《He Likes Me a Lot More Than I Thought!》 Prologue I¡¯m currently in the crisis of a lifetime. ¡°Arwen, dear. How much longer are you going to stay among this stink?¡± As my grumbling mother dragged me away, clucking her tongue in annoyance, my gaze remained fixated on one thing: a young, trembling boy whose teacher¡¯s hand was forcibly gripping his slender arm. He was pitifully watching me with tears welled up in his gray eyes, as if he might cry at any moment. Please save me. Please. Even though he hadn¡¯t opened his mouth, I felt as though I had heard those words. Barely able to take my eyes off those clear irises, I asked the man smiling abjectly next to him, ¡°¡­ What is this child¡¯s name?¡± ¡°He goes by Shu, miss.¡± Ah, I sighed silently. My mother glowered at me and poked my sides, but I didn¡¯t feel a thing. ¡°His name is similar to the son of the Sebrirua noble family. So is his hair¡­ Haha. Isn¡¯t he dressed too well for his status?¡± Can you laugh even after saying that with your own lips? I pressed my temple at the man¡¯s words. As expected, I think I¡¯m right. No, I¡¯m certain. Curly, light citrine hair and puppy-like eyes. Gray eyes with a faintly pink hue. The child before my eyes shared an uncanny resemblance to a description I had previously only read about. ¡®Shoot¡­¡¯ I think I met the male lead in his abusive childhood. CH 1 Before I continue that child¡¯s story, I must discuss something else first: that I¡¯m in the world of a novel, and that I¡¯ve reincarnated into this world. As for the latter, I¡¯ve had nine years living here to adjust, so I was fine. However, I just found out about the former, which startled me greatly. Judging from how people lived here, I could tell this wasn¡¯t the same world as the one of my first life, but my daily life became so ordinary that the thought that I was in a novel never even occurred to me. Of course, until I met this child. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Thanks to the main character¡¯s unique personality, I was able to remember the story. Shuel Sebrirua. Went by Shu. Duke Sebrirua¡¯s only son and, as aforementioned, this novel¡¯s male lead. Of course, it¡¯s as simple as it gets. I had to take and protect him. ¡°Arwen, I said let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t even think about trying to bring one of those dirty things along. Might as well buy a slave instead, tsk.¡± My mother told me off with great timing, her voice full of contempt. She was the reason why I couldn¡¯t immediately take and run off with this boy. Although I reincarnated, there was no such lovely dream as being born into wealth or to parents who showered me with love. I was born into a destitute viscount¡¯s family, and my parents were shameless people who thought of nothing else but to raise and sell off their pretty daughter for marriage. Because my family was penniless and my parents didn¡¯t value me, I didn¡¯t have any money. Could I take and care for Shuel under these conditions? ¡®It¡¯d be a relief if my father didn¡¯t beat me to death.¡¯ But that didn¡¯t mean that someone else would take him instead, since I already knew how the original story went. Naturally, Shuel¡¯s parents, who ruled over a duchy, soon found their son¡¯s whereabouts. It wasn¡¯t hard, considering the wealth and power of the family of the empire¡¯s only dukedom. But the problem was that they died on their way to reuniting with their son. They say that haste makes waste, slow and steady wins the race. That held to be too true in this case. In their relentless search for their son, the duke and duchess recklessly embarked on their carriage and rushed over to the news that someone had found him. Shuel was in the countryside, where the landscape was extremely rugged. As night fell, the coachman and horse drawing their carriage tired, and a carriage wheel loosened on the mountain road. In the end, the couple died after their carriage fell off a cliff. The Sebrirua family had no relatives. The now-alone Shuel was but a child who could only cry at the news of his parents¡¯ death, and that was how the Sebrirua family died out. Shuel, who was then left in an orphanage, became a victim of unwarranted abuse, and the female main character Rietta rescued him in the winter of the twelfth year of his life. If the director of the orphanage hadn¡¯t lied about Shuel¡¯s age, he would be around seven years old in the present. That¡¯s why if I left Shuel here, he would spend the next five years of his life with nothing but suffering. Would I take him for now, regardless of whether I succeeded or failed, or idly stand by and let him face abuse? I had to decide between those two choices. ¡®¡­ Ah, seriously!¡¯ I wailed quietly. Although I lived to a ripe age in my past life, I was only nine years old in the present. And it hadn¡¯t even been long since my last birthday! Wasn¡¯t it too serious of a burden to try to prevent an entire lifetime¡¯s worth of trauma? And even moreso, I shouldn¡¯t have had to shoulder that while trapped in my nine-year-old body. I crumpled my face in reluctance, but was ultimately unable to turn blind eye to Shuel and his tears. ¡°¡­ Mother.¡± ¡°What?! How many times have I said that we¡¯re leaving?! Are you going to act so indecent in front of commoners?¡± ¡°I want to take that child.¡± At those words, my mother¡¯s face wrinkled in confusion, among other mixed feelings, judging from her furrowed brows. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to take that child, Mother.¡± ¡°Are you cra¨C Arwen!¡± She raised, then lowered her voice as she realized we were in public. I seized the opportunity to widen my eyes. ¡°But he¡¯s too cute, Mother.¡± At my idiotic response, my mother twitched and curled the corners of her mouth. She only continued to glare at me, so I raised my voice and pointed at Shuel. ¡°I want that child, Mother. Didn¡¯t you say you would buy me everything I wanted?¡± The orphanage director¡¯s eyes shined at my words. He slightly nudged Shuel in my direction, which made my mother¡¯s face darken. Yes, Mother, didn¡¯t Viscountess Broschte value dignity and honor above all else? She had no choice but to take Shuel in order to save face in front of commoners. ¡°We¡¯ll have a talk at home.¡± I quietly sighed at the sight of my mother grinding her teeth with resentment. Still, taking an inevitable beating was nothing in trade for a person¡¯s life. *** ¡°You stupid wench, why don¡¯t you ever learn?¡± As soon as we arrived at our estate, my mother started shouting at me. Although she was loud enough to tear eardrums, I wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised. She smirked at the sight of my self-reflection as I bit my lips and lowered my head. ¡°Do you feel relieved after bringing your mother such shame? Hm?¡± ¡°No, Mother¡­ Not at all. That¡¯s not what I intended. I just¡­¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d buy everything you needed for your debutante. When did I say I¡¯d buy you anything you wanted, you good-for-nothing brat?¡± In the middle of her tantrum, my mother¡¯s face suddenly went pale. ¡°How will I explain this to him when he comes? How can I tell him that we have another mouth to feed in this dirt-poor hellhole?! When it¡¯s hard even to feed his daughter?!¡± This again. Although the Broschte family was on the poorer side of the nobles, we weren¡¯t impoverished to the point that even the viscount had to roll up his sleeves and pick up farmwork. We had our humble viscounty, and the taxes imposed on the citizens were enough to afford us some degree of extravagance. Yet even still, we were extremely destitute for nobility, so my parents clung on to climbing up the ladder and saving their wealth. How lowly of them, when it wasn¡¯t like such a young kid could even eat much. They already controlled my weight and fed me bird-like amounts for meals. I let out a small sigh. It seemed like I would have to either starve or secretly slip some food for a while. My face contorted with a sniffle at that thought. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Because I had already attempted this multiple times, I was able to cry at will. A naive and foolish daughter frustrated my parents, but exasperation and fits earned a swing of the fist. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s nearly time for your father to arrive, so hurry along upstairs. Don¡¯t you dare be late for dinner today!¡± my mother said, as expected. Without a word, I lowered my head and dashed out. I pretended to trip on my skirt and heard a ¡®tsk, tsk, tsk¡¯ behind me. I closed the door to the parlor with a click. My expression immediately changed from the tearful and docile face I had worn not too long ago. Acting like a child ¡ª not only once or twice, but all the time ¡ª made me feel like I somewhat became one. But how wonderful to be incompetent and dumb! And to be a weak, useless crybaby daughter, on top of that. If I corrected my parents for being unreasonable, they would swear me out for being disrespectful, and if I asked to go to school, they¡¯d tell me to focus on becoming a bride instead. So I pretended to be their foolish daughter, too embarrassing to marry off. I would have my independence when I became an adult. ¡®¡­ Although I¡¯m a bit worried it might not work.¡¯ I saw myself in the hallway window, which was as clear as a mirror because we couldn¡¯t afford high-quality glass. Big eyes with double eyelids. White skin, red lips. Fine silver hair, which was rare even in the capital city. Here in the countryside, I was eye-catchingly beautiful. That¡¯s why my parents were raising me as a beautiful doll, always reminding me not to forget my family and older brother when I went to marry into a good family. Well, what they were dealing with was far from a ceramic doll. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for my memories from my past life, I would really have become a fool.¡¯ I let out a sigh and trudged along until I came to my bedroom door. Perhaps because of my footsteps, the rustling noise behind the door stopped. Although I was planning to open the door without a word, I hesitated, because that meant that Shuel was dead-still inside the room. My mother had left Shuel in my hands to do whatever I wanted and didn¡¯t say a word to the other servants. Although that only meant that she didn¡¯t care whether or not he starved to death, I was glad that I could leave Shuel in my room. I barely told the child before we boarded on the carriage to go to the third room on the third floor, so until now I hadn¡¯t even gotten the chance to offer him any explanation. He was probably very anxious, to the point that even nearing footsteps would make him nervous. After letting out a small sigh, I made sure the area was clear and knocked softly. ¡°Shu, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m going in.¡± It was a scene that would¡¯ve been enough to make my mother pass out, had she seen it. To the same extent that she wanted to marry me off into a prosperous family, she also believed that nobility should dominate over commoners. If she had witnessed me knocking for permission for the sake of a commoner in my own room, she would have fainted then and there. With that in mind, I waited for a moment, and then opened the door as quietly as possible. As soon as it was open, I discovered a shriveled, gray body in a corner of the room. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Was that his attempt at hiding? I clicked my tongue. Tsk, tsk. To be fair, he did find a hiding spot, though it was a poor choice. It was evident that he knew he had to hide at once but didn¡¯t know where, so he chose a corner at random and flattened himself against it. While it¡¯s understandable that it was urgent, it wasn¡¯t a very clever decision. I could already tell all too well who he was from that platinum blond hair. CH 2 After thinking for a while, I slowly walked to the bed and sat down. Even then, the child¡¯s flatten body was still clearly seen. His small body trembled as if he was contemplating whether to run away at this moment. ¡°¡­Hi.¡± First, let¡¯s start with the greetings. ¡°I¡¯m Arwen. Your name is Shuel, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was still no answer, but Shuel¡¯s shoulders flinched. It at least meant that he was listening. I breathed out a small sigh and continued. ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time. I brought you some food. You can eat that and the bathroom is over there. Call me if you don¡¯t think you can wash up by yourself. Oh, and there is no poison in the meal.¡± ¡­I shouldn¡¯t have said that it wasn¡¯t poisoned. I think he¡¯s trembling even more now. I was originally quite blunt and had an indifferent tone. I had never spoken kindly to anyone, so my gentle tone sounds quite forced and didn¡¯t sound very pleasing to me. So of course it wouldn¡¯t sound nice to Shuel either. I scratched my head and stared at his back, still curled up like a ball. In fact, I didn¡¯t like children very much. Bringing Shuel here was all out of sympathy, I couldn¡¯t allow that child to be in an abusive environment. Therefore I felt pity for him, but this situation was making my head spin. How do I comfort him? I wonder why I was trying to be nice to a child who¡¯s only going to be here for a short time anyways. Then again, I was too sympathetic to turn a blind eye towards his trembling appearance. I¡¯m sure he was a precious young master in his home, but I wasn¡¯t certain if he would fall and break his neck while washing himself in the bathroom. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com There were a lot of things to worry about but Shuel was trembling as if he would have a heart attack if I had touched him. Eventually, I sighed and laid down on the corner of the bed. If I pretend to be asleep, maybe he¡¯ll get up and move around. After lying down for a while, I heard a rustling sound. It was followed by the sound of footsteps as they walked to the table where the meal was placed. I felt hungry because I gave away my dinner. I tried to endure it like an adult and twisted my body in hopes my stomach wouldn¡¯t make a growling noise. But at that moment, a thought flashed through my mind and I opened my mouth without realising it. ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°¡­..!¡± Thud, bang! As soon as I spoke in a low voice, the sound of something crashing was heard. Astounded, I lifted my head and spotted a round bug ¨C clearly Shuel ¨C who rolled himself up in a hurry and rushed to the wall. I frowned as I witnessed him banged his head due to his haste to get away. He must surely be in pain. That sound could be heard from all the way here. The appearance of his small shoulders quivering aroused a lot of guilt in me. But I had something to say. I was contemplating which topic I should mention first, but in the end I decided to start with the most important one. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you home.¡± I had no intention of letting him stay in this place for too long. It was no different than the orphanage Shuel was previously in. The choices I made come with responsibilities. My plan was to somehow take this child back to his parents before they die. At those words, the child¡¯s trembling seemed to stop in an instant. I laid back down slowly, trying to not pay attention to the pitiful Shuel. ¡°So, for now, don¡¯t leave this room and stay inside. It¡¯s dangerous outside.¡± There was no reply. But I could tell Shuel was listening to me. Listening to the sound of the utensils clinking on the plate, I fell into a deep sleep. £ª £ª £ª Not long after that, he could hear the sound of peaceful breathing from the girl. Only then did Shuel rise up from his spot. His head had hurt quite a bit from when he had banged it earlier but that wasn¡¯t the only reason why he was tearing up. I¡¯m scared. Where is this place? He didn¡¯t know how long it had been. It felt like a hundred nights had passed by. At this moment, for the first time in his seven years of living, Shuel was experiencing first hand the ¡®scary world¡¯ his parents had always talked about. He just wanted to buy a cotton candy that he had never tried before. So he had sneaked out of the mansion, accepted the hand of a man who promised to buy him the cotton candy, then became unconscious. The place he woke up to was an abandoned warehouse that Shuel had never seen before, even though he had always roamed around the Sebrirua territory. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com In a place full of pungent white smoke, he coughed and asked where he was but no answer was given. Scared, Shuel burst into tears and was slapped on the cheek. Shuel had never been slapped on the cheek. Occasionally, he¡¯d had to raise his hands or be punished but this was the first time he had been hit like this. Shuel, who was so stunned that he stopped breathing, glanced at the man in shock who then clicked his tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s noisy.¡± Shuel held back his tears desperately. Why did he sneak out? Dad said it was dangerous outside. He should have listened. ¡®But he said he¡¯d save me soon.¡¯ If a stranger ever kidnaps him, his parents have taught him what to do. Don¡¯t go against your opponent¡¯s will. Leave as much evidence as you can of your stay. We¡¯ll be there right away, so don¡¯t be afraid and wait for us. Shuel believed in those words and waited. However, his parent¡¯s couldn¡¯t find him easily and he was transported away in a wagon to another warehouse. It was a small building and inside were many children of the same age as Shuel. Shuel thought he finally was safe but it turned out to be similar to where he had stayed before. A man who called himself the director put Shuel to work. Cleaning and laundry were things that he had never done before. He tried his best, but because he was clumsy, he kept making mistakes. He was either beaten or locked up in a cell every time he failed to complete his work. It was a solitary room, barely the size of a closet. Being locked up in a compact room with no source of light shining in was one of the biggest reasons why Shuel couldn¡¯t stop crying. The sound of crying eventually stopped in the cell, but he couldn¡¯t breathe. The memory of that room was still very vivid. The girl sleeping on the bed wasn¡¯t as large as the previous guy, but her posture was similar to the initial man who kidnapped him, who laid on the bed after beating him. ¡°Dad¡­.¡± I should have listened to you when you told me not to go outside. Shuel recalled his regrets so many times that he had lost count. Tears welled up at the thought of not being able to see his mom and dad anymore. Shuel sat down on the cold floor and sniffed. After crying for a long time, Shuel heard a sound. Shuel looked around in surprise but found nothing. Gurgle. He heard the sound again. His stomach growled at the same time. ¡®¡­..I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ Sniffling, he got up from his spot while wiping his nose. In fact, when the girl pointed out the dishes earlier, he had almost ran to the meal in a daze. He had been starving for such a long time that his stomach was hurting. Shuel¡¯s eyes widened as he slowly crept to the table in case there were any sounds of her waking up. There on the table was soup and bread. He devoured the food, forgetting to be careful about not making any noise. The small amount of food ran out quickly, but he was able to stop his hunger. After having a bit of food, he started to feel a little better. Shuel stared at the empty plate sadly, then glanced at the bed where the little girl was laying. ¡®You gave me food.¡¯ And it was a normal meal. So far, the other people have not been feeding Shuel properly. When he felt like he was about to collapse from hunger, they threw hard bread and gave him rotten soup. Although the amount of food the girl gave him was small, it was delicious and not rotten. That alone raised some hope in him that the girl might actually be a good person. Besides, she definitely said it to him before she fell asleep. ¡®I¡¯ll bring you home¡¯, she said. She should not have known where Shuel¡¯s home was located, but she seemed confident in her words and her tone was oddly trustworthy to him. Come to think of it, while he desperately tried to call for help, no words were able to come out of his mouth. How did this girl know and bring me here? While thinking so, his trust in her increased. It had been very scary before but it started to seem incredible to him that he was lying in a room when before he had been shaking and unable to move. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com It finally occurred to him that he didn¡¯t answer back a single word when the girl was talking to him earlier. At the time, he didn¡¯t comprehend what she was saying so he couldn¡¯t give an answer, but she also didn¡¯t force Shuel to reply. It was very rude to not reply back to a greeting. Especially to your benefactor that had helped you. ¡®I have to say hello as soon as I wake up in the morning!¡¯ Shuel curled back into the corner and fell asleep again with a determined ambition to fix his errors. £ª £ª £ª The sun shined brightly into the room. I grimaced and turned over, rubbing my eyes. Ugh, the morning always comes so soon. When I opened my eyes in the morning, the time would always strike 7. At this hour, I had to get up and start my day. Stretching out once more, I slowly opened my closed eyes, ¡°Oh, hello¡­..!¡± I was met with a pair of bright pink eyes. CH 3 ¡°Hic¡­.!¡± When I gasped in surprise, Shuel also stepped back with his mouth wide open. He took a few more steps back before I could recover from my shock, his eyes were wide open, and blinked a couple of times. Oh, that scared me. I was really surprised. I took a deep breath before sitting up carefully. Thanks to Shuel stepping backwards a while ago, he didn¡¯t make eye contact right on my nose like before. Shuel, whose cheeks were tinted red, stood about a meter away from me with his large eyes wide open. I was at a loss for words as I gazed at those pink-hued eyes that held no speck of hostility. Shuel wriggled his fingers, shyly peeking at me. tl: HES SO CUTE- pr: death by cuteness, what a way to die. As our eyes met, it was only then I remembered what Shuel had said. ¡­Did he say hello? To me? ¡°W-well. Hello¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yeah!¡± Shuel blushed at my awkward greeting and smiled broadly. While I was still in a daze by that sparkling appearance, Shuel opened his mouth and exclaimed. ¡°Oh, thank you for your help yesterday! So you were a good person after all? I only expressed it with my eyes, so how did you know what I was thinking? D-did you hear it? That¡¯s amazing!¡± My mind went blank at how fast Shuel was firing his questions at me. Wow, the tone of your voice is really high pitched. I was stunned for a moment, then came back to my senses from Shuel¡¯s smiling face. Why¡­why are you so radiant, kid? Clearly I was embarrassed, because I had thought there would be tantrums and whinings. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com No matter how brief the exposure to abuse he had experienced, it was still enough to cause trauma. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so bright even after experiencing situations where he was treated like an object. He was a well loved and bubbly child, but how can he break his guard so quickly? Was this really the kid I saw back then? ¡°Shu¡­.?¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± An enthusiastic answer to a soft question. I was taken off guard and Shuel laughed. Exposing his two front teeth that were missing. No wonder his pronunciation was a little off. So it was because of that¡­ No, no, wait a minute! ¡°It¡¯s not something you should be happy about.¡± I replied abruptly, regretting it in the next second but then bit my lips. He was just seven years old. A sheltered young master who grew up only receiving love without witnessing any darkness. To Shuel, this house seemed to be the home of the kind people who had saved him. But it could never be. My parents will throw away this child at any moment if he bothers them, and the servants here would be more concerned about my safety than the child. Fortunately I was on the safer end, but I absolutely had no intentions of using him as a human shield. The current seven years old Shuel will need to mature, at least for now. It was cruel but it had to be done. Until he passes through this terrible household and safely enters his parents¡¯ embrace. ¡°The other adults didn¡¯t bring you here to save you. I¡¯m helping you now, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can protect you all the time. It¡¯s a secret that you¡¯re here.¡± A dark truth was better than a flimsy lie. It is cruel but it was for the best. He had to know that he couldn¡¯t act childish here. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Listening to my words, the smile on Shuel¡¯s face disappeared. As I was about to continue speaking, I paused from the child¡¯s faint sigh. Given that I was trying to have a serious talk, my voice was low pitched, and it sounded like I was annoyed. It was the kind of tone that children would be afraid of. I frowned slightly at the sight of him opening his mouth from surprise. A-are you going to cry? Oh, I hate crying children. I can¡¯t handle them. For now, as the temporary guardian of this child, my hand reached out to pat him on the shoulder in case he cried, but Shuel¡¯s face was only briefly lowered. ¡°I see!¡± For some reason, he was very energetic. No, I appreciate you taking this matter seriously but why am I having trouble believing you? ¡°You are currently in danger.¡± ¡°Yeah! You said it was a secret from the other adults, right? I¡¯ll keep it safe!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same as playing hide-and-seek at home¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right. What¡¯s your name?¡± I got frustrated with the innocent change of topic. I had definitely said it was Arwen yesterday. Have you already forgotten? ¡°¡­Arwen.¡± ¡°Arwen! That¡¯s a pretty name! How old are you? I¡¯m seven years old! Are you the same age as me?¡± Age. Well, I¡¯m probably about twenty years older than you. I almost spilled out my thoughts but fortunately I held it back before I replied. ¡°¡­Nine years old. No, that is not the problem, Shuel.¡± ¡°Huck! N-nine years old?!¡± I was about to discuss a different topic, but immediately forgot about it and momentarily grieved. No, was it that surprising that I was nine years old? ¡°Y-you are older than me¡­? I thought you were the same age¡­¡± The boy¡¯s bubbly face had turned sullen. I was speechless as I witnessed him covering his red face and wriggling his fingertips, acting shy. He¡¯ll have to get familiar with me in order to get out of this place. All of a sudden, Shuel shut his mouth. At this rate, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to converse a word until I spoke to him first. Of course if I was leading the conversation, it would be a quick chatter considering I was not that sociable. ¡­Fine. I let out a small sigh and spoke to Shuel. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m seven years old. Me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The child¡¯s eyes immediately widened at my words. I watched with half-opened eyes as those pink orbs sparkled like fireworks. Perhaps because he was still a child, he believed it without a doubt¡­ ¡°But why did you say you were nine?¡± ¡­No, he didn¡¯t believe me at all. A cold sweat went down my neck. What was I supposed to answer when you asked me why? Time continues to flow even as I was painfully agonising on how to answer. Shuel kept staring at me with those bright eyes that screamed ¡®why¡¯, so I finally opened my mouth to answer. ¡°Just.¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°Yup. Just because¡± Please let it slide. Shuel giggled as I turned around and dodged his gaze. ¡°Were you embarrassed?¡± Well, that¡¯s right but not in the way you think it is. You baby. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you sleep for another thousand nights, you will become an adult!¡± Who the hell gave him such false information. Like a child, Shuel changed his demeanour quickly. I watched as he babbled out information ¨C it¡¯s my birthday soon, I like pudding, etc ¨C and smiled with unfocused eyes. I¡¯m sure he was trying to say something more. This is why I don¡¯t like children. He was easily distracted, noisy, and couldn¡¯t concentrate on one thing at a time. They¡¯re cute and lovely, but I don¡¯t think I could handle an annoying child. It was my fault, so I¡¯ll figure it out somehow, however¡­ ¡®Am I able to take a child like this to the capital?¡¯ Naturally, it was inevitable for me to have such doubts. £ª £ª £ª Shuel¡¯s parents rushed to the countryside to reunite with their child but had died from a carriage accident. And I, who was protecting Shuel Sebrirua, is responsible for delivering this child safely to his parents. In order to do that, we need to prevent the deaths of the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua¡­ ¡®Well.¡¯ I would need to stop the carriage from falling off the cliff. If it was an assassination or an ordinary accident, I could try changing the plot. It was impossible to prevent accidents caused by natural disasters that may occur anywhere, and it was even more impossible to fill all the cliffs in the Broschte territory. It was also very risky to send a letter to the Duke and Duchess informing them of Shuel¡¯s whereabouts. I couldn¡¯t guarantee that I could send a letter without my parents¡¯ knowledge. If the letter also gets leaked out and the Duke¡¯s enemies get a hold of Shuel¡¯s whereabouts, Shuel could be in even more danger. In that case, there is only one option. ¡®We have to travel up to the Capital.¡¯ The Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua, who originally resided in the duchy, travelled to the Capital after their son¡¯s abduction. As news tends to circulate in the Capital, they thought it would be easier to track their son from there. Shuel got kidnapped when he secretly snuck out while hiding his identity, and the people who kidnapped Shuel were ordinary human traffickers. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com They thought they could gain a hefty profit from Shuel¡¯s pretty appearance, but when they heard the news of the disappearance of the young master of Sebrirua, they became frightened and handed Shuel over to an orphanage. It would have been better to hand him over to the Duke¡¯s residence if they felt anxious. Then, I wouldn¡¯t be suffering right now. I took a deep breath due to my sudden burst of anger. First off, that was not the point. ¡®When will the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua die?¡¯ I shut my eyes tightly and tried to remember the event. First, I remembered that it was raining heavily. It was written that the ground became muddy because of that, so it was harder for the carriage to travel. In this country I lived in, the Maynard Kingdom, it was similar to Korea, where the rainy season comes during the summer. Apart from that, it didn¡¯t rain as often except for a few brief showers. Since the rainy season has yet to start, the deaths of the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua may not have occurred yet¡­ I glanced at the calendar anxiously. It was almost the end of June. Summer was fast approaching. ¡®The rainy season will start in about two weeks¡­¡¯ The Broschte estate was quite far from the Capital. It will take about two weeks traveling by horse-drawn carriage, so the possibility that the duke and his wife had already left the Capital cannot be ruled out. They rushed to find their son and recklessly drove the carriage, so their speed was even faster. If they had already departed, the story would have already been out of my hands, so I need to know exactly when they would arrive. I start rummaging through my memories again. I¡¯ve read it several times but it wasn¡¯t enough that I could recall everything in detail. Let¡¯s see, surely they said something right before their deaths¡­ ¡°I hope it will be the best birthday present for you, Shuel.¡± Right. Birthday! CH 4 The monologue was said by Shuel¡¯s father, Kendrick, the day before his death. In other words, the day they died was on Shuel¡¯s birthday. ¡°Shu!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± When Shuel¡¯s name was called, the child who was previously tracing the windows with his fingers, turned his head around. His eyes gleamed with a pink hue. I had urged him to use an eye-colour changing potion, but he refused. ¡°When is your birthday?¡± ¡°July 28th!¡± The answer came right away. It was in a month and a few more days. If the date of the Ducal couple¡¯s departure was roughly estimated to be two weeks ago, it would be July 14th. On July 30th, four days from today, businesses will start delivering local specialties from the Broschte estate to the Capital. Such timing! Great, then we would just have to hold on for four more days. After that, Shuel and I can sneak onto the wagons loaded with staples. Since Shuel and I were both small, the large wagons would hide us well. My parents wouldn¡¯t be able to follow us since all the wagons would have already travelled uphill by the time they knew I was gone. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com They were also reluctant to injure me since a woman with a scar was less valuable in the marriage market. If I was hit, the mark would be about the size of my cheek or forehead, and I didn¡¯t care too much if my eardrums fell off since I was in the wrong. Once I brought Shuel back to his parents, I would return with the excuse ¡®I wanted to visit the Capital¡¯ and with that, my mission was over. I could finally feel my messy plan coming together. ¡°Oh, right. My name is actually Shuel. Shuel Sebrirua!¡± My thoughts were interrupted by a clear voice. I reflexively turned to where the voice had come from and only then did I grasp what Shuel had said to me. ¡­¡­Hmm? As I tilted my head and hardly opened my lips, Shuel was taken aback for a moment. I relaxed my expression at the sight of his mouth quivering. Yes, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t mean to reveal your identity on purpose¡­ ¡°Really, Sebrirua! Shuel Sebrirua!¡± He wouldn¡¯t¡­ ¡°You know, the Duchy of Sebrirua! That¡¯s my house. Hehe.¡± Hey, you little punk. I sighed. That innocence was very cumbersome. The name Sebrirua was a great shield, but sometimes it would also become a double-edged sword that would stab you. For example, if the child who was powerless to protect himself was revealed to be a Sebrirua and if people who found out about it were Viscount Broschte. As brazen as it sounds, my parents were blinded by money, power and fame. If I revealed it to them, Shuel would be able to return safely and comfortably to his parents¡¯ side rather than hiding in a wagon, but the problem would come in the aftermath of his return. My parents would, undoubtedly, demand for a reward in return for saving the child. They would demand things such as wealth, advancement into the central society circles, and the favour of the Duke of Sebrirua. Of course, the Ducal Couple would grant them their wishes at first, but if it repeats endlessly, that is where the tone would change. No matter how generous the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua were rumored to be, in the end, they were still powerful nobility. It was obvious they would choose to either silently wipe out the low-ranking aristocrats who endlessly clung onto them, or return back the favour by ruining their reputation. And in the process, Shuel, who was soft-hearted, will give up his backbone to help save Viscount Broschte¡¯s reputation. It was bad for both Shuel and I. Even if it wasn¡¯t a special case like this, Shuel, who was left alone, should never have revealed his name so recklessly like this. And if he wasn¡¯t, the surname Sebrirua still wasn¡¯t considered a light matter to confess to me, who he barely knew for a day. This child needed a strong warning regarding this matter. Since Shuel didn¡¯t understand the weight of his family¡¯s name yet, I had to inflict a very cruel and ruthless punishment to make sure the lesson sticks. ¡°Stand with your hands up for ten minutes.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Shuel squeaked at my firm words, but I didn¡¯t take back what I said. Instead, I continued calmly. ¡°There are no parents, family knights, or servants to protect you here. Instead there are plenty of people who would take advantage of you. More than you can count.¡± ¡°Yes. I know.¡± ¡°But Shuel, I don¡¯t think you take this matter very seriously.¡± ¡°But you-¡± ¡°Shu. It¡¯s the same here. How can you be sure that no one outside of my room would overhear what you just said?¡± Shuel shut his mouth at my words. The sight of him staring at me pouting was very cute, but I ended the conversation mercilessly. ¡°So raise your hands.¡± ¡°Huu¡­.¡± Shuel whimpered at the sharp command and raised his arms. At first I thought he¡¯d be alright, but in less than a minute, he started to twist his body. ¡°Hiing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hiiingg¡­..¡± Is he a human or a puppy? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder when I saw him struggling with his curly hair. It¡¯s admirable to see him twisting his body yet not letting his arms down until the end¡­. ¡°Hiing¡­..¡± I was starting to feel guilty for both child and animal abuse. It was unsettling. I felt like I became a bad person for no reason. However, if I let him lower his hands, it would all be pointless. So I clenched my fist and hardened my face that was about to loosen. ¡°What I just said. I mean, have you listened to what I said?¡± ¡°E-Ear¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°With both ears¡­..¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡± Shuel whimpered in response. I would be mad if he was joking around but Shuel¡¯s clear eyes were so transparent that it was impossible to find any lies. ¡°Fine, I was wrong¡­¡± His eyes actually lit up. How do you discipline a child like that¡­ ¡°Like I said, this-¡± Thump, thump, thump. I was about to continue speaking but froze at the sound of rapid footsteps quickly approaching. When Shuel had a curious look on his face, I hurriedly grabbed the child¡¯s arm and shoved him under the bed. ¡°A-Arwen?¡± ¡°Get under the bed! Hurry up!¡± From my urgent tone, Shuel immediately slipped under the bed. Due to his small size, not a single hair was seen when he hid under the bed. When I rose up after confirming that Shuel wasn¡¯t visible, the door slammed open with a bang. ¡°Arwen! Did I not tell you to come down for dinner last night?!¡± Brown hair that contrasted with my silver locks, raised eyes, and a sharp voice. It was my mother. I quickly erased my startled expression and drooped my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother. I forgot and fell asleep¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, really. And you ate up all the food the maid sent you!¡± My mother, who was clicking her tongue, glanced at the empty bowl on the table and fussed. At the same time, my stomach rumbled. Eugh. My stomach hurts. I gave my entire dinner to Shuel, so that was a given. ¡°Tsk, Tsk.¡± My mother clicked her tongue as she heard the loud rumbling from my stomach. She strode over to me and raised my arm. ¡°Is there a beast in your stomach?! Hey, look at this fattened thing. What¡¯s the use of a girl who only knows how to eat?!¡± I ignored the words calmly. I seldom felt anything anymore. Instead, I mumbled to myself, ¡°Is my age the age when I shouldn¡¯t be fat?¡± When I lowered my head, my mother put my arm down. ¡°Ugh, enough. Hurry up and get ready.¡± Fortunately, my mother didn¡¯t ask me about Shuel¡¯s whereabouts and I was inwardly relieved. To begin with, I hid him under the bed in a hurry, but it was difficult to guarantee that he would not be seen at an adult¡¯s eye level. I guess we didn¡¯t get caught. ¡°What do you mean get ready, mother¡­?¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my, look at her!¡± My mother trembled furiously at my absent-minded question. It was a tone that sounded like annoyance. It wasn¡¯t that surprising She pointed out a lot of my actions, rebuked me, and despised me for how I was. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com Most of the time, it was small matters like forgetting to go to the boutique or being a little late for the etiquette class. So I accepted my mother¡¯s fuss calmly, thinking it was the same case again. ¡°Today is the day your father and brother return from the academy!¡± So I never would have thought it would be a huge matter. I froze, forgetting to control my expression. ¡°Yes. No matter how hopeless you are, even for you it would be too much to forget something like this!¡± My mother retorted, snorting while I strenuously raised the corners of my lips and asked. ¡°¡­¡­.I thought the semester wasn¡¯t over yet, but he¡¯s already back! When will they arrive?¡± ¡°Well, the letter says they should arrive early this morning, so they should be here soon. We are going to have lunch together.¡± Oh my god. Dear god. If you have a conscience, you really shouldn¡¯t be doing this to me. I cursed god again with a look of despair, forgetting that I was standing in front of my mother. CH 5 The people in this family were generally quite horrible, but my mother was slightly better. She was abusive and yelled a lot but on rare occasions, she pitied me. But that wasn¡¯t the case with my father. The viscount acted as he pleased and did not allow his family to go against his will. He never touched me but just witnessing his violent behaviour was threatening enough. My brother was also similar in nature. He resembled our father and was even more violent than him. Above all, as he was the son that grew up the most spoiled in the family, he was quite foolish. If Shuel¡¯s identity was revealed to him, he would harm the child for his own pleasure. Furthermore, my older brother Jeffrey, was a person who waltzed in and out of my room to argue about everything. The difficulty level for the four days rose up in an instant. There was still time before the vacation started for the academy he attended, and I was confident that the reason my father went up to the Capital was just to deal with some work. Was there something unexpected happening? ¡°Anyway, get ready and come out.¡± That was how my mother ended my current train of thoughts. Without even observing my face, she turned around, slammed the door and left. I stood there for a while with my face white as a pumice stone, but I came to my senses when I remembered the existence of the child I had shoved under the bed earlier. ¡°Shu. It¡¯s okay to come out now.¡± A faint sound echoed. But there was no reply to my words, as if there was a shirt dragging on the floor. Was my voice too low? ¡°Shu?¡± I called the child with a slightly louder voice but it remained the same. This time, there was not even a slight rustling sound. Are you nervous that it might be a trap? Or were you actually asleep? Maybe it was because he kept tossing and turning last night. I lowered myself down and as expected, found Shuel lying on his stomach. ¡°How can you fall asleep like this¡­¡­¡± I struggled for a while because it was difficult to pull out a limp body. Finally, after completely dragging Shuel out, I sighed and tried to shake the child to wake him up, but I was startled at the sight of his face. His forehead was drenched with cold sweat. His lips had turned blue. His sparkling eyes were now dull and lifeless. ¡°Ugh, Hngh¡­ ¡­ .¡± Shuel¡¯s condition was very strange. His face had turned white and he was breathing very hard. It felt like his heart was going to stop beating at any moment. Fortunately I was aware of the symptoms. ¡®Hyperventilation!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t figure out why he was hyperventilating just by laying under the bed for a bit. But it was clear that I didn¡¯t have time to think about the reason now. I looked desperately around the room. I remembered that the treatment for hyperventilation was to place a paper bag over the mouth and allow them to exhale repeatedly. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com In this world, paper bags were quite common. Sometimes I went out to buy food and didn¡¯t throw the bag away. It must be here somewhere. As I scanned around the room with my hands shaking, a brown object caught my eye. I ran, took the bag, and placed it over Shuel¡¯s mouth. ¡°I, I don¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°Breathe. Slowly.¡± Shuel was startled when something suddenly touched the corner of his mouth but I held onto him. I could vaguely guess that Shuel¡¯s hyperventilation was due to stress, but I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°If you go on like this, you will die. So breathe.