.¡± ¡°But still¡­ my dad will be disappointed. I don¡¯t even remember my last memory with him.¡± My mom¡¯s hand stroked my hair tenderly. ¡°He won¡¯t be offended. So Bebe¡­ Bebe, live for the future.¡± ¡°Still Mom, tell me about my dad. What kind of person was my dad? I heard it here¡­ that rumors about my dad weren¡¯t good.¡± When I turned to look at my mother again, my mother smiled sadly. ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. But was he a bad person?¡± ¡°Yes, right. But a bad person¡­ not necessarily. I¡¯ll tell you about your dad later.¡± Again, my mother¡¯s lips closed tightly. I nodded my head as I watched my mother express that she would not speak any more. ¡°Okay! I¡¯m tired anyway.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I organized gifts that many people gave me for my birthday.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Still, the best of all the gifts was the one my mom gave me when I was living with you.¡± I hurriedly added, scared that my mother would be offended. Perhaps she noticed that day, but my mother smiled and covered her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s okay. There could have been better gifts. There is no need to hide it.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°So, what gift did my daughter get?¡± ¡°¡­If you say so. But Mom¡­ I think you¡¯d be a bit surprised.¡± Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t seem to be able to tell my mother what kind of gift I had received. ¡°What is it?¡± My mother tilted her head as if she was interested. I was debating whether or not to tell her, but I nodded my head, thinking that my mother would find out later anyway. ¡°Hundreds of dolls¡­..a tower made out of chocolate¡­and shoes with jewels the size of my fist.¡± ¡°Did you really get a lot?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not the problem.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°I have one of the greatest gifts ever.¡± She sighed and exhaled a little. ¡°My daughter. Why are you taking so much time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ well¡­ the Grand Duke¡­¡± ¡°The Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Suddenly, he told me to sit on a chair.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I sat on the chair and he pointed to the ceiling.¡± When I thought of the situation at that time, I took a deep breath. It was the first gift I never wanted to receive, but it was a gift I had no choice but to receive. ¡°And then he said, ¡®Land or country. I¡¯ll conquer the place you want and bring it to you. I will build a country on the land you choose¡¯; something like that.¡± There was a strong wrinkle on my mother¡¯s forehead, who was always seldom surprised by my words. Besides that, my mom licked her lips and opened her mouth. ¡°So, he wants to give you land¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah! I told you last time. Later, I said I wanted a small house to live with my mum, and¡­ I¡¯ll give you land. I want to live there.¡± I wrapped it well in my own way, but what the Grand Duke had already done was getting out of the scope of my mom¡¯s expectations.¡± ¡°¡­Bebe.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think¡­ that person must be crazy, just like you said.¡± ¡°¡­Right?¡± I wanted to side with him but I couldn¡¯t because he did something crazy that made no sense. On the contrary, I smiled sadly and nodded my head. ¡°From what I can see¡­ he seems crazy. Still¡­¡± But knowing that he didn¡¯t have bad intentions, I somehow wanted to side with the Grand Duke. ¡°He¡¯s a good person.¡± ¡°¡­I think so.¡± ¡°Of course, the best person in the world is my mother! Then Dad! Next is the Grand Duke!¡± As I hurriedly added, my mother patted my head as if she understood. ¡°If he¡¯s crazy for you and nobody else, I would understand. It¡¯s for my daughter.¡± ¡°Yeah! So don¡¯t feel too bad about it.¡± Chapter 66.2 ¡°Of course, I think it¡¯s rather good. It¡¯s true that he¡¯s a kind and nice person, and that he¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Good people. My dad, who made me think that maybe¡­ maybe it¡¯d be okay with this person. ¡®But would it be okay for my mom to think positively about my dad?¡¯ I looked up at my mother, who had a friendly face like before. In an instant, the face of the Grand Duke appeared next to her mother. ¡®If you think about it, it might fit a little better. My mom doesn¡¯t have a husband, and my dad doesn¡¯t have a wife either. It¡¯d be a waste for my mom but¡­ if my mom and dad become a couple, I think it¡¯d be good for them! He¡¯d build a strong fence to protect my mom.¡¯ As soon as I thought about it, I immediately felt better. It¡¯s true that the Grand Duke was a bit crazy, but he¡¯s definitely a kinder person than I thought. ¡®He¡¯s nice to me too.¡¯ ¡°Bebe.¡± At that time¡­ My mother looked at me and opened her eyes slightly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What are you thinking that¡¯s got you smiling like that?¡± ¡°Huh? Did I laugh?¡± ¡°Yes. You smiled very suspiciously.¡± ¡°No! I laughed¡­ I was just lost in thought. Uh, anyway, I¡¯m going to bed early today. I¡¯m really tired.¡± Did my mom figure it out? My mom has always known very well what I was thinking . In an instant, my heart tingled and I laid down in a hurry. ¡°Suspicious¡­¡± My mom mumbled towards the end of her sentence, but when I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep, I could sense she smiled and patted me on the back. ¡°Bebe.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Are you asleep?¡± ¡°Bebe is sleeping. Zzz¡­ Zzzz¡­¡± ¡°Alright, go to sleep then. Sleep a lot to grow taller, my lovely and cute daughter.¡± I slept for a bit and was about to wake up, but I fell asleep at the touch of my mother. I couldn¡¯t even remember when I fell asleep. *** As Bebe groaned and fell into her sleep, Adelaide¡¯s expression darkened. She patted her child¡¯s head for a long while, as if thinking of something for her. For a moment, a very faint light, like the light of a firefly, flashed and flowed into her child¡¯s head. Adelaide, as she often did, stroked and stroked her child¡¯s head for a long time. But the more she did it, the weaker her power was. ¡°The time¡­ it seems that there is not much left.¡± Her voice calmed down more than before. Unaware of this, the child struggled, and then she hugged her tighter. ¡°Bebe¡­ My Bebe. The power of the name Bebe is¡­ It looks like it¡¯s almost over. Baby, even if you¡¯ll learn the truth someday¡­ I wish you didn¡¯t know.¡± At that time¡­ Bebe slowly opened her eyes, as if reacting to her voice, and her golden eyes instantly changed to a dark light. ¡°Uh¡­? Mom¡­?¡± ¡°Baby, Mom is here.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Mommy, your voice is so sweet¡­¡± Bebe mumbled to herself, as if talking in her sleep, then sunk into her arms again. Seeing this, Adelaide bit her lips tightly. The child who just opened her eyes did not know. There were tears in her mother¡¯s eyes. It was difficult to bite back her words, unlike usual. The relief that her mother was by her side only made her sink deeper into her arms. ¡®Now¡­ it¡¯ll be okay if I don¡¯t keep it anymore. But¡­ But I still want to be Bebe¡¯s mother¡­¡¯ Talking to herself very softly, she did not fall asleep until dawn. The next day¡­ I barely woke up and looked around. I thought it was morning and I woke up, but it was bright outside the window. ¡°Is it lunchtime?¡± When I came here, I slept and woke up well the whole time, but now I couldn¡¯t get up. Something felt tight, and I felt like my body was being squeezed. ¡°My body is¡­ heavy¡­¡± At that time¡­ ¡°Uh¡­ When I moved my gaze to the place where I heard the sound of Vogue¡¯s horse saying it was too heavy, there was a silver stone on my body.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I must be very heavy.¡± When I moved my gaze to the place where I heard a sound, there was a silver stone on my body. ¡°Heavy¡­¡± At that, Sylvie jumped up and came to the side of my head. The cramped feeling was instantly relieved. ¡°It¡¯s a little better now.¡± However, Sylvie¡¯s expression was not so good. Sylvie, who had now become a dog, looked at me with a very serious expression. Then, with one of his fuzzy paws, he put his paw on my forehead. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± My body, which had been unusually heavy, became light in an instant. Chapter 67.1 ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not you, I¡¯m Bebe.¡± ¡°Subordinate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a subordinate. I¡¯m my dad¡¯s daughter. My name is Bebe!¡± With this kind of talk, he could just call me Bebe, but Sylvie was determined. ¡°Yes, subordinate.¡± ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true. I¡¯m also my dad¡¯s servant.¡± Rather, it was Sylvie who was embarrassed by what I said. ¡°Are you giving up that easily?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Anyway, are you okay? You must be in a pretty bad condition.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Even though I said it was okay, Sylvie looked uncomfortable. ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± In the meantime, I jumped up from my seat. It¡¯s just that my body was a little stiff since it¡¯s been happening often from the past, but I was still fine. ¡°¡­You probably don¡¯t feel as good as usual.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! But it¡¯s okay because it happens sometimes. It¡¯s much better when Sylvie touches my hair like this.¡± He stretched and stretched, then sat down and leaned against the bed. Then, I made eye contact with Sylvie. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Was it always like that?¡± ¡°Yes! Sometimes, but there are days like this! But I¡¯m not sick or anything. Don¡¯t worry!¡± This was better than being hit and getting sick. However, as if only I thought so, Sylvie sighed and took a step closer to me. ¡°Are you used to it?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± There seemed to be a lot to say, but Sylvie laid on his chin in place as if he had given up something. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I see. Are you going to sleep again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As if bothersome, Sylvie closed his eyes. I sat in front of him and poked his soft nose. ¡°Sylvie, do you sleep a lot?¡± ¡°Growing young wolves sleep a lot.¡± ¡°Young wolves?¡± Sylvie opened his eyes for a moment, rolling his deep, dark eyes, as if his eyes had captured the night sky. ¡°You just said you were a young wolf, Sylvie. Are you a kid?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Sylvie¡¯s eyes, which moved quickly, seemed very honest. ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m not a kid.¡± His way of speaking changed for a moment. Sylvie, who had only spoken in a dignified way all the time like the Grand Duke, lost his serious voice like a child. Rather, it was cute enough to match the dog¡¯s appearance now. ¡°No, I like it now! Your voice is so cute!¡± ¡°Originally, wolves should have dignity. I said so.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that why you said that?¡± ¡°Why is it not good?¡± I nodded my head loudly. ¡°Yes! You look like an old man! But you¡¯re young!¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean ¡®old man¡¯? I¡¯m young!¡° ¡°So talk like you just did. Your voice and the way you talk suits you better.¡± I smiled and hugged Sylvie. His pointed snout and limbs swaying in the air were just as cute as a doll. On top of that, even his belly was dense with silver fur. It was so cute that I instinctively put my nose on his stomach. Then, a sweet scent hit my nose. ¡°I like the scent!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°What are you doing? You smell sweet!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the first human to bring their nose to my stomach. This is¡­ My pride as the Silver Wolf is hurt!¡± ¡°Why would your pride get damaged when I sniffed your belly? Then you do it, too!¡± After smiling brightly, I tried to bring Sylvie to do the same. However, Eun-dol, who had just been on my stomach well, was busy struggling. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°Why? I saw a dog somewhere and it smelled like feet.¡± I put my nose on Sylvie¡¯s paws that pushed against my face. It really was fragrant, like a book. ¡°It smells sweet!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡°Why!¡± ¡°Shame! Are you saying my feet smell?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°¡­¡± At my words, Sylvie jumped down as if he had been greatly hurt and ran somewhere. He even kicked like a foal. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know. I was worried, but my belly¡­ my paws¡­ what a shame¡­¡± He ran into the bathroom. I hopped down and followed Sylvie to the bathroom. Then, he turned the water on with his plump paws and washed his feet. ¡°Are you washing your feet because of me? But we¡¯ve already washed your body. When I said your paws smell¡­¡± ¡°Huh? When was I washed up? This¡­ This body of the dignified Silver Wolf has been washed?!¡± Sylvie, who rubbed his paws together with soap, fell to the floor. ¡°Yes, while you¡¯re sleeping. You really didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Did you really treat me like a dog?¡± ¡°Yes! Like my own pet!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help myself here. I¡¯m treated like a dog, but I¡¯m actually a silver wolf!¡± Chapter 67.2 ¡°Sylvie, are you upset?¡± I approached Sylvie and held him in my arms. ¡°Oh, my. If you fall on the floor like this, you¡¯ll get water on it. My stomach hurts if you do this.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°I have to worry!¡± He was my puppy. I¡¯ll protect him since he¡¯s smaller than me. Of course, I said that Sylvie will protect me, but I don¡¯t think he will protect me exactly as I would now. I wiped Sylvie¡¯s wet body with a towel. ¡°Subordinate, you¡¯re a bit of a good person.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. You give me food, you hug me¡­¡± ¡°So. Don¡¯t call me ¡®subordinate¡¯ anymore. Call me Bebe!¡± With my confident words, Sylvie shook his head from side to side. ¡°No. I made up my mind, human.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will protect you as my subordinate. Therefore, you are my subordinate.¡± Sylvie, who spoke like an old man again, looked up at me in my arms. ¡°Am I your subordinate?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± At that time¡­ When I was talking to Sylvie, something in the back of my head became cold. I felt someone with strong power come inside my magic circle, which surrounded the Grand Duke¡¯s castle. ¡°Who is it?¡± It was a power that was familiar but unfamiliar, but it had already crossed the magic circle, and even quickly hid its own power. It was clumsy, but the power quickly disappeared to the point where it was impossible to know where it was coming from. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Perhaps he noticed my situation, but Sylvie put his wet paw on my cheek. ¡°Huh? No¡­ That¡¯s¡­ I felt power.¡± ¡°Power?¡± ¡°No. I guess I¡¯m being sensitive.¡± I felt people coming and going dozens of times a day. ¡®It¡¯ll be weird if I suddenly become sensitive like that.¡¯ As Sylvie said, he was not in a particularly good condition, so he thought that he felt that way and shook his head quickly. ¡°Oh, no. Nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ There¡¯s something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I felt the power that I¡¯ve never felt before.¡± Smiling awkwardly, I wiped Sylvie¡¯s body again. ¡°¡­Yes, but Subordinate, feel free to tell me if you have any concerns. I¡¯ll take care of everything, because I¡¯m your master.¡± ¡°What? Call me whatever you want. All I need is Sylvie.¡± ¡°¡­Do you like me?¡± ¡°Yes! I like Sylvie!¡± At that moment, Sylvie¡¯s elongated snout twitched. ¡°¡­Well, I know that. I¡¯m always popular.¡± In the meantime, Sylvie¡¯s fur became fluffy. ¡°Sylvie, are you that popular?¡± ¡°¡­Well, that-¡± At that time¡­ The door opened very slowly. Then, a familiar head popped out of there. ¡°Little Sister? Brother is here¡­ Are you sleeping?¡± The protagonist of the very cautious voice was Allen. Perhaps this was the time, but Allen came inside very slowly. Then I slowly approached the bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah! You scared me! Haven¡¯t you slept?¡± ¡°I just happened to wake up.¡± ¡°I see¡­ What¡¯s that in your arms?¡± My older brother, who smiled brightly at me, hardened his face when he saw Sylvie in my arms. ¡°Yes! This is Sylvie!¡± ¡°Sylvie? Are you a doll?¡± The older brother touched Sylvie, perhaps because he was curious about the silver-haired puppy. Perhaps this was at this time when Sylvie nipped my brother¡¯s hand. ¡°Argh! What? What? You¡¯re alive?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Oh! Is this what it is?¡± ¡°What do you mean? How dare you say that to me as a human subject?¡± My brother opened his mouth wide at Sylvie¡¯s unexpected voice. ¡°Hey, is that thing talking?¡± ¡°Have there been any rumors going around?¡± ¡°I was just told that Bebe had a dog.¡± ¡°Ah. I see.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± However, unlike usual, Allen¡¯s face became quite dark. He looked serious as if he was trying to hide something he didn¡¯t want to hide. ¡°And? Is there more to talk about?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Seeing my brother linger around, I felt relieved. Somehow, something sounded like a dog barking from afar, or a growl. It felt like there was more than one dog growling. ¡°My dad is gathering all kinds of dogs, saying that it seems like Bebe likes dogs.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I liked seeing Sylvie in front of the Grand Duke, but I couldn¡¯t believe he was gathering dogs. ¡°So, are the dog sounds from far away real dogs?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­No. I only like Sylvie.¡± However, contrary to the expectation that my brother might be making a mistake, the dogs¡¯ voices got closer and closer. The sound seemed to be heard outside the room, and shortly after, the familiar head protruded from the open door. Chapter 68.1 ¡°Bebe, are you asleep¡­?¡± For some reason, this felt like deja vu. I was sure my brother came in like that a few minutes ago. This time, it was Dad. ¡°Bebe isn¡¯t sleeping. My brother is here.¡± With those words, the Grand Duke entered the room as soft as water. ¡°You weren¡¯t sleeping, that¡¯s good.¡± As if trying to hide something, he quickly closed the door he had entered. But outside the door, there was already a riot. Woof, woof, woof! Instead of a single dog, the sound of a dog was heard one after another. ¡°It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s going on?¡± Still, he looked at me as if he had not heard anything from my brother, just in case. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s noisy outside.¡± At that, he put his fist to the corner of his mouth and groaned and cleared his throat. ¡°Is it? Hmm¡­ Actually, it¡¯s nothing special¡­ Bebe, you seem to like dogs.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Therefore¡­¡± Like a child on the verge of opening a present, he smiled broadly and put his hand toward the door. I don¡¯t know why he looked so excited, but he seemed happy anyway. Seeing him like that, I shook my head. ¡°I mean, Isn¡¯t that dog outside that door?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I only like Sylvie. Dad, didn¡¯t I say don¡¯t misunderstand and bring more puppies?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It was then that the Grand Duke¡¯s face hardened as if he had done something wrong. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ You didn¡¯t like dogs¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. I only like Sylvie.¡± He looked down at Sylvie in my arms with an uncomfortable expression. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the good thing about him?¡± ¡°Sylvie? Sylvie¡¯s fur shines like a star!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Say it again!¡± ¡°¡­Again?¡± ¡°He protected me!¡± With every word I said, his face hardened. ¡®But you brought the puppies for me.¡¯ No one did anything for me. As I thought about it, something tickled my chest. ¡®Am I still a good person?¡¯ I raised my head and looked at him. The Grand Duke, who had been scratching his face with a very perplexed face, took a step back as if he had decided something. ¡°Then, Bebe, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Are you going to cover it up?¡± ¡°I suddenly remembered something important.¡± Faster than light, he opened the door and tried to get out. However, as soon as the door opened, a lot of things rushed in, like water flowing in. ¡°Woof woof!¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Oh, no. No!¡± Objects passed between the Grand Duke¡¯s legs. They were all dogs, not one or two. The number that came in alone reached dozens. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°C-Come here!¡± The Grand Duke, who had only looked at his feet in vain at the sudden event, opened the door and quickly gave orders to his servants. ¡°Y-Yes!¡± There was no end. The room was filled with puppies that made me wonder, where in the world did he get so many puppies? The servants came in one by one, as if trying to stop them, and hugged the puppies, but that was not enough. My father, who was bewildered at seeing it, and my brother, who was having fun, and I, who were puzzled, were silent for a long time. ¡°You must have brought the puppies.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I brought.¡± In the midst of this, the Grand Duke shook his head from side to side saying that he was not proud. ¡°¡­What do you mean ¡®no¡¯?! I can¡¯t believe you brought so many puppies! Silly Dad!¡± ¡°I¡¯m stupid.¡± At first he looked really cool and smart, but now that I looked at it, he didn¡¯t. His face was still cold, but he was acting like a fool. ¡°Then what is this? All of these puppies.¡± ¡°So¡­ uh. okay. Bebe, I brought them here knowing you¡¯ll like it.¡± He was too sweet, he was too kind. I didn¡¯t hate it, but since ancient times, it had been said that if a person suddenly changed, one should be suspicious. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful that my dad thinks of me¡­ but you¡¯ve overdone it by a bit.¡± ¡°Is that too much?¡± ¡°Yeah! And I like seeing my dad like this for the first time.¡± ¡°The first time¡­?¡± Then, as if thinking about something, the Grand Duke let out a deep sigh. ¡°Yeah, you looked cool before.¡± It was natural for his face to harden. As if he had finally come to a conclusion, the Grand Duke, who had had a bewildered expression just before, changed his expression quickly. ¡°Are you talking about now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Your voice has changed.¡± ¡°Bebe, let me be like this if you want.¡± ¡°Yeah! So from now on, you don¡¯t have to keep thinking about what you should do for me. This is more than enough for me. Just being here with my mom is enough!¡± But the Grand Duke did not agree. ¡°I still want to do something because you haven¡¯t been able to enjoy many things¡­¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. That¡¯s enough for now, really.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they never did something for you?¡± I wanted to get out of this situation quickly, so I opened my mouth wide, as I had been refuting his words the whole time. Chapter 68.2 ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°And I wanted to show you, which is why I kept trying to prove myself. You can stay here even if I don¡¯t have to prove it.¡± The mind is really, really, really strange. I felt a feeling I¡¯ve never felt before. It was similar to how my mom felt when she looked at me, but it was a little different. ¡®Is it Daddy¡¯s love?¡¯ But the Grand Duke was not my father. I turned my head back and forth to erase the strange feeling that kept coming up. ¡°Do you still want to prove it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Is it still like that?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes looked a little sad. Why was he looking at me like that for a long time? I thought about it and came to a conclusion later. ¡®How much do you need to cherish me like that?¡¯ Today, I clenched my fists and made a promise. I will do my best to help him, so that¡¯s why¡­ ¡°Anyway! Thanks for buying puppies for me.¡± Then the Grand Duke laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know thank you was such a good word.¡± At that time. My pony-like brother, who had been listening to our conversation the whole time, snuggled in. ¡°But Dad, it¡¯s a little strange.¡± ¡°Am I weird?¡± ¡°It never happened to us, but I think you are just too kind to Bebe.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough, so my brother¡¯s face became quite serious. It was something I didn¡¯t normally see. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Huh, we definitely didn¡¯t get things like this when we were young.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s right that Dad cares for Bebe especially.¡± ¡°No. I did the same.¡± But at Allen¡¯s words, the Grand Duke vigorously shook his head. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s very slightly different. Either way, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Like a shy or a bewildered person, the Grand Duke looked around for a bit. Meanwhile, all the puppies that filled the room were carried away by the servants and knights. Seeing this, Sylvie jumped out of my arms, as if thinking of something. Then, he followed the attendants who took the dog out. ¡°Where are you going?¡± But Sylvie didn¡¯t even answer my words and went out like that. At the time when he was bewildered by Sylvie¡¯s unexpected behavior, the Grand Duke placed his hand on Allen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°More than that, Allen, have you finished your morning training?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Are you saying something else after saying you worked hard?¡± ¡°No. I just came to see Bebe today. Then, Bebe, are you going to go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too. Come again later, Bebe.¡± Then, in a hurry, he took Allen out and left. ¡°Huh?¡± In an instant, the room became quiet. Of course, the room was chaotic because the dogs had just come in, but it was strangely quiet. ¡°My Lady.¡± Cecilia, who entered the room shortly after the Grand Duke and Allen had left, looked at the room with a serious expression and brought her maids in. Thanks to this, the dirty room was quickly cleaned, and Sylvie returned by that time. ¡°Are you back?¡± ¡°Haah. I¡¯m tired.¡± Sylvie, who would normally have said anything, jumped up and lay down next to my mother. ¡°Would you like to sleep more, too?¡± Cecilia, who saw it, came to me. ¡°You can eat or wash.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Seeing Sylvie sleep makes me want to sleep some more.¡± The truth was, I wanted to eat and wash with my mother. So I shook my head at Cecilia¡¯s words and walked over to my bed. ¡°All right. Then we will leave.¡± Cecilia went out again, and we were the only ones in my room. I sat next to my mother and waited for her to wake up. And about an hour later, my mother opened her eyes. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Did you sleep well, Mommy?¡± ¡°Ugh. Did my Bebe sleep well?¡± ¡°I slept well. But Mom, you¡¯re such a sleeper.¡± I pouted and looked at my mother. ¡°Yeah. SInce I came here, I¡¯ve been really comfortable. I¡¯m going to sleep well.¡± At that time, she got up and found Sylvie. My mother, who was next to him, hugged me. ¡°P-Puppy?¡± As soon as he heard her mother¡¯s voice, Sylvie opened his eyes as if he had been waiting. ¡°I am not a dog.¡± ¡°Tell everyone!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a dog.¡± Then, as if to protect me, he jumped up and fell between my mother and I. ¡°¡­Yes, you. Why did you cast a spell on my subordinate?¡± It was a sudden word. ¡°What do you mean? Are you a puppy? Wh-What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject! Don¡¯t think about fooling me. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d notice since my subordinate is a bit stupid, but she keeps using magic.¡± The smile on my face disappeared at the sound of his sharp voice. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s my magic, Sylvie. My mother can¡¯t use magic.¡± But Sylvie shook his long snout left and right. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that she can¡¯t use magic, but you didn¡¯t use it. Isn¡¯t it a human¡¯s?¡± Chapter 69.1 ¡°Bebe. What is this puppy talking about?¡± My mother made eye contact with me as if she was deliberately trying to change Sylvie¡¯s words. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s Sylvie! Sylvie is a silver wolf. He said he would protect me!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to believe everything at face value?¡± My mother¡¯s expression, which looked surprised when she saw the puppy, didn¡¯t look so good now. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Bebe, that dog¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking too much so I guess you should stay away from me.¡± As if there was nothing wrong, my mother¡¯s face hardened in real time. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°¡­¡± My mother didn¡¯t say anything she would normally say. On the contrary, she only relaxed her stiff expression. She took a deep breath and smiled slightly, as if she had made up her mind to do something. ¡°I thought I¡¯d say it someday, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d say it like this.¡± ¡°Huh? Mom¡­ can you really use magic?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be discovered like this¡­¡± Her mother, who had mumbled her words, narrowed her eyes and looked at Sylvie. ¡°Because of that puppy¡­ I got caught.¡± ¡°So what is it¡­? Mom said you can¡¯t use magic.¡± Had I known it, she wouldn¡¯t have died so easily. My mother met her death so easily that it would be futile every time. We never fought back each time, and even the Emperor abused my mother¡¯s weak body. ¡®That¡¯s why I said it was pointless¡­¡¯ Surely it was, but now she has the power. ¡°But it is not yet the time to speak about it, Bebe.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not the time to talk¡­ when will you talk about it?¡± Knowing everything about my mother, I thought we had no secrets from each other, but I guess that wasn¡¯t my mom. My mother¡¯s eyes looked different from usual as she stroked my hair. ¡°Have you been hiding¡­? Bebe thought she knew everything about her mother¡­ did she¡­?¡± ¡°It is not yet the time. When that time comes¡­ I¡¯ll tell you everything, baby.¡± The sense of loss I felt when I realized that the person I thought I knew everything about was indescribable. ¡®If I had known that¡­¡¯ Had I known, there would have been no need to let my mother go so vainly. I wouldn¡¯t have missed my mother and cried every day over the fact that I missed her. After my mother passed away, the time when I was left alone was lonely, lonely, and terrible. How sick was she when she died? ¡®¡­Did she really not need it? Was everything all for nothing?¡¯ What did I do? Somehow, something came up in my heart. ¡°Bebe? Do you understand Mom?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± But I couldn¡¯t say anything to my mother. ¡®But I hate it¡­ I don¡¯t want my mom to leave. I¡¯m sure my mom will hate me if I ask her.¡¯ I always wanted to be a good daughter in front of my mother. A pretty and cute daughter. That¡¯s why I only want my mom to not leave me. My mom always liked me the most when I was like a child. ¡°Are you offended, by any chance?¡± ¡°No! But can¡¯t you just tell me?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Her mother¡¯s eyes looked somewhat sad, but I smiled brighter than ever. ¡°Now let¡¯s eat. Oh, I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to move on like this?¡± But Sylvie clung to my clothes as if he couldn¡¯t understand the situation. ¡°Yeah! So Sylvie, come here. Don¡¯t bully Mom.¡± And then I hugged him. ¡°Understand? Even if you tease me, you can¡¯t tease my mom.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s why I hate humans.¡± In an instant, Sylvie¡¯s fluffy paw touched my cheek. ¡°Because you can¡¯t be honest.¡± ¡°Oh, no! I am honest.¡± I didn¡¯t want to show my feelings because I always wanted to be a good daughter in front of my mother. So I took Sylvie in my arms and turned my body around. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Mom to go out and get some food!¡± ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡± I could feel my mother¡¯s voice drooping a bit more than before. When I approached the door, I put my head on Sylvie¡¯s forehead and quietly complained. ¡°You have to keep everything a secret from Mom.¡± ¡°Why? Why do humans hide so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good lie. People tell good lies for others. So it¡¯s just like that right now.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°But please understand, Sylvie. I want to be happy.¡± I said with all my heart. It was me who felt betrayed by my mother more than anyone. I didn¡¯t know what kind of magic she was using, but if I had known that my mother could use magic, I wouldn¡¯t have come this far. There was no need to endure the pain. But nonetheless, I liked my mother. ¡°I¡­ I really, really, really love my mom.¡± ¡°¡­I get it. I don¡¯t understand, but my subordinate, if you are, then so be it.¡± ¡°Yes! Sylvie is nice!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not nice. If you don¡¯t like it even at all¡­¡± Chapter 69.2 I hugged Sylvie, who was trying to add something. ¡°No, let¡¯s go outside and ask for food. Ah, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Only then did Sylvie sigh and look as if he gave up. ¡°Do what you want.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Hugging Sylvie, I whined and opened the door. Cecilia, who was waiting outside the door, approached me in surprise. ¡°My Lady, what are you doing?¡± ¡°No! Nothing is wrong just! I¡¯m just hungry!¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯ll prepare it right away!¡± She nodded her head and entered the room again. My mom, who woke up from her seat, went to the window and sat there. A smile spread across my mother¡¯s face as she looked out of here endlessly as if she were seeing the world for the first time. ¡°What do you see?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so different from the scenery we saw.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I sat down next to my mother. Beyond the window, a wide forest could be seen. ¡°Sylvie is from the forest over there.¡± ¡°I see. He¡¯s a very smart dog.¡± ¡°I am not a dog. I¡¯m a wolf.¡± Of course, Sylvie was annoyed by this situation, but my mother stroked him. ¡°Yes, wolf. You¡¯re a very cute wolf.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m in a bad mood. Do not touch.¡± However, despite Sylvie¡¯s words, my mother stroked his fur for a long time. Each time, Sylvie wagged his plump tail from side to side as if he was in a bad mood, but my mother was firm. ¡°It¡¯s soft.¡± ¡°Stop it, or I¡¯ll bite.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re a cute puppy.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right. Mom, do you know what happened while Mom was sleeping? Oh my god. Dad saw that I liked Sylvie, so he brought dozens of puppies.¡± Just like before, I chatted with my mom and told her what happened today. He brought so many puppies, and I was embarrassed. ¡°Did he?¡± ¡°The room has just been cleaned. If you had woken up a little earlier you would have seen the puppies stamping their footprints here and there.¡± It was then¡­ As before, when my mother was about to respond to my words again, the door opened and a lot of food lined up and entered the room. ¡°It¡¯s food!¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I am very hungry. Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Yeah! Mom, how about a walk?¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± My mother, who became as bright as before, went to the table before anyone else. I also sat next to her. ¡°My Lady, put down the puppy in your arms. It will be uncomfortable to eat. The puppy should eat there too.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°I have prepared some food here.¡± He looked at Cecilia at the word of his own food and wagged his tail. It¡¯s obvious that I was hurt by what she said. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like Sylvie?¡± She didn¡¯t even respond to how annoyed I was. ¡°Then do you want me to put some meat in it?¡± Sylvie was so sure that he wanted to eat to the extent that he didn¡¯t think about the bread I threw at him since he didn¡¯t have anything to eat. As soon as I said ¡®meat¡¯, Sylvie jumped down and sat quietly in front of the bowl. ¡°¡­Give Sylvie the meat.¡± Cecilia gave me a look of confusion at my words. I looked at her like that, grabbed a chunk of my meat on top of my bowl, and threw it to Sylvie. Then Sylvie, who somersaulted as if performing a trick, smartly bit the meat. Then¡­ he swallowed it in one go. ¡°Uh, have you eaten all of it already, Sylvie?¡± Sylvie nodded his head again. He shook his head as if asking for it. Somehow, throwing meat was fun, so I threw the meat high into the sky again. Then Sylvie, who climbed the wall and flew up, took a nice bite of meat. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s so expensive that commoners can¡¯t eat¡­ the best beef¡­ like that¡­ for dogs¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What did Cecilia say?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll bring more meat¡­¡± The woman, who had a somewhat gloomy expression on her face, looked at Sylvie once and went outside. ¡°Come on, Mom. Let¡¯s eat too.¡± ¡°Is it okay, Bebe? That woman¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°Yes it¡¯s fine!¡± I slipped the remaining meat in front of my mother as I looked at Cecilia¡¯s anxious expression. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m pretty much loved here.¡± I even smiled so that my mother wouldn¡¯t worry. Then my mother nodded her head, and she ate again. Meanwhile, Cecilia, who had gone out, came in with two plates. One was a bowl with the same meat as the one I just gave Sylvie, and the other was a soup without any solid ingredients. As soon as Cecilia brought them, she approached Sylvie and she poured the broth over her rice. ¡°It¡¯s meat soup. Eat well, Puppy.¡± ¡°¡­Growl¡­¡± However, Sylvie revealed his teeth by looking at the meat broth that hardly had meat. At that time. The door, which had just been closed, opened and the Grand Duke entered. ¡°Are you eating? I have a place to go today.¡± ¡°With me?¡± ¡°No. With Adelaide.¡± Chapter 70.1 At the sudden remarks of my father, my mother and I looked at each other for a moment. ¡°Me? You mean me?¡± ¡°Right. I want to go out with you today. Of course, Bebe will go with you.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s okay to use you?¡± Only then did my mother smile and nod. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want to be here for no reason just because I¡¯m Bebe¡¯s mother. Good. Where are you planning to go?¡± I was embarrassed, but my mom wasn¡¯t. My confident mother, just like old times, raised her head and made eye contact with him. ¡°You¡¯ll find out later, so make sure to eat and get ready.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± However, contrary to the expectation that he would leave immediately after he had said all he had to say, the Grand Duke did not even think of leaving. He just stood still and looked at us. I had to eat, but his gaze was so burdensome. My mother slowly lifted the tableware as if she was used to eating while someone was looking at her, but I wasn¡¯t comfortable with it. In the end, after being patient, I stood tall on one side of the room and looked at my father, who was looking at us. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say everything you wanted to say?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I want to see your face right now.¡± The Grand Duke took turns looking at my mother and I, smiling slightly. ¡®I understand that you¡¯re looking at me, but you¡¯re looking at my mom¡­ Oh no! ¡®I understand that you see me, but seeing your mother¡­ Stand, no way! Did your heart suddenly turn dark?!¡¯ Unlike the first time, the Grand Duke, who looked quite friendly, looked at my mother with a strange expression. It was clear that he had a heart. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Mom and Dad can¡¯t go. You guys don¡¯t really love each other. You¡¯re just pretending to love each other.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Of course. Never.¡± I shook my head back and forth to express my opposition. Several times a day, I used to constantly think, ¡®The Grand Duke is fine as a father. I think he¡¯ll be fine as my mother¡¯s husband¡¯, but today my heart is like, ¡®No way!¡¯. When the Grand Duke did not show up, U thought he would be okay as my mother¡¯s husband, but when I thought about it, it¡¯s not like that up close. What should I say? ¡®I miss you when I don¡¯t see you, but I don¡¯t want to see you when I see you¡¯? Anyway, not today. ¡°You don¡¯t like the relationship between Mom and Dad?¡± ¡°Yeah! What a waste!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the waste?¡± Now he was sitting right next to us, staring at me. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Who do you think is a waste?¡± ¡°Ah! Of course it¡¯s a waste of my mother.¡± My dad¡¯s face hardened at my confident words. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you feel sorry for Daddy? I¡¯m quite popular.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s not okay. You¡¯re popular because of how you behave; a father of three or four children!¡± ¡°B-Behave? Bebe, I should be proud of you for using such difficult words casually, but this is breaking Daddy¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Why? I thought my dad would say it was a waste of course.¡± I shook my head from side to side at the sight of the Grand Duke who said nothing of the brazen words. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to misunderstand.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± At that moment, my mother, who was resting her chin on her palm as her arm rested on the table, intervened between us as if it was funny. ¡°Who do you think is more valuable to you? I think I¡¯m more of a waste.¡± My mother, who had been silent the whole time, smiled as she tilted her head slightly toward my father. ¡°Oh¡­ Hmm¡­ Who¡¯s more of a waste between us? It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°just?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± The tip of my dad¡¯s ears turned a little red at Mom¡¯s bold words as she scratched her head. Seeing my dad like that, I kept saying what I wanted to say. ¡°That¡¯s right! After all, he¡¯s a man! He needs to be courteous!¡± ¡°C-Courteous?¡± At my words, the Grand Duke repeatedly opened and closed his lips like a duck. ¡°Yeah! It was in the book. Anyway, if you are courteous¡­ uh, and if you treat my mom well, I¡¯ll think about whether or not you¡¯ve passed as my mom¡¯s husband or if you failed.¡± He raised his fingers and moved them left and right. My dad looked desperate, his face looking like the world had collapsed. ¡°How firm.¡± ¡°Yeah! And it¡¯s not that attractive either. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re sitting next to me while I¡¯m eating. I can¡¯t do things like this. I can¡¯t.¡± At that moment, Dad made an ¡®ah¡¯ sound, and slowly got up from his seat. ¡°Okay. I should get going since you¡¯re talking like that.¡± As if he had become a turtle, Dad moved slowly. My mother and I had no choice but to turn our gaze to the Grand Duke. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to go out even in the midst of this, so he turned his head from time to time to look at us. However, Mom and I didn¡¯t deliberately call him until he left the room, and in the end, Dad went out after a long time. Chapter 70.2 ¡°Ahhh¡­ Anyway, Dad is weird.¡± ¡°Still¡­ it¡¯s just as I heard. He said he was kinder than anyone to those who had a heart and was like a child.¡± ¡°Huh? Who said that?¡± My mother smiled slightly at my question as she stroked my hair ¡°Mom¡¯s¡­ a lifesaver.¡± ¡°A lifesaver? Is there a way to save Mom¡¯s life?¡± ¡°Of course. But first of all, let¡¯s go eat instead of doing this.¡± At that, I nodded and ate the food one by one. And as we had already said before, around the end of the meal, Cecilia and the other maids entered the room. More energetic than ever, they started getting Mom and I ready. My mother, who was already pretty, shone brightly even though she didn¡¯t need much done thanks to being under Cecilia¡¯s care. Her blonde hair shone as if it contained the stars in the sky, and her pure white skin was exceptionally bright. Her off-the-shoulder gold dress, carried by Cecilia, made my mother even more radiant. About an hour later, my mother was ready, and at the same time, I finished preparing. ¡°Mom! You¡¯re too pretty!¡± She was more beautiful than any mother I had ever seen. ¡°You¡¯re sparkling!¡± ¡°Our Bebe is pretty too!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­Mom is better than that. Isn¡¯t it hard for you to stay awake?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been walking in my room lately, so I think it¡¯s okay to walk. I¡¯m glad I prepared it in advance. I started it because I wanted to go for a walk with Bebe, but this has been helpful.¡± My smiling mother gently stroked my hair as I clung to her side. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Meanwhile, Cecilia opened the door as she went outside, and the Grand Duke came inside through the door. ¡°Are you all ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± My mother, who looked at me endlessly, looked at the Grand Duke and nodded her head. Just then, a very small smile appeared on his face as if he had seen my mother and I. ¡°It¡¯s pretty useful.¡± ¡°Dad! It¡¯s not quite useful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ I said that men who are not honest are not attractive.¡± Pouting his lips on purpose, he groaned and reached out to my mother. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And, well¡­ You¡¯re a little prettier than usual.¡± When my mother took the hand, the Grand Duke opened his mouth as if waiting. ¡°I am happy to receive the compliment.¡± Meanwhile, Allen came into the open door. Unlike usual, Allen, who came in a black uniform, rushed to me. ¡°Wow. Bebe is really pretty. Bebe¡¯s mom is pretty too.¡± ¡°Your brother is a little better than your father.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Allen, who was not aware of what happened earlier, tilted his head. Dad led my mother forward. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Let¡¯s go. Today is the meeting day. The vassals will be gathering today.¡± ¡°Is that where we;re going today.¡± ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t have to go and say anything. All you have to do is stay still and stay by my side.