Chapter 6
Rierusha climbed onto the plush bed and rubbed her cheek against it, unable to hold back the soft, melty smile that spread across her face.
It felt just like a dream.
What had changed wasn’t simply things like possessions.
As she passed through the main castle, if servants and knights spotted Rierusha, they would come running from far away and greet her respectfully.
They all did, no matter which castle they belonged to.
For reference, within the ducal castle, servants and knights each had different roles.
Those who personally attended the Arakrene main line and guarded them bore the title of knight, and those who handled other miscellaneous tasks were all classified as servants.
Knights were generally made up of collateral branches of House Arakrene, and were selected only from those who could handle mana to a certain extent.
“Please enjoy it to your heart’s content, Lady Rierusha. All of it is yours.”
Watching Rierusha so visibly delighted, Sona smiled with satisfaction.
Then soon her complexion darkened sharply.
Because it felt as though she had seen what had been done to Rierusha within the family all this time.
‘To be at a loss over something like this little kindness.’
When she recalled the sight of Rierusha flustering at lower-ranked people approaching to greet her, and hiding behind Sona’s back, her heart ached.
“Lady Rierusha, I’ll prepare a snack for you. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“A snack?”
Rierusha, who had been looking around the room, perked up her ears and whipped around.
Her red eyes were sparkling brightly.
“Puddiing!”
Rierusha shouted happily, throwing both arms up.
It was also a snack she had been completely taken with recently.
The sweet taste that melted the moment it entered her mouth was superb.
Since the maids had snatched expensive snacks away from her until now, it was as if Rierusha were tasting a whole new world.
“Yes, then I will tell them to prepare pudding.”
After a while, Sona brought pudding heaped abundantly onto a plate.
Rierusha hurriedly climbed up onto a chair and sat down.
Her small feet, dangling in the air, swung excitedly.
Her cheeks, plumped up and rounded from Sona’s devoted care, were puffy.
“Now, say ah. Lady Rierusha.”
“Ah-.”
The pudding slipped right into Rierusha’s mouth.
Her chewing lips didn’t stop.
You could see her cheeks moving up and down with them.
Sona unconsciously stiffened and tightly gripped the spoon.
By instinct, she had almost committed the rudeness of poking those cheeks.
“It’s yummy!”
Rierusha opened her mouth—ah—asking for more.
As if bewitched, Sona kept feeding her pudding again and again.
When the empty plate finally showed, Sona put it away and carefully changed the mood.
“Lady Rierusha. By any chance, do you remember in detail what it was like at the time of your awakening?”
“Awakening? ……No, I don’t remember well.”
Rierusha drooped her brows and shook her head gloomily.
Because it had been such an urgent situation with her life hanging in the balance, her memory was in scattered pieces.
She didn’t even know herself how she had awakened her mana and manifested her ability.
She wasn’t even sure she could make those soap bubbles again.
Rierusha grew dejected.
She had tried secretly, but no miracle happened like it had then.
“That is understandable, young lady. Awakening comes with a strong shock.”
Sona hurried to comfort Rierusha, saying it was all right.
“Really?”
“……Still, when you meet the duke, you must tell him as much as you can remember.”
“Hada-buji?”
With a worried complexion, Sona nodded.
In truth, the greatest ordeal waiting for Rierusha was this.
There was still the time when she would have a private interview with Duke Arakrene.
It was not a procedure every heir went through.
However, because Rierusha was such a special case, it was an unavoidable meeting.
“……Me, did I weally awaken fow sure?”
“Of course. His Grace is waiting only for you to recover your strength, young lady.”
“…He’s waiting for me? Hada-buji?”
“Yes.”
Rierusha made a distrustful expression, as if that couldn’t possibly be true.
Sona nodded, asking her to believe it, but her feelings did not carry through.
Rierusha, unlike a typical four-year-old, let out a deep sigh as though the ground might cave in.
“Hada-buji hates me.”
Surely he did.
Because because of Rierusha, Father had to leave the castle and live elsewhere.
And it didn’t stop there—the safety of the family had been put at risk.
No matter how much she was his granddaughter, there was no way good feelings could remain.
In reality, every time Grandfather saw Rierusha, he would furrow his brow and send her a displeased look.
Because of that, whenever she stood before Grandfather, Rierusha’s body stiffened. Even now, she was afraid to go meet Grandfather.
“His Grace absolutely does not hate you, Lady Rierusha. He does have a somewhat fiery side…… but…….”
Sona, soothing Rierusha, couldn’t bring herself to finish her words.
Because Rierusha’s eyes had sunk quietly, as if she already knew everything.
Because of that, Sona couldn’t say sugary words meant only to appease her.
“……There are complicated adult circumstances that Lady Rierusha cannot yet understand. His Grace does not hate you, not at all.”
“Mm.”
Only then did Rierusha nod and answer.
* * *
Early in the morning. Rierusha was being dressed up this way and that in order to go meet Grandfather.
A yellow dress with cute lace, and bright-yellow shoes with rounded toes.
And tightly coiled twin buns bound into neat circles so that no stray hairs would stick out, to suit the duke’s temperament, which liked things tidy.
“Oh my, this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone sit so quietly.”
“Right? Usually at this age, they get bored and try to climb down right away. How dignified you are.”
The maids’ compliments continued one after another.
At the compliments she had never heard before, Rierusha felt ticklish.
Rierusha, meeting the eyes of the maid who was finishing up her hair, smiled brightly.
Then the maid covered her mouth. “Oh my!”
“Lady Rierusha is surely an angel.”
“Truly.”
The maids nodded in agreement.
Until now, the only children in the family had been the proud children of the main and collateral lines, so it was understandable.
The maids’ eyes sparkled as they praised Rierusha again and again.
They wore expressions of disbelief, as if saying, ‘So such a pure living creature can be born in House Arakrene!’
Watching that with satisfaction, Sona came to her senses first and warned them strictly.
“There is nothing you cannot say in front of the young lady. Have you forgotten your manners as maids?”
“S-sorry. Lady Rierusha, please forgive our rudeness.”
Only Duke Arakrene and the rest of the main line were allowed to say to Rierusha that she was cute.
It was not something those of lower rank could dare to say.
Realizing their mistake, the maids turned pale and lowered their heads.
If it had been before another of the main line or collateral line, it would have been a situation where they would have nothing to say even if their heads were taken.
“I’m fine, Ttona.”
When Rierusha said it was fine and sheltered the maids, Sona, after deliberation, shook her head firmly.
“You mustn’t accept things like this, Lady Rierusha.”
“They like me. So I like it.”
“Lady Rierusha…….”
At words tied to Rierusha’s emptiness, Sona’s heart softened again.
“You are so gentle and kind that I am very worried.”
Honestly, Sona was concerned about whether Rierusha would be able to adapt easily in the main castle.
The ducal castle was not an easy place.
The moment someone saw Rierusha’s weakness, there were people everywhere who would rush in to dig into that gap and use her.
Traits like kindness and innocence were never any help in Arakrene.
Those who bore the surname ‘Arakrene’ had to build up their power by making people their own, and then reign above all.
But Rierusha was too gentle.
‘When the young duke returns, he will have quite a hard time.’
For a moment, it was as though Sona had seen the young duke’s future.