¡± At my words, Shuel exhaled slowly even though his eyes were frightened and his breathing gradually even itself out. I removed the paper bag from his mouth after making sure his breathing had completely returned to normal. Shuel¡¯s face remained pale even though his breathing had returned to normal. The child, who had been smiling ecstatically all the time, now seemed to be lost in thoughts. I stretched out my hand anxiously, but Shuel was the first to open his mouth hastily. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­..Shu?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please let me out¡­¡­¡± The child trembled and sputtered out words of gibberish. Only then did I realise that Shuel¡¯s eyes were still moist. ¡°Shu. Wake up. Shuel!¡± Shaking his shoulder and shouting again, Shuel finally flinched as if he had just woken up. Shuel stared at me with dazed eyes, and turned his head around to check his surroundings in confusion. ¡°Huff, huh¡­..¡± Shuel, who kept breathing heavily, collapsed with a sigh as if he had just woken up from a nightmare. ¡°Thank god.¡­.¡± Luckily there was a bed behind him so he didn¡¯t fall over but even if he had collapsed on the floor, he still wouldn¡¯t have noticed where I stood. Shuel, who had been catching his breath for a while, raised his head with a hiccup. My body froze in an instant at the sight of the resentment on his face. ¡°Hngh¡­don¡¯t leave me in the dark.¡± There had been a lot of crying, but it was the first firm words that came out of that gentle child¡¯s mouth. I couldn¡¯t comprehend his distorted face that looked like he was about to cry, but I nodded my agreement. ¡°Honestly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shuel asked again and again as if he wasn¡¯t assured by my answer and only looked relieved after the fifth confirmation. As soon as the weight was lifted off his heart, Shuel¡¯s eyes instantly closed and his body fell backwards like that of a doll with their strings cut off. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± I hurriedly approached the child, feeling like I was suddenly drenched in cold water. Did he faint? No, it¡¯s better if he had fainted. What if he suddenly stopped breathing? My mind went blank. I didn¡¯t know what I should do at first. Then I place my finger under his nose. A warm and even breath grazed my cold fingers. Peacefully. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± He fell asleep¡­¡­.I guess. My worries vanished and I stared at the child with burning eyes. You punk. I thought my heart was going to stop. In contrast to my cold face, Shuel¡¯s sleeping face was calm, as if he never cried or turned pale. I sighed quietly as I watched Shuel breathe peacefully with his nose and redden eyes. It was finally over, but now it was already lunch time. Even if I was prepared to leave right now, there was not enough time. So now, I have to hide him somewhere. Once again, I bumped into a big wall. [1] A place to hide. Was there any hidden spots here? The closet? Out. Under the bed? Needless to say, ruled out. The bathroom? The maids would have to enter it to clean, so that¡¯s out. ¡®¡­¡­.What should I do?¡¯ I looked down at Shuel, who was sleeping, with perplexed eyes. The sleeping child¡¯s face was still peaceful. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Arwen. You are late.¡± That was what my mother said when I entered the dining room. She didn¡¯t crack the slightest bit in front of my father, painting an innocent appearance in front of him. It was all due to my father who hated the sight of a vulgar appearance the most, but ironically was the most vulgar of them all. I stood in front of him, trying to control my breathing. In order to avoid being late, I held my skirt and ran frantically so I was out of breath. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com After contemplating where to hide Shuel, I hid Shuel among the dolls. Leaving me only a short amount of time to get there. I hid the child among the many plush, soft, and fragrant dolls as possible while shouting to the maids to never touch my dolls as I ran out. Expensive satin and jewel-studded dolls were a luxury. My parents bought me dolls to show that they raised their child preciously yet prevented me from playing with them, saying that I would only dirty it. They were very expensive dolls so I wouldn¡¯t touch them anyway but just in case, I added a bit more to the image of a greedy noble girl, who would cherish valuables more than my own life. ¡°Sorry for being late father, mother and¡­¡­.¡± I paused for a moment and looked up. There, to the right of my father who was the most superior in the family. I had wished it was vacant, but there stood the owner of that seat. Without breaking any expression, I smiled brightly like an idiot. ¡°Brother!¡± The boy¡¯s face was offended at my bright greeting. He was dissatisfied with his three years younger sister and often blamed me for my idiocy. A foolish thing. Even as I thought so, I smiled widely and sat down next to my mother. She was sitting on the left side of my father, directly in my father¡¯s gaze. Even on a special day, my meals were served as usual. A bread slightly smaller than the palm of my hand, with vegetable stew, and a few slices of fruits. Whenever I saw the meal, which was clearly lacking, I thought it was a relief that at least my eyes were large. How fortunate that I didn¡¯t have to put Belladonna [2] to widen my eyes if they were small. ¡°Jeff. How was your semester? Unexpectedly, you returned home quite early. Mother is very happy.¡± My mother¡¯s sweet voice was heard. I wasn¡¯t curious about him but I mirrored her actions, glancing at my brother with my eyes gleaming with curiosity. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com While cutting a large steak that contrasted with the meal on my plate, he nonchalantly shook his hand. ¡°Well, I passed the exam with the highest score so I got an early vacation.¡± As I was chewing on the salad, I almost burst into laughter at those words. I wasn¡¯t sure if there was an early graduation, but I have never heard of an early vacation. Except for that idiot? ¡°Oh my, I see! As expected, that¡¯s our son. Well done!¡± My mother smiled brightly, nodding her head to the absurd story. I swallowed my drink and laughed along with my mother. Jeffrey had no interest in studying, so his mind was not intelligent. Given his enormous pride, he would have quit school right away after achieving such a high grade. But I don¡¯t think he was actually kicked out from the academy either. If he was kicked out, he knew deep down that his beloved father and mother would instantly have a change of heart. So, I don¡¯t think he dropped out¡­. ¡®But why did you suddenly return?¡¯ [1] A saying for reaching an obstacle/situation where you can¡¯t make progress [2] Belladonna (atropa belladonna), also known as deadly nightshade is a poisonous plant that was used as a beauty enhancer to dilate the pupils to achieve that soft and seductive look. More info here. The people in this family were generally quite horrible, but my mother was slightly better. She was abusive and yelled a lot but on rare occasions, she pitied me. But that wasn¡¯t the case with my father. The viscount acted as he pleased and did not allow his family to go against his will. He never touched me but just witnessing his violent behaviour was threatening enough. My brother was also similar in nature. He resembled our father and was even more violent than him. Above all, as he was the son that grew up the most spoiled in the family, he was quite foolish. If Shuel¡¯s identity was revealed to him, he would harm the child for his own pleasure. Furthermore, my older brother Jeffrey, was a person who waltzed in and out of my room to argue about everything. The difficulty level for the four days rose up in an instant. There was still time before the vacation started for the academy he attended, and I was confident that the reason my father went up to the Capital was just to deal with some work. Was there something unexpected happening? ¡°Anyway, get ready and come out.¡± That was how my mother ended my current train of thoughts. Without even observing my face, she turned around, slammed the door and left. I stood there for a while with my face white as a pumice stone, but I came to my senses when I remembered the existence of the child I had shoved under the bed earlier. ¡°Shu. It¡¯s okay to come out now.¡± A faint sound echoed. But there was no reply to my words, as if there was a shirt dragging on the floor. Was my voice too low? ¡°Shu?¡± I called the child with a slightly louder voice but it remained the same. This time, there was not even a slight rustling sound. Are you nervous that it might be a trap? Or were you actually asleep? Maybe it was because he kept tossing and turning last night. I lowered myself down and as expected, found Shuel lying on his stomach. ¡°How can you fall asleep like this¡­¡­¡± I struggled for a while because it was difficult to pull out a limp body. Finally, after completely dragging Shuel out, I sighed and tried to shake the child to wake him up, but I was startled at the sight of his face. His forehead was drenched with cold sweat. His lips had turned blue. His sparkling eyes were now dull and lifeless. ¡°Ugh, Hngh¡­ ¡­ .¡± Shuel¡¯s condition was very strange. His face had turned white and he was breathing very hard. It felt like his heart was going to stop beating at any moment. Fortunately I was aware of the symptoms. ¡®Hyperventilation!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t figure out why he was hyperventilating just by laying under the bed for a bit. But it was clear that I didn¡¯t have time to think about the reason now. I looked desperately around the room. I remembered that the treatment for hyperventilation was to place a paper bag over the mouth and allow them to exhale repeatedly. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com In this world, paper bags were quite common. Sometimes I went out to buy food and didn¡¯t throw the bag away. It must be here somewhere. As I scanned around the room with my hands shaking, a brown object caught my eye. I ran, took the bag, and placed it over Shuel¡¯s mouth. ¡°I, I don¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°Breathe. Slowly.¡± Shuel was startled when something suddenly touched the corner of his mouth but I held onto him. I could vaguely guess that Shuel¡¯s hyperventilation was due to stress, but I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°If you go on like this, you will die. So breathe.¡± At my words, Shuel exhaled slowly even though his eyes were frightened and his breathing gradually even itself out. I removed the paper bag from his mouth after making sure his breathing had completely returned to normal. Shuel¡¯s face remained pale even though his breathing had returned to normal. The child, who had been smiling ecstatically all the time, now seemed to be lost in thoughts. I stretched out my hand anxiously, but Shuel was the first to open his mouth hastily. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­..Shu?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please let me out¡­¡­¡± The child trembled and sputtered out words of gibberish. Only then did I realise that Shuel¡¯s eyes were still moist. ¡°Shu. Wake up. Shuel!¡± Shaking his shoulder and shouting again, Shuel finally flinched as if he had just woken up. Shuel stared at me with dazed eyes, and turned his head around to check his surroundings in confusion. ¡°Huff, huh¡­..¡± Shuel, who kept breathing heavily, collapsed with a sigh as if he had just woken up from a nightmare. ¡°Thank god.¡­.¡± Luckily there was a bed behind him so he didn¡¯t fall over but even if he had collapsed on the floor, he still wouldn¡¯t have noticed where I stood. Shuel, who had been catching his breath for a while, raised his head with a hiccup. My body froze in an instant at the sight of the resentment on his face. ¡°Hngh¡­don¡¯t leave me in the dark.¡± There had been a lot of crying, but it was the first firm words that came out of that gentle child¡¯s mouth. I couldn¡¯t comprehend his distorted face that looked like he was about to cry, but I nodded my agreement. ¡°Honestly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shuel asked again and again as if he wasn¡¯t assured by my answer and only looked relieved after the fifth confirmation. As soon as the weight was lifted off his heart, Shuel¡¯s eyes instantly closed and his body fell backwards like that of a doll with their strings cut off. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± I hurriedly approached the child, feeling like I was suddenly drenched in cold water. Did he faint? No, it¡¯s better if he had fainted. What if he suddenly stopped breathing? My mind went blank. I didn¡¯t know what I should do at first. Then I place my finger under his nose. A warm and even breath grazed my cold fingers. Peacefully. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± He fell asleep¡­¡­.I guess. My worries vanished and I stared at the child with burning eyes. You punk. I thought my heart was going to stop. In contrast to my cold face, Shuel¡¯s sleeping face was calm, as if he never cried or turned pale. I sighed quietly as I watched Shuel breathe peacefully with his nose and redden eyes. It was finally over, but now it was already lunch time. Even if I was prepared to leave right now, there was not enough time. So now, I have to hide him somewhere. Once again, I bumped into a big wall. [1] A place to hide. Was there any hidden spots here? The closet? Out. Under the bed? Needless to say, ruled out. The bathroom? The maids would have to enter it to clean, so that¡¯s out. ¡®¡­¡­.What should I do?¡¯ I looked down at Shuel, who was sleeping, with perplexed eyes. The sleeping child¡¯s face was still peaceful. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Arwen. You are late.¡± That was what my mother said when I entered the dining room. She didn¡¯t crack the slightest bit in front of my father, painting an innocent appearance in front of him. It was all due to my father who hated the sight of a vulgar appearance the most, but ironically was the most vulgar of them all. I stood in front of him, trying to control my breathing. In order to avoid being late, I held my skirt and ran frantically so I was out of breath. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com After contemplating where to hide Shuel, I hid Shuel among the dolls. Leaving me only a short amount of time to get there. I hid the child among the many plush, soft, and fragrant dolls as possible while shouting to the maids to never touch my dolls as I ran out. Expensive satin and jewel-studded dolls were a luxury. My parents bought me dolls to show that they raised their child preciously yet prevented me from playing with them, saying that I would only dirty it. They were very expensive dolls so I wouldn¡¯t touch them anyway but just in case, I added a bit more to the image of a greedy noble girl, who would cherish valuables more than my own life. ¡°Sorry for being late father, mother and¡­¡­.¡± I paused for a moment and looked up. There, to the right of my father who was the most superior in the family. I had wished it was vacant, but there stood the owner of that seat. Without breaking any expression, I smiled brightly like an idiot. ¡°Brother!¡± The boy¡¯s face was offended at my bright greeting. He was dissatisfied with his three years younger sister and often blamed me for my idiocy. A foolish thing. Even as I thought so, I smiled widely and sat down next to my mother. She was sitting on the left side of my father, directly in my father¡¯s gaze. Even on a special day, my meals were served as usual. A bread slightly smaller than the palm of my hand, with vegetable stew, and a few slices of fruits. Whenever I saw the meal, which was clearly lacking, I thought it was a relief that at least my eyes were large. How fortunate that I didn¡¯t have to put Belladonna [2] to widen my eyes if they were small. ¡°Jeff. How was your semester? Unexpectedly, you returned home quite early. Mother is very happy.¡± My mother¡¯s sweet voice was heard. I wasn¡¯t curious about him but I mirrored her actions, glancing at my brother with my eyes gleaming with curiosity. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com While cutting a large steak that contrasted with the meal on my plate, he nonchalantly shook his hand. ¡°Well, I passed the exam with the highest score so I got an early vacation.¡± As I was chewing on the salad, I almost burst into laughter at those words. I wasn¡¯t sure if there was an early graduation, but I have never heard of an early vacation. Except for that idiot? ¡°Oh my, I see! As expected, that¡¯s our son. Well done!¡± My mother smiled brightly, nodding her head to the absurd story. I swallowed my drink and laughed along with my mother. Jeffrey had no interest in studying, so his mind was not intelligent. Given his enormous pride, he would have quit school right away after achieving such a high grade. But I don¡¯t think he was actually kicked out from the academy either. If he was kicked out, he knew deep down that his beloved father and mother would instantly have a change of heart. So, I don¡¯t think he dropped out¡­. ¡®But why did you suddenly return?¡¯ [1] A saying for reaching an obstacle/situation where you can¡¯t make progress [2] Belladonna (atropa belladonna), also known as deadly nightshade is a poisonous plant that was used as a beauty enhancer to dilate the pupils to achieve that soft and seductive look. CH 6 I munched on the bread slowly, lost in my thoughts. The Royal Academy, where Jeffrey attended, was also where all the nobles¡¯ children and royals attended. Jeffrey acted like a prince in the Broste¡¯s estate, but at the Academy he would have been treated worse than a stone rolling around his feet. Under such circumstances, the hypothesis that he caused an accident and decided to return to the estate early was not entirely implausible¡­. When I turned my head silently, I observed the man sitting in the upper seat. Brown hair and brown eyes, like my mother. That stubborn man was my father. If my brother had caused trouble at the academy, my father wouldn¡¯t have quietly brought Jeffrey home. He would sacrifice his son to the person he offended by immediately beating him up. However, Jeffrey returned proudly with a pompous face and wide chest as usual, and father was equally calm. Then¡­what was it? ¡°You eat too slow, Arwen.¡± It was my mother¡¯s disapproving tone that pulled me out of my quiet thoughts. I raised my head and faced the three empty plates. Seeing that, I clicked my tongue inwardly. What should I have done when you buy silver utensils that are difficult to use? All because you wish to live like high ranking nobles? The meals would be over in 10 minutes. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± When I wavered and replied in a timid voice, my father clicked his tongue. He rose up from his seat in a very posh gesture, wiped his mouth with a napkin, glanced at me, and then turned to leave the dining room. ¡°What a fool.¡± Jeffery grumbled as he glared at me with a bitter expression. ¡®Jeffrey, you shouldn¡¯t use such bad words.¡¯ my mother whispered softly in a gentle tone. Jeffrey was the reason why I hated children. The currently twelve years old Jeffery had been tormenting me maliciously from when we were young for as long as I could remember. That child was pure evil. He had noticed earlier than anyone else that our mother and father did not favour me and he gradually became vicious. There were a lot of pranks that went too far to be dismissed as children¡¯s playful games. But my parents glossed over Jeffrey¡¯s mischief so long as he didn¡¯t hurt me. The bullying abated when he went to the academy at the age of ten, but I was so sick of the smell of moths since I was still stuck with a moth-smelling closet. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com Although my father was an object of fear, he never once touched me. Even though my mother was agitated of me, she was still a proud nobleman. It was funny that the one who hurted me the most was Jeffrey, who was only twelve years old. Jeffrey smiled arrogantly and strode out of the dining room. Our mother followed suit after him. My father had already left the dining room. What remained was one of the maids, who was staring at me with a sullen look. I had a little bit of food left, but I had to leave the dining room. It was all due to my mother who was worried I would pick up the leftovers. I had left Shuel in the room anyway, so I had to hurry back. I walked out of the dining room with hurried steps, and headed straight to my room. After a short walk, I could see my door. There were, at most, 10 steps left. However, just shy of five steps left, I encountered a person I really disliked. ¡°Hey!¡± Brown hair could be seen from afar. Golden clothes that were flared out extravagantly. Above all¡­that voice. It was Jeffrey. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ I let out a small sigh that he couldn¡¯t see. Jeffrey enjoyed my reactions when he shoved disgusting things at me, such as insects or dead birds. It wasn¡¯t really scary, but I had to scream and cry my heart out every time to match my image. I really didn¡¯t want to run into him as much as possible but there was nothing I could do. Fine. Since you have come, let¡¯s begin again. Jeffrey was getting closer and closer. Gradually, I could see his proud smirking face and a green object in his hands. Finally, there were only a few steps left. I took a deep breath and screamed loudly from the bottom of my stomach. ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± At my scream, Jeffrey laughed and walked faster. The pure joy was extremely evident on his face. ¡°Idiot! Is this scary?¡± Jeffrey, who came closer, held out the object in his hand and grinned wildly. I narrowed my eyes and glanced at what was on his hand. Oh, it was a frog. A green frog that was a quarter of the size of my palm. It was cute to see it croaking with its round eyes. When this is over, I¡¯ll set it free. With that in mind, I clenched my hand tightly and wore a frightened expression on my face. ¡°Waa, I¡¯m scared brother. P-please put that away!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Idiot. It¡¯s just frogs, why are you afraid?¡± This prank was a joke that Jeffrey played a lot since childhood. Thanks to that, I was now immune to most bugs. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com You¡¯d have to bring a centipede or a spider the size of your hand to see me fall backwards from fright. It was a pretty cute frog¡­compared to the person holding it. ¡°Seriously? Are you still afraid of this?¡± Jeffrey shoved the hand that was holding the frog onto me while laughing. I shuddered and screamed a couple more times. At that moment, the frog that was rattled about dreadfully in his hand eventually jumped out and latched onto my cheek. The frog¡¯s round eyes were visible in front of my nose, and the frog cried out and croaked. What. How adorable. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± I screamed again and fell to my feet. Ah¡­I need to cry at this point. ¡°Hngh¡­.P-please get it away¡­¡± Tears welled up in my eyes as I whined again. The smile on Jeffrey¡¯s face deepened. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, idiot. Good luck taking care of it yourself! If you ask for help, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jeffrey exclaimed triumphantly as he turned around without hesitation. I screamed once more, relieved that the situation was finally over. ¡°Oh, brother! Don¡¯t leave! Hey, this-¡± Suddenly, the door of the third room which was near the stairs, opened. For an instant, I forgot to scream and spaced out. Wasn¡¯t that my room? Of course, there were times the maids would enter to clean up, so it was not surprising that the door opened. Except for the fact that the person who came out of that door was very short and had platinum blonde coloured locks. ¡®Shuel?!¡¯ He seemed to hesitate for a moment but soon after opening the door, he ran towards me. I was speechless as I watched Shuel remove the frog attached to my face with trembling hands without saying a word. ¡°You, why¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The harsh voice that cut off my words belonged to Jeffrey. He returned and stared at Shuel, who interrupted his prank, with a ferocious look. I felt as if my blood was drained out of my body. He must not find out that Shuel was the young master of Sebrirua. But if I replied that he was a servant¡­would Shuel be safe today? ¡°Brother. That kid¨C¡± ¡°You, shut up.¡± Jeffrey took a step closer to Shuel and me with a violent expression, and Shuel immediately stepped in front of me. ¡°S-stop it.¡± Jeffrey¡¯s face darkened at the assertive words, but he didn¡¯t immediately resort to violence. Platinum blonde hair was not common among the commoners. He asked in a less harsh tone, seemingly wondering if Shuel was a child of another family who came over as a friend. ¡°Who are you?¡± At those words, Shuel hesitated but he soon replied. ¡°I-I¡¯m a servant.¡± ¡°Servant?¡± The moment he uttered those words, Jeffrey¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°How dare a mere servant oppose me?¡± Smack-! A sharp smacking sound rang out. It happened before I could stop it. Shuel, who was standing in front of me, fell to the ground. The child held his cheek and quivered. Shuel was helplessly lifted up as Jeffrey grabbed the child by the collar. He frowned and observed Shuel¡¯s face. After staring intently for a while, Jeffrey opened his mouth. ¡°You look a lot like the Duke of Sebrirua¡­.¡± Jeffrey¡¯s voice was low as he muttered that. He had a sense of inferiority towards high-ranking nobles. The fate of a servant that fell into Jeffrey¡¯s hands, who resembled the Duke of Sebrirua, was apparent. Should I reveal it? But if that¡¯s the case, he would¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ I rose up slowly with trembling legs. There weren¡¯t many windows in the hallway of the floor where I stayed, so there were several candles around since the sun did not shine in. Fortunately, there was a candlestick near Jeffrey. As I stumbled and walked towards him, I collapsed, pretending that my legs had suddenly lost their strength. I knocked over the candlesticks so the wax would be poured onto him. A candle fell on Jeffrey¡¯s wide silk sleeve, and it immediately caught on fire. ¡°Ah, w-what!¡± The haughty Jeffrey was startled and tossed Shuel away. He hurriedly rolled on the ground to put out the fire. As it was only a small spark, the fire was extinguished quickly but left behind a charred mark. ¡°Y-you¡­.!¡± Jeffrey¡¯s face flushed red. He glanced at his sleeve, to Shuel and me, then kicked me. ¡°Do you want to die!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­..¡± A small moan escaped when he kicked me with all his might. Jeffrey grunted, but soon turned around and ran downstairs. Unlike his usual behaviour, it was strange that he didn¡¯t continue to kick me a couple more times, but I couldn¡¯t afford to worry about it now. ¡°Shu!¡± I immediately ran to Shuel. The child was lying down helplessly like a doll that had fallen off its string. I felt like I was about to cry from the sight. I should have covered for Shuel earlier. I shouldn¡¯t have been so foolishly distracted. If it had been known that I cared about Shuel, Jeffrey would have tried to find a way to ruin him. There might have been a way to protect Shuel and not let him get hurt. In the end, his safety was important to me. Guilt was pouring in me. But that wasn¡¯t the important issue now, so I urgently called out the child again. ¡°Are you okay? Raise your head. Let me see where it hurts. Okay?¡± At my voice, Shuel slowly raised his head. Perhaps he didn¡¯t have time to properly absorb the eye colour-changing potion. His eyes were a faint gray-pink. His tender skin was already blushing red, and the child¡¯s eyes were welled up with tears. He became like this from simply opposing Jeffrey. He was only a seven years old child, but he protected me. I couldn¡¯t continue speaking and bit my lips, but he smiled brightly even as his cheeks began to swell. ¡°There¡¯s no frogs anymore!¡± CH 7 10 minutes later. ¡°I told you not to come out. That was really dangerous!¡± ¡°I-I was wrong¡­¡± Shuel, who was sitting on the bed with his hands raised, trembled as I applied medicine to his cheeks. After that, I blew on it in an attempt to soothe and scolded the child furiously. ¡°Now look at what happened. A bruise is forming. But who cares? You should¡¯ve taken more care of yourself!¡± It was upsetting to see his tender skin becoming red and swollen. It¡¯s a big deal if he really got injured. Was he crazy? While suppressing the sudden urge to pinch his cheeks, I gently applied the medicine. But Shuel mumbled with his puffy cheeks. ¡°B-but I heard you screaming¡­.¡± Shuel had his eyes down as if reflecting on his mistake and peeked at me secretly. ¡°Isn¡¯t Rwen scared of that frog?¡± ¡°¡­..I am not afraid of that.¡± ¡°Then why were you screaming and begging for it to be removed?¡± Frankly, that was a good question. I had no words for him. ¡°I-I was just saying that¡­.¡± ¡°You begged for help.¡± Shuel tilted his head as if he could not understand my words. As if he doubted that was really the reason why. Children don¡¯t listen well. It was the same, no matter how much the risk was emphasised. That was why I assumed he had deliberately came out of the door because he got tired of staying in the room all day. ¡°I thought you were very scared, so I came out¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Was I mistaken¡­..?¡± Shuel glanced at me frowning but quickly looked away, avoiding my eyes like a scolded puppy. Looking at that face, I took a deep breath and quietly mumbled out. ¡°¡­..Thank you.¡± Shuel¡¯s eyes widened at my gratitude. He didn¡¯t seem to understand why he was being thanked. I smiled faintly at the sight of that face. ¡°It was the first time someone has done that for me. Thank you so much.¡± No matter what kind of bullying I was subjected to, no one has ever helped me until now. I had gotten used to it, but there were days when I couldn¡¯t even stand it. I was foolish. Shuel must have already been aware of the dangers of wandering around after the incident where he was kidnapped. Shuel knew he would be seriously injured if he left the room. Nevertheless, he ran out when I screamed and protected me. Shuel¡¯s small back that seemed very wide and his innocent smile will remain in my memories for a long time. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com Even after parting ways with the child, I always could recall that memory anytime or whenever I was having a hard time. ¡°Hehe.¡± Shuel smiled brightly at my words and slowly lowered his hand. I smiled at his face and hardened my expression. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you raise your hand properly?¡± ¡°Hngh¡­.¡± £ª £ª £ª To be honest, I was anticipating something to happen. Since I only burnt a sleeve, would Jeffrey let it go? Moreover, the mansion had been so busy these days that they barely had time to discipline me. So wouldn¡¯t there be a possibility that they would move on without paying attention to me this time? For a brief moment, I truly believed that was the case. In a room similar to mine, my face was a blank canvas as I stood in front of my mother. ¡®No way¡­.¡¯ My expectations were too high. As soon as I thought of that, I heard a sharp rustling sound. I shut my eyes reflexively, but there was no hand striking my cheek. ¡°Y-you. Arwen Broschte!¡± When I opened my eyes and faced my mother, she was glaring at me with demon-like eyes. My mother gritted her teeth, her hands shaking as she lifted Jeffrey¡¯s shirt again, which had a hole in it. ¡°This shirt¡­..! It was made from the finest silk!¡± The way she stared at the shirt was completely different from the way she stared at me. She was staring at the shirt as if the world was crumbling down. There were signs that they tried to repair it, but it was not likely that it would ever return to its original state. When her pitiful eyes met mine, it instantly became vicious. ¡°If the candle fell, you should have blocked it with your own clothes. You idiot!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I was so surprised¡­..¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that now. Goodness, how could this have happened?!¡± My mother was ridiculously dramatic. ¡°The Count of Teflon is arriving tomorrow and the eldest son¡¯s clothes look like this! Are you crazy, Arwen?¡± My mother¡¯s piercing voice rang through my head. I looked up at her, forgetting to make a dumb face. ¡®Count Teflon?¡¯ He was a nouveau riche. He had discovered a mine full of raw diamonds in a poor land and instantly became wealthy. He was a man who lived with enormous fortunes. However, the reason Count Teflon was famous even in this countryside was due to his violent temper rather than his wealth. Jeffrey¡¯s sudden vacation. Father observed me as if he was monitoring me¡­and what my mother had just said. Count Teflon wouldn¡¯t come to the countryside without any reason. Clearly something was going on. The puzzle pieces scattered in my head were slowly pieced together to form an ominous picture. What if Jeffrey had gotten into trouble and was almost kicked out of the academy? He would need a lot of money to solve it, and if it was paid by the nouveau riche through some kind of deal¡­. The Broschte estate was poor. There was only one thing that could be offered for the deal. A foolish but beautiful daughter. Arwen Broschte. I felt as though my blood was rushing out of my body and I struggled not to bite my lips. I squeezed out my dumbfounded vocal cords and asked my mother. ¡°Mother, what do you mean by Count Teflon?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± Her mouth, which had been screaming relentlessly, shut in an instant. Seeing my prideful mother, who would often rebuke me, quiet like that¡­I felt a void. After a while, she attempted to straighten her shoulders and spoke arrogantly. ¡°Yes. He will come.¡± I struggled to moisten my parched mouth. Despite all the signs, I still couldn¡¯t believe it. You guys are human too. There¡¯s no way you all had decided that while wearing human masks. ¡°Mother. He-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. He¡¯ll be travelling down quietly, so there won¡¯t be any rumors.¡± Mother replied. Even though I have yet to ask my question, I felt as though I was being stabbed. I was stunned. ¡°¡­..Mother.¡± This can¡¯t be true. Those words were stuck in my throat. You say there was nothing wrong. Then why did you need to see me? Saying there wouldn¡¯t be any rumours was also a lie. He was notorious even in the countryside. There was no way that news of such a person would not disperse to the capital. If the rumors were spread, my marriage prospects would be ruined. No, even if I hadn¡¯t met Count Teflon before that¡­would I still be safe? ¡°I¡¯m certain your father will become drunk since he¡¯s in a good mood, but he¡¯ll grab you once he sees this shirt. Head upstairs, quickly!¡± My father would beat my mother whenever he was drunk. No, it wasn¡¯t just my mother. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com He acted like a blind man. He would throw an expensive pocket watch instead of a cheap plate and raise his voice. At the same time, I rarely got hit. It was because mother would always block the way. If I ever got hurt, she would apply medicine with her hand and say, ¡®This pretty face will be scarred.¡¯ Did I unknowingly misunderstood everything? My fingertips were cold. It felt as if my heart had stopped. I lowered my head and turned around. Step by step. I took a step as if I was walking towards my death. From the moment I opened the door and returned back to my room, not once did my mother stop me. £ª £ª £ª I had no idea what kind of spirit had entered the room with me. I broke down as soon as I opened the door. ¡°Rwen?!¡± Shuel ran to me in surprise. The name he called out was unfamiliar. Of course it was. Because there was not a single person who had ever called me by my nickname. Shuel hurriedly shut the door, organised the dolls he had scattered, knelt down beside me, and fidgeted. ¡°Rwen. What happened?¡± Children were simple yet observant. I couldn¡¯t answer his question. I had opened my mouth, but my voice wouldn¡¯t come out. At the sight of me, tears welled up in Shuel¡¯s eyes. ¡°I feel like crying¡­¡­.¡± Shuel¡¯s voice as he muttered those words felt even sadder. I tried to open my quivering lips and say something, but tears started to fall down from my eyes. ¡°Hngh¡­..¡± Tears continuously poured down my cheeks. Shuel quickly embraced me as I cried while trying to catch my breath. The child¡¯s small and thin arms tried its best to hold me. My face was buried in his shoulder. I felt miserable. Rather than the fact that she had sold me. Rather than the fact that she loved Jeffrey more than me. It was the fact that I misunderstood her attention, that seemed like a welcoming rain in a drought, for love. It was unbearable and heartbreaking that I had helplessly loved her as a mother. It felt as though I was grabbed by the hair and thrown into the streets. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Rwen. Don¡¯t cry¡­..¡± Shul cried. He quickly started crying when I couldn¡¯t stop my tears. The child cried and dug into my arms. The child cried for me. For me, who was abandoned by my parents. For me, who shared no ounce of blood with him. The moment I realised that, my suffocating feelings and tears subsided. I took a breath and lifted my head from the child¡¯s shoulder. Shuel¡¯s face was visible with anxiety and covered in tears. I smiled and pointed at Shuel¡¯s shoulder. Tears were stained into his shirt in the shape of a human¡¯s face. ¡°Look at this.¡± It was meant to be a light joke, but Shuel glanced at his shoulder and cried even more. I became a little embarrassed. W-wasn¡¯t it funny? ¡°Why did you cry?¡± ¡°Dust got into my eyes.¡± ¡°Liar¡­¡­¡± I smiled and wiped Shuel¡¯s tearful eyes again. Why are you crying more than me? ¡°Shuel.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave tonight.¡± Shuel¡¯s eyes widened at my nonchalant words. Those eyes, that turned grey after fully absorbing the potion, went large. We had to leave tonight. Tomorrow would already be too late. If we sneak out now and head to the Capital, it would only take one month for a one way round trip. By that point, Count Teflon would have already gotten tired of waiting and returned back. It would be much easier to hide up here, but it¡¯s not impossible for the two of us to climb up. Perhaps because I had just cried, the tip of my nose was cold. I also felt relieved. However, I became a little sympathetic to the child in front of me, and I smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you home.¡± And I will finally say goodbye to you. CH 8 The Broschte estate did not have any knights. In terms of security, all the servants had to do was guard the door and call it a day off. Naturally they would sit down and doze off so Shuel and I were able to leave the house without any struggle. However, we soon ran into a new problem. I didn¡¯t have any cash to spend right now. But I quickly found a solution. ¡®I need to cut my hair and sell it.¡¯ Beautiful silver hair that flows like silk. My mother had always cherished my silver hair as if it was her road to success. But¡­was it even possible to marry into a powerful family with only fine silver hair? I had thought I could cut and sell it if there was ever a situation where I needed money quickly. There was no other situation than the current one where funds were needed as desperately as now. Since it was long, soft, and the color was rare, I could sell it for a really good price. However, it cannot be sold within the Broschte estate. Silver hair was rare among the commoners and I was the only girl with silver hair in this territory. There was no one in this small estate who didn¡¯t know that my parents valued that silver hair more than their own daughter. I couldn¡¯t sell my hair here. Fortunately the neighboring estate, Undern, was much larger than Broschte¡¯s. They would not have a way to verify whether or not the young lady of the Broschte had silver or white hair. The Undern Estate was close enough that it could be reached within three hours on foot. Even if you walk at a child¡¯s pace, you would arrive in one night. But the problem was that we had to climb over a mountain¡­ A dark mountain with no source of light. ¡°¡­..¡± My life¡­ On second thoughts. Maybe this wasn¡¯t going to end well. Ah-woo. I heard a howling noise. It sounded like a wolf. Summer was a prosperous season. Wild beasts with plenty of food, such as rabbits and squirrels, wouldn¡¯t have to eat two tiny creatures with strange smells. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com Since many locals around here often climb this mountain, there were barely any cases of wild animals attacking people. I knew that, but I was still terrified. With just the sound of grasshoppers chirping, the mountain seemed as if it could swallow me up at any moment. I clenched my hand together in cold sweat and looked back. Shuel, whose white face was still pale, was holding onto my skirt very tightly. Yeah¡­ I was going to bring this kid home safely no matter what. With that thought in mind, it made me feel a little less scared. For the sake of preserving my skirt, I reached my hand out to Shuel and he grabbed onto it as if he had been waiting for it. This kid. If you were scared, you should have told me¡­.. With a grin, I faced Shuel with a determined face. Though I had no choice but to smile anyway. Anyone who saw it would think I was ready to defeat a monster. ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°No. I am not scared.¡± A bold answer was returned in the form of a weakened tone. Before I could say anything back, Shuel took a step forward in front of me. I was startled and was about to pull the child back behind me but Shuel stayed firmly in place. He spoke again but this time, with determination in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I will protect you.¡± I was startled for a moment and my mouth was left agap. What did he just say? ¡°This little kid¡­.¡± The words flowed out before I could take them back. Shuel, who was moving forward, turned his head back at the words and let out a sigh. ¡°Geez, am I not taller than you?¡± It was very cute that the first subject the innocent child was annoyed with was regarding his height. Come to think of it. Shuel does seem taller than me. For a moment, I was engulfed in a strange feeling. I am¡­very small. That¡¯s right. In this life, I was only nine years old. I was still young. Once again, I thought that my life was quite strange. How could I have lived through two lifetimes? I raised my head again. Shuel¡¯s back was full in sight. The back that was leading the way could hardly be considered large, but it radiated warmth. I chuckled. There were probably more animals that would attack from the back than they would from the front. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­.Hmph.¡± Though his tone remained sulking, you could almost feel that it was full of glee. Shuel and I continued walking through the night. It wasn¡¯t as difficult as I originally thought as we followed the signs marked by the people who had traveled this path before. After nearly spraining my ankle a few times and running around hysterically when a bug sat on my shoulder, the sky at last began to light up with a blue tinge. For a while, it was pitch black but soon the sky began to brighten up. It was enough to see the beginning of a new day. We had walked hand in hand for quite a while, but suddenly we stopped and stood still without facing each other. The horizon began to turn blue. The sun slowly rose and the surroundings gradually became clear. The eerie stillness of the night disappeared with the approach of dawn. It was a new morning. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Alright. Have a nice trip.¡± Poor thing. A warm-hearted woman smiled at me as she wiped away her tears. I smiled pitifully like a child with a sob story, before turning around and walking away. My hair that was shortened just below my ears, felt refreshing as it fluttered behind me. There were quite a few places to sell women¡¯s hair in the Undern¡¯s estate, and fortunately, I met a good owner and sold my hair at a good price. Twenty gold pieces. I had received additional money from the store owner thanks to my tearful appeal of heading to the capital in search of my mother. With this much, we could sleep in a good inn and ride a carriage. A smile made its way onto my lips. However, that smile soon disappeared the moment I saw Shuel. He had been standing in the vacant lot for a while but now he has guests with him. Two robed adults stood in front of Shuel. Anyone who saw them would deem it suspicious, but many left the place in a hurry without meddling. They fear that a dispute would arise out of nowhere and be caught in the crossfire. Right across me, Shuel was staring at them with a dumbfounded face void of any fear. Then one of the robed people fell down suddenly as if he had collapsed. ¡°Oh my goodness. Shuel, darling¡­.!