¡± After saying that, the four of us walked to the meeting hall. I thought I would be used to it because I¡¯ve been here before, but I still haven¡¯t adapted to the crowded meeting hall. The room was full of the vassals I saw last time. Today, the unusually large number of people made me feel frustrated. As always, Allen came over to me and he grabbed my hand. Just like how my dad was holding my mom¡¯s hand. ¡°We look like a family.¡± As if to relieve my tension as I entered a place full of vassals, my pony-like brother spoke to me in a neat manner. ¡°Huh? Family?¡± ¡°Yeah. Dad, mom, brother and sister. how. Don¡¯t we look like a pretty friendly family?¡± At those words, I looked at my father and mother who seemed to look friendly. ¡®Looking at it like this, I think they looked good.¡¯ Somehow I felt odd. She had always been my own mom, and it felt like she had become everyone¡¯s mom and everyone¡¯s Adelaide. I pursed my lips for a bit, then looked at Allen and nodded my head. ¡°It seems to be a bit like that.¡± ¡°I think it suits you well.¡± I felt a tickle somewhere in my chest. When I was young, I never felt like this when my biological father was alive. ¡®It¡¯s like I¡¯ve never felt this before. I think my real dad and mom were always together¡­ but I didn¡¯t feel this way back then¡­¡¯ When I tried to remember how my real father and mother were, my head ached momentarily. I had no choice but to blink and open my eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes.¡± Allen, who was next to me, quickly looked at my complexion, as if he had noticed my sudden change. But it was really weird. My mother, who was ahead, turned back slightly at Allen¡¯s fuss and looked at me, but her expression was different from before. Was she strangely stiff? It felt like my mother, who would normally be the first to worry about me, had changed in an instant. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad were sitting at the top of the table. ¡°Grand Duke, there was a woman in the conference room¡­¡± ¡°Is it that again?¡± No longer tired, one of his vassals opened his mouth as he stared at my mother. Of course, he was stopped by my father before anything could come out of his mouth. Chapter 71.1 The room became so cold that a chill came in. As expected, the vassals shut their mouths one after another, perhaps noting the vicious aura. ¡°Doesn¡¯t there seem to be quite a few people who are dissatisfied with Adelaide¡¯s appearance today?¡± ¡°No, there has been a misunderstanding. No complaints. Absolutely not.¡± Meanwhile, I could see those who were already here. I saw Lexit and Harris, who seemed to naturally be here. The two of them, who seemed to be eating this up, somehow looked at us with a slightly more relaxed expression than before. They looked a bit embarrassed at the fact that their mother had arrived, but they pretended that nothing was wrong. ¡°I don¡¯t like it in many ways.¡± ¡°So these days, my dream has been to change my vassals.¡± We were laughing and talking, but it was so easy to recognize that it wasn¡¯t because we were laughing over the fact that we were happy. ¡°My, my. The vassals always move for the sake of the Grand Duke. Is there anyone else we can change?¡± It was the Marquis who added those words like a wild serpent. He smirked and intervened between us as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°In such a case, the first person to say no is the most suspicious person.¡± ¡°No way, haha. Rather, could you explain who that woman is?¡± Knowing that my mother was the blonde, gold-eyed woman who looked exactly like me, he rubbed his lips and looked at my mother uncomfortably. ¡°Other people have not been allowed to come here.¡± ¡°Yes, the Marquis is right. People who are not related to the Grand Duke are not allowed to enter. However, Adelaide will no longer just be ¡®a person¡¯.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± The Marquis had an uncomfortable aura, knowing that the Grand Duke was busy introducing my mother to them ¡°Adelaide is the one who will be my wife.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± Each of them sighed and bowed. Some of them, who had already expected it to some extent from the time my mother came in, only nodded their heads heavily, but those who were usually attached to the Marquis expressed their reluctance. In an instant, the atmosphere of the room changed. Perhaps I was being obvious, but Allen grabbed my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Your brother will protect you.¡± He was acting cute and showing off. I didn¡¯t hate it, so I held Allen¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Okay.¡± In the meantime, all the vassals opened their mouths, whether it was planned or not. ¡°You¡¯re going to put that woman¡­ in the empty seat of the Grand Duchess.¡± As if it had hardened coldly, Lexit¡¯s face also hardened as he held Harris¡¯s hand. I thought he would refute right away, but Lexit was so surprised that he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Of course. Wasn¡¯t this what you wanted? I thought it was this. Didn¡¯t we talk about it last time? After that, you continued to say that I couldn¡¯t leave the Grand Duchess¡¯s seat vacant like this. So I did what the vassals wanted, but what¡¯s the problem this time?¡± As if he had something to say, the Marquis and some of his vassals opened their mouths, ¡°From generation to generation, the seat of the Grand Duchess was from one of the vassals¡¯s families!¡± ¡°Well, I think Ellinson wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Anyway, not this time because she wasn¡¯t from one of the vassals¡¯s families.¡± The nobleman, who was saying whatever, noticed his mistake and bit his lips in a hurry. ¡°Uh, anyway.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try again, Viscount Leopil.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I think I was talking nonsense.¡± He quickly shook his head from side to side, but the Grand Duke¡¯s face had already hardened. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you know you were speaking nonsense¡­ but you must think that Ellinson was attacked because she wasn¡¯t from one of the vassals¡¯s families.¡± They waved quickly, but that didn¡¯t make the situation go away. ¡°Oh no!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to wait a little longer to see if that¡¯s really the case or not.¡± The air in the room had gotten so tense to the point that it felt cold. The anger didn¡¯t come from the Grand Duke. It was a force emanating from Lexit, who was holding Harris¡¯s hand. It was weaker than Allen¡¯s, but it was a bit more refined. ¡°But Your Highness, we don¡¯t even know which family that woman came from. It could be a spy who came to harm the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°It might be like that.¡± At his unexpected words, my mother, Allen, myself and everyone else looked at the Grand Duke. Chapter 71.2 ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± But the Grand Duke looked at my mother with a strange expression. A smile spread across his face as he spoke words that seemed to doubt my mother¡¯s very existence. I was trying not to be suspicious towards my mother¡­ but somehow, the gaze between my mom and dad was strange. The two looked at each other for a long time so that others would misunderstand. ¡®I¡¯m grumpy for no reason. My mom is my mom¡­ You can¡¯t do that¡­ She¡¯s my mom but she¡¯s going to be everyone¡¯s mom. My mom is the best so everyone will like her.¡¯ I was saddened but I tried to smile as if it was nothing. ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s possible. It¡¯s suspicious enough. But you know what? Whoever becomes my wife is something I¡¯m always nervous about.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If I took a wife from one of the vassals¡¯ families as you wished, is there any guarantee that they won¡¯t betray me?¡± ¡°That¡­!¡± ¡°Is it just that again? The vassals will carry my wife, who has become the Grand Duchess, on their backs and try to control me like they used to.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, then why do you have to make the Grand Duke marry a woman from one of the vassals¡¯s families?¡± At those words, the vassals just muttered. They seemed to be looking for a reason among themselves, but they didn¡¯t seem to be able to find a clear answer. ¡®They look like idiots.¡¯ They thought that they could make their daughters the Grand Duchess and get hold of the Grand Duke. I had seen this a lot in books so it felt too obvious. ¡°Please don¡¯t think too badly about our intentions, Your Highness.¡± It was the Marquis again. As if to wrap up the whole situation, he looked around before looking straight into the eyes of the Grand Duke. ¡°My, my, that¡¯s possible. Anyone can fill that empty seat. You¡¯re right. Your Highness is all right.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°But if you don¡¯t know anything else, shouldn¡¯t you be certain of her identity?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her identity. Then, as long as Adelaide¡¯s identity becomes clear, you won¡¯t oppose it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded as if he had a bit of faith. A smile spread across my mother¡¯s face. ¡°If it¡¯s my birth, I can prove it.¡± My mother, who had not spoken the whole time, raised her voice louder than ever. Her brow furrowed slightly after someone thought she would never prove herself to speak up. I was a little confused too. Could my mother prove her birth? For my mother, the only family members she had were abusers. Grandfather also thought of my mother as an object. But was she going to prove it? Without realizing it, my lips were dry. ¡®That¡¯s not¡­ I have to stop it. I won¡¯t make my mom have a hard time.¡¯ I want to protect her. What should I do? What should I do so my mom won¡¯t have a hard time. At that time, I had such worries. The Marquis spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you can prove it.¡± ¡°Right. Then there will be no complaints about having Adelaide as the Grand Duchess?¡± ¡°No. The Grand Duchess issue won¡¯t be solved at once, so let¡¯s discuss it again later.¡± ¡°It really is like the snake¡¯s tongue. You said yes, but you also said no.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because the problem doesn¡¯t seem to be a priority right now.¡± ¡°Are there any other problems?¡± As if trying to twist his words, he made a move that was too obvious. ¡°There are only a few days left to prove Lady Harris.¡± ¡°Seeing you talk so openly, it seems that you have prepared thoroughly. Harris, who seemed to not be able to prove herself not long ago, also has changed.¡± Somehow, Harris was confident. It was kind of weird to see this. Was it so different from last time? ¡°But Marquis, it¡¯s really weird. Do you really seem to care for Harris, Ellinson¡¯s supposed last child, after not paying attention to the children? It¡¯s like there¡¯s something between the two of you.¡± The atmosphere became suffocatingly tense. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s the real lady. I¡¯m just particularly concerned.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®real lady¡¯? Do people think I¡¯m an old man?¡± When the Grand Duke asked straightforwardly, the Marquis nodded as if it were nothing. ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡°Yeah, it can¡¯t be. But it¡¯s better to not be so overly biased, because it¡¯s perfect for misleading people when they see it.¡± The Grand Duke, who smiled, looked at Harris, who was next to him. ¡°But Harris, you¡¯ve changed a lot. Not only you, but the Marquis over there. No, even the vassals here. Did you say that there would be a way? You could bring something to replace¡­¡± Chapter 72.1 For a very short time, Harris¡¯s face hardened at a moment when no one could notice. I thought I was the only one who felt it, but my dad seemed to have felt it, too. I saw a smile on my dad¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what it is. If only you could prove it yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to do it.¡± ¡°Okay. I hope you can do it. Then Marquis, are you satisfied with this?¡± Looking down at Harris, the Grand Duke turned to the Marquis. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What about the vassals? Are you satisfied? I brought a woman who would be the Grand Duchess, as you wanted, but are you still not satisfied?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you decide to discuss it again later?¡± Another nobleman next to the Marquis spoke quickly. Seeing that the Marquis had no restraints, he probably ordered it. ¡°It¡¯s so weird. In the past, any woman was good, so all of you would insist on bringing in a woman to be the Grand Duchess. You have never said anything since Adelaide appeared.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that. You told me that as the Grand Duke it would bother people all the time, but now you¡¯re like this. Perhaps there was a nominee you wanted.¡± They would understand if he said this much, but they didn¡¯t give up. ¡°No matter what you say, our thoughts will not change. Because of the process, the Grand Duchess¡­¡± ¡°No. I will keep the woman I love by my side. I won¡¯t make my wife- no, my family, a man-made thing.¡± Then, the Grand Duke looked at my mother again. Because of this, the vassals gnawed their teeth and glared at my mother. My mom was not surprised even though many people¡¯s eyes reached her in an instant. ¡°So, stop visiting my mansion by chance and making me run into you, or making a maid do that. No more. If you do that again and disturb my mood, I¡¯ll track down the family and kick them out.¡± He was so firm that he felt like a crazy person. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I have to say, so I¡¯ll end today¡¯s meeting.¡± ¡°But we haven¡¯t finished going through the agenda, Your Highness.¡± In the meantime, some of the sane vassals lifted up the documents. ¡°Make sure to write a separate report for those. Wasn¡¯t this meeting so you can just see me? That¡¯s what you always do.¡± Those who were holding the documents towards him nodded sullenly. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°But from now on, I will make sure to get rid of those who face me and put them in their place¡­ It¡¯s going to be those guys who are trying to ruin their relationship with the Grand Duke. Be careful. If you suddenly sell land¡­ it would be right for me to suspect you.¡± The Grand Duke looked at the vassals one by one, smiled as if he was having fun, and then grabbed my mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s leave. Meeting over.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Those who were forced to answer simply stared at the Grand Duke, who left without any hesitation. Allen, who held my hand tightly the whole time without saying a word, led me out right away. But today, Allen¡¯s twin, Lexit, caught my eye. Somehow, Lexit, who seemed to have been hurt by the Grand duke¡¯s remarks, froze on the spot like a statue without even thinking of leaving. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± As I continued to look back, Allen pulled me strongly. ¡°Huh? Nothing, I was just a bit concerned.¡± ¡°Lexit? Don¡¯t worry. Lexit isn¡¯t just a kid.¡± ¡°Really? But you¡¯re twins. You don¡¯t have to take care of him?¡± ¡°We decided not to be twins.¡± When I came out of the meeting room as I heard Allen¡¯s sudden declaration, I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Huh? You keep saying weird things.¡± ¡°Weird things?¡± As I said those words, Allen¡¯s gaze clearly reached me. Maybe Lexit has been saying bad things about me. ¡°There¡¯s something like that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing. Some say that Harris is more like a younger sister, or that she is more lovable and cute, but Bebe is even more adorable and cuter! These servants are obsessed with Harris¡­¡± Allen grumbled. ¡°Anyway, we decided not to be twins anymore.¡± I wondered if it was possible to do so, but I couldn¡¯t add anything else to Allen¡¯s determined words. ¡°I see.¡± Having a brother was so much fun. They looked so serious for fighting like that over a trivial matter. After that, I returned to the room, giving an appropriate gesture to Allen, who continued to gossip about Lexit. ¡°Great job.¡± As soon as they arrived in the room, Dad let go of my mother¡¯s hand as his face hardened, as if to let her know that he was just acting. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have a lot of work to do.¡± However, his condition was different from usual. He looked at us carefully, saying things that he didn¡¯t have to say. ¡°Okay.¡± I looked at my mother without a word. ¡®It¡¯s weird. Very strange.¡¯ At that sight, something tickled the back of my head. Somehow, I felt like I shouldn¡¯t be doing this. Chapter 72.2 ¡°You said you¡¯re busy, so go ahead.¡± I quickly released Allen¡¯s hand and pushed my mother into our room. ¡°Huh? Are you kicking us out like this?¡± ¡°Yeah! I don¡¯t hold on to busy people. Plus, my mom must be tired so go ahead. Goodbye, Brother.¡± ¡°Bebe, you¡¯re sending me away too?¡± I could hear Allen¡¯s sad voice, but I slammed the door shut. Then came peace. ¡°Bebe, you don¡¯t have to kick him out like that.¡± ¡°No, we have to kick him out. Mom, go to sleep.¡± ¡°Huh? Already? Mommy is fine.¡± I took my mother¡¯s hand, smiling more calmly than ever and forced her to the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s okay at all, so let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± I forced my mother to lie down and patted her. ¡°Don¡¯t I look okay?¡± ¡°Yes, you looked fine in the conference room, but when we came back to the room, your face turned pale.¡± ¡°Well¡­ after hearing Bebe, I¡¯m a little tired. After all, I only have my daughter to check on my condition.¡± ¡°Right? So go to sleep.¡± My mom raised her body slightly and gently kissed me on the cheek. ¡°Yes, alright. Even if I wasn¡¯t tired¡­ thank you, Bebe.¡± ¡°No! No need to thank me!¡± It was always easy for me to wake up in the morning, but as the days passed, my mom found it harder and harder to do so. Her pale face was proof of that. As expected, my mother, who said she had been fine until now, fell asleep as soon as she laid on the bed. ¡®Should I bring the priest back?¡¯ Looking at it this way, I think what he said was right. Even though she deeply fell asleep, I could only hear a whisper. I sat on the chair next to the bed and looked at her. She was like a different person today, and she was great. But she didn¡¯t seem optimistic. My mother didn¡¯t tell me¡­ That kind of lie kept bothering me. ¡°Mom¡­ What¡¯s a good lie¡­? What are you hiding from me?¡± I thought it was okay, and I thought I had put down my disappointment about my mother, but when she fell asleep, my heart was frustrated with unknown disappointment. Why did my mom lie? No¡­ Why didn¡¯t she tell me she could use magic? Painful memories of my mother passing away flooded me at once. My tears dripped down. At that time, the door opened slightly and a bright light leaked in from outside. It was the Grand Duke. He entered the room very carefully and naturally came to our bed. I quickly wiped my eyes. ¡°I have something to tell you. I came back to say¡­ Did Adelaide fall asleep?¡± ¡°Yes, my mom fell asleep.¡± As soon as he came back from leaving, he came near the bed. ¡°But Bebe, your voice sounds different than usual.¡± He was quick-witted and came over to me. He sat down on the chair next to the bed. ¡°Is something wrong? What happened¡­¡± There was no conversation between us for a long time. ¡°If it¡¯s okay, shall we go for a walk? If you don¡¯t like it, we can talk on the terrace for a while.¡± ¡°Now? You said earlier you were busy.¡± ¡°I have some time to give to my daughter.¡± Somehow, his words seem to show consideration to me. I stood up after looking at my mother for a moment at his words. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll come.¡± I wanted to talk to some. I hoped it would get a bit better. In my words, he walked slowly to the terrace on the other side of the room. The terrace was a place where you could see the vast forest. Suddenly, the Grand Duke took a seat on the chair on the terrace, and I sat next to him. But that didn¡¯t mean we didn¡¯t talk or talk right away. We didn¡¯t exchange words for a long time. As the wind blew past, the trees in the forest only moved. After such a long time, I sat there and opened my mouth. If I didn¡¯t say anything, I thought I¡¯d cry because I felt sorry for my mother. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I used too much power last time when I recreated the magic circle there.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°Of course. Did you think I didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± As he stroked his chin and nodded, the Grand Duke¡¯s face changed strangely, as if he looked like my mother? The thought of my mother brought my tears back to my eyes, and I hurriedly turned my back. ¡°Anyway¡­ I wonder if that¡¯s why Dad felt the same way as I did.¡± ¡°Same way?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t tell Harris that, didn¡¯t you?¡± But when I asked him, he only tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Who came in?¡± My dad¡¯s face hardened at my words. ¡°Did you come in?¡± ¡°Oh, did you know?¡± ¡°¡­I said that to Harris just to provoke her. Somehow, it made me feel bad.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I nodded my head as I finally understood the situation. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Uh, the power felt familiar, yet unfamiliar. But those powers had already crossed the magic circle and quickly hid its power.¡± ¡°Are you strong?¡± ¡°Well she¡¯s weaker than me!¡± But it was a strange feeling, because I¡¯ve never felt familiar with someone¡¯s power in my life. Should I say that my strength was similar? Chapter 73 ¡°Right. I didn¡¯t even know you had that kind of power.¡± ¡°Are you trying to compliment me?¡± He nodded. Seeing him looking at me kindly gave me a strange feeling. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s large hand gently stroked my hair. As of today, my mother¡¯s image overlapped with his appearance. I thought my mother was the only person in the world I could trust, who was kind and loved me, but I changed my mind slightly. There are only two adults I can trust in the world. ¡®No¡­ Cecilia is reliable too. And Theo is reliable too! There is also the maid Anas. Oh, the kitchen staff are all reliable.¡¯ As I folded my fingers one by one as my expression turned serious, the Grand Duke opened them one by one. ¡°Who are you counting besides me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like every time your eyebrows wiggle, they fold up one by one.¡± When he said that, he looked at his hands, and his fingers were all stretched out like a maple leaf. ¡°Bebe, you pretend not to be, but your expressions show what¡¯s in your heart.¡± ¡°¡­No I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Yeah. It wouldn¡¯t be if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± He showed a smile I hadn¡¯t seen before, as if it somehow tickled my chest. ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Right, anyway Bebe, let¡¯s find out what you said. Come to think of it, it¡¯s the season when the number of demons increase so vassals are entering the castle.¡± ¡°Where are the vassals usually?¡± Suddenly curious, he looked out the window. ¡°Usually, grand dukes from other countries are recognized as one small country by their very existence. That¡¯s why they build strong castles and the nobles live in them. But this place is different. It¡¯s a funny story.¡± ¡°Right. Shouldn¡¯t you know?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s body trembled momentarily. ¡°Yeah¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to be a really good grand duke for my children. An independent country like other places is not a place where vassals want to do whatever they want.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At that, he shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯ll be a name under Xenox Avelant.¡± I nodded my head and looked at him for a long time. Perhaps the gaze was embarrassing, but the Grand Duke groaned and then hurriedly turned his gaze to another place. Then, as if thinking of something, he looked at me not long after that. ¡°So, isn¡¯t it time to talk?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The reason for crying earlier.¡± For a moment, I was startled and shook my body. ¡°Huh? Crying?!¡± ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t know, Bebe?¡± He was so sweet, such a nice guy, I licked my lips. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t cry¡­ Just¡­ I was just thinking.¡± ¡°Your eyes were as red as a rabbit.¡± ¡°I had something in my eye!¡± Never tell anyone anything that could be a weakness. That was why I kept my mouth shut, even with the Grand Duke. ¡°Is that so? Do you have any worries?¡± ¡°Worries?¡± It was then that he smiled as he looked at me quietly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not that big¡­ you know. The good lie¡­ I mean.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, you seem to care about that time. The thing is¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of that. It¡¯s just¡­ do all adults just tell good lies?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I chuckled awkwardly. ¡°What happened? I was just curious.¡± For a long time, he was speechless. As he was thinking about getting up from his seat as if he said nothing, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Honestly, saying a good lie is a cowardly excuse for adults.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be a bad person.¡± I don¡¯t understand adults because I¡¯ve never been one. I don¡¯t understand, but the Grand Duke¡¯s expression looked particularly sad. ¡°Bebe, in fact, where in the world is there such a thing as a good lie? In the end, it would be a lie to the person who suffered.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°But I mean¡­ just think of the reason why you had no choice but to tell a good lie. You can resent and hate that lie, but think about it.¡± It was crude, yet sounded warm. ¡®My mother lied to me¡­ but how did she feel about lying to me?¡¯ He pursed his lips and bowed his head. Then a large hand touched my head. His hand gently stroked my hair, as if trying to comfort me. ¡°Sp Bebe, if you can feel that feeling a little later, ask me why. Then I will tell you for sure.¡± ¡°Can you tell me¡­?¡± ¡°A person who tells a good lie cherishes the person who told the lie more than anyone else. That¡¯s why I¡¯m lying like that. So I¡¯ll wait for you to ask me.¡± For a moment, I turned my head and made eye contact with the Grand Duke. His friendly eyes somehow made my heart race. ¡°Daddy¡­ Daddy too? While telling a nice lie¡­ Do you want to ask your dad?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded as I watched him speak without hesitation. Right. He wanted me to ask him because he told a good lie like my mother. I had a strange feeling. ¡°Me too. I want my children to ask but we must have come too far for that.¡± The Grand Duke, who suddenly mimicked my posture, raised his head and looked only at the sky. He looked up at the sky for a long time, seemingly worried. For some reason, it felt like I was the only one comforted and I smiled brighter. ¡°Yes, I will, Dad, because you¡¯re a better dad than anyone else. You¡¯re so warm and friendly.¡± ¡°¡­Does it look like that?¡± ¡°Yeah! So do it like that to me as well.¡± At that, the Grand Duke chuckled. ¡°As I do to you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, my dad is a really, really nice guy, but he seems to only be nice to me.¡± You couldn¡¯t know that unless you¡¯re an idiot, especially since how different he was to my pony brother. I looked at him more firmly than ever. ¡°Why are you only nice to me?¡± I blurted out my question. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You have real children¡­ Why are you being so nice to me?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± But perhaps my question was quite difficult. The Grand Duke was silent for a long time. ¡°Is it¡­ because I¡¯m a poor kid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, and you¡¯re not pitiful. There have been many things in the past, but now you are the most precious princess. From now on, I will cover all of your bad memories with good enough memories to make you forget them all.¡± With those words, the memory of me standing in the Imperial Palace, which had been stuck somewhere in my chest, came to mind. ¡°I feel sorry for you¡­ Or maybe I¡¯m not doing it out of admiration. I just¡­ I just want to do anything for you when I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Harris came here to be Ellinson¡¯s last child, but I had a feeling that she wasn¡¯t. It¡¯s like¡­ being drawn by blood. Just¡­ if I can¡¯t see you, I wonder what you¡¯re doing. If I look at your face, I wonder if you¡¯re doing well today. I should finish my work quickly so I can go back and play with you. That¡¯s how I feel.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Even then, maybe I won¡¯t feel burdened because I¡¯m not the real father¡­ I¡¯m also worried about that.¡± He made a face that I didn¡¯t understand after he said it. Then, he scratched his head and smiled in disappointment. ¡°These are very strange words. You are not my daughter¡­ but I keep thinking about it.¡± ¡°I know¡­ strange¡­¡± ¡°Come to think of it, does Bebe remember your father?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I think I remembered it well in the past, but I can¡¯t remember it now. I think he was a good person.¡± At my words, he brushed his hair. ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°I mean, I briefly wanted to be raised by a real dad, so when I heard my dad lost a child, I had very little expectations.¡± It was a really weird night. As if he was telling the story quickly, words that had never been spoken before naturally came out of my mouth. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°But no matter how hard I think about it, I can¡¯t be your daughter. Bebe has a mother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never met your mother before.¡± I nodded at the Grand Duke as I spoke firmly. ¡°Yes, so you¡¯re not my real dad.¡± But I changed my mind a little this time. No, from now on. I watched him quietly and grinned as wide as possible. ¡®I¡¯ll be your real daughter!¡¯ I¡¯m going to make this sweet man my dad. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m being robbed of my mom, but¡­ for my mom¡­¡¯ The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes looking at my mother were extraordinary. I jumped out of my seat and put my hand on my waist. ¡®Fake-Dad-Real-Dad-Making Project- no¡­ Marry-My-Mom Project!¡¯ I clenched my first. ¡°Huh? Bebe?¡± ¡°Yeah? N-Nothing, hehe! But what does Daddy think of my mom?¡± ¡°Adelaide? Well¡­ what do I think of her? It¡¯s so sudden.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My mom¡¯s not here. Just confess your feelings to me.¡± ¡°Is there anything to confess? Adelaide is just¡­¡± ¡°What about Adelaide?¡± ¡°Love¡­¡± Chapter 74 ¡°Love?¡± Rather, it was me who was embarrassed by the unexpected words. What do you mean love? You¡¯re already in love? On the contrary, it was me who was bewildered by the unexpected words. What do you mean ¡®love¡¯? You¡¯re already in love? ¡®I thought I¡¯d make him my mom¡¯s husband, but¡­¡¯ Somehow, my heart sank, wondering if the relationship between the two had changed without me knowing. ¡°Bebe¡¯s lovely mother.¡± ¡°Ah, is that it?¡± ¡°I-Isn¡¯t it¡­¡± I was a little disappointed with the Grand Duke¡¯s words as he spoke too honestly. I was expecting quite a bit, but what did you mean ¡®Bebe¡¯s lovely mother¡¯? ¡°¡­Huh.¡± ¡°Maybe I made a mistake?¡± Watching him ask carefully, I nodded my head up and down vigorously. I didn¡¯t say it very well. How could you say this?¡± ¡®My mom is very pretty, very kind and very lovely!¡¯ It was clear that the Grand Duke had no eyes. I rolled my eyes and looked at him, then jumped from my seat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Bebe, you should go to bed.¡± ¡°Huh? So suddenly?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ just go. Your mom was sleeping, so I should go to sleep too.¡± I guess I¡¯ll have to do some thinking on how to connect my mom and dad. That¡¯s because he was such a good person¡­ If the Emperor visits, he will protect Mom. I smiled and looked at the Grand Duke. ¡°You seem to have something to say to me, Bebe.¡± ¡°Ah! There is.¡± ¡°There is?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m curious. You said you¡¯d change everything in the meeting room, but when you say that, bad people¡­¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± A big hand stroked my head softly. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m worried but¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. If anything, if you act too quickly you may look guilty since it might look like you¡¯re quickly trying to hide something.¡± ¡°Ah! Then on purpose¡­¡± His blue eyes stared at me. Then he reached out to me. ¡°If you want to sleep, do you want me to take you to bed?¡± ¡°I can go there alone!¡± I changed my clothes and hurriedly entered the room. Then the Grand Duke followed me and entered the room. The terrace and the bed were not far away, so he immediately settled down on the bed and sat down. Then, he looked at my mother, sleeping like an angel, just like in the books. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading off.¡± ¡°Hey, Dad..¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What kind of woman do you like? I¡¯m not saying this with my mom in mind! I¡¯m just curious!¡± At those words, the Grand Duke burst out laughing. ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, I like a strong man who doesn¡¯t lie and can always protect me.¡± ¡°Did your mom say that?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s my ideal type!¡± His face instantly hardened as he brought a chair in front of the bed and listened/ ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I want someone like that to be my mom¡¯s husband!¡± Hmm, I guess I¡¯ll have to ask Mom what kind of person she¡¯d like. Would she still like someone like my real dad? ¡°What kind of person is your biological father?¡± At that time, I only shook my head from side to side in response to the sudden question. The Grand Duke, who had been silently listening to me, opened his mouth. ¡°I¡­ well¡­ I never liked someone, just someone who was nice.¡± ¡°That feels¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, Bebe, I have no intention of marrying anyone again right now because I have many children to take care of.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all grown up!¡± I pouted my lips and looked at him. ¡°Anyway¡­ Adelaide is definitely a good person, but I¡¯m not a good person.¡± As if he had heard what I thought, I hurriedly waved my hands at his words. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! Anyway¡­ I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± To avoid this conversation, I sat next to my mom. ¡°Yes, you should sleep.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At that moment, when I tried to say goodbye to him, I felt nervous all over. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It was the same feeling as last time; a power that felt familiar yet unfamiliar. I felt it again. But unlike last time, the power was strangely shaken. It was like asking for help. Sweat dripped down my back, and a headache arose, as if someone hit my head with a hammer. ¡°Bebe? Bebe?¡± The Grand Duke shook me, but I couldn¡¯t open my mouth. I wanted to say that something felt weird but words did not come out. In the end, the Grand Duke held my pale, tired face as I froze. I was just being overly sensitive¡­ he was just like my dad. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Just before he left the room, he stopped. ¡°Bebe¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I said I was fine once again in case he didn¡¯t hear me the first time and smiled. That didn¡¯t calm him down. I opened my eyes and the Grand Duke, who opened the door suddenly despite my talking and movement, raised his voice to the point it rang loudly. ¡°Come to the clinic right now!¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Surprised, Cecilia rushed with others as she saw me in his arms and paled. ¡°My Lady! Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± So stop Daddy. I had to say that, but I couldn¡¯t speak properly. My body didn¡¯t feel like my body. It was as if someone had poisoned my body. ¡°Oh my gosh¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°Suddenly she could not speak and her whole body stiffened. Her face also turned pale.¡± Cecilia hurriedly beckoned to the people around her as if she understood. ¡°Go get some warm water right now. I¡¯ll take care of you. Maybe a hug¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Everyone seemed to be perplexed by the unexpected words of the Grand Duke. ¡°What should I do? Can I give you a hug?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well, that¡¯s¡­ His Majesty will just keep talking to you¡­¡± Only then did he nod and lay me on the bed. ¡°I¡¯m really okay¡­¡± In the meantime, the feeling of tightness all over my body slowly dissipated, but the Grand Duke and Cecilia, who sat next to me, were busy looking after me. ¡°Really¡­ It¡¯s really okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not okay when I see it as this.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± I laughed at him who still didn¡¯t believe me, but to no avail. Eventually, the doctor came in even before I could speak. The doctor hurriedly entered the room and began treatment before he calmed down. A terrible silence came, and only the sound of the doctor treating me filled the room. The Grand Duke, who seriously watched, opened his mouth at the end. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I asked how it was. Is there a serious problem?¡± ¡°As I am a member of the National Assembly, I cannot tell you exactly what the situation is, but it is not the general situation. My Lady, I heard your body suddenly stiffened. Have you felt that before?¡± At that, I let out an ¡®ah¡¯ and nodded. ¡°Well¡­ My back sweated, and I got a strong headache¡­ like someone hit my head with a hammer¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°And¡­¡± I looked at the doctor for a while and waved my hand towards the Grand Duke. Then he bent down and leaned in to listen to me. ¡°Ah¡­ I felt this again when someone entered the magic room last time. But this time, it was like¡­ it was like asking for help. Am I feeling this because of that?¡± The Grand Duke, who was listening to me seriously with a ¡®hmm¡¯ sound, stood up and sighed deeply. ¡°Your Highness, may I ask what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°No. Is the child okay?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, but I think the magic in the body interfered. But there¡¯s nothing wrong medically.¡± He nodded at the words. ¡°¡­Then, what would you do for the child?¡± ¡°First of all, unlike how it looks, I can make medicine to replenish physical strength, but it is difficult to give medicine for no apparent reason¡­¡± As if this had happened often, the doctor looked into the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­Is it not enough? This time again¡­?¡± ¡°No, I think it¡¯s okay this time. Then, I¡¯ll leave and bring the medicine later.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what the Grand Duke was doing, but the doctor looked serious. Afterwards, the doctor quickly erased his serious expression, bowed his head and hurriedly went outside. ¡°¡­Dad.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you okay, Bebe?¡± The Grand Duke, who had hardened his face like an angry man earlier, released his expression. ¡°Yes, but, are you harassing the doctor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°It¡¯s suspicious.¡± ¡°Anyways¡­ Did you just say that to my ears on purpose?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I think it¡¯s weird. I¡¯ve neer felt that way before. It was like someone¡­ someone was asking me for help.¡± I didn¡¯t know why, but I didn¡¯t know who and I felt a strange feeling and a numbness in my chest. My head hurt as if I had been beaten. ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡°Did I¡­ get weird?¡± ¡°No. I just¡­ I think I may have resonated with someone after listening to you.¡± ¡°Resonated?¡± Chapter 75 Resonance? I stared at him for a moment at the unexpected words. ¡°Resonance? What is it?¡± ¡°It seems that you and someone share power. You said you felt someone came here, didn¡¯t you?¡± I nodded heavily, barely relaxed. ¡°Yes¡­!¡± ¡°After listening to the story today, I was convinced that it might be something like that.¡± His firm words made my lips twitch. Maybe it was because my body had hardened, but I couldn¡¯t turn my head. Besides, I¡¯ve never heard of resonance anywhere. As I stared at him with my eyes wide open, he let out a deep sigh. ¡°Sometimes, people with magic send their voices with magic. But it¡¯s mostly vague expressions and struggles. But if someone¡¯s asking for your help¡­ you¡¯re a person with your own power. It resonates between people.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Resonance¡­ Resonance¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°That¡¯s resonance. Usually, it¡¯s common amongst family members such as parents and siblings. Even then, people with similar power sometimes do this.¡± His voice seemed unusually moist today. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ the pain¡­ the pain you felt, and until your body hardened, may be the same as the other person. Maybe they¡¯re letting you know that they¡¯re in danger.¡± ¡°They¡¯re in danger?! They¡¯re sending me a signal but I didn¡¯t know?¡± The Grand Duke stroked my head and smiled with the most awkward expression in the world. No matter how dumb you are, you could not know the meaning of that expression. His face said ¡®It¡¯s never okay¡¯. ¡°No, it¡¯s not dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­Your expression doesn¡¯t look like that at all.¡± ¡°¡­But one thing¡¯s for sure. If the person who sent you the signal was really dangerous, you wouldn¡¯t be safe either. His lips twisted slightly as his expression darkened. It even made me feel insecure. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Bebe. I¡¯ll get them so that you¡¯ll never feel this pain again¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to save me?¡± I looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll save you and see who¡¯s done this to my daughter. If I need to, I¡¯ll kill¡­ no.¡± ¡°Huh? If necessary, you¡¯ll kill¡­?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find them anyway.¡± ¡°They must be saved. I need to ask them what¡¯s causing me so much pain.¡± But as usual, he still smiled as if he had something to say. ¡°After that?¡± ¡°Anyone who keeps hurting you¡­ well, I don¡¯t know.¡± He said he didn¡¯t know, but somehow I felt like I knew how my dad felt about what to do from now on¡­ ¡®If you find him, you¡¯re not going to let him go.¡¯ From what I could tell, the Grand Duke¡¯s expression looked a bit crazy! ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If you find them, I want to see them.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s dangerous.¡± As expected, my dad firmly stopped me. ¡°Why? I can¡¯t? You must bring them to me. Honestly, you don¡¯t know if they¡¯re right or not.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± In such cases, he was always quick to understand. ¡°So take me to them physically so I can speak and move.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Physically.¡± ¡°¡­I get it. I¡¯ll physically bring you.¡± ¡°Okay! Then, Bebe will sleep now.¡± It was really strange. The fact that someone who was not my mom was worried about me, yet felt similar to my mom. I felt something tickle in my chest. I avoided his gaze by pulling the blanket up to my chest. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Smiling sweetly like he was my real father, he nodded and gently brushed my hair. ¡°Ah, that person made you like this¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing, I¡¯ll find them so go get some sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah! And just in case, don¡¯t think about having Cecilia or anyone else next to me because I¡¯m like this. I just want to be comfortable when I sleep.¡± For a moment, the body of the Grand Duke, which was about to turn away, flinched. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Still.¡± Only then did he firmly nod. ¡°Phew, I see. I¡¯ll do it if you want. Now, go to bed.¡± The Grand Duke, who told me to sleep many times, finally sighed deeply and went out. Then, there was silence in the room. Of course, outside the door, the Grand Duke was noisy for a while, as if he were saying something to Cecilia and the ladies, but then the sound soon calmed down. Then I stood up, held a penguin doll and stared at my mother. ¡°Mom.¡± When I called my mother again, her long eyelashes lifted this time. My mother, who had been sleeping all this time, opened her eyes very slowly. ¡°Bebe¡­ Did you sleep well?¡± My slightly hoarse-voiced mother called me sleepy, as if to show she had slept for a long time. Her voice sounded so nice that I sank into my mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Mom, did you wake up?¡± ¡°Yes, in my dream¡­ my baby called me, so I woke up and¡­ there¡¯s Bebe.¡± As always, my mother smiled sweetly. Every time she smiled happily, her dimples used to show on her cheeks, but she must be having fun today. I saw her dimples so clearly. ¡°Really? I kept calling you because I missed my mom.¡± ¡°My Bebe.¡± My mother, who slowly rose from her seat, hugged me in her arms. However, my mother¡¯s face was pale and her forehead was covered with sweat. She looked precarious, as if she was barely holding out. ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course, Mommy is always fine.¡± ¡°You always say it¡¯s okay, but are you?¡± Looking at it this way, nothing has changed from the past. Mom used to lie to me all the time. Since a long time ago, she always looked pale. She pouted her lips at my words and laughed. ¡®If I¡¯m worried about you¡­ you get sad.¡¯ I laughed as if I knew nothing about it. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± But my mother¡¯s body was just as wobbly, as if she would fall asleep right away. I gently brushed my mother¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You know what? Bebe loves Mommy so much.¡± I rubbed my head in my mother¡¯s arms. ¡°All of a sudden? Well, I love you so much, Bebe.¡± Before my mom could fall asleep, I wanted to fully convey my feelings to her. ¡°So Mom, if there¡¯s anything you want to say to Bebe, say it! Bebe can accept anything! Even if it¡¯s a lie! I¡¯ll believe everything you say. So, do you have anything to tell me?¡± Contrary to what I expected that she would say anything more, my mom nodded quietly and slowly so she laid herself down again. ¡°Bebe¡­ Mommy is so sleepy, so I¡¯ll need to sleep a little longer. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Okay! Sleep well, Mom!