GBHDF 08

Chapter – 08

As a reward for the napkin flowers, a huge tea table had been placed in front of Rowena.

“Wow!”

Rowena’s already round eyes grew even rounder.

Strictly speaking, it would be more accurate to say they had widened in astonishment.

The table was covered with all sorts of desserts.

From sponge cake generously topped with strawberry jam to cream puffs that melted softly in your mouth the moment you took a bite!

There were so many desserts that the entire dining room was filled with their sweet aroma.

However, the reward waiting for Rowena wasn’t limited to delicious sweets.

“I’m thinking of taking you in as my adopted daughter, Rowena.”

The bombshell announcement came from Madam Heyworth, whose expression had softened considerably.

Was this something she should consider a good thing?

Madam Heyworth had offered to adopt her!

However…

“Become a member of House Heyworth. I will raise you myself.”

“…Huh?”

It would have been nice if she had heard the proposal after finishing everything in her mouth.

At the moment she heard those words, Rowena had an Earl Grey madeleine stuffed into her left cheek and a chocolate cream puff stuffed into her right.

Naturally, her already chubby cheeks puffed out even further, making her look like a squirrel.

She nearly started hiccupping from the shock of the announcement, but Rowena skillfully swallowed both desserts and finally opened her mouth.

“A-an adopted daughter?”

“Yes. This is a proposal, but it is also a request. I have taken a liking to you.”

In fact, anyone present who knew Madam Heyworth—or even simply knew her reputation as a strict woman—could have recognized that immediately.

Even though Rowena had chocolate cream smeared around her mouth, Madam Heyworth’s expression remained nothing short of benevolent.

“I cannot make you the heir of House Heyworth, Rowena, but this would still be a very beneficial offer for you. Becoming my daughter means that everything I possess would become yours as well.”

Why was she called Madam Heyworth?

The current head of House Heyworth was the Duke of Somerset, Seymour.

However, he merely held the position of family head and handled external affairs. All matters concerning the inner workings of the family were left to Madam Heyworth.

Naturally, the enormous wealth of House Heyworth was also under her control.

And that was why society respectfully referred to her as the Madam.

Therefore, becoming Madam Heyworth’s daughter meant that her enormous inheritance would eventually belong to Rowena.

Behind her, Butler Henry nodded and added,

“You would have a much happier and more comfortable life at Heyworth than at the orphanage, young lady. If you wish, you could eat food like this every day and wear beautiful clothes as well.”

“Every day?”

“Of course. You would become a noblewoman just like Madam Heyworth.”

There was an enormous difference in social status between an orphan from a charity home and a young noblewoman.

So surely, this offer was an opportunity Rowena would never receive again.

‘After putting it that way, surely that child will understand.’

Both Henry and Freya thought there was no reason for Rowena to refuse the offer.

However—

“I’m really grateful, but I don’t think I can do that.”

The answer that came from Rowena was a refusal.

Even Freya looked shocked by the unexpected response.

“W-why? Is there a reason?”

“Yes!”

Unlike the adults, who were still stunned, the child simply giggled innocently before saying,

“Because I want to become the Duke of Somerset’s family!”

Another bombshell.

Let’s become Seymour’s family!

This was the conclusion Rowena had reached after thinking about it for a long time.

While she diligently folded napkin flowers as she waited for Madam Heyworth to wake up, Rowena had been constantly thinking about what she should do next.

‘No matter how much I think about it, there’s no other answer.’

At first, all Rowena had wanted was to meet Seymour.

She had even thought that perhaps, if she met him and clung to him desperately enough, she might somehow be able to obtain the cure.

But after learning that Madam Heyworth had fallen ill because of her grief over Rose’s death, Rowena’s thoughts had changed.

‘This isn’t something that can be solved by meeting him once or twice.’

There was no way to obtain the cure for Lily Disease with such a casual approach.

Seymour’s condition was likely no better than Madam Heyworth’s.

If anything, it would probably be worse.

‘Seymour is apparently living like a broken man because of the grief of losing his wife.’