¡± It was a heartbreaking tone. Before I could even stop them, he hugged Shuel tightly. I was startled and ran to Shuel. I didn¡¯t need to think about anything else but going to him. The man called out Shuel¡¯s real name. Which meant that he had to be aware of Shuel¡¯s identity. If they kidnapped the young master of Sebrirua¡­ Suddenly, my urgent stride stopped one step before reaching Shuel. It was because the hair of the man after the hood was removed was the exact same platinum blonde as Shuel¡¯s. I stared at him blankly, then raised my head and turned my gaze towards the other person standing next to him. A woman with black hair, that contrasted with the man¡¯s platinum blonde, was looking down at them with warm magenta eyes. The two of them, one standing and one kneeling down, and hugging Shuel. The sight was oddly familiar to me somehow¡­ ¡°¡­..Huh?¡± The contents of the novel then flashed through my mind. Duke Kendrick de Sebrirua was described as a man with platinum blonde curls and dark brown eyes. While Duchess Marius Sebrirua was portrayed as a woman with black hair and magenta eyes. They were the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua. What? How? Why were they here?! The timeframe was resolute. How could they possibly be here? My mind blanked out from the incredulous event I saw before me. The Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua couldn¡¯t possibly be here now. But yet here they are? Shuel glanced at the face of the man who was holding him in his arms. The child¡¯s eyes slowly widened. ¡°D-Dad?¡± With that single word, the thoughts running through my head ceased to exist. I exhaled the breath I had held in. ¡®I guess it¡¯s true¡­¡¯ There was no way Shuel wouldn¡¯t be able to recognise the faces of his own parents. I did not know the reason, but regardless it was fortunate they were here. It was clear that it would be much safer to be under the protection of the Duke of Sebrirua than for two children to set off on a journey to the capital. ¡°D-Dad¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, darling. Daddy is here.¡± A subtle sense of salvation and destitution emerged simultaneously. I stared blankly at Shuel¡¯s back as he cried in his parents¡¯ arms. In his parents¡¯ embrace, Shuel cried in abundance. No matter how confident and mature he had been so far, he was still only a seven years old child. He must have been so relieved to be able to see his parents after all the time that passed. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com Tears were already forming in the corners of Duke Kendrick¡¯s eyes while he was hugging his child. Duchess Marius was also silently embracing her husband and son tightly. I watched them from a distance and lowered my gaze. Parents who love their child and a child who deserves to be loved by his parents. It was such a dazzlingly warm and perfect family scene that no one could interfere with. Something I would never have¡­ ¡®It simply was like that.¡¯ There were things in this world that couldn¡¯t be changed no matter how hard you try. I won¡¯t covet what I can¡¯t have. I exhaled deeply. It was a sigh of relief. My job was over. Shuel has safely reunited with his parents, and now he will live happily with them without the memories of this traumatic event. He has followed me well up until now, but once he heads back to the capital and grows up amongst the high-ranking nobles, he would hardly remember me. Everything went back into its original place, but the aftertaste was still quite bitter. I didn¡¯t realise we would part ways this soon¡­ CH 9 Would they spare me some time to say goodbye? I silently looked down at my attire. A rough and worn-out linen dress with short, chopped hair. As I had been walking in the mountain path all night long, I was completely covered in dirt. Looking at me now, it seemed that even a poor commoner would politely refuse to talk to me. Even so, I enjoyed the days I¡¯ve spent with you. No, it was a pleasure meeting you¡­. I was about to let my hand, that was reaching out to Shuel, fall down. But at that moment, a pair of tearful dark brown eyes met mine. Those round eyes looked exactly like Shuel¡¯s. As I panicked, Kendrick grabbed my hand. ¡°Perhaps¡­..Did you help him?¡± While still in his arms, Shuel giggled at the dazed voice, and nodded his head. Kendrick¡¯s eyes then widened. ¡°Oh, my. How should I ever repay you? Thank you so much! What is your name?¡± ¡°Ah, It¡¯s Ar, Ar¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­..Arwen.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand Shuel¡¯s stuttering voice, so I cut him off. I didn¡¯t want him to state my last name either, so I answered instead. Kendrick¡¯s eyes softened at my words. His eyes were brown coloured just like my parents, but they looked nothing in common. ¡°Where are your parents, darling?¡± Kendrick asked me kindly but I couldn¡¯t answer. I couldn¡¯t let the Broschte pair be compensated. When there was no reply, he hesitated for a bit before asking carefully. ¡°You don¡¯t have any parents?¡± I bit my lip. I couldn¡¯t answer no but I couldn¡¯t answer yes either. This time, my silence was for a different reason. Seeing me like that, Kendrick smiled quietly. He glanced at his wife that stood next to him. Marius who was still staring at him, let out a small sigh. Kendrick smiled broadly. They seemed to have concluded something on their own. Then he turned towards me. ¡°Darling, why don¡¯t you come with us?¡± ¡°Oh, oh! Great! Is Rwen coming with us? Rwen, let¡¯s go together!¡± At Kendrick¡¯s friendly question, Shuel intervened with an excited voice. I slowly remove my gaze from those pair of twinkling eyes. Was it okay to follow them? The Duke and Duchess now mistaken me for an orphan. Maybe I was going to be dropped off in a place where I could take care of myself. If that happens, it will take a lot more time and effort to return back. But if I part ways with Shuel like this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to ever see him again. ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡± All right, I¡¯ll accompany you for a while before you drop me off somewhere nearby. I nodded my head, half anticipating and half anxious. Two weeks later. ¡°Rwen. Come on, try this! It¡¯s a veal steak.¡± ¡°¡­..That¡¯s a scallop dish.¡± ¡°Rwen! This! This sausage is delicious!¡± I was sitting at the head seat of the dining room, at the Duchy of Sebrirua, and was being served by the three of them. ¡­..Huh? £ª £ª £ª So¡­to figure out what the hell happened, we had to go back to two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua took me with them and into their carriage. I wondered why they allowed me to be with them, but I leaned back, thinking that they would just drop me off at the next destination. We then arrived at the Knox Territory. Kendrick and Marius fed the horses and bought clothes for Shuel and I. The clothes were so comfortable that they couldn¡¯t be compared with the clothes I had previously worn before. I thought we would part ways here, but then they placed me back in the carriage. Our next stop was the Charity Territory. There was a festival being held in the village. Shuel wanted to catch it, so he stomped his feet, and Kendrick smiled and readily agreed. As he carried his son on his shoulders, the blunt-faced Marius bent her body down to meet my gaze. I was taken aback, but at the gesture of tapping her neck, I scrambled to get onto her shoulders. Since they were both tall, Shuel and I were able to enjoy the festival to our heart¡¯s content. The festival was really beautiful and quite colourful. I thought this time, for sure, they would place me in a carriage that would head to the Broschte estate. But I just got back into the carriage with them and headed towards Sebrirua. Just like that, we passed through numerous territories such as the Territory of Tylen and the Territory of Berka. Every time I made up my mind that I was going to go home now, the Duke and Duchess did not let me go. do not repost our translations. read only at droppedinks.wordpress.com In the end, two weeks had passed and I got off in front of the Duchy of Sebrirua under Kendrick¡¯s playful escort. As I looked at the splendid and beautiful mansion, I sincerely thought that it looked like a castle in a fairy tale. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go inside. Rwen.¡± Kendrick, who suddenly called me by my nickname, had an affectionate tone to his words. I took the hand he held out to me, trying my best not to let my hand tremble or sweat. The mansion was still beautiful even when the owners were away. I swallowed my dry saliva as I entered the mansion, whose beauty was not very different from the splendor that was outside. Suddenly, a wave of regret flashed through me. Why did I follow them into the house without any hesitation? From the moment I had set foot in the Duke of Sebrirua¡¯s residence, I struggled to believe that they were simply trying to repay me. I felt as if I was going to be dragged to the basement and be tortured to death right now. It is said that even if you were bitten by a tiger, you can still survive if you stayed conscious. [1] If the staircase led down towards the basement, I needed to run right away. ¡°Darling, there are stairs here. Please be careful.¡± ¡°Huck¡­.!¡± Being immersed in my own thoughts, I took a sharp breath from the sudden surprise. I had thought to run away as soon as the stairs appeared, but my mind had become clouded. R-Run-! I panicked and lifted my head, and as soon as I saw the scenery in front of me, my body instantly became relaxed. It wasn¡¯t a dark and gloomy staircase leading to the basement that greeted my eyes. It was instead a large and luxurious looking staircase that was built in the lobby and went upstairs. As I stared blankly at the beautiful staircase, Kendrick spoke to me in a playful tone. ¡°If your legs hurt, should uncle carry you?¡± Kendrick smiled at me, calling himself a nickname without hesitation. I was about to politely decline and said that I was fine, but I shook my head when he pointed to Marius beside him. In fact, Kendrick was still scary but the one I was most scared of was Marius. She had no changes in her expression except when she was first reunited with her son. Other than that, her expression was usually cold. No matter what, being reborn and raised as a kid since newborn, from this small point of view, I was afraid of the big, dark Marius. for real tho, only read at droppedinks.wordpress.com. or ill chop chop u Of course, the fact that she was a duchess with the power to stop even birds from flying also played a huge part. If I were to be carried by Marius, I think I would be dragged down to the basement right away. I reached out to Kendrick, who easily hugged me. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I heard a small sigh, and Kendrick glanced sideways and grinned, but I paid no mind to it. Since Kendrick was carrying me, I was worried about Shuel. He had been facing the ground for a long time. Young children were naturally very possessive. For Shuel, who grew up with the love of his parents as the only child, it wouldn¡¯t be pleasant to see his parents be so sweet to another child. If Shuel showed any signs of displeasure, I would get down immediately. But fortunately, Shuel just looked up at me with a smile as if he was in a good mood. ¡°Rwen! My dad¡¯s arms are comfortable, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s comfortable.¡± When I answered the delightful child¡¯s question with a smile, Shuel smiled even brighter. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s really soft! My dad doesn¡¯t train as much as my mom does so he gained a lot of weight.¡± I was speechless for a while as he continued to speak in a lively manner. Children¡¯s naiveness can be brutal. ¡°Hey, Shu. You!¡± Shuel ran up the stairs, laughing at Kendrick¡¯s threatening gesture. Kendrick smiled in defeat, and Marius quietly followed after Shuel in case he fell. I held my breath at the peaceful atmosphere. £ª £ª £ª The stairs weren¡¯t very long, so we reached the second floor in no time. Kendrick, who dropped me down with a sad look, led me to a room in the middle of the hallway. Right up to the moment the door opened, I was still worried that there would be a staircase leading towards the basement behind that door. But it only turned out to be a cute and beautifully decorated room. The walls were a light pastel tone, and tapestries of beautiful paintings adorn those walls. Soft stuffed animals made with generous amounts of cotton and a large canopy bed at its center. It was a very lovely children¡¯s room. I never expected the room to be for me, not even for a moment. That was because I noticed there was a green haired girl, standing like a doll in the middle of the room. As I tilted my head, wondering if Shuel had an unknown younger sister, I froze as the child¡¯s grey eyes met mine. ¡°How are you, Rieta?¡± Kendrick¡¯s words concluded it. Green hair¡­grey eyes and the name, Rieta. ¡®You¡¯re the original heroine!¡¯ The child was very small. She was smaller by comparison to Shuel, and even smaller than me. At the sight of the small child next to the teddy bear in the room, a complex situation arose. I was greatly perplexed by her appearance. ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ [1] Proverb : Even in an emergency, you can avoid crisis if you stay alert. CH 10 I turned my head reflexively. Shuel tilted his head as his eyes met Rieta¡¯s. Shuel had stayed at the orphanage on the Broschte estate until he reached the age of nine. Before he was sent to the orphanage where Rieta was located. Therefore, it was precisely when Rieta was seven years old that she knew of Shuel¡¯s identity. But¡­Shuel was currently seven years old, and Rieta was two years younger than Shuel. ¡®It was Rieta before her regression, but why are you here?¡¯ The original story begins with Rieta dying at the age of 14 and returning to the past. In her first life, Rieta dies from an unexpected accident while being abused at the orphanage, and returns back to the age of six. After her return, Rieta tried to escape the orphanage to avoid her death as in her previous life. In the process, she was adopted by Marquis Schrider and the love of their family healed the wounds of her past. In the midst of it, Rieta almost forgot about her difficult past. One day, she suddenly remembered Shuel and met him again at the age of 10. The important thing was that, according to the original story, Rieta shouldn¡¯t be here right now. The reason Rieta left the orphanage was because she had returned back in time. Something about her had changed. Something I didn¡¯t know about. The early arrival of the Duke and Duchess conveniently where Shuel was located, as well as Rieta who should be in the orphanage right now¡­both were now present in the Duchy of Sebrirua. What has changed¡­.. As I stared at Rieta with my mind filled with questions, the child clasped her hand and shrunk back uncomfortably. It wasn¡¯t just from being wary of me. Rieta was insecure with her dark green hair and grey eyes. She thought anyone who looked at her would find it hideous. ¡®It¡¯s not weird.¡¯ While I hesitated, not knowing what to say, Kendrick smiled and stepped in. ¡°This is Arwen. She will live with us in this house from today but Arwen¡¯s room hasn¡¯t been decorated yet. Can you share your room with her for a few days?¡± Rieta¡¯s lips twitched at Kendrick¡¯s soft words. Signs that she was uncomfortable with me was apparent. I understood her reasoning. Rieta had lived a difficult life. She experienced a cruel journey to believe in the good will of others. I knew that, but it still broke my heart. ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± After a brief hesitation, Rieta finally managed to utter a word. Her throat sounds scratchy, as if she hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time. ¡°Oh, and this is Shuel. He¡¯s the son I¡¯ve told you about before.¡± Kendrick said and nudged Shuel forward, who was standing behind me. Seeing Shuel¡¯s face, Rieta¡¯s eyes widened. Rieta¡¯s face, which had been stiff all this time, loosened up slightly. The child¡¯s eyes crinkled very lightly. It seemed to be filled with joy and elation. ¡°Hi.¡± A small word and shy in nature, but a clear voice was heard. I realised something then about her. Rieta¡¯s reaction was little different from the pleasure of simply seeing someone of her own age. Since Rieta was wary of me as well as of Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°He¡¯s the son I¡¯ve told you about before.¡± If it were according to the original story, she wouldn¡¯t have known Shuel yet. But that child does recognize him. What if Rieta¡¯s regression was much earlier than I knew and Rieta, who did not go to Marquis Schrider as it was originally written, came to the Duchy of Sebrirua and informed the Duke and Duchess of Shuel¡¯s whereabouts? Rieta and Shuel met in a different place, rather than the orphanage at the Broschte estate. Since they were close, there was a possibility that they might have talked about it in the past. Shuel, whose eyes widened as if he didn¡¯t understand a single word, abruptly replied back ¡®Ah, hello¡¯. Seeing what would be the start of a romance, I smiled lightly. The original story had indeed changed, but it was already altered the moment I left the Broschte Estate with Shuel. I still don¡¯t know why Rieta¡¯s regression was much earlier than it was written, but I didn¡¯t ponder too much time over it. As a result, the Duke and Duchess did not die, and Shuel and Rieta were able to escape the abuse much earlier. Shuel will soon fall in love with Rieta, and they will have a happy ending full of warmth and the security that comes with it. I have read a little bit of Rieta¡¯s life. It was good to see the child smiling so easily after so much pain. While I stared at Rieta, the three members of the Duchy of Sebrirua left the room. They advised us to get acquainted with each other since we will be sharing a room for a short while, and said in a friendly tone, to come down later for dinner. Rieta, who was left alone with me in the room, was visibly anxious. She looked nervous. As if I would take out a knife at any time and hold it against her throat at any moment. I silently looked at that child and opened my mouth. ¡°Rieta.¡± At my greeting, Rieta¡¯s shoulders flinched. Even her chapped lips were sealed tightly. She resembled a hedgehog with several thorns. Rather than using words of comfort to the child, I chose to speak bluntly. I was more comfortable using a method I was familiar with rather than trying to soothe her clumsily. ¡°I won¡¯t be here for too long.¡± Kendrick said that I would be staying here starting today, but I knew better than anyone that I wouldn¡¯t stay around for long. Rieta blinked her eyes at my dry words. The child¡¯s distinct round eyes were lovely. Rieta was truly a lovely child. She deserves to be loved and cared for. do not repost our translations. only read at droppedinks.wordpress.com I always wanted to say those words as I read the novel, but sadly, it was clear that she would not believe them. ¡°This is your place. Rest assured, I won¡¯t steal it.¡± I couldn¡¯t take away the heroine¡¯s seat. I didn¡¯t have the intention nor do I have the ability to do so. I laid flat on the bed without waiting for Rieta¡¯s response. I was already tired from the long carriage ride and the bed looked so soft. While I laid down with my eyes closed, I heard a small sign of movement approaching me. It was obviously Rieta. She glanced at me and tilted her head, then poked the tip of my hair with her finger. How is she not the main character? She does the same thing as Shuel. Silver hair was not common, so it might have been surprising. She was so vigilant that I somehow felt strange. When I slowly lifted my eyes open, Rieta was startled and she hurriedly backed away. I tried to reach out to say it was okay, but the child was already wary of me again. Approaching me when I was asleep and running away the moment I opened my eyes, she behaved exactly like Shuel. However, Rietta¡¯s wariness of me was beyond comparison with Shuel. It was natural, since it hadn¡¯t been that long since I had met her. The vigilance of young children was far beyond imagination, and I was also quite blunt. The dry words I said to Rieta before laying down were the only considerate thing I could provide. I had a cold demeanour, so there was no chance that Rieta would open her heart to me. Maybe there wouldn¡¯t even be time for her to warm up to me? I would have left this mansion before then. I thought with a bitter smile. Then¡­what is the heroine doing at the table now? ¡°¡­.It¡¯s marmalade.¡± She recommended the jam to me, pretending to act indifferent. Rieta shattered my expectations that it would take her a while to warm up to me, and she crept up next to me like a kitten. The fear in her youthful eyes completely disappeared and only bold words came out of her previously closed mouth. She was trying to get closer to me for reasons I couldn¡¯t figure out. I liked Rieta who had loosened her guard to me, but at the same time I was conflicted. Honey. It¡¯s only been a week¡­. But later I began to understand. In the original story, Rieta, who lived in an orphanage, was not much different from Shuel. It was her first time having a friend of the same gender, so she was probably excited. Yeah. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s why. ¡°Rwen doesn¡¯t like sausages, you idiot.¡± ¡°Hey! Rwen doesn¡¯t like marmalade that much either.¡± How do I even begin to explain why the female and male lead were fighting with each other, while using me as the excuse¡­.? In the original story, Rieta and Shuel were very close. Rieta loved and cherished Shuel, to the extent that her first request to the Marquis was to find Shuel. It was the same case for Shuel. Although he was wary of everyone else, he behaved like a gentle sheep to Rieta. Even if he was hated by Rieta¡¯s family, he stuck close by to Rieta. The situation happening before my eyes, took that fact and buried it deep underground, unable to find any credibility. Guys. You liked each other¡­.right? Rieta was definitely fond of Shuel at first, and Shuel¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t much different from Rieta¡¯s either. But I couldn¡¯t figure out for the life of me how this happened. Shuel shouted with a bright red face from anger. ¡°You! You haven¡¯t been with Rwen longer than I have! So don¡¯t be rude! Rwen says marmalade is di, dis-disbusting!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not disbusting, it¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°Have you tried that with Rwen? I¡¯m going to sleep with her tonight. Rwen says that, compared to marmalade, she likes sausages more. A lot more.¡± ¡°What does sharing the same room have to do with my eating habits¡­.¡± The children began to fight, arguing with strange logic, as if they could not hear my small murmur. I was trying my best to smile, but my mind turned blank from the chirping voices. Seriously, I¡¯ve never seen this kind of fight in any family¡­. ¡°Hey, I like both.¡± Why are you two growling at each other like this? It¡¯s not a big deal. I tried to speak up to stop the fight, but it backfired. The two children focused their eyesight on me simultaneously. [pr/n: run Rwen run! hahahaha] Neither of them seemed relieved. ¡°Rwen, do you like marmalade better or do you like that tasteless jam that Rieta recommended? No, right?¡± ¡°Rwen. Do you like sausages more? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because of that idiot who gave it to you?¡± Both of their faces were flushed red from provoking each other. After that, Shuel was the first one to shout loudly. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°What.¡± Rieta asked coldly. Shuel¡¯s angry face was evident and while Rieta pretended to be calm, her shoulders were shaking restlessly. ¡°D-Don¡¯t fight. Both are delicious.¡± When I said I liked both of them, it was instantly rejected. If I had said I only liked one of them, then one side would sulk, so I struggled to do anything. And at that moment, my eyes met Marius, who was gracefully cutting the steak. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Marius, who was watching the whole situation unfold, blinked. Then, she turned back her gaze to the meat she was slicing, cutting it neatly and placing it into her mouth. The hope for rescue that swelled up at that moment diminished. Right. I placed too much hope on the Duchess¡­. I turned to look for Kendrick, but he was nowhere to be seen. Oh, right. He went to make desserts. The children were still bickering. Seeing that there weren¡¯t any signs of it cooling down, I sighed. Just as I was about to say something, Marius¡¯ long arms crossed the table. The only remaining sausage that Shuel had given me and the marmalade that Rieta had passed over to me suddenly appeared in front of Marius. While everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open, Marius calmly spread the marmalade on the sausage. Marius, who coated the entire sausage with marmalade, chewed on that monstrosity without changing her expression once. ¡°Don¡¯t fight over food.¡± The dining room became silent at the sound of the cold voice. [pr/n: GET ¡®EM MAMA.] CH 11 Marius¡¯s abnormal behaviour surprisingly worked wonders. Shuel and Rieta immediately lost their spirits, and the table once again became peaceful. While I was tearing the butter bread into small pieces and placing them in my mouth, I glanced at the children. The children, who had finally become quiet, were eating the soup without even glancing at each other. ¡®¡­.Cute.¡¯ Hukf. When I choked slightly, Shuel and Rieta¡¯s eyes both widened, and they immediately rushed to find a drink. Their hands touched the jug filled with water at the same time. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°You let go!¡± I take back what I said. ¡®Hey, these guys.¡¯ I had a headache. The battle that ended thanks to Marius lasted for all of a second. Please don¡¯t fight again because of me. This sounded like a cliche line from an old romance novel¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s alright-¡± I was about to wave my hand when something suddenly bumped against my elbow. When I turned around, there stood a glass half filled with water. ¡®That was not there before, was it?¡¯ I stared at Marius, who sat on the seat to my right, but she merely gave me a glance before turning her gaze back to her meal. Did you pass this to me? Without making a single sound? ¡­Why? ¡°Thank you.¡± Although I could barely believe it, I still said my gratitude. Just in case. When Marius nodded her head lightly, I raised the glass of water with one hand. ¡°Here, I have water!¡± The moment the children¡¯s eyes finally focused on the glass I held, an elated laughter was heard. Kendrick stood by the doorway, smiling. ¡°Oh my, what a show. Did you need water?¡± Kendrick pushed the cart in with a smile on his face. I lowered my hands, enduring my burning face. It was embarrassing to the point I wanted to stick my face in the soup bowl right away. No, I¡¯m young. I was still nine years old. It must have been an adorable sight as a nine year old¡­.. While I was internally rationalising with myself, Kendrick approached me, looked at my plate and raised his eyes angrily. ¡°I knew it had always been like this, but I¡¯ll say something about it today. You eat as much as a bird does!¡± I instantly forgot about my shame, and my eyes opened wide in shock. Kendrick¡¯s eyes quickly lowered as if he was sorry. ¡°Darling, you are as cute and pretty as a little lark, but you are obviously human. You have to eat more than this to survive.¡± It was clearly a scolding, but it felt sweet. It was my first time ever hearing it and I felt touched. Kendrick smiled and took my spoon to scoop a spoonful of the thick soup. He then moved his hand back and forth before bringing the spoon closer to my mouth. ¡°Here comes the airplane~¡± ¡­It was ¡®a plane¡¯ that I never had when I was a kid. I couldn¡¯t resist it, so I swallowed a bite and managed to finish the soup. TL/N: ( ¨i¦Ø¨i ) I ate two to three times the amount I would normally eat in the Broschte estate, so I felt full to the brim. I was wondering if I could even eat desserts, but I ended my concerns after another spoonful of soup. I couldn¡¯t eat anymore. Meanwhile, Kendrick was now tearing up the bread with a gentle look on his face. Sa-Save me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t normally eat this much¡­..¡± Kendrick¡¯s face instantly shifted when I spoke vaguely. He dropped the bread and grabbed a hold of my face. ¡°Oh no! Did you just swallow everything? Does your stomach hurt? Do you feel like throwing up?¡± Kendrick scanned quickly over my complexion, restlessly. His face darkened when I couldn¡¯t say anything, feeling regretful. ¡°Rwen, then you must have not felt well after eating all this time¡­..¡± ¡°Rick. Enough.¡± Marius¡¯ calm voice interrupted the middle of Kendrick¡¯s words. Even though the words weren¡¯t directed at me, I still froze. She didn¡¯t raise her voice nor frowned, but she had a certain presence where one couldn¡¯t disobey. The same applied for Kendrick as he sighed and stepped back. The soft and warm hands that caressed my cheek, patted me gently before falling off. ¡°Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll prepare a light soup.¡± Marius said calmly as she drank her tea. I nodded my head at her consideration. ¡°If you have any issues, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. There is nothing that can¡¯t be prepared at the Duke¡¯s mansion.¡± At the formal words, I rolled my eyes and lowered my gaze. It¡¯s true that my stomach did not feel good after eating rich meals since I was used to restricted meals for a long period of time. However, I didn¡¯t want to be picky so I ate the food as normally as I could. I couldn¡¯t refuse the kind intentions from Kendrick and the children, so I endured and often overate. Although the food was nutritious and healthy, it was not a meal fit for a patient. I inevitably suffered from overeating. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. I would usually run around or lie down to digest the food since it was my nap time, but I was afraid someone would eventually find out¡­. It was meant to be an act of consideration for the others, but in Marius¡¯s eyes, it had appeared more of a disrespectful act of looking down on the Duke¡¯s wealth. ¡°Yes. Thank you, Duchess.¡± ¡°¡­There is no need for formal language.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± From Marius¡¯ sudden reply, I unconsciously responded. Marius, whose eyes met my rounded ones, lowered her gaze. ¡°Nothing¡­eat.¡± It felt like she was avoiding my eyes. Perhaps it was just her personality? While I was confused, Kendrick laughed while placing a milk tea in front of me. ¡°Marie is adorable, too.¡± I subtly made a face from Derrick¡¯s small murmur. After spending two weeks with the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua, I had gotten quite used to it but I couldn¡¯t help but question Kendrick¡¯s words. You mean that person¡­¡­? £ª £ª £ª In the end, Kendrick brought me to the doctor after dinner. Thanks to that, I took some digestive medicine and left with a settled stomach. Shuel and Rieta said they would go to the garden. As soon as I thought of that, an ominous feeling climbed up my back. There will be war. I¡¯m sure they were going to fight each other. It was dangerous to leave the two children alone that had a history of fighting and grabbing each other¡¯s hair, whenever they were left alone with each other. My feet fidgeted as I stared out the window where the sunlight was peering through. I halted when I noticed that there was a black haired woman standing at the end of the hallway. It was Marius. I became uneasy when I saw her and I immediately turned around, but soon realised that there were no stairs leading down so I became troubled. In the end, I had no choice but to pass by Marius. As I was about to take a cautious step, I heard Marius¡¯s quiet and blunt voice. ¡°Call me aunty.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..You can call me aunty.¡± The last word was slightly emphasised, but instead of saying a word, I stared at her back dumbly. What¡­.. ¡°Will you call me aunty?¡± ¡­What was she doing? I stood still on the spot and couldn¡¯t hide my embarrassed face. Was she¡­practicing something? ¡®Aunty?¡¯ Reita rarely called for Kendrick and Marius, but she would call them uncle and aunt when she had to. There was no reason for Shuel to call his own mother ¡®aunty¡¯ so there was only one child in the mansion who Marius would request that of. ¡®¡­..Me?¡¯ One day, while I was playing around with Rieta and Shuel, Shuel asked me why I called Marius, Duchess. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. I laughed bitterly at Shuel, who innocently asked me to call his parents ¡®aunt and uncle¡¯, and told me that his parents were upset when I didn¡¯t. Rieta and I were bound to be different By nature, Rieta was the heroine who deserves to be loved by everyone. They were kind to me but attitude and manners were two different things. To me, calling them aunt and uncle crosses the line. I thought that they would think the same but looking at this situation, perhaps not¡­. Marius continued to murmur a few more times while switching between formal and informal tones, breathed out loudly, and appeared satisfied with what she practiced. ¡°That¡¯s good enough.¡± Nodding her head, she turned around. As she tried to take a step forward, she noticed me, and immediately halted. I looked up at her face and my mouth dropped without realising it. From the first moment I met Marius until now, I had never seen her expression change. Marius rarely had a change in her expression, so it was enough for me to believe that she might be a statue. I was even more hesitant of her because of it. One time, my thought regarding Marius being unreadable to the point you couldn¡¯t tell if she was angry or not, was brought up during mealtime. Disbelief was apparent on Kendrick and Shuel¡¯s faces. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°You can see all of my mother¡¯s thoughts on her face though.¡± I definitely couldn¡¯t understand how. But today, for the first time ever, Marius¡¯ face was readable. So right now¡­. ¡®I think my eyes are broken.¡¯ ¡°Au¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­..C-Call me aunty.¡± [pr/n: SHE SO STINKING CUTE.] T/N: Sorry for the lack of update this month, I fell sick T-T. I also made an announcement that I hope you guys read, its regarding next month¡¯s updates. CH 12 She spoke and pursed her lips tightly. Looking at her ears that were red at its tip, I bit my lips to hold back the laughter that was about to burst out. I wasn¡¯t listening exactly to what she was practising, but clearly there was no need for me to do so. It was amazing that a person who usually resembles a suit of armour, would also get embarrassed. The sight of the trivial and humane appearance, surprisingly, made me feel quite relieved. She doesn¡¯t seem to hate me. ¡°Aunty.¡± I called her naturally, thinking that it should be alright since she had requested it first. Hearing my response, her deep magenta eyes widened in shock. Those same round eyes that resembled Shuel¡¯s lively ones. My face slowly relaxed when I saw her expression. I slowly approached her and as I got closer, I could see her face that appeared to be frozen. I stopped right in front of her. Hearing my greeting, Marius looked at me shyly and reached out. It was a slow and careful touch. She hesitated for a moment before a rough and handful of calluses gently ruffled my head. Despite her rough hands, her touch was quite gentle. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I guess I had forgotten for a moment that she was also a parent who had raised Shuel. Marius spoke in a tone similar to Shuel¡¯s and smiled just like Kendrick. She looked a lot like her family. They were right. Marius was indeed a kind person. I smiled and paused when I noticed there was someone behind Marius. Kendrick stood there with a face as if the whole world had just collapsed. ¡°Just now, you said¡­¡­aunty.¡± Kendrick murmured sorrowfully. Then, he hurriedly strode our way. He quickly reached us despite being a distance away. Kendrick looked at us with a complicated expression. Kendrick¡¯s eyes glared, as if to accuse Marius for doing something wrong. ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Rwen, darling. Call me too, okay? Uncle. Uuncle. Uncle Derrick, like that.¡± Kendrick, who was usually laid-back, eagerly tried to get me to agree to his request. Well¡­I was worried for nothing. Still, the appearance of a large adult face who suddenly appeared right before me, was a little uncomfortable. When I shrank back, Kendrick turned to his wife. ¡°What did you do to Rwen? How come you¡¯re the only one who gets to be called ¡®aunt¡¯?! I want to be an uncle, too!¡± ¡°Derrick. Do you realise what you¡¯re currently doing is childish?¡± Marius¡­it seemed that there was an emphasis at the end of her words. Was it just me? At Marius¡¯ calm but teasing remarks, Kendrick¡¯s sullen expression returned. He turned and faced me again. ¡°Rwen, darling. Do you feel pressured? Really?¡± Of course I do¡­.. ¡°H-Hmm¡­¡± It was a bit intimidating. However, it wasn¡¯t that I was feeling pressured from calling Kendrick ¡®uncle¡¯. Anyone, apart from Kendrick, would feel pressured to see a large face that was just 20 centimetres away from your own. When I hesitated, Kendrick¡¯s eyes became gloomy. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Arwen. Go and play now.¡± A hand reached out to my arm, gently pulled me out of Kendrick¡¯s grip, and set me down. Even without glancing at them, I knew it was Marius but I still looked up and stared at her face. She was still expressionless to me, but now I knew there was warmth in her eyes. ¡°Shu is probably crying again, so go and kick his butt.¡± Marius joked in a quiet voice. She laughed in a tone that didn¡¯t sound like a joke at all, but I still giggled. Beside her, Kendrick muttered absurdly. ¡®Rwen, uncle¡­..¡¯ I stared at them in silence but nodded my head and turned around to run down the main staircase. Kendrick, who was still quite glum, warned me to not run down the stairs. What I experienced when I came to the Duke¡¯s residence were things I had never faced before¡­but I didn¡¯t hate it. £ª £ª £ª I headed to the garden in a good mood, but what stood waiting for me was anything but. ¡°He hit me first!¡± ¡°You hit me harder!¡± I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s Shuel and Rieta¡­ I could not seriously believe that while watching the two children in front of me fight over food. Don¡¯t tell me¡­the kids who went out looking like porcelain dolls with combed hair and were neatly dressed. Why do they look like they have just come out of the jungle? Their clothes were very wrinkled as if they had just fought and grabbed each other¡¯s neck. I smiled vainly. Should I praise her for not grabbing his hair? Should I scold him for ripping off the expensive satin frills on her dress? No¡­first, someone please tell me the two children in front of me aren¡¯t really Shuel and Rieta. My brief escape from reality didn¡¯t last long. I held my forehead. From the two sentences just now, I could roughly guess what had just happened. While they were arguing, someone hit the other party, and they hit them back harder which then just escalated into a fight. I didn¡¯t even need to investigate it further. It was quite obvious. ¡°Shuel. You know it¡¯s bad to hit other people.¡± I aimed at Shuel first, who was looking relatively mild. However, he swelled his cheeks up and displayed that he was extremely upset. It seemed useless to try to urge a reply out of him, so I then turned my head to Rieta. ¡°Rieta, you too. If your friend hits you, you should tell them they shouldn¡¯t do that. How could you hit them back harder?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my friend.¡± Shuel interrupted with swollen cheeks. Rieta¡¯s lips trembled, showing a reaction. ¡°Y-you are not my friend either!¡± I was startled by the sound. No matter how many times she hit and fought with Shuel, Rieta only glared at Shuel with a cold look. For the first time, the said child made a loud noise. Like me, Shuel widened his eyes in astonishment. At the same time, tears welled up from Reita¡¯s grey eyes. ¡°You, huk*, you are not my friend! Hu, hukf. I¡­I also hate you! Y-you idiot!¡± [*sobbing noise] Rieta cried dejectedly. Her face crumpled up as if she had been enduring it for too long. Worried that she would struggle to breathe from crying so hard, I reached out my hand to her but Rieta slapped it. Rieta stared at me, her small eyes full of anger and gasping for breath. ¡°I-I hate you too!¡± To be honest, my heart ached a little from the words she cried out with a tearful face. Rieta. You gave me jam earlier because you liked me¡­.. ¡°Rieta. How could you simply say ¡®you¡¯ like that to your unnie.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I stayed silent, but it only served to bring more tears from Rieta. I didn¡¯t think soothing would help very much so I just stared at her silently. Shuel, who was standing next to her, his lips also began to quiver. It was a very ominous sign. Oh god, please don¡¯t start too. I prayed desperately but in the end, Shuel also began to cry with a face that looked like a squashed dough. ¡°W-Why are you crying too?¡± ¡°Hingg¡­..¡± I hurriedly reached out to sooth him, but Shuel also rejected my touch as well. My head began to hurt before my heart could ache from the second rejection. Listening to the children¡¯s cries in the garden, I became befuddled. I want to cry too, kids¡­. ¡°Oh, goodness me. Why is everyone crying so hard?¡± Perhaps their cries were loud enough to be heard from all the way inside. The maids were startled and ran out from the mansion. Nanny Bessie, the first to arrive, gave me a puzzled look as if to wonder why the oldest child was the only one not crying. I smiled sheepishly. Yeah. I needed to fix this quickly¡­. While I struggled to organise my thoughts, the maids approached Shuel and Rieta. I stopped them from trying to comfort the children right away. ¡°No, just leave them be.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll eventually stop. Just ignore them for now and please prepare some snacks. Don¡¯t worry about them.¡± As if to refute my words, the cries grew louder. The maids were restless, but I shook my head firmly. Eventually, they left after hesitating for a while. Even as a picky eater, there were no children who wouldn¡¯t get tired from crying and eventually become hungry. It¡¯s better not to comfort them when they are crying after doing something wrong. Children¡¯s physical strength was also limited. Not to mention they were crying from anger, not because they were wronged. When I silently stared at the children without saying a word, Shuel and Rieta looked back at me. Their crying gradually resided and now there were more sniffles than actual tears coming from the both of them. After a while, the sniffles itself completely subsided. The children whimpered a few more times before finally stopping. I sighed. ¡°Guys¡­¡± Shuel and Rieta sniffled at my call and glanced at me. I didn¡¯t miss the chance. ¡°If you don¡¯t play, you lose. Rock, paper, scissors!¡± The children were bewildered by my sudden words before hastily stretching out their hands. Shuel¡¯s was a fist and Rieta¡¯s was a paper. Yesterday, I taught the children how to play rock-paper-scissors and suffered all day. But at this moment, I praised my past self. ¡°Let¡¯s have a talk first, Rieta.¡± ¡°Why do you start with Rieta?!¡± Once again, Shuel immediately interfered and asked furiously. The sentence ¡®Let¡¯s talk¡¯ was a very meaningful phrase when an adult hears it but alas, these poor little lambs were impatient to talk with me. ¡°You two played rock, paper, scissors and Rieta won. This is fair, Shuel.¡± Shuel flinched at my firm words. He continued to sniffle as if he still had a lot of complaints, but he couldn¡¯t refute it. I brought Rieta to the corridor and when I turned to face her, I almost burst into laughter. Rieta¡¯s face was puffy, looking like a pizza dough rising. ¡°I hate you!