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to wake up soon so¡­ don¡¯t worry. Should I stay with you?¡± ¡°Yes!¡¯ Just in case my mom was worried, I lied down next to her and sank into her chest. She was so unwell that as soon as my mother closed her eyes, she fell asleep quickly. The sound of birds chirping filled the room. ¡°Mom¡­ Tomorrow is the day the priest is supposed to come, so just wait for one more day, okay¡­?¡± Looking at my unresponsive mom, I had to stay awake all night in case she left me. The next day¡­ Cecilia¡¯s face turned pale when she visited the room early in the morning. ¡°Oh my God, My Lady. What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± ¡°Huh? Why? Is my face weird?¡± At that, Cecilia brought a small hand mirror and flashed it towards me. It¡¯s not that, but it could be because I couldn¡¯t sleep at night, so anyone could tell that I was in a bad condition. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s very strange. ¡°Oh my God¡­ I can¡¯t. But the doctor¡¯s treatment¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. But Cecilia, when is the priest coming?¡± Cecilia, who sighed deeply at my words, bit her lips tightly. ¡°He¡¯ll be here any minute. His Highness told me to come early. I heard about it.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief. Then Cecilia, I have a favor to ask you¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Yes, just until the priest comes¡­ I¡¯m going to sleep for a while¡­ Can you look after Mom?¡± Cecilia tilted her head as if she couldn¡¯t understand what I was saying. But before I could explain to her, I fell asleep. Chapter 76.1 The word ¡®not in a good condition¡¯ woke me up from sleep. ¡°Who¡¯s not in a good condition?¡± Then, what I saw was a priest looking at my mother. From the moment I heard their voice, I wondered, but it was my mom who was not in a good condition. I¡¯d rather be the one in bad shape. ¡°Are you awake, My Lady?¡± It was the appearance of the priest that came last time. Unlike the Grand Duke, who radiated darkness like a devil, the priest, who shone brilliantly by smiling like an angel coming down, slightly lowered his head and made eye contact. ¡°Oh¡­ Yes¡­¡± ¡°I came to see Adelaide in the temple.¡± I didn¡¯t know when he was coming in, but the Grand Duke swept my hair after I woke up. ¡°Wow¡­ I see¡­ But, by the way, Kayle¡­!¡± ¡°You remembered my name? It¡¯s an honor.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t need to know such useless names, Bebe.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The Grand Duke drew a clear line, blocking the gap between myself and the new person. ¡°It will be the same in the future. You don¡¯t need to know the names of men. The only name you need to know is Xenox Avelant.¡± ¡°¡­Huh. I know your name as well.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s all that matters.¡± The priest, who was looking at us, smiled awkwardly and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d be happy if you could call me by my name, but just remembering is enough.¡± The priest, who was saying that naturally, put his hand on my mother¡¯s head. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. My mom sleeps more than before. Is it really bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable. It¡¯s not as good as last time. If you don¡¯t get a good response without any reason¡­ it could be dangerous.¡± In an instant, my body became weak. I thought it would be over if I saved my mom, but I guess that was not it. I barely smiled, holding back my tears. ¡°It could be dangerous¡­ that my mother would die. It¡¯s not like that, is it? Huh?¡± I urged the priest, but he only bit his lips. ¡°Then, Mom¡­ is my mom going to die? Are you sure¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe this was the conclusion that I¡¯d come to endure all that time and all that pain. Then a big hand swept my head lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bebe. I won¡¯t let her die.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Kayle, get a way to save her.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How could you say that so easily? There must be a way. If you¡¯re a candidate for the ministerial office, you can do much. Prove to me that the temple is not a useless place.¡± The Grand duke looked at him emotionally, as if he were to take back what he had entrusted. ¡°Your Highness, that is¡­¡± ¡°If you really didn¡¯t know, if there wasn¡¯t a way, you wouldn¡¯t even know why Adelaide was in this state. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re investigating or plotting something suspicious inside the temple.¡± Only then did Kayle bite his lip. ¡°¡­I think I may not have talked about it well last time.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say it wrong, so you should find a way. We¡¯re okay to make any kind of sacrifices so save her. Save Adelaide.¡± ¡°Ah¡­! Alright. Your Highness says so, so I should. I can¡¯t make a cute girl cry here.¡± I nodded as I saw Kayle smiling brightly. ¡°Do you have to save your mom?¡± It was my first time begging God. ¡® God, you and I have gone through so much, please save her for once. Isn¡¯t that enough to bother us?¡¯ I held my hands together. ¡®My mom and I want to live as ordinary people.¡¯ I told God my heart while looking straight at Kayle. ¡°I want to live. I want to live with my mom, and for my mom to smile happily for a long time. In case I cried, I buried my sad heart somewhere in case the Grand Duke hated it. ¡°You don¡¯t need my power to help save my mom, so please save her.¡± Unconsciously, I held my mother¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll save her no matter what, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Even if he noticed my anxiety, Kayle smiled broadly. ¡°Whew¡­¡± ¡°Bebe, you don¡¯t have to trust the priest, but you can trust me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never failed to do what I set out to do. So trust me and I will save your mother somehow.¡± His determined eyes somehow reassured me. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll believe you. If that¡¯s what Daddy does, then so be it!¡± And Kayle, who took turns looking at the two of us, put a hand on my mother¡¯s forehead. Just like last time, the surroundings became brighter, and as the light faded, the sound of my mother¡¯s breathing became a little more comfortable. Chapter 76.2 After all the lights in the room had gone out, I quickly put my ear to my mother¡¯s chest. The sound of my mother¡¯s heart was unusually loud, like a jumping fish. ¡°Mom! You¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯ll be fine for a while.¡± I nodded animatedly and fell into my mother¡¯s arms. How long has it been? Just as I snuggled in my mother¡¯s arms, Kayle opened his mouth. ¡°More than that, I think it¡¯s just rumors.¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a rumor about the Grand Duke¡¯s feelings for the new Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°How dare anyone spread the rumor about the Grand Duke so boldly?¡± As expected, the Grand Duke showed his temper as if he had been waiting. I lifted my head slightly from my mother¡¯s arms and looked at them. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad rumor. It¡¯s just a rumor that Your Highness really cares about the woman who came in after a long time.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a good or bad rumor, it¡¯s a rumor about me somehow. How dare you say such a thing to me¡­!¡± For a moment, the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes, who were looking at Kayle, met mine. To be exact, I was going to look at my mom, but my dad unintentionally looked at me. Then, he hurriedly cleared his throat with a suspicious look. ¡°Anyway, why is there such a rumor all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s a new Grand Duchess here, and I can¡¯t help but hear the news because you¡¯re hiding her, so rumors are bound to spread.¡± The Grand Duke nodded his head as if in agreement with his words and took a deep breath. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°¡­Anyway, you should stop talking nonsense and bring me a cure.¡± Kayle then nodded and took a step back. ¡°All right.¡± But the Grand Duke didn¡¯t even pay attention to him as he went out. He just looked at my mother and I without saying a word. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You were staring at me so much.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ I think¡­ I thought it was bigger than I thought.¡± He sat down and nodded his head. ¡°Yeah! Mom is precious. She¡¯s the only one who loves Bebe!¡± ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t matter what lies your mom told you?¡± ¡°Um¡­ maybe!¡± Perhaps that was the answer he wanted. He patted my head with his big hand. His touch was friendly, but somehow it trembled a little. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°I told them to make medicine from today, so make sure you take it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sick¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re too small. Go ahead and grow up.¡± I usually took medicine when I was sick. However, I could not refuse any more because of his sad eyes today. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll do that!¡± ¡°Yes, good.¡± And maybe that was all he had to say, but he sighed deeply and went out like that. I laid down next to my mother while looking at her. ¡°Mom¡­ don¡¯t worry too much. If it doesn¡¯t work¡­ we can do it again. It¡¯ll just be a bit painful for me.¡± I patted my mom¡¯s arm, determined it would not happen. ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll make sure we don¡¯t make any mistakes¡­ so don¡¯t worry. We can definitely be happy.¡± But Mom, I¡¯m so happy right now. I enjoy waking up every morning for the first time. So Mom¡­ hang in there until my dad finds a way. ¡°Let¡¯s live this time.¡± Like my mother who patted me on the back when I couldn¡¯t sleep at night, I fell asleep after patting her for so long. *** A few more days had passed. I stuck my mouth in front of Cecilia every morning. ¡°Cecilia, do I have to eat this?¡± The medicine that the Grand Duke said was worse than I thought. It was sticky, as if it had been brewing for 30 hours while grazing, and the color was also dark green. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I saw it somewhere¡­ Childrens¡¯ medicine is sweet and tasty¡­ What¡¯s wrong with mine?¡± Cecilia looked more determined than ever when I asked her sincerely. ¡°I put in a lot of things because I hope you get better soon.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat this, you have to be healthy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I shouldn¡¯t have said that much, but Cecilia smiled and pushed the medicine towards me. ¡°¡­Are you really eating it?¡± ¡°Yes, I ate it well yesterday.¡± Yet as the days went by, I felt like it got tastier. ¡°Come on, eat. You are going out today.¡± ¡°Out?¡± ¡°Yes, today is the day to check if Harris is part of the Grand Duke¡¯s bloodline.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°It seems that the organization that can confirm it has just arrived. I think the Imperial family suffered quite a bit because they didn¡¯t let them go.¡± Chapter 77.1 Will it finally be revealed today? Whether Harris is real or not? No wonder my heart was pounding. ¡°So let¡¯s get ready!¡± Why did Cecilia look happier than me? ¡°Cecilia, you look happy.¡± ¡°Do I? Maybe?¡± Yet the smile remained on her face. ¡°Yes, very much so. But I like it. Whether Harris is real or fake¡­ we can finally find out!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Now I could finally stop watching Harris doing something bad. ¡®I hope when they test it, it doesn¡¯t come out as real¡­¡¯ For a moment, I felt anxious. If it did, what would happen? ¡°My Lady, what do you think?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look good. If you feel uncomfortable going¡­¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not uncomfortable!¡± I shook my head hastily just in case Cecilia said we won¡¯t go. Cecilia, who looked at me with strange eyes, slipped out the medicine bottle again. She was determined, as if she was telling me I had to eat that. Eventually, I looked at the medicine bottle in front of me and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Ugh! Ew!¡± ¡°My Lady did well.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ water¡­!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°From books and other people¡­ they all ate medicine and then candy¡­¡± ¡°It might reduce the effectiveness of the medicine.¡± How could you be so firm? Eventually, I had to tremble in pain until all the bitter taste in my mouth was gone. ¡°I hate it.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m happy to see you take it well!¡± How could you be so resolute? In the end, I had to tremble in pain until all the bitterness in my mouth was gone. ¡°Shall we go wash up now?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Only then did she lift me up. At first, I hated moving around as she held me, but after a while, I couldn¡¯t be this comfortable. I put my arms around her neck like a doll and leaned slightly. ¡°I think you¡¯re used to it now.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°In the past, you never leaned on me even when I hugged you like this. But now, you lean on me. I¡¯m just wondering if you¡¯ve gotten used to me.¡± No wonder Cecilia looked at me with anticipation. ¡°How do you feel? Do you feel more comfortable?¡± I nodded slightly at her words. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­I think¡­ Cecilia is, uh¡­ fine.¡± As if what I was thinking was right, Cecilia looked happier than ever. ¡°I¡¯m glad you said that. I have nothing to say. I like you very much, too. The more I¡¯m next to you, the warmer I feel.¡± She patted my cheek¡­ just like my mom used to do. And I hugged her stronger than ever. Today was a very good day. I took some bitter medicine in the morning, but it was still a good day. Maybe it was because Cecilia was the same. She prepared me with more enthusiasm than ever. Thanks to her, I was ready to go out in a pretty dress after a while. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be back safely today. Wake up soon, okay?¡± Normally, I would have talked more and looked at my mom for a long time, but I was excited today, so I came out with a kiss on the cheek. ¡°You didn¡¯t say hi for a long time today.¡± ¡°Oh! I couldn¡¯t wait to go.¡± Cecilia, who held my hand tightly, smiled more brightly than ever at my words and moved outside. She didn¡¯t stop walking, saying that she seemed to have come out a little earlier. We arrived at the meeting hall where the meeting was held. As soon as they saw me, they already gathered inside in two¡¯s and three¡¯s and stepped back to both sides like a sea parting in half. For some reason, I didn¡¯t see the pony-like Allen. There was no Grand Duke, no Lexit and no Harris. ¡°I guess I came too early.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little bit.¡± Cecilia held me in her arms and headed to the window, as if to distract me from the eyes of others. ¡°When your mother wakes up, you can go to the garden to play. This time, His Majesty ordered the garden to be completely repaired.¡± ¡°Did he?¡± ¡°Yes. Since he found out you liked yellow flowers, all yellow flowers¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Cecilia smiled and stroked my head as she said that. ¡°You¡¯re being loved.¡± ¡°I think so. It¡¯s a bit too much, but¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ve been through a lot, so I guess you want to be a bit more careful and do more for us. You¡¯re more sweet and affectionate than when Aster and the twin masters were together.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Chapter 77.2 ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± As I rubbed my lips, Cecilia let out a sigh, as if thinking of something. ¡°By the way, it looks like Aster is coming back soon.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He graduated at the top of the academy this time. He¡¯s supposed to be there for more than half a year, but he performed so outstandingly that he will be here any minute.¡± There was some hope in those words. ¡°Aster¡­ said he loved Harris, did he?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. I¡¯m sorry My Lady will be liked. He¡¯s a bit unique, but¡­¡± But then¡­ ¡°Is she already here?¡± When I turned my head to the familiar voice, the Grand Duke entered. Unlike before, he held Harris¡¯s hand. At that moment, I felt something heavy in my heart. ¡°Yes, I was here. Daddy¡¯s late.¡± ¡°I had to go get Harris. She asked me to pick her up today.¡± Was it because she came in with the Grand Duke? Harris looked at me with a more confident expression than ever. After that, Lexit came in with the same expression. No, on the contrary, Lexit looked at me with an openly comfortable expression. ¡°Cecilia, I want to go down.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll drop you off.¡± As I came down, the Grand Duke, who released Harris¡¯s hand, came up to me. ¡°You must have been upset that you had to come alone.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not upset. Today¡¯s star is Harris.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely go to you next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s fine.¡± But the Grand Duke smiled sweetly and reached out to me, and I had no choice but to hold him. ¡°But Allen isn¡¯t coming?¡± ¡°I told him to come at the right time, but I don¡¯t know where he went.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Allen, who would normally have been here a long time ago, or in front of my room, was nowhere to be seen. When the Grand Duke came into the room, the nobles, who all bowed to him, opened their mouths as if they were waiting for me to be placed at the top. ¡°Then, how do you feel now, Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Fine. I should deal with it now. There¡¯s nothing more to drag on.¡± With those words, the Grand Duke nodded. Then, one of the attendants walked out slowly and held a round bead on a silver tray. It looked transparent, and the large beads gave the impression of a subtle fog swaying inside. ¡°But Your Highness, how did you get that thing from the Imperial family?¡± ¡°Why? Is its existence very suspicious?¡± ¡°No way. It¡¯s just amazing that the Imperial family easily gave away such a treasure.¡± ¡°I stole it because they didn¡¯t give it to me.¡± At those words, the faces of those in the meeting room darkened. ¡°What is that¡­¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t give it because they say it¡¯s only used to assess the bloodline of the Imperial family, but I had to steal it.¡± Rather, he was so proud that he had nothing more to say. ¡°I see.¡± This was also true for the nobles. At the unexpected answer, they just laughed and looked at each other. ¡°Well, first of all¡­ I have to prove it, so Lexit and I should try it first.¡± Lexit, who mumbled, came forward with a nod. ¡°All I need is a drop of blood.¡± The servant, who brought the beads with him, slightly put something pointy on Lexit¡¯s hand. For a moment, red drops of blood fell to the floor from Lexit¡¯s hand. As if waiting for it, the Grand Duke nodded, and the servant dropped drops of blood on the bead. Then, red blood disappeared in an instant as if it were absorbed into the bead. Instead, black smoke floated inside the transparent bead. ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± Everyone watched the scene with bated breath. Then, more blood dripped to the floor than before. Only then did the Grand Duke put his hand on the beat, and in an instant, the blood was absorbed into the bead. Then, black smoke, which looked rougher than before, fluttered in the bead, and the two black smoke fused in an instant. ¡°This confirms the normal operation. The two smokes have fused.¡± ¡°I see. I think it¡¯s the royal treasure I¡¯ve only heard of.¡± ¡°Now Harris, it¡¯s your turn.¡± The priest rubbed the beads with the cloth, and the black smoke disappeared in an instant. ¡°Yes! Here, hand!¡± But somehow, Harris¡¯s behavior was strange. Obviously, I didn¡¯t think that neither Harris nor I were the Grand Duke¡¯s real daughter, but Harris just held out her hand confidently, as if she was trying to reveal that she really had the Grand Duke¡¯s blood. ¡®What? Strange.¡¯ Chapter 78.1 She was so confident that her confidence would earn her an award. ¡®If you were going to be so confident¡­¡¯ When the word ¡®prove¡¯ first came out, Harris¡¯s reaction was clearly different. The Grand Duke¡¯s face hardened a little as if he had something to believe. ¡°You¡¯re like a different person, Harris.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m confident, so go ahead.¡± The Grand Duke stared silently at Harris and looked around. My gaze also moved accordingly to his gaze, and the surroundings looked a little strange. The nobles¡¯s eyes looked around the place a little uneasy as they gathered in groups. Of course, I thought Harris would look like that, but it turned out to be the opposite. ¡®Why am I nervous?¡¯ I looked at her in a strange way, but she held out her hand with a similar attitude and expression. ¡°How long are you waiting?¡± Only then did the Grand Duke nod his head and look at his servant. As he had done with Lexit, the servant approached Harris very slowly and pricked the child¡¯s hand with a needle. Harris let out a small ¡®Ouch¡¯. Then, drops of blood fell from the child¡¯s hand. It was almost the same as before. Drops of blood fell on the beads, and a black smoke rose as soon as Harris¡¯s blood dropped. As if waiting for this moment, the Grand Duke pressed his hand, which had been cut earlier, and stopped slightly. Then the red drops of blood dripped down again, and the smoke fused together in the beds. The nobles, who did not respond much when Lexit did, made a noise and their eyes twinkled. ¡°As expected, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s the real daughter of the Grand Duke!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly the same reaction as Master Lexit.¡± The words added one by one changed the atmosphere of the meeting into a friendly atmosphere. However, the Grand Duke¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How are you feeling, Your Highness? She¡¯s your real daughter. This is the moment you¡¯re certain she¡¯s your last child.¡± ¡°Honestly, we all knew you were the real daughter without having to do this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Grand Duke, who listened to them, smirked and nodded very slowly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s my child.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. We¡¯ve all seen it here.¡± Harris¡¯s shoulders stretched out as she watched them confidently. The Grand Duke slowly approached Harris. ¡°It¡¯s the way you wanted it to be.¡± ¡°Oh, and I told you! I¡¯m not going to stand still because you suspected me!¡± ¡°You must have hated me for doubting you, Harris.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll let you regret it.¡± However, despite Harris¡¯s appearance, the Grand Duke did not blink an eye. ¡°Yes, of course I¡¯ll regret it if you¡¯re really my daughter. But Harris¡­ you¡¯re telling me a lie again today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! Are you doubting me now?¡± As soon as he heard the voice of a very annoyed child, the Grand Duke approached the servant, who was walking away with a thud. The servant, who was holding the bead as if it were something very precious, flinched slightly as if surprised by the steps of the Grand Duke. ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°Oh, no! What a surprise!¡± She said no, but anyone could see that she was surprised. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Huh? My hand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ yes, yes.¡± The curious servant reached out his hand awkwardly. It was natural that his posture became strange because he was holding beads on a silver plate. As if annoyed, the Grand Duke sighed and a knight later approached to take the bead. ¡°Hold out your hand properly.¡± At that, the servant turned his hand upside down and held it. ¡°Is this enough?¡± ¡°Of course. Now Harris, hold out your hand.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my hand?¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t lie, tell me.¡± Harris looked more uncomfortable than before, looking at the Grand Duke. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you give me your hand, Harris?¡± ¡°No, I can give you my hand, but my dad is the worst! Why are you doing this when I said it wasn¡¯t me?¡± Harris reached out her plump hand to the Grand Duke. ¡°Your hands are clean, considering you just got pricked.¡± ¡°Well, it¡­ it stopped bleeding quickly! Are you picking a fight with me for that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not picking a fight.¡± Then, the Grand duke¡¯s hand swept Harris¡¯s hand very slowly. Surprised by his unexpected behavior, Harris tried to fold her hands quickly, but he laughed as if he had found something in between. ¡°But¡­ What is this?¡± The Grand Duke swept his fingers slowly. ¡°What¡¯s what?¡± ¡°What just came out of your hand?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. What did you get?¡± Chapter 78.2 ¡°It looks like a tiny piece of plastic. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in it, but it¡¯s red.¡± Even though he showed it while talking, it was so small that it was hard to see. ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°Really? I see. Well, you always said you didn¡¯t know anything. I don¡¯t know this either, yet I understand. Instead, let¡¯s do this again.¡± There was not a hint of emotion in the Grand Duke¡¯s voice. He just looked at Harris as if he were doing what he had to do. ¡°Why? We just did it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I was suspicious.¡± ¡°No, I just proved it. What else do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Then just now, tell me why you suddenly don¡¯t want to do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± That was not Harris¡¯s blood. At this moment, I knew for sure. Otherwise, there was no need to make a fuss about how Harris is losing so much. ¡°This is very suspicious.¡± At this point, she should have told the truth, but Harris shook her head and glared at him. ¡°¡­Fine!¡± On the contrary, the Grand Duke was surprised by the remark. Harris, who just said she wouldn¡¯t do it, said she would do it again. ¡°I can do it, but¡­ I won¡¯t forgive you, Dad..¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The servant, who was at a loss between the two, came one step at a time. The Grand Duke reached out to the servant as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°Give me the needle.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll poke you even if you do, so come out with the needle.¡± At those words, the servant nodded very slowly while making an ¡®ah¡¯ sound. Then¡­ ¡°All right, go¡­¡± It was then¡­ The door of the meeting hall, which had been closed, bursted open. In an unexpected situation, those who were there looked out of the meeting hall at the same time. It was Allen who came through the door. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything without me!¡± Allen, who rushed through the wide-open door to see where he had been and just came from, complained. ¡°Oh, Allen, why are you so late?¡± Allen pouted his lips like a duck at those words. ¡°I listened to my dad and went to pick up my brother, but he was already gone, so I looked around just in case, but now I¡¯m here.¡± When Allen bursted in, he broke all seriousness. ¡°But did you do it already?¡± Then he looked at Harris and the Grand Duke alternately and stuck close to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it again.¡± ¡°Oh, come on. More than that, Bebe, I waited for you. I always pick up my sister whenever something happens.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know because I left a little early.¡± Like any sweet brother, Allen wiped off his sweat and smiled brightly. Until just now, something seemed to have fallen off for me, but the moment Allen came, my world seemed to have changed. It seemed that the stage had changed from a distant, supporting role to the main character of the story. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s possible.¡± Meanwhile, Allen urged Harris again. ¡°You¡¯re not going to do it? Can we leave now?¡± Allen, who had just come in, brazenly grabbed my hand and tried to get out again. ¡°No, we can do it now!¡± Again, Harris reached out as if she had made up her mind. Then, Allen, who was standing next to me and talking, tilted his head and approached the long table. ¡°Oh, but what¡¯s wrong with this table?¡± At Allen¡¯s unexpected words, the Grand Duke¡¯s and Harris¡¯s eyes turned to Allen at the same time as they were about to move their hands to prove their bloodline. ¡°What about the table?¡± Until just now, the Grand Duke, who was keen to draw Harris¡¯s blood, frowned at Allen¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s weird. The fabric up here¡­ is much longer than usual.¡± The cloth usually comes to the thigh when you sit down¡­but it was strange now. I didn¡¯t know from a distance, but it was even more strange to hear Allen say so. The top was a white cloth as always, and the bottom was a cloth that seemed to paint the surrounding scenery. The cloth was so well-drawn that it gave the illusion of the surrounding landscape. ¡°I see. It¡¯s very suspicious.¡± Only then did the Grand duke slowly come to the table as if he had figured something out about the situation. Without hesitation, he peeled the cloth off. ¡°Then, an unexpected person was shaking under the table. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± The moment I saw him, I was surprised, as well as the Grand Duke and Allen. The kid in front of me¡­ looked just like me. Chapter 79.1 Am I dreaming? If this is not a dream, what could be a dream? Is it because I¡¯m so tired that I suddenly fainted and had a dream? Those thoughts filled my head. However, no matter how I looked at it, it was not a dream. As if I was not the only one who was surprised, the child, who was shaking in front of me, looked at me with his eyes wide open. The difference was that he was a bit shorter than me and skinnier than me since he couldn¡¯t eat as much. One by one, there were differences such as disheveled long hair and a dirty face, but it was clear that we resembled each other physically. I slowly approached the child as if attracted by something. But before I could do that, the Grand Duke picked me up. ¡°Oh¡­¡± There was no time to be surprised by the sudden action. ¡°It could be dangerous.¡± ¡°Oh, but¡­ he looks just like me.¡± It wasn¡¯t until I heard what the novels were saying, who were standing at the long table before approaching us. Their reactions were different. Some were astonished to the point of silence, while others only uttered an ¡®ah¡¯. Among them, the Marquis and those surrounding him only looked at the child without changing their expressions. ¡°I think there¡¯s someone who shouldn¡¯t have been here. How did such a mishap happen in the Grand Duchy? Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll go and do some research.¡± The child¡¯s body trembled with fear at the words. The boy who looked just like me stepped back, scared. ¡°Why? You must be scared to get caught, right?¡± The Grand Duke dropped me off next to Allen as he spoke those words. Then he approached the child himself. I wanted to go so I tried to follow after him, but Allen held my hand tightly. ¡°Why¡­ I want to go.¡± Still, Allen was adamant, and I had to take a step back and look at him. ¡°What do you mean he got caught?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not trying to hide your child because you got caught, why are you trying to take him so suddenly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ something that shouldn¡¯t have happened. The one who doesn¡¯t know who he is or where he came from is the Grand Duke, and he¡¯s in the sacred meeting hall, so we need to investigate. If anything, I think he¡¯s a bit different than usual.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ll take him out.¡± ¡°But you know what? Isn¡¯t it weird? This has never happened before, but why did it happen today? Is it just a coincidence?¡± Some nobles nodded awkwardly. ¡°It can¡¯t happen unless it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± ¡°That little boy came to the Grand Duchy through the forest, where it¡¯s hard even for an average adult to come¡­ He came into this meeting room by chance, but not in the kitchen with food?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s very strange. Even now, I can¡¯t believe a trembling child came into the most crowded meeting room.¡± The Grand Duke, who was slightly drooping, leaned down and looked at the child. ¡°It would be nice if you could tell me if you really came in here by chance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll tell me.¡± Meanwhile, several knights approached him. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so dangerous about a kid this small?¡± His large hand reached out to the child. The child who looked just like me couldn¡¯t hold his hand easily. Instead, his eyes scanned around and looked at me. I nodded. Somehow, I felt like I had to do that. The mumbling child walked out slowly this time and grabbed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to take this child with me.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Stop. He¡¯s a visitor to my castle.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± They couldn¡¯t even make a proper counterargument and just kept saying it¡¯s dangerous. Meanwhile, the child, who completely came out, quickly hid behind the Grand Duke. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect Allen to find out.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I thought someone would be here today.¡± He looked at Allen with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m kind of amazing. I knew it as soon as I got here!¡± Allen, who proudly moved his shoulders, held my hand tightly. Allen seemed to be wondering about the kid who looked like me, but he didn¡¯t even think of going to him because I was here. Chapter 79.2 ¡°More than that, Bebe, I¡¯m sure this child has the same blood as you. Perhaps the power you felt belonged to this child.¡± ¡°¡­My blood?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you expected it just by looking at him¡­¡± I stood still and looked straight at the child. It felt really weird the more I looked at him. ¡°I told you I¡¯d find him¡­ the source of your pain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that kid?¡± He nodded and looked at the child hiding behind him. ¡°But it¡¯s really strange. Harris is so quiet even though she usually says she doesn¡¯t care.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t say that!¡± Harris, who had remained quiet the whole time, roared. ¡°That¡¯s how you reply. Then, let¡¯s do it again.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°To check if you¡¯re really my daughter or not.¡± In an instant, Harris¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s over soon, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.. It won¡¯t hurt much.¡± ¡°No! Oh, I don¡¯t feel good today. I was supposed to be the main character today, but then everyone forgot about me. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like it.¡± Then she tried to get as far away from the Grand Duke as possible. ¡°Harris.¡± ¡°What? I hate it!¡± ¡°¡­If you insist on not doing it, I might throw you out of here.¡± Only then did Harris stop. Then she glared at the Grand Duke with an angry look on her face. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a threat. So if you don¡¯t want to be treated like that, come on.¡± At that moment, Harris¡¯s eyes moved. She looked around for a long time, as if she was looking for a solution, but no one helped. Even the nobles, who met eye contact with Harris, were busy humming and pretending not to know. Finally, Harris bit her lips tightly and nodded as if she had given up. ¡°All right. You can do it. I¡¯ll do it.¡± It was unexpected. The Grand Duke also nodded as if he found it surprising. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± However, Harris, who had just been confident, suddenly touched her head. ¡°Oh¡­ all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± A-All of a sudden¡­ Oh, I¡¯m so dizzy¡­¡± Harris, whose eyes had just been wide open, fell slowly to the side. Lexit, who was next to Harris the whole time, supported her body as if surprised. ¡°Harris?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m so dizzy¡­¡± Then Harris closed her eyes. Only Lexit started to make a fuss when the awkwardness started. ¡°Oh, come on! Get a doctor! She¡¯s down!¡± A step later, the nobles began making a fuss. ¡°Oh goodness, a doctor¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move Lady Harris to her room.¡± ¡°What are you all doing? Hurry up and move! Hurry!¡± But the Grand Duke did not. ¡°Even if she goes, I still have to check if she¡¯s really my daughter.¡± ¡°Father! That¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? I don¡¯t think it makes sense to leave without checking. And Lexit, I think you¡¯re suspicious to a certain extent¡­ about Harris¡¯s existence.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt¡­ Harris is the youngest daughter my mother gave birth to so that¡¯s enough for today! I can¡¯t watch it anymore.¡± The Grand Duke nodded silently at Lexit¡¯s angry words. ¡°Tell Harris, even though she¡¯s pretending to faint even now, that she can¡¯t go on like this forever, so it¡¯d be better to step back on your own.¡± That was the end. Harris¡¯s maid, who entered the room, hugged Harris before she knew it. Harris left with the maid hugging her and Lexit followed. Thanks to that, the atmosphere of the meeting room worsened. ¡°You all have to leave now. This is the end of today¡¯s meeting.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ what are you going to do with him?¡± One of the nobles, who stepped down one by one, looked at the child holding the Grand Duke¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Trying to add something more, they shut up and went out with a helpless expression. Once everyone left, all that was left was the Grand Duke, the child, Allen, myself, Cecilia and a few knights. ¡°Now, I think it¡¯s time to talk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± But the child didn¡¯t say anything to the Grand Duke¡¯s question. He just looked at me, so I tilted my head at the child. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who are you¡­? Why do you look the same as me¡­? I thought my brother was dead¡­¡± Finally, a voice came out of the child¡¯s mouth, and I only blinked at the identical voice. Chapter 80.1 ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°¡­But you are not my brother.¡± His voice cracked, but sounded pretty much the same as mine. ¡°Do you have a younger brother? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s not mine. How do you know?¡± ¡°¡­Because I saw it when my brother died, so he¡¯s not my brother.¡± ¡°You two look alike.¡± The child squinted at me with those words. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know either.¡± Then he turned his head away, as if he didn¡¯t want to talk to me anymore. ¡°He looks like you when you first came here.¡± It was Allen, who added a word all of a sudden. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You sounded like a naughty boy, and you do look like him. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re blood-related.¡± At those words, my cheeks and the child¡¯s cheeks flared in an instant. ¡°No! And I don¡¯t look like her!¡± The child screamed as if he were saying he shouldn¡¯t look like me. ¡°Why? I don¡¯t think you look like me when I saw you for the first time!: Somehow, I screamed in anger. The Grand Duke got in between us. ¡°It¡¯s not like this¡­ I think we should find someone who knows all this.¡± Our eyes were on him at the same time as he spoke. ¡°Anyone who would know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think Bebe and that kid are related, but they¡¯re not, so we¡¯re going to Adelaide.¡± He nodded loudly for a moment. ¡°Right! Mom would know! She might be up now!¡± ¡°Do you¡­ have a mom?¡± The child in front of me frowned at me. He seemed to be freaked out as if there was something I shouldn¡¯t have. I didn¡¯t know why he was making that facial expression, but I swerved. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Mom.¡± Allen walked ahead in response to my words, but the boy who just looked like me made an uncomfortable expression and followed us. He followed behind me, contrary to my expectation that he would hate it. Somehow, I felt strange. It was not enough to meet someone who looked like me, but now he¡¯s following me. Is he really my relative, just like the Grand Duke said? Was he the one who caused my sickness all along? ¡®My heart feels strange.¡¯ As if he had noticed what I was thinking, Allen turned his head and smiled foolishly, making eye contact with me as if he were saying ¡®Don¡¯t worry¡¯. Meanwhile, we walked to the room. Theo, who had been guarding the room, opened the door with a slight bow. ¡°Bebe, are you here?¡± In the meantime, my mother was standing up and looking at me. My mother, who usually sat on the bed, smiled with open arms. ¡°Yes! Bebe is here!¡± For the first time in a long time, my bright mother gently patted my hair when I ran to her. ¡°Bebe looks happy today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy my mom woke up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that Mommy always sleeps¡­¡± My mother, who slightly let go of me, looked at me with a sad expression. ¡°No! It¡¯s good you woke up.¡± Now my mom can¡¯t leave until I find a way. She just woke up and calmly pushed her disheveled hair back. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± In the meantime, the Grand Duke, my pony brother and the child who looked like me came to my mother. That¡¯s when she completely let me go. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me know if you feel uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°I was only worried about¡­ if Bebe doesn¡¯t have a mother, she¡¯d be so sad, so no I wasn¡¯t. Anyway¡­ I have work to do.¡± The Grand duke, who was not usually the type to be embarrassed, mumbled and made eye contact with my mother. ¡°What are you going to do? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hmm, come on out now.¡± Before I knew it, the child poked his head out, as if he was hiding behind the Grand Duke. The child still had untidy hair that covered most of his face, and torn, shabby clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at this kid.¡± Only then did my mother¡¯s eyes turn to the child. My mother¡¯s face, which had widened eyes, hardened slowly. I tried to think that my mother wouldn¡¯t know and that there was just a child who looked just like me, but my mother¡¯s expression told me everything. She knew that kid. Chapter 80.2 ¡°That child¡­¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All your expressions say that you know this child.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s words made her lips quiver. For a long time, the room was filled with silence. My mother, who sighed several times, looked at the child with a deep sigh. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my first time seeing his face.¡± My mother¡¯s hand reached out to the child. ¡°¡­First time seeing this child?¡± ¡°Come here, child.¡± However, the child did not think of coming close to my mother¡¯s call. As expected, she put her hand down again and stroked my head instead. ¡°I thought we should talk about it someday, but I didn¡¯t think it would come this soon. I wanted to hide it a little longer, sweetheart.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°My baby¡­ I was hoping the day would come when I told you¡­ I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you first.¡± Like the day my mom died, my mother¡¯s voice was calmer yet trembled. ¡°What do you mean, Mom?¡± ¡°That kid is¡­ maybe your twin brother.¡± I only blinked. It was surprising that a boy looked exactly like me, but he and I are twins. I just tilted my head towards my mother. But that was when my mother started her story. ¡° Beatrice, Alphius had a twin who was always together before they were born.¡± ¡°Are we¡­ twins?¡± ¡°No way. My brother is dead! I¡­ I saw him die. I saw my¡­ my¡­ my burned black!¡± The child, who was yelling, shook his head violently and denied the situation. ¡°Yeah¡­ didn¡¯t it happen when you were very young?¡± ¡°Are you ignoring me because I¡¯m young?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring you. If you saw it, it¡¯s a memory. And actually¡­ the child was burned.¡± The story of the two of them went on. I couldn¡¯t believe the situation and couldn¡¯t even guess what they were talking about, so I just blinked. ¡°But why is he my brother? Why am I his sister?¡± ¡°Because the dead child is not Bebe. Someone broke up¡­ the two children. And the dead child¡­ was mine.¡± ¡°Mom¡­?¡± At her unexpected words, I had no choice but to open my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bebe. Bebe isn¡¯t really my child. That doesn¡¯t mean I was forced to raise you. I didn¡¯t raise you as my child¡¯s substitute. I really loved you. I loved you so much more than my child. I was always happy to be your mother.¡± What could I say? Was this what she was hiding? Was this my mother¡¯s good lie? It would¡¯ve been better if it was something else. Why¡­ Why did this happen? ¡°Mom¡­ isn¡¯t my mom?¡± ¡°Yes, the mother who gave birth to you is different to the mother who gave birth to Alphius.¡± ¡°No. It can¡¯t be. No¡­ No. Mom¡­ you¡¯re really my mom. You said it was real¡­ Yes. I have no other memories. Nonsense. I¡­ I don¡¯t even remember having an older brother like that. I didn¡¯t even know that his mother had another child¡­ I¡­¡± Tears fell from my eyes, and strange emotions sprung up and messed my mind. Still, I couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Why are you lying? Is this a good lie too? Is that so? That¡¯s right. It¡¯s like that, Mom¡­ you¡¯re telling me a good lie.¡± ¡°No, baby, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Why is that¡­ Mom, what did Bebe do wrong? So¡­ that¡¯s why you hate me? If that¡¯s the case¡­ I¡¯m sorry, so don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m my mother¡¯s daughter, right?¡± But my mother only shook her head with a determined expression on her face. ¡°Bebe, do you have any memory of the Emperor you thought was your real father?¡± ¡°Of course. Mom and I¡­ are always¡­ there was a father¡­ who loved us¡­¡± There certainly was, I thought so, but my memories kept getting tangled up. My dad who loved me¡­ Dad must have been there but it felt like he didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Hey sweetheart¡­ Mama can actually use magic. Didn¡¯t I say before that your bloodline is endowed with strong magical powers?