As a result, Seymour’s business would suffer a recession for several years.

If that hadn’t happened, Seymour would have imported the cure much earlier.

‘It wouldn’t have taken seven whole years, at least.’

If she could bring it forward by just two years, that would be enough.

‘But first, I have to get Seymour out of his broken state…’

Seymour wouldn’t even listen properly to Madam Heyworth, his own mother-in-law.

Would he suddenly recover just because Rowena gave him one tight hug?

In the end, there was only one answer.

‘Close surveillance!’

If you want to catch a tiger, you have to enter the tiger’s den.

And if you want to meet the mastermind, you have to go to the mastermind’s house.

Therefore, if Rowena wanted to fix Seymour, she had to enter Seymour’s home!

As a member of his family, no less.

But there was one obstacle she had to overcome first.

Madam Heyworth.

At Rowena’s declaration, Freya asked with a slightly bewildered expression,

“You want to become Seymour’s family? Rowena, have you ever met Seymour?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Then I understand even less. I thought you were a sensible child…”

The warmth that had filled Freya’s eyes moments earlier disappeared.

A blade-like coldness entered her gaze.

“Are you saying that becoming my adopted daughter, without even being able to become my heir, is beneath your notice?”

“No! That’s not it!”

Rowena hurriedly waved her hands.

“I don’t want to become an heir. You don’t have to give me anything.”

“Then why?”

“Actually… I heard what happened while you were unconscious. I heard that you’re always worried about the Duke.”

As Rowena fiddled with her fingers, Freya slightly furrowed her brow.

“Henry, did you tell the child such things?”

“I did not… Though, judging by the circumstances, I suspect she overheard the maids talking.”

There had been plenty of speculation throughout the estate regarding Madam Heyworth’s sudden illness.

Naturally, some of those conversations involved Rose’s death, as well as speculation that Madam Heyworth had fallen ill because she was worried about Seymour.

Those were things a child wandering around the estate could easily have overheard.

“So… I heard that the Duke had lost his family, and I wanted to become his family. That way, you wouldn’t have to worry about him as much.”

At Rowena’s dejected-sounding words, the expressions of Freya, Henry, and the maids softened instantly.

“So that was why…”

“She really has such a warm heart…”

“How could she be so kind?”

Rowena didn’t miss the opportunity created by the suddenly warm atmosphere and quickly continued.

“And if I become the Duke’s family, I think I might be able to solve his problem!”

“If you mean his problem with an heir, are you saying you can solve that? How?”

“Well, you see…”

Rowena hopped down from her chair.

Then she trotted over to Freya and whispered into her ear.

“…And that’s why!”

After a long whisper, Freya nodded with interest.

“Oho…”

Rowena covered her mouth with both hands and giggled.

Then she looked up with sparkling green eyes and asked,

“What do you think, Madam?”

Will you make me part of the Duke’s family?

And so, back to the present.

Madam Heyworth had turned out to be an excellent ally.

She had pushed Seymour until he eventually agreed to take Rowena with him!

And so, Rowena was now sitting inside a carriage headed for the Duke of Somerset’s estate.

‘Hehe.’

I really am smart!

Choosing to win over Madam Heyworth had been an excellent decision.

Of course, it hadn’t been easy.

Madam Heyworth wasn’t the sort of person who would blindly trust a proposal made by a mere child.

‘I don’t think you’re trying to deceive me, Rowena. But people change. Do you really think the you of ten years from now will be the same as you are today? You cannot guarantee that you won’t become greedy for the position of heir then.’

‘So write me a pledge. If you write a document promising that you will uphold the proposal you made even then, I will make you Seymour’s heir.’

Rowena had written the pledge together with Madam Heyworth, side by side.

And Madam Heyworth had kept her promise.

‘Now all that’s left is…’

Rowena smiled brightly and turned her gaze toward the opposite side of the carriage.

There sat a man with an extremely displeased expression.

A man who had suddenly found an heir dropping out of the sky despite never having expected one in his entire life…

The unfortunate—

No, fortunate—

man was Seymour Somerset.