¡± Oh, boy¡­ I smiled bitterly. Just because she got scolded earlier, my title now changed from ¡®sister¡¯ to ¡®you¡¯. TL/N: arwen, the babysitter pr/n: This picture is 10000% accurate. CH 13 Rieta¡¯s eyes were blazing red and her cheeks were puffed up. I answered her with a calm smile. ¡°Is that so? But I still like Rieta?¡± Hic. Rieta hiccuped. Those wet silver eyes became quite round. The cute child became shy from that single word, but that wasn¡¯t the point here. ¡°Rieta. What did I say just now?¡± Rieta flinched from my low voice. I watched as she wriggled her fingers and her eyes became restless. Okay. Did she realise her mistake now? ¡°D-Don¡¯t hit your friend¡­..but, he¡¯s not my friend!¡± ¡°Then, can I hit you if I¡¯m not your friend?¡± ¡°He hit me first!¡± ¡°Yes, I understand it hurts because you got hit. But Rieta, Shuel must have been just as hurt as you.¡± Rieta clenched her hands and shook her head vigorously like a furious cat. Her silver eyes, now coated with anger and betrayal, stared at me. ¡°W-Why aren¡¯t you taking my side?¡± Tears welled up in Rieta¡¯s eyes, indicating that she was sad once again. I dabbed gently at Rieta¡¯s eyes with a handkerchief and took a deep breath. I could vaguely understand what Rieta was feeling. Shuel, who grew up with unconditional love from his parents, was an object of envy. No matter how much the people of the dukedom loved Rieta, they did not place Shuel behind Rieta. Children can notice the amount of attention they receive from others with frightening accuracy. Rieta wanted me to prioritise her over Shuel. To take care of her as if I was the parent, as someone who was older than her. But I can¡¯t love the child alone unconditionally. It was not just me, but everyone else as well. Even if Rieta were to go to the Marquis of Schrider like in the original plot, would she be loved more than the two sons in the household? Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. On the surface, Rieta, who was younger than the two young masters, would receive more attention. But would the Marquis really choose Rieta over his sons when they were placed on the scales together? She was never going to be the first choice to anyone. That is the fate of a child without parents. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this now, not because I hate you or that you are bad. It¡¯s because the act of hitting someone is wrong.¡± I don¡¯t hate Rieta. No, in fact, I quite liked Rieta. But I can¡¯t take responsibility for the child¡¯s entire life. ¡°However Rieta, I will side with the right person.¡± It was the loneliness that Rieta would have to carry for the rest of her life. A pain that she had to undeniably face. Therefore, I am showing her this truth now to put my conscience at ease. Unlike before when I spoke softly with a hint of affection despite acting nonchalant. This time, I spoke in a cold tone without fluctuating my voice. I wasn¡¯t just using words to describe this situation. I don¡¯t treat you any more special than anyone else. I drew the line very clearly and sharply. Rieta opened her mouth slightly. Her eyes trembled, perhaps due to shock or anger. But in the end, the emotion in Rieta¡¯s eyes was fear. ¡°I-I was wrong¡­¡± I felt a little guilty as she stuttered her words while trying to hold back her tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t fight. I won¡¯t scream, I won¡¯t do it again¡­¡± Rieta didn¡¯t scream or cry like before. She just quivered and her small body stiffened. I bit my lip. I was not happy with her appearance in the slightest. I was too rash with my actions. Rieta was too young to know that she had to face the world without anyone supporting her. The moment I spread my arms wide, Rieta rushed in and hugged me tightly. Rieta and I were similar in size but Rieta was smaller. I looked at the child and gently patted her soft hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said it so fiercely. I¡¯m not angry at you.¡± Rieta¡¯s shoulders trembled in my arms. I regretted that I unintentionally stimulated the child¡¯s trauma. You are a beautiful and lovely child with no room for hate. It was heartbreaking to see you, who deserves to be loved, recoil from even the slightest hint of coldness. However, I also knew that it was not a trauma that could simply be solved with just a few words. Instead of a clumsy comfort, I changed the subject to something lighter. ¡°It¡¯s actually fun to play with Shuel, right?¡± Nod. ¡°But you get annoyed when you have to play continuously and when you get angry, Shuel starts to talk a lot. And you don¡¯t like that, do you?¡± Nod, nod. ¡°But you were sad when Shuel said you weren¡¯t his friend.¡± Nod¡­¡­Hingg. Rieta burst into tears again. The child cried foolishly and her face contorted itself like a dumpling. While wiping the corner of Rieta¡¯s eyes, I smiled. ¡°But¡­I¡¯m proud that you didn¡¯t say bad words. Good job.¡± When Rieta and Shuel first fought, Rieta used some brutal curse words that even I had never heard of before. It was a foul and alarming curse words that had even me, who knew all kinds of curses from the memories of my previous life, surprised. Many of the Duke¡¯s servants had heard it, but no one scolded Rieta. Instead, they merely advised Rieta that those words were very bad and should not be used. After that, no matter how angry Rieta had gotten, she did not swear. Of course, the word ¡®idiot¡¯ was also not very kind, but wasn¡¯t it cute that the word she shouted while crying was ¡®idiots¡¯¡­.. Now that she was feeling less sad, Rieta stopped crying. I caressed the cheek of the child whose face had turned red. Maybe it¡¯s a little different for you. The world that I have always known has been cruel¡­but for you it is different. This world was full of opportunities, and so it is possible that they might really become a family to you. Because you are the main character and a child who deserves more love than I do¡­ ¡°Rwen?¡± Rieta raised her head with a puzzled look. ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You made a weird face.¡± Dismissing her sister¡¯s anguish and worries for a ¡®weird face¡¯. You brat. But instead of complaining, I laughed. ¡°You won¡¯t understand even if I told you.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± I laughed loudly at her blunt response. So, I answered her as she had wished. ¡°I was thinking that one day, you will definitely have parents and a loving home.¡± At those words, Rieta made another baffled face. I smiled without explaining it further. I hope there will be more people by your side who would love you more than I do. Maybe someday, when you¡¯re old enough, you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m saying. Because for now, you are still growing up. Simply crying, laughing, and fighting just like other children. Still¡­fight in moderation, you punks. Your older sister is going to have back pains at the age of 9 trying to stop your fights every time. Pretending to be calm and mature as they fight is a terrible position to be in. I got annoyed again, so I stretched her cheeks wide without hurting them. Rieta grimaced, but remained calm. ¡°Go and apologise to Shuel later. I have to talk to him first, so can you go and get Shuel?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fight.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be back.¡± I smiled and waved at Rieta as she ran away. What a good response¡­ £ª £ª £ª I could see the children from afar. After hearing the message from Rieta, Shuel turned his head towards me. Then, he ran excitedly but froze when he noticed my expression. He instantly had a look that displayed a strong desire to turn around. I almost laughed at it. ¡°No, that¡­I accidentally hit her, but Rieta hit me harder so I¡­..¡± Shuel, who had been hesitating, finally stood in front of me and gave me excuses. ¡°Then, did you apologise for accidentally hitting her?¡± Shuel turned his face away and slowly stopped muttering. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. After a subtle pause, Shuel glanced back at me and shook his head. ¡°If you didn¡¯t say it was an accident, Rieta would think that you hit her on purpose. That¡¯s why Rieta got angry too.¡± Shuel didn¡¯t say anything. As if a cat had got his tongue. He seemed to realise his mistake. ¡°No, that¡­..¡± ¡°You like Rieta. You can¡¯t be mean to the girl you like for no reason.¡± At my words, Shuel stubbornly closed his mouth again in a pout. I tilted my head at his sullen reaction. ¡°You don¡¯t like her?¡± Nod nod. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Shuel, whose cheeks had turned red, shouted loudly. I simply laughed. Yes, yes¡­you¡¯re just being shy, aren¡¯t you? Shuel muttered shyly, wriggling his hands as he glanced at my smiling face as if he was revealing a secret. ¡°I-I like Rwen¡­.¡± Huh? ¡°Not Rieta. I like Rwen.¡± Those shy words were like a slap to the back of my head. I opened my mouth stupidly. Only one word came to mind. ¡®No.¡¯ That¡¯s impossible. You really can¡¯t, Shuel! That¡¯s not right. How large was the age difference between you and I? It was at least twenty years difference. I was about to seriously hold the child and express that, but I was startled when I saw his small hand stretched out to me. Small. It was very, very small. It felt like someone had slapped me in the back of my head once again. Oh, yeah. That¡¯s right. He was only an eight years old kid now. It¡¯s very common for young children his age to like good looking seniors. Only then did I laugh in relief. ¡°I like you too, Shuel.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. I like Shuel. I just didn¡¯t like him as a man. I thought it was a bit deceiving, but when Shuel gets old enough to realise my deception, the childhood confessions will become but a faded memory. Shuel¡¯s face brightened distinctively at my answer. ¡°T-Then, let¡¯s get married when we grow up!¡± Watching Shuel¡¯s eyes sparkling, I smiled. Ten years. No, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll forget about it after five years, but he sure has a big dream. ¡°Okay. If you still like me then, I will marry you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shuel smiled brightly, even after I added the slight clause¡­just in case. I smiled and held onto the small hand that was holding onto mine tightly. ¡°So, does that mean you can fight?¡± ¡°No, that¡­¡­¡± You brat. You thought you had succeeded in changing the subject. Shuel took a quick glance again. Then, he raised his head in determination. ¡°But at this age, you¡¯re supposed to fight and grow up!¡± I admired that a little. That is quite right. Where did he hear that from? ¡°Yes, we can argue with each other over conflicts of interest. But, what about violence?¡± ¡°¡­We should not do that.¡± ¡°So you know that then?¡± ¡°Yes¡­..¡± I gently stroked Shuel¡¯s hair, who instantly became obedient, and added on a few more words. ¡°When you get angry, talk about what made you angry first and then figure out what you want to do about it. Fighting with each other will only make each other feel bad.¡± Shuel nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ll apologise to Rieta first and I¡¯ll tell her that I was wrong.¡± In the end, he said he will apologise first as the older brother. I smiled and grabbed Shuel¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, then. Let¡¯s go.¡± CH 14 After leaving the corridor and entering the garden, a green hair child was spotted swaying about in the middle of the field. Rieta, who had been waiting for us, trembled while avoiding our gazes. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too.¡± ¡°Go on. Hug each other and apologise.¡± Flinch. At my words, their eyes shook simultaneously. They mumbled for a moment before their reply was heard. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­..¡± These kids. Afraid that they¡¯ll be scolded for refusing my sudden request, they avoided my gaze again. I sighed before spreading my arms out to these little kids, who couldn¡¯t make eye contact with me. ¡°Come here.¡± Shuel and Rieta frowned, displaying their dislike for each other, but they quickly ran and hugged me. Since my body was not that big, it felt like the children were embracing each other. When their hands touched each other, Shuel and Rieta objected instantly. ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°You go away.¡± These blockheads. I thought this was already over. It hadn¡¯t even been 10 minutes since both of you said you wouldn¡¯t fight. ¡°If you guys fight again, I won¡¯t hug you.¡± The children¡¯s mouth instantly shut simultaneously from my statement. I felt their hands fumbling behind their backs before holding each other¡¯s hands. ¡°W-We¡¯re not fighting. We¡¯re very friendly. Right, Rieta?¡± ¡°¡­.Yes, Shu.¡± When you say that while squirming as if you wanted to let go of your hands as soon as possible, the size of your credibility doesn¡¯t even reach a fingernail. But, I won¡¯t waste this opportunity. ¡°We have to play together now. Got it?¡± Nod nod. The little kids immediately nodded. As always, they responded well. The sun was starting to sting, so I sat on the mat that was laid out under the shade of a big tree. It was a little struggle to sit properly since Shuel and Rieta sat on both my sides. It was summer, but it felt cool beneath the shade. The children felt warm in my embrace. After soothing and reconciling the crying children, I began to get tired. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Perhaps it was the same case with the children as they had also fallen asleep and their bodies began to tumble towards me. It was funny to see both of them unconsciously frowning as their heads touched each other. I lent them each a leg. I was planning to stroke their hair, but my eyes closed within the next second. We ended up all taking a nap. The birds were chirping and the wind had a gentle breeze. It was a perfect day. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Rwen. What are you going to do today?¡± That was the first question the children asked after waking up from their nap. I rubbed my numb legs where they slept to bring it back to life. Since there were no children of the same age as Shuel in the duke¡¯s residence, Shuel spent his time reading books or playing with toys rather than running around. His physical health was handled through training. But after Rieta and I arrived, Kendrick and Marius kicked us out and told us to run around the garden. So we needed to do something outside. I, with the help of the memories from my previous life, had to come up with something. ¡°Let¡¯s play hide and seek today.¡± ¡°Hide and seek?¡± Shuel asked in a curious tone while Rieta¡¯s silver eyes glistened beside him. Mmm¡­cute. They were like angels who didn¡¯t cry, whine, get angry, or were very stubborn. It was a sight you don¡¯t see often. I patted the children¡¯s head with satisfaction and continued. ¡°One person will be the seeker and the other two will be the hiders. If the seeker manages to find the other team within a certain period of time, then the seeker wins. If they fail, the hiders win instead.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°I want to play it!¡± As usual, the children never refused. Now that we¡¯ve had our lunch, we were very energetic. I had a gut feeling that in the future, I would have to play hide and seek for at least three hours from now on. ¡°For the rules, the seeker will seek for 30 minutes. Go and find a hiding spot within 30 seconds and after that, you can¡¯t move from that spot. The area is limited to the garden and the first floor of the mansion. Also, don¡¯t hide inside closets.¡± The last request included my own selfish desire. I was fed up with them because of Jeffrey. The smell of moths kept wafting inside the closets where things like winter clothes were kept. A closet was a great hiding spot, so I was worried that they would reject it. But fortunately, the children nodded their heads without any objection. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. We decided the roles with rock, paper, and scissors. I became the seeker. After I tied a pocket watch on each of the children¡¯s wrists, they ran away to hide. It was nice to see them run side by side, as if they had never fought. Those kids will become a couple in the future. Though, I wasn¡¯t sure when they¡¯ll fall in love. Will they fight and cry as much as they do now? Anyways, they will love each other very much. Maybe even get married. I became a little worried as I thought about the future. ¡®There will be a lot of gossip regarding Rieta being a commoner. What should I do?¡¯ It would have been better if she had been adopted by Marquis Schrider like in the original story, but it¡¯s already impossible. She would likely have a hard time as the Duchess. It would be hard for Shuel too, so I hope I can help. If only we could stay together until then¡­¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯ I froze in place at the sudden thought. The corners of my mouth went down. As though it was proof that I had been smiling all this time without realising it. It was very hard for me to imagine a future that was not filled with happiness. Previously, I had assumed that even if I did attempt to escape from my own house, I would either be kidnapped and sold again. Or live in poverty for the rest of my life. But just now, it was evident that it was no longer the case¡­.. I was no longer afraid of someone barging into my room suddenly. There was no need to fill my stomach with just a small amount of food during dinner and I no longer needed to attend difficult classes on days I am not feeling well. When I closed my eyes, the sun felt warm. It felt good to hear the clear laughters from time to time. Before going to bed, someone would always read me a bedtime story. During breakfast, someone would greet me with a smile even if I came down late. I was not used to being treated well, but it felt good enough to make me tear up. I was so used to a terrible life since it was no different than my previous one, but now it has all changed¡­ If I had to choose between the darkness or the light, the choice was obvious. I don¡¯t want to leave¡­ I lowered my head and buried my face in my hands. I took a deep breath, in hope that I would not cry. I knew that feeble goodwill doesn¡¯t last long. I was neither a child of this family nor the beloved heroine, so someday¡­I must leave. I felt like I was going to cry, but it was not from sadness or from holding my breath, so I endured it. Lifting my head, I clenched my fists tight with a determined face. ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± When have I ever lived on a smooth path? If there¡¯s no way, then I¡¯ll just make one! It¡¯s not like there wasn¡¯t any room for me in this spacious mansion. If I compared the benefits of staying in the dukedom to another place, the former would win. I¡¯m sick of trying to prove my worth all the time. It¡¯s not easy to trust them blindly. But at least, among the many people I¡¯ve met, the people of the Duke of Sebrirua were the warmest. Of course, it could all be fake. The children may reject in the future and the duke¡¯s favour may wither. But up until now, I have nothing left to lose so I choose to stick to the safest option. Therefore, it was alright to gamble just this once. The feeling that this might be an outrageous idea did not leave me. But strangely enough, I didn¡¯t feel bad about my decision. As I stood still in the sunlight while counting, I burst into laughter. Here, I could breathe freely. Fresh air circulated deep within my lungs. Ah, I think I¡¯ll survive. £ª £ª £ª After counting over 30 seconds, I slowly set out to find the children. Although it was a pretty unfair condition for me to be the seeker, my footsteps were still awfully slow. The places where kids would hide were all the same. In extreme cases, they would hide behind a curtain and leave their feet sticking out. Even if I heard a giggle underneath the coffee table or behind a pillar, I should just pretend I didn¡¯t hear them. But, what if I find them too quickly? ¡®Wow, Rwen! How did you find us? I thought I hid really well!¡¯ ¡®¡­.I thought Rwen would find him first.¡¯ I imagined the children¡¯s response in my head. There were times when Shuel and Rieta admired me, since I knew a lot of things. So I thought it would be the same case this time as well. Before I knew it, the corners of my lips rose happily. I stopped grinning and glanced around. No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good to be praised. Yeah, the kids were adorable. ¡­What am I doing when I am already this old? I walked slowly while fanning my face with an abashed expression. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Where are they? I decided to not look inside the closet. We played a lot in the garden earlier, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll go there. Were they behind the curtains? Or behind an open door? I slowly began to search all the spots I could think of but unexpectedly, the kids were nowhere to be found. ¡®Maybe because the house was so big.¡¯ This time, I searched for the harder spots to guess. Behind the main staircase or between the drying sheets the maids laid out under the sun. But the kids weren¡¯t there either, and the time was running out. ¡®Where are you guys?¡¯ When only 10 minutes were left, I dumped my dignity and started to rummage through the first floor and the garden like a mouse. Yet, not a single hair of the children could be seen anywhere. Based on the children¡¯s character, they wouldn¡¯t break the rules. That must mean they had hid incredibly well. The pocket watch on my wrist continued to tick and tick. There was only five minutes left and I still haven¡¯t seen an inch of the children¡¯s clothes. Right¡­it¡¯s a big blow to look down on a child. CH 15 Come to think of it, both of them had no choice but to hide incredibly well. Rieta grew up under the orphanage director, who wielded violence as he pleased. Of course, she had to find a hiding spot where no one could find her. As for Shuel¡­.. ¡°They surprisingly clean quite often under the sofa. So, hide under the table even if it¡¯s a little dirty there. It¡¯s uselessly wide and dark underneath, so it¡¯s hard to see. If you¡¯re being chased, run and hide in a clean and smooth place immediately, rather than a dusty one¡­..¡± That was what I had told him when we were still in the Broschte estate. How to hide well in the room, just in case you get caught. Very elaborate details were emphasized. I dug my own grave, deeply¡­. I sat down and rubbed my sore legs, took a deep breath, then got up again. There was not much time left, but there were only a few more places left that I haven¡¯t looked at yet. The children would come out soon if I gave up looking for them, but I refused to do that. I have the pride of being the oldest. However, while I was looking around the garden, my surroundings suddenly became quite dark. I quickly made my way back to the corridor. Krungg. Suddenly I heard a noise and when I looked up, the blue sky had already begun to turn murky. Shortly after, it began to rain heavily and the garden landscape disappeared. It looked like it would only rain briefly, but it was still strong enough that a child could be swept away. The backyard was not very large and there were a few large trees, so there was no risk of getting lost. I knew that the children were not there after meticulously scouring the garden just now, but it still felt ominous. The humidity from the rain made the hot air feel like a steamer. It was not a very delightful experience when my sweaty limbs didn¡¯t dry out and felt sticky. I frowned at the strange feeling. It was just rain. I¡¯m sure it would end soon. I felt anxious, as if someone was pulling the back of my head. It was strange, too. On such a perfect day, a short rain suddenly appeared. At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps were heard. It was accompanied by the sound of water dripping onto the floor, indicating that they had recently come from outside. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. The footsteps sounded unfamiliar and held a sense of urgency in its pace. It was too heavy for it to be either Shuel or Rieta, and too reckless to be Marius or Kendrick. It didn¡¯t sound like it was any of the servants either. It was unclear to who it was but familiar goosebumps arose. ¡­I know the sound of those footsteps! ¡°Arwen¡­¡­!¡± Goosebumps crawled down my spine. The feeling was similar to having my hair yanked back at this instant. Rumble, Boom! Lightning flashed and a shadow was seen. No, it wasn¡¯t just one shadow¡­ Shadows in different sizes shook like monsters in the wind. I turned my head slowly. The world, which had been glistening in colours just a moment ago, turned black and white in an instant. In the middle of the corridor, stood a woman with brown hair, smiling wide. My gaze shifted then to the man and the boy standing next to her, before returning back towards the woman. Tick, tick, ding! A faint sound rang from the pocket watch. It was a sound that marked the end of the game. How are you here? How did you know I was here? Ironically, that was the first thing that came to my mind. My fingertips became cold and I clenched my fist tightly. Another lightning flashed and the Viscountess of Broschte¡¯s face appeared. Like a switch that turned on and off. At first, the expression on her face resembled a demon from hell. Before I could even take a step backwards, she had reached me within a few steps. ¡°My darling!¡± I instantly closed my eyes, embracing myself for the terrifying pain that engulfed my entire body as she hugged me tightly. ¡°How have you been? How could you not say a word to me? Do you know how worried I was?¡± The viscountess caressed me while pouring out words of concern. I felt nauseous by the gentle touch that was stroking my hair yet her eyes were cold as she looked down at me. I barely opened my frozen mouth and produced a sound as if my throat was being strangled. ¡°¡­¡­Mother.¡± Even chewing on grains of sand wouldn¡¯t be as difficult as this. The ¡®name¡¯ I had been calling her before became uncomfortable to say again, like the feeling of being pricked with pins and needles. The viscountess continued to stroke me, pouring out words of affection. But I hardly believed any of it. This person couldn¡¯t have genuinely searched for me out of worry. Thinking indifferently, I turned my gaze and saw two other people over the viscountess¡¯ shoulder. A pair of black and platinum blonde hair individuals. It was Marius and Kendrick. ¡°What a relief. You were safe!¡± Ah, right. It was obvious. ¡°Honey, the child is shocked.¡± ¡°Oh. Yes, I am too.¡± The viscount woke up at the sound of the viscountess¡¯ tender voice as she wiped away her tears. I glanced at the hand she held out to me. ¡°Arwen?¡± Her hysterical voice overlapped with her friendly call. My breathing became suffocated. There¡¯s nothing I could do. I had no choice but to go back with them. Nothing had gotten worse. It just¡­simply went back to its original state. I wanted to stay at the duke¡¯s residence, but it was clear that I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay here any longer now that Viscount Broschte had found me. I raised the corners of my mouth to smile, but it quickly fell down. My throat kept feeling like it was choked up. I had to reply and accept her hand, but my body wouldn¡¯t move like I wanted it to. Like a doll whose string had fallen off. ¡°¡­..Yes.¡± The difficult word to say came out very faint. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. She is my daughter, but she is very kind hearted.¡± The Viscount who smiled and spoke softly was an unfamiliar sight to see. He had never made such a smile. I thought he was incapable of it, but turns out he merely didn¡¯t feel the need to. Neither Jeffrey nor the Viscountess were acting normal. They were both smiling like people who only knew joy. The Viscountess, who occasionally strokes my hair. Jeffrey, who would push a snack towards me. They both appeared to cherish me very much. Unlike them, who were omitting a pretence of a warm atmosphere, Marius and Kendrick¡¯s faces were chillingly cold. Marius had a frosty look, as though proving her expression had been gentle all this time. Kendrick also appeared unfamiliar with his expressionless face. The Broschte family acted like they were knights returning from victory. They proudly occupied the parlour, stood in front of Marius and Kendrick, while praising me as the hero who saved Shuel. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Greed flashed in the eyes of the Broschte couple. It was impossible not to notice something so blatantly obvious. What will they ask for? Viscount Broschte, who wanted to establish a connection with the nobles of the capital, would not be satisfied with just a simple compensation. It was me who had saved Shuel, so as a result, they could be here with me. I had to intervene in their goal, but my head was all blank. I tried to focus on the situation and blamed myself for constantly losing my train of thoughts. Obviously, the Viscount of Broschte would want to keep ties with the Sebrirua Duchy. But they couldn¡¯t continuously be indebted to him just because I had saved Shuel. Perhaps, there was only one way for them to continue their ties with the Duke of Sebrirua. By getting Shuel and I to be engaged¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ Getting engaged would really cross the line. Engagement was a semi-permanent thing. The fact that the heir of the duke would be engaged to the young daughter of a Viscount would already make a disgraceful scar, not to mention a divorce later on. The chances were not impossible. Rieta was also staying in the Duke¡¯s residence after informing Shuel¡¯s whereabouts, so the justification was ample. But at the sight of the Viscount family behind me, I wasn¡¯t sure whether the Duke and Duchess would continue to be kind to me, the cause of it all. There was no ulterior motive in my decision to save Shuel. He was just a child that was being abused and he happened to be the only child I could save. If I mentioned right away that I had no intention of getting repaid, everything would be solved. But what would happen to me after that? If they failed to push me towards the Duke of Sebrirua, they would drag me back at all costs. And once again, they would try to sell me at a high price. There was no way out¡­ It was as though the ground was ripped open from under me. I had nothing to begin with, but I still felt a great sense of loss. The resignation feeling felt all too familiar. The ducal couple were kind. If I proved my innocence, they wouldn¡¯t kill me. So I had to wait until I became an adult before running away. Yes, that¡¯s the plan. Even if I leave this place. Even if they no longer treat me kindly, I could still live. ¡­If that was the case. The moment I thought of that, a shadow fell before my eyes. When I lifted my head, I saw a soft, platinum blonde hair. Kendrick¡¯s gentle face, which always bore a relaxed smile, seemed like a facade. I had never seen such an angry look from him before. I understood his reaction. The Broschte couple were shameless and vulgar. And I, their daughter, couldn¡¯t appear to be lovely after meeting them. Don¡¯t be angry. I did nothing wrong. That was what I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut. T/N: (¨i©n¨i) pr/n: MY POOR BABY. Kendrick approached me slowly. The anger lingering on his face subsided when our eyes met. I thought he would hit or curse at me, but Kendrick didn¡¯t do either. Just like when he and Marius spoke to me, like how the other servants did, Kendrick knelt down and looked into my eyes. ¡°Rwen. Come here. Let¡¯s go out with uncle.¡± CH 16 A light, playful smile and gentle eyes appear before me. Kendrick¡¯s smiling face appeared as usual. His appearance was so unexpected that my mouth slightly opened without realising. ¡°I¡­..¡± A shaky and trembling voice flowed out before I could notice it. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± At the question, Kendrick¡¯s eyes lowered sympathetically. ¡°Why would I hate our Rwen?¡± The viscount, who was stunned by his sudden action, made a troubled expression before turning towards me. His sharp eyes appeared to be scolding me for muttering nonsense. ¡°I, my lord. My apologies, but Arwen is my child. I mean, if you¡¯re going to bring her away¨C¡± ¡°Viscount.¡± Marius cut off Viscount¡¯s careful speech. There was no difference from her usual indifferent tone, but her voice seemed frigid. ¡°If you want to pretend that you care about your daughter, be a little more sincere.¡± At those words, guilt flashed through the Broschte couple¡¯s faces. Then, they hastily denied and made excuses, but Marius didn¡¯t care and shrugged them off coldly. ¡°Since a while ago, the child¡¯s face had turned pale. Is there anything you want to say other than to flatter us?¡± Frightened, I instinctively hugged his neck. Kendrick patted my back and stood up. My field of vision increased and the Viscount family appeared very small. ¡°It is true that Arwen is a child of the Viscount, but as long as she is in the Duchy, she is still a guest of Kendrick and I. I believe you will not deny the hosts¡¯ right to serve their guests?¡± Marius¡¯ cold speech was not heard clearly, but Kendrick whispered back ¡®Okay.¡¯. In a few steps, he managed to leave the parlour and the door slammed shut right behind me. Before the door was closed, Marius stared at me. Her magenta eyes were very warm. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Kendrick carried me and walked away steadily. I frowned in his comfortable, warm arms. He didn¡¯t say he hated me. Even gazed at the Viscount family with such contempt. I knew I was being sympathised but I didn¡¯t hate it. And at the same time, I recalled something. ¡°Um, sir.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The moment I called, an answer was instantly returned. There was not a single sign of annoyance. I hesitated for a while, but eventually opened my mouth. ¡°My¡­if my parents request a reward for finding Shuel on my behalf, then you don¡¯t have to do it. It wasn¡¯t something I did in hopes for a reward.¡± The words that had been lingering inside me finally came out. Overthinking, I uttered something I didn¡¯t intend. My head began to hurt and I felt dizzy. ¡°They might request an engagement with Shuel, but I really didn¡¯t want that. So¡­.¡± Don¡¯t hate me. I couldn¡¯t bear to say that last sentence. Kendrick looked down at me when my words began to fade. I lowered my head, avoiding making any eye contact with him. Then, I heard a voice above my head replied gently. ¡°Alright.¡± £ª £ª £ª Kendrick brought me to my room. On the bed, Rieta and Shuel were sleeping side by side. I watched the peaceful scene, took a deep breath, and left the room quietly. Walking through the cold air after the rainfall, my dazed mind gradually became clear. Only then did I slowly realise what I had done. I had practically confessed that I was more scared of being hated by the people of the Duchy than returning back to the Broschte estate. It was funny that I had only met them for a little over two weeks but I am feeling this way. How could I do such a reckless thing just because I didn¡¯t want to be hated by these people? It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just, nothing special¡­. After some reflection with myself, I stood tall. Then I walked around aimlessly and ended up in the corridor. The place where I stood and smiled just a few hours ago, thinking I was going to survive. It made sense to say that what destroys a person was not great despair, but a small hope. It felt as though the whole world was pushing me to my death. While I was slowly getting used to the pain, happiness appeared for a brief moment. The pain that returned became much more devastating. It wasn¡¯t an extreme pain. It was just¡­a very lonely feeling. In this world, a child¡¯s custody was entirely the parent¡¯s right and duty. Kendrick brought me out of the parlour, but that was all it was in the end. Would Kendrick or Marius go through all that fuss to try and save me? The world¡¯s mercy was not so generous. They could consider saving Rieta, who faced no issues regarding the adoption process. It was good to get an affirmation from Kendrick, but in the end¡­it was clear that nothing would change as I had wished for. I will eventually have to return to the same life I once lived before again¡­ Should I be glad that I found someone that would cry for me when I die? Or should I be sad that there was no one who would die for me? I stared at the ground. The garden was dark once the dusk fell. The corridor built out of stone felt long and wide. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. At that moment, I could hear the echoes of tiny footsteps. The sound broke the suffocating stillness of the dark night. The owner of those tiny footsteps soon reached me. ¡°Rwen.¡± I turned my head in shock, like a child who was caught doing something bad. Dark green hair shone underneath the blue moonlight. ¡°¡­..Rieta?¡± In her pyjamas, Rieta stared at me with a strange expression. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Rieta approached me quietly without answering my question. The child stood in front of me and simply stared. When I couldn¡¯t stand the silence any longer, I was about to speak first but Rieta held out a small pouch to me. I accepted the pouch, unconsciously. The stained pouch was quite heavy and a clinking sound could be heard. ¡°Take this and run away.¡± My mind became blank from the nonchalant remark. ¡°¡­..What?¡± Even as I struggled to believe it and was about to question it further, Rieta remained calm. She held eyes too deep to be of a five year old. ¡°No, what are you talking about? What is this in the first place? Where¨C¡­¡± While I was trying to warn Rieta not to touch other people¡¯s belongings, I froze when I opened the pouch. It was a familiar sight of small coins in a worn out pouch. A thought immediately came into mind. ¡°You, this¡­¡­¡± In the beginning of the original story, Rieta¡¯s stained pouch was an essential description to her character. This was Rieta¡¯s hard-earned money for her escape. Rieta, who died horribly in her first life, suffered from severe distrust after her regression. Even after being adopted by the Marquis of Schrider, she couldn¡¯t shake off the wariness that they could kill her at any moment. So she saved as much money as a child could. In the original story, Rieta did not give up her escape funds until she had reached ten years old. Now she had changed places from the Marquis to the Duke, but the child couldn¡¯t have released her vigilance in less than a year. The money Rieta gave me was equivalent to her ensuring that she survives. There were stains present on the pouch. The coins inside glistened with how much she polished them, indicating that this pouch was very precious to Rieta. I remembered Shuel, who stood in front of Jeffrey when I screamed for help. This pouch that Rieta held the same emotions as that situation did back then. She was very kind. Her innocent and clear heart overwhelmed me. How much courage did this child need to have before making the decision to give this to me? ¡°It wasn¡¯t stolen, really.¡± When I was speechless, Rieta clarified to me in a hurry. Even if I hadn¡¯t read the original story, it wasn¡¯t hard to believe her words. The duke was generous to his servants and no one was poor enough to cherish these coins. ¡®I know.¡¯ Perhaps due to the drowsiness, I muttered unclearly and Rieta squirmed. Her reaction seemed to indicate that she was ashamed of her shabby pouch. But I knew exactly how precious it was for her to give this to me without hesitation. The child¡¯s grey eyes were clear. Even after giving up on her important item, there were no signs of regret. She even appeared apologetic for not being able to provide more. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. There was nothing I could say to that face. After hesitating for a long time, I finally was able to utter a word. ¡°Thanks.¡± My voice trembled at the end. The weight of a life felt heavy in my hands. Rieta, who had been hesitating, approached me and gently hugged me. ¡°Sister Rwen, don¡¯t die.¡± Pat pat. A hand, small as a fern, patted my back to console me. She caught me as I was about to fall at the edge of the cliff. Perhaps the time I took to contemplate had been too long, and the dawn began to rise. It was incredible how the darkness immediately became bright. As if proving that it is always darkest before dawn1, the sun rose in the blink of an eye. The night soon passed and the morning arrived. It was the start of a new day. Red painted the sky and Rieta hugged me tightly. With my trembling hands, I hugged Rieta. ¡°Okay.¡± The word flowed out before I could process it. I couldn¡¯t figure out what I was thinking when I said that. In response to my answer, Rieta¡¯s embrace became stronger. I held on to that precious warmth within my arms. Just like a miracle. What else could I say? ¡°Really¡­thank you.¡± As the golden sunlight coloured the corridor, all I could do was repeat those words like a broken clockwork doll. [1] A quote to essentially say things always seem dark/more bleak or at their worst before it will get better. CH 17 Extra. Rieta¡¯s Story. A crimson fire blazes in front of me. Nothing could be seen in the thick smoke. The walls were all burning down. But fortunately, a man could be seen in the distance. ¡®H-Help. I¡¯m over here!¡¯ The man turned his head towards the slender cry. ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ But shortly after, he turned his head away. As if he hadn¡¯t witnessed anything. The door closes and the burning ceiling falls down. At that moment, Rieta woke up from her dream. ¡°Gasp¡­¡­!¡± She was out of breath, as if she had been running. Rieta trembled and looked around. It was a deep blue dawn. The flames were nowhere in sight. Yet, Rieta could not calm down easily and became restless. That was a matter of the past. It¡¯s alright now. I¡¯m five years old. Not eight. She thought to herself, but her body was still shaking. The memory of burning to death terrified her. It dug and tormented Rieta. It was a frequent nightmare. ¡°S-Sister¡­¡­¡± In the end, Rieta couldn¡¯t stand it and dug into Arwen¡¯s arms, who was fast asleep. Arwen, woken up from her presence, hugged her younger sister with drowsy eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a scary dream?¡± Even though her sleep was disturbed, Arwen comforted Rieta without a single hint of irritation. She stroked her ghastly green hair that matched her eyes unlike Rieta¡¯s grey ones. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright. Sister is here¡­¡­¡± Rieta dug into her arms and shut her eyes tightly. Her heart, which had been beating fiercely from fear, gradually calmed down. A light and calm breathing was heard. Arwen fell asleep again while patting Rieta. The clumsy comfort was something she began getting used to. Rieta glanced at her sister¡¯s face, who had fallen asleep quietly. There were many times when she couldn¡¯t believe that this was the reality she was living in. For Rieta, this life was like a gift. In her previous life, she had lost her life from a fire in the orphanage at the age of eight. For some reason, Rieta woke up again. Three years before, as her five year old self. The world three years ago was a familiar yet unfamiliar space for the young Rieta. A woman came to Rieta, who was suffering from the nightmares of death and the fear of an unknown space. ¡°Don¡¯t go to the Marquis of Schrider.¡± The woman, fully covered in a robe, said at first. ¡°If you go there, you will die a more horrible death than your previous one.¡± At those following words, Rieta became terrified. The woman that knew about Rieta¡¯s previous life seemed like a god. Rieta cried out that she wanted to live. After a moment of silence, the woman opened her mouth. ¡°Go to the Duke of Sebrirua.¡± As a commoner, it was a name that should be unheard of for Rieta. Yet somehow, it felt familiar to her. ¡°It¡¯s your friend¡¯s family.¡± In response to those words, Rieta hastily nodded her head and immediately fled from the orphanage. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Shuel was a friend she met in her previous life at the age of seven. Shuel, who was two years older than her, was a new child in the orphanage Rieta was from. He took good care of her. There weren¡¯t many people they could connect with in the orphanage, so the two quickly became close. Then one day, Shuel whispered something to Rieta. ¡°I want to go home. Actually, I remember where my house is.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± He should go if he knew. Rieta thought so and asked. Then, Shuel replied. ¡°Sebrirua.