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t know how to use magic. One day, I found out. My magic is¡­ the power of words¡­ the power of formulating stories, so¡­ it covered your memory with lies. At least I made up fake memories in the hopes of you being happy.¡± Chapter 81.1 I couldn¡¯t think of anything. My mind went blank, as if I was in a dream. My mom definitely told me stories, but I didn¡¯t think they were true. It turns out my mother made up my memories. She said my memories were fake. ¡°No, Mom, come on. There must have been a dad¡­ Daddy¡­ Daddy¡­! What was my dad like? ¡°My dad¡­ definitely¡­ loved Bebe. He loved and cared for me so much. So¡­ it can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°How did your dad love you? How did he love you?¡± My mother, who looked at me with moist eyes, looked exceptionally sad, as if she had just left. ¡°So¡­ So¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything to my mother like that. I really didn¡¯t remember anything. I used to remember how my dad played with me and loved me, but now I couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I don¡¯t remember either, baby¡­ Bebe¡­¡± ¡°No, no¡­ I-I¡­ I¡¯m sure I was happy when I was young¡­¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t happy. He¡­ abused us.¡± I still shook my head. In the meantime, the Grand Duke took a chair next to the bed and sat down. ¡°I did some research on the previous emperors, Bebe.¡± The exceptionally friendly voice of the Grand Duke penetrated my ears. ¡°About Dad? I¡¯m sure he¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°The previous emperor had a problem in an accident when he was a child, so he could not have children. He had an empress and several other women, but not one child was born.¡± Oh, my tears dropped at the sound. ¡°Ah.. no¡­ I¡¯m here. Does that mean I¡¯m not your daughter?¡± My reality was falling apart. It felt like my memories were pouring down too. ¡°Then¡­ you¡¯re a fake¡­ Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± But I didn¡¯t want to let go of my mother. As my mom said, I held my mom¡¯s hand tightly because I wanted her not to be a fake even if she was fake. I raised my head and made eye contact with my mother. Tears kept coming out of my eyes as my vision got blurry. ¡°Mommy is¡­¡± ¡°Mom, are you serious?¡± ¡°Bebe¡­ the previous emperor¡­ He was worse than the current emperor, who beat and tormented us.¡± But there was not a single memory about it. I tried to remember, but I didn¡¯t have any kind of memory about my dad, or someone I believed to be my dad. ¡°He was¡­ a woman collector. Bebe doesn¡¯t know this, but sometimes there are people who do such crazy things.¡± ¡°Collect women¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, and the former emperor¡­ liked to put everything he liked in one place. It didn¡¯t matter who had a husband. He was crazy about desire.¡± I didn¡¯t quite understand what my mother was saying, but I was sure something was wrong. ¡°And there, I met a woman who was in a similar situation to me.¡± ¡°Similar?¡± ¡°I was eight-months pregnant at that time, and she was pregnant too.¡± After seeing my mom look so serious, I wiped off my tears and sat up straight. However, my mom looked at the Grand Duke with a strange gaze as he sat on the chair next to the bed. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°The difference was that she was the only one forced to be dragged away, whereas I witnessed him kill my husband.¡± I didn¡¯t understand, yet I urged my mother to continue. ¡°Yes, we can talk about this later. Anyway, we became close friends since we were to be mothers. In the meantime, we both had children. I gave birth first, and then she gave birth. I had a pretty girl, and she had twins.¡± Mom¡¯s eyes turned to the boy in the room. Naturally, both my eyes and the Grand Duke directed in that direction. ¡°The kids¡­ it was you two, Bebe and Alphius.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡­ I am my mother¡¯s child. I have no memories of that.¡± ¡°My child¡­ died shortly after she was born.¡± I turned my head back and forth in denial, but my mother¡¯s eyes were firmer than ever. ¡°So¡­ I needed a way. I was just someone who was there because the Emperor liked me, but the twins¡¯ mother was different. Her¡­ Her children were special and the Emperor was preparing something else for it, so we had to decide.¡± None of my mother¡¯s words reached my ears. Maybe I was tired. I couldn¡¯t believe I had such a terrible dream. This was ridiculous. Chapter 81.2 ¡°I¡­ I guess I¡¯m sleepy. This is a dream. It must be a dream.¡± ¡°Fortunately, she was the only one who had twins¡­ the two of us were separated because we had children. So we¡­ we took care of the children and I casted a spell. The magic was supposed to protect the children for a long time, but she always wanted to go back to the children¡­¡± But as if she couldn¡¯t hear me, she kept talking. She also beckoned to the child who came in with me. ¡°Rather than talking¡­ it would be right to bring back your memories. Yes, it might be better to see for yourself, Ellinson¡¯s children.¡± My mother, who grabbed my hand at the same time as the child who came to me, smiled and closed her eyes quietly. And for a moment, her eyes turned dark. ¡°E-Ellinson! That¡¯s¡­That¡¯s the name of my wife but she has already passed away¡­¡± I heard the Grand Duke¡¯s voice, but my body was already droopy before I could open my eyes. It was as comfortable and warm as my mom¡¯s tummy. There was also someone else who held my hand. Even if I didn¡¯t say anything, I could feel my hand being held tightly. I also didn¡¯t want to let go of the hand, so I held it tightly. ¡°Well done, Ellinson.¡± But the warmth suddenly broke. The warm air surrounding us disappeared in an instant. Instead, a cold and damp feeling wrapped my whole body. Tears welled up naturally. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± ¡°The child must have woken up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± I wasn¡¯t a baby, but my voice went out like a baby. Maybe I felt it, but someone held me in their arms. I couldn¡¯t see the person in front of me well, but it was not difficult to see that they had brilliant blond hair. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, baby. Don¡¯t cry.¡± I quickly realized that the person¡¯s voice was my mom, who raised me and loved me all this time. ¡°What?¡± Mom? But all I could do was babble like a baby. What was going on here? Was she really showing me something? When those thoughts occurred to me, my eyes naturally turned to the surroundings. It wasn¡¯t the room I was in, nor was it the room where I was imprisoned in the Imperial Palace. This was my first time seeing it. It was cold enough to be a prison. ¡°It¡¯s interesting. Beatrice gets really quiet when she¡¯s in Adele¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­ maybe it¡¯s because I smell like you.¡± ¡°Adele¡­¡± ¡°Ellinson¡­ Ellen, we have to make a decision.¡± The person holding me in their arms and patting me on the back spat out their voice with a sad expression. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what to decide¡­¡± ¡°The Emperor knew you were the Grand Duchess and brought you here. That¡¯s probably why he dragged you here because you weren¡¯t easy to move around. Since you¡¯re having twins, he probably didn¡¯t know you were going to give birth so soon¡­ but surely¡­ he will, of course, try to take advantage of the children.¡± Grand Duchess? Ellinson? You couldn¡¯t not know the name of my brother¡¯s mother, whom the Grand Duke loved so much. I thought it was just a coincidence when my mom mentioned the name Ellinson earlier, but now I didn¡¯t think it was. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°If you do it wrong, you¡¯ll lose everything. The Emperor¡­ he¡¯s trying to use you to destroy the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ if I hadn¡¯t been caught like a fool¡­ if I had known that the Emperor had that idea, my children¡­¡± Holding me in her arms, she strode to the woman named Ellinson. Then she patted her shoulder. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡­ Even I was brought to the Emperor when I was pregnant. I didn¡¯t know he was this insidious, pretending to be a good person to others.¡± ¡°Adele, if I don¡¯t decide here, both children will¡­¡± ¡°The Emperor will take advantage of it. To cover up his sins, the Emperor must¡­ kill the child¡­ on the day he won¡¯t need us. No matter what Ellinson, you won¡¯t be able to run away with two kids, so leave the child to me first.¡± Chapter 82.1 The voice sounded somewhat distressed. It was definitely my mother¡¯s voice, but I felt sad, as if it were someone else¡¯s voice to the point where I felt like a child who couldn¡¯t even speak properly. ¡°In the end¡­ do you mean I have to leave my child?¡± I looked up slightly and saw the person in front of me. Because of my blurred vision, I couldn¡¯t see her exact face and what she was doing, but the woman seemed to be crying. Her shaky shoulders and her horse voice made it obvious. ¡°You just had a baby¡­ and you can¡¯t run away, so you have to take care of each child. Did you hear the news? From here, we¡¯ll be moving soon. ¡°I know. The story is¡­¡± ¡°On that day, it¡¯s better to take care of each child for the sake of the children.¡± Only a deep sigh filled the place. ¡°If only I hadn¡¯t been kidnapped¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too badly. It wasn¡¯t even a perfect goodbye.¡± ¡°But Adele, you¡¯re thinking¡­ you¡¯ll only have one child.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Elin. All I can do is to make sure that even one child¡­ doesn¡¯t die in vain like mine did.¡± There was only a deep sigh. I could feel tears flowing from Ellinson¡¯s eyes. Even though it was hard to see, emotions flowed into me without stopping. ¡®Is it because that person¡­ is my real mother?¡¯ I was just sad. My heart ached like I was going to cry. ¡°I understand how Adele feels¡­¡± ¡°Because I was a mother¡­ I know how Ellin feels, so I won¡¯t force you anymore.¡± It was like I shouldn¡¯t even breathe, but I felt like I was going to keep crying. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my emotions coming out of my heart, and just as tears came out, Ellinson¡¯s voice came. ¡°Adele, please take care of my child.¡± ¡°Good thinking.¡± ¡°Because Beatrice follows Adele well¡­ I¡¯ll ask Beatrice until all of this is over.¡± She got up before she knew it and held the child who was lying with me in her arms. ¡°But the good thing is that both Ellinson and I are blond.¡± ¡°Yeah, you can fool them, Adele¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not the kind of emperor who will take a closer look at our children. As if that was comforting, Ellinson let out a deep sigh. ¡°Then it¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Just hang in there. We¡¯re moving to another place soon¡­ so let¡¯s both run away that day. He¡¯ll have the least interest to those of us who have just given birth. Until then, you need to eat well and endure it, Ellin.¡± ¡°I should¡­¡± ¡°So even if it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, make sure to eat.¡± Only then did I hear the sound of food being eaten. In the meantime, my mother, who was holding me in her arms, looked at me affectionately. ¡°From now on¡­ let¡¯s do it for my daughter¡­ my baby¡­¡± It was sad to see my mother¡¯s blurry face. ¡®Really¡­ am I not her child? Is it really¡­ is it not?¡¯ I¡¯d like to deny that I was not, but everything I just saw only proved that I was not my mother¡¯s daughter. I thought this dreamlike situation would end like that, but the story didn¡¯t end like this, as if there were still things to say. In my dream, which was clouded, it became clearer as if to show that time passed even within this time. I was still a baby, but now my limbs were starting to move as I pleased. Now I could exactly see my mother Ellinson, who gave birth to me, and my mother Adelaide, who raised me. And then hell started. Just when he was able to keep his head down, the Emperor came to visit¡­ the person I believed my whole life was my real father. Obviously, the face was his, but the way he looked at us felt like a completely different person. ¡°¡­Adele, when are you going to be my girl?¡± He even dragged my mother in his arms, came out and shoved hre into another room. ¡°Stop it. I have no desire to be your woman.¡± ¡°Is it because of that kid? Without him, will you be mine?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll resent you for life if something happens to him.¡± ¡°I think resentment will be fine. If you want to protect him, think carefully. If you keep holding out, I might kill the child just like I did to your husband.¡± ¡°You are crazy!¡± My mother, who held me tightly in her arms in case something went wrong, boldly expressed hostility towards him. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m crazy or not. If you want to save your child¡­¡± Chapter 82.2 Before I knew it, my father approached us¡­ and the Emperor reached out to me, who had been rolled up in a swaddling cloth. ¡°Stop it!¡± My mother tried to stop, but her actions were stopped by the knights who followed him. ¡°Stay still. I¡¯m not doing anything. I¡¯m just trying to see how much she looks like you.¡± Then I saw him. My father, who had always smiled at me in my memories, looked down at me as if I were someone else. There was a clear feeling in his gaze; ¡®I want to kill you¡¯ kind of look. For a moment, I felt like I was suffocating, and tears came out little by little. ¡°Wow¡­ Are you going to cry? This is why I hate babies.¡± ¡°Let go of me now!¡± ¡°Well anyway, Adele, my patience isn¡¯t that long. That was the end of the day for me to decide until I leave tomorrow.¡± As if he had said everything he had to say, the Emperor, who I believed was my father, went out like that. Her body, who had been protecting me all the time, trembled slightly. ¡°Baby¡­ Baby¡­ are you okay¡­?¡± As if she was more worried about me than about herself, my mother hurriedly made eye contact with me. I saw tears forming in my mother¡¯s large eyes. I wanted to say I was okay and if my mother was okay, but I couldn¡¯t speak from the child¡¯s mouth. Instead, I reached out and touched my mom. ¡°Are you consoling me?¡± ¡°Waa¡­ Mama¡­¡± Don¡¯t cry, Mom. Don¡¯t cry. I won¡¯t be sad if you¡¯re not my mom. Don¡¯t cry over this. ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­ my precious daughter¡­ I¡¯ll protect you somehow. I mean.. I mean, stay with your mom forever?¡± ¡°Waa¡­¡± I looked at my mother with sad eyes and smiled because that was all I could do. And again, as if time had passed, the world was dark, and my mother and I were in the room with Ellinson and my twin. ¡°Ellin, it¡¯s tomorrow. I¡¯m moving tomorrow.¡± ¡°Adele¡­ is it really all right? I¡¯m still not sure if this is the right choice.¡± ¡°Actually, it could be a cruel choice. But I think we¡¯re right about this. I chose to let even one person live¡­ this is the right thing to do.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± She looked at the twins with somehow bright eyes, alternating between the two. At that moment, my mother put her hand on the twins¡¯ heads at the same time. ¡°That¡¯s all I can do because my powers aren¡¯t that strong. It¡¯s just spiritual magic, but it¡¯s not perfect.¡± ¡°Magic¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it can only be used with people you¡¯ve been in direct contact with, and the downside is that you have to keep repeating the word to continue¡­ If I don¡¯t try to break it, it will never break.¡± The twin and I looked at my mother at the same time. Maybe she felt it, but she looked at both of us at the same time with a friendly face. ¡°From now on, my child¡¯s name is Bebe. I¡¯ll call her Bebe every minute of the day and put magic in her name.¡± ¡°Bebe¡­¡± ¡°Bebe¡­ Put my magic in that name. May there be no memories of each other, and when you remember each other again, may you meet each other¡­ and may this memory be distorted as it is just a moment of two mothers trying to protect you¡­ Let¡¯s put it into magic.¡± My forehead got warm. Maybe he felt it, but the twin brother¡¯s eyes shook a little. ¡°Please¡­ both of you must survive and meet.¡± That was the last time. As soon as my twin brother and I opened our mouths to talk at the same time, our eyes finally opened. It was reality now. Before suddenly returning to being a baby, it was the Grand Duke¡¯s room. I waited as soon as I felt a sense of reality. Tears flowered profusely from my eyes. The Grand Duke held my body. ¡°Bebe! Are you okay?¡± When I opened my eyes, I cried, and the Grand Duke¡¯s face turned pale. His face was unusually warm. It was sad that the fact that my father, who was always friendly in my memory, was not true. I was sad I couldn¡¯t remember the end of my mother, Ellinson, who really gave birth to me. I was just so sad at this moment. ¡°I-I¡­ Dad¡­ I¡­ My mom¡­ My mom¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, Bebe. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m here.¡± My dad, who was curious about Ellinson for a while until now, was busy trying to appease me. ¡°No, I have to tell you¡­ you know¡­ the twin over there¡­ my brother and I¡­ our mother is¡­ actually the Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chapter 83.1 I didn¡¯t want to believe it, but everything was true. No matter how much I denied it, the stories my mother showed me were true. As soon as I woke up from that dream-like memory, all the memories of my father, who I believed to love me, disappeared. ¡°Right, Mom¡­¡± When I looked at her, she nodded slowly with a friendly smile. As if to give us a chance to talk, my mother only took turns looking at me and my twin brother without saying a word. ¡°No way¡­ No way¡­ That can¡¯t be true. Ellinson¡¯s child¡­¡± ¡°Ellin has always talked about you, her own children, and that she misses and loves you. She did that every minute of the day. I was always curious what kind of people they were.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Actually¡­ I didn¡¯t like it. When I heard that I found Bebe¡¯s real father, I thought I should let her go¡­ I didn¡¯t like it.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes glistened with tears. My chest felt ticklish. I hated the fact that I was not her real daughter until now, and I hated that my memories of my dad were manipulated¡­ but I liked my mom. I struggled slightly, and the Grand Duke, my dad, dropped me off without a word. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Without hesitation, I was held in the arms of my mother on the bed. ¡°Beatrice.¡± ¡°No. Bebe is¡­ Bebe. Bebe is Mom¡¯s Bebe, and Mom is Bebe¡¯s mother¡­¡± ¡°Baby, Mommy¡­ I lied to you. I didn¡¯t even tell you this first.¡± ¡°You told me a good lie¡­ you didn¡¯t tell me not to be hurt, right¡­?¡± My mom is kind and a good person. That was it. I lifted her head slightly and met my eyes with my mother. Every time this happened, my mother, who kindly called my name and stroked my head, shook her head slowly. ¡°No. I¡¯m a bad mom. I want to own Bebe. I knew all of this, but I didn¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°Mom¡­ is not bad!¡± ¡°Beatr¡­¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m Bebe. Right now and forever And you¡¯re still my mother. I mean¡­ I mean, Mom, please pet Bebe¡¯s head¡­¡± Only then would I feel relieved. She looked relieved and sad, as if she had done everything she had to do. I rubbed my head on my mom¡¯s chest. ¡°Now, you have to go back to your place. As a princess, we have a different path to take, baby.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m going with my mom. If I don¡¯t have a mother, I won¡¯t be a princess or anything!¡± ¡°Baby¡­¡± ¡°To me, you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re the world. I mean¡­ without my mother, I don¡¯t have my own world.¡± I made eye contact. I hated my mother a little bit, but she was my everything. I wanted to live with my mother but she¡¯s died many times. Now, even with my real family being revealed, nothing will change. ¡®If¡­ If my mom leaves me¡­ if she leaves me¡­ I¡¯ll do it again. I¡¯ll start over again so my mom won¡¯t abandon me.¡¯ My mom was more precious than my family and this moment. ¡°Mom¡­¡± I called and called my mom, as she didn¡¯t answer several times. ¡°This is not my place. Baby, you¡¯re a much more noble and precious child so¡­¡± ¡°No! I hate it!¡± My heart hurt even more because I knew how much my mom loves me. In the end, even if I wasn¡¯t her real daughter, she died for me so many times that she always took care of me that she abandoned her life. That¡¯s why it hurt more. ¡°Mom¡­ I love you, so don¡¯t do that. Mom is Mom. Even if I had a mother who gave birth to me¡­¡± Tears dripped- no, it flowed all over the place. I couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, baby.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but cry. Why do you want to leave? You can stay here. You can stay here with me for a long time.¡± ¡°Baby¡­ I told you a good lie¡­ I didn¡¯t tell you not to be hurt, isn¡¯t that right¡­?¡± At that time, the Grand Duke, who had stepped back this whole time, came to us. ¡°There is no reason for you to leave. If you want to stay here, you can stay. Bebe says so because you¡¯re her mother. Bebe¡¯s mother is you.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes looked sadder than ever. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°And first of all, before we talk about this and that, we¡¯ll have to check¡­¡± Chapter 83.2 In the meantime, the twin brother, who had paused for a long time because of the truth he had just learned, moved slowly. ¡°Check¡­¡± ¡°As if God was playing a prank on us, we stole the bloodline-checking equipment.¡± The grand Duke, who looked unhappy the whole time, tried to smile. There was no way I didn¡¯t know that he wasn¡¯t laughing from the bottom of his heart and was faking it. His lips smiled, but his eyes were sad as he sat there. As we looked at him in silence, he shook the little bell beside the bed. Then Cecilia came inside. ¡°Did you find it?¡± ¡°Tell them to go and get the item we stole from the Imperial Palace right now.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Cecilia, who looked at us for a while in the gloomy room, moved out like that. Meanwhile, there was silence in the room. No one could easily open their mouth. Only my whimper filled the quiet room. ¡°If you cry like that, your head will hurt later.¡± ¡°My mom keeps leaving me, so I¡¯m hurt.¡± I hurriedly lowered my head in case she hated seeing me cry more. I hurriedly wiped my eyes in case they didn¡¯t like me crying and whining like a child. Then my mother leaned towards me. ¡°Is it okay if I¡¯m here? I¡­ I¡¯m not even your real mother and I pretended to be your mother even though I didn¡¯t want to send you back to your real family. I have such a bad heart, but¡­ will you be okay?¡± I nodded my head louder than ever to my mother, who was at a loss. ¡°Yes I¡¯m fine. I know how much you love me¡­ so much. It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Thank you, Bebe¡­¡± ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you really like being Bebe¡¯s mom?¡± Really Mom, do you know how much I like you? Mom is my world. Can you never abandon me? I stared at my mother with words I couldn¡¯t say. Then my mother, who smiled so brightly that she couldn¡¯t see, kissed me lightly on my forehead. ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t throw it away. Even if Bebe tells me to go, I¡¯ll stick with you.¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s it¡­¡± And the Grand Duke, who watched us quietly, opened his mouth with a lonely expression. ¡°So¡­ I need you to tell me what happened. You seemed to know Ellin¡¯s story¡­¡± ¡°The child I gave birth to died shortly after birth. It was probably because she was weak. But fortunately, Ellin gave birth to her twins. She was captured, so she couldn¡¯t run away with both children.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°So we decided to split the kids up and take them.¡± The Grand Duke looked down at my twin brother standing next to me. ¡°And that decisive day had come.¡± I couldn¡¯t see the later part of the story since my twin brother and I were so focused on my mother¡¯s words. ¡°As expected, we were moved to different places. Ellinson, who was the target from the beginning and was taken for different reasons, went to a different place¡­ and that¡¯s all I know. That was the last time I saw Ellinson.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°However, I heard from the Emperor later¡­ that she died due to a magic explosion.¡± ¡°Magic¡­ what do you mean by ¡®magic¡¯? Ellin had magic powers?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. I just heard that story. It was years later, too. And the child she was with disappeared.¡± Our eyes turned at the same time to the twin brother. My brother¡¯s face, who had an unknown expression after the memories he had forgotten, became paler than before. ¡°Maybe¡­ do you know anything¡­?¡± The Grand Duke, who was mumbling as if he didn¡¯t know how to call my brother, bowed slightly. ¡°I¡­ I¡­!¡± As if he had something to hide, my brother shook his head from side to side. Just by looking at it, my brother knew something. It was so obvious. ¡°You can say it. Whatever happened, it¡¯s not your fault. Just tell me what you last know of Ellinson.¡± ¡°Now¡­ I remember now. I don¡¯t know if she destroyed his memories herself or if she sealed it.¡± ¡°You can say it.¡± But my brother was silent for a long time. He bit his lips and dropped his head to the floor. Tears trickled from my brother¡¯s eyes. At that time¡­ As if to break the atmosphere, the door swung open and someone ran inside. ¡°Y-Your Highness, we¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The servant suddenly came in, and his lips trembled as his voice suddenly spat out,¡±It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s gone!¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 84.1 The Grand Duke looked at the servant fussing without changing his expression. ¡°What¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°That¡­ That¡­ That¡­¡± ¡°Tell me properly.¡± ¡°That thing the Grand Duke stole from the Imperial Palace has disappeared. I was told to keep it safe in case something unexpected happens¡­ but it seems to have disappeared without a trace.¡± Unlike the bewildered servant, the Grand Duke did not even change his expression, as if he had already expected this to happen. On the contrary, the servant¡¯s lips quivered, as if his appearance had frightened him even more. ¡°Tell me in detail. There wasn¡¯t even a trace but it disappeared?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Without any signs?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°How funny. Since when did the Grand Duke¡¯s house become such a sloppy place?¡± The servant could not say anything at all. His face was clearly smiling, but the energy emanating from the Grand Duke was so heavy that it was difficult to stand. It was even painful to breathe with every step he took and every word he spat, to the point of giving him a headache. However, he did not know what the condition was and pressured the servant. ¡°Why can¡¯t you speak?¡± ¡°Well, Your Highness, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who kept an eye on it?¡± The servant shook his head heavily at the remark. ¡°N-No.¡± ¡°Right, but it¡¯s really strange.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Compared to the fact that there was no trace¡­ you came too soon. It¡¯s like someone didn¡¯t want to find the trail themself.¡± He waved his hand at the sharp remark. ¡°Oh, no. I¡­ just¡­¡± ¡°Then how did you get here so quickly?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Tell me. How did you get here so quickly even though you weren¡¯t the one protecting it?¡± ¡°I just¡­ heard from the person keeping the thing.¡± The man, who looked obviously embarrassed, was busy rolling his eyes around. My body staggered, as if something was bursting out. My mother leaned in front of her in pain, and so did the rest. ¡°So you don¡¯t care. Are you all going crazy after sitting all this time?¡± I looked back at the Grand Duke¡¯s figure, who grinned and looked at my mother. As if it was difficult, my mother¡¯s pale face turned paler. ¡°Daddy! Stop it!¡± Eventually, I had to shout at the Grand Duke. Only then did my father turn back in surprise and run to my mother at once. ¡°I was not considerate of you.¡± Dad¡¯s voice changed in an instant, as if he became someone else. When my mother couldn¡¯t even raise her head, he hurriedly came near the bed and bowed down. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seeing my father unleash his strength quickly, my mother lifted her head very slowly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± But no one believed her. My mother¡¯s body trembled. Dad, who opened his mouth slightly as if to apologize, looked sharply at the servant. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± ¡°Are you coming?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to get hurt because of this.¡± Like a person who cleared their mind, he looked at my mother with a much more comfortable expression than before. The expression was somehow strange. Even my mother barely raised her head and made eye contact with him. Somehow, the sight of them made my heart tickle somehow, and I quickly slipped in between the two of them. ¡°Anyway, Dad can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t? In what way?¡± I nodded without hesitation at the remark. ¡°In every way. As a father or as a man, you don¡¯t care about my mother.¡± I climbed onto the bed and hugged my mom around her waist. Then my mother swept my hair softly and whispered. ¡°Bebe, you shouldn¡¯t hate your father so much. He¡¯s your real dad that I¡¯ve only just met.¡± ¡°Not Daddy!¡± Crazy Dad! He doesn¡¯t even think about my mom. He¡¯s so energetic. I¡¯m sure my mom doesn¡¯t like Dad that way. On one hand, I felt like I had to connect these two people, but on the other hand, I felt that I don¡¯t want her to be next to other people because my mom is mine. So I looked at my mom with that kind of heart, where she had a strange expression. ¡°Mom, why is your face like that?¡± I asked with doubt, but my mom looked at me and tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± ¡°Mom¡­ Daddy did this to you. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s fine. He¡¯s a good man.¡± What? What was wrong? Why was he a good person here? Why are they looking at each other like that? My dad looked at my mom with a sad expression, and my mom smiled at my dad. Ha¡­ It feels like something, but I didn¡¯t know what happened. With my mouth filled with air, I looked at the two of them with great discontent. ¡°What? You two are so weird.¡± ¡°Is it strange?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 84.2 I opened my mouth because I felt like I was the only one who felt strange. Anyway, it¡¯s important that she¡¯s okay now. However, I couldn¡¯t help but look at the two. ¡®What¡¯s this strange feeling?¡¯ Did anything happen between you two while I was away? ¡°A-Anyway¡­¡± My father cleared his throat, perhaps because my gaze was burdensome or if another thought came to mind. ¡°Let¡¯s investigate the missing item in detail. If you say it¡¯s gone as it is now, or that it¡¯s gone as it is¡­¡± The end of the sentence was slightly unclear, but his voice was firmer than ever. It was as if there was no more forgiveness, just determination. ¡°Y-Yes, I see, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Then¡­ get out.¡± Only after hearing that did the servant go outside, and then there was silence in the room again. Everyone looked at one person as if they had planned it. Still couldn¡¯t think about my past memories, I looked at my twin brother. Among them, my father was the first to open his mouth. ¡°Then I have to hear it for myself. Do you remember the last time you saw Ellinson?¡± My brother rolled his eyes for a long time. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, you don¡¯t have to. But that¡¯s not the only thing I¡¯m going to ask.¡± Then, my brother slowly raised his gaze. Was it because he didn¡¯t believe this situation like me, or was it something else? I was worried about that, but my brother bit his lip like an angry person. ¡°¡­Now don¡¯t come here and act like nothing happened.¡± We were all surprised by the unexpected words. It was the same for me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°How can I¡­ You don¡¯t even know how I¡¯ve been living! And¡­ if you want to say it, you don¡¯t have to! Don¡¯t pretend to be kind!¡± In my brother¡¯s eyes, I could see myself from the past. The person from the past hand to protect myself. Because of that, I approached my brother, who didn¡¯t shed a tear. My brother, who thought someone else was coming, rushed back and noticed my presence. He bit his lip. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I have nothing to say to you either. You bought it comfortably.¡± Something almost popped out of my chest when I saw my brother, who didn¡¯t know much, say something to me, but I tried to hold it in. I knew what it felt like. ¡°¡­Talk to me for a second.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to my brother. Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Then I took my brother¡¯s hand and walked to the room in front of my room. There were still many presents from my birthday. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Unexpectedly, my brother screamed and yellowed, and my father and rascal brother tried to follow, but my mother stopped them. Thanks to her, I was able to get to the room without any difficulty. ¡°Let go of me! Let go of me! Who are you? That¡¯s what I do!¡± ¡°What are you doing? Come talk to me for a while.¡± Fortunately, no one was in the room. After arriving there, I put down my brother¡¯s hand. Maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t eaten yet, but my arm was as weak as a branch. ¡°Why? Why do I have to talk to you!¡± We looked at each other. He looked just like me, who had died so many times. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Why am I your brother?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­To you? Did you say that?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, what should I call you? You don¡¯t like ¡®Brother¡¯ and you don¡¯t like ¡®Oi¡¯¡­ so Brother is better.¡± My brother, who had less sharp energy than before, looked at me uncomfortably. ¡°Okay, then ¡®Brother¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°¡­It must be very hard.¡± I held my brother¡¯s hand tightly to try and comfort him, something I couldn¡¯t do myself. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You must have had a hard time. I don¡¯t know how my brother lived. I wanted to tell you though¡­ It must have been tough, right?¡± His eyes shook at those words. ¡°Are you going to pretend?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just saying. You must have had a hard time without a place to lean on.¡± I was like that too. It was a series of days where I didn¡¯t know how to love or what to do. ¡°It must have been so hard that you didn¡¯t want to live.¡± I was like that. What should I live for? In a world where I had no mother, I couldn¡¯t live without her. There was no one in the world to trust, so I wondered why I should try so hard¡­ ¡°Hey¡­ what do you know?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know. But I wanted to tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thank you for living.¡± That¡¯s what I wanted to say to my past self. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 85.1 ¡°What are you talking about!¡± ¡°Just¡­ Just thank you for not giving up and living.¡± ¡°¡­Who wants to hear that?¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to hear that.¡± Perhaps it was an unexpected remark, but my brother, who had been huffing until now, only twitched his lips. It was very strange. We met for the first time today, but I felt my brother¡¯s feelings as if I had known him for a long time. He wants to hate me but he can¡¯t. ¡°I wanted to hear it a lot, so thank you for living. You held out well.¡± ¡°Hypocrite.¡± ¡°You can call me a hypocrite.¡± I strode up to my brother and stroked his head. The disheveled hair moved in chunks, but it was still good. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to, will you listen? I didn¡¯t even know I had an older brother.¡± He wasn¡¯t talking to give answers. I just brought it up because there was one more person in the world who could understand me.¡± ¡°¡­What? You must have lived well!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t believe it, but¡­ you know, Brother, I¡¯ve died a couple of times.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling a story. It must have been a dream!¡± I smiled at my brother, who didn¡¯t trust me. ¡°Maybe it is a dream, but I¡¯ve died many times. One time, I lived up to nine years old. Another time, I died faster. The emperor of this country made me that way.¡± Contrary to the expectation that he would refute anything this time too, my brother looked at me with a much calmer expression than before. ¡°It sounds very absurd¡­ Heh¡­ Actually, I felt like a kid¡­ Maybe the dream felt real. But Brother, I was really sad.¡± ¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t even know I had an older brother. It was only my mom in the world. The one you saw earlier. I lived my life thinking that she¡¯s my mother, and she would continue being my mother. She protected me. Every time the Emperor hit me and abused me, my mom protected me.¡± I thought I couldn¡¯t tell anyone because they¡¯re words no one would believe. However, my brother was born at the same time as me and lived at a different time, but had the same expression and heart, words came out strangely yet fluently. ¡°I¡­ I guess I had a really hard time.¡± He must have wanted to tell anyone because he was tired. I couldn¡¯t even tell my mom my story. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± My brother, who listened to me, put his hand on my head. His rough hand, which ruffled my hair, was friendly, and tears dripped thanks to it. ¡°I¡¯m not crying. I¡¯m just¡­ just¡­ I had a hard time¡­ You know, so my mom¡­ she died. My mom died again and again. No matter how hard I tried to save her¡­ I couldn¡¯t save her. I wanted to give up¡­ but I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I just¡­ I just want to live with my mom¡­ but it was very hard.¡± What I wanted wasn¡¯t even big; living like others, wearing nice clothes and eating good food. All I wanted was to be with my mother, yet it was so hard. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah, and¡­ my mom died and I died. Then, time went back¡­ not long before she died, it kept doing that. But now I finally saved my mother.¡± But even though I saved her, she was not happy at all. I already heard that she could die because of her body. The thought of losing my mom made me cry. Even though I tried to hold back tears, tears continued to flow. When I dropped my head to the floor without making a sound, my brother held me in his arms. ¡°¡­You dummy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You did it. So why are you crying?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ this is¡­¡± I felt strange. My mom once hugged me, and others once hugged me, but my brother¡¯s hug made my chest feel ticklish. ¡°You did a great job. You lived a good life. Thank you for not giving up and living¡­ Sister.¡± Tears shed even more because my brother told me what I wanted to hear. The tears that I held back finally broke out. My brother, whose edges of his lips twitched slightly as if he had noticed what I wanted to hear, was friendly and had a soft touch. Not even a tic in his voice. ¡°Why are you crying like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ Aren¡¯t I bad¡­ I tried to save my mom.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 85.2 ¡°Why is it bad? I would have done the same. Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s weird if you cry because¡­ I¡¯ll also cry.¡± At that, I raised my head and looked at my brother. Not that it wasn¡¯t, but it was after my brother¡¯s eyes were also red. ¡°¡­Cry?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry. And if you cry, you¡¯ll look ugly. I don¡¯t want to see you look ugly because you look just like me.¡± Without realizing, I laughed out loud. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not ugly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ugly now. You used to be pretty.¡± ¡°Am I pretty?¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s nice to see you cry and laugh.¡± My brother, who used to be sharp towards me all the time like a thorny plant, now looked at me with a comfortable expression. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Yes, well that¡¯s a good idea. Anyway, I¡­ I thought you lived a comfortable life. Uh¡­ that¡¯s why I said bad things¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Like a child of his age, my brother apologized to me as quickly as a fire cooling down. The funny thing was that even though we lived far apart, my brother and I had a lot in common. Should I say it like it is now? Even if he behaved like a thorny hedgehog, he watched the eyes of his opponent. ¡°We¡­ you know¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We look very similar.¡± ¡°Honestly, I thought of that since I first saw you.¡± I smiled at my brother, who also smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t keep getting angry. Why¡­ are you apologizing?¡± It looked silly. We looked the same and smiled at each other. But I didn¡¯t hate it. ¡°I have to apologize. I misunderstood you.¡± We looked at each other for a long time. Then a strange sound came from the quiet room. I slowly turned my head to the sound of something groaning, or wherever the strange sound came from. What we saw was the open door while we were excited, screaming and crying. It was my father and naughty brother, who were sticking their heads through the door. ¡°¡­What are you doing there?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. Just closing the door.¡± That¡¯s what he said, but Dad poked his head out again and didn¡¯t even think of closing the door. I wondered how long they were going to be like that, so I looked at him for a long time without saying a word. ¡°Are you going to close¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But Bebe¡­ should I leave it open this much just in case it might be dangerous? Even if he¡¯s Bebe¡¯s brother¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a man! No one¡¯s the older brother but me!¡± ¡°Just for a moment¡­¡± Before I could stop him, my naughty brother came inside. My brother, who came gushing in like a fighting bull, shook his dark blue hair from side to side and faced my twin brother. ¡°I can¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to accept it.¡± My twin brother¡¯s result was way beyond expectations. ¡°Oh really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± My twin brother, who had a distinctly different aura than before, looked at the scoundrel, who quietly faced my twin. ¡°¡­¡± Maybe he felt something strange going on, but eventually my father came inside. ¡°So Allen, didn¡¯t I tell you not to go in?¡± ¡°You opened the door a bit because you were so nervous you would fall inside.¡± I looked up at the unexpected words and made eye contact with my father. My dad, who had always been confident, turned a little dark. Dad, who was always as resolute as a large stone, now looked like a pudding with a stony-like appearance. ¡°I never did that.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± The colt screamed in great embarrassment, but my father stroked his head with a nonchalant expression. ¡°I get it, How much do you care for your sibling?¡± ¡°I care for my sibling, but¡­!¡± ¡°So is the talk over, Bebe?¡± Dad came closer and leaned towards me. ¡°Maybe that guy did something else¡­ Maybe he made you cry.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my brother who cried. I cried.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Meanwhile, my father¡¯s gaze naturally turned to my brother. When the situation felt similar to the previous one, my heart pounded. I was afraid my brother would react again. ¡°W-Wait.¡± But the atmosphere was different. ¡°What I was about to say¡­ I¡¯ll tell you. I¡­ I remember my mother¡¯s end.¡± They all hardened like stones at the unexpected story. He said he remembered the end of my real mom, the end of the Grand Duchess, which no one knew. I couldn¡¯t help but look at my brother with a surprised face. ¡°Y-Yes¡­ So how did it happen?¡± ¡°My mother was still locked up¡­ with me. My mom and I were in a dark prison. And that day, my mom was killed.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 86.1 Daddy¡¯s body trembled due to those words. When I saw the man who was always big and hard like a solid old tree quiver, I hurriedly grabbed my father¡¯s body. ¡°Dad!¡± Fortunately, his body was firmly established again. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just the first time I¡¯ve heard her last like this.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I dragged a chair nearby. I could hear the chair scratching the floor sharply, but I ignored it and put the chair next to my dad. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like my weak dad.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°So sit down.¡± Dad, who looked at me with an awkward expression, smiled and spread his arms out to me. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down together.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I didn¡¯t like that. I just liked that my dad took care of me. As I approached him, he took me in his arms and sat down on the chair. I lifted my head and met my father¡¯s eyes. Seeing my dad like this, I feel somewhat similar to me, and something in my chest just tickled. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I didn¡¯t see it. I just looked at him in a hurry out of embarrassment. Then, my dad¡¯s big hand patted my head affectionately. It was a heavy hand, but it made me feel good. Meanwhile, my naughty brother dragged two chairs and put them next to my twin. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Oh, how kind¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not kindness. I just brought it because I was sitting alone. I¡¯m sure my lovely Bebe will resent it if you sit alone!¡± Poor Allen climbed up on the chair and sat down. Then he crossed his arms and looked at my twin brother crookedly. My brother, who had been muttering, climbed up to the chair after a while and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Come on, tell me. Don¡¯t make me wonder. Are you¡­ are you really my mom¡¯s son? Did you see her last?¡± His trembling voice very slowly returned to its original tone. As if to calm the mind, my twin brother, who had been inhaling and exhaling for a long time, looked at us dimly. ¡°I found out because I remembered something from when I was a kid. After my sister left, my mom also tried to run away. By that time, we were going to be moved to live elsewhere. My mom was running away with me but¡­ she got caught so she couldn¡¯t move my legs¡­¡± My brother, who was looking around, opened his mouth wide. He only looked around for a long time, as if he didn¡¯t know if he could talk about this. After a while, as if recognizing the feeling, Dad nodded his head. ¡°Tell me more. I have to listen to it anyway. Where did this go wrong¡­ I have to hear it.