¡± It was difficult to pronounce, but that¡¯s what made it more memorable to her. Shuel said that he mustn¡¯t reveal his surname recklessly because he was a noble and if he waited patiently, his parents would come to find him. However, Rieta died in a fire without being able to witness Shuel reuniting with his parents. If she waited until she reached the age of seven, she would be able to meet Shuel again. But Rieta was too anxious to wait for him. And so, Rieta embarked on an arduous journey towards the Sebrirua Duchy. It was, by no means, easy for a five year old to travel alone to the duke¡¯s residence in the capital. There were many dangerous events she faced and days when she thought she would die from it. Even so, Rieta endured. She didn¡¯t want to die. She didn¡¯t go to the Marquis of Schrider, but the Duke of Sebrirua. The woman¡¯s words were suspicious, but it was enough to make it her goal. Fortunately, the Duke of Sebrirua was warm to Rieta, who had struggled to arrive there. No one kicked out Rieta and she remembered Shuel¡¯s previous whereabouts before they met. Soon enough, she was able to meet her friend whom she thought she would never see again. She really liked her new aunt, uncle and even her childish friend who was much younger than she remembered. But a very special person was there as well. Unlike Shuel, who screams loudly all the time, she was a wonderful older sister who always smiled softly. With her dark sunken eyes, Rieta could easily notice that the older sister was kind. Rieta washes her hair three times a day. She did that even at the orphanage. During a cold winter, she would break the ice and wash her hair in cold water. It was because she thought if she did so, it would get rid of her ugly green hair. However, her hair still remained a dark green colour. So, shortly after she met Arwen, she was scared and envious of her at the same time. Compared to Rieta, Arwen was older, smarter and had silver hair. She didn¡¯t realise how enchantingly beautiful her short silver hair was. Rieta occasionally glanced at Arwen¡¯s head. But she couldn¡¯t even dare say that her hair was pretty or that she wanted to see it up close. People loathed it whenever Rieta stared at them or grabbed the hem of their clothes. She thought Arwen was the same, so Rieta didn¡¯t want to do something she hated. Then one day, while she was peeping at Arwen¡¯s hair as usual, Rieta¡¯s eyes met Arwen¡¯s. Rieta was startled and lowered her head in fright. She thought Arwen would definitely feel furious. She can¡¯t believe she got caught peeping. Arwen was definitely going to get angry. ¡°Is my hair interesting?¡± However, Arwen asked kindly without getting angry or frowning at her. With a small smile on her face, Rieta nodded her head indisputably. Then, Arwen smiled and asked if she would like to touch it. When Rieta nodded her head again, Arwen grabbed her hand and laid her hair on it. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. The enchantingly beautiful silver hair was like a silk thread. Even through Rieta¡¯s rough fingers, it flowed smoothly without ever getting tangled. RIeta stared at her hair, bewitched by it and murmured softly. ¡°Envious¡­¡­¡± Right after she muttered that, Rieta became startled and pulled her hand away. Envious? It sounded like she was jealous of Arwen¡¯s silver hair. Arwen¡¯s eyes also widened. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± She hastily tried to make an excuse, but nothing came up. It was embarrassing to hear her cracked and stuttering voice. Rieta¡¯s face flushed red and she tried to leave the room. But Arwen jumped from her seat and grabbed Rieta¡¯s hand. ¡°Rieta, wait a minute¨C¡± Smack! Silence fell into the room. Rieta was once again stupefied. She didn¡¯t mean to smack Arwen¡¯s hand away. It was purely instinct to push away anyone that approached her because she thought something bad would happen. ¡°Were you scared? I¡¯m sorry.¡± But Arwen calmly apologised. When Rieta made a puzzled expression, Arwen took a step back and sat down. At her gesture to sit down, Rieta slumped down rigidly. ¡°Thank you for complimenting my hair colour. But your hair colour is also pretty.¡± Arwen was kind, but she was good at lying too. It was obvious she didn¡¯t mean much when she said Rieta¡¯s hair colour was pretty. But it was still the first time she¡¯s ever heard someone call it pretty. Rieta smiled shyly. Rieta smiled at Arwen for the first time, but Arwen did not return the smile. She pondered for a moment, then pointed to her eyes. ¡°Look at this, Rieta.¡± Rieta followed Arwen¡¯s gesture and looked into her eyes. A pair of calm green eyes. It was a pretty colour, like fresh leaves from a vast forest. ¡°Does it look weird?¡± At those words, Rieta shook her head in surprise. It was an absurd thing to say. Arwen laughed at her fierce reply. ¡°It¡¯s the same colour as your hair.¡± Rieta was dumbstruck. It¡¯s the same colour as her hair? ¡°But, my hair¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s green. My eyes are green too, aren¡¯t they?¡± Rieta¡¯s hair and Arwen¡¯s eye were both green in colour. Though, Rieta¡¯s hair colour was a darker shade of green whereas Arwen had an olive green. But, once again, Rieta nodded her head indisputably. Thinking of it now, they were both green. ¡°My hair is the same colour as your eyes, isn¡¯t it?¡± Really? Arwen smiled when Rieta¡¯s eyes widened and pointed out. ¡®Your eyes are also silver, Rieta.¡¯ It was shocking to realise that what she had previously thought was a hideous colour all this while, was anything but. As Rieta fiddled with her hair, Arwen said firmly. ¡°You are beautiful too, Rieta.¡± The confident statement gave her a strange sense of reassurance. ¡°Beautiful enough.¡± It was her first time hearing that. Arwen seemed a little annoyed, as if she was reprimanding those who had called Rieta ugly. Rieta burst into tears when she heard those words. All of a sudden, she became sad. Embarrassed by the sight of a child crying awfully with her face all crumpled, Arwen awkwardly hugged Rieta. From that day on, Rieta called Arwen ¡®older sister¡¯. Rieta liked the kind and friendly Arwen. She had always liked her kind older sister more than her annoying friend. She wanted to play, eat snacks, have meals and sleep together every day. But one day, Rieta realised she couldn¡¯t do that anymore. It was the day when a maid, instead of Arwen, came to find Rieta. Arwen, who she finally met after the futile game of hide and seek, was completely pale. Rieta wanted to talk to Arwen, but Arwen entered the parlour with unfamiliar adults. That look was very familiar to Rieta. In her past life, those were the looks on the young children who appeared with scary guests. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. While the director and the scary guests were laughing, the children never did. Then, the children left the orphanage and never returned. Rieta instinctively knew that the children had not been adopted into a good home. If Arwen followed those guests back, it would be the same. The moment she realised that, Rieta hurriedly searched her room. She rummaged under her bed and revealed a small pouch. Although Rieta was entrusted under the Duke of Sebrirua, she had never truly trusted any adults. Adults had always beaten, cursed and starved Rieta. For now, the adults here were friendly, but you never know when all of that could change. Rieta had learned that it takes money to escape from those kinds of adults during her journey to find the Duke of Sebrirua. So Rieta had been saving money ever since she arrived at the Sebrirua Duchy. She would pick up coins that had fallen and collected the pennies given by the maids. Rieta ran into her room and rummaged under bed. Once a little pouch was found, Rieta opened it, counted the number of coins and exhaled lightly. She was terrified of death and getting hurt. Even the children who never returned must have felt scared and anxious. She wished her sister wouldn¡¯t die like this. Rieta clutched her secret small pouch, and prayed to god for the first time in her life. CH 18 As soon as we entered the room, Rieta and I laid down on the bed. When I laid down in the middle, Shuel clung to my arm even in his sleep. Rieta, who was lying on my other side, held my hand tightly as well. The sunlight was creeping in, but it still felt like a cosy night when the curtains were pulled down. Since it has just rained heavily just now, the room was moderately cold. We fell asleep huddled close together, like penguins evading the cold, and felt a subtle movement of a blanket covering us as we slept. When I woke up in the morning, my head was clear. Yesterday, my mind was dazed and even when I tried to concentrate, my thoughts couldn¡¯t keep up. Perhaps it was because of fatigue, it was natural for things to be slower. As I was about to rub my eyes to erase the remaining drowsiness away early in the morning, I noticed that my right hand was being held tightly by someone. When I looked down, I saw a messy green hair. Rieta, who had given me her pouch to run away, was sleeping soundly while clutching my hand tightly. I smiled softly and stroked the child¡¯s head. It was a new morning and a new sun had risen. Recalling the pain of the previous day helps nothing with moving forward today. That was one of the few lessons I¡¯ve learned in my life. Alright. Let¡¯s think about what to do again. As long as the Viscount of Broschte are my biological parents, neither an adoption nor engagement was possible. However, I couldn¡¯t continue to stay as a guest forever. But I wanted to be here¡­and if not, I wanted to at least stay in a safe place. The laws of this country were not geared towards protecting children. A child cannot be taken away from their parent¡¯s hands unless the parents had agree to entrust the child¡¯s rights over to another or proof of child abuse was obtained. It was not uncommon for a wealthy noble family to raise their daughter well in order to sell them high in the marriage market. [pr/n: imagine the bunny with a knife stab emoji HERE.] It wasn¡¯t just about violence, but evidence of abuse needed to be shown on the body. Making it even more difficult to prove. Still, there was no law of death or no way out at all[1]. [1] T/N: ¡°There is no law that lets a man die¡± ¨C (proverb) No matter how difficult a person¡¯s life is, people are bound to come up with a way to survive. So have hope. A place beyond my parents¡¯ land. To be exact, a place outside of the Viscount of Broschte¡¯s control. Yet, it also had to be a place that didn¡¯t place any pressure on the Duke of Sebrirua¡­ There was only one legitimate institution that could do all of that. My heart pounded. This was by far, the most important mission in my life. I better mention it before breakfast. If I said it during the meal, they would definitely get indigestion. Gently removing Rieta¡¯s hand, I got out of the bed and left the room. Bessie, Shuel¡¯s nanny, lived in the room next to us. Somehow, the bedroom for one, then became a bedroom for the three of us; Rieta, Shuel, and I. A small knock on the door was replied with a gentle permission to enter. Bessie, who was knitting in an armchair, greeted me with a smile. ¡°Miss Arwen? You woke up early. We still have some time left before breakfast. Would you like some cookies?¡± Bessie said as she approached me with her usual wide skirt and hugged me. After being held in her arms for a while, I shook my head. ¡°If the Duke and Duchess are awake, can you tell them I want to see them?¡± Bessie looked puzzled at the sudden request. ¡°I have something to tell them.¡± £ª £ª £ª I swallowed my saliva. My heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was about to pop out of my chest. Marius and Kendrick¡¯s faces also turned serious when they saw me entering suddenly and seeing that I was holding my breath. Though, they were sitting on the couch in their pyjamas with doodles on their pants and bed hair without a single care. Their ridiculous appearance eased my tension, until I remembered what I was going to talk about and became nervous again. At this rate, even if I stayed up all night, I don¡¯t think I would be able to bring it up. I took a deep breath once again. Kendrick and Marius mirrored my actions with a stiff face. ¡­¡­What is with this situation? ¡°Please sponsor me.¡± Thanks to that, I was able to speak in a much more relaxed state. It wasn¡¯t the best way to start the conversation, but it was still better than not being able to even begin it. Before Kendrick and Marius could frown, I quickly continued. ¡°You might not know this, but I am much smarter than other children¡­¡­You could even call me a genius.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. If you had the soul of an adult inside of a nine year old body, you are a genius. Yet, my face still flushed red. ¡°I can enter the academy early, apply for several programs, and be able to complete them all. I am confident that I would not miss the top grade and I might even be able to graduate a year early.¡± I knew a few things about lands where expensive minerals were buried and what kind of business would succeed in the future. But since there was no credibility to support those words, this was all I could offer right now. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. It was also a part of my plan. The academy completely prohibited parents from intervening in order to ensure that children from various noble families could attend the school together and not create any conflicts. Of course, there were cases where some noble families with wealth and power would secretly meddle in. But there was no way a small Viscount family like my own would be able to do so. Attending the academy would take 10 years. Since the age of adulthood in this kingdom was 19, the academy would be enough to protect me until I reached adulthood. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure that you won¡¯t regret helping me.¡± So, if they allowed it¡­¡­ I spoke confidently, but I was still anxious. Kendrick and Marius¡¯ facial expressions remained unchanged. Then, I became restless when I saw them frown without saying a word, as if they were contemplating. Should I have mentioned the mine? ¡°¡­We are very aware that you are a very talented person.¡± Marius spoke first. She went silent for a moment, as if she was troubled, before speaking gently. ¡°But I believe that is a story for later.¡± Those words were sharper than the blade from a guillotine. Before I could realise it, my mouth widened in disappointment. Was it too much of a request? Just as I was about to say something, Kendrick gave me a cookie with a worried look on his face and spoke. ¡°Rwen. We saw your parents yesterday¡­¡­I don¡¯t think they are very good guardians to you.¡± At those words, I pursed my lips. I couldn¡¯t agree nor deny his words. I silently began to chew on the cookie Kendrick had given me. ¡°Darling. Be honest with me.¡± Kendrick asked me firmly. I nodded my head silently. But the question posed to me after that was still difficult for me to answer. ¡°Do you want to return home to the Broschte Estate?¡± The question that came through like a fastball[2] took my breath away. [2] pr/n: type of throw by pitchers in the game called Baseball. I had to answer yes but if I did, I would die. In the end, I answered with a dim smile. ¡°No.¡± Why wouldn¡¯t I be afraid? Right after they signed an important contract, I ran away and even chopped my hair then sold it. Those were ample enough reasons for them to punish me. But at the same time, I had also given them the opportunity to form a relationship with the Duke of Sebrirua. The fear that I had been trying to ignore appeared like a dam that had just burst. I don¡¯t like getting hurt. I don¡¯t like getting hit or cursed at. I pretended to be fine, but it was really because I had no other choice. I clenched my hands tightly. I didn¡¯t want to show the awful trembling, but then I felt a soft touch patting my head. ¡°Rwen, you are very mature.¡± Kendrick smiled as I raised my head to meet his gaze. It was a sad smile. ¡°Whenever Shuel and Rieta fought, you resolved it just like an older sister. You should also be able to eat plenty of food. You leave nothing to waste.¡± I gently lean my head to his touch. ¡°But darling, although you act like an adult, you are not one.¡± It was a tender voice. Before I could reply anything, Kendrick continued to speak softly. ¡°So it¡¯s okay to leave things you find difficult to solve to the adults.¡± Those words touched my heart. Difficult to solve. Yes, that¡¯s right. As a child, this was difficult for me. But it wasn¡¯t because I wanted to be responsible for everything. It was because it was about me. ¡°Then, can you take responsibility for it?¡± Kendrick gently smiled, reassuringly. He made eye contact with his wife with eyes that begged for an answer, and Marius replied bluntly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back to that house, then that¡¯s good enough of a reason for us.¡± It was a simple permission. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± After hesitating for a long time at the situation, I managed to ask again and they confirmed their answers again casually. Nevertheless, I was still stunned. Seeing me like that, Kendrick laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to realise this, but Marie and I are really powerful. Very, very powerful.¡± ¡°Kendrick doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± [pr/n: Quick! Someone get an ointment for this burn!] [T/N: HASHGF XD] ¡°Marie!¡± Kendrick roared at Marius¡¯ joke. Just like that, the previous heavy atmosphere vanished in an instant. Powerful, not strong. I was still overwhelmed by the huge gift given by the two of them, who were still arguing, but I confessed my real desire. ¡°I¡­I still want to go to the academy.¡± At those words, Marius and Kendrick¡¯s eyes turned towards me. I blushed at my shamelessness. In fact, that was the goal. Although the main purpose of going to the academy was to avoid the Viscount of Broschte family, I also desired to attend the academy. Viscount Broschte had an old fashioned way of thinking. He didn¡¯t teach me anything beyond bridal classes, so it was to be expected when he declared that he wouldn¡¯t ever send me to the academy. Whenever Jeffrey returned in his school uniform during vacation, I would criticise that he was merely a person who would never study properly. But in truth, I was really curious about the academy. Even when I gave up my studies due to lack of money in my previous life, I still wanted to go. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll let you go but early admissions are not allowed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I can enter early¨C¡± ¡°I am not doubting your skills. But living alone in a foreign country is a lot lonelier than you think. Other children would cry and send letters home, but you wouldn¡¯t tell us if you experienced even an ounce of hardship you face, would you?¡± I became speechless at Kendrick¡¯s firm and sharp voice. Yes¡­that¡¯s true. Just sponsoring me would be enough, but I couldn¡¯t trouble them for more. ¡°You have a lot to learn. You need to learn how to get rid of carrots and beans from your meals, learn how to sneak out and make mistakes, and how to whine because you don¡¯t want to do the things children are forced to do. I have no intention of sending you to the academy before you learn all that.¡± Kendrick¡¯s firm and resolute tone was extremely rare. It made me unable to refute his words so I nodded my head. Then, Kendrick smiled widely. As I was pondering over Kendrick¡¯s words while clenching my itchy fingertips, Marius opened her arms wide open towards me with her signature blunt face. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± CH 19 When I looked at her with a puzzled face, unable to understand what she meant, she looked visibly heartbroken. ¡°¡­Do you not like being hugged?¡± That¡¯s what she meant?! ¡°N-No! Of course I do!¡± Marius¡¯ face was still aloof, but she seemed like she would cry if I left it as it was. As soon as I began to approach her, the corner of Marius¡¯ mouth was raised by half a centimetre. She seemed very happy. Carefully reaching out her hands towards me, Marius lifted me up and placed me on her lap effortlessly, as if she was lifting a cotton candy. Sitting on her lap felt like I was sitting on a boulder. Marius, whose knees were as hard as a rock, patted me awkwardly and said. ¡°I will give you the Elfretta Granary.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°As well as the diamond mines of Brellin Estate and the Portman Harbour.¡± All of a sudden? No, why are you giving them to me?! When incomprehensible information enters the human brain, it fails to continue thinking. That was my current experience. ¡°Marie!¡± Kendrick exclaimed at Marius with a frown. At her husband¡¯s call, she secretly avoided his gaze. It was an expression of disappointment. ¡°Sigh, you really¡­¡­Rwen, please understand. It just means that she cares about you very much. She never intended to have the unscrupulous idea of trying to win you over with money. I lost count of how many mines I received when we were dating¡­¡­¡± ¡°It was much easier for her to transfer properties than to open her mouth.¡± Kendrick mumbled and pressed his temples as though he had a headache. Then, he gently grabbed my hand with a look of anticipation. ¡°¡­But, even so. Rwen.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think an emerald mine sounds good too? ¡°¡­¡­¡± The couple truly resembled each other. £ª £ª £ª My determination in the morning eventually disappeared into oblivion within seconds. I struggled to turn down the Elfretta granary, the Portman Harbour, and both the diamond and emerald mines, without having much time to feel touched. I was tired from using my brain in the morning, and the cookies on the table were delicious. In the end, I ate up all the cookies on the tea table. After all of the sugar intake, the brain woke up. It was only then did I finally feel everything in its entirety. I didn¡¯t have to return to the Viscount¡¯s estate again. I could stay here now. At that moment, I felt touched and relieved. Instead of crying, I chewed on the cookie. Kendrick laughed as he watched me and said that I should skip breakfast. Marius quietly passed me a milk tea. What awaited before me when I returned to my room with a full belly, were two pairs of heartbroken eyes filled with tears. ¡°R-R-Rwen?¡± Shuel, who was sitting on the bed in a gloomy state, noticed me and widened his eyes. At the sight of his shocked expression, my joy faded. Shuel. Shu. Our beloved little puppy. I get really worried when you startle me like this. What else did he do to the point of being in tears¡­¡­ Shuel rushed towards me. Tears glistened in his pink eyes. ¡°D-didn¡¯t you leave? Did you come back? Are you going to stay now?¡± Shuel sniffled and hugged me tightly. His cries were mixed with tearful words like ¡®Don¡¯t go anywhere¡¯ or ¡®I miss you¡¯. Being embraced unexpectedly, I became very embarrassed by the situation. Where did I go? I just went to your parents¡¯ bedroom for a while. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. While I was comforting Shuel, I soon found the culprit of this situation. Over Shuel¡¯s shoulder, Rieta had a shocked expression on her face. ¡°Y-you¡¯re back? Why? Will you be okay here?¡± Rieta, who ran up to me, looked around and locked the door instantly. The way she seemed used to hiding someone pained me a bit. ¡°We¡¯re fine. I didn¡¯t cry. I didn¡¯t miss Rwen. So hurry up and leave, okay? It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Rieta hastily said, with her puffy eyes and bright red nose. In addition, she even poked Shuel on the side and he replied, ¡°Y-yes. I didn¡¯t miss you at all.¡± As I stared at the two heartbroken children, I opened my arms wide and embraced them tightly. Two big children were squeezed in my arms. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. I won¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll be right here.¡± At those words, Shuel¡¯s eyes burst into tears again. ¡°Huhuhu. Don¡¯t go anywhere, Rwen!¡± Alright, alright, you little puppy. I patted Shuel and made eye contact with Rieta. I stared at her confused silver eyes and smiled softly. ¡°Really.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to go anywhere now.¡± At that moment, tears welled up in Rieta¡¯s eyes. Rieta, who had been blinking as though she was trying to hold back her tears, finally hugged me back. Due to the weight of the two puppies, I eventually fell down. But, it didn¡¯t hurt at all because there was a soft carpet laid on the floor. I couldn¡¯t control my emotions, so I ended up embracing the children tightly while my hand patted Rieta and Shuel. ¡°R-Rwen. I¡¯m suffocating.¡± ¡°Neck. Wait, my neck¡­¡± What should I do? I loved it. Everything was perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed that wonderful morning. ¡­¡­A year later, I could never imagine the words I said a year ago, that I would never leave, would come back and bite me in the back as I left for the academy. £ª £ª £ª A year went by extremely quickly. That summer, I went to the sea for the first time. Even during my previous life, I had only seen the sea through pictures so it was a whole different experience when I actually went and played there. The colour of the waves really resembled jewels, and I liked the star sands[1] I bought as a souvenir. [1] Star shaped sand In autumn, the lush greenery of the Duke¡¯s mansion had beautiful autumn leaves. I thoroughly enjoyed the autumn colours while it lasted. Meanwhile, on October 31st for Halloween, Shuel saw a large Jack O¡¯ Lantern and screamed loudly. In the winter, I built a snowman with Rieta and Shuel. We decided to build a huge snowman, so we made one together. Shuel struggled to raise the head which was bigger than his body and covered his whole view. And the following spring was my birthday. On the morning of my birthday, everyone came to give me presents. Bessie hand-knitted me a scarf, Kendrick made a three layered cake, and both Rieta and Shuel engraved my name crookedly on a handkerchief. Other than that, all the servants gave me presents as well. Marius was rejected for offering another diamond mine. Fan translation by Dropped Inks. I felt very happy that I was celebrating my birthday, and before I fell asleep, I felt scared that it might all be just a dream. However, after getting kicked in the stomach by Shuel¡¯s sleeping habits, I was convinced that this was reality. As the normal and bright daily life flows, it was now autumn again. Another year passed by in the blink of an eye. Time passed by quickly, but there were many changes that took place in the meantime. I grew up a lot and gained a good amount of weight. The days of cries and laughter increased and the dreams were gradually improving. And one time, I actually cried while Shuel and Rieta were fighting. It was the day when peach juice was served as a snack. Each person was given only one glass of juice. I was enjoying the wonderful dessert time while sipping on the sweet juice delightfully. ¡°Rwen. Tell Shuel to go away.¡± ¡°Rwen. Tell Rieta to eat somewhere else!¡± The only problem was, there were two little kids beside me who kept provoking each other. I vaguely told them to eat together then continued to sip on the juice again. Since sweet things lead to tooth decay, the glass of juice was very precious. Kendrick was very strict about this. I lick my lips while staring at the half remaining juice sadly. Bang! Someone pushed my right arm. I lost my balance and stumbled sideways. Rieta, who was pushed by me, glanced at Shuel in fury and pushed my arm again. ¡°Why are you hitting me?!¡± ¡°You hit me first.¡± Infuriated, Shuel pushed me again and Rieta did the same. I was stuck in the middle and shook like a ping pong ball. My juice shook along with me. ¡°Guys. Wait. I still have some juice¨C¡± If I didn¡¯t do something, it would spill. As I was about to reach out and place the juice on the table, someone slapped my arm and the cup fell to the floor. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The garden fell into silence. I tried to remain calm at the situation. The juice didn¡¯t contain any artificial flavour, so it was alright if it was spilt on the ground. The glass was also not broken. All I lost was my remaining peach juice. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was really good too, though. It was nothing big, but my eyes started to become blurry. ¡°¡­¡­Hic¡± Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t stop it and started to sniffle. My juice. My juice that I had been saving all this time. Now the ants will prey on it. The thought made it even ten times more depressing. ¡°R-Rwen. Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll give you some of mine.¡± ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯ll give you some of mine, too.¡± Witnessing me cry for the first time, Rieta and Shuel became flustered and looked for their own cups, but both cups were completely empty. When I noticed that, the tears that I barely managed to control spilled over. You jerks! You drank all of yours but turned mine over like this? CH 20 I got even more upset and cried out loud. All of my reasons had flown away. I just couldn¡¯t stand the fact that my pitiful peach juice was horribly taken away from me too soon. While I was crying my eyes out, I noticed a black hair popped up in my view. My eyes met Marius¡¯, whose face was akin to a rabbit caught in a trap. Marius hurriedly ran towards us, examined the children, and asked what happened. Shuel mumbled in a tearful tone, appearing very nervous. ¡°Uh, well¡­while Rieta and I were arguing, I hit Rwen¡¯s arm and Rwen¡¯s juice fell down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Marius asked in a bewildered tone. It meant that she couldn¡¯t believe that I, who had never cried before, would be wailing over one peach juice. But to me, it felt like she was disrespecting my peach juice. This was unfair. Why are you doing this to my peach juice? Is aunty sweeter than my peach juice? Is aunty cooler than my peach juice? I cried my eyes out and the commotion only ended when Kendrick, who had rushed towards us, promised me two glasses of peach juice. What everyone had learned from that day was that I was more stubborn than they thought and that I earned an endless peach farm from the event. ¡®That¡­just why did I do that?¡¯ [pr/n: so stinking cute. I cannot.] Looking back on it now, it was an embarrassing memory. Even now, when I go to the kitchen, the chef would always give me a glass of peach juice. ¡®I was young, I was young¡­¡¯ After enjoying my life as a child for a whole year, I felt like my mental age had faded away. Now, I was afraid of the hallways at night when the candles were extinguished. When four egg tarts were served for desserts, I would have a secret battle with the younger kids. Still, I¡¯m one year older now. I am now 10 years old! The girl in the mirror stared back at me with a broad smile. Her gloomy look disappeared and instead, a rosy glow now flattered her cheeks. It was one of the changes that occurred while living in the Sebrirua Duchy. I began to stare at myself in the mirror quite often. In the past, I avoided looking in the mirror because I was disgusted with the appearance of my lifeless eyes. But these days, I finally look like a human being. Like a child with fair skin and round eyes¡­¡­It was quite pretty. ¡°Ahem.¡± A little embarrassed, I feigned a cough. Sometimes I felt quite embarrassed when I caught myself looking at my own reflection in the window. Of course, everyone who saw that praised that their young lady was so pretty, but it was still very embarrassing. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Come to think of it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see them for a while. Suddenly, I felt depressed. I removed and fiddled with the tie tied up over my shirt. A brown jacket embroidered with gold threads. The plain white shirt and tight skirt still felt unfamiliar to me. Today, I was leaving for the capital to attend the academy. I came over to the Duchy around this time just a year ago, so it was a new experience. I was tired of Shuel and Rieta¡¯s fights, but now it seems that I would even miss their fuss. After checking my pocket watch, I hurried to the room to see the children¡¯s faces for the last time. There was no need to wear the school uniform, but I did so anyway since they wanted to see me in them. ¡°Shuel, Rieta, I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± As I opened the door, my words faded away. The room was strangely quiet. It couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Where is Shuel?¡± Because only Rieta remained in the vacant room. At my question, Rieta silently avoided my gaze. After a year of experiences, my back began to hurt. That usually meant bad news¡­ ¡°Sister¡­¡± ¡°Rieta. You only call me ¡®sister¡¯ when something bad happens.¡± ¡°This. Shuel gave this to me.¡± I took a deep breath and received the note from Rieta. It felt ominous, but I was still hoping it was nothing. Yet, as expected¡­ ¡¸ Greetings, mother and father. I¡¯m going to the academy. See you there. Rieta, brother will be back soon. ¡¹ With that crooked handwriting, it was undoubtedly Shuel¡¯s. Where did you say you were going?! What do you mean ¡®see you there¡¯?! ¡®Who¡¯ is going to be back soon?! ¡°This punk¡­¡­!¡± £ª £ª £ª A sight that could not be witnessed even if one paid for it ¨C the Duchy of Sebrirua turned upside down over a single note from a child. After I announced Shuel¡¯s disappearance, everything in the castle came to a standstill. Everyone from the chef, maids, butlers, and lady-in-waitings to the lower ranking maids working in the laundry room; everyone stopped what they were doing to run out and look for Shuel. It was to be expected. A year ago, Shuel was a kid who escaped the castle and got kidnapped simply because he had wanted to eat cotton candies on the street. His escape because he couldn¡¯t eat more cotton candies wasn¡¯t particularly foolish or naive. It was just a thought and trouble any seven year old kid would have. The only issue during that situation was that Shuel had lived a very sheltered life and hadn¡¯t really learned about the dangers of the outside world. Shuel indeed had learned it the hard way, and for that reason, he was afraid of leaving the castle for a while. However, the problem was that human beings are forgetful creatures. Especially children who tend to forget even quicker. For Shuel, it was an extra special case as he had the record of escaping the Sebrirua Duchy once amidst all of the strict security that was implemented. He could have left the castle if he wanted to. While everyone shouted out for him and searched for Shuel, I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down my thoughts. He would have to go down to the village to get a carriage, but considering that I saw Shuel just an hour ago, it meant that Shuel had yet to reach the village. So, where would he go now? Did he go to the garden? If I looked for him at the centre, maybe I would pass by him in the garden¡­ No, that¡¯s not it. Fan translation by Dropped Inks. There was no way the Sebrirua¡¯s coachmen would give a carriage to Shuel, who wanted to travel to the capital. I erased the hypothesis that was running. If it was Shuel, there was no way he would hide so poorly. The Duke of Sebrirua had many enemies, and it seemed unlikely that weak children could survive the day should the castle¡¯s walls fall apart. Because of my concern regarding that, the game that Rieta, Shuel and I played the most during the whole year was hide and seek. Thanks to that, we had now reached a point where most adults would be unable to find us if we hid ourselves. That included Shuel. That child, who toed the line of being a gifted genius, was very smart. Sometimes, it even caught me by surprise. ¡®But there was no way he would have used such a foolish method.¡¯ I calmly figure out Shuel¡¯s next move again. Shuel had already experienced what would happen when he goes outside on his own once. So he wouldn¡¯t have gone to the village recklessly. There was only one way he would be able to get to the capital safely without going to the village. The answer was just right under my nose! I jumped up and rushed forward. When I went down to the entrance on the first floor, I saw a carriage waiting for me outside. Butler Levin, who stood in front of me with a solemn face, turned to me with a regretful look. ¡°I apologise, Miss. I had searched the carriage to find the young master but no luck. It¡¯ll be over soon, so can you wait a little bit longer?¡± As if to prove his words, the neat carriage had been fully turned upside down. It seemed quite difficult to reorganise them as he had even searched through all of the luggage compartments. I shook my head at Levin¡¯s words. ¡°Please relay to the rest, there¡¯s no need to search for Shuel any longer.¡± ¡°Yes? What do you¨C¡± When I placed my index finger onto my lips towards Levin, he ceased his flustered question, and shut his mouth in understandment. I walked towards the messy carriage and jumped on¡­¡­well I tried to anyway, but my legs were too short, so I received help from Levin. The carriage seats were all slightly disordered in height, indicating that it had already been searched. The journey to the capital takes a long time, so when the seats were reclined, it could be used as a bed. It also meant that Shuel could be hiding behind it. I lifted the seat carefully. Several boxes soon appeared. They were used to store items away. ¡°Miss, that place has already been checked.¡± Levin whispered to me quietly. I nodded my head. I¡¯m sure he did, but he probably didn¡¯t think about checking inside the box. While I waited silently, the lid of the box shook subtly, as though it was breathing. ¡°Shuel¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come out, now.¡± Even after I called for him gently, Shuel remained silent. I raised my voice a little louder yet the box lid didn¡¯t move as though he was holding his breath. ¡°Are you not coming out? I¡¯ll count to three. One, two¡­¡­¡± The box still remained quiet. Sighing, I opened the lid of the box and found a frizzy platinum hair. Hic. Shuel hiccupped in shock. I sighed again at the stubborn figure that still did not raise his head. I gestured to Levin and closed the carriage door. ¡°Shuel. Aren¡¯t you going to face me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I get it. You don¡¯t want to see my face. I was planning to leave later in the evening, but guess I have to leave now¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Thud! ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± At the sudden attack, I grabbed onto my nose and backed away. Shuel¡¯s head, which rose up fiercely, was very hard. Ah, it¡¯s stinging a lot. Is it going to bleed? Raising my head while gently caressing my nose, Shuel had a pale face and his hand trembled softly. He looked like he couldn¡¯t believe he had just attacked me. I reached out and grabbed Shuel¡¯s nose. ¡°Caught you, you punk.¡± CH 21 ¡°Hngh¡­¡­¡± Even when I pinched it pretty hard, Shuel still couldn¡¯t take his eyes off my nose. Shuel, who was now on the verge of tears, said with his eyes closed tightly. ¡°Y-you can hit me the same way.¡± It was funny that he stuttered while he was speaking, and it was adorable that he seemed to be quite sincere. I stared at his face and reached out to tap lightly on Shuel¡¯s nose. Shuel was surprised and jumped backwards with a hiccup. Shuel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and were red tinged. He seemed to have been sniffling for quite a while now. I squatted down in front of him and hugged my knees. ¡°So¡­why were you hiding?¡± At those words, Shuel¡¯s mouth shut again. He shook his head with determined eyes, as if he would never say a word. ¡°I-I promise that I¡¯ll bring you along. If you don¡¯t¨C¡¯¡¯ ¡°You know what, don¡¯t say it. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m that curious about it.¡± I replied indifferently and rose up from my seat. Acting as if I was really uninterested, I even shook off the hem of my clothes that had touched the floor. Then, someone carefully grabbed the hem of my skirt. When I looked down, Shuel was staring up at me with eyes full of tears. I almost burst into laughter. Look at him complaining with his eyes. His tearful eyes were full of resentment. ¡°Rwen¡­¡­¡± Shuel, who had not spoken a single word earlier, breathed out. Those eyes that had been brimming with tears, eventually burst and flowed down. ¡°What if you forget me after you go to the academy¡­¡­¡± Shuel murmured and began to cry profusely. His sobs weren¡¯t loud enough to be heard outside, but huge teardrops fell down his cheeks. ¡°I¡­I like Rwen¡­¡­¡± Even in the midst of sniffling, Shuel still continued to speak. ¡°Wh-what if Rwen goes to the academy and forgets all about me¡­¡­¡± Shuel whimpered as he said that, feeling even more upset. While listening to those words, I stretched out my hand and wiped away his tears with my sleeve. I like you. I haven¡¯t heard those words in a while. If I remember correctly, I think it was about a year ago that he started to say them. I felt honoured to hear that he still liked me. ¡°M-my mom said that you have to go to the academy for 10 years¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back during vacation. I¡¯m not leaving forever.¡± At my answer, Shuel stopped crying. He asked, twitching the tip of his red nose. ¡°When is your vacation?¡± Uhm¡­¡­I started counting my fingers. But to make it easier for Shuel to understand¡­¡­ ¡°My next birthday?¡± Shuel¡¯s eyes widened again when I announced that it would be next spring. ¡°That¡¯s too far!¡± ¡°Huhu. Rwen, don¡¯t forget me. I like Rwen, but if she forgets me¡­¡­¡± Shuel fell down and muttered like a broken radio. The scene was amusing, but the aftertaste was bitter so I patted his back and smiled wryly. Young children would easily forget people they haven¡¯t seen in a long time, but I was mentally already an adult. Even if I do forget you, you will definitely forget me. There was no way I would possibly forget you. But instead of saying that, I lifted Shuel up. I met his eyes, laughed and wiped away his tears. ¡°You can also attend the academy later. Then, we could go to school together.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t go together now¡­¡± Shuel replied, appearing upset. I crouched inside the box, in case I needed to pull him out again. It felt strange to see him act like this. Shuel rarely acted recklessly. Did he want to go with me that badly? Thinking about how I can appease him, I came up with an idea. ¡°Well, I can send you a letter instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Letter?¡± ¡°Yes. Last time we did it at home, we were just pretending to send one. This time, I can actually send one properly.¡± Hearing my words, Shuel¡¯s attention quickly focused on the ¡®letter¡¯ part. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Gently wiped the corners of his eyes that had stopped crying, I continued again. ¡°I can put stamps on it, send a gift, and even put dried flowers or fallen leaves in the letter. Then, when you tear the letter open, it will fall out. Just as if you were standing underneath a blossoming tree or maple tree.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± Shuel¡¯s pink eyes twinkled with excitement. I smiled and gave the final blow. ¡°And at the end of the letter, I¡¯ll write this: ¡®Let¡¯s capture the mood of the season, Shu¡¯. Wouldn¡¯t that be great?¡± When I added that I would use a nickname and send it as ¡®Shu¡¯, he seemed to have completely regained his energy, but it quickly withered again. ¡°Still, we won¡¯t see each other for a long time.¡± He didn¡¯t cry this time, but looked really depressed. I gently stroked Shuel¡¯s hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not okay. When Rwen leaves, who will play with me? Or eat tarts with me and hold my hand when I go to the bathroom at night?¡± ¡°There¡¯s Rieta.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± Shuel puffed his cheeks grumpily. Shuel and Rieta still did not get along well. On the 1st of January this year, Rieta was adopted by the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua. Officially making her to be Shuel¡¯s sister. No, maybe that¡¯s the reason why they fought even more. I laughed, imagining that after I left for the academy, the two of them would sneer at each other with puffy faces after being punished for fighting. I¡¯m really going to miss them. As Shuel said, we wouldn¡¯t be able to eat snacks together anymore. When I lay down in bed at night, it would feel very empty and I¡¯d miss those little hands that would hold onto mine. ¡°Still, Shuel. Time flies by very quickly.¡± However, time was also too precious to let go of the present while regretting the past. ¡°You may be separated from me now, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll always be sad. I¡¯m sure something good will happen soon.¡± Childhood was very short, so every moment felt dazzling. Your life has yet to be filled with laughter, so I hope you don¡¯t cry too much. ¡°Really. In the blink of an eye, you might become an adult.¡± Shuel looked up at me in disbelief, but his expression felt as though he wanted to believe it. I smiled brightly. ¡°So, let¡¯s split up for a moment.¡± Shuel went silent for a moment, then suddenly hugged me tightly. ¡°You have to write me a letter every day.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You have to write my letter longer than Rieta¡¯s.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Have a safe trip, Rwen.¡± After the mature farewell coupled with a small cry of ¡®Don¡¯t forget me¡¯. I laughed once again. And two days later, I left for the academy with everyone seeing me off. £ª £ª £ª I sighed and opened the drawer. Inside held letters with several faded torn papers. Puzzled, I picked up the letter and as I read the contents inside, my mouth quickly stretched out amusingly. I had found a treasure while cleaning up my dorm room. I smiled and turned my head. It has changed compared to when we were younger, but his fluffy platinum blonde hair could still be seen moving busily. ¡°Shu. Look at this.¡± At my call, the boy who was organising the books in the corner of the room turned around. He still looked young, but he had lost quite a lot of baby fat. The boy, Shuel, widened his eyes. At his innocent appearance, I smiled like a villain and waved the papers in my hand. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°No? Isn¡¯t that just a letter? I think it¡¯s pretty old too¡­¡­¡± Shuel¡¯s face, who had been muttering nonsense, slowly began to heat up. I quickly opened the letter and read it out loud. ¡°Rwen. Good morning. Rwen didn¡¯t wake me up, so I overslept. Rieta hit me. I got scolded.¡± ¡°Arwen¡­¡­!¡± ¡°In the letter it was Rwen, but now it¡¯s Arwen? Let¡¯s look at this one too. It¡¯s thundering. Today was cloudy and then it rained. I saw lightning. Oh, there was a time where it went ¡®kapow¡¯.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Blushing, Shuel strode towards me and shouted loudly. I giggled, folded the letters neatly, placed it back into the drawer and locked it. He knew how to be irritated and embarrassed. He¡¯s all grown up now. I looked at Shuel, who was glaring at me resentfully, with a new look. Compared to when we were younger, he had definitely grown a lot. His height, which used to be shorter than his peers, grew progressively and his innocent face began to mature like an adult. He was still around the same height as me, but soon enough, he would surpass it. Shuel Sebrirua. He¡¯s twelve years old now. ¡®You grew up well¡­¡­¡¯ I¡¯m fourteen years old now. I smiled and thought to myself. CH 22 Even though I had said that time flies by quickly, I didn¡¯t realise how fast it actually flew by. Life at the academy went by smoothly without much difficulties. Jeffrey, who I had been worried that he would cause trouble, was not a problem at all. In the academy, there are some things that are known even if they do not ask for your status. Compared to Jeffrey, the son of a lowly viscount, with the Duke and Duchess of Sebrirua as my guardians, our statuses were as different as heaven and earth. Jeffrey tried to curry favour with me but was blatantly rejected. After that, he sought revenge and was expelled for plotting a clumsy scheme. His plan to sell his own sister to a slave trader was enough to expel him. Jeffrey aside, the academy was like heaven and now that Jeffrey was gone, it had really become heaven. The studies were challenging yet fun at the same time. I really enjoyed replying to the letters that came in every day. Shuel and Rieta told me about their daily lives while also complaining about each other. Kendrick asked about my health and Marius wrote at the end of the letter to write down the names of anyone I didn¡¯t like back in my reply. I made like-minded friends who often quarrelled, reconciled, and laughed all the time. Every day was fun. And two years ago, Shuel finally entered the academy. Seeing him taking the oath as the freshman representative made my nose twitch. Shuel was an excellent student, so I studied harder thinking that I could not lose to my younger brother. It was autumn when I was the age of ten, leaving for the Duke¡¯s residence back then. And now, it was the fourteenth spring. Time really flew by like an arrow and before we knew it, we were preparing for Rieta¡¯s admission. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Rieta wants to be a swordsman, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Shuel, who responded gracefully while lifting the teacup, furrowed his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s truly foolish.¡± Shuel followed Kendrick¡¯s footsteps on the path of being a civil servant and chose the Academy¡¯s Economics Department. It was a rare sight to see a boy with a large built and strong skeleton carrying a thick book and smelling of ink. It was even amusing to see the professors, who thought that Shuel would naturally choose to study martial arts, walking around like dogs that had been chasing a chicken[1]. [1] Proverb ¨C The manner in which one is discouraged and disappointed at one¡¯s effort ending up in failure. I used to laugh whenever I saw Shuel, who looked like he had been lifting in the gym, trembling while lifting his teacup. ¡°¡­Did you just laugh, Rwen?¡± Just like right now. Twelve year-olds were dangerous. It was an age of storm and rage that was uncertain when or how they would explode. I shook my head fiercely. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I saw the corners of your mouth rise up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re cute.¡± When I stroked his head in response to his pouty words, Shuel¡¯s ears perked up. His pink eyes, which had started to redden from anger, instantly became soft. He used to laugh in joy when he was younger, but now that he¡¯s a little older, he became more shy. ¡°So, what about it? The Swordsmanship Department?¡± ¡°No, Rieta.¡± Shuel firmly cut off my question. ¡°At first, she tried to train with my mother¡¯s claymore[2] but only ended up lying in bed with muscle aches.¡± [2] A type of large and heavy sword. Shuel frowned with a cold tone, which was rare. I simply chuckled. Huh¡­odd. Usually someone would change the water every now and then while we talked. ¡°It¡¯s lovely to hear that she¡¯ll do it though. She just has to learn it step by step, starting from the very basics.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so lovely about it? She looks like a praying mantis.¡± Shuel replied grumpily, subtly avoiding my gaze. His cheeks were flushed red from what he was thinking. ¡°In my eyes, Rwen is the loveliest.¡± Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that. I smiled vaguely and lifted the teacup. It was a body language I used whenever I couldn¡¯t think of an answer. Shuel¡¯s habits were amazing. Seriously, I¡¯ve never seen a child whose heart was maintained like this since the age of seven. To constantly provoke Rieta, and confess that he still liked me¡­¡­ ¡®Hmm¡­¡­¡¯ I rubbed my temples at the complicated issue that came unexpectedly. It was clear that Shuel and Rieta¡¯s relationship had changed. To Shuel, Rieta was nothing more than a troublesome sister. It was the same for Rieta as well. Nevertheless, Shuel still continuing to confess to me was quite worrying. Even more so when he confessed while holding a bouquet of red roses from who knows where. He confessed that he liked me while never mentioning anything about dating each other. Now that puberty was fast approaching, maybe things will change? But¡­¡­ ¡­What if that¡¯s not the case? ¡®Ah, no. No way.¡¯ I shook my head at the ridiculous possibility that ran through my mind. The teenage years were the age where the person you like changes about twelve times a day. So, there was no way¡­ [pr/n: me thinks you are in denial but okay.] The cuckoo clock on the wall chimed as I placed the last piece of tart into my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s 3 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°When does the entrance ceremony start?¡± ¡°3 o¡¯clock.¡± Silence lingered for about three seconds. Seniors didn¡¯t need to participate the entrance ceremony, but the student presidents of each grade were required to attend. And¡­Shuel and I were the student presidents of the 5th and 3rd grade, respectively. ¡°Oh no¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Run! Hurry!¡± Noise echoed in the greenhouse, where no sounds of utensils were heard. Disregarding it, Shuel and I started running at full speed. Due to the rules of the academy that required students to change dormitories every three years, I had to hand over my room to the freshmen starting this year. I had thought I would be able to clean it up quickly, but¡­clearly I overestimated my abilities. After mobilising Shuel to help clean up the room, I held a small tea party in the greenhouse. I enjoyed the relaxation and in the end, became late for Rieta¡¯s freshmen entrance ceremony. No matter how fast you ran, it would still take about 5 minutes to run from the greenhouse to the main hall where the entrance ceremony was held. I kept panting, falling behind Shuel. Hey! You¡¯re younger than me, yet why are you running so well when you¡¯re a liberal arts student? ¡°M-my apologies. I was cleaning up the dormitory and ended up late.¡± The professors stared at me as I struggled to catch my breath, half apologising and looking quite pitiful. Shuel and I quickly caught our breath and sneaked behind the curtains to find our spot. Standing on the podium, I could see all the freshmen at a glance. I scanned through the students standing still awkwardly in their school uniforms. Where are you, Rieta? Right at that moment, I noticed a child with dark green hair tied up. As I stared at the child, our eyes instantly met and the child smiled broadly. It was Rieta. ¡°¡­I hope that you all will become excellent students by dedicating yourself to your studies. That is all.¡± After the dean¡¯s speech, a spectacular celebration broke out. Gold confetti fluttered from the confetti cannons. Meanwhile, Rieta¡¯s bright smile was engraved in my mind. The quiet and gloomy Rieta has continued to change with every season. She started to smile more often, cause more troubles, and her voice became cheerful. The image of the younger Rieta overlapped with Rieta¡¯s current smiling face, who was talking to a kid next to her. Seems like she had already made a friend. The five year old Rieta would crouch her shoulders in wariness. I waited until Rieta had finished talking to her friend before coming down the podium. Rieta¡¯s face brightened when she found me. ¡°Sister!¡± Kata, kata, tak! ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I had closed my eyes in preparation for the rushing Rieta, but when nothing happened, I slowly opened my eyes. By now, I should have been tumbling backwards but somehow her weight felt as light as a feather? The comedic scene in front of me explained everything. Shuel reached his hand out and flicked Rieta¡¯s forehead. Rieta¡¯s forehead, which could be seen through her pale hands, was bright red. I tactically covered my ears. She¡¯ll explode soon. In three, two, one¡ª ¡°Hey!¡± As expected. A loud voice that rivalled the president echoed. In other words, it was a voice that would make anyone turn around. ¡°Call me older brother, Rieta Sebrirua!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be hilarious. You¡¯re shorter than me!¡± Shuel¡¯s equally furious words were disregarded with Rieta¡¯s comeback. Since girls naturally grew up faster and Rieta had unique genetics, Rieta was a little taller than Shuel. Just a little¡­ Rieta ignored Shuel, who was shaking his hand in fury, and rushed towards me again. The second the child¡¯s eyes twinkled, I was hugged tightly. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s been so long! I missed you so much. Did you miss me?¡± Rieta, who was hugging me tightly, whined. The appearance of her stomping her feet was like a wild horse. I was swayed back and forth in her arms and faintly patted Rieta on the back. ¡°O-of course I missed you. But Rieta, I¡¯m getting a bit sick¡­¡± ¡°Finally, I get to go to school with my sister! I love it!¡± Y-yes, I like it, too. But Rieta, if I die¡­how will I be able to go to the academy with you? Fortunately, Rieta hugged me for a few more times before letting me go. Shuel glanced at her a few times and tapped my arm to make sure I was still alive. Shuel sighed and handed her the bouquet he had been carrying for a while. Rieta smiled contentedly after receiving the flowers. ¡®Ah¡¯, as if she remembered something, she made a small sound. ¡°Brother. Brother Shuel.¡± ¡°What.¡± Rieta grinned at the blunt but firm reply. A devilish appearance flashed under her bright smiling face. ¡°Did you get rejected, again?¡± Rejected?¡­¡­reject?¡­¡­reject? Rieta¡¯s bright voice echoed in the empty hall. [pr/n: oof. I can feel the pain off the screen for that one.] CH 23 ¡°You, that¡­¡­!¡± His face turned bright red. Shuel¡¯s ears usually turn red whenever he¡¯s embarrassed and his face would heat up like a tomato. I tilted my head in response to his dramatic reaction. Rejected? Shuel was popular for his pretty looks, good family, and friendly personality. But he had always refused all of the student¡¯s confessions. I heard that he gave a clear but polite answer that he had no intention of going out with anyone. At the same time, he had never confessed to anyone either. It was the same case for me. He only said that he liked me jokingly, but never asked to be in a relationship. But¡­he got rejected? ¡°Really? By who?¡± [pr/n: Oh¡­I can feel the burn off the screen.] Before I realised it, my mouth had already voiced out my question but I truly was curious as to who it could be. Who is this great young lady that rejected Shuel Sebrirua¡¯s confession? Who was it? He was taking classes with Julia these days. Or maybe it was Linda, a member from the same club? Maybe it was one of my friends. Catherine? Oh, it could also be a man. Gender doesn¡¯t matter as I was just curious about the details. At my words, Shuel and Rieta¡¯s faces shifted subtly. Rieta appeared a little apologetic while Shuel seemed like he was about to cry. ¡°That¡­¡­¡± Tears welled up in Shuel¡¯s reddened eyes. [ tl/n: fighting shuel ??? ] Before his face could crumple up like a dried dumpling, Shuel quickly ran away from the main hall. And so I was left feeling slightly embarrassed. You could have just said no if you didn¡¯t want to say it. You didn¡¯t have to cry¡­¡­ ¡°Sister¡­you¡¯re really dense.¡± Rieta shook her head and let out a blunt remark. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I pulled on Rieta¡¯s cheek fiercely. The child screamed in pain, but I had no mercy. ¡°Damn, it hurts.¡± ¡°Rieta. Language.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± Where in the world did she learn it from? There¡¯s no one in the Duke¡¯s mansion who would be that vulgar. Come to think of it, I think the knights were a little bit like that. I sighed and held out my hand to Rieta. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you to the dorm.¡± Like a child, Rieta smiled and grabbed my hand right away. The child¡¯s hands were a lot rougher than mine. ¡°You must have practised a lot.¡± ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± At my words, Rieta widened her eyes in surprise. I smiled casually, like an adult who knew everything. ¡°Your hands are rough. I¡¯m sure you got a lot of blisters too. Didn¡¯t it hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts! Ah, no¡­it didn¡¯t hurt at all. Originally, everyone would say it hurts but it was bearable.¡± Rieta bragged, would Shuel ever be able to do this? Then, she smiled triumphantly. ¡°Yes, good job. That¡¯s great to hear.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Rieta¡¯s smiling face was still childlike but she truly has grown. The kids are growing up fast. They really grew up like bean sprouts. After chatting about random things, we quickly arrived in front of the dormitory. It was the dorm where I had stayed a few days ago, and now Rieta will be staying here. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Rieta was originally supposed to use the single room that I had used, but she insisted on a triple room since she wanted to share a room with her friends. Shuel and Rieta had left the main hall pretty late since they were bickering. We were walking leisurely so everyone should be out by now. I won a swordsmanship tournament and I grilled fish in a treehouse with Tilda. I went up the stairs while listening to Rieta¡¯s chatter. The triple room was on the fourth floor of the building. Since the single room was only on the second floor, my legs began to hurt but Rieta climbed it quite easily. When she offered to carry me, I desperately refused. Standing in front of Rieta¡¯s dorm, voices leaked through the door. In my head, I thought it must be the parents of another student but I couldn¡¯t help but become very excited. Knock knock. When the door opened after the small knock, a platinum haired man stood in the room, smiling broadly. ¡°Rwen!¡± ¡°You came.¡± Even without trying, my lips had already widened. I approached them with a big smile. ¡°Marie, Derek.¡± It was nice to call out their names after a long time. While I smiled brightly, Derek opened his arms as if he was disappointed. It was the same with Marie, who stood next to him. I plunged into their arms and the two large adults hugged me tightly. My nerves loosened instantly, like a cat bathing in the sun. ¡°Hmm.¡± I feel like crying. I¡¯ve missed them. My guardians. ¡°Darling, how have you been? Did you eat well? Oh my god, look at your thin face. The academy¡¯s diet is so unreliable.¡± Derek, who brought me away from his arms, scanned my face with a regretful expression. I shook my head at the hand that caressed my cheek like a cat. ¡°I didn¡¯t lose weight. I got fat¡­¡­¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Derek firmly said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to feed you well during this week¡¯s stay. You and Shu are the same. Why did you two lose so much weight?¡± I turned my head to Marius, who had been waiting for me to turn calmly, and she grabbed my face. A hand similar to Rieta¡¯s, but much rougher, meticulously checked my face. She spoke with a blunt, but firm expression. ¡°You lost weight.¡± ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t.¡± I didn¡¯t lose any weight. It didn¡¯t change. My weight was normal and I didn¡¯t want to lose or gain any weight. Nevertheless, Marius still seemed worried. ¡°Is there anyone you dislike?¡± ¡°Huh, well¡­¡­¡± Apart from Jeffrey, the rest of the kids were fine. I couldn¡¯t say that there was no one who held any malicious intent, but those cases were sufficiently resolved by the student council¡¯s authority. ¡°Anyways, I got first place during the exam. I¡¯m the top student.¡± I looked up at Marius with sparkling eyes. They said they would sponsor me without any conditions, but I still felt guilty. Although studying was fun, I studied hard with the goal to not miss the first rank even if I died. Fortunately, there was no kid as desperate as I was so I had always maintained the top rank. At this rate, I might even graduate early. Since I needed to graduate exactly at the age of 18, should I fail the last exam? While I was carefully contemplating, a large had raised my head upwards. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Well done.¡± Marie stroked my hair until it was all messed up. I knew that was her favourite gesture. Derek freaked out and gently tidied up my hair neatly. Suddenly, the door opened with a polite knock. ¡°Rieta, you really¡ª¡± Glancing at the source of the sound, my eyes instantly met Shuel¡¯s. In just three blinks, the door slammed shut right in front of me. Shuel turned around but his head banged against the closed door. A noise as loud as the slammed door was heard instantly. On the ground, Shuel shook his head and got up. He moved as if he planned to head to the parlour attached to the room, but he didn¡¯t open the door. So he once again banged his head on the door. Another banged echoed and silence appeared in the room. It was Marie who broke the silence. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°Just leave him be.¡± For some reason, Rieta looked at her brother sympathetically. £ª £ª £ª Since then, Shuel has been acting like an idiot for a while. During meal time, he sliced the garnish instead of the steak. During class, he blanked out while leaving his pen on a piece of paper like a person who had forgotten he had ink on the quill. Then he would blush by himself and turn pale again. And the biggest change was that he would run away as soon as he saw my face. I tried to talk to Shuel when I encountered him in the cafeteria, but Shuel stiffly left the cafeteria. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°Marie said the exact thing a week ago.¡± Sie, who was eating soup in front of me, frowned when she saw Shuel leaving the cafeteria as soon as he entered it. I answered calmly, but I couldn¡¯t help but sound glum. It¡¯s been a week since Kendrick and Marius left. I felt upset that I haven¡¯t been able to see Shuel¡¯s face properly for two weeks now. Fan translation by Dropped Inks. If there was something that he didn¡¯t like, at least tell me. Why was he avoiding me? ¡°Is it puberty¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who cares.¡± Sie frowned and cut off my gloomy murmurs. My friend, who was in the same department and competed for the first rank with me, was smart and kind¡­but very cold hearted. Alright, I guess. Thank you for your clear and indifferent answer¡­¡­ I smiled dryly and turned my head. Silver hair stuck out and went into my eyes. The long silver locks shook around and not long after, some of it fell into the soup. Sie could not stand it and clicked her tongue. ¡°Elvin. Tie your hair up.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, haha¡­¡­¡± Without saying a word, I reached out and tied up Elvin¡¯s hair, who sat beside me. Her hair that resembled a lion¡¯s mane disappeared and her youthful face was revealed. ¡°Thank you, Rwen.¡± Elvin smiled brightly. Her hair slipped out slowly as it shook along with her joyful face. ¡°Sigh, seriously. What¡¯s the point of being the only wizard in the kingdom? You just turn your hair into soup.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean no? I told you to tie your hair up, but you never listen anyways.¡± I smiled as I watched the two of them bicker at the same table. Elsiana Alfredo and Elvin Schrider¡­ The two friends I made at the academy. I guess in short I would say¡­¡­best friends. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ My best friends indeed. CH 24 Just thinking about it made my skin crawl. But since it¡¯s an endearing term referring to my close friends, then yes¡­they are my best friends. One is a little fierce and the other is too gentle, but we are just normal friends. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t how other people viewed us¡­¡­ ¡°Wow, it¡¯s the Royal Sisters.¡± ¡®Urgh!¡¯ Just in time, the ¡®title¡¯ appeared. The students admired the three of us, but the title they had for us was just terrible. No, seriously. What is that? Ro¡­¡­Royal what? When I got fed up and tried to concentrate on my meal, Sie clicked her tongue. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that title? It¡¯s cool!¡± Next to her, Elvin smiled shyly and nodded in agreement. Sometimes, I felt like I was a million light years older from my friends. Just wait for three more years. It would become a dark history of kicking blankets[1] at night. [1] Slang for when someone remembers an embarrassing past and starts kicking their blanket in embarrassment. But at the same time, I understood why we were given such a title. I was the child sponsored by the great Duke of Sebrirua and Elsiana was the heir of a top business family. Elvin possessed an ability that no one else has in the kingdom. My academy life had been relatively peaceful, but there was one time where it became chaotic. Marquis Schrider, the Head Ministry of Finance, suddenly revealed that his foster daughter had a unique trait. Naturally, there were a few conjoined twins or six fingered people in this world as well. However, what the Marquis Schrider¡¯s foster daughter possessed was something far more extraordinary. The child could use magic. Albeit he did reveal that she could only manipulate a small amount of natural forces such as water, fire, and wind. [pr/n: so close to being an avatar¡­sooo close.] She could lift up the weight of a utensil using the power of wind and create fire the size of a small bonfire. Nevertheless, everyone regarded it as a tremendous power that was not within a human¡¯s capabilities. There were public opinions that thought the child was not a human, but a witch. That Marquis Schrider, who had assisted the witch, should also be executed for treason. However, as one would expect, Marquis Schrider announced that he would enrol his daughter to the Royal Academy and raise her as a talent for the king. During that time, the Royal Family ¨C who had remained silent even when the commoners, who were influenced by some nobles, protested with sickles and ploughs ¨C finally changed their attitude. They established a Magic Department at the Academy and dedicated a research tower for the child. The fact that she was the youngest daughter of Marquis Schrider, who has great power, was enough to draw attention on its own. But since she entered the school with a special treatment, the day Elvin transferred felt like an anniversary. I held a slight interest in Elvin, since I knew that Marquis Schrider was Rieta¡¯s adoptive father in the original story. There was also the assumption that she was an arrogant child from being heavily spoiled . After becoming closer to Elvin, however, I realised that she was just an ordinary child who was a little dense. [pr/n: I find this rich come from you Rwen but okay.] ¡®So I wish they would stop calling us by that freaking title.¡¯ I smiled quietly and watched as Elvin shook her head to loosen her hair tie. When her hair was all ruffled and loose, Sie stood up from her seat in frustration, and started to tie Elvin¡¯s hair up. ¡°Tie your hair up when you eat! Next time, I won¡¯t remind you to tie it up!¡± ¡°You tell me to tie my hair up when I¡¯m studying too¡­¡­¡± ¡°At that time, if you don¡¯t cover it up, it¡¯ll fall and cover your eyes!¡± Sie shouted, drawing people¡¯s attention. Her face turned red and she hastily returned to her seat to finish her salad. Then, the door opened and Shuel walked in. The child sighed and met my gaze, turned around and headed for a different table. He needed to eat but he didn¡¯t want to see me. It seems he had found a compromise between the two. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hmph, fine. Whether you are avoiding or hating me, do as you please. Giving up, I chewed on my salad and a clanking sound was heard. Sie placed down her utensils. With her plump cheeks that lost their baby fat, her expression looked somewhat serious. Sharp purple eyes stared with depth, straight at me. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You made him like that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Why did the fault suddenly fall on me? I frowned. On the contrary, it was me who tried to approach him first. I tried asking several times if I did anything wrong, but every time Shuel would scramble away and bump into things. So, every attempt ended in complete failure. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything, but he acts like that around you? Hey¡­no one in this academy holds that much power over Shuel Sebrirua as much as you do.¡± ¡°There is one. Rieta Sebrirua, first grade.¡± ¡°Apart from family. Family is¡­¡­how should I say this? A permanent obstacle in life, so it would be a waste of time to let it ruin your daily life.¡± As she spoke firmly, Sie noticed someone behind me and habitually raised her hand. She folded all of her fingers in her hand except for the middle one. Even though I already guessed it, I turned my head and saw a man who looked just like her, returning the same hand gesture. Elsiana Alfredo. Joseph Alfredo. The siblings who look alike and act alike. I was wondering if Count Alfredo had ever nagged them to not use such vulgar hand gestures before realising it was a futile concern. ¡°Hey, Arwen! Focus and think about it. There¡¯s no other reason than you. Just explain what happened that day!¡± Sie shouted loudly, appearing as if she was losing her mind. Surprised by the sudden demand, I stuttered and slowly explained. ¡°¡­¡­Uh, so it started during the freshman entrance ceremony.¡± ¡°Okay¡­then?¡± ¡°Then, Rieta and Shuel were fighting and Rieta suddenly asked if Shuel was rejected¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then?¡± ¡°I asked who it was that rejected him. I was just curious.¡± Sie¡¯s mouth opened wide. Even Elvin widened her eyes and stared at me. [pr/n: I know¡­I know¡­] ¡°Gosh¡­..You¡­¡­That¡¯s so cruel! That¡¯s even worse than returning an opened love letter!¡± Gee. Sie shook her head and shot me an incredulous look. I glanced at her before eating the soup. Despite the messy situation, the clam chowder tasted delicious. Seeing that, Elvin asked, ¡®Is it delicious?¡¯. I answered yes with a smile. Sie hit her chest in frustration as she watched me. I frowned at her gorilla-like appearance. Why was she acting like that? ¡°Why did you ask who he likes? It¡¯s obvious who it is!¡± ¡°Huh? You know who Shuel likes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you! You, you, you! Do you not have eyes or ears?! He¡¯s been confessing to you ever since he entered the academy!¡± At the sudden topic, I rolled my eyes for a moment and answered calmly. ¡°Well¡­¡­yes, he did but he was still young then.¡± ¡°He was a freshman at that time! He¡¯s in the 3rd grade now. Besides, he¡¯s handsome, sweet to you, and has good grades! That¡¯s ideal for a relationship!¡± Sie, who just had her 14th birthday a few days ago, puffed up her cheeks and exclaimed enthusiastically. I simply smiled and wiped off the soup from my mouth. This kid¡­that¡¯s not what I meant. ¡°Children tend to like someone rather quickly. It would seem sincere at the time, but these days, he probably just says it out of habit.¡± Now, Shuel¡¯s confession was a matter of habit rather than emotions. That was one of the main reasons why I wasn¡¯t too concerned about his constant confessions. For the first time, Sie became speechless at my indifferent response. I continued eating my meal again. ¡°So, Shu¡­¡­no, so you think he doesn¡¯t like you?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not it. Shu likes me a lot.¡± ¡°For a reason! He wants to date you!¡± In response to Sie¡¯s remark, I smiled softly and shook my head. Sure it is¡­ That must have been something Shuel had witnessed and learned while attending the academy. More importantly, if he did like me like that, he would¡¯ve asked me out. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Why not?! Then, why don¡¯t you try going out with him? It¡¯s not bad!¡± ¡°Oh, no. He¡¯s still too young. Really young for that.¡± How could I be in a relationship with a baby like that? That¡¯s ridiculous. After answering curtly, I took a bite out of the creme brulee that was being served for desserts. A bite of the burnt sugar complimented the soft cream. Mhmm, delicious. While I was savouring the sweetness in my mouth, I turned to face Sie who suddenly became quiet. Sie, who had been speaking passionately until her face turned red, was looking at me with a disappointed face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want this?¡± ¡°No. You really have no clue at all, you heartless being¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± If I was heartless, I wouldn¡¯t have listened to all your chatter, Sie. I answered truthfully and took a bite of the creme brulee again. Haha, a fake laughter echoed before me. ¡°Just go die.¡± Rising up from her seat, Sie became furious and started hitting me with a teaspoon. I was trying to enjoy a peaceful meal, but I became distracted by the sudden beating. It was not painful, but it felt as though I was being deprived of my rights. ¡®What¡¯s with you?¡¯ I muttered timidly and swiftly placed a spoonful of creme brulee in my mouth. Suddenly, the cold teaspoon stopped hitting my skin. ¡°Don¡¯t hit her, Miss Alfredo.¡± CH 25 It was a young, yet firm voice. I turned my head at the sudden voice and Shuel, who approached us before I realised, stealthy avoided my gaze. Sie, who had been continuously beating me, paused. With a face full of discomfort, she took a step back away from me. ¡°¡­¡­You look pathetic, Sebrirua.¡± It was a difficult sight to see my bold friend being formal. It was the same with Shuel. There was not even a school rule that required them to call each other formally. Why was it difficult for them to just call each other by their first name? ¡°It is a violation of the school rules to assault a fellow student on campus, even if it is in the cafeteria. It might appear to be a light joke between friends and no injuries were inflicted on the victim, but please be careful.¡± ¡°Yes. I will¡­¡­¡± Terrified of the clear warning in his tone, Sie replied in a timid voice. Shuel nodded lightly and walked towards the door. He couldn¡¯t have finished his meal already. I looked at Shuel¡¯s back sadly and was surprised when I saw those eyes. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Shuel looked as if he was about to cry. I jumped out of my seat. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but if I left it as it was, that little boy was sure to cry in a corner somewhere. ¡°Wait. Sorry, but please help me put this away.¡± ¡°What? Hey!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys. Please. Just this once!¡± I hastily asked for their help before following after Shuel in a hurry. I decided to walk carefully instead of running, in case Shuel would notice and start to run away. The distance between Shuel and I gradually narrowed and right when he was less than a centimetres away, I reached my hand out towards him. ¡°H-He-Hello, President Arwen. President Shuel!¡± The sudden childish voice made my and Shuel¡¯s steps halt. When I turned my head, I saw an awkward little boy in a school uniform staring at me with sparkling eyes. He was, hundred percent, a freshman. ¡°Oh, yes. Hello. Nice to meet you. Let¡¯s get along well in the future. But you don¡¯t have to call us president¡ª¡± ¡°Where is President Shuel going?¡± What? Surprised, I turned around and found no one there. Instead, I noticed a platinum head running away in the distance. That punk! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have matters to attend to. I¡¯ll see you around!¡± After bidding farewell to the freshman hurriedly, I sprinted as fast as I could. I had no time to approach him with careful footsteps. His stamina was clearly decreasing, but he continued to run with all his might. Even though I was running hard to catch up, Shuel seemed to have no intention of turning his head around. The sight of his back made me angry. ¡°Hey, Shuel Sebrirua! Aren¡¯t you going to stop?!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to the sudden shout. So did Shuel¡¯s. Staring at Shuel, who had gradually stopped and stared at me with a shocked expression, I shouted again without taking a moment to catch my breath. ¡°Why are you running away when I¡¯ve been trying to approach you?¡± When did I teach you that? This naughty kid! It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve run like this and shouted angrily. No, this seemed to be the first time in my current life. Shuel gasped, as though he was truly surprised. With his eyes wide open, I said to him. ¡°Talk to me.¡± £ª £ª £ª The kingdom¡¯s best education institution, Diminuento Academy. Allegedly, it was a place where talented people from all over the country attended due to their outstanding professors, regardless of status. Breaking the fairly calm and peaceful institute was the sudden chase that occurred during a casual lunch break. ¡°Hey, Shuel Sebrirua! Why are you just standing there?!¡± The eyes of the people who were walking and chatting around the campus instantly focused on one person. There stood a girl with dishevelled silver hair. Seeing that, they pondered for a moment. Who is that? ¡°¡­¡­ 5th-grade student president?¡± Someone murmured in disbelief, and the crowd stirred up. Undoubtedly, Arwen Broschte, the 5th-grade student president, was famous for her flawless appearance. Neatly combed silver hair. Her jacket and shirt were glued stiffly together without a hint of flaws. The Arwen, who held a deep and gentle gaze that never wavered. The seniors who were watching the scene swore to heaven that they have never seen Arwen run, even when she was wearing the iconic first-grade yellow tie. The same Arwen yelled while sprinting around campus? That Arwen? Miss Broschte, who always politely returns love letters to the senders without ever blushing? The gazes who were watching Arwen, who was acting unusually, naturally turned towards the direction her eyes faced. There, a boy of Arwen¡¯s size was trembling with flushed cheeks. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Shuel Sebrirua. Similarly, he was the 3rd-grade student president and the only son of the Duke of Sebrirua who sponsored Arwen. And the chick ¨C a nickname given to the freshman from the colour of their tie ¨C boy who had been chasing and confessing his love to Arwen ever since childhood. As soon as they saw him, the crowd¡¯s eyes changed. There was excitement in the eyes of the juniors, satisfaction in the eyes of the seniors, and professors who muttered, ¡®they are growing up¡¯. ¡®You¡¯ve been persistently chasing her.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve succeeded, Sebrirua!¡¯ The academy was a place where youth blossomed. And so, the scandal between Arwen and Shuel was famous. It was adorable that Shuel kept chasing after Arwen, and although Arwen refused him every time, it was still lovely to see them together. The professor and 7th graders, who predicted the birth of a fresh couple in the academy, smiled as they walked past them. Arwen shook furiously, grabbed Shuel¡¯s wrist and strode away. The remaining freshmen became dazed for a while before their eyes twinkled. ¡°It must be a lovers¡¯ quarrel.¡± ¡°Right, right!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lovers¡¯ quarrel!¡± The students who were called chicks chirped up loudly. ¡°Lovers¡¯ quarrel!¡± A gentle breeze blew through the children that were babbling around as if it¡¯s what they do best. Apart from the two people who became the talk of the town, it was still another peaceful day at the academy. £ª £ª £ª Bang. Clank. ¡°Hic.¡± As soon as the door was closed and locked, I heard Shuel¡¯s hiccup. The noise made me feel bad for some reason. Did you think I¡¯ll eat you? I examined the room. It was a small room full of dust, appearing to be used as a storage room. There was no way out except for the door I had just locked and the small window made for ventilation. I felt a little sorry for creating an intimidating or interrogating atmosphere, but I couldn¡¯t help it. If I spoke in an open place, that ostrich would immediately run away or dunk his head in a corner and not raise it until I left. In the empty room, Shuel looked at me with anxious eyes. I let out a deep sigh and swept through my messy hair. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shuel?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I wouldn¡¯t know. Are you going to remain like this with me? Not going to see my face even once?¡± Even at those words, Shuel remained silent. The fact that he didn¡¯t even make eye contact made my heart ache. ¡°Do you want me to do that? Should I not talk to you anymore? Until you graduate from the academy?¡± Eventually, I let out a threat. It was not just empty words. If Shuel truly doesn¡¯t want to see my face, I will do that. Shuel¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed as if they would pop out right away with a little exaggeration. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then?¡± My gaze and Shuel¡¯s crossed in the air. His nervous and trembling pink eyes wandered here and there before eventually meeting mine again. Tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°Rwen¡­¡­Do you think it¡¯s a lie that I like you?¡± It was more of a question than a rebuke, and it was filled with sadness. The sight caught me off guard. Tears dripped down from Shuel¡¯s eyes. ¡°How can I make Rwen believe me?¡± It had been a really long time since Shuel cried. Shuel, who has become quite mature and also holds a great position as the student president, was not very emotionally unstable. I couldn¡¯t believe it was me who made Shuel cry. ¡°I, I like you so much¡­¡­Rwen is older than me, so she doesn¡¯t believe me¡­¡­¡± I could barely understand those words. At the same time, I recalled Shuel, who appeared while I was talking with Sie. Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. ¡°So, you¡­¡­No. Do you think that he doesn¡¯t like you?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not it. Shu likes me a lot.¡± ¡°For a reason! He wants to date you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Fan translation by Dropped Inks. Oh, yeah. That¡¯s right. It felt as if someone had hit my head with a sledgehammer. CH 26 No matter how young Shuel was, he was not that young that he could not think straight. I thought he would change his mind later, but that was the future. Shuel, who confessed to me, was in the present. It was hard to accept it as he was a child, and so I had ignored it and took it lightly. ¡°No. It¡¯s not that¡­¡­¡± Those words came out before I could think. But I couldn¡¯t continue the sentence. I shouldn¡¯t ignore someone¡¯s heart just because they were young. It was my fault. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking your feelings lightly. I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± My face burned with shame. As someone who has been proudly claiming to be a very open person so far, it was shameful to admit my mistake. At my words, Shuel looked at me with his eyes wide open. With a bitter smile, I reached my hand out to wipe his tears away. ¡°Why do you hate me?¡± My heart ached at those words that came out with a hoarse tone from crying. ¡°Why would I hate you?¡± ¡°But, you don¡¯t like¡­¡­¡± At the end of his sentence, a sob cried out again. Now, I realised what his ¡®I like you¡¯ means. It was just different from mine. ¡°Hey, Shuel.¡± Shuel nodded his head at my quiet call. I rubbed his eyes, feeling guilty about his tears. ¡°I like you, but I like you just as I like Rieta, Derick and Marie.¡± ¡°I¡­know.¡± Shuel struggled to answer in a stable voice. He tried to act strong, but tears welled up in his pink eyes again. ¡°It¡¯s not because I don¡¯t like you. I want you to know that.¡± ¡°Then? Why?¡± As soon as my words ended, Shuel asked eagerly. The sight of those desperate eyes made me laugh a little. How can you go through your first love so harshly? ¡°You are still young and there are so many opportunities out there.¡± You are very pretty. That I¡¯m almost jealous of it. Though, it was still lovely. ¡°I may be the only person you see right now, but things will change as you grow up. You will meet many beautiful people and might fall in love with one of them.¡± That¡¯s how bright your future will be. I wonder how precious and beautiful it would be? The thought suddenly occurred to me. ¡°When you grow older like me, I won¡¯t be as pretty as you are. So that¡¯s why I can¡¯t.¡± By the time I finished speaking, Shuel¡¯s tears had stopped. Only his red, swollen eyes were evidence that he cried. ¡°Then, Rwen.¡± Shuel, who seemed as if he had wanted to say something for a while, struggled to lift his mouth open and asked. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m too young now?¡± I smiled wryly and hesitated for a while before finally answering. ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Yeah, maybe this was for the best. After crying for a few days, his emotions would clear up. Human emotions certainly do not last very long. And after that, would he feel awkward? Thinking about it made me feel a little sad. I wanted to stay close to him¡­¡­ It was Shuel¡¯s small gasp that woke me up from my sadness. Startled, I became restless. Is that a cry? He¡¯s going to cry, right? H-How do I comfort him? No, can I even comfort him in the beginning? Yet, the moment I decided that I should at least wipe his tears so his eyes wouldn¡¯t swell, Shuel raised his head. His face was clear, void of any tears. On the contrary, they were sparkling. ¡°Then, what if I still like Rwen when I become an adult?