¡± ¡°So¡­ she couldn¡¯t walk.¡± A deep sigh filled the room. Even if I tried to pretend it wasn¡¯t, the atmosphere in the room continued to sink heavily. Just listening to the story made my heart tremble. For me, the mother who gave birth to me, was just a person in my memory. I¡¯ve been with my mother who raised me the whole time. However, just saying that my mother¡¯s life and the mother who gave birth to me didn¡¯t just die made me feel uncomfortable somewhere in my heart. It was my dad who opened his mouth while stroking my head heavily. ¡°The fact that her legs were exceptionally thin when we found her later¡­ was it because of that?¡± He was pretending to be okay, but every time he spoke, his body trembled. My heart ached because I felt it. ¡°After that, we were stuck in a place where there¡¯s no light. My mom passed away not long after when I was three.¡± Dad, who quietly listened to the story, reached out to my twin. ¡°You can stop talking if you¡¯re having a hard time. She¡¯s¡­ we already know that her body was found later.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll tell you more. It¡¯s something you need to know.¡± My brother¡¯s eyes reached me. It was like he was doing it for me, not for my dad or anyone else. My brother slowly opened his trembling lips. ¡°After that¡­ it¡¯s a funny story. No one came to see us for a while after my mom died. The woman who brought food once a week was surprised and informed others¡­¡± My heart throbbed. I couldn¡¯t do anything when I saw my dead mother, but I wanted to hug my brother right away. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 86.2 His eyes and face were so familiar. It was the same empty expression I always made after losing my mother. ¡°It was then that things got weird. Not the ones who always protected us, but the others brought my dead mother and I out of there. After that¡­¡± Before I knew it, my dad got up and held me in one hand before putting his hand on my brother¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you existed. I gave you a hard time.¡± My brother¡¯s eyes, who had been pretending to be okay and fine all along, turned red. No one could even breathe. I just looked at him. As if he were used to this, my brother quickly calmed down. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like that. I didn¡¯t mean for you to comfort me. At least my sister¡­ I just said it because I thought she should know about my mother¡¯s death¡­¡± ¡°But you grew up bravely.¡± ¡°Even so¡­ I can¡¯t say anything. There are¡­ I said it because it came to mind after she touched me earlier. I can¡¯t tell you what happened to me.¡± As if he didn¡¯t hate the touch of his hair being touched, he accepted it and opened his eyes. ¡°¡­It looks like there¡¯s a curse on me.¡± I thought everything was going well. Now we could find the person who locked him up and the one who brought him here so we can know who¡¯s been bothering Dad and us. I thought so. But there¡¯s always another wall blocking us. ¡°¡­¡± My brother, who had been mumbling for a long time at my dad¡¯s question, only nodded his head heavily. It was then when my father, who had been keeping his composure until now, got excited. ¡°How dare they put a curse on my child for no one else.¡± Dad was so angry that the floor shook. However, my twin shook his head as if he was very dissatisfied with it. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be my dad now. I¡¯m not even going to call you ¡®dad¡¯.¡± ¡°But the fact that I¡¯m a dad hasn¡¯t changed¡­¡± ¡°I never admitted it.¡± ¡°Well yes.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± It was then when my twin¡¯s eyes, who had been giving off a sharp energy until just now, changed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My sister¡­ took good care of me. I liked it a bit.¡± My brother, who calmed the thorns that sprouted for a short time, looked at me with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of you too.¡± ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t like that.¡± At the same time, my brother¡¯s eyes stared at my dad. There was no way I didn¡¯t know that look. ¡°Just do it even if you don¡¯t like it! Take everything my dad does for me! That¡¯s how you¡¯ve lived so you can do that! I can do that too!¡± I hoped someone would say this. Just like my twin, he raised his lips. With a silly smile, he tried to hold back his laughter. ¡°I can¡¯t help it when my sister says that. Fine, then Dad. No. What are you going to do for me?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, my dad smiled and nodded. ¡°Allen, you guide him. If you say you¡¯re a special guest, everyone will know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A guy who looks just like Bebe is also my brother.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°¡­If I make you sad, Bebe will be sad too, right?¡± The first question was directed to my dad and the second to me. I shook my head at Allen, who was a wreck. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be sad. You have to be nice to him. You have to take good care of him and treat him like me.¡± ¡°¡­Tch. I don¡¯t like it, but I get it. You, follow me.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t my sister coming with me?¡± My twin, who looked at Allen and I alternately, had a very troubled expression on his face. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m coming later. I need to talk to my dad. You can go ahead because you¡¯re brave, right?¡± My brother, who mumbled, finally said he had no choice and headed towards the door. ¡°I¡¯m always brave. It¡¯s not because it¡¯s Bebe. I mean¡­ I¡¯m out!¡± Then he coolly went out the door. Of course, my brother hesitated a bit and his voice trembled, but now I was more worried about my dad than my twin. I turned to my dad, who pretended to be fine and told a good lie in front of us. ¡°Bebe, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to¡­¡± Even now, he stretched his cheeks, pretending to be fine. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be fine. It¡¯s not okay¡­ I know. I know. You can be sad too. Adults can also be sad.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 87.1 ¡°At times like this, you really don¡¯t look like your age, Bebe.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is to look like my age. Do I have to?¡± I was just saying what I wanted to say, but was it important not to look my age when I was just comforting someone who needed it? I puffed my cheeks and looked at my dad. Only then did my dad stroke my head with a more relaxed expression than before. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just that you hide your feelings¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my dad who hides his feelings. Why are you pretending to be okay? It¡¯s not okay.¡± Why was he pretending to be okay when he looked like he was about to cry right now? I stretched my dad¡¯s cheeks even more than before, as if I was stretching cheese. ¡°Oh, it hurts Bebe.¡± ¡°You say it hurts.¡± ¡°You sound just like her. Whenever I get distracted¡­ Ellin used to talk like you.¡± ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯re tired, say you¡¯re tired. If you¡¯re sick, say it hurts!¡± There were no words between us for a moment. I just put my hand down slightly because my dad¡¯s expression looked more serious than before. Then, Dad dropped his head to the floor. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m getting older. As time goes by, I¡¯m getting more things to handle.¡± His voice was different than usual. The voice itself became sullen, as if it were a flower that had been bent. ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to you because I know saying things like that won¡¯t make a difference, but¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°You can say it. It doesn¡¯t make a difference, but if you don¡¯t say it, it¡¯s frustrating for you.¡± If I hadn¡¯t confessed to my twin brother, who was on the same boat as me, I wouldn¡¯t have known this feeling. However, I felt at ease because I said something to my brother that I couldn¡¯t tell anyone. ¡®So I hope Dad feels comfortable.¡¯ Hard branches do not break, but once they do, all the bark is torn apart. I couldn¡¯t help but worry over this man in front of me; my dad. ¡®Like me.¡¯ I could see it now. When my father, who had always been stern, peeled off his shell, he looked just like me, as if I was reading my twin brother¡¯s face. ¡°Yes. You can tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And to be honest, what do I know! I¡¯m just a child!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, but I always wanted to look strong to you. No, not only to you, but to my family, who I have to protect.¡± At times like this, I acted like my mother, who raised me. ¡°My mom did, too. Mom always had to be strong. Then where do you talk about your hardships? Your mom and dad?¡± ¡°Did Adele do the same?¡± ¡°Yes. Mom did too.¡± A small sigh escaped my Dad¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡°So you can say it!¡± My father, who slowly raised his head, looked at me quietly. It looked like he had a lot of worries but he thought he couldn¡¯t talk in the end, so he finally shook his head from side to side. ¡°A dad should always have strong shoulders so that your children can focus on growing up.¡± ¡°¡­Dummy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I have to do to protect you as your father, no matter how hard it is.¡± ¡°Tch¡­ I see. Then Dad, tell Mom if you¡¯re struggling.¡± ¡°Tell Adele?¡± Dad, who had been speaking seriously until now, tilted his head. ¡°Yes! She¡¯s my mom! She¡¯s so smart she¡¯ll listen to whatever you say.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°So make sure to tell my mom. Doesn¡¯t she also suffer alone?¡± Only then did my father laugh. It wasn¡¯t the kind of laugh that spewed out of frustration, as before. It seemed somewhat comfortable. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I do.¡± I held out my pinky finger towards my dad. ¡°Come on!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Pinky promise!¡± ¡°Promise¡­?¡± As if he had neer done it before, my dad tilted his head and looked at my hand for a long time. ¡°Oh my. Make a pinky promise with me! If you don¡¯t keep your promise¡­ bad things will happen!¡± ¡°Bad things?¡± ¡°Yes! Step on a soap, fall and break your head, or you¡¯ll get stones while eating vegetables! So you have to keep it!¡± Dad wrapped his large pinky around mine. ¡°Make sure you pinky promise me.¡± ¡°Oh, this is how you do it. I must keep my promise even if I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± That alone was enough. When my dad doesn¡¯t suffer alone, that alone is enough, so I took my dad¡¯s hand. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 87.2 ¡°Then let¡¯s go out now.¡± ¡°Are you going to talk to Mom today?¡± ¡°It would be nice, but no.¡± ¡°You know exactly.¡± ¡°Yes, I can feel it. But I think I¡¯ll listen to you since I promised you, but not today.¡± Dad, who was dragged by my hand, straightened himself up. ¡°Yeah, can you feel it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to your mom. I¡¯m worried about leaving you alone.¡± Dad let out a small ¡®Oh¡¯, took my hand and left the room. He went on to say sorry he had been holding on to it for too long. The room was not far away but right in front of me, so as soon as I got out of the room I was just in, I could go back to my mom¡¯s room. As if to make time for two people, my dad let me into the room. Leaving a message that I would definitely come later, I jumped on my mom as soon as the door opened. ¡°Mom!¡± My mom, who wasn¡¯t feeling well yet, laid in bed, but as soon as she heard my voice, she got up from bed and opened her arms towards me. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yeah? Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± As always, my mom stroked my hair with her soft hands. At this point, she would ask for water but my mom didn¡¯t say anything. It was as if she wasn¡¯t supposed to. I stared at my mom, who was still sweet and smiling at me. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Yeah, my mom is being weird today.¡± ¡°Weird?¡± ¡°Usually, you would say ¡®my daughter¡¯ or call me Bebe, but you didn¡¯t¡­ you didn¡¯t say it, Mom.¡± Somewhere in my chest beat strangely. Mom¡­ didn¡¯t say anything to me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say anything? It¡¯s not¡­ You have to say something like that, right?¡± ¡°Bebe.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Did you hear about your mom who gave birth to you and your twin?¡± I don¡¯t think I could have said I heard it, but I couldn¡¯t bear to lie to my mom. Because of this, my lips pouted. She bowed her head. ¡°¡­A-A bit.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± I shook my head from side to side as I saw my mom¡¯s face darken. ¡°Why are you making that face?¡± ¡°Bebe, if you heard it, you shouldn¡¯t be here¡­ I think you¡¯d know.¡± It felt like the sky was falling. I I just came in to tell her the conversation I just had with my dad. I didn¡¯t come here to hear this. However, my mom spat out those words in a calm tone, like someone who just cleared her mind while I was away. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You said you won¡¯t leave. You were supposed to be next to Bebe. But why? Why did you change your mind? Why¡­ Were you just appeasing me?¡± ¡°Bebe¡­¡± ¡°What excuse do you have? Whatever you say¡­ Why does my mom¡­ Why do you keep trying to leave me?¡± I tried so hard to be with my mom, but why was she thinking of leaving? All I needed was my mom. I don¡¯t have to be here. I just need my mom¡­ so why? I glared at my mom with resentment. ¡°I felt a little resentful after losing my child. Why did I have to lose her? I couldn¡¯t give birth to a healthy child. Meanwhile, Elin gave birth to healthy twins. I¡¯m such a bad mother.¡± My mom¡¯s voice, which calmed down more than ever, was sad, to the point where it made me cry just by listening to her. ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°How could a mother not be able to protect her child?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Meanwhile, the child reached out to me. You¡¯re the one who smiled at me. You¡­ Bebe saved me.¡± Tears trickled down. ¡°Then you have to hold my hand until the end. I won¡¯t let go. Why¡­ Why do you keep trying to let go? Earlier¡­ you said you were going to be with me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that I didn¡¯t die. It¡¯s all thanks to you that I tried to live without despair.¡± ¡°So let¡¯s continue to live like that¡­ what? Did Bebe make you upset? So, is that why? I¡­ I only cried a few times after hearing about my mother who gave birth to me. I just¡­ I wasn¡¯t sad. I mean, so¡­ don¡¯t be angry Mom. To Bebe, there is only one mother in the world.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 88.1 ¡°Baby¡­¡± My mom¡¯s eyes were red as she looked at me. ¡°From now on¡­ you have to be with Bebe. You have to be the reason for Bebe¡¯s life. You can¡¯t leave like this.¡± ¡°If I had tried, Ellin would have lived, and your twin brother wouldn¡¯t have suffered. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°Why?! There are other people who are at fault, so why do you blame yourself for that?!¡± I was angry for a moment. If I had not known anything, wouldn¡¯t my mom have felt this? How can I persuade my mom? But she shook her head with a more determined face than ever. ¡°I am the worst.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Bebe¡­¡± ¡°You protected me. Mom¡­ Mom always took care of me. Why do you think it¡¯s nothing?¡± She endured severe abuse for someone else¡¯s children. She was the kind of person who resisted by being beaten by the people who hit and starved me. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s other people who were at fault. The one who kidnapped the mom who gave birth to me and hit us was wrong. But why¡­ are you the one at fault¡­ when they abused us?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tears filled my mom¡¯s eyes as she let out a small sigh. ¡°It¡¯s those people who are at fault¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s always like that. Many wrongdoers sleep well with their legs stretched out, but those who make one mistake will live a lifetime being haunted by it. So don¡¯t do that anymore. You don¡¯t have to. I met my brother¡­ and the mother who gave birth to me.¡± Sometimes my mom felt like a wall, as if she was locked and surrounded by a thick wall and she could not get out. That¡¯s exactly what it is right now. No matter what I said¡­ Mom will not cave in. She¡¯s been like this before. It was nothing else. When there was not enough food to eat, my mom would always refuse to eat with her face like that. I never thought I¡¯d see that face again. ¡°I mean¡­ No. No¡­¡± Only tears came out. I think she¡¯s really going to leave. There was nothing else I could do. I don¡¯t know much about the mind of an adult, but I could see that my mom was telling me she was ready to go. ¡°Huh¡­? Got it¡­?¡± ¡°Bebe, can I really stay here?¡± It was the first time my mom¡¯s heart was shaken. ¡°Yes! You can protect Bebe from now on. That¡¯s it! I¡¯m sure my mom who gave birth to me thought the same!¡± Before my mother had another thought, I quickly said those words. My mom¡¯s expression was still uneasy but her expression became much more relaxed. ¡°So where can I go?¡± I didn¡¯t answer, but her warm hand still stroked my hair, as if she was saying ¡®Don¡¯t worry¡¯. In the end, it seemed as if all the tiredness was coming all at once, and I fell asleep with my head on my mom¡¯s lap. I held her hand tightly in case my mom would leave. After Bebe fell asleep, Adelaide patted her child¡¯s head for a long time. Her face was pale and her fingers trembled. Still, she did not stop stroking her child¡¯s head. Then night came, and there was only silence in the room. ¡°Baby¡­¡± Her long eyelashes swayed slightly, perhaps in response to her unusually trembling voice. ¡°I guess you¡¯re having a hard time.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Whether it was sleep talking or really calling her mom, the room was filled with the voice of the child crying out. ¡°Yes¡­ Mom¡¯s here¡­¡± As if relieved, Bebe wriggled again and touched her hand slightly. ¡°Still, baby, this is enough. It was enough to spend time with my Bebe like this¡­ Thank you.¡± Bebe opened her eyes very slowly, as if she had understood her words. ¡°Mom¡­ is shining.¡± Unusually bright light leaked from Adelaide¡¯s body. It was warm and soft. Bebe snuggled further into her arms. ¡°Mom¡­ Mom, don¡¯t go anywhere, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t go. I¡¯ll be next to Bebe like this. Thank you¡­ I love you, my daughter.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The child fell asleep again, as if she was relieved to hear that her mom wasn¡¯t going. A crackling sound filled the room. Then, tears fell from Adelaide¡¯s eyes. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 88.2 ¡°But if no one is held responsible¡­ what about Ellin¡¯s death? I think I can sleep a bit more comfortably now. Bebe, I have to protect you¡­ I¡¯m sorry I ran away¡­¡± In case the child would wake up, she quickly wiped away her dripping tears. By dawn, Adelaide fell asleep quietly with Bebe in her arms. It was as if she had fallen into eternal slumber. In her room, only more silence than before flowed. I must have been quite tired, so I couldn¡¯t open my eyes until Cecilia woke me up. ¡°My Lady, you must get up now.¡± I woke up from my bed half-asleep, where my head moved at the sound of Cecilia¡¯s voice, which sounded more affectionate today. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°You have to eat. If you¡¯re really sleepy, how about you eat and then sleep? You didn¡¯t have a proper dinner last night, either.¡± When I heard that, my stomach growled as if it had been waiting. I smiled and slightly opened my eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m hungry. I¡¯d like to eat.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have the food ready right away. After rubbing my eyes several times, I could make eye contact with Cecilia. I turned to my mom after seeing Cecilia smile like my mom. In the meantime, my mom laid still like a pretty doll. ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­ Good morning!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you sleeping again? Hehe, okay. As long as Mom didn¡¯t leave.¡± I was worried that Mom would leave while I was asleep, but fortunately, my mom was next to me. Smiling brightly, I swept my mom¡¯s hair back smoothly. ¡°Mom, Mom, you know what? I had a weird dream. It was very, very sad. My mom¡­ was talking to me in a very sad voice. That must¡¯ve been a dream, right?¡± There was no answer, but I still wanted to ask. Rather, my mom, who didn¡¯t answer, made me feel more comfortable. Meanwhile, Cecilia came into the room with food. ¡°You must¡¯ve been very hungry, so I¡¯ll help you eat first.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± As usual, food was piled up on the table. In the meantime, Cecilia opened the window for ventilation, and a loud noise flowed in with the warm sunshine. I hurried to the chair and shook my feet up and down. ¡°But why is it so noisy today?¡± Warm soup was placed in front of me. Normally, there would be my colt brother or Sylvie, but today, I was the only one in the room. That made the outside noise more sensitive. With a spoonful of soup, I looked at Cecilia silently. ¡°I think they found the missing item last night.¡± ¡°Are they checking their blood?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why.¡± Cecilia laughed awkwardly as she spoke roughly. It was as if she was hiding something. She cut the roast beef into small pieces and gave it to me. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go after I eat!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to check right after they find it?¡± Cecilia smiled awkwardly at my question. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s not okay? I was there last time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± It was somewhat predictable of what Cecilia was worried about, but there was no reason not to go. On the contrary, I wanted to see it properly. ¡°Or has it started?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find out when.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± In the meantime, I chewed and emptied the food in front of me. As if she had waited as soon as I finished eating, Cecilia washed me and dressed me in a pretty dress. But still, the color on her face was not good. ¡°Cecilia, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What? Nothing.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you look happy?¡± ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t want you to go through anything like a child that age, especially these things¡­¡± She mumbled towards the end as she decided the color of the bell to tie to my hair. ¡°I like this! And don¡¯t worry, I want to see it in person.¡± ¡°¡­If you say so, then it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m just worried about you. You¡¯ve been through so much for your age.¡± ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry. Can I go now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I hesitated and grabbed her hand. Honestly, I wanted to see it in person. What in the world is Harris¡¯s true identity? Today, I feel like I¡¯ll finally know it. ¡®And what kind of expression will Harris make when she gets kicked out¡­¡¯ ¡°Cecilia?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m a bit naughty.¡± ¡°All of a sudden?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d love to see¡­ how Harris gets kicked out, hehe.¡± At that, she laughed softly. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 89.1 Was it because of what Harris had done? Or was it because she always insisted that she was real? Bad thoughts kept coming to mind. ¡°You¡¯re not mean. You¡¯ve been through something.¡± Cecilia looked down at me with a pitiful face. Then she swept my hair with her free hand. ¡°Okay. Shall we go now?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± At this time, I thought it¡¯d be nice to have my mom with me, but there was no way I could wake my sleeping mom, so I walked for a long time holding Cecilia¡¯s hand. But the atmosphere was really strange today. It felt very busy. It¡¯s definitely the same as then, but something was all over the place. It was like before you greet a guest. ¡°Cecilia, what¡¯s happening today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t even realize it. Shall we find out?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ it looks a little busy today. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Something felt strange, but I tried to ignore that weird feeling. I was curious about how Harris would insist on it until the end. I walked in the middle of the garden for a long time. Dad was already there. Allen¡¯s brother was also with him. ¡°Are you doing it here?¡± ¡°Yes, I guess the same thing happened last time, so we changed places and decided to do it here.¡± Then came Harris, who was dragged like a criminal, and Lexit, who followed her. Lexit, who looked anxious, was busy appeasing the child in case something happened to Harris. As soon as Harris stood in front of her father, Lexit yelled at him. ¡°Father! How can you bring her back like a criminal!¡± ¡°Who knows if she doesn¡¯t have the blood of the Grand Duke but continues to insist until the end like a criminal?¡± ¡°Harris has our blood! She¡¯s my sister! Father said so!¡± Like a child refusing to believe the truth, Lexit was busy raising his voice in front of Harris. ¡°Lexit, I thought you were a smart kid. Do you still believe that?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s what Father said. I thought Harris was my little sister. That¡¯s what I believed in. On behalf of Mother, I really loved her. Are you saying that she is no longer my sister?¡± ¡°Yes, Harris, you should tell him who you are.¡± However, Harris only shook her head from side to side with her big eyes full of tears, as if she would never say. ¡°Harris, if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have to force you to check.¡± And the thing that was said to have disappeared had appeared again. Seeing that, Harris was rather embarrassed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Are you embarrassed because we found it?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not embarrassed! Harris is not embarrassed! I¡¯m¡­¡± Harris shook her head as if she had brainwashed herself. It was now hard to tell whether she was telling the truth or acting. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, you can check it.¡± If he had hesitated to take advantage of Harris¡¯s convenient behavior before, it was no longer the case. The two knights who brought Harris blocked Lexit and grabbed her. ¡°N-No! Stop it!¡± However, as if he had been watching for a long time, my father checked Harris¡¯s veins without hesitation. Dad, who pricked Harris¡¯s finger with a tiny needle, dropped blood on the bead. Like last time, red blood disappeared in an instant, as if it was absorbed by the bead. Instead, black smoke floated inside the transparent bead. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± It was Dad¡¯s turn this time. He pricked his hand, like before. Then, he let it flow into the bead. A fairly large amount of blood was absorbed into the bead in an instant. Then, a black smoke, which looked rougher than before, swayed inside the bead. But the two black smokes did not merge. The color of the smoke gradually changed as if they rejected each other. Even that wasn¡¯t enough, and there was a strong spark. The vassals of the Grand Duke, who had already flocked, were astonished. ¡°No¡­ No way¡­¡± ¡°What is this..¡± Even the Marquis and his followers, who had always stood firm by Harris¡¯s side, were nowhere to be seen. With the unexpected result, Harris looked at the bead in vain. ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­ I¡¯m real¡­ It¡¯s true. You said I¡¯m real!¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 89.2 ¡°I did? Someone else must have told you that.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m real anyway, Dad! That bead is weird. If not¡­ If not¡­¡± It was only then when Harris, who had been saying anything in embarrassment, made eye contact with me. ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s here! Yes, that¡¯s why!¡± Harris, who was screaming, pointed a finger at me as soon as she was released from the hands of the knights. ¡°It¡¯s because she used weird magic. You did something weird in the forest last time. It¡¯s because of her strange power. So that¡¯s why! It weirdly changed, too! I¡¯m real! Everyone else said I¡¯m real! It¡¯s true!¡± Lexit, who had been vainly looking at the bead and Harris, hurriedly spat out at her words. ¡°Father, she has a strange power!¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± All of a sudden, everyone¡¯s eyes fell on me because of the uproar. Cecilia turned hurriedly, as if to protect me. But I straightened my shoulders towards them. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°No! My dad was possessed by her too. That¡¯s what it is! My dad, who was kind to me, wouldn¡¯t suddenly be so bad.¡± Then she ran to my father and clung to his feet. ¡°Dad, look at me! My dad must have been possessed by her. You can¡¯t do this! Yjos os a;; a ;oe. What a strange thing she did!¡± ¡°So, Harris, you mean the ancient artifact created by a wizard from long ago to find his bloodline in the Imperial family is fake, and Bebe manipulated it?¡± ¡°Hey, that could be fake too! It doesn¡¯t make sense to find something that was lost overnight¡± ¡°Yeah, it was hidden so I can¡¯t find it quickly, is that so?¡± ¡°Ah, I hid it really well¡­ oh¡­¡± Harris, who had just spat out a thought that my father was on her side, quickly hardened.¡± ¡°No¡­ Daddy, just¡­¡± ¡°So you were hiding it. It¡¯s not that I found it under the swing of your garden you frequently used.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ that¡¯s because I was framed¡­¡± ¡°The fact that you hid it¡­ would you reveal yourself that you don¡¯t have the blood of the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Oh, no! You have to believe me, Dad. I¡¯ve lived you longer. Do you trust and choose her?!¡± It was not an understatement to say that there was no business in insisting. Dad took a deep breath and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about believing and choosing Bebe. I believe in what I think and follow it. It¡¯s Harris, and the results tell us. You¡¯re not my daughter.¡± ¡°No!¡± At that time¡­ ¡°Father, what¡¯s going on?¡± I heard a woman¡¯s voice from behind me for the first time. I turned my head in a hurry. With her blue hair tied up, she walked past me with a sharp look and approached Harris and Dad. Then she took Harris in her arms. ¡°Aster.¡± ¡°Why is my sister crying?¡± ¡®If it¡¯s Aster, is it her first suster?¡¯ I only heard her name, but it was the first time seeing her in person. With a cold impression, she was only kind to Harris. ¡°Sister¡­ Sister¡­ My dad¡­ My dad¡­¡± Before I knew it, there were tears in her eyes. ¡°Because she¡¯s a fake. It turns out Harris is a fake.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying Harris is a fake?¡± ¡°Yes, and Aster, why are you here? Without a message?¡± ¡°I got a quick message yesterday. I thought I had to come back right away. I thought you sent it, but I guess you didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°It seems that someone is playing a joke. In any case, put the child down. She¡¯s not your sister.¡± At those words, Aster looked at Harris for a long time. As if she had been wrongly accused, Harris buried her head in her shoulder with tears streaming down her cheeks. Then she slightly turned her head toward me and gritted her teeth. She even threatened she wouldn¡¯t let me off with her mouth. It was as if she mouthed, ¡®I¡¯m going to kill you¡¯. It¡¯s not like it was the first time. Cecilia, who was nervous about what might happen to me, didn¡¯t see what happened. Well, that was not why I was scared of that kind of behavior. I patted Cecilia next to me and sneakily nudged my chin towards Harris. ¡°It¡¯s absurd that she¡¯s not my sister, Father. Didn¡¯t you ever say she was like me when I was younger? Besides, is it okay to make a child cry like this, no matter what?¡± Before I knew it, Allen, my colt brother who approached me, opened his mouth. ¡°Sister, she¡¯s not crying. She was threatening Bebe just now.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 90 ¡°Wh-When did I do that?¡± ¡°Look, even now. If you were really crying, you wouldn¡¯t be speaking like that.¡± Her mouth trembled at her brother¡¯s sharp words. Aster¡¯s face also hardened as she held Harris. ¡°Is that so, Harris?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ No, Sister! Harris can¡¯t do such a bad thing. He¡¯s¡­ always hated me, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Harris, Allen has always wanted to have you as a little sister but you said you didn¡¯t like him.¡± It was unexpected. Aster, who thought she would take her side, stroked her head and spoke in an emotionless voice. ¡°But, but¡­ Anyway, my brother is fascinated by that person over there and he keeps saying bad things to me.¡± Aster¡¯s gaze calmly turned to Allen. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never been possessed or said anything bad, Sister.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s real, Allen. You¡¯ve always flinched when I looked at you.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m confident. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s not confident. Do you know how much she¡¯s made a fuss about Bebe?¡± As if remembering what happened, Allen huffed and pursed his lips. ¡°This wouldn¡¯t have happened if it weren¡¯t for her. It¡¯s all because of that Bebe person!¡± ¡°Everyone, stop.¡± Aster spat out coldly as if she didn¡¯t want to see it. With that voice that sounded exactly like my father¡¯s, as well as the same expression, it seemed to work pretty well. The siblings, who were making a fuss just now, hardened as if they had become statues. ¡®Are you the scary older sister?¡¯ I can¡¯t believe she was able to overpower these uncontrollable siblings so easily. I stared at Aster in surprise. ¡°Then now, instead of listening to the children, Father will tell me. Please tell me what happened so that I can understand.¡± ¡°I checked Harris¡¯s blood using the Imperial family¡¯s treasure to make sure she was real and it turns out she¡¯s not. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rather, Aster made eye contact with Harris without much emotion. ¡°You¡¯re not my sister.¡± ¡°Oh, not you. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m not your sister. I¡¯m¡­!¡± ¡°But they said so.¡± ¡°They would be wrong, Sister¡­¡± Aster stared at Harris. Afraid, Harris quickly turned her head. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­ Sister, you¡¯ve always been kind to me. You¡¯ve embraced and loved me more than anyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you called for me?¡± She even called for her, saying ¡®Come here quickly, it¡¯s urgent¡¯. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you¡­ I think Dad would kick me out right away. Daddy¡¯s gone crazy. He doesn¡¯t listen to what I say. I think he¡¯s been possessed by a strange girl.¡± And then Aster¡¯s eyes fell on me. As if to examine my existence, her sharp eyes looked at me more fiercely than ever. ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s a weird kid?¡± ¡°Yeah, she showed up out of nowhere¡­ and she¡¯s got some kind of weird power¡­ Well, that doesn¡¯t mean she should get close. Sister, she¡¯s very dangerous.¡± Aster strode closer to me, setting Harris down on the floor, despite Harris¡¯s words. ¡°S-Sister¡­!¡± Then she put her hand on my head without hesitation. ¡°Lady Aster!¡± Cecilia came up in a hurry, as if surprised by such an action, but Aster stopped her. ¡°I have to check with my own hands. What is this?¡± As if meeting her father for the first time, Aster spoke emotionlessly. Meanwhile, her hand, which rested on my head, became hot. However, the hot feeling soon became warm and warmed my head. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Harris, who came running before she knew it, clung to Aster¡¯s feet. Aster, who came out and looked at Harris, put her other hand on her head. ¡°S-Sister¡­!¡± ¡°Wait a second, Harris.¡± But unlike me, Harris¡¯s face gradually hardened. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s hot. It hurts! It hurts!¡± Shortly afterwards, Harris shook her head mercilessly. I felt warm and nice, but Harris frowned in anguish. In the end, Aster let go of her hand to see. ¡°Hmm¡­ twins, come here.¡± This time, she called Lexit and Allen. Nothing has changed since just now. As she did to Harris and I, Aster calmly put her hands on the twins¡¯s heads. Unexpectedly, the twins looked at Aster without much reaction. ¡°Twins, you didn¡¯t turn hot.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just warm.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Aster¡¯s face, which had been looking at me with a sharp expression, had relaxed slightly. ¡°¡­I guess you¡¯re not it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing. Anyway, Dad, I get it.¡± A small smile appeared on my dad¡¯s face at Aster¡¯s change, who had been resolute the whole time. However, she suddenly stroked Harris¡¯s hair. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think you should kick out Harris.¡± ¡°Aster!¡± ¡°She¡¯s still my younger sister. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d kick out a kid in a day. That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Hah, I don¡¯t know who you resemble. You¡¯re so determined.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been like my father. You¡¯ve always liked it.¡± The older sister, who smirked, still looked at Harris. ¡°And even though Harris was not the real daughter of the Grand Duchess, she was able to persist to the end because there was someone behind her. After we¡¯ve executed them¡­ we¡¯ll deal with her then.¡± She had her own grace period, but Harris¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not real? Sister, I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m your real sister. We¡¯re so alike¡­ we are¡­¡± ¡°Harris.¡± ¡°¡­I hate you. I hate you too. Everyone says I¡¯m not real. I mean it¡­ I¡¯m serious¡­¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re real. I believe you.¡± ¡°Do you really trust me?¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go in now.¡± Aster walked with Harris in her arms. ¡°Aster¡­¡± Dad called the older sister, but there was no way she could turn back. ¡°Twins, follow me.¡± Eventually they disappeared in a hurry. All that was left was my father and the vassals who came to check. ¡°Ha¡­¡± I ran to my dad. ¡°Daddy.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Dad nodded, but he didn¡¯t look any better. Rather, he just looked at Harris with a regretful face. ¡°If you think about it, it¡¯s right for Aster to appease Harris.¡± ¡°Do you want to?¡± ¡°Even if you force her, she won¡¯t spit out what she knows. Now, who had brought Harris and Ellin¡¯s shawl here¡­ I don¡¯t know about Harris, but the one who brought the child here must be the one who killed Ellin. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t forgive her.¡± ¡°Daddy¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get carried away. Shall we go back?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I smiled brightly at my friendly father. I didn¡¯t see Harris get kicked out, but I at least knew for sure Harris wasn¡¯t related to my dad. That was enough. ¡®Now I can refute whatever Harris says!¡¯ Seeing me like that, my dad leaned down to affectionately stroke my head. ¡°Aster took Harris away, so there¡¯s no time left. I think we can talk to Adele as promised. Shall Dad go to Mom?¡± Dad smiled pleasantly, as if to reassure me. ¡°Okay! But Mom¡¯s asleep!¡± ¡­Are you also going to sleep?¡± ¡°Yes! She¡¯s already asleep!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the priest came and went, but she¡¯s asleep?¡± As usual, my dad¡¯s expression looked quite serious. ¡°Yes, can¡¯t you?¡± There was no answer to my question. ¡°¡­I think we should call the priest right away.¡± ¡°Dad?¡± As if something had happened, Dad hugged me and walked with a serious expression. Then, he gave orders to the servant that was following him. ¡°Go and call the priest right away.¡± As if waiting for the word, the servant disappeared quickly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something happen to Mom?¡± ¡°Oh, no, Bebe. I¡¯m just calling the priest because she¡¯s asleep. Adele¡­ will be alright.¡± Was I mistaken to hear that something was going to happen today but nothing will happen? ¡°Dad¡­ are you sure Mom is okay?¡± ¡°Sure. When the priest comes, she¡¯ll be fine. I may have misunderstood something, so don¡¯t worry, Bebe.¡± I found out for the first time today that the words ¡®Don¡¯t worry¡¯ is the scariest thing in the world. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 91.1 As my dad opened the door to where my mother and I were staying, his face turned pale as I ran to her. ¡°Adele.¡± His voice was so sweet as he called out to my mom. It was almost terrifying to see. My dad¡¯s hands shook as usual. That alone was bound to be disturbing. ¡°Dad?¡± My dad, who would normally look back whenever I called him, only looked at my mom without saying a word.For a while, it was as if he was checking if she was alive or not. Only then did I feel that something was quite wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my mom? Huh?¡± Just in case, I went up to the bed and put my ear on my mom¡¯s chest. Apart from the unusually slow heart rate, it was no different from usual. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Contrary to his words, I urged my dad once again when I saw my dad¡¯s face darken. ¡°Not a big deal? Dad, your face tells me something different to what you¡¯re saying¡­!¡± ¡°Bebe, go to Allen first. Cecilia, take the child out.¡± Holding my mom¡¯s arm tightly at his stern voice, I did not back down. How do you protect your Mom? It¡¯s been a long time. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°You need to go.¡± ¡°I said no!¡± Something must have happened to my mom, and Dad¡¯s trying to hide it from me. I couldn¡¯t have known that. I shook my head more firmly than ever, but the more I did, the more my dad took my hand away from my mom. ¡°Listen to me.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my anger for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯m staying with my mom.¡± ¡°Bebe.¡± ¡°Why do you keep trying to get me away from my mom?¡± ¡°You might be shocked¡­ so come on, let¡¯s go.¡± My dad was different from usual. He clearly drew the line as if he were someone else. It seemed that he would not bend his will no matter what. ¡°Why are you hiding so much? I¡¯m also my mom¡¯s guardian. It¡¯s only the two of us, so my mom and I are each other¡¯s guardians. So tell me, what is it?¡± ¡°¡­Just knowing it doesn¡¯t change anything. It¡¯s already happened, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. If Adele goes down again, it won¡¯t be good.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying this is my mom¡¯s fault? Is that it?¡± I asked him in spite of myself. My hands trembled for a moment at the sight of my father acting as if he had given up. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you really be wrong about my mom?¡± ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t say it like that. I¡¯m not going to send the person who¡¯s believed in you and protected you in pain. So Bebe, let me deal with it.¡± It was a strange feeling. I had to believe my dad, but I was nervous because I knew that my dad, who was stronger than anyone else, would definitely protect my mom on my behalf. Was it because of his droopy voice, which sounded different from usual? Maybe it¡¯s the anxiety in his eyes. I went to my mom¡¯s side again. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want to go. I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Go. I don¡¯t know what will happen when the priest arrives. This is for your own good, Bebe.¡± I knew. I knew it too well. My dad¡¯s eyes looked worried. There was no way you could be ignorant towards people¡¯s gazes, but I knew I couldn¡¯t give up on my mom. I felt like I would never see my mom if I went like this. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going. I¡¯m not going!¡± But I wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen from now on. My dad shook his head from side to side and looked at Cecilia. ¡°My Lady, come with me.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s my mom! I¡¯ll protect her!¡± There was no way I could overcome the power of an adult. My dad finally pulled me off even though I said no. For a moment, an unknown rage filled my body. The fact that I could be wrong about my Mom and that I had to be away from her, who was my whole life, filled my head. ¡®I¡¯ll never let you go again.¡¯ It was always my mom I missed. I won¡¯t let go of her because my mom had always gone away like that. Maybe it was because of those thoughts, but for a moment, I felt something rush through my body. ¡®It¡¯s hot.¡¯ If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 91.2 It was a feeling I had never experienced before. My body became so hot that it was hard to breathe, and the power I had always dealt within me was split into thousands of waus, making it impossible to control. ¡°Ah¡­¡± My mind went black. It was too much to bear on its own. Even though the floor trembled, my mind got excited over the single thought of saving my mother. ¡®No, I have to hold it in. You can¡¯t save her like this.¡¯ But it was the first time I experienced happiness. I wanted to live here with my mom for a long time. I found my real father and I found my twin brother, I didn¡¯t expect to be here. Now that everything has been revealed and there are only happy things left, why did it turn out like this? ¡®But I¡¯m sad¡­¡¯ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because my mom brought back our memories. Since then, my mom hasn¡¯t been well. Then, even if time goes back in the end or both my mom and I die again, it wouldn¡¯t be much different from before. ¡®After all, I can¡¯t come here.¡¯ When we come here, my mom will try to reveal everything and she¡¯ll be like this again. That¡¯s how I was devoured by my power. Obviously, my mind was intact, but the power I didn¡¯t want would come back. As if representing my mind, which had been sharpened, the power became a sharp thorn and spread in all directions. It was the cruelly cold and bitter thorns that could hurt anyone. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone. It¡¯s just that my mind wasn¡¯t the subject, but it had already happened. ¡®No, I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone¡­¡¯ However, the anger that became me threw itself into the dangerous thorns. Then, my dad next to me hugged me. ¡°Wake up! Don¡¯t let yourself be overwhelmed, Bebe.¡± I raised my head very slowly at the sound of my dad¡¯s unusually sad voice. I noticed it belatedly, the fact that all those thorns got stuck on my dad¡¯s body. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± The emotion that had been fiercely controlling my body until just now had quickly calmed down. Was it because of my dad¡¯s warmth, or did he know that I attacked him? In an instant, tears fell from my eyes. ¡°Ah, Dad¡­!¡± I calmed down and looked at my dad. ¡°Are you okay, Bebe?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Dad¡­¡± Red blood slowly seeped through Dad¡¯s exceptionally thin clothes. As soon as I saw my dad hurt because of what I did wrong, tears that I had been holding back flowed down. ¡°Sorry¡­ Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ hurt you¡­¡± Only then did my dad, who slightly lifted me from his arms and wiped away my tears, smile at me. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°No¡­ I attacked my dad. I-I just¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like that. You don¡¯t know how to use your strength yet. It¡¯s just a small thing that happened because you know how to unleash that powerful force but don¡¯t know how to handle it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a small thing! My dad got hurt¡­!¡± Why do I always hurt someone? I can¡¯t even save my mom¡­ I must be really useless. ¡°It¡¯s because I was too reckless. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. These wounds will heal quickly.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you because you were young. I must have thought wrong, so I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s going on and why I wanted you to leave.¡± I nodded very slowly at those words that soothed me. After wiping the tears that kept flowing, I looked at my dad. ¡°Good Bebe.¡± My dad¡¯s hand patted my head lightly. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay¡­?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve had wounds more painful than this. In comparison, this doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if he was trying to reassure me or if it was true¡­ ¡®It must be a lie.¡¯ In the meantime, my father cleared his voice, as if trying to change the topic. ¡°More than that, about your mother¡­ do you remember what the priest said last time?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Actually, Adele isn¡¯t in a very good condition. I don¡¯t know why, but she¡¯s in a dangerous condition. She¡¯s barely holding on to the priest¡¯s power for so long¡­ but that was just temporary. The priest said so. Since she last healed, we can¡¯t be sure if she can wake herself up again if it happens again.¡± I thought it would be something like that, but when I heard it directly from my dad¡¯s mouth, I felt like my eyes darkened. ¡°Mom is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no way to save her. She can live if you pray, but Bebe, you know that you and your mom can¡¯t be caught by the Emperor, right?¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 92.1 i nodded for a long time, knowing that of course we shouldn¡¯t get caught. mom and i barely managed to escape from there, and the emperor was crazy enough to want to own my mom and i. the emperor was the one who did this evil to mom and i. ¡°i hate just thinking about it.¡± since my mom died, the emperor has been tormenting us a lot. i wanted to save my mom in a different way every time i lived again, but it¡¯s enough to just go through all of that again. ¡°then, my mom¡­ mom¡­ i¡¯ll do anything. i¡¯ll go back to the emperor so let me cure her. i can do that. i hate losing my mom more than i do dying.¡± to let my mom die again¡­ i was happy to come here, eat lots of delicious food, see flowers in person and jump on my own two feet. but even when mom came here, she was always lying in bed. ¡®you¡¯re not really my mom¡­ but you¡¯ve always protected me for so long and say you love me.¡¯ i hope that mom can be happy. even if i¡¯m taken to the emperor again, even if i suffer all kinds of things like i did in the past, only mom needs to be happy. ¡®i don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll get mad at me later on, but i hope so.¡¯ when i thought of my mom, my eyes started to tear up. i couldn¡¯t stand it. looking at me like that, my dad leaned over. ¡°you don¡¯t have to. you¡¯re my daughter and she¡¯s my wife. i will take care of it.¡± ¡°huh¡­?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know what adele will think, but i¡¯m not going to let her go. i want to protect her as much as you do.¡± my tears stopped as my father said those unexpected words. ¡°do you want to protect my mom too?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°because she¡¯s my mom?¡± ¡°there¡¯s that¡­¡± as if to say something else, my dad stretched out his words, but in the end, i couldn¡¯t hear any more reasons. as if waiting for this time, the door suddenly opened and the priest came in. as if to show that he ran, kayle, the priest, came to my mom without hesitation. ¡°don¡¯t tell me¡­ your highness.¡± he sighed deeply, as if he had anticipated this situation. ¡°yes, it happened to be what you said, much faster than i thought.¡± ¡°ah.¡± ¡°is that the only way to do it?¡± ¡°yes, other than that¡­ you would be right to think that there¡¯s none.¡± my dad hugged me as i clung to my mom. he patted me with his big strong hands, as if to say ¡®don¡¯t worry¡¯. ¡°there¡¯s no more time for you to do this.¡± after a moment¡¯s hesitation, kayle placed his hand on my mom¡¯s forehead. like last time, brilliant light filled the room, but the light faded in an instant, like putting water in a bowl with a hole. ¡°¡­i can¡¯t do it anymore.¡± ¡°you¡¯re the one who became the candidate for the high priest. what do you mean ¡®you can¡¯t do it¡¯?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just strong because of the power god has given us, and i have to ask the high priest for cooperation to use the power.¡± i quietly listened to the two. i held my dad¡¯s hand tightly so my emotions wouldn¡¯t affect me again. ¡°i guess.¡± ¡°the problem is the relationship between the high priest and the emperor. it¡¯s nothing else to do with the power of the gods, but there¡¯s no way that the emperor will not step in. it¡¯s not something that you can just use. and if you use it, the current high priest will¡­¡± ¡°¡­you could die.¡± to save my mom, the high priest is needed. however, it could result in the death of the high priest. who would sacrifice their life to save others. i was a little happy over the existence of the high priest, but i couldn¡¯t help but be a bit sad. ¡°now what?¡± ¡°what can i do? who¡¯s the father?¡± ¡°dad¡­¡± he¡¯s crazy. he¡¯s someone who seems to be endlessly nice to me but sometimes he¡¯s out of his mind. ¡®is daddy going to get hurt?¡¯ after thinking for a while, i smiled awkwardly instead of answering. ¡°w-well.¡± ¡°you look like you¡¯re hiding something. you look exactly like your mom sometimes. i know that now.¡± Chapter 92.2 ¡°do i look like my mom?¡± ¡°yes, your mom used to avoid eye contact and laugh when she was at a disadvantage. she smiled so brightly that i couldn¡¯t see her eyes.¡± ¡°i see.¡± i forced a smile and looked at my dad. then, dad smiled and looked at kayle. ¡°dad is a man who can do anything so the high priest won¡¯t come. if he does, he¡¯ll get kidnapped.¡± ¡°huh¡­?¡± i didn¡¯t know you could say kidnapping so easily. it was natural for kayle¡¯s face to harden. ¡°¡­i- can i just pretend to not know?¡± ¡°no, you¡¯re kidnapped too. you know what you¡¯re going to do when i get back, do you?¡± dad, you¡¯re crazy. those words came out of nowhere. kayle, who was in front of me, blinked slowly, as if he had the same feeling as me. ¡°grand duke?¡± but dad just laughed and didn¡¯t answer. then kayle, who was scratching his head as if thinking about something later, smiled a bit. ¡°is it for me?¡± ¡°what¡¯s for you?¡± ¡°are you taking care of me so i wouldn¡¯t be told that i¡¯m on the same side as the grand duke if this goes wrong?¡± i made eye contact with my dad at the unexpected remark. my dad, who would have said otherwise, shook his head strongly while looking at kayle and i. ¡°nonsense.¡± ¡°the more i look at the grand duke, the more different he seems to be from the rumors.¡± ¡°stop talking nonsense and get kidnapped.¡± ¡°all right. but before that, the grand duke¡¯s physical condition doesn¡¯t seem to be good.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that i¡¯m not feeling well. it¡¯s just a bit of blood.¡± to say that, he had blood all over his body. kayle¡¯s eyes looked as he said those obvious words, but my dad ignored him and shook the bell on one side of the room. the servants and knights quickly came inside. again, they looked at my dad with astonishment like cecilia, who had turned pale and clung to the wall when i started attacking earlier. ¡°capture the priest. you don¡¯t have to be nice. just provide decent accommodation and decent meals. and don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± ¡°thank you. it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve had a break.¡± ¡°what¡¯s there to be thankful for? you¡¯ve been kidnapped so be quiet. i made it clear. you¡¯ve been kidnapped.¡± ¡°right.¡± kayle, who was smiling for some reason, was escorted by the knights and attendants and went outside. meanwhile, the servants and other knights were in a hurry to worry about my dad, trying to get him treated right away. however, dad erased that affectionate appearance he had today and spoke firmly towards them. ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense and get out.¡± ¡°y-yes.¡± eventually, the servants and knights went out quickly at those words. cecilia came to us, relaxing her stiff face. ¡°your highness, but the treatment¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need for treatment. the child¡¯s powers aren¡¯t dangerous, cecilia.¡± ¡°yes, i know. that¡¯s why i didn¡¯t go out. however, the treatment¡­¡± ¡°if you keep bothering me, i will tell you to leave.¡± then cecilia sighed deeply and nodded. ¡°then i¡¯ll bring a towel soaked in warm water.¡± ¡°do it on your own.¡± cecilia, who smiled slightly and nodded when her eyes met mine, walked to the bathroom like that. then, my dad put me back on the bed. ¡°it can be difficult to explain everything and know everything, but i¡¯m going to do it now because i haven¡¯t done anything before.¡± ¡°what are you going to do¡­? are you really going to kidnap him?¡± ¡°before that, i will officially announce my wife and child to the high priest so we can use the power for my wife.¡± i just blinked my eyes. ¡°are you okay?¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯m sure the emperor will be intrigued by the appearance of the grand duchess and new family members. i¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to see you. then, bebe, i¡¯m not going to avoid him and take you to the emperor.¡± ¡°huh¡­?!¡± my lips quivered at his unexpected words. was this really okay? ¡°and then i¡¯ll show you how i¡¯m going to protect you and adele.¡± ¡°but what if we screw it all up? once he sees me¡­ daddy, are you really okay?¡± ¡°you are my daughter, bebe. you¡¯re my child regardless whether you¡¯re my real daughter or not, so i¡¯ll keep that promise. you don¡¯t have to be intimidated by the existence of the emperor forever. i won¡¯t let you and adele hide like this forever.¡± ¡°daddy¡­¡± somewhere in my chest became heavy. ¡°there¡¯s nothing to hide¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s not yours and adele¡¯s fault, so trust daddy. i¡¯m not going to stay still¡­¡± Chapter 93.1 no words could control emotions. the words ¡®you don¡¯t have to live in hiding anymore¡¯ shook my emotions. i looked at the ceiling and let out a short breath, as if i was about to cry. ¡°bebe.¡± ¡°¡­yes!¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to run away. you don¡¯t have to trade by showing your ability to strangers.¡± all those times when my mom and i died and time would rewind, i had to use various methods to save her; all those moments passed quickly in my head. we could just live. i thought about the time when i promised myself that i would do anything if i could live with my mom. i thought about the first time i met my dad and showed him my strength. i fainted whenever i used my power because of how unhealthy it was, and the many days when i opened my eyes to anxiety. all those things came to my mind. i burst into tears. my dad gently wiped my eyes. ¡°don¡¯t cry anymore. what are you worried and anxious about? sometimes bebe, you seem like you¡¯re hiding something. don¡¯t hide it anymore.¡± ¡°dad¡­¡± the truth was that i died several times and came back to life. all i have is my mom, but she died, so i also died several times to save my mom. but no matter what i did, i couldn¡¯t save her. it¡­ it was really hard. my dad¡¯s words seemed to comfort me since i didn¡¯t have to do that anymore, even though he didn¡¯t know anything about it. i cried so much that i couldn¡¯t see, and i cried in my dad¡¯s arms for a long time. ¡°it¡¯s okay. it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°i¡¯m¡­ i¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°you can cry more. you¡¯re a child, you can do that. you no longer have to carry it on your own. you just need to grow up well. that¡¯s all i care about from now on. i will protect you and adele from now on.¡± ¡°daddy¡­¡± my voice didn¡¯t come out well. my pronunciation was muffled and my face looked ugly. but i wanted to speak. i wanted to thank my dad for letting me lay down all my burdens. ¡°yes, yes. you don¡¯t have to tell me. just smile like you do.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯ll laugh a lot¡­!¡± i couldn¡¯t say anything other than that. the truth that i died and came back to life several times was something that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t believe, so i shed tears for a long time. the tears stopped after cecilia brought a warm towel and wiped my dad¡¯s body for a long time. ¡°are you okay now?¡± my dad, who had been feeding me water, patting my head and wiping my eyes in case i got thirsty, made eye contact with me by the time my sniffles died down. ¡°i¡¯ve been fine for a while!¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°yeah! i¡¯ve never had a bad time.¡± ¡°but you cried.¡± ¡°ha¡­ i didn¡¯t cry, it¡¯s just¡­¡± i was so ashamed over the fact that i cried like a child that i grumbled. whether he understood me or had other thoughts, my dad stroked my head for a long time, like petting a dog. ¡°i thought i should tell you. the first thing to do is formally request a visit from an official. at the same time, i will raise you and adele as my daughter and my wife. i don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with your brother, so i¡¯ll leave him alone.¡± ¡°brother is¡­¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know which one is trying to take advantage of that child, and i don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see him before that, so i want you to understand that.¡± ¡°daddy¡­¡± i looked at my dad, barely opening my swollen eyes from crying. my dad, who would have answered my call right away, looked at me with a strange expression for a long time and smiled. ¡°why are you smiling?¡± ¡°it¡¯s bebe.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°you¡¯re awake, right?¡± ¡°hey! are you teasing me?¡± i widened my eyes forcefully. my dad¡¯s laughter grew louder. ¡°bebe, why are you so cute?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not cute! i have big eyes! it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°if you cry a little, your eyes get swollen, just like me.¡± i was going to say something, but i stopped quickly from huffing at my dad¡¯s words. ¡°dad¡­ do i look like you?¡± ¡°yes, you look like me.¡± ¡°tch¡­ anyway, my eyes are big.¡± ¡°of course.¡± it wasn¡¯t until i heard that i relaxed my eyes. then i saw my dad. he¡¯s been acting like he¡¯s okay but he looks like he¡¯s having a hard time, so i patted my dad¡¯s shoulder with my small hand. ¡°daddy, you know¡­ you don¡¯t have to tell me everything.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to trust you, dad. i know you¡¯re going to take care of everything. you don¡¯t have to have it hard.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± Chapter 93.2 ¡°i trust my dad.¡± only then did dad smile so brightly that he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°okay.¡± ¡°okay then. i¡¯m tired. i¡¯m going to sleep now. stay next to my mom¡­ and you¡¯ll take care of her, right?¡± ¡°of course.¡± i watched my dad say in a firmer tone than before and stuck to my mom. i still felt uneasy. i was afraid that my mom, who¡¯s breathing now, would suddenly stop breathing. i was afraid that i¡¯ll lose my mom and live that nightmare again. but i decided to trust my dad rather than my anxiety. ¡°bebe, i¡¯ll pat you until you fall asleep.¡± ¡°okay! i think i¡¯ll fall asleep soon. i¡¯m very, very tired today.¡± ¡°sweet dreams.¡± looking at my dad patting me, i held my mom¡¯s hand tightly. being like this, i felt like my dad and mom were connected, so i felt better without realizing it. my mom was sick, and i didn¡¯t know what was going to happen to her, but i felt better like a fool, so a smile spread across my face. i wasn¡¯t sure if it was because i was relieved, but i fell asleep before i knew it. *** whether it was because i cried my heart out or because i had put down my burdens, i had to wake up the next day, struggling. cecilia, who was looking at my mom all night, belatedly found me not feeling well as my eyes widened. eventually, the doctor came to find out i was ill. later, my dad came to my room and made a fuss as the doctor treated me in a sweat. he said it was because of overwork, which did not suit my age, and said it was okay if i rested for a while. the disturbance at dawn ended only after my dad got angry, calling him a quack. it was over, but i couldn¡¯t sleep. even when morning came, i had to lie still in bed. i wanted to get up, but i couldn¡¯t. i laid next to my mom and blinked. ¡°cecilia¡­¡± ¡°no, you can¡¯t get up.¡± somehow, cecilia knew my heart so well that she stopped me before i could even speak properly. ¡°tch¡­ don¡¯t say that. i¡¯m not good at that.¡± ¡°your toes have been wriggling for a while. you want to get up, right? but as you know from what he said, you need to rest for a while.¡± i hugged my penguin doll as hard as i could and pouted. i was happy to be with my mom all day, but it¡¯s frustrating to just lie down. i looked at my mom, who laid still, at a distance. ¡°didn¡¯t he say anything yet?¡± ¡°yes, don¡¯t worry. you can do anything. that¡¯s what happened yesterday, so please wait a bit. i¡¯m sure something good will happen.¡± ¡°ahhh¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, my lady.¡± she put a cool towel on my forehead. ¡°it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°because you have a fever. ahh¡­ how long have you been¡­¡± at that time, just as cecilia was about to nag, the door burst open. ¡°sister! my little sister!¡± it was allen who appeared splendidly. even if i didn¡¯t see him, i could tell just by hearing his voice. i knew it was my pony brother who entered the room. but unlike usual, he didn¡¯t come running to me. he was amazed at the sight and slowly raised his body upright. my brother whimpered and dragged a bundle much larger than him. ¡°brother¡­?¡± ¡°yes, brother is here!¡± as soon as i called him, allen put down the bundle and quickly approached me. he smiled and approached again with the bundle. ¡°ah, i¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°you¡¯re tired¡­? what did you bring?¡± ¡°ahem¡­ it¡¯s like 100 special gifts to win the heart of my beloved sister?¡± just hearing him already makes me feel tired. as if it was the same for cecilia, cecilia let out a deep sigh as her expression hardened. ¡°i¡¯ll go change the water.¡± the towel that cecilia put on my forehead was definitely cool, but cecilia avoided looking at me, saying that the water seemed warm. ¡°c-cecilia!¡± don¡¯t go. he¡¯s weird. 100 kinds of gifts¡­ but even though i looked anxiously at cecilia, she shook her head from side to side. as if she knew it wouldn¡¯t stop allen, she quickly disappeared with an expression of defeat. in the meantime, my brother took out the items one by one from the large cloth. ¡°ta-da! look at this!¡± ¡°¡­yes, i¡¯m looking.¡± ¡°what do you think? isn¡¯t it cool? isn¡¯t it the best?¡± ¡°¡­what is it?¡± ¡°ah, i brought my portrait so my sister can see me whenever she wants! that¡¯s not all. there¡¯s still 99 more.¡± brother, i know you always care about me, but i don¡¯t think this is right. but allen didn¡¯t stop there. Chapter 94.1 ¡°don¡¯t be surprised to see what¡¯s next!¡± ¡°what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°your medal shows how wonderful you are!¡± what was this about? i stared at my brother for a long time. however, whether it was good for me to see him or if he had other intentions, allen, who became like a colt again, grinned. ¡°that¡¯s not all, i¡¯m here. i still have a lot to show you. this medal was made by my dad when i first rode a horse in style, and this¡­¡± the bragging continued after that. in fact, i was slightly moved by the fact that he brought something here. my brother, who was busy running around like a pony, prepared all this and that for me. ¡®but not all this!¡¯ that¡¯s right. ¡°and this is what my dad gave me as a special gift for not missing my class for a week¡­¡± ¡°brother.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°why are you showing me this?¡± my eyes were already blurry from the pain, but i finally spat out a groan. ¡°what?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sick¡­ i thought you were here to comfort me or worry over me, but that¡¯s not it, so i¡¯m curious.¡± only then did my brother look at me with a bewildered look. even my brother¡¯s thick lips pouted in the air like a fish, as if he was speechless. ¡°you came here because you were worried about me, right?¡± yes, no matter how foolish or colt-like he was, he wouldn¡¯t be here to brag about that. i hope not. however, if i had any doubts, it would be the case. the same was true this time. at my words, allen laughed and scratched his head. ¡°¡­are you really here to brag?¡± ¡°oh, no, no! i-i was a little worried!¡± ¡°¡­uh, okay.¡± all the good feelings i had for my brother had disappeared. what do you mean ¡®a little¡¯? ¡°brother.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°can you please leave now that you¡¯re a bit worried? i¡¯m a bit tired. i can¡¯t even see properly.¡± i brought a towel on my head toward my eyes. then, as if he had something to say, my brother stuck close to me. ¡°bebe, are you upset?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not upset. i just don¡¯t want to talk to my brother who doesn¡¯t seem interested in me.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that!¡± ¡°then why are you in a hurry to show off when i¡¯m sick?¡± the colt twisted his body like a puppy who wanted to go to the toilet. ¡°me too! i didn¡¯t want to do this, but i thought you really liked your twin or something! bebe¡¯s brother is only me! i wanted to show you that i¡¯m an amazing person!¡± seeing my brother screaming until i wasn¡¯t surprised, i slightly removed the towel above my eyes and turned my head to the side. ¡°what?¡± ¡°i think you like him more than me¡­ so¡­ oh, it¡¯s not that i didn¡¯t worry about you. it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ no, i¡¯m sorry. i just thought that i was glad you¡¯re not seeing him.¡± i paused for a moment, not knowing what to say. ¡°sorry, it was a bad idea. i should have worried more about you¡­¡± the corners of my silly brother¡¯s eyes were red. his hands trembled, as if he was really sorry. ¡°i¡¯m fine with a dumb brother, but i don¡¯t like a weak brother.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°so don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°i-i¡¯m not crying!¡± at my words, my brother quickly wiped the corners of his eyes. it made me laugh a little because it looked cute and absurd. ¡°my twin brother is my twin brother, and allen is my brother.¡± ¡°¡­wow.¡± ¡°of course, my twin brother looks like me, and it¡¯s special because we have something in common.¡± whether he didn¡¯t want to cry or express his feelings, he bit his lips without saying a word. ¡°okay¡­ i guess i was hoping for too much.¡± he spoke in a complicated voice, as if he had come to a conclusion on his own. ¡°i¡¯ll go out and see. i¡¯m really sorry that i did something useless to you.¡± i held his hand tightly. ¡°but you know what? allen, allen, you¡¯re the first one who reached out to me and made me your family. that¡¯s more special than my twin brother.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter who is better and who is worse. everyone is special, but everyone has a different mind.¡± my brother¡¯s large eyes, which were fine just now, glistened. ¡°i don¡¯t like crying, brother.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not crying. th-this is sweat¡­ sweat¡­ anyway, me too. you¡¯re very special. at first, i was the only one who didn¡¯t have a younger sister, so i came to you because i wanted a younger sister like harris. but it got bigger and bigger.¡± my brother, who was always bright and thoughtless, shed tears. ¡°this is not crying! i¡¯m a strong brother.¡± ¡°i know, i know.¡± Chapter 94.2 ¡°you know¡­ you know¡­ bebe, i¡­ i made my mom die. i¡¯ve been thinking about it all this time, but i smiled because my dad, my sister and other people were sadder than me. it¡¯s very sad, but i smiled. the more i did, the more my heart ached.¡± i guess he¡¯s a kid too. i always thought it was hard, but he cracked so easily. that¡¯s why i stared at my brother. my brother, who couldn¡¯t even see me as his emotions were soaring, dropped his head to the floor. ¡°but after i met you, i changed. you looked so pitiful when i first met you, but strangely, i was comforted when i was with you. for the first time, i wasn¡¯t laughing to make other people laugh, i was smiling for myself.¡± i barely got up from my seat, put away the towel on my forehead and made eye contact with my brother. i wasn¡¯t feeling well. i lowered my head and placed my hand on my brother¡¯s head. it was exceptionally soft, like dog fur. my brother frowned slightly at my actions, but that was all. ¡°you¡¯re doing great, brother. live like that in the future. for you and for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°my first brother is more special than anyone else. i look forward to your support.¡± ¡°yeah, yeah. so bebe can¡¯t like another brother more?¡± ¡°yes!¡± how could i hate my brother, who brags about himself like a google and wants me to like him more? ¡®what am i supposed to say?¡¯ what was i supposed to do? that¡¯s why i felt overwhelmed. that should be good. my brother and father came to a world where no one loved and cared about me except my mother. now, i wasn¡¯t alone. my heart trembled so much that i couldn¡¯t breathe at those thoughts, and a long time passed. in the end, my brother went outside when i laid down on the bed again because my fever was rising violently again. cecilia, who would not have been able to give an order, kicked out my brother; perhaps because she thought it was not possible. once again, the room was quiet, and only the sound of cecilia squeezing towels for my forehead filled the room. ¡°you know what happens when you overdo it, right?¡± ¡°waa¡­¡± it wasn¡¯t because it was, but because of the heat, my eyes were blurred. ¡°we should ban young men and others from entering, including the master. whenever i have a moment, my lady¡­¡± cecilia, who had opened her mouth as if to nag again, suddenly stood up, as if possessed by something. ¡°this is not the time. i¡¯ll change the water again.¡± ¡°what?¡± cecilia, who had just changed the water, awkwardly went to the bathroom, as if a doll had moved. ¡°where are you going?¡± at the time when i was wondering about the unusually strange appearance of cecilia, something white came in through the window. it was like a handkerchief, as if it was trash being thrown by someone¡­ ¡°ugh.¡± it was like a silver stone being thrown in one go, settling on my body. ¡°i-it¡¯s heavy¡­!¡± i wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t heavy, but sylvie was on the very heavy side. usually, sylvie wasn¡¯t heavy, but it was to the point where i almost popped.he looked down at me with a very uncomfortable expression without saying anything. ¡°sylvie?¡± i thought he ran away from home since i didn¡¯t see him for a while, but i guess he didn¡¯t. ¡°where have you been? i thought you ran away so i tried to get them to catch you.¡± sylvie, who had not said anything, tapped his mouth and put it down on my stomach. only then did sylvie speak in a familiar voice from his mouth. ¡°it¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°that¡¯s why you weren¡¯t talking?¡± ¡°yes, i wasn¡¯t running away from home. it¡¯s because i¡¯m a silver wolf who¡¯s the king of the forest. i¡¯ve been looking around.¡± he said so, but sylvie avoided my gaze as if he had done something wrong. ¡°well, if it were you, that would be it. uh¡­? did you send cecilia to the bathroom just now?¡± if not, there was no need to go to the bathroom at such a great time. as if my prediction was right, sylvie stuck out his long snout and nodded. ¡°it¡¯s one of the 99 abilities of a dog- no, silver wolf.¡± ¡°oh! so there are 98 more?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°show me.¡± that was great. i was bored. but at my words, sylvie immediately turned his head. ¡°sylvie?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s not something that shows up all the time. and you said you were sick. i¡¯m here to give you this.¡± ¡°this¡­?¡± sylvie tapped some grass that he put on my stomach with his long snout. ¡°what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°just chew it. you¡¯ll get well soon. it helps you heal quickly when something goes wrong in your body. it¡¯s very common here in the forest.¡± ¡°did you go out to get this for me? is that why you couldn¡¯t see me the whole time?¡± Chapter 95.1 of course, sylvie wasn¡¯t going to answer what i asked. ¡°it¡¯s not for you. it¡¯s because you¡¯re sick so my food is a bit pitiful. this is all for me.¡± that was the end of the story. somehow, sylvie, who was avoiding my eyes as if he was embarrassed, stared at me and jumped out of the window again. ¡°are you going?¡± ¡°yes, i have a lot of work to do, so try to eat it.¡± ¡°¡­but it doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°hey, it¡¯s good, so make sure you chew it.¡± ¡°okay, i¡¯ll eat it after seeing you being sincere.¡± however, as soon as the word ¡®sincere¡¯ came out, sylvie, who was about to run outside, sat in place and turned his head. ¡°it¡¯s not sincere! it¡¯s very common when you go outside! it¡¯s not such a precious herb that you have to turn over all the stones since it can only be found under them. so no, it didn¡¯t contain any sincerity.¡± ¡®it¡¯s full of sincerity.¡¯ sylvie¡¯s front feet, seen one step later, were particularly scruffy. ¡°okay, then you didn¡¯t put sincerity into it, but i¡¯ll eat the herbs you brought me well.¡± ¡°yes.¡± contrary to the fact that he was about to leave, sylvie didn¡¯t go until i put the herb in my mouth. eventually i had to chew on the seemingly bitter herb. ¡°it¡¯s bitter¡­¡± only then did the satisfied wolf disappear out of the window. ¡°i don¡¯t want to eat it¡­ but i should eat it.¡± i thought it would take a lot of trouble to bring it to me. somehow, my heart tickled. when i lived with my mom, i felt guilty when i was sick. if i got sick in a place where there was nothing to eat or lie down comfortably, my mom wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep because she was nursing me all night and even gave me food. but the pain here was a little different. everyone was worried about me. after i got sick, i knew exactly what other people thought of me. cecilia, who was grumbling, was worried about me more than anyone else and was busy changing the towel on my forehead all night, like my mother. allen, who was like a colt, confessed his feelings, saying that he would smile because of me. sylvie, who was the silver wolf, fetched herbs for me until his feet were dirty. not to mention my dad. ¡®i¡¯m being loved.¡¯ i turned my head slightly and looked at my mother, who was asleep. mom, open your eyes. i want to show my mom how much love i¡¯m getting. it was a day i wanted to say that this was the place where we could rest. a few more days passed since then. curiously, as soon as i ate all the herbs that sylvie gave me, the fever went down. still, my worried dad told me not to come out of my room for a few days, and in the end, time passed. contrary to my expectation that it would change rapidly while i was lying down, the atmosphere of the grand duke¡¯s house was quiet. harris, in particular, was unusually quiet. i didn¡¯t know if it was because of aster¡¯s first appearance, but aster didn¡¯t look for me either, as if to keep distance. ¡®i want to see you.¡¯ i couldn¡¯t erase the feeling i felt when i first saw aster. aster was admirable to the point where i wondered if there was anyone else so interesting. she¡¯s just a cool person. she looked great with her hair tied up, and she was able to suppress dad in one go. ¡°ha¡­¡± ¡°why are you signing so much?¡± ¡°¡­daddy?¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°why did you start carrying me around?¡± dad was surprised, as if he had been caught on to that. dad, who said i couldn¡¯t go out of the room, was fine as long as he¡¯s confident. it was him that took me for a walk. of course he held me so i was not walking. ¡°it¡¯s¡­ well¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m not a baby. i can walk.¡± ¡°but just in case. you were sick.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve recovered from my illness.¡± i thought he would drop me off if i said this much, but my dad never dropped me off. no wonder when cecilia tried to get my shoes for me, i was puzzled since my dad wouldn¡¯t let me wear them. i guess he didn¡¯t even let me take my shows with me since he wanted to carry me. ¡°anyway, i¡¯m worried, so let¡¯s go around like this for a while.¡± ¡°¡­if i don¡¯t hug you like this, won¡¯t you even let me out?¡± ¡°sure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°oh, no. well, i¡¯ll let you in a few days, haha.¡± my dad, who laughed awkwardly, made eye contact with me and smiled widely. it was a laugh that couldn¡¯t have been seen before; a face that looked genuinely happy. ¡°there¡¯s nothing i can do.¡± Chapter 95.2 ¡°ah, more than that, bebe, i thought i should tell you too.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°operation: save adele.¡± when i heard that, i straightened my back and made eye contact with dad. ¡°did the high priest come?¡± but my dad shook his head heavily when i asked him joyfully. ¡°oh¡­ he¡¯s not coming?¡± ¡°yes, that¡¯s why we¡¯ll work on both sides.¡± ¡°from both sides?¡± ¡°tomorrow, i think i¡¯ll go to the emperor.¡± ¡°tomorrow? that soon?¡± i already heard it before, but my heart skipped a beat when i heard i was going to see the emperor. ¡°i thought it would be better to do it as soon as possible for adele.¡± ¡°for mom?¡± ¡°while we¡¯re going to see the emperor, we¡¯re going to kidnap the high priest from the other side. i posted your registration documents and documents of marriage to adele, and asked the high priest to cooperate, but he did not comply, so i will kidnap you.¡± kidnapping or whatever, as long as i could save my mother, i¡¯d be happy to. however, i couldn¡¯t help but be worried that my dad might be in trouble because of me. ¡°but you said he already requested it but he refused? doesn¡¯t that mean they know? who kidnapped him?¡± ¡°well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t care? but¡­¡± my determined dad put his forehead lightly against mine; a firm, warm forehead. it was like my dad¡¯s arms. ¡°bebe, who¡¯s your dad?¡± ¡°the grand duke?¡± ¡°the grand duke¡¯s name is called the grand duke because i should do anything out loud and openly, so i¡¯m going to do anything outrageous. what happens after that is not your concern. dad has an idea.¡± i only blinked at my father¡¯s unexpected words. ah. that¡¯s what the grand duke means. ¡°ah¡­ i see! don¡¯t do anything blatantly¡­¡± i said exactly what my dad said. then my confident father¡¯s face hardened. ¡°d-don¡¯t take it seriously, bebe. wasn¡¯t it fun?¡± ¡°ah? were you joking?¡± ¡°yeah, i studied all these things that women liked, but it didn¡¯t work. it was a good joke.¡± what a joke. my face stiffened for a moment. ¡°who likes it? and who do you want to look good to?¡± i pouted my lips and looked at my dad. my dad, who would have talked about it normally, laughed and awkwardly avoided my eyes. ¡°knights said that this works. they say so much about how they got their current wife¡­ but it doesn¡¯t seem to work. no, it didn¡¯t work. funny guys aren¡¯t that attractive, right?¡± ¡°um, i like funny guys.¡± but i refuted my father¡¯s words head-on. ¡°oh, really?¡± ¡°yes! by the way, dad, you have a nice face.¡± i smiled brightly at my dad. ¡°do you like my face?¡± ¡°yes! my dad is handsome. you¡¯re cool. you can say weird things with a face like this, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°oh, is that so?¡± oh, isn¡¯t this right? dad smiled, holding his chin up and down, seemingly satisfied. ¡°but¡­?¡± ¡°yes? but?¡± ¡°can¡¯t you do that with any girl? huh? don¡¯t say weird things to other women.¡± ¡°other women?¡± ¡°yes. only talk like that to my mom, understand?¡± i said these words, wishing mom and dad well, but somehow dad¡¯s cheeks turned a bit red. ¡°why aren¡¯t you answering? you didn¡¯t mean to do that to another woman?¡± ¡°hmm. bebe, what should i say to your mom?¡± ¡°what does my mom like? a funny guy? should we practice a bit more?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it the same for your mom? she¡¯ll like fun things.¡± ¡°i see. but don¡¯t practice.¡± ¡°practice?¡± ¡°l-let¡¯s go in now. it¡¯s cold.¡± it had not been five minutes since he came out, but my dad suddenly turned his body away. ¡°we haven¡¯t even seen the whole garden yet.¡± ¡°ah, let¡¯s go in today.¡± the behavior was strange, but there was nothing i could do in my father¡¯s arms. eventually, i went back to the room without taking a proper walk as my dad wanted. when cecilia was away for a while at lunch, sylvie slowly approached me sitting next to the bed. he looked scruffy as if he went out again today. ¡°my subordinate.¡± ¡°again, not a subordinate. it¡¯s bebe!¡± ¡°¡­huh. yes, bebe.¡± then, with a serious look, he climbed onto the bed and made eye contact with me. ¡°why? what¡¯s going on? why are you looking at me like that today?¡± ¡°hmm, do you know how the land cries?¡± ¡°land? all of a sudden?¡± ¡°do you know how to cry?¡± i couldn¡¯t even understand what sylvie was saying, so i shook my head from side to side. then, sylvie looked satisfied and nodded. ¡°it¡¯s muddy.¡± as soon as the unexpected words came out of the dog¡¯s mouth, i froze. what did he mean, ¡®mud¡¯? but, not knowing my hardened expression, sylvie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°it¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°¡­why did you do this to me?¡± ¡°¡­you said you like funny men.¡± ¡°¡­funny men. ha¡­ is that the story again? why are you and dad like this today?¡± ¡°was it bad? damn, everyone said it¡¯s funny.¡± Chapter 96.1 i shook my head left and right. ¡°not funny.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°and where did you hear that? that i like funny men.¡± sylvie, who had been talking confidently just now, suddenly turned around like a person who had something to do, or like a dog. ¡°ah, i just remembered something i had to do.¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re not following me secretly, are you?¡± ¡°not everyday!¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± i glanced at sylvie, only blinking at the unexpected answer. there was a terrible silence in the room. sylvie was more perplexed than me, who was also perplexed. silence came, as if it stopped. after a while, sylvie moved. ¡°anyway¡­ i didn¡¯t follow you secretly.¡± for a long time, i stroked my chin with the sound of grunting for a long time, and sylvie came to me again. ¡°the truth is my human form is pretty cool, too.¡± ¡°huh? human form? wow, can you turn into a human?¡± ¡°there¡¯s nothing i can¡¯t do. i am a wolf.¡± ¡°then try to change.¡± i stared at sylvie, who raised his long snout high in the sky. ¡°well, that¡¯s¡­ uh, as an adult¡­¡± ¡°huh? an adult?¡± ¡°¡­anyway, i¡¯ll show you later.¡± ¡°have you never changed?¡± seeing this, it seemed that sylvie can¡¯t lie. i saw him flinch, as if i hit the nail on the head. ¡°that¡¯s right. sylvie, you¡¯ll never change since you think you¡¯re good-looking?¡± ¡°¡­no! just looking at me, i am handsome!¡± ¡°more like cute.¡± when i first saw sylvie, i thought he was cool, but after that, he¡¯s a cute dog. ¡°but sylvie, you have fur sticking in your eyes. should i cut your hair?¡± i smiled brightly and looked at sylvie. ¡°¡­this silver fur is the pride of a wolf, so no.¡± ¡°you¡¯re not a wolf, you¡¯re a dog. um¡­ but why did your bangs get so long?¡± ¡°¡­the fur doesn¡¯t matter when we¡¯re wolves.¡± sylvie, who was dissatisfied, tried to touch his fur with his short arms, but it was impossible to touch. seeing that, i made an ¡®ah¡¯ sound then ran to the dressing table. ¡°i¡¯ll tie it up with a rubber band so it won¡¯t hurt your eyes!¡± ¡°what! you¡¯d do this to a silver wolf?¡± ¡°just a rubber band!¡± as if i could never do that, sylvie tried to run away but i held him firmly with my legs. with a rubber band, the long part of his hair was tied together. this was how my mom used to tie my hair with a rubber band. ¡°oh, it¡¯s pretty!¡± ¡°this! i knew you were going to do this!¡± sylvie trembled in his cutely tied bangs, but the tight rubber band couldn¡¯t be loosened that much. ¡°how dare¡­ how dare¡­ to do such a thing to a silver wolf!¡± ¡°why? you¡¯re cute.¡± ¡°cute¡­ to me¡­ you¡¯re the first girl to do this to me. my heart just beats badly.¡± ¡°are you upset?¡± but sylvie, who had been talking all this time, ran out of the room like that. ¡°s-sylvie?¡± ¡°i¡¯m going!¡± he went out just like that, who was muttering alone saying that it was his first time. i rushed to the window where sylvie had gone out. however, the silver wolf, who was annoyed and didn¡¯t like it, disappeared towards the forest. sylvie¡¯s footsteps seemed especially light. in addition, sylvie was shaking his white head from side to side. i thought he was trying to untie the rubber band, but i didn¡¯t think so. while watching sylvie like that, i moved back to bed. eventually, i fell asleep while staying close to my mom that day. i thought i was all better, but it was the next morning that i woke up because i fell asleep and was not fully recovered. ¡°oh my¡­! it¡¯s the day we go to the imperial palace.¡± i felt like i¡¯m suddenly in the dark. i jumped out of my seat and looked out the window. beyond the window, the world was dark as if the sun had not yet risen. ¡°ha¡­ it¡¯s like my future.¡± i really didn¡¯t expect this day to come. i never thought i¡¯d go back to the palace. i pretended to be okay in front of my dad, but my hands trembled when i thought about it. ¡°but i can¡¯t stop here. dad will protect me. and i can protect him, especially if it¡¯s for mom.¡± i closed the open window and approached my mom in bed. then i rolled over to her side and clung to my mom. my mom¡¯s body was warm, as if to let me know she was alive. however, it felt like my mom¡¯s breath was fading away, perhaps because she listened to my dad¡¯s words. Chapter 96.2 ¡°mom¡­¡± every time i felt it, tears fell. at that time¡­ sylvie nodded his head as if he had been here. ¡°sylvie, wow.¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t cry.¡± for some reason, sylvie, who was sleeping close to my mom, slowly woke up to my tears dripping down on his fur. ¡°don¡¯t cry. your eyes are red.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not true!¡± after wiping my eyes quickly, i looked at sylvie. unlike yesterday when he acted like he was taking off his rubber band, sylvie had his hair tied like when i did. ¡°more than that, i thought you¡¯d take off the rubber band.¡± ¡°¡­i-it¡¯s more comfortable than i thought. anyway, why did you cry? who¡¯s bothering you again? i think all your bullies need to be avenged.¡± ¡°huh? revenge?¡¯ ¡°it¡¯s nothing. anyway, why are you crying?¡± i bit my lips tightly and turned my head. ¡°i was just¡­ worried about my mom. i¡¯m afraid she may go wrong¡­ i¡¯m so worried.¡± ¡°did you say you¡¯re going to the palace today?¡± ¡°you know me very well. did you hear that i was going to the imperial palace?¡± for some reason, he pursed his lips to change the subject. ¡°it¡¯s not a rumor. i just know everything about you anyway. are you worried about this woman?¡± ¡°mhmm¡­¡± ¡°more than yourself¡­?¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯m more worried about my mom than myself.¡± ¡°ha¡­¡± sylvie, who was listening to my story, sighed deeply and put his thick, soft paws on my mom¡¯s head. ¡°i¡¯ll protect her if you want.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°i want to go with you, but that¡¯s not what you want.¡± ¡°are you really going to do that?¡± at those words, sylvie nodded his head more proudly than ever before. ¡°oh, what do you think? i¡¯m cool.¡± ¡°yes, you¡¯re cool!¡± of course, sylvie¡¯s tied fur, which shook up and down every time he moved, looked cute, but i smiled brightly. ¡®i don¡¯t know if sylvie will change his mind and eat in a disgraceful way.¡¯ ¡°you like this.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°no, so don¡¯t worry and come back.¡± i nodded at the remark. ¡°yes! sylvie is the best!¡± even a thumb was lifted. ¡°sleep a little longer. it¡¯s not morning yet, subordinate. children are supposed to sleep and eat well.¡± then he dragged the quilt with his mouth and put it over my body. ¡°what? am i sleeping?¡± ¡°it¡¯s still dawn.¡± i couldn¡¯t sleep, but i fell asleep anyway at the urging of sylvie. eventually, it was after cecilia entered the room when i opened my eyes. as if preparing for this day, there was an incredibly colorful, precious-looking dress and shoes in the room. cecilia sat by the bed, as if waiting for me to wake up and laughed. ¡°are you up?¡± ¡°cecilia¡­¡± ¡°yes? let¡¯s get ready.¡± ¡°waa¡­¡± slowly rising from my seat, cecilia held me in her arms and walked to the bathroom. that¡¯s how preparations began. the preparations, which started without a moment¡¯s notice, were over in a short time. before i knew it, i arrived at the palace with my dad in a carriage while wearing a fancy dress i¡¯d never worn before. i didn¡¯t know if it was because i woke up at dawn or if i was sleepy, but when i woke up, we were at the imperial palace. ¡°huh¡­ we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°yes, why?