¡± My head went blank at the unexpected conclusion. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe that I like Rwen because I¡¯m too young now, will you believe me when I¡¯m an adult?¡± ¡°No, what¨C¡± I was at a loss for words to refute. For the past 10 minutes or so, I¡¯ve been saying that I couldn¡¯t like Shuel because of my age. I wanted to open the door and run away, but I locked the door of this room. I wanted to refute. It was an excuse. I made it up entirely. ¡°Like Rwen said, time flies.¡± He began to quote. It sounded like a letter that I¡¯d written before. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep liking Rwen, and I¡¯m going to keep saying that I like you. I will grow up in no time.¡± Having said that, Shuel laughed. Like a young boy, but in love, with flushed cheeks and shining brightly. ¡°You look so pretty today.¡± The smile was so pure that I was rendered speechless. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t be pretty in the future, but Rwen is pretty every day.¡± A voice serenades faintly. The words felt more impactful because it was genuine, without a single pretence. ¡°I like Rwen. I really like you. I like you so much.¡± As he said that, Shuel smiled brightly. The rays of sunlight slowly reflected, enveloping him lightly. In the dark storage room where small rays of lights peaked in, Shuel shone along with them. It was so dazzlingly beautiful that I simply stared at Shuel without saying a word. How can he speak like that? Every touch, every word was beautiful. There wasn¡¯t a single flaw. Would it be like that if you grew up with parents who loved you and in an environment where you didn¡¯t lack anything? If I had grown up like that, would I be able to shine the same way? I felt strange. It was similar to the melancholy of grief, but I didn¡¯t feel like crying. As I stood motionless in the room drenched with the afternoon sun, Shuel suddenly asked me. ¡°Rwen. Do you remember?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± When I answered absently, Shuel made a strange face. It seemed like a smile that was holding back a laugh. It was a face that I used to make fun of when I was young. ¡°The first time I said I liked you, Rwen said you would marry me if I continued to like you when I became an adult.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± The strange feeling instantly disappeared. Did I say that? ¡°The day when Rieta and I fought and Rieta cried out loudly. The day you took a nap under the tree shade and taught us to play hide and seek.¡± Shuel kindly explained to me, who was bewildered. The bright smile on his face didn¡¯t look like the same Shuel. I was quite taken aback by him. Y-You¡­How can your memory be so clear at that age? Shuel grinned at my confused look as my head was all jumbled up. It was a mischievous smile that I had never seen before. ¡°You have to keep your promise. Absolutely.¡± £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. When I returned to the dormitory, feeling like my soul had been stolen, Sie was waiting for me with her eyes shining. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Sie. Isn¡¯t it time for your class?¡± If I remembered correctly, Sie was in the Kingdom History class. Shuel and I had a free period at this time, but Sie didn¡¯t. I glanced at the timetable on the wall to be sure, but Sie shook her head firmly. ¡°Is that important right now? I heard you were playing catch in the square! How did that go? Tell me!¡± What do you mean playing catch? She should have seen Shuel¡¯s face back then. It was so grave that he ran away with a pale face without looking back as if he had seen a monster. Clicking my tongue, I went back to my seat and took off my jacket. I applied for a twin room because I wanted to share the room with a friend, but it seemed to be the wrong choice. ¡°So? How did it go? Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Nothing is going to happen. I¡¯m not dating Shuel.¡± ¡°No, but you guys talked for a long time! And I heard that Sebrirua¡¯s eyes were really red just now?¡± Did he cry? Sie¡¯s purple eyes twinkled as she asked. If it were any other day, I would have laughed and moved on, but I was quite exhausted today. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit him. I was just talking and Shuel cried.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± Sie opened her mouth widely. I thought she would be quiet for a while but then she started to babble again. ¡°Wow¡­Oh my god. You made Shuel Sebrirua cry? That brick guy? What? Something must have really happened!¡± ¡°Sie.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What would you say if I told you that I¡¯m actually over 30 and can¡¯t accept a 12-year-old boy¡¯s confession?¡± ¡°Oh, dear. That¡¯s really bad, my friend. Would you like to visit the doctor with me?¡± ¡°Then, please shut up.¡± After saying that, I sighed. I had a splitting headache. The original plot was bound to change. It was expected the moment I left Viscount Broschte with Shuel. But this¡­¡­ ¡°Rwen. The ground is falling[1].¡± [1] An expression said when someone sighs too deeply that the ground starts to fall. ¡°Be quiet, Sie¡­¡­¡± CH 27 Since then, I had been thinking about whether it would be uncomfortable to meet Shuel, but it did not take long for me to realise it was useless. Shuel treated me as usual and behaved normally. After two eventful weeks, he returned to his normal youth. ¡°Good morning, Rwen. You look so pretty today. I like you.¡± However, what became too much of a normal thing is that Shuel has yet to stop confessing. The academy life has not changed much over the past decade, so time started to feel faster. And yet, Shuel¡¯s confession did not change. In the spring of the 6th year, when the petals flutter around the founding festival. In the fall of the 9th year, when I passed the graduation exam and the Imperial Palace Bureaucracy exam at the same time. In the late summer of the 10th year. During my graduation ceremony. Even in the fast pace of time, it continued. Now, Shuel¡¯s confession seemed like a habit. To the point where I didn¡¯t know what special occasion occurred, but he smiled brightly when he saw my face and said ¡®I like you¡¯. If Shuel was still a young boy, I would¡¯ve said, ¡®Oh, that¡¯s cute.¡¯ but the problem was that he could no longer be called a boy. His puberty came, changing his naive voice, and his slender frame began to become firm. His height also grew rapidly. My impression of him went from ¡®Wow, he¡¯s grown a lot!¡¯ to ¡®Really¡­¡­big.¡¯ and eventually it became, ¡®How big are you?¡¯. It was natural. Shuel, who was nearing 190cm tall and had thick muscles, ate well when he was young so his stature was twice that of my small body. Who would think that kid¡­¡­No, he¡¯s no longer a child. Who would look at him and think he would be a civil servant? I don¡¯t think there would be any difficulties if he jumped right into a battlefield and cut off the enemy¡¯s head. Where did the blood of the Duke of Sebrirua, who has produced great knights for generations, go? Now, I had to tilt my head for a while to talk and see Shuel¡¯s face. And looking at Shuel, who was all grown up now, I was seized with new doubts. ¡®Is he serious?¡¯ It was a reasonable doubt. I graduated from the academy two years ago, and today is Shuel¡¯s graduation ceremony. In other words, it means that Schuel and I have already been together for 13 years. 12-year-old Shuel said that he would become an adult and still like me, but I wasn¡¯t sure. They say love has an expiry date of 6 months. The boy¡¯s first love, which was sappy and cheesy, may end as a beautiful past as he slowly aged. ¡®Then I would have to¡­¡­¡¯ ¡°Rwen, what are you thinking about? Let¡¯s get on.¡± I raised my head blankly, as if I was woken up to the soft voice. Derick smiled at me faintly. His eyes were wrinkled with folds as they bent, evidenced by the years. ¡°Derick¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, sweetheart.¡± Derick answered my call delightfully. As Shuel, Rieta and I had grown up over the past 13 years, Derick also looked much older than 13 years ago. The tip of my nose became sour. ¡°You¡¯re really¡­¡­getting older.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What if later, there comes a time where I have to you grandpa and not uncle?¡± I use the title uncle alternately for Derick¡¯s nickname, but I remembered that one day his nickname could no longer be called uncle. I held my breath as if I was going to cry, but I heard a laugh behind me as if they were trying to hold it in. ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Rietta.¡± At the sound of Derick¡¯s voice calling out to his daughter quietly, I finally looked at his face. Derick, whose smiling face hardened up like glass, raised the corners of his mouth forcefully. ¡°So¡­¡­you were worried. Our Rwen. That¡¯s nice of you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Pf-Pfft. Hahahaha!¡± Rieta burst out laughing carelessly. In fact, I didn¡¯t understand why she was laughing. It wouldn¡¯t be funny to hear that her father was getting old. What¡¯s the reason? Rieta has always acted like that, so my curiosity didn¡¯t last very long. I erased the doubt I had of her and turned to face Derick again. He looked even more haggard today. Today was Shuel¡¯s graduation ceremony, so Rieta, Derick and Marie, who were staying in a townhouse in the Capital, were going to the academy. The academy was also located in the Capital, so it was not that far, but we still had to ride the carriage for quite a while so I was worried about Derick¡¯s poor condition. ¡°You don¡¯t look so well, can you go?¡± When Rieta heard that, she let out a sob. Derick had a strange expression, which seemed both angry and burdened. I could hear a small gasp around me, and I looked around in bewilderment. Everyone was holding back their laughter. What¡¯s this? Somehow I feel like I¡¯m being teased. Exceptionally sensitive to hostility, but quite dull in all other aspects, I stood still like a hay sack. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± And then, Marie approached us in her gown. Derick¡¯s eyes lowered, and so did mine. It was only Rieta who was openly amused. ¡°No, pfft. Sister is sad because dad is old. Hehehe.¡± ¡°Rieta, why do you keep laughing?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just so cute¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m four years older, though. I smiled wryly when I was called cute by my younger sister. The moment I was about to say something, Marie once again opened her mouth. ¡°Derick will grow old someday.¡± At that subtle comment, Reita¡¯s laughter suddenly stopped. She looked at her mother in disbelief, and even when she received that gaze, Marie answered calmly. ¡°Now he¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Mom, are you being serious?¡± At Rieta¡¯s question, Marie frowned and made a puzzled face. ¡°He¡¯s just as pretty as before, isn¡¯t he?¡± At Marie¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s face turned muddled as they really couldn¡¯t understand her. Except for Derick. Derick blushed with surprise. Sparkling eyes and reddened rims¡­¡­Sure¡­¡­He¡¯s still young. With a face like a boy in love, Derick lowered his eyes and said. ¡°Marie, how can you say that so casually.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What was the problem?¡± ¡°Nothing. I love you, honey.¡± Derick smiled pleasantly and kissed Marie¡¯s stiff cheek, feigning that he made a slip of the tongue. He escorted a red-eared Marie into the carriage. The servants, who were watching the scene, moved their steps carefully. As everyone went back to their normal lives, Rieta, who was still staring at the carriage with a frown, muttered absently. ¡°Ah¡­¡­I wish all the couples disappeared.¡± Uh-huh. I nodded a little. Fan translation by Dropped Inks. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Now, after Shuel graduates, we will go down to the estate together.¡± I dozed off and woke up abruptly at those words. I was a little embarrassed because I could see that everyone was looking at me even from a drowsy perspective. ¡®You can¡¯t overwork yourself, Rwen.¡¯ Derick, who nagged me lightly, began to talk. I listened to the story while taking Rieta¡¯s handkerchief embroidered with rabbits to wipe the corners of my lips, in case of any mishaps. ¡°Shuel didn¡¯t come down to the estate during the last vacation, so his room is full of dust. The servants must be having a hard time.¡± ¡°Marie. Our daughter goes into that room to play.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh, my.¡± I burst into laughter at the sound of the embarrassed voice. It seems that Rieta, who had gone down first during her holiday, took advantage of Shuel¡¯s absence and played around happily. Shuel didn¡¯t usually get angry, but he didn¡¯t like someone entering his room and messing up his things, especially if it was Rieta. I felt as if I could picture it right in front of my eyes. I quietly traced the nostalgic memories. ¡°Rwen, I¡¯ve cleaned your room again. The palace¡¯s holiday is coming soon, right?¡± Still absorbed in my thoughts, I paused at the question that came to me. Seeing that I couldn¡¯t answer immediately, everyone¡¯s faces flashed and soon the atmosphere in the carriage plummeted. ¡°Are you very busy¡­¡­?¡± Derick mumbled, ¡®those bastards¡¯ while gritting his teeth, then looked at me pitifully. Before I could answer him, Marie silently held my hand, and Rieta came to my side and whined, begging for me to come along this time. Struggling in the middle of them, I replied with a vague smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to live separately from now on¡­¡­¡± At those words, silence fell. CH 28 Three pairs of different coloured eyes widened and stared at me. I rolled my eyes and smiled vaguely. In fact, it¡¯s been a while since I decided that, but I kept forgetting to talk about it earlier since other things kept popping up. It was out of the blue, but now was the best moment to bring it up. The age for being an adult was 19 years old, so I¡¯m all grown up and was taken care of by them for an extra two years. I thought I shouldn¡¯t stay in the duchy forever, so I worked hard to save money. By working as the minister of the palace and saving my salary, I was able to build a small house on the outskirts of the capital in two years. 13 years has really changed a lot. 13 years ago, could I have imagined that I had my own house when I was 19? The house was small and old, but it had good lighting. Moreover, it had a small yard where herbs grow and cats would occasionally come by. It is the people in front of me who made it possible for me to achieve such fortune. The pleasant thoughts brought a smile to my mouth. ¡°There was a lot of discourtesy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But thank you so much for taking care of me all this while.¡± I bowed to each of them with sincerity, but their faces were still befuddled. At that sight, the smile that had remained on my lips slowly disappeared. In the awkward atmosphere, Derick, who had been gaping his mouth in confusion, spoke. ¡°Rwen, you¡­¡­¡± ¡°We have arrived, my lord.¡± His last words were interrupted by the voice coming from outside. He let out a small sigh as the carriage slowly stopped. ¡°Let¡¯s talk later. Rwen.¡± That was truly the scariest thing I¡¯ve ever heard from Derick. If I was to be scolded, I wanted to get scolded first, but I got out of the carriage without saying anything since I was too sleepy. £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. We entered the largest hall of the academy, where the graduation ceremony was held. Since the ceremony has yet to start, the students were all scattered around and spending time with their family and friends. Shuel was so large that he was found in no time. The sight of Shuel with an aloof expression in his academy uniform was quite unusual. When I saw the expressionless Shuel, I realised inwardly that he had a colder impression than I thought. I laughed as I watched the cold impression instantly collapse from the act of his sister sneaking up and slapping him on the back. Shuel, who was furious and wanted to grab Rieta by the collar, glanced our way and his face brightened. ¡°Mother. Father.¡± The closer he approached, the more it felt as if a shadow was falling. Especially since I was the smallest. ¡°Rwen. Long time no see.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Really grew¡­¡­¡± In the end, those were the first words I said to Shuel, who was right in front of me. Shuel smiled softly at my dazed murmur. ¡°Right?¡± Smiling, Shuel reached out and hugged me tightly. When we were young, I was slightly taller, but now I was completely embraced in Shuel¡¯s arms. ¡°Hmm. I missed you, Rwen.¡± A childish tone was heard. I smiled and patted him on the back. He was big, but he still seemed so young. ¡°Good job,¡± I said while stroking his hair and a playful voice was heard behind me. ¡°Son, won¡¯t you greet your father?¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Only then did Shuel reluctantly release me and hugged his parents. A bright smile appeared on the healthy young man. Shuel, who graduated from the academy at the age of 20, is now an adult. I felt the time pass once again. At that moment, a heavy bell was heard through the noisy hall. It was a bell that indicated the start of the graduation ceremony. After the diplomas were already awarded to each student by the dean, only the last bit of the ceremony remained. Declaring the completion of the graduation. Shuel was standing at the front as the student president. The sight reminded me of myself two years ago. At that time, I was disappointed because I thought no one was coming, but when I saw Marie and Derick from afar, I smiled unconsciously that the dean even feigned a cough. ¡°I am proud of you who have been educated in the academy for 10 years. Be a great person who works hard for the kingdom.¡± It was a short and concise congratulatory speech, just like it was two years ago. As soon as the congratulatory speech was over, confetti cannons exploded with a bang and glitter poured down. Shuel raised his head quietly under the confetti. Then, someone wrapped their arms around his shoulder, and another patted his head. Shuel smiled brightly in the middle of it. Watching that scene, I approached Shuel with his family. When Shuel, who was celebrating with his friends, saw us, he quickly approached us. ¡°Congratulations on your graduation, son.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Shuel.¡± ¡°Congrats.¡± ¡°Rieta.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± After Rieta, who was constantly poked, it was finally my turn. I held out the flowerpot that I was holding to him. ¡°Congratulations on your graduation, Shuel. Now, you¡¯re officially an adult.¡± What I brought out was a pot of poinsettia. It was not suitable for a graduation ceremony, easy to obtain, nor was it a bouquet. But I really wanted to give this as a gift. The flower language of Poinsettia is blessing. A blessing that people in this world didn¡¯t know yet, and only I knew. A bouquet would wither quickly, so I hoped that my blessing would last a long time. Shuel happily accepted the flowerpot without any objection. His smiling face with his bulging cheeks was pretty. The graduation ceremony was over, so the students began to leave the hall one by one. Marie, Derick and Rieta also began to leave. I was about to follow them, but someone grabbed me. I turned around and saw Shuel holding my sleeve with a flushed face. ¡°Wait.¡± The colour of his cheeks was brighter than his eyes. A few strands of hair on his forehead were also soaked in sweat. I looked at his forehead worriedly. ¡°You look sick. Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m fine. Rwen, I have something to say.¡± ¡°To who?¡± ¡°You.¡± This kid, saying ¡®you¡¯ again. I knew he wouldn¡¯t call me ¡®sister¡¯ unless I was a relative since he came from a western background, but I get bothered by it sometimes because I had lived my previous life in an eastern country culture. I faced him with a helpless face, thinking that I should let it go since it was his graduation day. Shuel moved first, leaving only the bouquet of flowers Derick had given him and handed the rest to Rieta. ¡°Hey, Shuel!¡± ¡°Rieta. Please bear with me today. Okay?¡± Naturally, Rieta¡¯s temper was provoked, but Derick soothed her with a helpless face. He hurried out of the hall along with his wife and daughter. I tilted my head at the sight, but they had already left the hall. ¡°What are you going to talk about?¡± Shuel smiled at my question and led me to stand in the middle of the hall. Even without candlelights, the sun shone in from the dome-shaped ceiling. For a moment, I remembered the time back in the storage room. The sun shone brightly in the dark area. The dust glistened like jewels. Shuel stood in the middle of it. It was just like now. In such a dark place, the sun shone, the air sparkled and Shuel standing in the middle was very beautiful. He really didn¡¯t change. ¡°Rwen.¡± And at that moment, Shuel¡¯s shaky voice was heard. He smiled when our eyes met, but his hands still trembled. ¡°I, now a graduate of the academy, am an adult according to the Kingdom¡¯s law.¡± The statement made me tilt my head. It was odd to see him recite facts that I already knew. Shuel laughed at my reaction. Small and shyly, like a blooming flower. ¡°And I still like you.¡± It was a little different from Shuel¡¯s daily confession. A little heavier, trembling and subtle. What¡¯s going on with you? Before I could ask, Shuel knelt down on one knee. This felt somewhat ominous. What Shuel said later shattered everything around me. It was as though the pieces were lodged into the back of my head. Shuel on his knees, and that bouquet. Oh. God. ¡°Arwen Broschte.¡± If you really exist, don¡¯t do this to me. He nervously searched the pocket of his jacket. What he pulled out with his trembling hands was a small cube box. Click. The box opened. No. tl/n: yes. ¡°Will you¡­¡­¡± No way. tl/n: hell yes. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± Inside the box was a ring. An engagement ring studded with yellow diamonds. This crazy¡­¡­! Shuel knelt in front of me, the sun shining down on him like a blessing. A bouquet of sparkling roses, and a yellow diamond ring that shone even more. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The entire world spun around. It seemed that my brain had given up on accepting anything further and went for the strike. Shuel proposed to me. CH 29 ¡°Are you crazy¡­¡­?¡± At the question, Shuel shook his head with his eyes shut, which trembled in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly sane.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t go crazy¡­¡­! What the hell is this sudden proposal?¡± ¡°But, Rwen said that if I still like you when I become an adult, you¡¯ll marry me.¡± Shuel said with a bright smile. At those words, a childish voice crossed my mind. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get married when we grow up!¡± ¡°Okay. If you still like me then, I will marry you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Be careful what you say in front of children, the old saying was right. ¡°No, you¡¯re twenty years old now. Who keeps remembering the promise they made when they were seven!¡± ¡°I do¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± After feeling I was short of breath, I exhaled loudly. I didn¡¯t know what on earth this was about. ¡°In the first place, what is this? I¡¯m not even dating you, yet you proposed to me.¡± I tried to persuade Shuel while organising my chaotic mind. But instead, Shuel¡¯s eyes lit up at those words. ¡°Then, if I asked you out, would you accept it?¡± Would I accept it? Without realising, I looked down at Shuel with cold eyes. He looked at me stiffly, but his cherry-coloured eyes trembled relentlessly. When I gazed into those eyes, I could sense that Shuel was quite nervous. He seemed to attempt to make it a joke, but he was trembling as if his heart had been shot. It made my heart ache for some reason, and I felt strange that he liked me so much. A seven years-long crush. It was unripe and new, so I thought it would disappear soon. But now I¡¯m receiving a proposal from a grown-up Shuel. When I turned my focus away from my complicated mind, I saw a bouquet of flowers on the floor. It was the bouquet that Derick had given him. When Derick, who had fled away eagerly, came to mind, my chaotic mind calmed down. Marie. Rieta. The Sebrirua Duchy. Shuel, who was proposing to me, is the heir to the Duke of Sebrirua. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± The answer came out before I could think further. But even if I weighed the possibilities on a scale, the answer would still be the same. The atmosphere, which had been gentle in its own way, subsided as if cold water had been poured on it. I continued to stammer. ¡°I¡¯m really¡­¡­sorry. Even if I was young, I shouldn¡¯t have said such things carelessly. But¡­¡­¡± The people of the duke family who had been smiling at me crossed my vision. I didn¡¯t want to see those smiles suddenly change. Shortly after I left the house, the Viscount of Broschte perished. The entire family was nearly beheaded from getting caught up in a huge case such as treason. All their assets were completely stolen, so they went into the slums with all their assets confiscated. Wearing the Broschte surname, I was truly an infamous aristocrat. Becoming a minister of the palace was also a benefit that came from the halo of being sponsored by the Sebrirua. What would Marie, Derick and the Sebrirua Duchy think now that Shuel proposed to me? ¡°I can¡¯t accept it.¡± I understood why Shuel¡¯s hand kept trembling so much earlier. I also understood the depth of the innocence he contained for 13 years. I truly felt bad for him, but the gentle goodwill that I somehow managed to find was indescribably precious to me. tl/n: she meant the kindness from the sebrirua couple. It was a selfish answer. I didn¡¯t know how I should explain it to Shuel. While I was clenching my cold fingertips, Shuel rose up from his kneeling form. The dark shadow that fell over my head made me startled for a moment. Shuel brushed his knees and closed the box again. With a bang, the box went back into his pockets again. Haa, a small sigh was heard. ¡°I knew it.¡± Shuel replied calmly. I was taken aback for a moment. Shuel smiled as usual at my expression. Like a habit, he said he liked me. Just like any other day. I became so angry that my mind went blank for a moment. ¡°Y-You¡­¡­!¡± I raised my hand before lowering it again. If I hit that guy with my bare hands, it would only hurt my hand. I looked around with an angry gaze, and without hesitation, I picked up the lavish bouquet of flowers lying beside Shuel and swung it at him. Pak! ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°You, what the hell is this!¡± A blunt sound echoed and rose petals fluttered wildly. Shuel covered his face with his arms timidly and winced. His body was firm so it shouldn¡¯t hurt at all, but I became even more irritated at his detestable appearance. ¡°Do you have nothing else to play around with?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke!¡± Pak, when I shouted and smacked the ruined bouquet, Shuel exclaimed with an aggrieved expression. As soon as I was about to strike again with more anger, Shuel hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°Rwen. All this time, you never believed that I liked you.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you¡¯re using this method? You really¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I was going to publicise it. If Rwen had accepted it, we would just get married.¡± The pink eyes that responded were incredibly determined. Shuel smiled when I became speechless and shut my mouth. It was a bitter smile. ¡°I already knew that Rwen would refuse. But I wanted you to believe me.¡± He looked like a broken-hearted boy for a moment but soon smiled brightly. ¡°Can you believe that I like you now?¡± That slight laugh broke me a little. I mumbled helplessly as my body was losing its strength. ¡°Yes¡­I believe you. It¡¯s engraved in my head that I think it¡¯ll appear in my dreams later.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s a nightmare!¡± I picked up the bouquet that had fallen on the floor and smacked Shuel again. When I thought about how my heart was pounding earlier, it felt as if my lifespan was shortened by 10 years. His smiling face was so bright that my head hurt even more. I take everything I said about being all grown-up back. How are you going to live in this dangerous world naively like that? You can¡¯t live your life just through love. Occasionally, there were cases where people would disregard their differences in status, fall in love and run away at night or get married, but they wouldn¡¯t meet a good ending. It was such a young and foolish bright proposal. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go home.¡± With the face of a man in love, he reached out to me with a smile. After staring at those eyes that were overflowing with blatant affection for a while, I lowered my head and avoided his gaze. I walked past him without taking his hand. £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. ¡°Right. Shuel. Don¡¯t tell Marie and Derick that you proposed to me.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± We were currently in a carriage on our way to the duke¡¯s residence. Shuel made a puzzled face at my sudden words. Seeing his expression, I let out a deep sigh. What do you mean why? Of course, they¡¯ll get mad. If they found out their son had proposed to the little kid they were sponsoring, they are bound to get mad¡­¡­ That was what I should have said, but for a moment, I became tongue-tied. ¡°¡­¡­Well, you¡¯re going to be ridiculed a lot. Reita won¡¯t let it go.¡± An excuse slipped out of my tongue. I bit my lip as I spoke. ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± At my words, Shuel shrunk down as if he was embarrassed. The sight felt very unsettling. ¡°¡­¡­Right?¡± Shuel simply laughed at my words. As the corners of his lips that struggled to rise gradually went down, Shuel said pitifully. ¡°Um, they already knew¡­¡­¡± I could hear a bell ringing in my head. I was sure it was the sound of my life flashing. Why were there so much shocking news these days? With trembling hands, I looked at Shuel in disbelief, but there was no turning back. A growl leaked from my teeth before I could stop it. ¡°Why you little¡­¡­¡± Was he laughing? I really wanted to punch that bright kid on the head. I felt like splitting his brain to see what on earth he was thinking when he told that to Kendrick and Marius. I remembered the sword that Marius used to polish every day and the teacup that Kendrick cherished. Wouldn¡¯t those go flying as soon as I got off the carriage? No, it would be better if that was the case. I bit my lips gently. Will they be mad at me? Will they turn away from me with frosty eyes? I felt like the blood in my whole body was getting cold. ¡°I-I want to get off.¡± I didn¡¯t have the guts to go straight to the duke¡¯s residence and face them. I hurriedly requested to pull over the carriage, which fortunately stopped right away. But when I got out of the carriage, I looked around bewilderedly and froze. Shuel, who came out right after me, sneaked a glance. A white, grand mansion. The pattern engraved in the middle of the door was all too familiar to me. The duke¡¯s mansion stood right in front of me. I hastily tried to get back into the carriage, but the front door had slammed open first. It was Marie who appeared through the opened door. With a very frightening expression. Marie, whose hair was slightly dishevelled as if she had jumped down, looked alternately between Shuel and me, and her face grew darker. ¡°You!¡± Marius roared with a ferocious look. The direction was facing Shuel. ¡°You finally!¡± She must be angry. My heart sank. It didn¡¯t matter if I was being hated, I didn¡¯t ever want to separate Shuel and his family. If that happens, I would feel terribly guilty to the point I could hardly breathe. I managed to take one step with my trembling body. My head was all cluttered with words. Of course, I don¡¯t intend on getting married. I am well aware of my own rank. I¡¯m telling you, please believe me. ¡°Well done!¡± As soon as I was about to open my mouth, Marius shouted so loudly that the duchy vibrated. I blinked in astonishment for a while and Marius disappeared from my view. Shortly after, from Marius¡¯ room located on the 3rd floor, a voice was heard shouting, ¡®Aahhhh!¡¯. I looked up with a bewildered face. I¡¯ve never heard Marius make such a happy sound. W-What happened? CH 30 Rumours spread quickly in the Sebrirua mansion. It wasn¡¯t just a problem here. The news network of the maids was quite systematic, and since there were so many people, it wasn¡¯t long before the rumour leaked out and most of the servants found out about it. Rumours whispered in the room spread quickly, and with Marius¡¯ scream and Rieta making a fuss, it was only a matter of time before other servants knew. And there was another problem. I wasn¡¯t worried about it though¡­¡­Definitely. ¡°Today¡¯s lunch is your favourite, young madam! The chef seems to have paid a lot of attention.¡± ¡°Young madam! I¡¯ll prepare a bath for you! I have a special perfume sent by my great aunt.¡± ¡°Are you free? Would you like to go to the greenhouse? The tulips are blooming beautifully, young madam!¡± Young madam, young madam, young madam! I didn¡¯t realise the small ball that was shot[1] by Shuel would fall vertically over my head. [1] rumours spreading and the aftermath. No, I knew it would fall, but at least not this way. Every servant I encountered kept blabbering. My eyes were shaking from the words ¡®young madam¡¯. It wasn¡¯t just being called young madam. Everyone I ran into was eager to do something for me. As if I was truly a young madam. ¡°What¡¯s with them? Seriously.¡± In the end, I sighed at them. I was more upset rather than mad. I felt as if I was being teased when I became serious. ¡°I¡¯m not getting married. Stop messing around, I¡¯m being serious.¡± The firm words brought all the noise to a halt. ¡°Oh my, oh my!¡± ¡°Did it seem like we were teasing the young madam? Goodness, I apologise! I never meant to do that. How could I!¡± Was it the silence just before the storm? My head was dizzy from the word ¡®Madam¡¯ being echoed. I was distraught for a moment but soon noticed their sincere expression. ¡­¡­Did they really think that Shuel and I were going to get married? ¡°Yes, since the master seemed serious¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Certainly. Where else can you find such sincereness?¡± ¡°And above all¡­¡­I can serve you better¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet, Lia. That¡¯s enough.¡± Maybe I muttered the words out of my mouth without realising, and the people standing in front of me responded one by one. They appeared really sincere so I let out a small sigh. ¡°By the way¡­¡­Young madam, a good quality ink just arrived. Would you like to take a look?¡± I thought it had died down a little, but the word ¡®young madam¡¯ appeared again. However, when I saw them looking at me timidly, my heart felt weak for some reason. ¡°We¡¯re not even engaged. If you call me that carelessly, the duke and duchess will scold you severely.¡± ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be! If anything, wouldn¡¯t I get a reward instead of being scolded?¡± I don¡¯t think so¡­ I gave a vague smile. It was fortunate that Marie and Derick weren¡¯t very angry, but that didn¡¯t mean that they allowed their son, a noble bloodline, to be engaged to a daughter of a lowly viscount. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t slap me harshly or kick me out without a letter of recommendation, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll declare something. ¡°I¡¯ll sing a little so that you don¡¯t feel pressured, okay?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll spread the word that the young madam feels pressured!¡± ¡°Seriously¡­Can you not?¡± Really, though. It was very hard to give a cold answer to such an earnest request. The people I grew up with since I was nine clasped their hands with their eyes sparkled. I slowly avoided their gazes. ¡°You still may not.¡± ¡°Madam!¡± ¡°Emily. I¡¯m not the madam. And I won¡¯t be in the future.¡± At my resolute words, their expression visibly dampened. I felt bad to see them upset, but it was still not possible. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with everyone? If anything, you should blame Shuel too.¡± ¡°But, miss, he¡¯s an adult. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s aware of everything¡­¡­.¡± ¡°He¡¯s only a fresh academy graduate. A kid who hasn¡¯t even made his social debut, and had just become an adult.¡± ¡°The duke and duchess didn¡¯t say anything either! No, in fact, they insisted!¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s because they knew I wouldn¡¯t accept it. Shuel has been chasing after me so long, so they just told him to give it a try.¡± ¡°But, miss¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shuel thought he could do whatever he wanted since it was his marriage. He doesn¡¯t understand it, but you do.¡± The servants working the dukedom were those who have worked for aristocrats for more than 10 years and were well aware of the aristocrats¡¯ mindsets. At the same time, I was a little upset that they teased me by calling me a young madam, so I smiled faintly and said. ¡°How could I be a duchess?¡± At those words, everyone shut their mouth. They appeared puzzled to respond. I opened my mouth first instead of waiting for their reply. ¡°I will speak to the Duke and Duchess. Can you inform them that I¡¯ll be visiting?¡± £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. As soon as Kendrick heard that I was coming, he replied that I was welcome. Since it was a holiday today, Marius was supposed to be with him, but due to an inevitable event, she had to go to the palace and so I only met Kendrick. I stood in front of his parlour, took a deep breath, and then knocked lightly. In an instant, the door swung open. ¡°Rwen! Come on in.¡± Kendrick greeted me with a smile. He quickly placed me in my seat before I could even say hello, and refused my offer to help as he busied his hand in brewing tea and cutting the cake. But he didn¡¯t forget to talk to me. ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare much since you said you¡¯ll be coming all of a sudden. Do you still like lemon cake? When was the last time we had tea together? We barely had the chance since you¡¯ve been so busy.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I like it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief! You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight because you¡¯ve been struggling a lot lately. Isn¡¯t working in the Imperial Palace very difficult?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time, just quit! The duke¡¯s seat is always empty.¡± Before I knew it, a teacup and cake were placed in front of me. It was my favourite lemon cake, but Derick¡¯s last words caught my throat and I couldn¡¯t touch it easily. Derick became puzzled at my appearance and urged me to eat. I gave a faint smile and picked up the teacup. I picked it up because I didn¡¯t dare to eat the cake, but when I took a sip, a strong floral scent spread. Hmm, it¡¯s delicious as always¡­¡­ ¡°So, why did our Rwen want to see me?¡± My mood instantly flipped. I was fully enjoying the refreshments as I had felt uneasy for a while, but I came back to my senses in vain at those words. Oh, yeah. Right. I came here to tell him something. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°Uncle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Your Grace.¡± ¡°Uncle.¡± I wanted to be formal when I talked about important things, but Kendrick had a solemn voice every time I addressed his title. I finally sighed and opened my mouth again. ¡°Uncle, I want to ask you a favour.¡± ¡°Yes, our Rwen! Say anything. What¡¯s your request? What do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reject Shuel¡¯s proposal. So¨C¡± Crack! The moment the sentence ended, a sharp crack echoed. When I looked up in surprise, I saw Kendrick with only a coaster. ¡°Did you get hurt?!¡± ¡°Ah, oh¡­¡­I¡¯m fine, darling.¡± Kendrick, whose hands were shaking, ignored his hands and smiled. ¡°Did I hear you wrong? Re¡­ject, no¡­R-Re¡­You said something about reject¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, you heard it right.¡± Cha-krak! Derick dropped the coaster he was barely holding. My eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of him dropping what he held in his hand twice. ¡°Uncle. Are you okay? Your hand¡­¡­¡± ¡°N-Nothing. I¡¯m fine. My hands are shaking because I gripped scissors while pruning yesterday.¡± Derick often took care of the roses in the garden by himself. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not an illness, but I was still worried when someone who was normally fine even after cleaning up the entire duke¡¯s large garden suddenly hurt his hands. ¡°This¡­¡­is a difficult request.¡± Derick made a move to drink tea and was startled when he realised his hands were empty. He paused as he moved his hand towards the teapot and sighed loudly while looking around tensely. After a brief silence, Derick finally opened his mouth. ¡°Why¡­Why don¡¯t you go to Marie instead of me? I don¡¯t have the right to decide¡­¡­¡± He hid his trembling hands and smiled weakly. The sight looked very pathetic. I bit my lips gently. Most noble spouses were only able to handle internal affairs, but their decisions did not exceed the head of the family¡¯s order. Derick and Marie got along so well that I thought such a thing didn¡¯t matter, but I guess that¡¯s not the case. He doesn¡¯t have the power to handle even a simple task. ¡°Okay, I will¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright. Goodbye.¡± Derick smiled weakly as he bid me with a hidden regret. That day, Derick¡¯s shoulders seemed unusually droopy. I hugged Derick tightly and left the parlour without saying a word. Not forgetting to inform the maid who was waiting by the door to clean up the broken tea cup. CH 31 After Arwen quietly left the room, Kendrick stared blankly at the tea table for a moment. Broken porcelains were scattered on the floor and the refreshments were left untouched. He needed to pull the rope to call for the servant, but his blonde hair did not turn around. In the end, when Arwen told the maid, the worried maid knocked on the door. Knock, knock. ¡°My Lord, the lady just now¡­¡­Oh, my lord! Your favourite teacup!¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­I see.¡± The maid, who opened the door carefully, screamed in surprise when she saw the shattered teacup. However, Kendrick replied nonchalantly. It was a precious teacup that even the owner, Kendrick, seldom used and only brought it out with a smile when Arwen came. But he acted as if he didn¡¯t even notice that the teacup was broken. That¡¯s how complicated his mind was. In the carriage that was heading to the academy, Kendrick was stunned by Arwen¡¯s announcement of independence. Was that girl really Arwen just now? Did I mistook Arwen and Rieta because of my poor eyesight? When thinking about it, Kendrick thought it was a reasonable doubt. Needless to say, Arwen was a gentle child who never made trouble. He had been worried since she was rather docile, so what is this all about? You¡¯re only 22 years old, what independence? Not until dirt covers my eyes![1]¡± [1] expression : over his dead body. If Kendrick didn¡¯t have a little bit of self-control, he would have shouted that right away. But Kendrick was a wise man who had three children, so he managed to calmly say let¡¯s talk about it later. But the more Kendrick thought about it, the more restless he grew. He had no excuse to hold onto Arwen. First of all, Arwen was legally an adult and he, Marius and Arwen were not bound by family ties. When Arwen initially asked for sponsorship, he and Marie readily agreed. That was the best option at the time. Arwen was uncomfortable with Kendrick and Marius, and the relationship between a parent and child was not easy to form. They were confident that Arwen would accept them with time. But as the days went by and the years changed, Arwen still kept her distance. It was evident with how persistent she was with titles and the way she tried to solve everything alone without relying on anyone. Kendrick and Marius were also understanding, so they were not disappointed, but they still thought they could wait for the child. But, darling. Independence? You¡¯re only 22 years old and you wish to be independent. For Kendrick, Arwen was still a small, skinny child. For such a child to live alone, especially outside the capital where the security is not great. It was naturally unacceptable even if dirt got into his eyes. Fortunately, Kendrick knew that Shuel was proposing to Arwen that day. Kendrick thought it wasn¡¯t bad for Arwen. Most nobles were politically married anyway, and objectively speaking, Shuel was the best groom. He had a good family and a nice personality. He had no criminal record including drugs, tax evasion or violence. And most of all, he likes Arwen, so he wouldn¡¯t find someone else and will always cherish her. Even if he didn¡¯t, he could still live with her and protect her. She would also get a cute sister-in-law¡­¡­Even her parents-in-law are kind enough. However, Arwen said she would reject the proposal. Kendrick, whose last pillar of support was taken away, was lost in deep thought. Does she have someone she likes? But all her friends are girls. No. She might like the same gender. Same-gender marriage is not legal in our kingdom, so should he do something? ¡®T-This isn¡¯t the point.