¡± ¡°a-already? why have we already arrived?¡± my father smiled and patted my head as i showed him my pale face. ¡°are you worried?¡± ¡°uh¡­ it¡¯s fine, because i have dad to protect me, right?¡± ¡°yes, and now we¡¯re going to have operation: kidnap the high priest.¡± ¡°what we¡¯re going to do here is¡­¡± ¡°i will show you and announce that you are my daughter so that the emperor can stick his claws out on his own. we¡¯re drawing attention so that they don¡¯t know about the kidnapping of the high priest.¡± i nodded very slowly. ¡°wow¡­¡± ¡°everything will be fine.¡± meanwhile, the carriage slowed down. what i saw through the window was a shining palace. some knights were in front of the carriage, and a well-mannered servant stood at the door of the carriage, arranging the hem of his clothes. ¡°your highness, may i open the door?¡± in a polite voice, my dad first got up from his seat and reached out to me. ¡°shall we go? let¡¯s end the past you¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°yes!¡± i held my dad¡¯s large hand. it was the palace that i thought would never come back¡­ but i¡¯m back here¡­ with my dad. there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. no, i was afraid, but i smiled widely. i promise i¡¯ll overcome it. ¡°open the door.¡± i got out of the carriage with my dad to meet the person who abused my mom and i in the past. Chapter 97.1 the palace i faced was very different from what i remembered. i was able to look at the palace through the carriage door. it was my mother and i who were always in the building in the most remote place. it was a room that was so shabby that it was hard to see it as part of the imperial palace. however, the imperial palace looked like a star through the carriage. it twinkled and shone. ¡°do you want me to hug you?¡± as i stepped out of the carriage door and stood still to look around, my dad opened his arms to me. ¡°hug me!¡± i jumped in place like a child; just like harris did. i was so surprised that i was following her that i stopped doing what i was doing, and my dad held me in his arms. ¡°why did you stop?¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i like it?¡¯ ¡°because harris¡­ is like a child.¡± dad, who was rubbing his face on my head at those words, smirked. ¡°you can be like a child. you are a child.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°you can whine, cry or complain. that¡¯s what you do when you grow up as a child. if a child learns to hide their feelings first, they will end up an emotionless, boring adult.¡± when i raised my head, i met my eyes with my dad¡¯s. today, soft and friendly eyes stared at me. ¡°so did your dad become a boring adult?¡± ¡°¡­daddy, am i not fun?¡¯ ¡°yes!¡± ¡°okay. i won¡¯t hide from my dad. what do i want to do¡­ i¡¯ll try it in a bit.¡± no wonder my dad, who looked perplexed, smiled. ¡°okay, let¡¯s go. if you¡¯re scared, you can bury your head in my shoulder.¡± ¡°okay¡­!¡± but i wasn¡¯t afraid when i was with my dad. my dad¡¯s the grand duke! he¡¯s so reliable and he loves me like this. ¡°if i go there because i¡¯m scared¡­ operation: kidnap the high priest might fail.¡± in the end, it would be revealed that my dad was the one who kidnapped the high priest, but at least today¡¯s operation should not fail because i have to save my mom. i straightened my back more than ever. ¡°don¡¯t worry! i¡¯m not scared. i have my dad.¡± only then did dad slowly move. ¡°yes, don¡¯t worry.¡± the servant standing in front of us bowed his head as if he waited. ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since the grand duke came to the palace, so the emperor is very happy.¡± ¡°let¡¯s stop with useless talks and start. my child is tired from coming from far away.¡± ¡°oh, yes¡­¡± i thought he was a kind father to everyone, but he was only kind to my mom and i. even his expression was different for the servant. my father and i walked down the palace corridor, which seemed unlikely to ever come back. ¡®oh, that person¡­¡¯ then, i noticed that several knights who had been monitoring my mom and i were approaching. i tried to move my gaze quickly in case they recognized me, but instead, they only bowed their heads and greeted us¡­ as if they didn¡¯t recognize me. ¡®i gained a little weight and wore something nice, but¡­ that¡¯s the only difference you can¡¯t even recognize.¡¯ it¡¯s just amazing. i thought it was just one person, but none of the people who alternatively watched my mom and i recognized me. in the meantime, we arrived in front of the room, which looked so big. ¡°this is the audience. his majesty the emperor is here.¡± ¡°open it.¡± as soon as dad¡¯s short answer came out, the servant guarding the door quickly opened the door. as expected, there was a large room inside the softly-opened door compared to the size of the large door. ¡°the knights who came with us should be waiting here. perhaps the armed knights in the room are going to see his majesty the emperor¡­¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± i was embarrassed, but as expected, my father embraced me and went into the large room that was hard to see. unusually, only the sound of dad¡¯s footsteps filled the room. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to see you like this, grand duke.¡± it was a voice heard from a distance. the emperor¡¯s voice made my body freeze. i thought he would recognize me because i wasn¡¯t recognized by others, but i couldn¡¯t stop my body from freezing. ¡°it¡¯s all right.¡± Chapter 97.2 at that time, my dad patted me on the back with a friendly voice, as if he were a shield. it was so warm. his hands were so soft. i almost cried for a moment without realizing it. in the meantime, we reached right in front of the emperor. ¡°i¡¯ve seen you a long time ago when i was a prince, but i¡¯ve never seen you like this before, grand duke.¡± ¡°i see. i couldn¡¯t come because i was so busy with construction.¡± ¡°you¡¯re confident.¡± ¡°is there anything you can¡¯t be proud of? it¡¯s not illegal, but instead, when you became the emperor, you celebrated a lot. i¡¯ve sent you quite a few gifts.¡± looking at my dad talking leisurely, i felt like my confidence was recovering little by little. in my memory, the emperor was always overbearing, and everyone couldn¡¯t hear his words. however, the current emperor gradually lost his words whenever my dad spoke. even his overbearing voice, somehow, began to fade away. ¡°is the gift important, grand duke? i¡¯ve suffered lots of rumors because of it, as an emperor who doesn¡¯t even welcome the grand duke.¡± ¡°i think it¡¯s because your majesty became the emperor, not because of me. the rumor spread because of the death of his majesty the emperor. some people asked if the current emperor had killed his younger brother, emperor shen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to get involved in that brotherly rebellion. the position of the grand duke has such an external image, so if you get involved in the wrong way, wouldn¡¯t it be a disgrace?¡± i lifted my head slightly and looked at my father. i couldn¡¯t see my dad¡¯s expression because of his side profile, but somehow he seemed to be having fun. there was no conversation for a long time. all i heard was the sound of the emperor groaning and clearing his throat. ¡°external image¡­ rumor has it that you¡¯re doing some strange things for the first time. the grand duke only picks things up that are not good.¡± ¡°because i do that, his majesty the emperor shines brighter.¡± ¡°huh¡­?¡± ¡°if i had a good image, wouldn¡¯t everyone follow me?¡¯ ¡°is that why the image of the grand duke is all for me?¡¯ ¡°of course, so don¡¯t be so angry now that i¡¯m here.¡± the laughing emperor¡¯s voice came in for a long time. ¡°you¡¯re so sly.¡± i nodded my head in agreement with that remark. my father has all the characteristics of people who were slick in books before. ¡°thank you for the compliment.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not a compliment.¡± ¡°if the person who accepts it thinks it¡¯s a compliment, it¡¯s a compliment.¡± ¡°¡­you don¡¯t lose a word. that¡¯s enough. i don¡¯t need to talk about this. i was really surprised anyway. i didn¡¯t expect you to have a daughter because you didn¡¯t even have a new woman after the death of the grand duchess.¡± i was less nervous when they were talking about other things, but my mouth dried up when they started talking about me. ¡°is that your new wife¡¯s child?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°then?¡± ¡°it¡¯s my child.¡± the emperor was speechless for a long time, as if he were very surprised by the fact. ¡°whoa¡­ your child¡­ you have to explain why. she¡¯s too big for your new wife to be born from.¡± ¡°you know that i have been looking for my child for a long time. i found her.¡± i was afraid to see him in person, so i turned my head slightly and looked at the emperor. but his gaze on me was somehow strange. ¡®you don¡¯t know?¡¯ i was just wondering. i thought maybe he¡¯d recognize me, that¡¯s why he wanted to see me, but i didn¡¯t do so at all. even though he was not too far away, the emperor did not recognize me when i turned my head slowly. ¡°i can¡¯t believe you¡¯re looking for her. are you sure it¡¯s her?¡± ¡°yes, she¡¯s my daughter.¡± ¡°but she¡¯s blond.¡± ¡°it¡¯s like the former grand duchess ellinson.¡± once it occurred to me that he didn¡¯t recognize me, i turned more and more to him. ¡°i see. what¡¯s her name? i got the report.¡± ¡°bea¡­ bebe.¡± ¡°huh? i don¡¯t think it was that name.¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s bebe.¡± contrary to my expectation that he would say ¡®beatrice¡¯, the name my mom gave to me when she gave birth, my dad pulled out ¡®bebe¡¯, the name my mom called me every day. ¡°is that so¡­ bebe¡­ no wonder i¡¯m so used to it.¡± ¡°you¡¯ll get used to it. it¡¯s the child that your majesty had locked up.¡± at my father¡¯s unexpected words, the emperor¡¯s face hardened for a moment. Chapter 98.1 i never imagined my dad would speak so bluntly. the atmosphere around the place became cold, as if it had been poured by cold water. the emperor, who had been biting his lip and at loss of words, only uttered a dispirited laugh. ¡°that¡¯s too much of a joke.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not kidding. my daughter is the one who has been locked up and neglected by the emperor.¡± only then did the emperor look at me with his eyes wide open. ¡°seeing that, i don¡¯t think i¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°i guess you¡¯ve locked someone up and raised her. i checked.¡± he was being polite, but my dad was obviously being sarcastic to the emperor. ¡°i just looked at her because you said nonsense. i don¡¯t know such a child.¡± ¡®what do you mean you don¡¯t know? you really don¡¯t know her?¡± ¡°of course. i wouldn¡¯t lock anyone up. i¡¯ve never seen a kid like that before!¡± my dad kept an eye on me at the emperor¡¯s stern words. dad, who had a happier smile, turned to the emperor again. ¡°so you don¡¯t object to having the child officially registered as my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m not sure about that, so later¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already confirmed she¡¯s my biological child. i don¡¯t know why you¡¯re refusing to do it when i¡¯m her father.¡± the emperor, who had been proud all day, waved his hands as if he was stopping my dad. i was no longer afraid¡­ because i have a dad. ¡®i think my dad is stronger!¡¯ i clung more to my dad¡¯s arms, and the emperor raised his voice again. ¡°i¡¯m not denying.¡± ¡°if you¡¯re not denying it, then what is it?¡± ¡°are you sure that the child is yours? didn¡¯t you say that there were children who came to the grand duchy and claimed that they were real? maybe that¡¯s the kind of kid she is.¡± the words reminded me of something, and my dad took something out of his pockets from while hugging me. it was the bead that was used several times last time to figure out who harris was. ¡°this is¡­¡± ¡°i borrowed it for a while.¡± ¡°¡­grand duke.¡± ¡°yes.¡± looking at my dad¡¯s leisurely ending, the emperor sighed a deep breath, as if he was frustrated. ¡°nobody said they borrowed what they took without saying.¡± ¡°i see. if i returned it anyway, then i borrowed it.¡± ¡°huh¡­ taking things from the imperial family as you like¡­!¡± ¡°there¡¯s nothing to be so tight with the imperial family.¡± the emperor laughed at my dad being more confident than ever. ¡°we¡¯ll settle the accounts for what you borrowed later. more than that, your majesty, you know what this is.¡± ¡°i know.¡± ¡°it¡¯s a blood test, and this confirms that bebe is my daughter.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°so please stop rejecting it and allow me to formally raise my daughter and my wife. if you refuse to let me even show her face like this, you really want to tell my daughter¡­¡± ¡°i see. can you do it?¡¯ the emperor waved the bell beside me, thinking that he could not delay any longer. then the bell rang clearly, and a servant came closer. after that, it was a breeze. even the emperor¡¯s consent was completed for me, and adelaide, my mother, was to be officially enlisted in the grand duke¡¯s family. after receiving the documents, dad turned around his body as if all his work had been done. ¡°i¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± ¡°are we going to do it like this?¡± ¡°well, it¡¯s all over. then we will see you again in the near future, so please don¡¯t be sad, your majesty.¡± ¡°what is that¡­ grand duke? grand duke!¡± the emperor hurriedly called my dad with an incomprehensible expression and voice, but he left without any hesitation. it wasn¡¯t enough, so my father ran to the carriage. the palace staff looked at us in surprise, but dad didn¡¯t even think of stopping¡­ until we got to the carriage. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± as if someone were following him, my dad talked in a hurry, and as if they were familiar with this situation, the grand duke¡¯s knights quickly climbed into the carriage. at the same time, the carriage started to move. ¡°dad? who¡¯s following us?¡± ¡°yes, follow me.¡± when i looked out the window after the carriage departed, i saw the servant next to the emperor following us in a hurry. ¡°oh¡­ it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯m sure he had a lot to ask. he¡¯s not the kind of person who wants to see it, so he must¡¯ve been trying to catch us somehow.¡± it was my dad who looked happy to see the servant waving in embarrassment. the carriage left and headed back to the grand duke¡¯s mansion. Chapter 98.2 after confirming that no one was following us at the imperial palace anymore, my dad put me down next to him. ¡°bebe.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you sad that your father didn¡¯t even punish the person who did bad things?¡± at that, he turned his head away. ¡°no! both of you must have an idea!¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. to be honest, in my heart, i wanted to do the same thing to the emperor who bullied bebe and adele. i¡¯m going crazy thinking about it, but for now, saving adele is a priority.¡± my dad, who was furious, said that as if he had just forgotten the atmosphere. he showed a ferocious look, as if he were going to make a mistake right away. the clenched fist turned white, as if blood wasn¡¯t circulating. i felt something strange about my dad, who was mad, as if he was going to get into trouble. ¡°yes! but dad, you talked to the emperor?¡¯ ¡°huh?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think i told you¡­ but how do you know so well?¡± i remembered him speaking roughly, but my dad was angry, as if he knew him very well. ¡°huh¡­?¡± dad¡¯s face, who had been talking with clenched fists, hardened in an instant. then he rolled his eyes, like he was hiding something. ¡°well anyway, the emperor will hold himself back.¡± ¡°huh? so he acknowledged me? but he didn¡¯t lock me up.¡± ¡°the acknowledgement has destroyed the reason for taking you and adele with me later.¡± ¡°huh?¡± i just shook my head and smiled at the words i couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°it would¡¯ve been different if he had committed any crime or put you in the palance for a reason, but since he said it himself, the bond between you and adele has disappeared.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± ¡°the present emperor was always a stupid man. that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t become the emperor even though he was older. it¡¯s just that the grand duke¡¯s child he saw in front of him was kidnapped by him, so he¡¯s figuring out that things might turn around.¡± ¡°that means¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s a good thing. don¡¯t worry, bebe.¡± if you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right. it¡¯s a good thing if my dad says good things. my dad loves my mom and i more than anyone else. ¡°okay!¡± ¡°yes, it must have been hard to go there. take a nap, bebe. when you wake up, the high priest will be home to save your mom.¡± ¡°really?¡¯ ¡°yes, so go to sleep. aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± it wasn¡¯t that, but i was relaxed, so i fell asleep as soon as i was in the carriage. how did he notice that? my dad patted my head with his large hand. perhaps because of the thought that i had been to the imperial palace safely, but i fell asleep not long after. i opened my eyes again when i heard an unusually loud noise. it was warm and soft as if it were in my dad¡¯s arms, but the sound around was different. ¡°who the hell are you doing this to me?!¡± someone¡¯s voice sounded angry. at the sound of that voice, i rubbed my eyes and lited my head. then i saw when we arrived and we came up in the room, where my mom was lying. there was a person in the middle of the room that i hadn¡¯t seen before. it was a man in pure white with a strange thing on his head. ¡°what? can you kidnap me like this?¡± in the meantime, the man on his knees shouted out loud, whether he was awake or angry. however, my father did not back down at all at the man¡¯s words. instead, he answered in a firmer voice. ¡°it¡¯s working.¡± ¡°do you know who i am? i am the high priest! if you do this, god will be angry!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not afraid of god, who never responded when i was so desperate.¡± in the meantime, my dad turned his head and looked at me, as if he knew i had woke up. i scratched my head while staring at my dad. ¡°daddy, isn¡¯t this illegal? can you kidnap him like this?¡± i said it out of concern, but my father was confident. ¡°it depends on how you think. this is not illegal. it¡¯s legal in my territory.¡± ¡°oh! i see.¡± ¡°u-ugh¡­¡± in the meantime, dad approached the man and removed the thing on his head at once. ¡°ugh¡­¡± ¡°from now on, you have work to do. save the woman lying in the bed. if you save her, you will live too, and if you make it worse, you will die too.¡± ¡°oh my god¡­ your highness?¡± maybe he noticed my dad belatedly, but the man who was close to the old man bowed his head with a pale face. Chapter 99.1 ¡°ah, i¡¯m late to greet you. nice to meet you, high priest adshel.¡± as if greeting someone i met on the street, my father waved his hand with an unconcerned expression. he even shook his hand, as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°bebe, this is adshel, the high priest. he has god¡¯s power to be omnipotent.¡± ¡°ah¡­! hello! i¡¯m bebe!¡± in an atmosphere where i felt like i had to say hello, i bowed my head slightly and said hello. even though he knew it was a situation, the high priest just nodded his head with his arms and legs tied, perhaps because he could not ignore my greeting. ¡°ah, hello. i¡¯m high priest adshel. oh no, it¡¯s not like this, grand duke¡­¡± he let out a deep sigh and shook his head relentlessly, as if he had come to his senses a step late. ¡°you can¡¯t do this. you¡¯re the one who kidnapped me.¡± ¡°why not? why didn¡¯t you just follow my instructions?¡± ¡°oh, how can i do that? i can only use the power of god once or twice in life. i don¡¯t even know who this woman is¡­!¡± my dad shook his head firmly, who spoke as if he were innocent. ¡°it¡¯s not just anyone. it¡¯s the grand duchess.¡± ¡°but, your majesty, if i use that power¡­ i may die.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll save you.¡± ¡°ha¡­¡± ¡°of course, i can¡¯t save you from dying of old age.¡± when he spoke like that with a corner of his mouth raised, the high priest looked scared. ¡°do you really want me to die? i still¡­¡± ¡°who said you were going to die?¡± ¡°ha¡­ your majesty¡­¡± ¡°but if you don¡¯t even try, i will kill you.¡± the high priest¡¯s face hardened even more than more. his expression clearly saying ¡®how crazy!¡¯. ¡°¡­that would ruin your relationship with the church.¡± ¡°high priest.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°did you see that i¡¯m on good terms with someone?¡± the high priest¡¯s hair, drenched with sweat, shook abnormally. ¡°that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m not on good terms with the retainers of my family.¡± ¡°¡­i don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this. if his majesty the emperor finds out about this, he will get angry. that power¡­ that power, after all, is for his majesty.¡± ¡°that¡¯s funny. since when did the emperor and the church collude like that? it exists to keep each other in check, but it¡¯s for the emperor. why didn¡¯t you get involved in the death of the previous emperor?¡± the high priest¡¯s mouth twitched at my dad¡¯s words for a long time like a fish. ¡°is it optional? or were you deeply involved in the process of becoming a high priest at a young age? unlike those who were chosen by god at a young age to become high priests, adshel, you were different.¡± i stared at my dad quietly at the words i couldn¡¯t understand. sometimes, my father¡¯s blue eyes looked at me affectionately. unlike the harsh words that came out of his mouth, his eyes were warm. ¡°that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°there is no way that the church must have known that the previous emperor died without any preparation. it wasn¡¯t long after he was on the throne, was it?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it unusual for the current emperor to have a particularly fond hobby of gathering various powers? it could be magic. it could be called witchcraft in other countries, and the former high priest¡­ his hair turned white, as if he died of old age¡­ it wasn¡¯t poison, but there were one or two suspicious spots. i mean, i have no intention of letting this go.¡± his face turned pale as my dad spoke very slowly. ¡°you¡¯re the last person the previous high priest saw, right? it was such a secret meeting, so there were no records anywhere, but the scribe who had to check and record every move of the high priest even wrote it down.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°the meeting between the previous high priest and you¡­ you tried to cut the scribe as soon as time passed and you became the high priest, right? very interesting. why is that? did the scribe write something that shouldn¡¯t be written down?¡± the high priest forced himself to stand up instead of looking up to my sarcastic father. as if my father¡¯s words were a catalyst, or as if he had given up his last bit of hope, the high priest quickly gave up his attitude that he had been sticking to until now and approached the bed. ¡°it seems like you¡¯ve come to your senses.¡± ¡°you must have figured it out already. as if you wanted me to speak for myself¡­¡± ¡°well¡­¡± ¡°if that¡¯s the case, why did you choose to kidnap me like this without telling the church?¡± hearing those words mixed with resentment, my father grinned. ¡°for you.¡± ¡°that makes sense¡­¡± Chapter 99.2 ¡°if this is revealed, you know that you will go to hell. you gave me the least amount of consideration. with this secret, if i use my strength as i wish, people will begin to doubt it.¡± an ¡®ah¡¯ was uttered from the high priest¡¯s mouth. ¡°but if you are kidnapped and forced to use all your strength, things will be different.¡± ¡°why did you kidnap me for¡­ it would make the situation worse for you.¡± ¡°i¡¯m so great that i don¡¯t have to care about that. i don¡¯t care about what others think. there¡¯s no worse situation.¡± in an instant, the high priest¡¯s voice changed. somehow, i could feel that the words were a little difficult to understand. i couldn¡¯t understand everything, but i just looked at the high priest, thinking i¡¯d trust dad. ¡°¡­all right. the rumors seem true, after all.¡± ¡°rumors?¡± ¡°it¡¯s rumored that your highness has a new woman in mind and that you love her a lot. they¡¯re already digging into it in the capital.¡± at that time, my father¡¯s face, where his chin was raised, his chest was puffed and was acting confidently throughout, changed. it turned red to the point where i wondered if he was hurt. i touched my dad¡¯s face. ¡°dad? are you sick?¡¯ ¡°¡±oh, it hurts- ah, it¡¯s not painful. it¡¯s just that the high priest is talking nonsense, hmm¡­¡± after clearing his throat a few times, my dad put me down on the bed and released the rope tied around the high priest. ¡°stop talking nonsense and get on with it.¡± ¡°why not? i thought i would die if i didn¡¯t.¡± only a deep sigh filled the room. the high priest gently shook the hem of his robe, who was still hesitant. ¡°mom¡­ help me.¡± that was all i could do. by listening to the conversation between the two, i learned that using this power could kill the high priest. i don¡¯t want anyone to be sacrificed because of us, but i wanted to save my mother. that was me being selfish. i will not refuse any sacrifice if it is the one i love. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re the only one who can save my mom.¡± the truth i didn¡¯t want to admit was always unspoken. the moment i put it in my mouth, i admitted it so i didn¡¯t take a bite out of anything about my mom. but this time, there was no way. no one else knows how precious each minute my mom is. ¡°then save me. mom¡­ she didn¡¯t do anything wrong except raise me¡­ why should she die? why is my mom the one who should die¡­?¡± i really wanted to ask someone. what did my mother do so badly? she embraced me even if wasn¡¯t her own daughter, and she raised me with so much care that i didn¡¯t even notice. she valued me more than herself, and she loved me with all her heart. well, she deserves praise, but why does my mom keep dying? in an instant, tears welled up in my eyes. maybe he felt it, but the high priest smiled for the first time instead of just looking at me. ¡°¡­no one has to die. i¡¯ll try¡­ but i don¡¯t know if my strength will help.¡± his large hand patted my head lightly. the next moment, the high priest went up to my mother and placed his hand on her forehead. unintelligible words leaked out of his mouth and his body radiated so bright that i couldn¡¯t see it with my eyes open. the warmth and tenderness was so overwhelming. the power he used was different from mine. that power was as warm and soft as my mom¡¯s arms¡­ it was indescribable. should i say it¡¯s overwhelming? in the blink of an eye, the power that filled my eyes flowed into my mother. i was holding my mother¡¯s hand just in case, and i had no choice but to watch it. finally, the light went out. her body felt full of vitality more than ever before. my mom¡¯s hand i was holding was warm, and her unknown aura lingered. ¡°it¡¯s hard¡­ i don¡¯t know if it happened, but¡­ i did my best.¡± the high priest in front of us, perhaps exhausted, tumbled to the floor. his unusually white hair turned even whiter, and his face was wrinkled more. my dad walked over and waved the bell next to the bed. then, cecilia and the knights came in from outside. ¡°did you find it?¡± ¡°here it is. bring the doctor and have the doctor see him.¡± perhaps unaware of this fact, cecilia hastily covered her mouth. ¡°you don¡¯t know who this is?¡± ¡°oh¡­ yes.¡± there was no way she didn¡¯t know that this was my father¡¯s way of being considerate to others. Chapter 100.1 i even knew it. anyway, this was a kidnapping case, and those who couldn¡¯t be stopped as soon as they knew about it will also be accomplices. my eyes lit up as i watched my dad try to make the others do as little harm as possible. ¡°dad, you¡¯re so sweet.¡± ¡°huh? what do you mean?¡± ¡°you¡¯re sweet!¡± dad tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t understand what i was saying. ¡°it¡¯s just¡­ my dad is very mean and sometimes seems crazy, but you¡¯re kind!¡± ¡°¡­am i?¡¯ ¡°yeah! that¡¯s right. dad, are you okay now?¡± at that, dad looked at cecilia, who was standing in the corner of the room. ¡°go get him.¡± ¡°that guy¡­ that guy?¡± ¡°if you go out and tell the knights, they¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°ah¡­!¡± cecilia, who tilted her head, hurried out at my father¡¯s words. ¡°ah! that priest? is that the priest?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°then, who is the high priest?¡± ¡°that¡¯s him.¡± ¡°ah.¡± i couldn¡¯t help smiling at my proud father. he looked cute when he didn¡¯t call others by their names or titles to avoid harming others. ¡°so, bebe, you can call that guy and that guy too.¡± ¡°yes! okay!¡± ¡°you listen very well. it¡¯s lovely just looking at it, but it¡¯s even more lovely to listen to it like this.¡± my dad¡¯s big hand patted my head lightly. i liked the touch, so i sat still like a puppy and felt my dad¡¯s soft touch for a long time. how long has it been? it was a long time before someone came into the room. it was priest kayle. ¡°did you find him?¡± ¡°the high priest has used his powers. let¡¯s check it out.¡± ¡°is the high priest all right?¡¯ at that, dad sighed and gestured to my mom with his chin. he didn¡¯t want to talk nonsense and look at my mom quickly, but kayle was busy raising his voice as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°your highness!¡± ¡°stop talking nonsense and let¡¯s see. after that, i will tell you what happened.¡± ¡°almost¡­¡± mumbles came out of his mouth, but dad wasn¡¯t someone to care about all those words. on the contrary, dad kept his mouth tight shut. finally, kayle, who was about to add something to her, took a deep breath and looked at my mom. at the same time, a smile spread across his face. ¡°you really did it. the high priest was here!¡± ¡°yeah, so what? do you think she can live?¡± ¡°yes. that body had already exhausted its vitality so the soul was trying to escape. so, medically or otherwise, there was no turning back. fortunately, the body is full of vitality, like a newborn child. the high priest really used the power of god.¡± on the contrary, his mouth curled like a moved man. ¡°that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°then how did you get it to work? he must¡¯ve tried not to use it for a while.¡± ¡°thanks to my excellent speech.¡± ah, wasn¡¯t it because of his excellent threats? for a moment, i was about to refute what my father said, but my eyes trembled and smiled. fortunately, kayle seemed to be the only one who saw me like that. ¡°what are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°yes, are you dissatisfied?¡± ¡°d-don¡¯t tell me, ha¡­¡± after scratching his head awkwardly, he turned to my mom again. ¡°i¡¯m sure she¡¯ll wake up in a few days. then, she¡¯ll never fall into such a deep sleep alone after that.¡± ¡°why doesn¡¯t she wake up right away?¡± ¡°her body has to adapt to it, so don¡¯t worry.¡± dad, who was listening to kayle, nodded gravely. ¡°i see. then you can stay here for a while.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll send the high priest back so you can stay here and check.¡± his face turned pale at the unexpected words. ¡°well, are you saying i¡¯m the only one left?¡± my father smiled more joyfully when he saw kayle¡¯s bewilderment. ¡°why? dissatisfied? still, we are very hospitable.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°then let¡¯s decide. come and check adele every day on the behalf of the high priest. report any change to her, and if she doesn¡¯t wake up before the time adele says ¡®you¡¯re dead¡¯, then get out.¡± he waved his hand as if he felt something was going wrong, but dad was adamant. kayle was dragged out by the knights who had entered the room, and my dad beckoned towards cecilia. as if he had discussed what to do in advance, cecilia took all the people in the room, including herself out. ¡°then, bebe, you should rest now too. there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°huh¡­? really? i really don¡¯t need to worry?¡± ¡°yes, she¡¯ll live now. trust them. i don¡¯t originally believe in god, but you can trust their powers.¡± it¡¯s not that i didn¡¯t, but the warm power i felt from my mom gave me peace of mind. i¡¯ll never have anything to worry about. ¡°o-okay¡­!¡± ¡°instead¡­¡± ¡°huh?¡± i nodded awkwardly as dad opened his eyes and smiled. ¡°don¡¯t stay in bed until adele wakes up and gets up.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± Chapter 100.2 ¡°bebe, it would be good for you to prepare flowers for your mom so she can see the prettiest flowers as soon as she wakes up.¡± ¡°ah! get a bunch of my mom¡¯s favorite yellow flowers and fill her room!¡± my dad said last time he changed all the flowers in the garden to yellow ones. my mom liked yellow flowers that looked just like my mom and i. so as my father said, how happy would my mom be if the room was filled with yellow flowers when she wakes up. ¡°yes, so go to bed tonight, bebe. you¡¯ve had a hard time today.¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m fine! i want to go get the flowers right now!¡± however, my dad sat down slightly in front of me as i was about to get out of bed at any moment. ¡°you got up early in the morning and went to the imperial palace. coming there, it must have been difficult. mom wouldn¡¯t want to see you overdo it, so go to bed early today. daddy will be by your side.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°go on.¡± actually, i was tired. i almost dozed off when my dad patted me earlier. ¡°daddy.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°can you tell i¡¯m sleepy?¡± ¡°yes bebe, your eyes are half as big now. you¡¯re sleepy.¡± ¡°ah¡­!¡± it¡¯s obvious. i had my eyes open quite a bit. i had no choice but to lay myself on the bed. as if waiting for this, dad patted my body and smiled affectionately. ¡°have a nice dream. you should only dream of happiness and joy as your future shines brightly. ¡°yes, dad. thank you for doing this for me, for my mom.¡± i had to say that, but as soon as i was patted by my dad, strange words flowed out of my mouth because of my closed eyes. ¡°dad¡­ mom¡­ if we loved¡­¡± i want my dad, mom, brother and i to love together without breaking up. i think i said that, but for some reason, my father, who was patting me, was startled and stopped patting me. i almost woke up because of it, but in the end, i fell asleep like that. the next morning, as soon as i woke up, my eyes lit up. i hurriedly looked to the side to see if my mother had woken up, but she remained as she was with her eyes closed. ¡°she didn¡¯t wake up¡­¡± was it too much to hope that it will happen in a day? for some reason, her mouth protruded. maybe i was found like that, but cecilia, who was sitting in the corner of the room, approached me. ¡°are you awake?¡± ¡°yes, cecilia. me, me! i have a place to go to!¡± as soon as i saw her, i rushed down from the bed. ¡°where are you going?¡± ¡°flowers! i¡¯m going to get flowers! when mom wakes up, she can see flowers!¡± i grabbed her hand. ¡°you¡¯re not going to eat?¡± ¡°uh¡­ yeah! you never know when mom will wake up. i want to hurry up and go so i can come back soon. i¡¯ll eat later.¡± cecilia showed an uncomfortable look on her face, and as if nothing had happened, she hugged me. ¡°just change your clothes and we can go.¡± ¡°ah! yes!¡± i definitely slept in my outdoor clothes, but when i looked at myself, i was wearing my pajamas. cecilia walked into the dressing room with a grin. perhaps she was the one who changed me last night. as if she knew how much i wanted to go out, she quickly put on my clothes, and as soon as we were ready, we headed for the garden. but i met an unwanted person there. ¡°harris.¡± still, harris was walking around the garden with the grand duke without hesitation. if there was anything else, aster was always with her. dressed up so beautifully that i wondered why she was here at such an early hour, harris licked her lips as soon as i said her name. then, as if to show off, she held aster¡¯s hand tightly. it was aster, who i had never talked to properly. it made me feel uncomfortable somewhere in my chest. it was understandable that lexit, who was always by harris¡¯s side, hated me because from the beginning, it felt like he didn¡¯t like me that much. but aster was different. it felt like i was deprived of the opportunity to talk to her properly. ¡®i want to talk to her¡­¡¯ there were not many times when i envied harris, but this time, it was a little awkward. my eyes naturally wrinkled and my gaze naturally turned to harris. ¡°why are you making that face?¡± ¡°¡­well, you always looked at me like this. can¡¯t i look at you like this?¡± i choked out those words, before aster broke in between us. ¡°stop.¡± before i could even speak properly, i hurriedly lowered my head to the floor, wondering if i was being hated. ¡°harris.¡± the words that came out the next moment surprised me. Chapter 101.1 ¡°harris, i said if you want to be here, do it right.¡± ¡°sister!¡± at aster¡¯s words, harris screamed louder than i did. her face flushed red as if she had something she shouldn¡¯t have said. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°don¡¯t do that in front of her. you have to be on my side.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not on anyone¡¯s side.¡± harris¡¯s emotions became even more outrageous. ¡°you have to be on my side! you¡¯re the only one!¡± ¡°why should i do that? i think i¡¯m doing my best for you, harris.¡± i always thought that aster was on harris¡¯s side. i haven¡¯t seen her many times, but her friendly smile made me feel that way, but now it didn¡¯t seem like it. ¡°even though you¡¯re not my sister, i think of you as my sister more than anyone else.¡± ¡°then why are you doing this? in front of her¡­ why¡­ why?!¡± ¡°because that child bebe is really my younger sister.¡± ¡°sister¡­ how can you say that she¡¯s real in front of me?! how?¡± her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°stop.¡± aster, who was looking at harris just now, nodded heavily. huffing and gazing at astor, harris made a resentful face. ¡°¡­it can¡¯t be like this. i really hate you!¡± that was the end. harris, who even had a basket in her hand, threw the basket on the floor and turned around. contrary to expectations that she would follow, aster just looked at harris. after running for a long time, harris turned her head around when she was quite a distance away, as if she were expecting something. however, maybe she was disappointed with astor not following her so she ended up going inside. i watched quietly and made eye contact with aster when harris was out of sight. ¡°would you like to talk for a moment?¡± the older sister, who was looking at harris, looked at me a step later. ¡°ah, yes!¡± it was a completely different look from what harris saw. it was good nonetheless. it was just the two of us. it was only after cecilia, who had been following us all along, took a step back, and those who followed aster moved away that she met eye contact with me. ¡°let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± then she walked to the tea table on one side of the garden. i followed my sister to the place. i¡¯ve felt this since last time, but my sister seemed like a big person in a different way than my father. she was shorter than my dad, but she was like a wall. in the meantime, my older sister, who sat on the chair, first pointed to the chair opposite to her with her chin. ¡°sit.¡± ¡°ah, yes!¡± somehow, my heart was pounding. what should i say? what will you say to me? my heart trembled more than when i first met my father or brother. but she did not say anything for a long time. she just leaned back and felt the wind. after so many hours, my sister opened her mouth very slowly. ¡°bebe.¡± ¡°y-yes?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t have the confidence to love and cherish you, who appeared overnight as my sister. to be honest, it doesn¡¯t make sense to say that i care for you as soon as i saw you, or that i¡¯ve grown affection for you.¡± it felt like a sharp needle had stabbed somewhere in my chest. i thought love was natural because everyone, my father and brother loved me for no reason. everyone loved me, but when i thought about it, it was nonsense. of course, i thought it was natural that my sister would love me, but i had no choice but to sigh. it was a little sad. however, i tried to nod my head without making it obvious. ¡°yeah¡­ i understand.¡± ¡°good. you can understand that.¡± it was strange. it must have been impossible to love, but aster¡¯s hands were similar to my mom, dad and brother. it was a caring hand. it felt different from what she was saying, so i rolled my eyes and looked at her. ¡°that doesn¡¯t mean i hate you. i¡¯m just getting used to it. i couldn¡¯t love harris from the beginning either. i just nodded my head. Chapter 101.2 ¡°love doesn¡¯t go the way you think, so don¡¯t be sad.¡± ¡°okay.¡± ¡°still, looking at it this way, you really do look like my mother.¡± i looked at aster quietly. all of the family members of the grand duke had their own weaknesses about the grand duchess, my biological mother who gave birth to me. my mother who gave birth to me died after she was kidnapped. i knew it. i only bit my lips. ¡°sorry.¡± ¡°why are you sorry?¡± ¡°i wonder if it¡¯s brought back memories because of me¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯d like to say not at all, but i can¡¯t say that. maybe that¡¯s why i can¡¯t fully embrace you.¡± i dropped my head to the floor. i think i¡¯d hate it too. in the end, if my mom hadn¡¯t conceived me¡­ she wouldn¡¯t have been so wrong with my mom who gave birth to me. ¡°you look just like my father.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°the way you are now. the way he blames himself. you look just like him.¡± i hurriedly raised my head to see my sister¡¯s face, which had hardened all along. ¡°ah¡­¡± ¡°anyway, the reason i wanted to talk to you today was because i haven¡¯t talked to you properly, so don¡¯t think there might be other intentions.¡± ¡°you know, are you intentionally worried about me?¡± i suddenly had a thought. not just to talk, but for some reason, i wondered if she sent harris back alone and called me up. ¡°¡­¡± so i asked her, but her face became stiff in an instant, just like my dad. ¡°you know, you look just like your dad.¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s the most offensive thing i¡¯ve ever heard.¡± oh, isn¡¯t this it? are you offended over this? i didn¡¯t like being hated by my sister. i wanted to get along well, too. i shook my head in a hurry. ¡°oh, no! i take back what i just said! uh¡­ i mean.¡± ¡°¡­okay, i¡¯ve said everything i needed to say, so i¡¯ll be going.¡± however, her reaction wasn¡¯t very different from before. my older sister, who had a stiff face for some reason, suddenly got up from her seat and walked to the place where harris had disappeared earlier. surprised, i got up in a hurry and looked at my sister, but aster never looked back. she just walked away. ¡°ah¡­¡± then cecilia came to me. ¡°my lady?¡± ¡°y-you know what, cecilia? i think i¡¯m hated. i think she hates me.¡± cecilia smiled and hugged me as i looked sullen. ¡°why do you think she hates you?¡± ¡°because she left with that expression¡­¡± it was the first coldness i encountered. harris was hostile to me, though the people on her side hated me. aster was different. ¡°it¡¯s the other way around.¡± as i was sullen, cecilia grinned and rubbed my head. ¡°what?¡± ¡°it¡¯s because she¡¯s shy.¡± ¡°huh? isn¡¯t it because she didn¡¯t like me?¡± at my words, cecilia smiled so brightly that i couldn¡¯t see her eyes. ¡°yes, it¡¯s because she¡¯s embarrassed to say you¡¯re kind.¡± ¡°but¡­!¡± ¡°i¡¯ve seen her since she was a child. i know how she feels just by looking at her face.¡± at that, i opened my mouth wide. ¡°you¡¯re probably very confused. she doesn¡¯t want to show off to her younger siblings, but lady aster is still young, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± ¡°do you want to be friends with lady aster?¡¯ ¡°how did you know?¡± ¡°that¡¯s what your eyes say. it¡¯s like a dog waiting for its owner, but only after speaking with lady aster.¡± wow, cecilia is so smart. i almost let out an exclamation without realizing it. ¡°come to me first. then you¡¯ll like it.¡± ¡°is that okay?¡± ¡°yes, it would be nice to prepare a gift or something.¡± ¡°okay! i will. let¡¯s go back to the room! i¡¯m going to go and make something for my sister!¡± at that encouragement, cecilia grinned and slowly walked. ¡°even if you go, you have to bring flowers to put in your mom¡¯s room.¡± ¡°ah! yes!¡± then i remembered the reason i came here today. ¡°put me down. i will pick mom¡¯s flowers!¡± ¡°yes, we should.¡± then we picked each flower to bring to my mom. i chose the freshest and prettiest flowers with the heart of telling my mother to wake up quickly. after picking for a long time, i returned to my room. ¡°mom, i¡¯m here!¡± it was just a greeting that i gave even though i knew she would not have woken up. it was a remark i said thinking that an answer would not be given. i said it because i hated the loneliness the room felt after opening the door, but this time, the silence was broken and i got an answer. Chapter 102.1 ¡°who¡­¡± how can there be such a ridiculously obvious story? i never thought that my mother, who came back alive, might not remember me. i thought it would be a common book story that i¡¯ve only seen in books. my mother¡¯s golden eyes looking at me were transparent, like my mother¡¯s eyes that i first saw when i was very young and when memories came to mind. it was as clear as it was when nothing happened, but she didn¡¯t remember me. i rushed to my mom, but her round head was only shaken from side to side. ¡°hi.¡± my small, pale hands waved at her. my mom, who always opened her arms to me, looked at me like a different person. ¡°oh¡­ don¡¯t you remember me?¡± ¡°baby, do you know me?¡± rather, the answer returned was far beyond expectations. but i wasn¡¯t sad, since my mom was okay. originally, my mother¡¯s pale face was still pale, but it did not look as painful as before. her unusually pale lips were turning red, and her face that seemed to show blood vessels was pink like a peach. ¡°yes! i know you.¡± when i nodded, my mom smiled very little. the smile was as pretty as the flower i brought, so i was speechless. my mom, who was always like a flower that withered because of me, was very pretty. ¡°so¡­ strange¡­ i don¡¯t remember.¡± i rushed to my mom and went up to the bed. ¡°what do you remember?¡± ¡°well, nothing¡­ i don¡¯t remember anything. it¡¯s awkward to talk.¡± ¡°like a newborn person?¡± ¡°yeah. that¡¯s exactly how it feels.¡± i stroked my mom¡¯s cheek calmly. ¡°hehe. it¡¯s okay because i remember my mom. that¡¯s it.¡± my nose felt like someone stuffed my nose with something spicy. even if i tried to hold it in, i cried. i thought i could remember my mom just like my mom did to me, and it would be no different from before, but seeing my mom acting like she doesn¡¯t know anything, it kept hurting me somewhere. ¡°am i your mom?¡± i feel like the world was collapsing at that word. i endured the feeling of crying and nodded my head. ¡°yes! my mom is my mom, the best mom who loved me more than anyone else.¡± ¡°oh¡­ so¡­ mom¡­ mom¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay. don¡¯t overdo it. you¡¯ll remember it later.¡± yeah. you¡¯ll think of it one day. it¡¯s enough for my mom to survive. so, let¡¯s not be sad. i can grab all of my heart. i smiled brighter than ever at my mom. i breathed out in a hurry as if my eyes were moistening and my ears were turning red even when i stayed still. ¡°uh¡­mom, aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± whenever i called her ¡®mom¡¯, i tried to pull myself together with my mother¡¯s unfamiliar appearance of flinching. meanwhile, cecilia, which was in the back, approached. as if she had already noticed what we were in, she took out some of the flowers we picked and put them on the side of the bed. ¡°i picked flowers for you.¡± ¡°for me?¡± i nodded my head loudly at my wondering mother. mom was like the sun; a warm and soft person. and this time again, such a friendly smile spread on my mother¡¯s face. ¡°thank you, baby.¡± ¡°i¡¯m bebe. my mom named me bebe!¡± ¡°bebe.¡± ¡°yes! so call me bebe.¡± mom. i tried hard to swallow the word ¡®mother¡¯, which came out like a habit because i was afraid that she would be surprised again. then she smiled. ¡°yes, bebe.¡± it was a familiar name and a familiar voice, yet the voice was very unfamiliar as if it were a different person. nevertheless, i smiled brightly as if nothing had happened. i wanted to cry, but i couldn¡¯t. it¡¯s like god is telling me to stop being greedy because i saved my mom. i thought about how he was asking me to stop being greedy. i jumped down from the bed. then i fiddled with the flowers that cecilia was putting here and there. in the meantime, cecilia went outside for a while, and only silence came to the room. as if she were a stranger to herself, she was busy touching her body, and i wandered around as if i were not looking at her. ¡®how great would it be to have sylvie at times like this?¡¯ Chapter 102.2 i opened the window with my cheeks inflated. it was when i was doing this and that because i thought i would run to my mom and complain if it was quiet. ¡°is it okay?¡± suddenly, the door rattled open and someone came in. as if in a hurry, i ran towards the door and sweated profusely at the idea of someone coming in to break the tranquility. ¡°dad!¡± ¡°bebe.¡± my father¡¯s body hugged me without hesitation. like a person who ran in, he was like a person who was excited. i wiped my dad¡¯s forehead with my hand. ¡°why did you run like that?¡± ¡°¡­i didn¡¯t run. i just walked a little faster.¡± in the meantime, my father avoided my gaze. then, he walked up to her mother sitting still in bed. ¡°is it better than that, adele?¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± my mother¡¯s eyes turned rounder at the appearance of my father calling her name affectionately. ¡°adele¡­ is it my name?¡± ¡°oh, yeah! my mom¡¯s name is adelaide. she was also called adele!¡± ¡°i see¡­¡± as if it didn¡¯t feel real, my mother repeated and repeated her name several times. in the meantime, my father¡¯s expression became stronger than before. ¡°¡­bebe.¡± ¡°yes. dad. mom¡­¡± when my mother was mumbling at the fact that she couldn¡¯t say it with her mouth, my father nodded quietly. as if he had already expected there, he quickly hid his embarrassed expression. however, her eyes shook more anxiously than ever. ¡°by the way, adele, don¡¯t you remember anything?¡± ¡°oh¡­ yes. actually, i don¡¯t know where i am or why i¡¯m here. bebe calls herself my daughter¡­¡± dad, who approached my confused mother, put me down on the bed and pulled a chair and sat down. ¡°i see. don¡¯t you feel bad?¡± ¡°yes¡­ i don¡¯t feel bad. it¡¯s just¡­ i don¡¯t understand the situation, but i feel good.¡± whenever i saw my mother smiling warmly, it hurt somewhere in my heart. my dad¡¯s big hand patted my head softly, perhaps knowing that. ¡°that¡¯s a relief.¡± my father¡¯s eyes looked at me more firmly than ever. as if not to worry, the eyes alternately looked at my mother and me. it was after a long time that such a father opened her mouth again. ¡°it must be crazy, but bebe is your child.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± ¡°and i¡¯m your husband.¡± ¡°husband¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m the grand duke, you¡¯re the grand duchess.¡± the mother did not hide her surprise at the words. and i was surprised, too, because i didn¡¯t know my dad would even tell my mom that she was the grand duchess. in fact, my mom wasn¡¯t really the grand duchess, and she was like a temporary one. it was a temporary title created to keep us here. contrary to expectations that he would tell the truth, my father told a lie without hesitation. ¡°oh¡­¡± ¡°so make yourself at home because your house is here.¡± ¡°i¡­ married you¡­¡± ¡°yeah. i don¡¯t think you loved me yet, but i love you. i mean it.¡± i asked my dad for an explanation with my eyes. however, his expression, which was usually a little playful, was very different from before. ¡°it seems like bebe doesn¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°really? really?¡± ¡°at some point, it got into it. of course, adele used to put me behind to take care of her, and now that you¡¯ve forgotten me, you¡¯re somehow lucky nonetheless.¡± dad, who had been making a more comfortable face than ever, sighed deeply. ¡°at that time, i thought i wouldn¡¯t go in, but now i feel like i have a chance to try.¡± ¡°oh, my dad¡­ to my dad¡­¡± as i was stuttering, my dad gently shook her head. as if you don¡¯t have to tell the story now. at the same time, my father¡¯s gaze was completely focused on my mother. i only looked at my mother perfectly as if there were only two in the world. i wondered if it was shock therapy to bring back my mother¡¯s memory, but i don¡¯t think it was that at all because my dad really seemed to love my mom. ¡°at first, i may have projected someone from you. but one day, i suddenly felt it. you are a completely different person. rather, i¡¯m sorry for the thought itself. that¡¯s why i¡¯m careful. i don¡¯t know if i¡¯m allowed to love you¡­ adele. i want to make you happy. you too, bebe.¡± Chapter 103.1 i thought it might be something he was saying to bring back my mother¡¯s memories. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have imagined my dad saying that. i couldn¡¯t believe my dad likes my mom. what did he mean ¡®i love you¡¯? it could never happen. but obviously that¡¯s the truth. i didn¡¯t want to believe it, but my father¡¯s eyes were clearer than ever. ¡°you must have been surprised by the sudden remark. it¡¯s surprising when you have memories, but probably more confusing when you don¡¯t remember it.¡± dad, who seemed as resolute as a log and never seemed to break, looked like a soft pudding. ¡°i mean¡­ i don¡¯t know what i¡¯m talking about.¡± him awkwardly scratching his head was different from what i had ever seen. ¡®daddy¡¯s being weird.¡¯ but the weirdness made my heart flutter. it¡¯s because the expression on my father¡¯s face was quite similar to that when he looked at me. it was around that time a voice came out of my mother¡¯s mouth, who was still listening to my father. ¡°ah¡­ didn¡¯t i love you?¡± at that question, my father and i blinked for a moment. ¡°what?¡± ¡°it¡¯s strange. i think my heart loved you quite a bit. i don¡¯t remember, but¡­ they all have different feelings. when i see bebe calling me ¡®mom¡¯, my heart aches and i feel numb, but it makes me smile, and when i see you¡­¡± mom mumbled her words towards the end before looking at my dad and i alternately. my father and i had no choice but to be nervous as we paused for what she was trying to say. ¡°you two look alike, just like a father and daughter. you look different, but your expressions are so identical.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°does dad and i look alike?¡± my eyes naturally turned to my father, following my mom¡¯s words. dad nodded his head as if it was obvious. ¡°we do look alike. bebe, you¡¯re so pretty because you look like me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s because you¡¯re smart just like me.¡± ¡°cute and lovely¡­¡± i shook my head from side to side as my father talked shamelessly. ¡°i¡¯m pretty, smart, cute and lovely! it¡¯s because it¡¯s bebe!¡± ¡°huh¡­? is that so?¡± ¡°yeah! so i¡¯m not saying it¡¯s all thanks to you!¡± after scolding my father firmly, i looked at my mother again. maybe it was funny seeing my dad and i like this, but there was a smile on my mom¡¯s face. ¡°s-so¡­¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°are you trying to talk more?¡± ¡°ah, yes, bebe, every time i see you, i get that feeling¡­ of the person here¡­¡± mom politely put her hands together towards my father, as if she didn¡¯t know what to call my dad. dad looked at me with his mouth wide open like a fool, as if he had fallen for my mother. he really made a stupid face. ¡°oh my, dad, my mother wants to know your name.¡± ¡°o-oh! that¡¯s what it is. ¡°a-ah! that¡¯s what it is. it¡¯s xenox.¡± ¡°oh¡­ mr xenox?¡± ¡°feel free to call me xenox.¡± ¡°xenox¡­ what a nice name.¡± oh, what should i say? looking at the two of them, i feel like i¡¯m stuck in a place i shouldn¡¯t be. ¡®oh, what is this feeling?¡¯ it felt like staring at a bee sticking to a human. i felt like i shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡®the two of them are shining except for me. it¡¯s just warm.¡¯ but they didn¡¯t seem to care about me. ¡°so what do you think about me?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t remember, but i think i felt the same way. even when i say this, my heart races. i can¡¯t say for sure what it is, but¡­¡± i guess they can¡¯t see me. somehow i felt like i shouldn¡¯t interrupt so i got up from my seat and approached the chair where my dad was sitting. dad, who has been sitting on the chair before, got up and moved in front of mom. ¡°do you really feel that way?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure because i don¡¯t remember, but¡­ maybe. yes, i think that¡¯s how i feel. didn¡¯t i ever say that i like xenox?¡± ¡°not at all.¡± ¡°it¡¯s strange. it¡¯s so overwhelming.¡± ah, i want to leave. i looked at the two of them, who didn¡¯t even notice me for a long time, with their lips pursed. ¡°that¡¯s a relief. i was curious about your feelings. before you lost your memory, there was no room for you to go in, but now, i don¡¯t think so anymore.¡± ¡°i think i felt the same way before and now.¡± since when did they become like this? since when have they been in love? they were so happy, except for me, but i liked it so much. i couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so i ended up getting in between the two of them. ¡°i can¡¯t do this. please take care of me too. love me, too.¡± as i dug between the two, both my mom and dad looked at me with a surprised look. i shamelessly grabbed my mother¡¯s waist and rubbed my hair as she stroked my hair softly. Chapter 103.2 ¡°honestly bebe, i still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re my daughter. but i think i instinctively know how much i loved you¡­ i¡¯m still surprised every time you call me mom, but maybe¡­ i loved you so much.¡± a soft hand patted my head. i felt like i was about to cry. after my father came in, i heard from my mother¡¯s sincerity. i felt overwhelmed because i seemed to know what my mom thought of me and how much she loved me. ¡°yes¡­ i love my mom a lot.¡± even if she lost her memory, my mother is my mother. and even if she lost her memory, i love her so much. at that time, my father, who was looking at us, leaned over and hugged my mother and i at the same time. ¡°i won¡¯t let the two of you have a hard time. i¡¯ll protect you.¡± dad wouldn¡¯t know how reassuring those words were. my dad¡­ he¡¯s a little out of his mind, and sometimes he acts like a crazy person, but he¡¯s more affectionate than anyone else¡­ especially to my mother and i. ¡®of course, i didn¡¯t even know that dad liked my mom, and i didn¡¯t know that my mom liked my dad, so i feel a bit betrayed.¡¯ it¡¯s good though. i looked up at my mom and dad and smiled brightly. ¡°i¡¯m happy.¡± other than those words, what other words could i say to express my feelings? i was so happy that i didn¡¯t want to do anything but laugh like a fool after my dad smiled like a fool. ¡®i will protect this happiness.¡¯ that¡¯s how i made up my mind. i will protect my mom. after that day, my mom¡¯s memory still hasn¡¯t come back, but there have been quite a few changes. my mother, who was always lying in bed, started practicing walking and started eating. and that change was when my brother allen came to visit her room blatantly. in the past, sylvie was strangely wary of my mother. now, he¡¯s very attached to my mom. it¡¯s probably because she kept throwing meat at him at every meal. ¡°you say you¡¯re a noble silver wolf, but you eat a lot.¡± the first time he appeared in front of me was because i gave him food. ¡°well, the food is good here.¡± while i was sitting at the table with the intention of having lunch with my mother, i inflated my cheeks at the uninvited guest. ¡°brother, why did you leave your room and eat here?¡± ¡°yes, i think this house has good food.¡± ¡°yes, this house has good food! there¡¯s no difference between the food that comes up to you and the food that comes to me!¡± when i burst out, allen picked up the delicious meat in front of him with his fork and grinned. ¡°i see. it¡¯s nice to eat here together, right mom? you don¡¯t want me to come?¡± allen smiled at my mom with a brazen look. ¡°no, it¡¯s nice to be together like this.¡± ¡°m-mom!¡± knowing that allen wasn¡¯t her real child, my mother laughed as if nothing happened. on the contrary, as if to appease me, my mother shoved the meat placed in front of her into her mouth. ¡°i¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°look, mom says she¡¯s happy, bebe.¡± ¡°it¡¯s my mom! not yours!¡± ¡°bebe¡¯s mother is my mother too.¡± my brother, who would¡¯ve died in a blink of an eye if it were me in the past, had become a little strange since my mother lost her memory. was he particularly kind to my mother? then he started to do a little less well for me. of course, i sometimes said strange things. ¡®what do you think? am i sad that i¡¯m not the only one good to my mom? do i miss the old days? am i jealous?¡¯ i wondered if it was because of naughty allen¡¯s behavior with my mother, but nothing was certain. because of that, i kept my mouth shut, huffed and ate my food. in the meantime, my dad cut the deliciously glossy turkey with a good, and one by one, placed them in front of my mom and i. ¡°i¡­¡± as expected, allen looked at my father with a sad look on his face. ¡°you have to eat on your own. do i have to do all of these things?¡± still, dad put some turkey legs in front of allen. ¡°you grumble yet you do everything. xenox, you¡¯re very¡­¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it attractive?¡¯ dad laughed as if he had been waiting for mom¡¯s words. seeing that, my mother laughed too. ¡°you¡¯re sly.¡± ¡°whatever it is, it¡¯s a compliment.¡± seeing the two of them change into a strange atmosphere whenever they had the time, i forked the dishes one by one. the meal, which was a little strange that it somewhat tickled my heart, continued for a long time¡­ as if it wouldn¡¯t end. but it always happened when we were the happiest. ¡°your highness.¡± one of the knights that suddenly came in whispered in my father¡¯s ear with a startled look. Chapter 104 i had a strange feeling. no one interrupted our meal time. as soon as the knight came in, my father¡¯s angry face gradually hardened. the change in his expression was terrifying. thanks to that, my mom and i put down the cutlery while we were eating. of course, my pony-like brother, allen, was the exception. oh no. sylvie was also busy inhaling the leftover food next to my brother. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± as soon as the knight took a step back, dad showed a pretty serious expression in response to my mother¡¯s question. ¡°if it¡¯s not a big deal. if it¡¯s serious it¡¯s a serious thing, but there¡¯s nothing to worry about in the first place.¡± but dad had already gotten up from his seat. his expression also stiffened. at that time, allen also put down the cutlery and looked at his father. ¡°eat and make yourself at home. no, you¡¯d better not leave the room today.¡± ¡°xenox, isn¡¯t it serious?¡± my still-immobile mother hesitated and looked at my father, but allen and i had already risen from their seats and clung to our father¡¯s side. ¡°it¡¯s not serious. it¡¯s something that can be solved in my line. but bebe, allen, what are you doing?¡± ¡°i think something fun is going to happen!¡± when he looked at me with a bright smile, dad couldn¡¯t hide his absurd expression. ¡°i know where you are going.¡± ¡°you¡¯re going to make a mistake, so it¡¯s fun! and i have to go with you.¡± ¡°¡­i am not going to make a mistake, bebe. what kind of impression do you have on your father?¡± i couldn¡¯t say ¡®crazy daddy¡¯ as a response, so i smiled so much that he couldn¡¯t see my eyes, sticking out my tongue. ¡°are you trying to cover up with a smile?¡± ¡°hehe.¡± ¡°okay. bebe just said so, but allen, why do you want to follow me?¡± ¡°i want bebe to follow. wherever bebe goes, i always follow.¡± talking about a reason more absurd than mine, my brother raised his head very proudly. i looked at my brother and did a slicing gesture at my neck as i looked at him. ¡°have i become a father who can¡¯t even trust his children¡­¡± as if somehow shocked, my dad mumbled to himself, then leaned over and hugged me. ¡°believing comes first. bebe, would you like to go with me? i think i might need you anyway.¡± ¡°okay! then, allen, please protect my mother.¡± ¡°i want to follow you too.¡± ¡°then there¡¯s nothing i can do¡­¡± that¡¯s because he was one of the few people in the grand duke¡¯s family who was really nice to her. he didn¡¯t really have faith, but it was better than nothing. that¡¯s why i said it, but my brother was really adamant. ¡°yeah, i¡¯ll follow bebe.¡± ¡°okay. instead, dad, put someone you can trust next to her, okay? i want a strong theobaldo. if cecilia and theobaldo will protect my mother, i will be so relieved!¡± ¡°it sounds like a name i haven¡¯t heard in a long time. what do you mean, theobaldo? i¡¯ll just do that, then. adele, i¡¯ll be right back with the kids, so i¡¯ll leave you alone for a while.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry about me.¡± mom smiled and waved her hand to see us off. but my older brother, allen, who had just said he would follow my father, sat down next to my mother. ¡°aren¡¯t you coming?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, bebe, because this reliable older brother is protecting your mother.¡± ¡°huh?¡± did he eat something wrong? allen, who suddenly opened his eyes slightly and raised his eyebrows, shook his head as if not to worry. ¡°there is no one more trustworthy than this brother, so go ahead.¡± as i tilted my head at the incomprehensible situation, my father laughed. ¡°bebe, if you say one word, you will die like that.¡± ¡°huh? one word?¡± ¡°yes. he¡¯d be like that if he wanted your attention, so let¡¯s go ahead and we¡¯ll be back. allen wants to be a reliable older brother so we¡¯ll leave him alone.¡± leaving behind my mother, who was smiling like a happy person, and allen, who looked at me with an expression as greasy as butter next to my mother, we went out the door like that. ¡°is it okay? can we leave brother like that?¡± ¡°yes, he¡¯s a child who wants to be liked by you anyway. if it bothers you, come back later and give him a compliment.¡± ¡°does he like it when i compliment him?¡± ¡°of course, a man who never wrote a diary would keep a record every day when you praise him.¡± i quietly nodded my head. ¡°i thought he had changed recently.¡± ¡°he can¡¯t change. allen is just an older brother who wants to be loved by his younger sister.¡± ¡°i see¡­¡± i listened quietly to my father and nodded my head. ¡°if you give him a compliment, he will do anything.¡± ¡°okay! i will definitely go and praise him.¡± i smiled bashfully as i made eye contact with my father. dad nodded his head to see if i was satisfied and moved quickly. but my dad was different. he said it wasn¡¯t a big deal, so what should i do? ¡°but dad, where are we going?¡± ¡°an unexpected visitor came, so that¡¯s the way to get there.¡± ¡°an unexpected guest?¡± ¡°yes.¡± we arrived at the main gate of the grand duke¡¯s house while we talked about how fast we had to get there. ¡°daddy?¡± as if something big had happened, there were a lot of knights from the grand duke¡¯s family in front of the main fate. it wasn¡¯t until they realized we had arrived did they create a path for us, like the seas splitting. at the end of the path was a knight and a man armed with golden armor. my face hardened when i saw him. ¡®why is he here?¡¯ the situation was so absurd that i couldn¡¯t think of what to say. ¡°what brings you here, your majesty?¡± i never really imagined that he¡¯d show up. as if he already knew, dad looked uncomfortable, yet he didn¡¯t hesitate. i felt better after our last meeting, but my hands still trembled a little. i wonder if he had followed me for no reason, but i straightened my back proudly because dad is here. in the meantime, we stood before him. he came dressed in colorful clothes and a fur cape as if he were attending a party, and anyone could see he was the emperor trying to overwhelm his opponents with his outfit. the gorgeous crown on his head and the jeweled rings on all ten fingers gave that feeling. ¡°is there a place in the empire that the emperor can¡¯t go to?¡± ¡°although there isn¡¯t a place you can¡¯t go to, i don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for you to come to a place surrounded by a cursed forest.¡± ¡°i wanted to come here at least once. i¡¯ve always heard of the cursed forest ever since i was young. since there is a grand duke who built his own luxurious mansion and lives there, i¡¯ve always wanted to see it with my own eyes.¡± my father snorted and looked around. ¡°so what do you think after seeing them yourself?¡± ¡°it hasn¡¯t been great. we had to go all the way through this forest. some of my knights even got hurt.¡± ¡°if you had given a notice, i would have prepared. i never thought you would come at a time where monsters have become active. still, your majesty¡¯s knights are quite strong. if it had been anyone else, it wouldn¡¯t have ended with a few injuries.¡± my father only raised the corners of his mouth, yet he looked so gleeful. just looking at him gave me goosebumps. ¡°why? do your knights also get hurt?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°ah, they truly are great men. as the emperor, i would be scared.¡± ¡°¡­so why did you come here? i don¡¯t think you came all the way here to discuss trivial matters with me.¡± he nodded as if he had just been enlightened. then, he looked around. ¡°yes, i¡¯m not here to talk about that. i came here for two reasons: one, the child in your arms, and the other is your punishment.¡± ¡°punishment¡­ you know, it¡¯s very awkward for you to say that without an investigation.¡± ¡°because it¡¯s that big of a deal. you will know for yourself what illegal things you have done.¡± at the emperor¡¯s words, dad smiled as if it was no big deal. he only gave a leisure smile, and yet the emperor¡¯s relaxed expression hardened in an instant. ¡°did you already look into it?¡± ¡°if you confess, i will slightly reduce your sentence.¡± ¡°great.¡± surprisingly, my dad seemed to obey him. until the next few words came out. ¡°by the way, your majesty, i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about because i¡¯ve done a lot of illegal things. i can¡¯t tell you all of them though, it¡¯s truly embarrassing.¡± ¡°grand duke!¡± ¡°if i open my mouth, the royal family will be quite shocked. well, i¡¯ll tell you everything if you want. after all, the grand duchy has always been the shadow of the imperial family. we¡¯ve always done the imperial family¡¯s dirty work. if you really want to hear it, i¡¯ll tell you¡­ if you can handle it.¡± Chapter 105.1 ¡°are you threatening me right now?¡± ¡°threatening?¡± no matter how you looked at it, it was a threat, but dad only shrugged his shoulders as if he knew nothing. it was just like my father, but he seemed a little brazen. ¡°then what are you doing now?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just saying that if you touch me, i won¡¯t let you go. even if it¡¯s a trivial thing, you¡¯ll be bitten if you¡¯re stepped on. i¡¯m just trying to protect myself and my people.¡± for some reason, i feel like my father¡¯s arm holding me was stronger than before. my father, who was looking at the emperor, smiled at me for a moment as if he felt my gaze. meanwhile, the emperor did not hide his discomfort. ¡°even so, it is not a problem that can be overlooked, grand duke.¡± ¡°then your majesty will speak for yourself. i don¡¯t know what i¡¯ve done wrong, and i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to say about my daughter.¡± only the voice of the emperor could be heard. standing behind him, the emperor looked at us with his head tilted as if he did not know the details. ¡°i don¡¯t think you would think that i was going to say anything. or¡­ was it because of something else, not me? is that why you didn¡¯t hesitate to come here?¡± after i saw my dad saying that, i felt like i knew why he hugged me tighter. ¡®i think it¡¯s because of me.¡¯ come to think of it, i think the emperor mentioned me briefly earlier, and i stared at the emperor just in case. in the past, when i was trapped in the imperial palace with my mother, the emperor seemed like a huge person, but with my father, he couldn¡¯t be that small. i don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because i¡¯m looking down at him in my father¡¯s arms. ¡®i¡¯m not scared anyway!¡¯ before, he looked like a monster, but now, he looks like a dog; a dog who only stared at you. i don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because the knights are bigger than the emperor, but i¡¯m not scared at all today. the emperor¡¯s face changed to see if what my father said was true. was he trying to hide his feelings or could he not? anyway, it was clear to me, even as a child. ¡°it¡¯s because of something else. first priority, what the grand duke did was wrong¡­¡± ¡°the word ¡®priority¡¯ means that there is something else after all. the other purpose of you coming here¡­ is to be honest. your majesty, why are you here? even though the emperor journeyed all the way here, it was done in secret.¡± ¡°i never came in secret.¡± that¡¯s what he said, but it was a little strange. it felt like he came here in a hurry. i heard that the emperor¡¯s journey was not like this. hundreds of knights followed, and huge wagons came one after the other, and it was too much to say that the imperial palace itself was moved. however, although a lot of knights had come, it was definitely different from what i heard. ¡°you haven¡¯t completely ascended to the throne, but aren¡¯t you sensitive to external events? is that why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°anyway¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t change the subject, just be honest. your majesty, i have heard that you are really curious about my daughter.¡± in a way, it was natural for the emperor¡¯s face to harden at those words. ¡°how could i be interested in such a girl?¡± ¡°then are you really here for my sins?¡± as if my father¡¯s prediction was correct, the emperor hummed and turned his eyes to me. ¡°well, i can¡¯t say completely no. first of all, the last time the grand duke ame to the imperial palace, i was so distracted that i just let you go. that child¡­ i think it¡¯s the kid i¡¯ve been looking for.¡± my body almost flinched for a moment, but my father stopped him. ¡°you¡¯re suddenly saying that to my child? well, that¡¯s a lot of fun. she¡¯s already been identified as my child through the imperial family¡¯s treasure.¡± ¡°well, i don¡¯t know because i haven¡¯t seen it myself, and there¡¯s been a big mistake with the imperial family in the past. she had a baby in the imperial family and had the same blond hair as her. now that i think about it, her face looks quite similar.¡± ¡°it¡¯s very interesting. so now you¡¯re saying that it looks like my child?¡± perhaps he had made up his mind that he was going to talk about what happened anyway, but the emperor took one step at a time and shook his shoulder. ¡°well, actually, i¡¯m not interested in her. she was the one who made a huge mistake to the imperial family. the child is here, so she¡¯s probably here too.¡± ¡°that¡¯s why you mentioned my child.¡± ¡°yes, let her go. she made a great mistake for the imperial family.¡± ¡°you want to take my child with you, but i feel like you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°i wondered if it was true, but the appearance of the emperor biting his lips seemed to shed some truth to my father¡¯s words. ¡°give her up, anyway.¡± ¡°well, you¡¯ve come this far, so i have to give it to you.¡± it felt like my dad¡¯s sky was falling down. Chapter 105.2 at his words, i quickly covered my mouth with both of my hands. maybe my father wants to send my mother to the emperor? then there was no point in her surviving because my mother died for that emperor. ¡°there wasn¡¯t as much resistance as i thought.¡± ¡°even if it looks like this, i am a citizen of the empire. so, if she¡¯s with you, are you going to leave today?¡± ¡°you should definitely be held responsible for what you did, but that¡¯s¡­ if you give her up, i¡¯ll let you go.¡± at the emperor¡¯s words, dad moved, as if he were about to bring my mother. ¡°daddy!¡± i grabbed his cheeks and shook his head. it can¡¯t be like this. he can ever send my mother back to the emperor. i¡¯d rather go as far as i can. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°really¡­ are you really going to send mom?¡± ¡°if the emperor wants her?¡± ¡°¡­¡± for a moment, tears welled up in my eyes like a child. i trusted my father, but he seemed to think nothing of my mom. he said he loved us. didn¡¯t he love her too? all the words were about to come out of my mouth, but i swallowed it. i had to say anything, but i was embarrassed and didn¡¯t even know what to do. ¡®should i go to my mother right now and run away with her?¡¯ it was then¡­ ¡°but i need to know her crime.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°he said she made such a big mistake with the imperial family, but i¡¯ve never heard of anyone committing such a crime. there, he made such a big mistake. i¡¯m sure you brought official documents, right?¡± for a moment, the emperor¡¯s expression hardened. he was confident just now, but he shook his head at my father, rubbing his lips together. ¡°the emperor is the witness. what official documents do you need?¡± ¡°well, i think it¡¯s better to set things straight, so please give me the documents on this case. after i see it¡­ i¡¯ll decide.¡± ¡°stop talking nonsense and let the woman go.¡± but dad was adamant. ¡°i can¡¯t do that. she¡¯s here as my wife. you¡¯re not going to kidnap the grand duchess, are you?¡± ¡°that¡¯s¡­ she really can¡¯t be the grand duchess. if you find fault with me anymore, you know that you¡¯re going to lose to the imperial family.¡± ¡°i do not know. on the contrary, it feels like what your majesty is doing right now is in line with the grand duke? you want to take a lady, who is the grand duchess, without any documents. even if she is a noblewoman other than the grand duchess, i think it¡¯s going to happen.¡± tears welled up. it was clear to me that dad wasn¡¯t really trying to let my mom go. dad looked at the emperor with a stronger tone and a stern expression than ever. it was quite different from the face he had when he joked. ¡°even to his majesty the emperor, this kind of visit is unwelcome.¡± ¡°are you going to kick me out?¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m trying to protect my family. you¡¯re trying to break in and take my child¡¯s mother, but i can¡¯t just stand still. if you hadn¡¯t come for that reason, i would have welcomed you, but now i can¡¯t.¡± for a moment, a strong force flowed from my father¡¯s body that it was hard to stand still. it stood and flew like a beast, and its power was burdensome. ¡°grand duke!¡± ¡°do not touch my family.¡± ¡°¡­you will regret it in the end. i¡¯ll come back with my papers. you will have no choice but to let her go.¡± but there was no answer. the sudden uninvited guest retreated more easily than expected. with a very uncomfortable expression, he was insidious while showing a pattern of behavior that seemed to be ready at any moment. the emperor¡¯s words that he would not let it go continued for a long time, and my father turned his body away as if to ignore him. the emperor¡¯s voice grew fainter, and after passing the long hallway, my father smiled and made eye contact with me. ¡°i¡¯m sorry if i surprised you. if i don¡¯t do this, you know there will be another uproar, so i must have surprised you when i tried to give your mother over.¡± as if he had become a different person than he had been, his voice was sweeter than ever. ¡°wow, no! i hated my dad at that moment¡­ but now that i know your heart, i don¡¯t hate you anymore. but really, what if he brings the documents?¡± ¡°next time, even if he brought the official documents and accuse your mother of charges, i¡¯ll just have to kick him out differently.¡±¡¯ ¡°really¡­? so he¡¯s never going to take mommy?¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯ll never let adele go, so don¡¯t worry.¡± there were many things i wanted to ask, but i couldn¡¯t ask anything right now, so i stared quietly. ¡°adele is your mother, but she is the one i love and also the grand duchess, so she will never, ever be in danger.¡± ¡°wow¡­!¡± it was at that time that a smile was about to spread across my trustworthy father¡¯s face. i made eye contact with the person who looked at us insidiously. as if he had been looking at us for a long time, the opponent did not back down easily even when we were looking at him. Chapter 106.1 ¡°harris?¡± it seemed that it was dad who discovered it first, but dad didn¡¯t even call harris. he just looked away as if he was just about to pass by. in the end, it was me who pretended not to know. but as if it was dad who didn¡¯t want to see her and talk to her, harris only looked at him even though i called her. nevertheless, my father didn¡¯t give her any attention. he just passed by. ¡°daddy¡­ daddy¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m not your father.¡± her large eyes were filled with tears. she did some bad things to me, but i felt a little uncomfortable because she was a child. but i couldn¡¯t say this or that because it was my father¡¯s choice and it¡¯s his heart, so i buried my head in his shoulder. if i didn¡¯t do this, i thought about stopping my dad. look at harris, she keeps talking to him looking at us, harris tugged at dad¡¯s clothes. ¡°until now¡­ you loved me even though you didn¡¯t know if i was real or not. i did it for you. so¡­ why would you abandon me?¡± ¡°that¡¯s why i said with the utmost tolerance. tell me who brought you here. tell me who told you to tell me that you are my real daughter, but you didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°i am! i am real! i don¡¯t even know who brought me here¡­ i¡­¡± the tears that had been welling up all of a sudden flowed down harris¡¯s cheeks. seeing that, somewhere in my chest felt very uncomfortable. ¡°harris.¡± maybe he finally had the heart to comfort her, so dad stopped walking and looked down at harris. ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t there some things you did to say you didn¡¯t know anything? if you really didn¡¯t know anything, it doesn¡¯t make sense to bring my biological son, alphius.¡± ¡°it¡¯s¡­! i-i didn¡¯t know either!¡± ¡°there¡¯s no one around to help you, harris.¡± ¡°huh? no, everyone¡¯s gone. no, you really weren¡¯t on my side from the beginning!¡± ¡°really?¡¯ her round head nodded up and down. as if it was really unfair, she really didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°trust me! if there were people like that, i wouldn¡¯t have been able to be like this, so¡­ so¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s really scary, harris.¡± ¡°what¡­?¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid of you, who still thinks you haven¡¯t been exposed yet, and you keep lying until the end, insisting on being my daughter. if you hadn¡¯t lied, i would have kept you here as my daughter.¡± harris went on to express her resentment. she still didn¡¯t know anything about herself, and still thinks she¡¯s been used. ¡°i really didn¡¯t know. i didn¡¯t know! why don¡¯t you believe me? i¡¯m not lying!¡± ¡°don¡¯t you think it would seem strange if you suddenly say you didn¡¯t know, even though you didn¡¯t do the blood test this whole time?¡± only then did i look up and look at harris and dad alternately. ¡°do you want to make an excuse? if you didn¡¯t know anything, if you didn¡¯t contact anyone, what happened to them? if no one helped you, how could you hide the imperial family¡¯s blood test equipment?¡± ¡°that¡¯s¡­!¡± it was also then that harris, who was hesitating, bowed her head. ¡°i already knew your lies but i wanted you to tell me first. the truth¡­ but you lost that chance. there¡¯s nothing to talk about with you like that. as aster wants it, i only put it here for a complete separation from others.i have no feelings for you now.¡± all of his firm words would make her cry, but harris did not cry anymore. she just looked at me with resentment. it felt different from when the emperor looked at me. it was like a murderous spirit. i felt like my hair was standing up all over my body. maybe he noticed my anxiety, but my dad held me stronger than ever and tried to back off. however¡­ ¡°¡­even if i really told you everything, even if you put me here as a daughter, you would have discriminated against me.¡± as he was about to turn around, harris opened her mouth and closed it. ¡°what?¡± ¡°you must have discriminated against your real daughter!¡± ¡°¡­why are you talking without experiencing it?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s obvious. i know even if you don¡¯t tell me. you must have done everything for her. i¡¯m just being forgotten! that¡¯s why i hated it. i didn¡¯t like it!¡± her eyes glowed red with anger. Chapter 106.2 those red eyes, not the blue eyes like my dad¡¯s, made my body freeze for a moment. it¡¯s harris, but it didn¡¯t feel like harris. ¡°to be honest, the first time i saw her, i knew she was real, so i was mad. she looked just like that damn alphius guy¡­ and i hate it! i wanted to kick her out! i mean, as long as you loved me. i hope so, i hope so!¡± ¡°no way¡­ you knew it from the beginning?¡± ¡°¡­i don¡¯t know. i won¡¯t let you go. i-i¡¯ll do whatever i can to get rid of that thing that took my place. i¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± after saying those words, harris ran away without giving a chance to catch her. even my father, who was looking at her, just muttered. ¡°harris!¡± my father¡¯s angry voice rang out in the hallway, but harris already disappeared. surprised by the loud voice, the knights rushed out a bit late. ¡°what¡¯s the matter, your highness?¡± ¡°get her back.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°right now.¡± the murmuring knights followed harris a step later, and my father¡¯s expression became stiffer than before. worried, i stroked my dad¡¯s cheek gently. ¡°daddy.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry i surprised you. shall we talk about something else?¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°huh¡­?¡± i smiled widely at my father, who was walking strangely. ¡°it¡¯s okay. you can go find her if you want. you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°bebe.¡± ¡°daddy must be curious. you need to go to harris to solve this, so go ahead. i¡¯m almost there, so i can go alone!¡± even though i said that, my dad didn¡¯t easily put me down, so i struggled myself out of his arms. ¡°it¡¯s true. let¡¯s go find her.¡± ¡°no, that¡¯s for later¡­¡± ¡°no, you can¡¯t do it later. you want to go find her now too, so go ahead.¡± even at my words, dad hesitated without going for a long time. i came down to the floor and pushed my father¡¯s back. after thinking about it for a long time, he finally nodded his head. ¡°then¡­ go to your room. you just have to go straight ahead and everything will be fine¡­ i think?¡± ¡°yeah! don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°if i knew this would happen, i should have brought cecilia out, or even theo¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s really okay. i¡¯m just going to miss it.¡± after that, dad tried not to go into a hostile manner several times, but after fussing, he eventually ran in the direction where harris disappeared. in fact, i was worried about my dad, but what i was curious about more than anything else was how in the world harris knew and how she found out. ¡®who the hell is harris?¡¯ at first, i thought she was just a daughter. next, i thought she was the child who wanted to be the daughter of the grand duke, aiming for the position. now that i see it, i don¡¯t think it is. on the way back to my room, i felt a little strange. ¡®harris¡­ did she come in knowing everything? i think she already knew about my twin brother¡­¡¯ that¡¯s why she hated me so much. now i understood little by little all the actions harris had shown. she hated me so much when she first saw me. meanwhile, i arrived at the front of the room. however, a strange head popped out of the door. ¡°yes?¡± ¡°oh!¡± as soon as i saw the head, it slipped inside, as if surprised. if he were going to look outside, he might as well be confident. he darted back into the room as if he was doing something suspicious. then i saw allen drinking tea leisurely with my mother. ¡°you¡¯re here, bebe.¡± ¡°it¡¯s late, brother.¡± i sat down on the seat between my mother and brother, who were talking to each other. ¡°yes, it¡¯s been a while. brother, didn¡¯t you just come out?¡± at those words, my colt-like brother shook his shoulders as if he didn¡¯t. it was kind of funny how it looked. i¡¯m sure our eyes met, but he pretended not to know. on the contrary, he proudly opened his mouth. ¡°no, i didn¡¯t. i was sitting here, protecting my mom. i didn¡¯t stick my head out because i was curious about you.¡± ¡°oh, i see.¡± ¡°well, what do you say? i¡¯m kind of cool, right? it¡¯s what you wanted. there¡¯s no brother in the world like me. i think i¡¯m a wonderful brother.¡± ¡°yes, you¡¯re cool. you¡¯re good at lying. ¡°yes, i¡¯m good at lying¡­ huh?¡± Chapter 107.1 ¡°i told you it wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± my brother¡¯s eyes shook wildly, as if he had been caught. ¡°but i said i wasn¡¯t sticking my head out.¡± ¡°oh? you did?¡± ¡°how do you know that someone did that when it wasn¡¯t me?¡± my brother¡¯s lips curled up and opened repeatedly, as if he had a lot to say. i stretched out my pointer finger towards him as if i had caught the killer. ¡°what do you think? my reasoning is perfect! my brother stuck his head out and is now lying to me! you¡¯re lying!¡± my brother¡¯s face, which was already pale, became paler. just like bread that was freshly baked in the morning, his cheeks gradually swelled. then, my brother jumped up from his seat to make his own protest. ¡°well, i¡¯m not lying¡­ i mean¡­ i mean¡­¡± ¡°you lied!¡± ¡°i was sitting here because i want to look reliable but¡­ i was curious! when is bebe coming? i didn¡¯t know if you were coming. i was wondering if something¡¯s wrong. i thought about whether i should go and protect you.¡± ¡°what?¡± i blinked when i tried teasing my brother for being a liar. ¡®ah, that¡¯s not it¡­¡¯ rather, my brother pouted his lips as if he were falsely accused. ¡°but i know you¡¯ll be disappointed if i get out here. i have to protect this place¡­ but i¡¯m worried about you.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°i¡¯m¡­ i¡¯m not a liar. it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡± maybe it was because i just found out why my brother did it, but his lips were pursed together like a fish, which looked cute. as my father said, i think my brother looked like a fool. my fool, to be exact. before i contradicted my brother, my mom smiled and patted my brother¡¯s head. ¡°bebe, don¡¯t be too harsh on your brother. but he did continue to be here and protect your mom.¡± ¡°well, i¡¯m not saying anything. it¡¯s just¡­ i thought it was a lie¡­ no! i knew it too! i knew it.¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°oh, i was just trying to tell you that you did a good job.¡± not wanting to lose for some reason, i rolled my eyes. then, while chewing on the cookies on the table, i hugged sylvie. ¡°ah, i¡¯ll go for a walk.¡± ¡°can i come with you this time?¡± the day i was about to go out in shame because i didn¡¯t know my brother¡¯s feelings, my brother caught me.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°or do i have to stay here?¡± ¡°uh¡­ i mean¡­¡± meanwhile, my mother slowly got up from her seat. she walked a little slower because she had been lying down for so long, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t walk. suddenly, my mother came over to me and stroked my hair. ¡°it¡¯s not like that. let¡¯s all go out together.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°i want to take a walk too. can i join you? mom wants to go out with bebe and allen.¡± when i saw my mother talking with a big smile, somewhere in my heart trembled. after losing her memory, she didn¡¯t use the word ¡®mom¡¯ when referring to herself, whether it was conscious or not. there have been times when she looked into my eyes and said so consciously, but it was the first time she had said it as naturally as before. ¡°huh? can i?¡± meanwhile, my mother leaned over and gently stroked my cheek. i don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because i want to feel that way, but¡­ ¡®she¡¯s like how mom used to be.¡¯ the mom i remembered was the mom who lived with me in that hellish place and did everything for me. she was that kind of mother. i didn¡¯t think about it all the time, but today, i suddenly thought of it. my mother¡¯s memories may have returned, and in the meantime, my colt-like brother held my mother¡¯s hand. ¡°if bebe says no, we can go together.¡± then, i came to my senses and intervened between the two of them. ¡°no! let¡¯s go together. i want to go with my mom and brother.¡± ¡°i will stand in the middle. i¡¯ll take bebe¡¯s hand and mother¡¯s hand.¡± then he hurriedly approached and grabbed my mother¡¯s hand and mine at the same time. ¡°tch¡­ i¡¯m standing in the middle.¡± ¡°bebe, you have to stand like this so i can protect you two.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°sure, so let¡¯s go now.¡± my brother led the two of us like that, as if he were in a pretty good mood. in the meantime, maybe he was worried about my mother¡¯s walking pace, but my brother deliberately slowed down by saying this and that alone. thanks to that, it took quite a long time to get to the garden.