¡¯ How can that be legal? Kendrick, who was contemplating whether he should return to politics again, suddenly came to his senses. What¡¯s important now is that there was no excuse to hold on to Arwen. And that he had placed his wife into a very important and difficult spot. Kendrick knew better than anyone that Marius was a poor talker. On the other hand, Arwen had a knack for making things seem right, so there¡¯s no way she could persuade Arwen. That is not the only problem. Marius¡¯ weakness toward the people she loves is something that Kendrick hasn¡¯t been able to fix in his life. Faced with Arwen, there was a future in which Marius would quickly grant a ¡®Yes.¡¯ to Arwen¡¯s pitiful request. Kendrick became desperate. It¡¯s too late to teach Marie right now. She just can¡¯t meet up with Arwen! ¡°Rita! Pen, paper. Get someone to send it to Marie. Hurry!¡± £ª £ª £ª Fan translation by Dropped Inks. I met Marius earlier than I expected since I thought I would only be able to see her in the evening because she had gone to the palace. The moment I left Kendrick¡¯s parlour and was about to head to my room, I noticed her carriage entering the main gate. When I went down to the first floor, I saw Marius taking off her cloak and handing it to the butler. Her black hair was tied up and she wore her royal knight uniform. It was an appearance that Rieta admired and longed for so much. That¡¯s how good Marius looked in that uniform. Yeah. Let¡¯s not blame anyone. The other party, Kendrick, didn¡¯t even say much either. Marius just didn¡¯t hand over her authority to her spouse, but she was still a good person. Note : In case it wasn¡¯t clear, Marius is the Duke or patriarch of the family. Kendrick is her spouse, who is usually in charge of household affairs like a Duchess does. I took a deep breath and smiled softly. ¡°Marie, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Oh, Rwen.¡± Marius turned her head to my voice. Her expression was blank as usual, but her eyes slowly relaxed. It meant that she was in a good mood. Before I could speak, she took a box out of the pocket of her uniform and held it out to me. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Open it.¡± As Marius said that, her eyes sparkled like fireworks. What did she do to be so excited like a child? I opened the box. There was a small key in the box. A ruby carved in the shape of a rose was attached to the handle of the silver key. What is this? ¡°The key to the Sebrirua¡¯s treasury.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The treasury is placed in the castle¡¯s¨C¡± ¡°N-No, no, wait!¡± I hurriedly closed Marius¡¯ mouth. I couldn¡¯t let such news be heard in the lobby where people passed by, and I was embarrassed to be given the key to the family¡¯s treasury. Most keys to the treasury were only owned by the madam[2]. [2] The mother of the successor/Duke¡¯s spouse. Sometimes, it is given to the wife of the successor if their relationship was good, but normally it was rare as the madam would not want to give up her authority. ¡°Derick will be getting one too, so don¡¯t tell him.¡± When I didn¡¯t say anything, Marius spoke while looking around secretly. Her words were even more confusing. She prepared one for Derick too? ¡°Then why¡­¡­.¡± Give it to me? As soon as I was about to ask, one of the servants rushed toward us. ¡°Yo-You¡¯re Grace!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The servant ran quickly without taking a moment to catch their breath, looked alternately between Marie and me, and their face became pale. Without even having the time to greet me, they held out what they were holding to Marius. It was a letter that didn¡¯t even manage to be sealed with wax. The servant¡¯s face was so desperate, so Marius read the letter with a serious expression. As she read it, her face grew more solemn. ¡°This is serious.¡± My heart pounded as she folded the letter. It was Marius, who always kept her composure. What made her say that? ¡°Marie. What¡¯s going on?¡± When I asked that, she changed. It felt as though the genre had changed from an action film to an arcade puzzle game. To put it more simply, Marius squeaked. ¡°Ha. Au. Ow.¡± I tilted my head, unable to understand the three syllables turned into three words. But before I could figure it out, Marie turned around stiffly. ¡°I have an urgent matter, so I have to go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh, okay. Go ahead.¡± It was a little strange, but her stiff expression from the letter earlier was not fake. As soon as I dismissed her, Marius rushed away quickly. But right before she climbed the stairs, Marius suddenly turned her head. I saw her face stiffen terribly with a hint of embarrassment. ¡°Keep the key safe.¡± Marie, who spoke like a robot, turned around again and climbed the stairs quickly. Instead of her office on the third floor, she headed to the second floor. On the second floor was Derick¡¯s parlour. ¡®Is something wrong with Derick?¡¯ I watched from behind with a perplexed look. CH 32 A few days later, I reflected back. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have let Marius go back then.¡¯ I was reminded of the fact that the Duke of Sebrirua was a warrior. Even if Marius usually surrendered to us as though she couldn¡¯t fight back, there was no way someone like that could easily achieve the position of commander of the royal knights. Kendrick was generally a civil servant, but he had joined the knights before and mastered a few martial arts. I¡¯ve lived in this family for so long, but I¡¯m starting to wonder if I mistook the Sebrirua. I couldn¡¯t even manage to bring it up. They were nowhere to be found. Obviously, we were living in the same mansion, yet not a single strand of their hair could be seen. How great was their art of hiding skills that rivalled the skills of a criminal? What should I do? There wasn¡¯t even a chance to start the conversation. After drinking some tea to calm my mind, I finally placed the teacup down with a clattering sound. ¡®How many times has it already been?¡¯ The will to start the serious conversation disappeared when Marie and Derick were absent during dinner for the third time. No matter how busy they were, they were always on time for dinner. It was clear that they were avoiding me. In the end, I decided to give up. I had no way to force them if they didn¡¯t want to talk to me that much. Instead, I decided to pass the task to a more carefree person. 2 o¡¯clock in the greenhouse. Before the tea had cooled down, a golden head shook in the distance. I didn¡¯t need to get up to catch him, so I remained seated while waiting for him and Shuel approached me timidly. ¡°Hey, Rwen¡­¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Thud. Shuel quickly sat down on the chair in front of me. When I saw him sitting obediently with his mouth closed, I brought up what I had repeated about a hundred times. ¡°Once again, I will decline your proposal. I apologise for the rumours that have spread among the servants, but I hope you can correct them. To Marie and Derick as well.¡± Shuel nodded calmly at my words. I sighed at his unusual glum face and poured tea into Shuel¡¯s teacup. Whatever his intentions were, it was true that I was troubled by Shuel¡¯s proposal and it pressured me for the past few days. I had felt troubled and upset, but seeing his lifeless self made me sympathetic instead. ¡°Rwen, why don¡¯t you want to marry me?¡± I paused with the teapot tilted. I looked at Shuel with a bewildered look. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a bad family or a bad personality. My appearance is also¡­not bad.¡± Shuel folded his fingers as he stated them one by one. Then, he tilted his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m pretty alright?¡± I take back my pity. ¡°You¡¯re that confident of yourself¡­?¡± I was a little stunned. What am I supposed to do with that confidence? It wasn¡¯t groundless that he has a good face and family but that¡¯s blatantly showing off. ¡°What I mean is, I¡¯m a pretty good groom. Rwen is also going to get married soon.¡± When my expression turned grave, Shuel hurriedly waved his hand. Only then did I reluctantly listen to him. I understood what Shuel was talking about. Most nobles are married. They get married at an early age, start a family, have children and continue their lineage. Pregnancy before marriage was rare, but finding a marriage partner remained important as it was one of the main reasons for going into society. In conclusion, this society considers marriage a necessity. Shuel and I are of the right age for marriage. And I can also guarantee that Shuel was the best groom that I, or any marriageable lady, can choose. However, sometimes the same words may have a different meaning. ¡®I don¡¯t actually hate him so I can¡¯t say anything.¡¯ I smiled instead of answering. Then, I strode over to Shuel and slapped him on the back. Pak! ¡°Ack!¡± Shuel cried out and crouched in pain. It must have hurt a lot since I hit him pretty hard. I stroked Shuel¡¯s shoulder as he crouched in pain and spoke quietly with a playful tone. ¡°If I was going to take advantage of you, I would have manipulated and ripped you off when I was nine. Why would I marry you now?¡± I don¡¯t wish to know how shameless this guy saw me. Yes, it¡¯s a great thing for me if this marriage works out. But what about Shuel? A deal is only possible when both parties have something to gain. In this marriage, Shuel only has losses and no gains. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to open my eyes to see you get married so poorly, Shuel.¡± As I smiled lightly, Shuel¡¯s face turned grim. Realising I had revealed something I shouldn¡¯t have, I quickly changed the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married out of necessity. If possible, I want to live alone and if I do ever find someone to marry¡­¡± I was going to say it line by line, but once again, the topic seems wrong. I paused and remained silent for a moment. Well. Will there be anyone I deserve to marry? Those things were not that important to think about right now. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Anyway, I will pack and move out soon. Tell Marie and Derick that if they refuse to see me, I¡¯ll send them a letter.¡± In fact, I felt a little uncomfortable even though I said I would inform them. Did they really not want to see me at all? Shuel remained looking at me with a complicated and serious expression. But before Shuel could open his mouth, another familiar voice was heard. ¡°¡­¡­Rwen.¡± I paused at the familiar voice. When I turned around, Marie and Derick stood behind me. I wasn¡¯t in a situation where I could greet them happily and ask when they arrived. Because their faces were frozen like people who had been slapped in the back of their heads. A frightening heavy silence passed, and with a pale face, Derick managed to open his mouth. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s talk first.¡± £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Inside Derick¡¯s parlour, it was incredibly cold. No one could speak first. I couldn¡¯t even shift my eyes in that awkward and cold atmosphere. When I met Marie and Derick, I was going to pretend to be a little angry and get an apology. It would get a little serious when we talk about important things, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t last long and everything would eventually return to normal. So I had never guessed that Derick and Marie would make such a fierce and complicated expression. I wasn¡¯t sure why so I tried observing first. I was talking to Shuel and didn¡¯t realise they had entered the greenhouse. Was it because they heard our conversation? I didn¡¯t say anything special¡­¡­ ¡°First of all, I¡¯m sorry for avoiding you all this time.¡± Derick was the first to open his mouth. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the words to answer you. Even so, I admit that it was an immature move. I¡¯m sorry, Rwen.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright¡­¡± Even though I received a formal apology, it was hard to accept. Derick sighed in response. To me, the small sigh felt colder than the winter winds. ¡°When I went to visit you after hearing that you and Shuel were in the greenhouse, I accidentally overheard your conversation.¡± I nodded my head. Then, Derick¡¯s voice, who had been trying so hard to stay calm, trembled. ¡°Why are you¡­¡± He continued with a face that was in between anger and on the verge of crying. ¡°Are you saying you are inferior to Shuel?¡± At those words, I became speechless. It was as though the words I had uttered without realising came back and became stuck in my throat. ¡°That¡­¡­¡± I merely laughed awkwardly. It was a subject I didn¡¯t wish to talk about. ¡°It¡¯s just that.¡± Derick became silent at my strong attitude, which was clearly avoiding answering. ¡°Darling, is it because¡­¡± After a long pause, Derick managed to open his mouth. The words that followed were completely unexpected. ¡°You don¡¯t like us?¡± At my wide-eyed expression, Derick continued. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t have a place to go at the time, so you just stayed, but the truth is¡­¡± After a moment of hesitation, Derick bit his lips. He uttered the last words painfully. ¡°You hated being with us?¡± ¡°No!¡± I shouted without hesitation. That was something I was sure about. ¡°No, I really don¡¯t. That¡¯s impossible!¡± Everything that happened in the duke¡¯s mansion was incredibly dazzling in my life that was beyond my imagination. How could I possibly hate all that? Derick and Marie¡¯s faces slightly brightened at my prompt reply. ¡°Then what is the problem?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to answer the question, so I shook my head. ¡°We were really surprised when we heard you say that.¡± Derick continued his explanation with a slightly calmer expression. ¡°Maybe we had unconsciously discriminated against you. That¡¯s why you thought of leaving the duke¡¯s residence because you didn¡¯t like us?¡± I shook my head at those gentle words. Derick was observant, but this time he was wrong. The reason he spoke was more realistic and mindful. ¡°Rwen, why are you leaving the duchy? And so hastily at that.¡± Derick asked warmly, but it was a question that was directly related to the subject I didn¡¯t want to talk about. I couldn¡¯t answer the question right away, so I kept my mouth shut. Everyone in the Sebrirua Duchy was kind to me, and I loved them. This, however, was a different story. To be more precise, even if I loved all of them, I couldn¡¯t change them. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± I really didn¡¯t want to talk about it. But I didn¡¯t want Derick to misunderstand that I hated them. ¡°I¡­¡± Biting my lips, I eventually spit out the words that filled my throat. ¡°I had stayed for too long.¡± The words I uttered seemed to suffocate me. I took a deep breath. Thoughts flooded as if the door of a filled warehouse had opened. The beautiful, peaceful, lovely Duchy of Sebrirua. Truthfully speaking, I wasn¡¯t entirely happy there. Because I couldn¡¯t completely blend in. Marie and Derick, the Duke and Duchess, treated me very well and I grew up with good memories because of that. It wasn¡¯t that I wasn¡¯t grateful for that. But at the same time, I knew. Having goodwill wasn¡¯t hard, just as I had saved Shuel due to being unable to overcome the guilt. To send back or keep the little girl, who doesn¡¯t make any trouble. They, who were not evil, would naturally choose to save me. No, it would have been anyone, not just them. No one would want to be a villain without profit. The money required to raise a child wouldn¡¯t hurt them in the slightest. It wasn¡¯t as if I had made trouble or had an accident that was difficult to deal with. Their children were Shuel and Rieta. Shuel was kidnapped and only received affectionate scolding despite the astronomical amount of money spent to find him, and Rieta was adopted even at the risk of others pointing fingers for adopting a commoner child. Shuel was right. He had a rich and noble family, a kind personality and a beautiful appearance. However, because he was perfect, I couldn¡¯t be tied up with Shuel. I didn¡¯t possess those, so of course, I was a candidate that was inferior. The reason for leaving the duchy was the same. This place was warm to me and I loved it, but it wasn¡¯t my home. It wasn¡¯t that it was impossible to get adopted and live happily ever after. Because Rieta had also become a family member who had no blood relation and completely blended in with them. However, I knew from experience that it didn¡¯t work in my world. I forcefully pulled up the corners of my mouth that were about to fall. I knew that it wouldn¡¯t look good, but it was better than frowning. ¡°I¡¯m just someone who was going to stay for a while.¡± CH 33 It was, after all, one of the many inevitable things in the world. I¡¯ve been aware of that a long time ago. ¡°If¡­If I were to marry Shuelm or even get engaged, it would spike rumours. Even if it¡¯s not serious now, what about after that?¡± At first glance, Marie and Derick¡¯s confident attitudes seemed to be more courageous to me. ¡°If a woman who is a mere commoner becomes the young madam of Sebrirua, there will constantly be problems, so I¡¯m sure¡­¡± I was unable to speak for a while. But after taking a deep breath, I finished my sentence. ¡°You¡¯ll tell me to break up the marriage soon.¡± I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m worth that much to them. Because no matter how much you treat someone like your own children, in the end, blood relations were more important. I was the lightest value for them. Compared to Shuel and Rieta, I was of little value to be discarded compared to the children that will inherit the Sebrirua title. I wanted to speak frankly, but resentment was mixed at the end of the sentence. I disliked that, so I bit my lips. ¡°Rwen¡­¡­¡± ¡°I apologise if I crossed the line. I didn¡¯t mean to blame you.¡± Hasty words interrupted Derick. I wanted to look fine, but I was already crumbling from that point. The emotions I had been holding back were overflowing. They did nothing wrong. Even if what I said occurs, they were just taking back the goodwill they had given all this while. Even if it¡¯s cruel to me, what can I do, who had only been receiving so far? Still, even if they didn¡¯t, Marie and Derick felt like parents to me. I didn¡¯t want to discover the depth of their hearts by being pushed into an inevitable situation. What I expect and what I really see with my own eyes are two different things. It¡¯s too much to experience being abandoned by your parents three times. My eyes were blurry and a drop of tear fell. I quickly wiped away the tears with my hands. I saw Derick and Marie with a clear vision. ¡°¡­¡­You.¡± Confused. Shocked. ¡°Have you been thinking that all this time?¡± Anger. My heart sank at that expression. ¡°Rwen, we¡¯re adults so we¡¯re more mature than you, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t get hurt.¡± Derick wiped his face dryly. Marie was also looking at me with her dark eyes. ¡°We¡­I think we need to have a long discussion.¡± They¡¯ve never shown this attitude to me before. Even when it was a firm discipline, they were sweet and had never gotten angry with me. My fingertips became cold and began to tremble. It was both embarrassing and scary. At that moment, I wasn¡¯t the 22-year-old me. It was the 9-year-old child from a long time ago, who was afraid of being hated by her parents. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for more than 10 years.¡± Marie, who had stayed silent with her mouth closed, spoke up in the parlour where silence fell. I tried predicting the words that would follow, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything in my tired mind. In the end, I bit my lips as I didn¡¯t think I would hear anything good. ¡°You are a child of Derick and me. Just like Shuel and Rieta.¡± I was stunned by those words. I forgot my trembling hands. It was an unexpected statement. Marie smiled helplessly. After always looking so strong, she smiled like that for the first time. Marie approached me and hugged me tightly. Her arms were still warm. Derick seemed slightly angry, but he did the same. Then, he left the parlour along with Marie. Left alone, I sat there blankly for a long time. The words and warmth remained in my ears and lingered. £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. Kendrick¡¯s pace grew faster after he left the parlour. Marius followed after her husband silently, climbing the stairs and entering the room at the end of the hallway, closing the door as Kendrick raised his voice, trembling. ¡°Arwen, she, seriously¡ª!¡± Kendrick, mixed between sorrow and anger, bit his lips. ¡°How do we make her stay, wh-what should I do? How could she say that to me!¡± Marius listened with a sullen expression. When she moved her emotional husband to the sofa and held his hand, Kendrick wiped his face with one hand. ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. She¡¯s our daughter, Marie. Right?¡± Those sadly exasperated eyes turned to his wife as if seeking confirmation. She was only a child with an exceptionally painful finger[1], pretending to be an adult at the age of nine. They had no blood relations, but because of that they paid more attention and took great care of her. [1] From the saying ¡®Bite any 10 fingers and it will all hurt the same¡¯, meaning every child is equally dear to their parents and their child¡¯s pain is their pain. Just like Shuel and Rieta, Arwen meant everything to the couple. ¡°I raised her as my daughter for 13 years, and she regarded us like strangers.¡± Therefore, Marius and Kendrick seemed to have been struck in the back of the head when Arwen said that with a smile. It was painful to hear from your beloved daughter that you were strangers. But they couldn¡¯t just blame Arwen. ¡°It¡¯s so upsetting, heartless and cruel¡­¡­¡± Kendrick¡¯s voice faded with tears. ¡°Marie, did you see Rwen¡¯s expression earlier?¡± Marius nodded at Kendrick¡¯s voice. ¡°She looked as if she was about to cry, but couldn¡¯t shed a tear.¡± It was a painful scene for Kendrick and Marius. It was because of that expression that they couldn¡¯t get angry with Arwen and went far away from the parlour where the child could not hear them. ¡°It was just like that time, 13 years ago.¡± A small child that barely reached their waist. The face of the child, who turned pale and only stared at him, was still engraved in his mind. Even though he knew he had to send the child back, he kept staring and couldn¡¯t bear to let her go. Afterwards, the child became more and more familiar in their eyes. They gave a part of their heart, thinking it was pity, but Arwen managed to dye it entirely before they knew it. They knew she was a child with a lot of wounds. They did their best to care for Arwen. Arwen was obedient. The child soon opened her heart and the shadow that casted over her was shortly lifted thereafter. ¡°I thought she was fine.¡± That was what they had thought until they talked with Arwen today. ¡°So I was stupidly reassured. We love her, so I thought everything was alright.¡± Kendrick sighed deeply. It was a breath that held many weights. Marius, who looked at his figure painfully, quietly opened her mouth. ¡°I should have noticed, Derick.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We all knew what made her mature.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°For the time that passed as we felt relieved, Arwen continued to be that lonely child.¡± Marius¡¯ quiet words were a rebuke. To her husband, and to herself. ¡°¡­¡­Is it too late?¡± Kendrick¡¯s voice became weak. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know. What should I do now?¡± What should I do to soothe her? Kendrick¡¯s eyes became unfocused. Too late. He found out too late. Arwen must have lived for a very long time, thinking she was inferior. She said she would leave the house with a casual smile as if she had already isolated herself. She was already hurt so badly, so what if she can¡¯t heal? ¡°Marie, what should we do with our daughter?¡± Marius, who was staring intently at her weeping husband, hugged Kendrick softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Rwen will be fine. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Marius mumbled as if pledging to him. His sadness was the same as hers. But Marius held on to hope. ¡°Show that you love her very much. Just like you do to me, to Shuel, and to Rieta.¡± She and Kendrick loved Arwen. She also knew how precious and amazing her husband¡¯s love was. ¡°Even if it¡¯s difficult, you can do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Like you said, we¡¯re her parents.¡± Marius believed that his genuine love would surely find a way. ¡°Will that be enough?¡± Kendrick still seemed uneasy. Marias hugged her husband and smiled softly. ¡°It will be enough.¡± Even if we are lacking, even if we are wrong. We¡¯re not the only ones who love that child. CH 34 The parlour felt empty as they left. I remained there like an abandoned doll, mulling over the words Marie and Derick left behind. ¡°Rwen, we¡¯re adults so we¡¯re more mature than you, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°You are a child of Derick and me. Just like Shuel and Rieta¡­¡± Come to think of it, we¡¯ve been together for a long time. For the entire time, they were always warm. I didn¡¯t need to do anything to gain their love and affection. So those words wouldn¡¯t be fake. ¡°¡­That¡¯s a good thing.¡± I tried raising my voice to utter the words. That¡¯s right. I was lonely. I thought it would be nice to have parents and a family. Marie and Derick were just nicknames, but they¡¯ve always been my guardians. So I only needed to be grateful that I had become their daughter. That¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to do¡­ I lowered my head blankly. The woman¡¯s pale was reflected clearly in the tea drink. I couldn¡¯t face it for a very long time and buried my face in my palms. Ah, I couldn¡¯t believe it. Those words were incredibly touching. I was also grateful they had said so. But aside from that, I simply couldn¡¯t believe it. I knew some people would raise a child wholeheartedly. I knew that better than anyone else as Marie and Derick were already raising Rieta like that. I was aware of that, but some memories were deeply embedded in my mind that could not be erased. It was a memory from my previous life, on Earth. £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. In my previous life, I entered an orphanage when I was eleven years old. It was an age where my childhood, which I had no memories of, had already passed. But at that time, I was not sad to be going to an orphanage. My parents in my previous life weren¡¯t good people, to say the least. A domestic violence offender, as commonly described in the media. That was a word to describe them. After several reports from the friendly neighbours and a tedious process, I was finally able to get away from them. There were many children like me in the orphanage, and it wasn¡¯t a very peaceful place there. But I was satisfied with it in my own way. There were fights in the children¡¯s world, but it was much weaker than the adults, and most of them were younger than me. Adults naturally disregarded me, as they were busy with work, but not being hit or cursed at was good enough. Above all, I made my first friend there. Unlike me, who was brash and wild, she was a quiet and timid child. We got close pretty quickly since our age happened to be close, and we were always together. Then, a year later, when I managed to adjust to the orphanage, I met a person. ¡°Hi. Are you ¨€¨€¨€¨€?¡± There was always a shortage of workers in the orphanage, and volunteers were always coming in and out. But it was the first time an adult had called me by my name so warmly. It was an adult that resembled my friend, who always spoke to me quietly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I see. Nice to meet you.¡± She smiled at my somewhat stiff response. And held out a hand. ¡°I really wanted to meet you. Shall we get to know each other?¡± It was quite a playful question. As I was young, I accepted that hand in daze. She told me to call her ¡®teacher¡¯ and I nodded my head without saying a word. That night, lying on my bed, I held my friend¡¯s hand and murmured. ¡°Will she come again?¡± Volunteers vary depending on the length of service. Some people would help out every few months, while others never came back. I hoped that she would come again. When I said that, my friend gripped my hand tightly. ¡°¡­I hope they don¡¯t appear.¡± ¡°Why? Was she a strange person?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± My friend spoke uncharacteristically coldly and laid down. I was puzzled but I didn¡¯t appease my friend. Contrary to my worries, and my friend¡¯s hope, the teacher visited the orphanage after a while. After that, again and again. During that time, she spent more time with us and slowly changed our world. It was the first warmth I received, so I blindly accepted it without knowing what was wrong. All my attitudes, manners, and beliefs began with the teacher. How to express emotions without being violent, understand other people¡¯s feelings and how to love yourself. I learned how to love right from my teacher. All the things that a parent had to teach, along with affection. Teacher was a good adult, who took the time to teach me without getting angry and cared for me. After quite some time, I became used to all that. By then, my friend had opened his heart to the teacher and we became very close, and the number of times she visited the orphanage increased. The director didn¡¯t like the volunteers to be close to the children, but he didn¡¯t oppose us from staying with the teacher. From that peaceful scene, I gained a little hope. I wonder if the teacher would adopt me. Sometimes excessive imagination obscures the truth. So I didn¡¯t understand why the teacher shook her head when I asked if I could call her mom. The teacher¡¯s volunteering at the orphanage ended exactly one year later. And on the last day of her service, she adopted my friend that was always with me. That day, my friend cried her eyes out in the teacher¡¯s arms. The teacher was crying, too. I looked at their figure from a distance. Why else would my friend, who always disliked the teacher, cry all night saying that she longed for her mother on the days the teacher came and went. Why else would the teacher be anxious whenever she couldn¡¯t give her friend something, even if she didn¡¯t like it. It was not until I overheard the director¡¯s words, saying it was good for her daughter to finally open up, that I understood everything. The faces of my teacher and my friend leaving the orphanage were bright. Everyone said it was a good thing. That day, I was the only one who wasn¡¯t happy. My teacher and friend were helpless as they comforted me when I cried. Teacher hugged me and said. ¡°Hey, ¨€¨€¨€¨€. Teacher will visit often. I¡¯ll bring Yeon-soo too, okay? Don¡¯t cry. How can teacher go with a smile if you cry like this?¡± She was a really sweet person. The voice that comforted me was full of sadness. So I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say take me with you. Naturally, the number of times the teacher visited the orphanage decreased. I got angry and urged her to come more often, but the teacher calmed me down with an embarrassed face and eventually sighed. An annoyed frown and cold eyes. I still remember that look. The familiar and kind teacher felt like a stranger. Then, the teacher¡¯s phone rang. The teacher¡¯s face brightened up with excitement as she pulled out her phone. ¡°Yes, Yeon-soo. Why did you call?¡± I stared blankly at the teacher¡¯s face, which shifted in an instant. I couldn¡¯t remember how I felt back then. But that day, I told the teacher that she didn¡¯t have to visit anymore. Hearing that, the teacher¡¯s face brightened as when she was on the phone. She apologised once again for not being able to come often and did not appear for a very long time. Even after that, I waited for my teacher. I always stood by the window where I could see the gate of the orphanage, and I checked the mailbox every time to see if a letter would come. Whenever I received mail sometimes, I would read it until it was worn out. I thought she would take me with her someday. That wish, long abandoned now, was an old disgrace to me. They didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Neither the teacher nor my friend was a bad person. The teacher simply did her daughter¡¯s friend a favour. It was the same case with my friend. They both knew they did nothing wrong. I was also aware that their actions were purely out of goodwill. Still, I resented them for a long time. Tired and terrified of myself, who could only hate them. I was still narrow-minded and childish, so the memory makes me cry whenever I think about it. They didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but so did my young self. I just liked the adult who treated me well and wished to have parents. That was all. If no one had done anything wrong, then why did I suffer so much? It took me a long time to turn a blind eye to that question that lingered endlessly. I¡¯m already so exhausted. I expected that they could be my family, the teacher from my previous life and the parents in this life. However, I was wrong again and again. It was already the third time. I was already a wreck to risk my life. In this case, Marie and Derick were more precious than anyone else. I didn¡¯t have the courage to be shunned by them. No matter how many times I repeated that it will be okay, the anxiety sticks to me persistently like a ghost. You will be alone for the rest of your life. You will not be fully loved by anyone. CH 35 No matter how many times I hoped for it, I was wrong again and again. It was inevitable. If I continue to cling to something that won¡¯t change, I would be the only one suffering. That was often the case in this world. If there were people who were loved even if they did nothing, there were also people who couldn¡¯t even have the slightest bit of what everyone had, no matter how hard they try. I understand that, but yet¡­ I wanted to have a family, too. It would have been nice if I was reborn as Marie and Derick¡¯s child. Or, like Rieta, as the main character at least. Would it have been fine if I was the main character who deserves to be loved, rather than the child who was casted away casually? Ah. I buried my face in my palms. It¡¯s not easy to give up something even you couldn¡¯t accept. I kept thinking I could have it if I stretched my hand out, I kept on hoping. If only I was born as their child. If only I was the youngest. If only I had been a child who was lovable enough because I was more petite, more pitiful and more adorable. It could happen, if there wasn¡¯t any contestant. Ah, right. Maybe. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have existed? The thoughts that were running wild suddenly halted. And at that moment, the door burst open. ¡°Sister!¡± Green hair fluttered. It smells of free wind. It was Rieta. The lovely and sweet heroine of this world. The child who I wished didn¡¯t exist a while ago. Rieta ran to me. Her smiling face was bright without a single dark emotion. I looked at that face with guilt. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Rieta smiled. She looked at me with a clueless face and with eyes full of affection. ¡°What did I just think¡­¡± Envy, fear, jealousy. Those sharp emotions that I had been trying to cover up were revealed. Still, a bright and clear expression. A pretty face that held no resentment or hatred. She wouldn¡¯t be jealous of me. She wouldn¡¯t envy me, and she wouldn¡¯t have wished that I didn¡¯t exist. She was such a good little sister. Unable to hold back, tears flowed out. Through my blurry vision, I could see Rieta¡¯s bewildered figure. ¡°Rieta¡­¡± ¡°What? Who is it? Who made you cry?!¡± ¡°Rieta. You¡¯re my little sister.¡± ¡°¡­¡­? Yes, I know. Why?¡± ¡°I really like you. I love you, my little sister.¡± Rieta was my family. Not only Rieta, but also Shuel, Derick, Marie and all the servants here too. Even though I may not believe that they thought of me as family, they did to me. ¡°I love you so much¡­¡± I choked. Tears trickled down my face as I forced myself to speak. ¡°Wh-Why did you grow up so fast?¡± ¡°Hey, sister? Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I tried. I really tried. I tried so hard to be fine, I worked really hard, but in the end, I became like this.¡± With a bewildered face, Rieta hugged me. ¡®Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry anymore¡¯, she said while patting me on the back awkwardly as I shed more tears. I cried like a child in the arms of my younger sister who was bigger than me. I¡¯m jealous of Rieta, suspicious of Marie and Derick, and envious of Shuel. No matter how much I love them, no matter how long time passes by. That¡¯s why. You guys were born perfect, but I couldn¡¯t surpass these feelings no matter how hard I try. I didn¡¯t like my parents in my previous life nor my parents in this life. They were pathetic, disgusting and more hateful than anyone else. But the most unbearable thing was that I was becoming like them. Even if I hated them so much, as long as we shared blood, I would end up resembling them. Because I was their child after all. I was fed up with all of that. The unethical things they did were terrible. So I really, really tried. Even if no one noticed, even if I couldn¡¯t tell anyone. To resemble the people I love, I tried really hard. But at the end of the day, all those efforts were in vain. ¡°Nothing changed. Wh-Why¡­Why me¡­¡± ¡°Aigoo, why is my sister crying so much¡­Who bullied you? Shall I scold them?¡± ¡°H-Hic. I really love you so much. My little sister. I love you. Really.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I love you too, sister. Don¡¯t cry. Enough. What do you want, hmm?¡± Rieta was sweet. She resembled Derick, Marie and Shuel. Because they were a family. I loved such a child so much, but at the same time, I was jealous of the child who had something I did not. I love you, but I also hate you. I was conflicted, just because she possessed what I so desperately wanted. I get why I had no choice but to hate you, but I couldn¡¯t stand it because I was ashamed. In the midst of really wonderful people, I struggled to pretend that I was somehow like them. But yet, in the end, I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Sister didn¡¯t grow at all. You¡¯re smaller than me, but you can still grow bigger. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡± Rieta hurriedly comforted me. Her embrace was warm. She is really strong and kind. Even if she was aware that I was jealous of her, I knew better. Regardless, I knew Rieta would continue to look up to me as her older sister, and that she would not regret the kindness she gave during childhood. If she knew, she would be even more sorry and sympathetic. It was miserable. £ª £ª £ª Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t tell me why you cried?¡± Shortly after I stopped crying, Rieta asked me. I smiled awkwardly at that frustrated face. ¡°I can¡¯t do much for you, but I can listen. I think I can at least beat up one or two people that made you cry¡­¡± ¡°Rieta.¡± ¡°Ah, seriously, who made you cry?!¡± Rieta roared at my quiet response. Rieta lowered her brows sullenly, but even at that pathetic look, I did not release my tightly shut lips. After a brief staring contest, Rieta finally let out a deep sigh. ¡°Fine. There must be a reason why sister is refusing to speak about it. But if you ever wish to talk about it, just let me know. Okay?¡± Those words full of trust and love seemed to suffocate me. Rieta believes in me. She likes me enough to take the time to solve my problem. Just like that, without knowing how I was. I looked at Rieta with a pale and blank face, and could not help but open my mouth. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person you should trust and follow.¡± It felt like a sinner¡¯s confession. I couldn¡¯t help it as the guilt filled my throat. ¡°I¡¯m a person who lacks more than you think.¡± Rieta was still looking at me with a puzzled face. I opened my mouth, holding back the nauseous feeling. ¡°I¡¯m not that generous.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m narrow-minded and greedy, but I don¡¯t have the confidence to take responsibility for it¡­¡± I wanted you to disappear. Those words were stuck at the end of my throat and didn¡¯t come out. It was hypocritical of me for not wanting to be hated as I tried to reduce my guilt. My face turned red. I opened my mouth and choked out a few times. ¡°Rieta, I¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so ashamed.¡± After vomiting those words out, I was out of breath like a person who was running for a long time. It was the feeling of a sinner who had confessed all their sins. And then, Rieta¡¯s voice came. ¡°Um, in fact, sister.¡± It was very monotonous. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not perfect.¡± Thud. As if nothing had happened. ¡°What?¡± Tears welled up in an instant. Even as I stared dumbfoundedly, Rieta continued with a brazen and nonchalant attitude. ¡°And it¡¯s not because you¡¯re weird.¡± The answer was so frank that I merely stared at Rieta blankly. ¡°Neither me, Shuel, Mom or Dad is perfect. Everyone is ashamed of themselves at one point.¡± ¡°But I think I¡¯m more¡­¡± ¡°There are times when I think I¡¯m too stupid to win once a day.¡± Rieta¡¯s nonchalant remark made my heart skip a beat. She was like this, too? ¡°You, what happened¡ª¡± ¡°By the way, sister. All human beings are like that.¡± Rieta cut off my angry words, asking why she didn¡¯t tell me earlier. ¡°How could anyone live with a smile every day? You cry when you¡¯re sad, scream when you¡¯re angry. And when good things happen sometimes, we laugh.¡± Rieta said calmly, as if she never overthinked. It was so nonchalant that I became embarrassed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very sad, hurt and struggling right now?¡± I nodded my head at those firm words. Then, Rieta grinned. ¡°And that¡¯s fine.¡± The words spread quietly. Like a drop of water on a calm lake, it ripples. ¡°Just because you¡¯re sad right now, your world won¡¯t end tomorrow.¡± Rieta¡¯s words continued. Quietly, like reading a fairy tale on a sleepless night. ¡°If you fail once, you can try again. Just because you tripped, doesn¡¯t mean you fell off the cliff.¡± Not too loud, not too quiet, just right. ¡°I¡¯m not saying sister shouldn¡¯t be sad. But I don¡¯t want you to lose hope.¡± My unstabled heart trembled as it sank the words that followed. ¡°You¡¯re an ordinary imperfect person. Just like me, Shuel, and everyone else. A normal person.¡± The clear and unshakable voice echoed. I looked at Rieta with a strange look. I felt strange. Nothing was resolved. But it just subsided. As if the thing that brought me in so much pain had never happened. Rieta smiled broadly at my expression. ¡°But my sister is still the prettiest person in the world!¡± Without realising, I laughed at those playful words. I had been crying just now, but Rieta seemed to have casted a spell. ¡°When did you grow up so much?¡± Rieta grinned as I muttered with a smile. ¡°I was raised by sister.¡± Her bright smiling face resembled me. The thought passed by suddenly, and I stared at Rieta¡¯s face for a moment.